So
Holiday Romance is not entirely my thing, but I was really leaning in a bit with a need for "CoZy" so when I got an opportunity to read Cozy Little Christmas from RayAnne Thayne, I jumped at it.
We have a second chance romance between a music therapist who's living in her home town, surrounded by family and friends, and a grumpy police officer who's moved away but had to come back for the holidays. There's a second side plot also involving a woman and her father experiencing a second chance. There is a lot of caroling, cookies, surprises and some snow. There are no big plot twists or gotcha moments, all of the big reveals are strongly telegraphed so it's easy to guess ahead of time and then feel satisfied you got it right. It's a very well constructed Cozy.
And as such... it was a touch...boring for me. That said, I was undergoing a ton of stress and it was nice to play this on audio as I was commuting to work. My criticism is a bit unfair as the author really did set out to write a cozy and did an excellent cozy. This is a book you can gift to your Mom, your aunt, your cousin, your white elephant gift with no fear. It will please those of us who needed something to read that wasn't that serious and didn't have complicated plot points!
Will I delve into Thayne's whole collection? Probably not, but I will keep her books on speed dial for those moments when I need uncomplicated warm fuzzies.
Many thanks to Harlequin audio for the Advanced Listener copy- all opinions are my own.
First Published: 10/06/2026
Pages: 206
Available as an Audio Book : Yes~11 hrs
Trigger Warnings: divorce, brain injury, memories of violence, death of parent, dog injury (dog does well), Illness, mention of cancer/chemotherapy and hospital treatment.
(this is not a full list, read responsibly)
