Book: Whisked Away at Christmas by Mahi Cheshire
Reviewed by Rie
Rating: 4/5
If there's one thing I love in a holiday read, it's a little competition mixed in with the Christmas magic, and this one delivered!
Whisked Away at Christmas was such a cozy, fun read. The baking competition gave the story an extra layer of excitement, and I was genuinely curious to see who would come out on top. I had my suspicions about the final three, but I wasn't entirely sure which of them would ultimately take the win. Also, I may not have recognized half the pastries being mentioned, but that certainly didn't stop me from enjoying the competition!
Gina and Nick were both enjoyable characters, each with their own stories and struggles to work through. I liked that they had different reasons for entering the competition while also sharing that desire to find themselves and push beyond their comfort zones. Their individual growth was satisfying to see, and I found myself rooting for both of them along the way.
The romance was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I loved the rivals-to-lovers setup, the little dates, and those secret stolen moments. There was plenty to enjoy about them together, and I liked them both individually and as a couple. However, I wasn't quite as sold on how quickly things jumped to love. The finger-pointing, blaming, and immediately jumping to conclusions instead of simply talking things out also got a little frustrating. I would have much rather seen them communicate than create unnecessary drama between themselves.
That said, the romance and competition were balanced really well, and the story never felt like one was taking away from the other. Cheshire's writing was easy to get into and enjoy without feeling elementary, and I especially appreciated how she brought a diverse cast of characters to life, each with their own personalities. The Christmas atmosphere was lovely, too. I actually would have happily taken a little more of it, but what was included felt like just enough to keep me immersed in the holiday setting without drowning out the main story. The Christmas market scene was especially cute!
Overall, this was a fun, cozy holiday romance with a competitive twist. I had a few minor frustrations, particularly with how the romance unfolded, but they didn't take away from how much I enjoyed the reading experience. I'd happily recommend this one to holiday romance fans, baking competition enthusiasts, and especially anyone who enjoys a good rivals-to-lovers story. It's also a closed-door romance, with some build-up but nothing explicit.
Thank you to Love Notes PR and Mahi Cheshire for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!