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The Most Wonderful Time
Win a free print copy of this book!
10 days and 03:04:29
25 copies available
U.S. only
The author of the beloved, bestselling Black Girls Must Die Exhausted trilogy returns with an intriguing blend of Such a Fun Age and The Holiday—an irresistible Christmastime novel about heartbreak, hope, love, and the joy that comes from rediscovering oneself.
With Christmas around the corner, Ramona Tucker is desperate to get away. She has been lying to her family about her engagement to Malik, her (ex) fiancé. But breakups are fickle, and Ramona is convinced that she can make her pretend wedding real again—but only if she can avoid everyone discovering her secret at her mother’s over-the-top Christmas Eve party.
Two-thousand miles away in sunny Malibu, Chelsea Flint needs money to hold on to the beloved beachside cottage she shared with her late parents. The taxes are expensive, and her art isn’t paying the bills. Once an irresistible star of the Los Angeles art scene, Chelsea seems to have lost that spark that vaulted her to the top. If she doesn’t rediscover that magic—and sell a painting—soon, it will be her family’s home she’s selling instead.
The two women swap homes, just in time, thanks to some careful planning by Ramona’s best friend and a sturdy nudge from Chelsea’s gallerist godmother. Ramona’s Malibu dreams of sun and surf are interrupted as her first night brings an unwelcome stranger to her door, making her question who she can trust—the meddling neighbor Joan, or Jay, the handsome beachside fitness instructor with a secret of his own. Chelsea, desperate for Ramona to stay, hides what she knows—even if that means jeopardizing her budding connection with charming Carlos, whose dreams for his future could be the very key to unlocking Chelsea from the weight of her past.
Combining escapist fun and sizzling romance, a dose of poignant self-reflection, and a little holiday magic, The Most Wonderful Time is a warm and relatable novel that will delight at Christmas and throughout the year.
With Christmas around the corner, Ramona Tucker is desperate to get away. She has been lying to her family about her engagement to Malik, her (ex) fiancé. But breakups are fickle, and Ramona is convinced that she can make her pretend wedding real again—but only if she can avoid everyone discovering her secret at her mother’s over-the-top Christmas Eve party.
Two-thousand miles away in sunny Malibu, Chelsea Flint needs money to hold on to the beloved beachside cottage she shared with her late parents. The taxes are expensive, and her art isn’t paying the bills. Once an irresistible star of the Los Angeles art scene, Chelsea seems to have lost that spark that vaulted her to the top. If she doesn’t rediscover that magic—and sell a painting—soon, it will be her family’s home she’s selling instead.
The two women swap homes, just in time, thanks to some careful planning by Ramona’s best friend and a sturdy nudge from Chelsea’s gallerist godmother. Ramona’s Malibu dreams of sun and surf are interrupted as her first night brings an unwelcome stranger to her door, making her question who she can trust—the meddling neighbor Joan, or Jay, the handsome beachside fitness instructor with a secret of his own. Chelsea, desperate for Ramona to stay, hides what she knows—even if that means jeopardizing her budding connection with charming Carlos, whose dreams for his future could be the very key to unlocking Chelsea from the weight of her past.
Combining escapist fun and sizzling romance, a dose of poignant self-reflection, and a little holiday magic, The Most Wonderful Time is a warm and relatable novel that will delight at Christmas and throughout the year.
352 pages, Paperback
Expected publication October 8, 2024
About the author
Jayne Allen
6 books1,428 followersInstagram: @JayneAllenWrites
Publisher Instagram: @QualityBlackBooks
Publisher Twitter: @QualityBlkBooks
Jayne Allen is a black girl from Detroit who smiles widely, laughs loudly and loves to tell stories that stick to your bones. Her debut novel, "Black Girls Must Die Exhausted," which Kirkus Reviews called "both timely and enjoyable," touches upon contemporary women's issues such as workplace womanhood, race, fertility, modern relationships and mental health awareness, echoing her desire to bring both multiculturalism and multidimensionality to contemporary women's fiction with dynamic female protagonists who also happen to be black. When she's not writing "chocolate chick lit with a conscience," she's spending time with her girlfriends, keeping one ear open for her next saucy tale.
