The Christmas Break: A Seasonal Betrayal & Grovel

by Elise Camden

She kicked him out. On Christmas. Now he’s on his knees.

Lauren Barrett is done being belittled. Done being the “tacky” wife. Done hiding her homemade crafts because her husband is embarrassed by glitter and Christmas lights.

Too late, Tom finally understands that his wife doesn’t need to be toned down, she needs to burn even brighter. Now he’s scrambling, desperate to do whatever it takes to win her back.

She doesn’t need him. But does she still want him?

A devastating betrayal. A wife demanding her worth. A husband rebuilding himself stitch by messy stitch.

And a love story that proves sometimes the real Christmas magic starts the moment everything falls apart.

Genres: Contemporary, Second Chance, Romance, Holiday, Family Drama, Christmas, Second Chance Romance

434 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 10, 2025

Reviews

[Jen ♥]

The Christmas Break


While I was reading this, I felt really annoyed by how Tom dismissed Lauren's passion. It's just that it hits too close to home because I personally loved doing crafts, particularly fiber arts. When I thought about being in her shoes, I really felt like her reaction made sense. She has been dedicating her time and energy to these crafts and Christmas decorations for the past five years, yet Tom and his parents don't show much interest or take them seriously.

But then, as the story goes, we eventually found out that Tom was taught that minimal and classic are always superior and that being loud and colorful is embarrassing. I guess it's kind of hard to break away from that idea because that's what he has known and been told growing up.

This is just basically two people with entirely different upbringings. Lauren's hobbies and passions were celebrated and encouraged by her parents, while Tom's creative side got shut down early on, with his parents telling him it was just embarrassing. Since then he believed that neutral, understated, and tasteful are the only way to go.

The story wasn't that angsty, but it still hurt. Lauren found out that Tom and his parents were embarrassed by her artworks. He called them "cringe" and "too much." He said he couldn't be married to someone who likes to craft and do handmade stuff. He saw them as a mess, while she saw them as meaningful trinkets. He never defended her when his parents gave her backhanded compliments or when they tried to smother their laughs whenever she proudly showed her projects. The last straw for her was when he gave her a check as a Christmas gift—like, seriously, the most unoriginal and thoughtless thing he could have done. While her gift for him took hours and months to complete, only for him to not appreciate it, fold it, and put it aside.

Some may or may not resonate with Lauren, but shouldn't a partner support and encourage the things you love rather than just tolerate them? Because this was the problem all along. He wanted her to stop her hobbies or to tone it down because his parents' opinions matter more to him than what makes her happy.

He obviously realized his mistake and went to win her back again. I think they lived separately for two months. Lauren stays at their house while Tom stays at his in-laws; weird setup, but whatever. He's lucky, though, because they were rooting for him to get her back. He did make efforts, and that is very obvious. He made sure to earn her trust and forgiveness and didn't rush things. He let her decide how they will move with their relationship. He also learned to stand his ground when it comes to his parents.

I loved how Lauren blossomed as a person and especially as an artist. It helps that she's surrounded by supportive friends and coworkers who wanted her to succeed in her career. She finally found her footing and became a full-time artist, doing the things she loves the most in this world. It was a huge undertaking, but she was very grateful for all the support and encouragement she received from those who admired her art. I really loved this for her!

They eventually gave their marriage another chance and vowed this time to support one another and never repeat their mistakes.

Overall, it was a decent read. While it wasn't particularly angsty, there was still some emotional impact due to Tom's actions. I would say it's an okay read, though it felt a bit longer than I would have preferred.


