naughty or nice by sophie snow
book review #21
Hey readers,
I have a bit of a PSA before you continue reading this blog post. This book review is for an ARC I received, but the book will only come out on November 19th. I tried not to spoil or reveal much here, but this was your warning…Happy reading!
I received an ARC of Naughty or Nice by Sophie Snow and gave it a festive 4-star rating! I already loved that it’s a Christmas romance, and with an author named “Snow,” it just felt like a perfect holiday read from the cover. The title and tagline on the cover are also wonderfully in sync with the story’s themes, setting a cozy tone before you even turn the first page!
Their meet-cute was everything! It’s clumsy and funny, adding a playful twist to their first encounter that immediately made me smile. And while I enjoy some age-gap romances (the legal ones, by the way), I appreciated how this one was handled—both believable and legal (FMC is 28 and MMC is 47).
The height difference, however, was a sticking point for me. At 4’9”, the FMC’s height felt too childlike next to the 6’5” MMC, especially given the Santa theme and their whole sitting-on-the-lap-all-the-time-thing, so I just imagined her with her first giving height of around 5’3” to keep things comfortable in my mind.
One thing I absolutely loved was the MMC’s Texas accent and the way he affectionately calls her “sugar.” It added a unique charm to his character.
I really enjoyed how they treated the kids while taking the Santa photos. The scene with Ava (FMC’s high school ex-boyfriend’s daughter) with Santa and Snowball was just adorable; it brought out the sweetness of her personality and added a fun holiday warmth. It made me go back to when I was anxious to believe and wait for Santa’s gifts every Christmas.
The road trip in the snowy weather was such a fun setup! Forced proximity, snowy roads, and the chance of being “stuck” with the person you love felt perfectly festive and brought them even closer.
One of my favorite parts was when they both found out his most unforgettable moment was watching the aurora borealis on a certain November night…the same night when our FMC was born. (I will defend it because it is a cute invisible-string situation if we forget for a second about the age gap.)
Another highlight is the Christmas gift he gave her; I love handcrafted gifts, and his was incredibly sweet and intimate.
I love how they both overcome their own relationship issues to try to make it work long distance. For their reunion after six months without seeing each other, she gets nervous and starts to sabotage her mind until she finds out that he added her to his conference guest list with his last name, which was a heartfelt touch.
If you’re in the mood for a charming Christmas romance with a mix of humor, romance, and holiday magic (and some spice), give Naughty or Nice a try! It’s a story with the potential to make the season feel even cozier.
So…Would you give it a try when it comes out?
Read you soon,
Bea.
Instagram: @beawritesandreads
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Photo by: Bea Barros.