Publisher Instagram: @QualityBlackBooks
Publisher Twitter: @QualityBlkBooks
Jayne Allen is a black girl from Detroit who smiles widely, laughs loudly and loves to tell stories that stick to your bones. Her debut novel, "Black Girls Must Die Exhausted," which Kirkus Reviews called "both timely and enjoyable," touches upon contemporary women's issues such as workplace womanhood, race, fertility, modern relationships and mental health awareness, echoing her desire to bring both multiculturalism and multidimensionality to contemporary women's fiction with dynamic female protagonists who also happen to be black. When she's not writing "chocolate chick lit with a conscience," she's spending time with her girlfriends, keeping one ear open for her next saucy tale.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 24, 2024
Anything with vibes of The Holiday (one of my all time favorite Christmas movies!) and I’m instantly intrigued. I wish I had liked this one more!
Sadly, there weren’t many Christmas elements to the story at all, and what little there was came in around the 60 percent mark. In reading the summary a little more closely, it doesn’t sound as Christmassy as I originally thought, so that’s on me. It’s kind of one of those stories that takes place at Christmas but doesn’t really have much else to do with Christmas. I was looking for a Christmas book, so I was let down a bit by that.
The writing style didn’t always work for me either. It’s very descriptive and evocative, with a lot of exposition. I personally prefer a balance of dialogue or even a more dialogue heavy story, so it didn’t always work for me, but the descriptions of both Malibu and Chicago were well done and made me want to visit (and eat fish tacos in Malibu and deep dish pizza in Chicago!).
Overall, it was okay, but if you’re going into it looking for holiday feels, you’d probably be better off with a different book.
Sadly, there weren’t many Christmas elements to the story at all, and what little there was came in around the 60 percent mark. In reading the summary a little more closely, it doesn’t sound as Christmassy as I originally thought, so that’s on me. It’s kind of one of those stories that takes place at Christmas but doesn’t really have much else to do with Christmas. I was looking for a Christmas book, so I was let down a bit by that.
The writing style didn’t always work for me either. It’s very descriptive and evocative, with a lot of exposition. I personally prefer a balance of dialogue or even a more dialogue heavy story, so it didn’t always work for me, but the descriptions of both Malibu and Chicago were well done and made me want to visit (and eat fish tacos in Malibu and deep dish pizza in Chicago!).
Overall, it was okay, but if you’re going into it looking for holiday feels, you’d probably be better off with a different book.
June 14, 2024
The Most Wonderful Time by Jayne Allen
Rating: 3/5
Ramona Tucker, facing a Christmas with family where she's lied about her engagement to Malik, hopes to rekindle their relationship without exposing her deception at her mother's lavish Christmas Eve party.
Meanwhile, in sunny Malibu, Chelsea Flint struggles to keep her parents' cherished beachside cottage due to high taxes and a stalled art career. Once a celebrated figure in the LA art scene, Chelsea needs to sell a painting soon to save her home.
Thanks to careful planning by Ramona’s friend and a push from Chelsea’s gallerist godmother, the two swap homes just in time. Ramona's idyllic stay in Malibu takes an unexpected turn when a stranger appears, forcing her to question who she can trust—her nosy neighbour Joan or Jay, the enigmatic fitness instructor with secrets of his own.
Chelsea, eager for Ramona to stay, conceals information that could jeopardise Ramona's stay, including her budding romance with Carlos, whose ambitions might help Chelsea overcome her past.
I was so excited to dive into this book because it screamed Christmas, and since that is one of my favourite times of the year, I quickly requested it. However, after reading "The Most Wonderful Time," I can't say it delivered the festive Christmas feels I was hoping for.
