I loved, loved, loved this novella so much. Seriously, how am I supposed to even consider real men after coming across Luke Darling? 

The audiobook was perfection, with Noah B. Perez and Venessa Vasquez as the narrators, who've done such a brilliant job, just like the other books in this series. These two are a dream team. Noah B. Perez as Luke was the perfect choice, and I could stop smiling and blushing with all the joking and teasing Luke did.

Lauren never fails to write about deeper topics and handles them so well. Even with a holiday novella, there were topics that hit hard and made me emotional (check TW). As two people working in the medical field, death is a part of their lives, and I liked how this was addressed with certain situations. They were a little hard to read, but that also made it more authentic.

Catalina was a character I could really relate to because I could understand what it's like to be shy and closed off but be perceived as rude by others because of it. Her reserved personality earned her the title of ice queen in town, which also led to her being unable to form a lasting relationship because no one had been patient with her to try. After a point, she gave up on ever finding someone, so she stuck to constantly traveling as a nurse, going for casual relationships with no real future.

She also felt a lot of guilt for dating her sister's now-fiancé, however briefly, although she didn't know about her sister's feelings for him at the time. But I liked that Catalina and Gabriela communicated these feelings and cleared things up.

Luke was honestly so damn thoughtful, patient, and just so present. He was a calming presence in Catalina's life. He slowly blended into her life and was always exactly the person she needed in every situation. He let Catalina take the lead, knowing she was flighty and needed the time to feel comfortable and open up. However, he also made his feelings abundantly clear to her and kept showing up, putting in all his efforts for her, and giving her reasons to return too.

Aiden and his family were truly the only family Luke had known, his own family being more focused on his achievements and status than him as a person. Striving for perfection was something that was ingrained in him while growing up by his parents, and needing their attention and appreciation led to Luke holding himself to an unreal standard and becoming a perfectionist. As he spends time with Catalina, Aiden, and Gabriela this Christmas, he realizes how unrealistic the standards he'd set for himself were, and how it wasn't always about winning, but the moments you spend having fun with the people who matter in your life.

Even though this was a novella, the romance between Luke and Catalina unfolded gradually, as they both had insecurities of their own that they had to face and deal with while they tried to explore this connection between them. It was quite the journey for both of them as they put themselves in a vulnerable position with each other by slowly accepting their growing feelings and taking a chance.

Their moments together were just so adorable and filled with so much love. They made such a great team, whether it be with assembling the Lego set, brainstorming the maid of honor speech, knowing what the other person needed after a rough day at work, or knowing just what to say to each other to put the voices in their minds to rest. The spice was just the perfect amount, not taking away from the story or being the main focus. The intimate moments between them were also so good and right.

Another thing I loved is how Catalina and her mom take that step to fix their strained relationship. When her mother opens up about her own childhood and acknowledges the ways in which she was wrong, Catalina opens up about how she's felt with all that pressure from her mom. It was a heartfelt and much-needed conversation for them both to heal and move forward. It also shows that her mom was also still learning how to let go of her own issues even at her age and do better by her daughter.

That maid of honor speech honestly got me to the verge of crying. It was so beautiful and overwhelming and perfect. And that epilogue? My goodness, I can't express how amazing this man is, and seriously, why can't he be real?