Probably just not my type of book though I do enjoy Christmas romance. The romance was so cliche and the facts were just off (a flu shot does nothing for the stomach flu). While I understand the 12 days timeframe, the speed of the relationship and the resolution of issues was just too over the top for me.

Probably a 3.5. Just a fluffy, fun book. If her writing was better, I'd give more stars. I know that sounds horrible, as she's very successful, but the way the characters talk puts me off. ("remember my disagreeable neighbor" etc). But the story and premise were very fun :)

Cute little romance.

This book has a feel of a Christmas Hallmark movie ... grumpy neighbor, overly-friendly heroine, using kindness to break Mr. Grump out of his bah-humbugs. And it was ... nice. It's pretty generic and formulaic, but that's pretty much the point with these sorts of books. I'm okay with it. Cain is all sorts of grumpy, and if I had one criticism to level at this book it is that Cain's grumpiness was a little over the top. I would have been okay if his grumpiness was solely focused on his overly enthusiastic neighbor. It might have made sense that someone wants to be left alone by their neighbors and isn't interested in exchanging pleasantries. I get that. But Cain's grumpiness extended to ordinary strangers at moments ... strangers like the guy manning the register at Starbucks. In my opinion, someone who cannot show common courtesy and friendliness to strangers is waving GIANT red flags about issues that are too big for a loving relationship to erase. It would have been nice if Debbie Macomber had written Cain as standoffish toward Julia, but generally kind towards others when he was out and about. Maybe he's just a guy who had been burned once too much by peppy girls, and he wasn't interested in traveling that road again. Instead, he seemed to just be a common grouch toward everyone. Still, I did like how kindness changed both Cain and Julia for the better. I liked the beginning of a HEA. I wouldn't call this an epic holiday romance, but it was a nice one. Four stars.

I don't think I completely understood the meaning of the term "guilty pleasure" until I read this novel. For the second time.

There's something about Debbie Macomber. I've recently started a yearly tradition of reading what I now refer to as the 'trifold of sappy Christmas novels' (Alaskan Holiday, Twelve Days of Christmas, Merry and Bright). There's something about these novels that just make me feel so sickeningly sweet on the inside.

I say this in the most endearing way possible, but Macomber doesn't really do romantic banter very well. There were parts during this audiobook when I actually had to shut my eyes because I was cringing so hard. Ever heard of second-hand embarrassment? This book will make you feel it in spades.

Also I'm not sure Macomber knows much about how blogging works. In both this novel and Alaskan Holiday, both her main characters start blogs and, with no self-marketing whatsoever, the blogs suddenly get hundreds of thousands of hits within a couple days. I'm pretty sure this happens to like 0.00000000001 percent of bloggers. But I'll play ball, I guess.

Lastly, the mom in me wishes to point out that relationships like the one between Julia and Cain do not work in real life. One cranky 'Lone Wolf' man + one extremely social woman that flings herself into peoples faces (and homes) without asking while screaming Christmas carols and ringing her joyous bells of joy do not = a happy couple. This stressed me out so much while reading this novel.

And maybe that's why I love reading it so much. The hopelessly romantic (hopelessly small) side of me is at territorial odds with the pessimistic, realist side of me and - perhaps just for a couple hours - I can pretend like the former can claim a victory.

Reread 2021: I forgot how painful some of the dialogue was in this novel. I have a really hard time stomaching Julia for most of it. It's obvious to the reader that Julia likes Cain from the first page, yet 50% through the novel she's still trying to convince everyone how he's 'insufferable'. OK.

I still enjoy this book, but it reminds me more of an elementary school romance than it does an adult one. I've literally never seen a grown adult act this way.

Reread 2022: I stand by SingleMom's advice. Run girl, run.