The characters were decently crafted, and the plot was well thought out. However, the overall experience fell flat for me. The flow of the book felt uneven, which left me underwhelmed and unable to fully enjoy the story. Despite the promising premise and the holiday theme, the book didn't capture the magic of the season or the emotional depth I anticipated.
While there were moments of charm and potential, the inconsistency in pacing and the lack of a strong festive atmosphere made it a less enjoyable read than I had hoped. It’s disappointing because I was genuinely looking forward to a heartwarming holiday escape, but this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Perennial, and the author, Jayne Allen, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Rating: 3/5
Ramona Tucker, facing a Christmas with family where she's lied about her engagement to Malik, hopes to rekindle their relationship without exposing her deception at her mother's lavish Christmas Eve party.
Meanwhile, in sunny Malibu, Chelsea Flint struggles to keep her parents' cherished beachside cottage due to high taxes and a stalled art career. Once a celebrated figure in the LA art scene, Chelsea needs to sell a painting soon to save her home.
Thanks to careful planning by Ramona’s friend and a push from Chelsea’s gallerist godmother, the two swap homes just in time. Ramona's idyllic stay in Malibu takes an unexpected turn when a stranger appears, forcing her to question who she can trust—her nosy neighbour Joan or Jay, the enigmatic fitness instructor with secrets of his own.
Chelsea, eager for Ramona to stay, conceals information that could jeopardise Ramona's stay, including her budding romance with Carlos, whose ambitions might help Chelsea overcome her past.
I was so excited to dive into this book because it screamed Christmas, and since that is one of my favourite times of the year, I quickly requested it. However, after reading "The Most Wonderful Time," I can't say it delivered the festive Christmas feels I was hoping for.
The characters were decently crafted, and the plot was well thought out. However, the overall experience fell flat for me. The flow of the book felt uneven, which left me underwhelmed and unable to fully enjoy the story. Despite the promising premise and the holiday theme, the book didn't capture the magic of the season or the emotional depth I anticipated.
While there were moments of charm and potential, the inconsistency in pacing and the lack of a strong festive atmosphere made it a less enjoyable read than I had hoped. It’s disappointing because I was genuinely looking forward to a heartwarming holiday escape, but this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Perennial, and the author, Jayne Allen, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.
July 10, 2024
I'm a huge fan of Jayne's writing, and I've devoured every book in the Black Girls Must series. So, you can imagine how excited I was to get my hands on an advanced copy of her latest book, filled with entirely new characters. It was a refreshing change! The story's concept, involving two women swapping homes to find themselves and reignite their passions, really resonated with me. At first, I struggled a bit to grasp Chelsea's reasoning behind the switch, given it was mostly for financial gains, and wondered how it would truly benefit her in the long run. However, as the story unfolded, I saw the beauty in the swap - it was a journey of self-discovery for them both, far from their comfort zones, and I totally got on board with that. Jayne's writing? Still as captivating as ever. The characters were all engaging, even Joan, who, despite testing my patience at times, added an interesting twist to the tale and grew a lot by the end. Speaking of the end, it left me wanting just a bit more closure but, all things considered, the book was a delightful read!
May 11, 2024
📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Malibu and Chicago are approximately 2,000 miles away from each other, an entire 24 hour drive and varying hours of flying based on connections. For Romona in Chicago and Chelsea in Malibu, both women are facing a Christmas that is anything but merry and bright. Could a house swap turn their holiday season around? The Most Wonderful Time tackles the real world hardships that people endure, even around the Christmas season in a realistic yet hopeful manner. The Most Wonderful Time dares us to believe that perhaps Christmas really is a magical time of healing and finding authentic connections.
4.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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July 16, 2024DNF. I think this author just isn't for me. I read one of her other books and didn't love it. This one looks romcomy, but doesn't feel like it at all. I wouldn't have picked this one up on my own, but the publisher sent it to me to read. It's just not for me.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews