How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan QuinnSeries: How My Neighbor Stole Christmas #1
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Pages: 480
Rating: ★★★½
Source: Personal Copy
Genre: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Publisher: Bloom Books / Sourcebooks
From USA Today and Amazon bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a brand new holiday rom-com with all the humor and heat her fans adore.
A new holiday enemies-to-lovers romance from USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn.
Every Kringle in Kringletown celebrated Christmas a lot.
But Cole Black on Whistler Lane, unfortunately, did not.
As his fellow citizens decorate their quaint town, brimming with carols and glad tidings, Cole wants nothing more than to hibernate the winter away. But his dreary plans are thwarted when his Christmas nemesis, Storee Taylor, moves in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Immediately, the new neighbor turns his life into a real nightmare before Christmas, especially when she decides to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest in honor of Cindy. And better yet, Storee is determined to win.
Over Cole’s dead body, she will. With help from his friend Max, Cole decides to enter the competition as well, to beat Storee at her own game by pretending that this hometown grump’s heart has grown three sizes this season and he’s fallen for the girl next door. And unfortunately for Storee, she has to follow his lead to have a chance at the Christmas Kringle title.
But the competition isn’t the only thing that heats up. Cole and Storee’s fake relationship becomes very real, and before they know it, they’re attempting to hide it from Aunt Cindy. Things get complicated, the competition gets tough, and all it takes is one single night for someone to steal it all…
REVIEW
If you want a book that feels like sinking into a mug of hot cocoa, Meghan Quinn’s How My Neighbor Stole Christmas delivers. Set in Kringletown, Colorado, a place permanently tuned to the Christmas station, Storee Taylor comes home for the holidays and crashes straight into a rivalry with her old neighbor, Cole Black. Snark flies, and so does the fake relationship shtick, forcing the pair together for a high-stakes holiday contest (and to appease Storee’s meddling Aunt Cindy).
Storee’s got that unstoppable holiday cheer, even if she veers into over-the-top territory early on. Cole grumbles his way through most days, grinch-like but with just enough hidden warmth to keep you rooting for him. Their banter pops off the page, and as the fake romance starts to feel real, sparks do more than fly; they practically set the tinsel on fire.
Quinn leans into the good stuff: family drama, holiday healing, and a town crammed with quirky side characters. The story milks classic tropes for all they’re worth, grumpy/sunshine dynamic, enemies smashing into lovers, and a competition that brings out both the worst and the best in people. Aunt Cindy just about steals every scene she’s in.
Quinn’s writing is all about heart, humour, and heat. The dialogue crackles, the comic timing keeps things lively, and the romance is dialled to spicy. The payoff is big if you’re in it for escapist fun, but a few scenes run longer than they need to, and Storee’s relentless perkiness can grate before she finds her footing.
Even with the occasional slow patch, this is a rom-com brimming with Christmas spirit, laugh-out-loud antics, and the kind of swoony chemistry that leaves you wanting to visit Kringletown yourself. If your December needs more heat and hilarious mayhem, go ahead and add this one to your stack.
