Some people are Christmas people, but Jill Jacobs is most certainly not. She hasn’t been ever since her hometown love broke her heart on Christmas Day three years ago. After that, Jill moved to L.A. to pursue her dream of becoming a screenwriter. She hasn’t been home in years to avoid her ex, but this winter she finds herself back in drab, suburban Illinois for the holidays.
After one very hazy night, Jill wakes up to a hometown that's filled with jolly neighbors, covered in pristine white snow, and shimmering with the smell of nutmeg. She realizes that this is more than just a bad hangover… she's stuck in a Heartfelt movie. One set in her town, starring real people from her life, including her family, her high school crush (uber perfect, owns a bakery, and definitely a Christmas Person), and of course, her ex —handsome as ever and now exclusively clad in plaid flannel.
The only way out of this bizarro world is to complete the plot of the movie, including a holiday bake off and a cookie-sweet love story. To get home in time for Christmas, Jill must act out a picture-perfect holiday romance with the one that got away, all while her ex watches on. Fa la la la freaking la….
After one very hazy night, Jill wakes up to a hometown that's filled with jolly neighbors, covered in pristine white snow, and shimmering with the smell of nutmeg. She realizes that this is more than just a bad hangover… she's stuck in a Heartfelt movie. One set in her town, starring real people from her life, including her family, her high school crush (uber perfect, owns a bakery, and definitely a Christmas Person), and of course, her ex —handsome as ever and now exclusively clad in plaid flannel.
The only way out of this bizarro world is to complete the plot of the movie, including a holiday bake off and a cookie-sweet love story. To get home in time for Christmas, Jill must act out a picture-perfect holiday romance with the one that got away, all while her ex watches on. Fa la la la freaking la….
Title: Christmas People
Author: Iva-Marie Palmer
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin/Macmillan Audio
Expected Publication Date: September 30, 2025
Review:
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this title to listen to and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I absolutely love Christmas. So when I say that Patti Murin was narrating this, I just had to give it a try. And I'm so very glad I did. This book made my heart so very happy.
Think of it as a twist on Scrooge. Jill Jacobs is Scrooge. She doesn't like Christmas or anything that goes with it. So she's the perfect person to get stuck in a dream town where Christmas is all around her. Think of it as a Hallmark movie where everything funny that could go wrong does: splashed with puddles, falling for the wrong guy, and so much more.
First I have to give props to Patti Murin. She can make me fall in love with any character. She absolutely nails rom-coms and there is nothing she narrates I won't listen to. And she does them all so well. I was never confused as to who was speaking. Her tone and inflection are perfect. And she can make me laugh. There were so many moments in this book when I literally laughed out loud and the people around me gave me funny looks.
Jill Jacobs's character was fun and relatable. I didn't love her at first. She was too self-depreciating. But then she slowly grew on me as she started to develop. It was a joy to watch her transform into someone who could actually believe in the magic of the holiday season. She re-discovers what truly matters to her.
And I loved that it was a second chance romance to boot! I'm really into those right now and I loved how Iva- Marie Palmer made it play out. This is my first book by her but I can tell it will not be my last.
If you're looking for a happy go lucky listen and are in the mood for a little Christmas spirit, definitely give this one a try.
Author:
Iva-Marie Palmer is the author of the young adult novels Gimme Everything You Got and The End of the World as We Know It. She also wrote the Gabby Garcia's Ultimate Playbook series and Oh My Dog! for middle grade readers, as well as the books Romeo, Juliet and Jim and the Edgar Award-nominated The Jules Verne Prophecy with co-writer Larry Schwarz. Christmas People is her first adult novel.
Before writing professionally, Palmer worked as an award-winning community news reporter in Chicago's South Suburbs and as a web editor for the Walt Disney Company. She also got to know many a Christmas person working at a Hallmark store through high school and college.
Palmer now resides in Burbank, California with her husband and two sons.
Before writing professionally, Palmer worked as an award-winning community news reporter in Chicago's South Suburbs and as a web editor for the Walt Disney Company. She also got to know many a Christmas person working at a Hallmark store through high school and college.
Palmer now resides in Burbank, California with her husband and two sons.
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