Love in Winter Wonderland

by Abiola Bello Narrated by Ben Bailey Smith, Nneka Okoye

Overview

Charming, handsome Trey Anderson balances the pressures of school popularity with a job at his family's beloved local bookshop, Wonderland, London's oldest Black-owned bookstore.
Quirky, creative Ariel Spencer needs tuition for the prestigious art program of her dreams, and an opening at Wonderland is the answer.
When Trey and Ariel learn that Wonderland is on the brink of being shut down by a neighborhood gentrifier, they team up to stop the doors from closing before the Christmas Eve deadline-and embark on a hate-to-love journey that will change them forever.
Heartwarming and romantic, this read is the gift that keeps on giving, no matter the season.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Love in Winter Wonderland

A Children's Book Council Teacher Favorites Selection
Best Books to Gift from Book Riot's Hey YA Podcast
ABA's Best Books for Young Readers
A PNBA Bestseller

“Brimming with heart-swelling chemistry and witty bookworm banter . . . A charming young adult book that will give you all the warm fuzzies.”
—Reader's Digest

“Love in Winter Wonderland addresses plenty of critical topics such as the importance of indie bookstores, the effects of gentrification, body diversity, grief over losing a parent, and more.”
—TEACH Magazine

“A sweetly seasonal YA romance, interwoven with thoughtful commentary on the Black Lives Matter movement and the importance of community.”
—The Guardian

“Abiola Bello introduces us to a winter fairy tale of love, where snowflakes and romance dance together. This heartwarming story explores the magic of the season and reminds us that sometimes love is the greatest gift.”
—City Magazine Slovenia

“Love in Winter Wonderland sparkles and shines right off the page thanks to gorgeous writing, witty dialogue, a magical setting and two characters you'll fall head over heels for as they’re falling for each other. I love, love, love this book!”
—Jennifer Niven, author of All the Bright Places

“A Black romance set in a Black-owned bookstore at Christmas time—yes please! The chemistry was palpable. The pacing kept me turning pages all night. And the story has stayed with me long after putting it down—the perfect gift for Black girls who crave a screen-worthy holiday romance.”
—Joya Goffney, author of Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry

“A dazzling love letter to bookshops, and the power of community.”
—Adiba Jaigirdar, author of Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating

“Like your favourite Christmas song, Love in Winter Wonderland is full of warmth, humour and joy. It's both a celebration of community and an affirmation of how thoughtful young love can be. A delightful read!”
—Michelle Quach, author of Not Here to Be Liked

“A GORGEOUS YA story of family, friendships, community, crowdfunding, art, books and romance, set in a Black-owned bookshop around Christmas. Heartwarming and heart lifting, it's an absolute JOY that made me cry buckets of happy tears.”
—Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs

“Love in Winter Wonderland is charming, heartwarming and perfect cosy reading in the countdown to Christmas, complete with the perfect holiday soundtrack! Ariel and Trey are such engaging and relatable characters that you can’t help but wish they were your friends.”
—Ciara Smyth, author of Not My Problem

“Look no further for your ultimate Christmas read – this is it! Abiola has crafted a story so charming and fun it will whisk you away. Bonus points for the superb playlists mentioned throughout too. I felt like Trey and Ariel were real people who I genuinely miss spending time with now the book is over. It has TikTok sensation written all over it!”
—Laura Jane Williams, author of Our Stop

“I devoured this delicious YA rom-com. I adored the festive Christmas time setting, but Love in Winter Wonderland is a treat to read any time of year.”
—Katherine Webber, author of Twin Crowns

“The most joyful, cosy and swoon-worthy love story. It’ll feel like Christmas no matter what time of the year you read it.”
—Kate Weston, author of Diary of a Confused Feminist

“What a wonderfully warm love story. I fell head over heels for our dark-skinned, curvy, redhead wonder Ariel as her character represents so much of what I wanted to read about as a teen. I think this book would be a very welcome title in any YA readers selection. Cheers to Wonderland!” 
—Candice Brathwaite, author of Cuts Both Ways and I Am Not Your Baby Mother

“A heartwarming and uplifting story set in a Black-owned bookshop. This is the book we all NEED this winter. Gorgeous and joyous.”
—A. M. Dassu, author of Boy, Everywhere

“Original, exceptional, wholesome, and fun . . . [For] fans of Christmas themed romance novels, Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello is a ‘must’ choice for the personal reading lists.”
—Midwest Book Review

“Indulge in this enemies-to-lovers romance featuring a kiss in the snow!”
—BookBub

“Snug, heartwarming, and sweet . . . A slow-burn romance with excellent character growth, Bello’s [YA] debut has the feel of a quintessential Hallmark movie but in book form.”
—Booklist

“Swoonworthy . . . With a feel-good conclusion featuring a kiss in the snow, an unexpected celebrity appearance, and a romantic playlist, Love in Winter Wonderland is a sweet novel.”
—Foreword Reviews

“Shimmers with holiday magic . . . A sweet opposites-attract romance enriched by affecting moments of emotional vulnerability.”
—Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

2023-08-11
Two London teenagers develop an unexpected connection while trying to save a Black-owned bookstore.

