e-ALC, 09:11:37
Narrated by: Dede Davis & Thomas Delacourt
Release Date: October 23, 2025
Published by: Simon & Schuster UK
Read from: December 5-7, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: Libro FM (I received this ALC free from the publisher and Libro FM. This did nothing to influence my review!)
Content Warning: Sexual Content, Cursing
For Readers Interested In: Audio, Contemporary, Enemies to Lovers, Holidaze (Christmas), Sparkly Covers, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Dual Narrators, Dual POVA Christmas romance featuring a personal chef who is snowed-in with her least favorite client – a sexy but miserable technopreneur.
The only thing personal chef Noelle Jones loves more than cooking is Christmas. She has a roster of extremely wealthy clients, including the elusive and stoic Alexander Hoxton.
When he asks her to cook a last-minute business meal he’s having, offering triple her pay for the short notice, Noelle jumps at the chance. It’s easy money, one of her favorite dishes and she’ll still have plenty of time to get to her family’s annual Christmas reunion.
But, when a sudden blizzard leaves Noelle snowed-in with Alexander, she quickly realizes he wants absolutely nothing to do with anything festive. Stuck with a veritable grinch, she’s sure this Christmas is about to become one of her worst . . .
*MY THOUGHTS*
I don’t have much to say about this one actually. I didn’t really feel much when I was listening. Which is unfortunate because I wanted to love this one so bad. But I just felt like it was so basic? It wasn’t bad but it also wasn’t good either? Idk how to explain it.
Ok so the characters were what I didn’t like. As a romance reader I’m big on liking them as individually before I like them as a couple. And in this instance I don’t feel like we got to know Alexander before they got together. So basically he was just an asshole for no reason. The only reason I held on was because I knew it was going to be different in some way. But we don’t get why he acts like that until almost the end of the book. And if you know me, you know I am not one for enemies to lovers, so I could be the only one who was annoyed by this, but yeah. I was not impressed. But then there was Noelle. She wasn’t like big on anything either. She was just basic. I don’t really feel much towards her. She just liked to cook and she liked Christmas a lot. And she was close to her family. Nothing that stood out.
Because of this, I just didn’t feel the chemistry of the two of them together? It was more like they were just doing a one night stand or something in my mind. It just didn’t feel real. He was mad at her (because she liked Christmas mostly, which eye roll) and then out of no where they ended up banging? And Idk how she liked him when he was acting like that. I think it’s my Scorpio energy, but it just can’t. But again, enenmies to lovers isn’t my jam. But if it is yours, I say give it a try.
As far as the story, I just didn’t feel like there was much going on. There was a dinner party, they got snowed in, they spent a lot of nights mad at each other, then they got closer until she was sleeping in his bed. It just felt very formulaic and very “regular.” I think I finished it mostly because I wanted to see how things would work after the snow melted and they were out in the world being lovey dovey. I wanted to know if he changed for everyone or just her.
This was fine, but not exactly memorable. I enjoyed it for the most part. I’ll give Starre another chance to see if things work out this time. I heard the vacay one is supposed to be good. I’ll pick that one up and see if I like that one better. In the mean time, take this review with a grain of salt. I’m not a huge fan of enemies to lovers and this one just gave me another example of why.
Overall, I give this
