Christmas People

By Iva-Marie Palmer
** Publication Date 30 September 2025 **
4 stars



Some of us love the cheesy tropes of Hallmark movies. I mean, what is better than watching a movie that you know is going to turn out to be the perfect romance?


In Christmas People, Jill Jacobs doesn’t consider herself a Christmas person. After all, she broke up with her ‘perfect’ man right before Christmas, moved herself out to Los Angeles, and has staunchly avoided her hometown since. When Jill finds herself alone for Christmas, her mom only has to apply a little pressure to get Jill to come home. 


But things don’t go as planned for Jill. She runs into her ex. She runs into her high school crush. And she basically finds herself immersed in a “Heartfelt” movie. She has to figure out how to escape and get back to her real life before things get more topsy turvy.


Super cute novel that is ideal for holiday reading. It’s not perfect - like a Hallmark movie - Jill is anything but perfect. But the concept of Hallmark movies and how they portray the perfect romance, usually with some humor, is the cornerstone of this great holiday novel. 


Jill is a mess. Her layers run deep with self-loathing, but she is 100% redeemable. Her parents are adorable. This is not a picture-perfect family at all. They have serious flaws, but they are real. The story covers both reality and rom-com, and blends them into a wonderful novel.


I greatly enjoyed this one and suggest you pick it up for reading with a cup of hot cocoa and a homemade “messy Santa."