Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch is exactly what the title promises. You get a cozy holiday romance with a little bit of our favorite little spooky holiday vibe mixed in. It leans into the hallmark vibes but throws in just enough weirdness to keep things interesting. The story plays with all the cozy tropes you’d expect, but also surprisingly throws in themes of abuse and generational trauma.
I had fun with this one. It’s charming in its setup, with plenty of banter and small-town holiday energy, but also isn’t afraid to dip into something more real. That tension between cozy comfort and familial trauma bite works well. I wasn’t expecting for there to be a lot of politics about holiday courts, but I found myself interested in the dynamics of the holiday princes and their families.
Still, it’s entertaining, a little weird, and definitely memorable. If you want a holiday romance that’s both festive and offbeat, Nightmare Before Kissmas delivers exactly that.
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