Book Review: Yours for the Season
Yours for the Season by Emily Stone will be released on Oct 7, 2025.
A second chance holiday romance set in the Scottish Highlands. Full of Christmas cheer, well-developed characters, and chemistry.
I don’t usually start reading holiday romances in September, but upon receiving an ARC from Netgalley and Ballantine/Dell, I could not wait to read Yours for the Season by Emily Stone. This second-chance romance that follows Finn and Melanie during the holiday season as they spend time in the Scottish Highlands with Finn’s family. Even though it is 70 degrees outside, I was feeling the holiday cheer and fully immersed while reading Yours for the Season, picturing the snowy vistas and scenic lochs of the Scottish Highlands at Christmas.
As the book begins, it has been six months since Finn and Mel’s (very public) break-up, which was fueled by miscommunication. Finn knocks on Mel’s door a few days before Christmas, announcing that he told his family they are still in a relationship. He only has one little request: pretend they are back together for Christmas week at a cute cottage in the Scottish Highlands with his entire family.
Mel isn’t over Finn and she’s overwhelmed at work, running her growing jewelry design business. Her mom and dad are on vacation and her BFF is in Australia, so she’s staring down a lonely Christmas. As Mel decides if she should do Finn this favor, Mel admits that she misses Finn’s family, especially his mom Susan and sister Hattie. Therefore, she plans to reunite with them and gain closure on their relationship, along with revenge on Finn.
Dual Timeline
Overall, the flashback chapters deepened the conflict and relationship between Finn and Mel and helped readers to get to know each character better, without losing the pacing in the present-day storyline during the holidays.
Second-Chance Romance Trope
One question and critique I have of second-chance romances is always, how will they resolve why things didn’t work out the first time? In many second-chance romance books, to be honest, the reasons, for breaking up or getting back together, are stupid. However, in Yours for the Season, the reconciliation was believable and the reasons for the initial break-up were resolvable without suspension of disbelief. I also enjoyed Mel’s character arc and how she learned to manage her work-life balance and expectations of others.
My Thoughts
The book delves into the power of friendships, navigating relationships with your parents, healthy communication in relationships and resolving conflicts, and beliefs about love and family. I loved that I could enjoy the fun, sparkle, and sizzle of a holiday romance without sacrificing strong character development and a believable romantic plot.
Photo by Mark mc neill on Unsplash
Check out the UK book cover. It is so cute!
Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine/Dell for the opportunity to read and review an eARC. You can find more of my book reviews on Goodreads, Instagram and TikTok @bookishbookjoy.
