Season of Love

by Helena Greer, Barrie Kreinik (Read by), Emily Lawrence (Read by)

Overview

Buzzfeed’s Most Anticipated LGBTQ Romances of 2022
 
Miriam Blum has no choice but to face the past she thought she’d left behind when she inherits her great-aunt’s Christmas tree farm in this witty, glittering, heart-filled romcom with “all of the warm, queer, Jewish holiday vibes you could possibly want” (Jen DeLuca, USA Today bestselling author of Well Matched)
 
“A warm, cozy holiday romance . . . a vibrant exploration of embracing that which is most unexpected in life . . . and in love. Best read under the glow of rainbow twinkle lights with a cup of cocoa.”
—Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care

Thanks to her thriving art career, Miriam Blum finally has her decoupaged glitter ducks in a row—until devastating news forces her to a very unwanted family reunion. Her beloved great-aunt Cass has passed and left Miriam part-owner of Carrigan’s, her (ironically) Jewish-run Christmas tree farm.
 
But Miriam’s plans to sit shiva, avoid her parents, then put Carrigan’s in her rearview mirror are spoiled when she learns the business is at risk of going under. To have any chance at turning things around, she’ll need to work with the farm’s grumpy manager—as long as the attraction sparking between them doesn’t set all their trees on fire first.
 
Noelle Northwood wants Miriam Blum gone—even if her ingenious ideas and sensitive soul keep showing Noelle there’s more to Cass’s niece than meets the eye. But saving Carrigan’s requires trust, love, and risking it all—for the chance to make their wildest dreams come true.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781668625514
Publisher:	Hachette Book Group
Publication date:	10/11/2022
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 5.70(h) x (d)

About the Author

Helena Greer writes contemporary romance novels that answer the question, what if this beloved trope were gay? She was born in Tucson, and her heart still lives there although she no longer does. After earning a BA in writing and mythology, and a master's in library science, she spent several years blogging about librarianship before returning to writing creatively.

Helena loves cheesy pop culture, cats without tails, and ancient Greek murderesses.

Barrie Kreinik is an actor, singer, playwright, and voice-dialect coach based in New York City. Her audiobook narrations have earned an AudioFile Earphones Award. A graduate of the Brown/Trinity MFA acting program, she is a proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.

Emily Lawrence, an actor and writer, is passionate about bringing stories to life. She has narrated more than 425 audiobooks, many of which were USA Today or New York Times bestsellers, and has also worked in film, television, and theater.

Editorial Reviews

08/29/2022

This sassy bit of seasonal fluff has a 1990s rom-com vibe; only heroine Miriam Blum’s Instagram stardom anchors Greer’s debut in the present. Miriam is an aspiring artist in a lukewarm, odd-couple engagement that enables her to hide from both her past and her feelings. When the death of a beloved great-aunt sends her back to the scene of much childhood joy and heartache, she expects to sit shiva and scoot. She certainly does not expect to meet Noelle Northwood, a big curvy butch woman who, with Miriam’s cousin Hannah, has been running the great-aunt’s Christmas tree farm for the past five years. Even more shocking is when Miriam learns she’s inherited a share of the business alongside these two—and bankruptcy looms. Everybody’s got opinions about the situation, and much of the book consists of snappy dialogue airing said opinions as resentment evolves into teamwork and budding love between Miriam and Noelle—until Miriam’s past threatens to intervene. The emotions are sitcom deep, and some of the shtick is a bit much, but there’s plenty of fun to be had. This goes down like frothy eggnog amid the holiday bustle. Agent: Rebecca Podos, Rees Literary. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

[This] love story is by turns heartbreaking and delightful.”—Library Journal

“There’s plenty of fun to be had. . . like frothy eggnog amid the holiday bustle.”—Publishers Weekly

“A warm, queer romance with holiday cheer and emotional depth.”—Kirkus

“SEASON OF LOVE is holiday romance perfection. Warm and cozy, emotional and swoony, Greer has expertly crafted a delightful queer, Jewish holiday story that will easily steal your heart and leave you longing for a weekend away at Carrigan’s.”

—Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of She Gets the Girl and Five Feet Apart

“If you are like me and completely obsessed with Hallmark and holiday movies, then you don't want to miss Helena Greer's debut novel, SEASON OF LOVE. This book hits on all your favorite Hallmark tropes as it weaves a beautiful journey from hate to love for Miriam and Noelle. A cozy, queer, heartfelt holiday romance that will have you grabbing a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and snuggling down to read this charming book.”

—Rachel Van Dyken, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Godparent Trap

“A heartwarming and inspiring story about letting go of the past to find your joy and being open to love.”

—Abby Jimenez, New York Times bestselling author of Part of Your World

“If you need the cozy feel of a Hallmark holiday movie in book form, visit Carrigan's! SEASON OF LOVE has all of the warm, queer, Jewish holiday vibes you could possibly want. It's a cup of cocoa with the perfect amount of marshmallows, it's a sweet kiss under the mistletoe. Helena Greer creates characters and settings that I never want to leave behind.”—Jen DeLuca, USA Today bestselling author of Well Matched

“SEASON OF LOVE is a warm and witty romance with characters that leap straight off the page and a setting so cozy readers will ache to visit Carrigan's for real. Greer's writing is vibrant and she handles grief and complicated family dynamics with tenderness, treating her characters with the utmost care and affection. Readers will be absolutely smitten with Noelle and Miriam!”
 —Alexandria Bellefleur, bestselling author of Count Your Lucky Stars

 “SEASON OF LOVE uses the magic of the holidays to do what romance novels do best: convince its main characters (and its readers) that the healing power of love is something every single person deserves. This heartwarming debut has everything you want in a holiday romance—and I can't wait to recommend it to my friends.”  —Therese Beharrie, author of And They All Lived Happily Ever After