Book info:
— Mild angst
— Marriage in trouble
— No cheating, OM/OW
— Separation (they lived separately for 2 mos)
— Grovel
— HEA

[Pinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings: None

Elise Camden’s books are a hit or miss for me. I’ve read The Humiliated Wife and His Wife’s Secretary. Some of her books have cheating, and while I hate cheating, I read for the angst and grovel. I read this on a whim and enjoyed it, the grovel was satisfying, and the betrayal was something I can see myself forgiving. The FMC Lauren and the MMC Tom were married for 5 years. It didn’t make sense for this issue to pop up now when they were married for so long. But sometimes, people hold things in for a long time before they let it out. Tom was the Grinch who stole Christmas. I recommend you give this a go if you are looking for a holiday grovel. The entire book is grovel, it wasn’t just a grand gesture. It was thoughtful actions, an MMC full of regret, and sweet moments. I will say that this could’ve been a lot shorter. There is a lot of inner monologue, and it gets so damn repetitive. But, I would still rate this high cuz of enjoyment.


“And I'm going to give you everything. Every single thing you deserve. That's—" His voice cracked. "That's my right. It’s a husband's privilege to give his wife everything he has to give.”

When Lauren hosts for Christmas, she looks forward to celebrating with Tom. She has no idea that Tom despises her decorations until she is hit with the truth. Lauren knows she doesn’t deserve this, but Tom realizes he made a huge mistake. Could he win his wife back?

Now for spoilers


Lauren decorated her whole home for Christmas, since it’s her favourite holiday. She makes crafts and uses them as decorations. Tom and Lauren have been married for 5 years, but have been together for 6. When Tom gets home, he eats a cookie Lauren makes, and it warms her heart. She thinks Tom loves this as much as her. But in Tom’s POV, he is annoyed with all the decorations. He finds it childish and embarrassing. He grew up in a household where his family discouraged creativity. They were minimalists and owned an architecture company. When Tom would go up to his parents with ideas, they would shut him down for being bold or colourful. Instead of following his heart, he appeases his parents. His parents would find Lauren’s decorations embarrassing. He didn’t get her a gift yet and thinks it’s exhausting to go to the mall. The man was literally the Grinch. Not gonna lie, for people who have been married for so many years, I’m surprised Tom didn’t act this way sooner. Maybe he got more and more bitter every year. When Lauren takes Tom’s bag, she finds a present. She secretly looks inside and sees a heart necklace. Lauren is determined to act surprised when Tom gives it to her. She is aware that Tom’s parents find her decorations stupid. But she thinks that when Tom puts the necklace on her, it will be a statement to them. They have sex and Tom is annoyed by the decorations in their room. He moves Lauren so that she is all he can look at. He loves her, he just hates her craft side. Bruh, you can’t just love part of someone; you love them for who they are.


Tom is at work, when his brother Jake thanks him. Jake just married Mia and wanted to surprise her with a gift. He asked Tom to keep her gift hidden since she might find it. So Tom gave Jake the necklace, and I was like yikes. Then this idiot makes a last-minute trip to the mall. He’s bitter with the decorations and how busy it is. He saw a necklace and thought of buying it. But he thought that it wasn’t worth it for the price. Even though he makes a stable income, he thinks that it’s more important that he is able to support Lauren financially, rather than get her a gift. So he thinks that Lauren will appreciate a cheque over a gift. Which is so stupid cuz he knows Lauren loves Christmas. If they’ve been married for 5 years, how the fuck did he not know this is messed up? Lauren works at Muse Magazine, and everyone finds her Christmas spirit adorable. Lauren is making Tom a quilt with all the memories of their relationship.


On Christmas, Tom’s parents, Judith and Richard, come to visit, along with Jake and Mia. When it’s time to open gifts, Lauren shows Tom her quilt. She is so excited to show him each of the patches that represent their memories. She left some blank patches for their future. Instead of Tom being impressed, he says nothing. Judith says this is industrious, which hurts Lauren. Even though Richard and Judith don’t fully insult Lauren, their reactions show that they find her weird. What hurts more is that Tom was silent; he didn’t show Lauren he was thankful, even though she put in a huge effort. Then Jake shows Mia her necklace, and Lauren realizes that Tom didn’t get the gift for her. Jake says that he had Tom hide it, and Lauren forces a smile. Tom gives her an envelope, and Lauren thinks that it is a letter. She thinks this will show Tom’s parents that he cares. But nope, the envelope has a cheque for $500. The date was the day before, and it says to buy something she likes. Tom’s parents think this is a smart gift, but Lauren’s heart breaks. Judith says that Lauren should try to find better decorations. When everyone is gone, Tom tells Lauren that the decorations are too much, too cringe. When Lauren is upset, instead of comforting her, he continues to hurt her

“Lo, come on. How are we supposed to raise kids if you’re still acting like one?”


