Picture This Christmas

by Eve Blakely

‘Tis the season for second chance love…

Kayla McKinley thought she was content with her life. After scoring her dream job and moving to the city, she’d spent years climbing the ladder to success, but when she returns to the small seaside town of Avalon Cove to spend Christmas with her family, she can’t deny the inescapable feeling that something is missing.

Evan Connelly hasn’t been the same since the girl that lived across the street marched right out of town with his heart stuck to the bottom of her cherry red converse sneakers. Christmas, once their favourite holiday, had never been the same again either. Now that she’s back, will he make the same mistakes and let her go again?

With a dash of holiday mayhem and a sleigh load of soul searching, Kayla begins to wonder whether there may have been another reason for her leaving.
Did she really want the life she created or had she simply been running away?

A sweet and swoony festive romcom that will have you believing in the magic of Christmas... and reaching for your favourite cocktail!

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Holiday

277 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2024

About the author

Eve Blakely writes contemporary romance novels with an edge. She currently resides in a small town south of Sydney, Australia with her husband and two crazy kids.

She’s an avid daydreamer and a self-confessed chocoholic who ditched her city-based career to enjoy a simpler life. When she isn't writing, she's probably trying to get through her never-ending TBR pile, painting or rewatching One Tree Hill for the millionth time.

Her work includes The Cliff Haven series books, The Other Version, Versions of Us, The Version You Hide and The Darkest Version

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Reviews

[Eve Blakely · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I wrote this... and if you're into sweet and swoony, festive, childhood friends to lovers Christmas rom-coms with a dash of crazy holiday mayhem, a few dad jokes and a whole heap of heart, you should definitely give it a try! 😉

🩷 Eve x

[Pandora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh I just devoured this book in one afternoon! This is such a heart warming, sweet read with lots of laugh out loud moments (especially one involving a lot of wrapping paper...).
I loved the tension and slow burn of friends to lovers/second chance romance between Kayla and Evan. Not to mention, this is an Australian Christmas book which means a hot Christmas, something we can relate to!

[Booked.withb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture This Christmas 🥹🎄

Do yourself a favour if you only read one Christmas book this December…it has to be this one.

Second chance lovers 🩷
Romcom vibes 🎬
Childhood friends to lovers 😘
Slow burn with chemistry 🧪
Closed door romance 🤫

This is how you write a Christmas romcom book it was giving me 2000 romcom vibes in all the best ways 🥰from literally the first chapter I knew I was going to be hooked! Eve’s writing style is so beautiful it’s effortless and descriptive, I feel like I’m right there in every scene. This book had me smiling, laughing and balling my eyes out. I’ve read this book in 2 days despite needing to waking up in a few short hours because I could not hold off any longer, I was completely obsessed.

This is the perfect heartfelt, sweet and romantic read 🩷 the only Christmas romance read you need!

[Jade bigalla · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It’s always been you, Kayla. I’ve never been so sure about anything in my entire life.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
——————————————————————————————

- Christmas Romance
- Small Town Romance
- Friends to Lovers
- Sweet and Swoony
- Rom com
- Set in Australia

——————————————————————————————

Ahh I love Eve and her books so much, so when I heard she was releasing a Christmas book? You know I just had to read it!

This was my first Christmas book for the year and I loved it!! The banter between Kayla and Even was so good! I loved how clumsy Kayla was. I feel like I related to every single character in some way! Helps that I’m a crazy person when it comes to Christmas season because I love it so much haha

I love how into Christmas the entire family was and that both families were so interconnected!

This was such a sweet and swoony, fun quick read! 277 pages and I just flew through it!! Also for all my closed door romance girlies, this book is for you! Eve does a great job at building the suspense but still leaving it closed door ☺️

Now to wait for Cliff Haven book 4 to come out!

[pages in pyjamas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Cozy Christmas Read That Won Me Over

I’ll start by saying this upfront: I’m not usually a romance genre reader — especially the super sugary, predictable kind. But this one genuinely surprised me.
Picture This Christmas is warm, easy to read, and actually has heart. The characters felt real rather than over-polished, and the story didn’t rely solely on clichés to carry it. Yes, it’s festive and romantic, but it’s also grounded — more about connection, timing, and second chances than just Christmas fluff.
What I really enjoyed was that it didn’t try too hard. The pacing was good, the dialogue felt natural, and I found myself actually caring about the characters instead of just waiting for the ending. It’s the kind of book you curl up with, get cozy, and finish feeling quietly satisfied rather than eye-rolling.
If you love Christmas romance, you’ll enjoy this.
And if — like me — romance isn’t usually your thing? This is a great exception.
A feel-good read that delivers without overdoing it.

