A Red Velvet Christmas by Deb Goodman: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

I dreamed of a Hallmark-style meet-cute. Instead, I got my high school nemesis—and a blizzard determined to ruin my Christmas.

All I wanted this Christmas was a magical chance encounter at the festival—something charming, cinematic, maybe involving a man with dimples and a cup of egg nog.

What I got instead was Noah Elliott. My ex–best friend. My sworn enemy.

Seeing him across the festival is bad. Discovering he’s seated next to me on my flight home to Texas? Uncomfortable doesn’t even begin to describe it—especially when my very real fear of flying kicks in and he’s determined to help me through it.

Noah thinks he knows why I ended the friendship five years ago. He’s wrong. And the truth I’ve kept buried? It’s a whole lot messier—and more vulnerable—than losing a baking competition.

Now I’m stuck with the one man I swore I’d never fall for again… and Christmas has a funny way of melting every defense I’ve got left.

A Red Velvet Christmas is a sweet, snowed-in, second-chance romcom full of festive banter, heart, and holiday magic.

The Author

Join Deb's newsletter to receive a copy of the book, Just a Road Trip, part of the Tate Brothers series, totally FREE!

Deb Goodman’s obsession with the written word started at age three, when she realized the old-timey newsprint wallpaper in her family’s bathroom had actual words on it. The only problem? By the time she learned to read a couple of years later, the wallpaper had been replaced with something else—boring, non-worded wallpaper—and to this day, she still doesn’t know what it said.

Now, she and her husband and four children live in Utah. They love sports, music, and doing slightly insulting, pretend voices for their little shorkie, Mavis.

Deb writes funny, small-town romance that you won’t need to shield your kids’ eyes from. Writing lovey dovey books comes naturally to Deb since, to her, there’s nothing better than reading and writing about how two people fall in love.

Book Review

If you're looking for a SWEET Christmas read, A Red Velvet Christmas has you covered... pun fully intended. Seriously though, this one was a really cute story. Noah and Merre were friends when they were younger until a baking contest (and misunderstandings) ended things. Years later, they find themselves on a flight together... and snowed in for the holidays. I loved seeing these two work through their past and get a chance at a happily ever after together. Their story has some great Hallmark vibes (in the best way) and kept me smiling from start to finish. It's definitely one you'll want to grab a sweet treat for though... what with all the baking talk throughout! This is a shorter read, easily read in just a few sittings, making it perfect for the holiday season. But because they have history together, I didn't feel like their romance was at all rushed. (And as a bonus, there is an included red velvet cake recipe included at the end that I cannot wait to try.)

A Red Velvet Christmas is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language. It is the third book in the Christmas Bakeshop series but can absolutely be enjoyed as a standalone as well. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4b3xvfZ