“A warm, cozy holiday romance, SEASON OF LOVE is a vibrant exploration of embracing that which is most unexpected in life . . . and in love. Best read under the glow of rainbow twinkle lights and a cup of cocoa.” —Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care

"Stepping into this book is like stepping into an eccentric winter wonderland—exactly the kind of holiday escapism I crave. Come to Carrigan’s for the loveable cast of kooky characters, but stay for the meaningful reflections on grief, family relationships, and identity. At turns a holiday confection and a deep character study, SEASON OF LOVE filled my heart. I can't wait to visit Carrigan’s again and again!”—Alison Cochrun, author of The Charm Offensive

 “Greer has crafted an idyllic setting I want to whisk away to for Christmas (but then stay all year) and a charming cast of characters I want to befriend. Readers are going to lament that Carrigan's isn't a real destination they can jet off to.”—Sarah Hogle, author of Just Like Magic

“Satire and romantic holiday magic in equal measure, SEASON OF LOVE is a sly, big-hearted book that will have you laughing even as it makes your heart grow three sizes.”—Jenny Holiday, USA Today bestselling author of Duke, Actually

“One of the most unique and uniquely queer things I've ever read, SEASON OF LOVE is more a place than a book: Carrigan's Christmasland's heart beats just as strongly in these pages as all of its loving, messy, large cast of characters, all of whom are looking for home in their own ways, even if they're already there. By the last page, readers will feel as if they're part of this special family, too.” —Anita Kelly, author of Love & Other Disasters

“Greer’s debut simply sparkles. It’s so easy to get lost in the magic of Carrigan’s with Miriam and Noelle, and a stellar secondary cast that includes a fat cat named Kringle. This delightful Christmas Chanukah mashup will have you braiding challah by a Christmas tree.”—Roselle Lim, author of Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club

From the Publisher

07/01/2022

DEBUT Queer Jewish artist Miriam Blum cut all ties with her family a decade ago and moved to Charleston, SC to escape her father's emotional abuse. Unfortunately, that also meant breaking contact with her beloved aunt Cass. She always meant to go back to Christmasland, her aunt's upstate NY Christmas tree farm, to make things right, but now Cass has died, and Miriam didn't even know she'd been ill. When Miriam travels to Christmasland to sit shiva, she reconnects with her cousin Hannah and meets Noelle Northwood, the farm's manager. Though the attraction is immediate and intense, it seems doomed from the start. Noelle hates Miriam for the way she disappeared when her family needed her while Miriam hates Noelle for taking Miriam's place in the family. When Cass's will is read, the three women find out that they've jointly inherited the failing farm, and they'll have to put their disagreements aside to save it. VERDICT This steamy contemporary f/f romance features likable flawed characters with rich, realistic backstories. Secondary characters are equally developed and highly entertaining, and the overall love story is by turns heartbreaking and delightful. Recommended for general purchase.—Heather Miller Cover

Library Journal

Narrators Barrie Kreinik and Emily Lawrence deliver a unique holiday story. When Miriam inherits part of a Jewish-owned Christmas tree farm back in her hometown, she leaves the comfort of her fiancée and the city to stress over seeing her estranged family again. Once there, she meets Noelle, a joyless recovering alcoholic who is working on the farm. Together, the narrators express emotions typical in a reluctant budding romance. Kreinik and Lawrence both capture the struggles of juggling trauma and the desire for acceptance before eventually developing a full understanding of love. The performances, paired with the diverse religious holiday details, result in a satisfying story for the upcoming season. G.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2022 - AudioFile

Narrators Barrie Kreinik and Emily Lawrence deliver a unique holiday story. When Miriam inherits part of a Jewish-owned Christmas tree farm back in her hometown, she leaves the comfort of her fiancée and the city to stress over seeing her estranged family again. Once there, she meets Noelle, a joyless recovering alcoholic who is working on the farm. Together, the narrators express emotions typical in a reluctant budding romance. Kreinik and Lawrence both capture the struggles of juggling trauma and the desire for acceptance before eventually developing a full understanding of love. The performances, paired with the diverse religious holiday details, result in a satisfying story for the upcoming season. G.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2022 - AudioFile

2022-08-17
When she inherits her Jewish great-aunt's Christmas tree farm in the Adirondacks, Miriam Blum faces her difficult past and embraces a new love.

Miriam hasn’t been to Carrigan’s Christmasland in a decade. Because of her father’s emotional abuse, she cut ties with her past and didn’t look back. When she learns her beloved great-aunt Cass has died, she returns to New York to sit shiva, intending to stay for just one week. Her plans are upended when Cass’ will reveals that Miriam has inherited part of the tree farm and inn, and the place is in financial distress. Noelle Northwood, manager of the farm, doesn’t think Miriam deserves to be an owner after having been absent for so long. Still, Noelle and Miriam have a common goal of saving the place, so they work together on a plan. Attraction is instantaneous between the women, even when they frustrate each other. As the season progresses from one holiday to the next, Miriam and Noelle work through their grief and trauma and start to find solace in each other. This slow-burn, closed-door romance focuses on the emotional growth of the characters. Aspects of identity are important to the leads’ characterizations, including their queerness, Noelle’s sobriety, and Miriam’s Jewish faith. Miriam’s personal growth as she faces her past is the most compelling aspect of the story, sometimes overshadowing the romance. Much of the pacing is slow, particularly at the beginning, but readers are rewarded with a charming setting and compelling characters for a cozy, wintry delight.

A warm, queer romance with holiday cheer and emotional depth.

Kirkus Reviews