Lauren says that she is done with him, and she tells him to leave. She is crying, and instead of saying he is sorry, he just continues.
“Grow up, Lauren!” The words came out harsher than he meant. “My parents are right about you.”

And he doesn’t stop there, nope
“Do you know how embarrassing it is that a grown woman spends all her time on DIY knick-knacks?”

You think he’s done? Nah
“I shouldn’t have to pretend to like all this tacky handmade stuff just to keep the peace.”


Lauren says that he never truly liked her if he thought all of this. So she packs Tom’s things and pushes him out of the house. Tom designed the house for the two of them. For some reason, his dad thought he could try to stop Tom from doing certain things to the house. Like adding a window seat for Lauren. I don’t get why Richard thinks he can control how Tom designs a house he wasn’t living in. But Tom pushed for those changes. I’m sorry, but if you expect me to praise him for it, I ain’t doing that. Tom is a grown ass adult, and he can make his own decisions. Plus, as a business owner, Richard isn’t flexible about his designs. How he managed the company for this long makes no sense to me. Tom goes to Jake’s place, and they let him sleep on the couch. I loved that Jake was on Lauren’s side after he heard what happened. Jake told Tom that their parents’ marriage is an example of what not to follow. He had stuff in his house because it made Mia happy. Christmas makes Lauren happy, so of course, she’s gonna go all out. It’s crazy that Jake understands Lauren more than Tom. Tom thinks Lauren is overreacting and that HE deserves an apology. My guy is so delulu, it’s crazy.


Lauren tears down the decorations in her bedroom. She had lingerie ready, but she isn’t using it anymore. When she wakes up, Tom goes over and hugs Lauren. Lauren says she misses Tom, thinking he is going to apologize. Nope, Tom says that he wanted to come back once she calmed down. Lauren is shocked that Tom doesn’t think he is in the wrong. He tells Lauren that he can’t be married to someone who decorates like a kid. Lauren has a backbone; she knows she doesn’t deserve this. She tells Tom that they are over since he doesn’t seem to love her. Tom says he doesn’t want their marriage to end. Lauren says she is leaving and goes upstairs to pack. Tom feels guilty when he notices that Lauren got rid of the decorations in their room. Lauren was thinking about how Tom thought of her as being an embarrassment the entire time. When he asks where she is going, she says her parents’ home. Her parents were on vacation, so she could house sit. Tom says that he will leave, feeling scared since Lauren was now cold and calm. He packs his bag and leaves, saying that they aren’t over. Lauren says this isn’t just a break, but Tom doesn’t listen. She gives him the quilt, saying she can’t look at it anymore.