[Maria Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything you would want from a Christmas romance. I loved it. Watching Kayla and Evan navigate their relationship amongst all things Christmassy was pure delight. There’s tension, humour, tugging of the heart strings, and even elf on the shelf. There’s so much packed into this book and the story is delivered beautifully. This is the perfect second chance Christmas romance and I highly recommend it.

[Heather Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED! This definitely helped get me more into the Christmas season!

This was so sweet, and absolutely gut wrenching hilarious! Some parts had me laughing so hard I had tears!

I absolutely adored Kayla, and Evan soo much! They are such a great pair! Even the side characters were amazing! Both of Their families were adorable, and just dragged you even farther into the story!

This is a closed door romance, so it is implied, but there is nothing explicit!

This will probably be my top Christmas read, and I definitely see myself re-reading this one!

[Kyla T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Eve this year, and I fell for her writing instantly! As soon as I saw she was releasing a Christmas Novella, I immediately pre-ordered it on my Kindle. This is my favourite holiday read for sure. Tree🎄🎅🏻 It had banter, romance, humour, family, and gave you that feeling like it was real life. I loved both characters, Kayla and Evan, and the side characters. So many scenes had me smiling, laughing (wrapping paper, the doll, Evan’s grandma to name some), and I had to finish it in one day. Can’t wait to try some of the recipes in the back, love that bonus! 🍹

p.s I’m so glad I live where the air hurts my lungs sometimes haha 🕷️🔥 but this books also made me miss my time in Australia! Gave me so many flashbacks.

✨Quotes✨
“𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘦,” 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘥 𝘱𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘱. “𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘒𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦.”

“𝘉𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩.”

“𝘐’𝘮 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘰.”

[Charlotte that_reading_mum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aussie Christmas romance/ second chance romance/ closed door romance/ rom com vibes/

I loved the Aussie Christmas references and would have to say this was my TOP Christmas read this year 🎅🏼 the characters were relatable and I couldn’t get enough! I finished this read quite quickly!




#bookstagram #booktok #christmas #romance #readmorebooks #mumlife #kindlegirlie #recommendation #cutesy #aussiechristmas #merrychristmas

[Taylor • Read Poet Society · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture This Christmas was such a fun and cozy read and the perfect book to pick up over the Christmas period. I really enjoyed this one, it felt light, festive, easy to sink into, and exactly what I was in the mood to read.

One of my favourite parts was the Australian setting. The beachy summer Christmas vibes made this feel extra special, and I loved how the story embraced that warm, coastal atmosphere while still delivering all the festive feels. It was cute, cozy, and refreshingly Aussie.

The romance was also really sweet. I’m a sucker for a childhood best friends romance, and this one delivered all the charm and familiarity I love from that trope. The relationship felt natural, comforting, and genuinely heartwarming.

Overall, this was a lovely 4-star read. It was festive, romantic, and perfect if you’re after a feel-good Christmas romance with Aussie beach vibes.

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the holiday vibes and that this was set in Australia because as much as I love reading about a beautiful white Christmas with Christmas sweaters and hot cocoa around the fireplace, that is not my reality of Christmas 🤣🥵

There were swoon worthy moments, all the christmassy goodness we want in a holiday second chance romance, and it was a really enjoyable read. Definitely recommend squeezing this one into your December tbr!

[Kelsbookreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

at was supposed to be an unbreakable bond until Kayla moved to the big smoke after high school to chase her dreams (with a sore heart). This left Evan, broken-hearted behind in their small beachside town.

With deep feelings unspoken, lack of communication (that's not forced for the narrative, but done so well), they finally reconnect 5 years later when Kayla returns for the holidays.

What happens next is a fun, flirty, and introspective adventure as two souls, meant to be, work out exactly what they want and need in life and from each other.

Eve has created a visceral world that almost all Australian readers will connect with and gives all her international readers a glimpse into the perfect Aussie hot summer

If you want -

☀️ friends to lovers
🎄 mutual pining
☀️ realistic Aussie Christmas
🎄 banter and flirting
☀️ holiday romcom
🎄 small town
☀️ second chance
🎄 fluff and humour

Then you can't pass this one by!