Seventeen-year-old Trey Anderson is the golden boy of Corden College and, with his high-maintenance girlfriend, Blair Bailey, one-half of the campus’ power couple. Although his social life may be enviable, few people know that his family’s independent bookshop, Wonderland, is rapidly losing customers to its corporate rival Books! Books! Books! A few weeks before Christmas, Trey gets terrible news: Unless the shop generates a massive profit to pay off outstanding debts, his family will sell the business to real estate developers. Trey’s determined to keep their legacy alive—even if it means working with Ariel Spencer, also 17 and Black, an introverted classmate who wants to follow in her late father’s footsteps by attending the art school he went to. Hoping to earn tuition money, Ariel accepts a job at Wonderland. Much to Trey’s surprise, as the teens spend more time together, they reconsider their differences, growing closer. Bello’s YA debut, which is told through the leads’ alternating perspectives, shimmers with holiday magic. The layered narrative depicts their relationship with depth as they also join forces to get the community to rally around Wonderland. Ariel is described as “thick,” and her chapters thoughtfully explore her struggles with self-esteem and body image. The supporting cast reflects the diversity of the Hackney setting.

A sweet opposites-attract romance enriched by affecting moments of emotional vulnerability. (Romance. 14-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159223098
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	10/03/2023
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

One
Trey’s playlist: “Let It Snow”
by Boyz II Men
Seventeen days till Christmas


I’m about two seconds away from committing murder.
    “But I thought it was two for one? I saw the deal in the bookshop window down the road,” the white woman with blonde highlights says.
     She means Books! Books! Books! It’s on the tip of my tongue to point out that we’re clearly a different bookshop, but instead I flash my best smile—all white teeth. Next to her, her daughter’s eyes flicker with interest.
     “Don’t get me wrong, I love a bargain as much as the next person, but we’re independent.” I say “independent” real slow. “So you’re helping the community when you buy from Wonderland. Plus, we’re a Black-owned, family-run bookshop.”
     Now the woman looks uncomfortable, catching eyes with her daughter, who huffs and says, “Mum, it’s fine. Just pay.”
     The women looks like she’s struggling to decide what to do. I bet now she thinks that if she doesn’t support the bookshop I’ll think she’s racist. Truth is, I just think she’s cheap.
     “Look, I’ll even throw in a couple of bookmarks.” I grab two from behind the counter and hand them to her. One says Indie Bookshops Rule! and the other says Black Lives Matter. We’re such a subtle family.
     The woman’s eyes widen when she reads them. Then she reaches into her purse, pulling out her credit card, and I have to stop myself from punching the air in celebration. With this sale, we’ve reached our daily target, and Mum agreed that, if we did, I can leave early for Bebe’s Christmas party. Bebe Richards is one of the girls in my friendship group at college, and one thing about her is she knows how to throw down. I have no idea why she’s having a Christmas party on a Wednesday, over two weeks before Christmas Day, but I don’t care. Anything that’s not the bookshop or homework sounds good to me.
     “Thanks for shopping at Wonderland,” I say as I hand the woman her books with a grin. “Merry Christmas.”
     “And you.” She smiles back, but it looks forced. Her daughter, on the other hand, gives me a wink before they walk off. I smile and shake my head.
     “Flirting with the customers again?” Dad walks up to the till and opens it, staring at the money and scratching the back of his head.
     “We’re on target. Slam dunk!” I shoot up my arms and flick my wrists, pretending to dunk like Kobe.
     “Wasn’t it busier this time last year?” Dad looks around the bookshop and I follow his gaze.
     He’s right. It’s kind of quiet, but I’m sure it will pick up once it gets closer to Christmas. Dad’s been paranoid ever since Books! Books! Books! opened. He thinks they’ve stolen all of our customers and tells me so after every shift. But we’ve been doing okay, and I think part of that is down to my epic playlist: “The Best Christmas Songs by Black Artists”: “8 Days of Christmas” by Destiny’s Child, “Merry Christmas, Baby” by Otis Redding . . . and is it even Christmas without Mariah?
     “Relax, Dad.” I put an arm round him. We’re pretty much the same height now at six foot one, and with my wide-set eyes, broad nose, strong jawline and lean physique, I’m my dad thirty-odd years ago.
     Dad huffs in response.
     “I’m leaving soon, but I can do a quick tidy and chat to some customers first,” I say.
     Dad shuts the till and points in front of him. “If those kids aren’t buying, tell them to scat. How many times do I have to remind you, Trey? We’re not a library. One day the bookshop will be yours and you can’t have customers loitering around.”
     I don’t want the bookshop, I want to say, but—like always—I swallow it down. Wonderland was founded by my great-grandad and is my family’s legacy. It’s the first and only Black-owned, independent bookshop on Stoke Newington High Street. Stoke Newington used to be a working-class area with mixes of nationalities—African, West Indians, Turkish and Jewish people—but over the years it’s become more bohemian. The rise of the “yummy mummies” as Mum calls them. Over the past ten years it has undergone a significant gentrification with houses that now cost over a million. Dad grew up here, and all he wanted to do when he was a kid was take over and be the boss. I want to be a singer, selling out arenas, but there are two problems. The first is my parents assume that Wonderland is my future, and I don’t want to disappoint them. I pray all the time that my little brother Reon will be up for the task of running the bookshop. The second problem is I have a fear of singing in front of large crowds. I even get nervous when it’s a small one. But if I close my eyes, or have a couple of drinks for liquid courage, I can sing no problem. Part of my New Year’s resolution is going to be to enter singing competitions, because I want to overcome my fear and really see where singing could take me, even though I know how hard it is to break into the music industry.
     The loitering kids are gone now, but they’ve carelessly left a few books on the floor—no wonder Dad wanted them out. I return the books to the shelves and check in with a few customers to make sure they’re okay before circling the rest of the shop.
     I start quietly singing along to “Let It Snow,” which is playing through the speakers.
     “Ooh, sing it, DeVante,” Boogs calls over at me as he walks into the shop.
     I laugh. “Wrong group, genius.”
     “Is it?” Boogs frowns. “Isn’t this Jodeci?”
     “Boyz II Men.” We dap and I hug the petite girl in the colourful patchwork coat next to him. “Hey, Santi.”
     Santi flicks her long braided twists over her shoulder and raises her eyebrows. “DeVante?”
     “How would you know?” Boogs says. “All you listen to is Coldplay.”
     Boogs and Santi go back and forth and I shake my head. Boogs, real name Dre Deton, is my best friend. He moved to Stoke Newington just over a year ago. There was a rumour going round he used to be part of a gang in his old ends. The rumour was true, but we hit it off straight away. He’s all light-skinned, light eyes, breaking girls’ hearts with his pretty-boy face and fire dance moves (hence the nickname Boogs, short for Boogie), but that was until he met Santi Bailey. Technically, I got them together, because I’m dating Santi’s twin sister, Blair. Identical twins with non-identical personalities—Santi dresses like she was a hippy in a past life, and she’s always asking me for book recommendations, whereas Blair is a walking ad for Fashion Nova, and I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve spoken about books. But somehow Blair and I work. I guess opposites really do attract.
     Santi turns back to me. “Have you got the new Estee Mase?”
     Estee Mase is a bestselling YA author. We used to sell out of our stock all the time before Books! Books! Books! came along.
     “Yeah, it’s by the register,” I reply.
     She wanders off and Boogs whispers, “Don’t let her buy it. I already got it for her.”
     My eyes narrow. “You did? Wait? From where? I haven’t seen you in here recently.”
     Boogs rubs his face. “Don’t get mad, but I bought it from Books! Books! Books!”
     “You what?” I stare at him in disbelief.
     “I know, but you had sold out . . .” Boogs says sheepishly.
     “Not cool, man. It’ll be your own people.” I shake my head.
     “My bad, bro. So what have you got Blair?”
     I frown. “For what?”
     Boogs looks at me like I’ve grown two heads. “The twins’ birthday is tomorrow.”
     What? No, that can’t be right. I take out my phone and look at the calendar. Shit! Today is December 8th.
     Boogs whistles. “She’s gonna kill you.”
     He’s not lying. I can’t buy her a book because she won’t read it, plus she’ll know it’s from the shop so she’ll think it’s free. Blair loves jewellery and has been eyeing this gold heart necklace for months. I meant to order it online but now it won’t come in time. The high street is rammed because of Christmas.