Lauren makes a wreath that says “I deserve better.” Then she packs up all her Christmas decorations. She puts the boxes outside, along with the lingerie, for it to be thrown in the trash. Tom is at Lauren’s parents’ home, and it is fully decorated. Tom thinks that Lauren’s parents raised her to be this way. He finds it sickening and sees pictures of Lauren growing up. He goes into the guest room and can’t sleep, scared that his marriage is over. When he looks at the quilt, he finds that it has random colours and is not perfect. But he wants to make things right with Lauren. He writes a list of things he can do for Lauren. Dates, flowers, and letters, thinking this is most effective. As he is writing his list, he doodles flowers on the margins. He hasn’t drawn in so long cuz his dad stopped him. Then his parents call, asking if he is coming to the New Year's party. Tom says that he might not, since Lauren left him. His parents don’t give a shit, saying that he can still come. Tom is surprised his parents don’t care about Lauren. At work, Lauren takes her custom wreath and tells everyone what Tom did. So to cheer her up, everyone decides to take her out to eat. A delivery man brings flowers to Lauren, with a card from Tom that says Merry Christmas. Lauren’s boss throws the flowers out. Tom was in the parking lot wondering if Lauren got the flowers. At lunch, everyone says that Lauren’s wreath is amazing. So they decide to write an article about it, featuring her creations. All of this was so unrealistic, but honestly, whatever. When Tom goes to the party, his parents barely mention Lauren. Tom can’t bear being there, especially when he sees Mia’s necklace. He goes outside to call Lauren and wishes her a Happy New Year. He says he loves Lauren, but she doesn’t say it back.

Lauren calls her parents to let them know that she is separated from Tom. She didn’t take her ring off, but her mom, Linda and her dad, Gerald, are pissed off. Lauren finds out that her pieces were a success in the magazine. A company called The Stockist, wants to commission her stuff. This shows that Tom was wrong, her work has value. Tom can barely sleep; he misses Lauren and wants to make it up to her. Mia visits Lauren, saying she broke up with Jake for something similar. He begged for a second chance and made it up to her. There is a lot of repetitive guilt that Tom feels for Lauren; every day, he looks at the quilt more and more. He starts to notice the amount of care and hard work Lauren put into her gift. The quilt has memories of their first date, their first apartment, their first proposal, and more. So he visits Lauren, asking to take her out. They meet at the coffee shop where they had their first date. Tom has a thermos with hot chocolate that Lauren used to make. When Lauren gets home, he walks her to her door. Lauren misses him, so she kisses him. But she is trying to get over him. Tom knows he needs to make meaningful things for Lauren. He tries to look up necklaces, but he knows it’s too late to get her one. When he visits their home, he shovels snow, so Lauren doesn’t have to. He finds boxes of Christmas decorations outside. He feels heartbroken when he sees all the stuff Lauren put away like he wanted. Even with their house design, he made Lauren’s craft station in the attic, where no one can see it. He feels terrible and thinks about designing her a studio.


Lauren thinks that all her decorations are gone and is sad. She is getting orders for art pieces for commission. Someone called her with an offer of $1000. Lauren makes two other pieces for Muse Magazine, one is a piece that says CRINGE, the other says TOO MUCH. Both represent what Tom told her when he was putting her down. Tom looks through the decorations and puts the snow globe on his work desk. It has a picture of him and Lauren. Then he finds a picture of Lauren from last Christmas. He draws flowers on a frame and puts Lauren’s picture in it, putting it on his desk as well. For February, Lauren designs a piece for a client that says DIVORCED AF. Muse Magazine makes it an article on it. Tom realizes that he can start making Lauren things. Lauren’s parents come home, Linda and Gerald are ready to rip into Tom. But Tom says he fucked up and misses Lauren. They forgive him and say he needs to prove himself.

“Lauren was never the embarrassment,” he managed, voice rough. “I was.”


