Jul i rubinrött by Amanda Hellberg was a good little holiday read, even though it’s my first time diving into seasonal books. The story had its intense moments, especially toward the end, but I didn’t mind that in a romance novel.

As for the romance, the relationship between Nina and Johan was fine—sweet but not groundbreaking. To my surprise, I found myself just as invested—if not more—in the chemistry between Wilhelm and Elias. Wilhelm’s chapters quickly became my favorite. Watching him wrestle with his sexuality and his relationship with God added a surprising layer of depth to his character. Despite his morally questionable actions, I couldn’t help but sympathize with him.

The writing and pacing felt a bit different from what I’m used to, and I initially struggled with it. About halfway through, I switched to the audiobook, which worked much better for me with this particular story. If I decide to read more books from this series (Books 1 and 3), I’ll definitely go for the audiobook format from the start.

Overall, I’d rate this book 2.75 stars. It was slightly above average for me—it didn’t fully capture my interest, though it had its moments. That said, I might revisit the series next Christmas and give the other books a fair shot.