I'm definitely going to check out Eve's other books - this one was as sweet as trifle!

[Tallulahslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just say, I absolutely devoured this book. It’s the perfect Christmas romance, set in Australia. Kayla is heading home for the holidays, which also means returning just in time for a school reunion she never planned on attending.

After a few mishaps at the reunion, she’s about to call her dad to pick her up when Evan appears, and suddenly two former best friends after five years of no contact find themselves sharing a car ride home.

This story has all the rom com charm, second chance romance, and festive vibes you could want.

It’s a slow burn, closed door romance, but the chemistry is still very much there. Expect plenty of moments that will have you smiling (and maybe squealing a little).

Kayla and Evan are absolutely perfect together. The tension is balanced with humour, and even the side characters leave you wanting more.

I actually discovered this book while spending Christmas in Australia. After a visit to the To Be Read bookshop in Perth and reading the blurb, I knew immediately it was coming home with me and I’m so glad it did.

[Karen Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

In this slow burn friends to lovers/small town festive romance, we meet Kayla & Evan. Kayla is returning to town to celebrate Christmas with her family, but for Evan Christmas has never been the same since Kayla left with his heart stuck to the bottom of her cherry red converse.

So, I kicked off my December In Avalon Cove, and let me tell you, this book hit in all the right ways. It had holiday mayhem, festive cheer, Elf on the Shelf, fade to black spice …and two main characters who were perfect for each other.

Kayla & Evan had depth and were relatable, I found the plot engaging, the writing flowed, and the story telling was on point.

As a gal from the UK who is used to cold and miserable December’s it was interesting reading as Picture This Christmas is set underneath the heat of Australia.

It’s definitely one to add to your TBR.

[Katie Iman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I didn’t want to end. Kayla and Evan were such fun characters and their witty banter kept this book fun and easy to read. I would read an entire series just based on their story. While the book is very light hearted and has comical moments the characters do have depth. They are facing internal dilemmas I feel most readers will be able to relate to and appreciate.

I do have to admit I struggled to comprehend a Christmas that had BBQs by the pool. It’s hard for an Ohio girl to understand a Christmas where the air doesn’t hurt your face. That being said I’m thankful I have Christmas in a place without spiders. Read the book and you’ll understand.

Overall, this is a fun, enjoyable read that should be on your TBR this season.

[Emaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for something swoony and up in the feels, and this book did not disappoint in that regard. It was super cute with laugh-out-loud moments, and other moments were more heartfelt.
I liked Kayla and Evan, individually as well as together. They had a great vibe going. There were times they acted immaturely, but in the end, they talked through their thoughts.
The writing was smooth, and as I said, also funny at times. At first I wished it was a little longer, but the length was appropriate and not dragged out unnecessarily.

[Kaity · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a cute Christmas story! With no spice!! I had a really good time reading this book. I love this author, and will read anything she puts out! But this book was a quick, cute Christmas rom-com that is perfect for putting you in the Christmas spirit.

[Neen T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect little Christmas rom-com.
No spice, nothing heavy and a HEA with some happy tears!
And nothing could scream Aussie Christmas more than the heat, the beach, a possum and a huntsman spider! 😆

[Lauren Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5! This was such a cute rom-com fluffy story ngl. An easy and fun read & I read it in one day so I practically devoured it

[Kya]

Lowkey not much to say. Was fun. Girlypops mother is so relatable. Give me these giants nutcrackers lmao

[Katika Wakka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cute read. Great leading up to Christmas. Love that it is based in Australia too

[Shell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet second-chance romance, set in Australia, which I loved because that's where I'm from and have experienced all of my Christmases.

The characters were well-written and developed, but I found myself frustrated with some of their decisions, perhaps because I'm a decade older than them! I got frustrated with Evan being hot and cold in the beginning and then never telling Kayla how he felt. It was like they were both waiting for the other person to go first and I just got frustrated by that. Maybe the characters were just a bit too angsty for me. But I loved the angst when I was a teenager and young adult so perhaps I'm just not the target audience for this book.

The conclusion was satisfying and I'm glad for how things ended for the characters.

Content warning: one closed-door scene, narcissistic and demanding boss, drunkenness
Intimacy rating: 3 (make-outs, closed-door scene)

[Courtney Kirchner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! Admittedly it took me a while to figure out exactly where this book took place lol but it was so fun to read about an Australian Christmas as someone from a part of the US where the holiday is so heavily associated with snow and cold.