Tom studies the quilt and remembers the coin laundry they used to go to. He asks to take Lauren out on another date. He says he is sorry for everything and is going to make it up to her by courting her. Then he takes her to the coin laundry with his clothes. They used to hang out there when they were poor. Lauren is surprised, but they work together to finish his laundry. Then they go on a walk to their first apartment. Lauren starts crying, saying she didn’t think that he thought of her as an embarrassment. Tom says he is sorry for everything. Lauren isn’t sure if she can believe him, but she misses him. He thanks her for still wearing her ring. When they go home, Tom gives her a huge hug. The next time, he wakes Lauren up to go hiking. I loved how he put her boots on for her by going to his knees. The trail he takes her on was where he first proposed to her. He gives Lauren a letter where he says he fucked up, that this was cuz of how he was raised. He says she isn’t an embarrassment and promises to make it up to her. Lauren gets more orders to start her own business. All her coworkers are supportive but bruh, what workplace lets you do other work? When Tom is invited to another dinner by his parents, his parents invite a woman in Lauren’s place. They say that this girl, Lila, is also divorced. Tom says he is married and yells at them for not respecting Lauren. Then he goes to Lauren, crying and saying he is sorry for how he treated her. He is sorry for not standing up for her against his parents. When Tom is hesitant to use his key to enter their home, Lauren gives him permission. So he cooks her food, and they eat together. Tom starts to try to make a necklace for Lauren. The first one failed and is messy, so he keeps that for himself. When Lauren notices it while hugging him, Tom says he will make one that is worthy of her.


Then Tom takes Lauren to the church where they got married. He plays music, and they dance. Lauren visits her parents, and they play couples games against each other, Tom and Lauren against her parents. When Tom walks Lauren to her car, they kiss. When Tom notices the next thing on the quilt is their honeymoon, he tells Lauren. Lauren asks what he planned, and he says to seduce her. When he goes to her place next time, they have sex. Tom saw the lingerie in the boxes that Lauren put away. So he made custom lace boxers that were similar to her lingerie. Tom starts to design a studio for Lauren, thinking that he wants to collaborate with her. When a family asks them to design a home, they aren’t happy with Tom’s design. But that design followed what Richard likes. When Tom shows them Lauren’s studio design, they love it. Tom tells his dad that he won’t work for him if he continues to insult Lauren. When Tom visits Lauren again, he kisses her. He says it’s too soon for him to stay since she hesitated. Lauren starts to work for The Stockist and Muse Magazine. When Judith runs into Lauren, she is surprised that Lauren is close with one of the workers at Stockist. She tries to insult Lauren, but Lauren stands up for herself. Then Judith visits Lauren, saying she is scared Lauren will steal Tom away since he isn’t coming over anymore. I loved that he finally stopped with their dinners. Judith finally apologizes for everything. When Tom thinks everything is headed in the right direction, he sees a Muse Magazine post that shows Lauren holding up her DIVORCED AF design. He is terrified, since he doesn’t want things to be over with her.

Tom tries to add to the quilt Lauren gave him, but he keeps pricking his finger. He finally managed to fill a square in, showing Lauren standing up to him as a patch. Then he makes Lauren a necklace that he is satisfied with. He has so much respect for Lauren since he realized that crafts were actually hard. I love the idea of him playing around to make things for Lauren. Then he uses his key and takes all the Christmas decorations with him. Since it is Valentine’s Day, he decorates the home like Lauren had on Christmas. Lauren is confused and walks into Tom’s surprise. He gives Lauren the necklace he made, saying it isn’t perfect. He was willing to take everything down if she didn’t want it, but she is happy. Then he shows her the quilt he made, saying he will leave if she wants him to since she had the DIVORCED AF post, but he will always be there for her. Lauren kisses him, and they have sex, she tells him that it wasn’t about him. That she has clients and a business now. She tells Tom to move back in, and I was satisfied. Tom shows her the design he has for her studio and Lauren loves it. In the epilogue, we see Tom and Lauren in their new studio with both sets of parents. They are decorating and Tom and Lauren are planning for kids. Lauren had a successful business, she quit Muse Magazine, and made more than Tom. In the bonus epilogue, she’s pregnant. Loved how quick this story was, even if it was repetitive. The grovel was satisfying, and I love Lauren’s backbone.

Stay safe folks!

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This made me cry

What a story. I can't believe,the person that wrote the Yoga Teacher wrote this book. I dry heaved after reading the first couple of chapters but this, this was touching. The hero was such a jerk.at first I was all like leave his ass but he definitely loved his wife. And at least he didn't cheat. I am so sick.of cheating heroes and believe me I know its very popular so I don't rate them with any stars so I don't get safety shamed by the trolls but they make my heart hurt. This made my heart hurt too but in a different way. I knew there was a chance at redemption for the clueless husband. I loved that she became successful and that he groveled until she took him back. The valetinemas celebration was perfect. Maybe I should give it more stars but it did seem to lag in a few places but overall I thought it was very good.

[Vintage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had some sympathy for the hero's cringing over the OTT Christmas JOY by the crafty heroine, but Camden did a really good job of showing the tiny cuts of betrayal in not supporting her.

Great redemption by a really sweet hero, a rarity. I liked the strength of the heroine, but it was the hero who won my heart.

No cheating.

[Danny Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't all that angsty. The betrayal not at all crushing compared to her other books. Especially The Humiliated Wife. I had to skim a lot because it was repeat dialogue. It was also entirely way too long which is this author's problem for me specifically. It's repetition after repetition. They work their way back to each other after the disaster Christmas with her inlaws. She spreads her wings and is unapologetic about it. The H finally get's out from his stifling and uppity parents to spread his wings and fly of course. I'm intentionally using corny dialogue. Overall it was ok. Very safe so no problems there. It reminded me of my household from my Appalachian side of making everything including quilts for Christmas and corny sayings like "home is where the heart is" hanging in the kitchen. Add in the dollies and I was in my mama's house.

[Tmstprc · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, this might not be a 4 star story, but I loved Lauren’s exuberance, and how she uses her art to self heal.

He’s a parent pleasing idiot, but at least he realizes it and eventually has her back.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the concept, the gut punch and the betrayal but the book needs such a good hard edit to remove the endless repetition that had me skimming so much as a result. Sadly the angst got lost in the unnecessary and constant repetition that went on chapter after chapter.

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

This one made me tear up alittle. Lauren is bright flashy with color and just loves making things by hand. Very artistic very kind married into a family who doesn't like her style aka mother/father in law. They think shes cringe and over the top. Little did she know her husband did to he disliked everything she did for Christmas. She just didnt know. Until this Christmas when things finally clicked into place and she snapped.

So we see Tom grovel show his wife he loves her. There were a few hits and misses and poor Lauren had to relearn and choose herself. Which im so greatful.

We watch Tom finally stand up to his parents and show Lauren he is worthy of her love.



No ow/om drama, no cheating, drama

Recommend-maybe
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶

Slowburn
Seperation few weeks
Marriage in trouble
Grovel
Hea
Epilogue

[Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good marriage in crisis book
Not a lot of angst but more like he failed her…
The book is safe and honestly he’s a little immature
Quite romantic when he wakes up
Very good grovel
She is a good heroine, not weak and realizing she deserves better

[Holly Doyal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is way too long and repeats itself over and over. I was 30% finished with the book and had to stop because it just said the same thing over and over. The characters didn’t hold my interest either.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was boring and repetitive.

Homemade things can be great—especially when they’re made by a child or created with proper guidance from a professional, like at pottery studios or jewelry-making workshops. The quality of the materials and the support you get there make a huge difference. But without that structure or skill, it usually ends up feeling more cringe than meaningful, lets be honest.

the parents were right to a degree.

the book was more dramatic then it needed to be. so I could not really enjoy it.

[Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Safe, good grovel. Christmas cute story.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet

A cute marriage in trouble/second chance romance.

No cheating, no OW or OM drama. Just a couple who hid from problems until they blew up like Christmas drama in July.

Both characters were well meaning and a bit clueless. It ends with a cute HEA and Epilogue.

[BAG of Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lauren comes from a family of crafting women who love homemade decor. This really comes out during Christmas time, because Lauren loves Christmas and makes homemade decorations every year. Tom's family is the opposite. Very neutral, very beige. Tom and his father are architects, and Tom's father taught him to design very sedate, classic, minimalist buildings. So Tom actually hates all of his wife's crafts, and he tells her the truth of what he feels this Christmas. He doesn't care about Christmas and doesn't even get her a gift. She gets so humiliated and angry, she kicks him out.

