The Christmas Wager

By: Holly Cassidy

Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo, Adam Verner

A delightful enemies-to-lovers holiday rom com set in the quaint mountain town of Maple Falls, Colorado, about a city girl and a small-town boy who compete in the town’s annual holiday games in order to win the right price for a charming, local Christmas shop, perfect for fans of The Hating Game and The Twelve Dates of Christmas.

One rivalry. Eight days until Christmas. Let the holiday games begin.

When L.A.-based real estate developer Bella Ross arrives in the sleepy mountain town of Maple Falls, she has one mission: to acquire the local failing Christmas shop, Always Noelle, securing the promotion of her dreams. Nothing can get in her way. Except the shop owner’s stubborn grandson, Jesse Harrison.

Both refuse to budge, until an unlikely wager is struck: Bella and Jesse will compete in the Maple Falls Holiday Games, an annual tradition of eccentric feats of strength and skills. Winner decides the selling price. They’ll give each other a run for their money, but as the competition heats up, Bella and Jesse’s icy feelings toward each other begin to thaw. It’ll take a Christmas miracle for them to admit there’s a spark, but what if it’s just another game?

Clever Christmas Romance

Bella and Jesse each feel it as soon as they lay eyes on one another. But Bella is in Jesse's grandfather's Christmas store trying to buy the building for as little as possible, to impress her boss and earn a promotion. Jesse can't believe her low ball offer and convinces his grandfather to counter with a much higher price, a price above the one Bella's boss said was the highest she could go. Jesse's grandfather suggests a wager, either the high price or the low one depending upon whose team wins the yearly games.
In spite of the rivalry, those feelings are too strong to be denied. There are exes who provide complications. Then Bella's boss changes the design, making Bella's promise of preservation a lie. Never fear, a happy ending is on the way.
Unfortunately, I do not love the narrators, in particular the male who never sounds like he is telling his own story.

A Real Chritmas Book

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, it was so much fun
The story is about Bella who works at a real estate company and she hates Christmas with a passion, but when her boss sends her to small town Maple Fall to buy a store from an old man, her world will never be the same.. because when she arrives she meets Jesse the owner's grandson .. and he refuses to sell until Bella can prove herself by competing in the Christmas competition .. if she wins she get the store and if she loses she can kiss her career goodbye, but the more time she spends in this town the more she falls in love with it .. and christmas and Jesse has a huge role in that
What I liked most about this book is that Christmas is actually an important factor in the story ( those holiday movies references are so adorable) and the ending can make the Grinch into a Christmas lover .. this is such a feel good book, my only complaint is that the final breakup was kind of stupid,
Hallmark please make this a movie soon

Hallmark Christmas movie as a book

It was a sweet, feel good, Christmas story like a Hallmark movie. I loved the small town. Definitely will listen to more books by Holly Cassidy!

Loved this book

This is a great book. Couldn’t put it down! I highly recommend it. Narrative is great and story is fun and interesting

Dreary, not cheery, Christmas

This was a long recitation of Xmas tropes, with scenes told first from one POV and then told again from the other POV, without humor, chemistry, or emotion. It’s a cozy, meaning no F bombs and the exact same fade to black move (when buttons are undone, that’s code for sex … and the end of the chapter).
It was like biting into a sugar cookie and realizing someone left out all the sugar … and then finishing the whole batch to avoid waste. The more I ate, the more my holiday romance loving tastebuds died.

As I lover of holiday romance, I would recommend almost anything over this book.
If you want clean and cozy, try:
🎄All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon
🎄The Best Worst Christmas by Kate Forster
🎄Mistletoe at Moonstone Lake by Holly Martin

If you want both sugar and spice, and naughty bits to make sex nice, try:
🎄The Holly Dates by Brittany Cherry
🎄Reindeer Falls novella collection by Jana Aston
🎄Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey