The Holiday Games by 
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up The Holiday Games by Lili Valente. It sounded cute from the synopsis: small town Christmas girl goes to the big city and meets media big shot boy. How very Hallmark! Then, throw it some mystery about their pasts being intertwined? I was sold! While it wasn’t as amazing as I thought it could’ve been, it was still a really decent and enjoyable holiday romance with just enough of everything to feel complete.
Candy and Leo felt like fully formed characters, which I enjoyed, but I wasn’t really sold on their chemistry as a couple. They fall in instalove, which I can forgive because this is a Christmas romance. They only have thirty days to fall in love and get their happily ever after. Those are simply the rules for holiday romances. I just wish we got more because they were fully realized individuals. That said, despite the flat chemistry between the two, the romance still worked. Candy wanted more out of life than her tiny town could offer and gets that with Leo, who wants more than a vapid existence filming trash tv. The spice was okay and there was, or at least felt like, slight breeding kink. I’m not sure if I buy the happily ever after, but it works at face value.
The secret that gets mentioned in the synopsis, of their lives being secretly intertwined, is revealed very early on. It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be, but definitely did create a solid obstacle that didn’t feel outlandish or ridiculous. How they dealt with that secret, especially in the third act of the book, was disappointing. Candy absolutely should’ve known better given everything that she learned in the book. Whatever character progression she was making completely fell apart as she simply believed what she heard without taking the time to confirm or talk or think it through.
I think The Holiday Games by Lili Valente is a pretty solid holiday romance. It isn’t spectacular but it is definitely an enjoyable read. If you want a holiday romance that is fast paced with some miscommunication and third act separation, you’ll like this. But I will say there are other five star holiday romances that were released this year that I’d recommend you read first.