She makes some angry Christmas crafts and they go viral online and she becomes a professional artist. But as for the relationship, she's not really in contact with Tom and nothing is happening. After about 200 pages I got bored. It has:

repeated scenes. Like him thinking of the moment she gave him his Christmas present, that he didn't like, he must have thought about it at least 5 times so far. There are other examples but I'm too tired to list them.

Lots of sentence fragments. Whole paragraphs with not one full sentence.

No relationship development. This book doesn't need to be this long. We should have gotten to the point by now.

DNF

[Callie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Christmas grovel story? Two of my favorite things.

I wasn’t sure about Tom for a while since he was so dismissive and unsupportive, but his grovel did win me over. I usually find grovel too short but this was fairly extensive and he did the work on his own values and notions.

I found it dragged at times and was very repetitive with certain things (He stares at and describes that quilt 27 times).

But overall, it did have growth and holiday spirit!

[Mona]

Can’t do it— dnf. It’s long, repetitive, and the arts and crafts aspect of the fight I couldn’t buy into.

[Traci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes for me

Jen’s review.

I am not crafty. The first chapter where she is so excited with her work and the quilt she made Tom. Knowing what was coming broke my heart.

And the necklace

Hearing Tom’s thoughts in the mall.

Not a huge gut punch. Book was too long.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never ending.

[Carole Copeland · Rating 1 out of 5]

Way too long

I was very disappointed with this book. Thought it would be a little... different. It was way too long and repetitive. I had to skip most of it so if I missed something, my apologies. I get the way she was treated would have hurt but the author kept it mostly centered around...crafts. Would have been nicer to dice deeper into his need to please his family or just that wasn't the taste he grew up with but needed to learn to appreciate someone else's tastes. I like the way he stood up to his family...I don't know it just didn't vibe with me. I get it wasn't on a deeper level about just crafts but I couldn't get past that that was what it was most about. There are 364 other days a year. How else was she put down was just glossed over. Anyways, way too long and repetitive.

[Ꭿຖᥲ·♡ ྀི · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5✯

-2nd chance
-dual POV
-married couple (5 years)
-no om drama
-no cheating
-no ow (the H's parents tried to set him up with a woman, he was clearly not interested, the woman didn't cause any drama)
-separation: almost 2 months (she kicked him out of the house)
-the hero was such an ass at first, he was embarrassed by his crafting wife (31) and her love for christmas, he thought the things she made were tacky and cringe (his snobby assholes parents drilled into him since he was a kid that having an understated classic style -wardrobe, home decor, etc.- was timeless, elegant and superior)... on christmas day she gave him a gift that she had been making for a long time and the jerk gave her a check, he didn't react like she thought he would, later that night they talked and he said some awful things, she realized that she deserved better and kicked him out, while they were apart the hero finally figured out that he should have been more supporting of his wife instead of trying to seek the approval of his parents...
-I liked how regretful the hero was and I thought his groveling was good, he redeemed himself IMO
-epilogue: 10 months later
-bonus epilogue: they're expecting a baby
--------------------

He wished they were going to his parents’ place for Christmas—it would have been easier that way. Having them come here was always embarrassing. Lauren never seemed to notice what they thought of her DIY crafts. Not that he blamed them. Their house was a joke. The tacky wreaths, the glitter, the homemade ornaments—it was all way too much. If only Lauren would give this Christmas bullshit a rest.

*********************

The whole house looked like a kindergarten class, and Lauren was standing in the middle of it, proud as if she’d designed Versailles. Tom felt the familiar heat of embarrassment rise in his neck. Why did Lauren never notice? Glue guns and holly would never impress people who’d grown up with taste.

*********************

His eyes fell on the quilt Mia had spread out over the made-up couch. It was a gaudy, mismatched thing. It was an embarrassing gift to give him. Why had she made such a big deal? Why did she have to be like that in front of his parents?