     “What did you get Santi?” I ask, hoping against odds that Boogs has made a half-hearted effort.
     “That Estee book and some wellness hamper I found on Etsy. You know she’s not fussy about presents—unlike your girl.”
     I groan. How did this happen? It was only last week that I was talking to Blair about her birthday, but with working overtime at the bookshop and all the Boxing Day sale prep it must have slipped my mind. She’s going to be pissed if Santi has a better present than her. Blair thinks that because we were together first, we should set the standard, which makes no sense to me. But it means that anytime Boogs does something romantic for Santi, Blair expects me to go bigger.
     “I’ll think of something,” I mumble. “At least she’s not coming to the party tonight, so she can’t grill me.”
     “Blair didn’t tell you?” Boogs says. “Santi said Blair changed her mind. She’s coming tonight.”
     Before I can reply, Santi walks over to us holding the Estee Mase book. Boogs and I glance at each other and Santi notices.
     “What present did you get Blair?” Santi asks.
     I smile. “It’s a surprise.”
     “That’s code for he forgot,” Boogs whispers.
     Bro code! I shoot him a death glare.
     “Trey!” Santi says. “That’s terrible.”
     “Boogs bought it from Books! Books! Books!” I quickly say, and Boogs actually gasps.
     Santi puts her hands on her hips. “I can’t believe you would do something like that!”
     I spot Mum walking into the office and follow her, a smile creeping over my face as I hear Santi laying into Boogs. Santi’s pro-independent shops and Boogs deserves to be cussed out with his disloyal self. Mum looks startled when she sees me at the door and quickly shields the letter she’s reading. Her black, shoulder-length hair, which is usually immaculate, is tied in a messy ponytail.
     “Trey, baby, you scared me.” Mum takes off her glasses and rubs her eyes.
     I don’t think she’s been sleeping very well. I’ve been hearing her and Dad having hushed conversations late at night, but every time I ask her what’s up she brushes me off. I tilt my head to look at the logo on the letter in her hand.
     “Who’s Raymond and Raymond?” I ask.
     Mum follows my gaze and folds up the letter. “Don’t worry about it.”
     “Mum, come on.” I sit down opposite her. “If something’s wrong, you can tell me.”
     Mum looks down at the letter and doesn’t respond. I have an urge to snatch it from her and read it for myself, but I value my life too much to do that, so instead I just wait. Mum eventually looks up and sighs. “Raymond and Raymond are developers.”
     I frown. “Developers? I don’t understand.”
     “The bookshop’s not doing too well, Trey. We’re not hitting the numbers like we used to, and we’re a month behind on mortgage and supplier payments.” She puts her hand to her forehead. “Customers just aren’t spending enough and Raymond and Raymond have offered to buy Wonderland before we completely sink.”
     Behind on the mortgage? I mean, I know Wonderland hasn’t been super busy, but I had no idea things were this bad.
     “What’s Dad said?” I ask, concern creeping into my voice.
     “He doesn’t want to hear it.” Mum tuts. “But if we can’t get back on track by Christmas, I don’t think we have any other choice but to sell to Raymond and Raymond. At least then we can get some money for this place.”
     I don’t know what to say. Sell Wonderland? How did we get into this mess? For months Dad has been saying how quiet the shop’s been and I’ve dismissed him every time, when I should have been working harder and trying to bring in more sales. What would we even do without the bookshop? This is our livelihood, our legacy. I don’t want to run Wonderland, but I can’t imagine it not being in my life. And what would my parents do for money? Mum could go back to nursing, I guess, but what about Dad? Wonderland is all he’s ever known. Selling the shop would destroy him.
     Mum reaches for my hand. “I don’t want you to stress, baby. I’m sure we’ll be able to find a way to fix things.” I want to believe her, but she sounds uncertain. “Anyway, don’t you have a party to go to?”
     I ignore her question. “I can stay and help with sales.”
     Mum stands up with her arms outstretched and I follow suit. She has a small frame, but I find myself folding into her hug as if I’m a little boy. I thought I wanted to know what was happening at Wonderland, but now I wish I hadn’t asked. The idea of losing this place makes me feel like someone is squeezing and twisting my stomach.
     Mum pulls away and looks at me. “It’s Christmas. Go and have fun with your friends, okay?”
     She pats my arm and I nod, but I’m not in the mood to party anymore.

Videos