Title: The Ex-Mas Holidays
Author: Zoe Allison
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 26, 2023
Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
It’s hard to escape your ex when you’re working together over Christmas in the Scottish Highlands, but being stuck together might be the best possible present in this sparkling new contemporary romance.
Maya Bashir is dreading her drive home for Christmas and having to explain that she’s just left her high-paying job and a long-term relationship, so a brief detour to her friend’s festive party doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Until Maya walks in to find the last person she wants to see. Sam, the boy who broke her heart eight years ago. And he’s serving drinks. Naked.
Sam Holland is working an extra job on the sly to help his friend get by. But little did he expect Maya Bashir to come barrelling back into his life, learning about his secret side-hustle and taking back her old job alongside him at his daytime role as a ski instructor on the slopes of the Scottish Highlands.
As both Sam and Maya realize that their reason for heartbreak so many years ago wasn’t entirely as it seemed, they must learn to stand up for what they want the most…or else miss their second chance at love.
Review:
Maya Bashir is moving home during the holidays after losing her job and breaking up with her boyfriend. When she stops at her friend‘s party, she recognizes the naked butler at the party as the man who broke her heart when they were teenagers: Sam Holland. Sam is working an extra job to help out a friend. Maya decides to take a job at the ski resort in their hometown where Sam also works. They’re thrown back together, working closely and commuting to the resort. As they get to know each other again, they start to realize they didn’t break up for the reason they thought, so they have to decide if they want a second chance at romance.
This story kind of combined the enemies to lovers and friends to lovers tropes. Maya and Sam were old friends who became reacquainted, but they were also enemies at the beginning of the story because of how they broke up years ago. I felt like the misunderstanding behind why they broke up was obvious, so it was a little frustrating that they didn’t talk about it. At the same time, there was a lot of tension between Maya and Sam throughout the story, so it was a relief to finally see them have their second chance at love.
The Ex-Mas Holidays is a fun second chance romance!
Thank you Berkley Romance for providing a digital copy of this book.
Have you read The Ex-Mas Holidays? What did you think of it?
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