*********************

“I’ve tried to ignore all the crafting and the handmade everything, but… it’s too much.” Her mouth opened, but nothing came. He sighed. “I can’t be married to someone like this, Lauren.”

*********************

“Grow up, Lauren!” The words came out harsher than he meant. “My parents are right about you, do you know how embarrassing it is that a grown woman spends all her time on DIY knick-knacks?”

*********************

“The man I married is ashamed of who I am. And I won’t—” Her voice broke, then steadied. "I can’t live like that.” "I love you,” he said. She gestured to herself, to her Rudolph slippers with the oversized red noses, the house cardigan with the buttons she’d painted to look like peppermints. “Do you? Do you really?” Yes. He felt a hollow churn in his stomach. He just wanted her to be less… less tacky.

*********************

He was a coward. Every careful, neutral choice he’d made—every time he’d wished she would tone it down—hadn’t been about standards. It had been about shame. His shame. He’d worried about what his parents were thinking. Worried about how it looked. Her joy had been so open, so pure, that it had embarrassed him. He’d wanted her to be appropriate. He’d wanted her to hide her joy so he wouldn’t have to feel ashamed of it. How could he have been such a bastard?

*********************

He didn’t deserve this quilt. Didn’t deserve to touch anything she’d made with her hands. Every stitch was love, and he’d met that love with indifference, with embarrassment, with cowardice. He was a small, spineless man who’d valued his parents’ approval over his wife’s heart. He wished he could unzip his own skin and crawl out of it, leave behind the pathetic idiot who’d ruined everything.

*********************

He needed her to understand. He didn’t want her despite her love of crafting. He wanted her because of it. Because that was who she was. And who she was was perfect.

*********************

He'd put Lauren in the attic. Like something shameful. Like her joy was something to hide. Tom's hands stilled on the mouse. His chest felt like someone had cracked it open with a crowbar. Jesus Christ. He'd built her a beautiful house¿ and then stuffed her in the smallest, darkest corner of it. Had designed their entire life around the assumption that what she loved— what made her who she was—should be kept out of sight.

*********************

“Every time we came here, I let you treat her like shit,” he said, louder now, his voice cracking. “And instead of leaving me the first time I did that, she wanted to earn your approval instead. And she tried. God, she tried.” He had to leave. Had to get out before the walls closed in. But at the doorway, he stopped, one hand braced on the frame. “Lauren was never the embarrassment,” he managed, voice rough. “I was.”

*********************

“I’m sorry,” he said. No preamble. No hesitation. The words came out in a rush, raw and jagged. “I’m so fucking sorry.” She blinked. His chest rose and fell fast. “I’m sorry for not standing up for you. For every dinner, every comment I let them make. For lying to myself that you didn’t notice, that it didn’t hurt you. God, Lauren, I just—” He broke off, shaking his head, jaw tight. “I should’ve defended you.”

*********************

His life without her stretched in front of him like a road that led nowhere. He’d tried to imagine moving on—some new life, some new future that didn’t have her in it. His mind rejected it every time. His heart refused. His body refused. The idea made him physically ill. He couldn’t move on. He wouldn’t. He knew that with the same certainty he knew his own name.

*********************

Tom pressed the heel of his hand to his eyes. He’d thought growing up meant he was supposed to be restrained. Dignified. He’d spent years diluting the color out of everything —out of their home, out of himself, out of her— and he’d called it good taste. He was a fucking joke.

*********************

“I am so, so glad you kicked me out,” he said. Her head snapped up. “What?” “I’m glad,” he repeated. ���Because if you hadn’t?” His mouth twisted. “I would have stayed exactly who I was. Safe. Cowardly. Hiding behind my parents’ taste and calling it maturity. I’d have kept… holding you down, holding you back.” His voice broke. He swallowed hard and kept going. “You saved yourself,” he said. “You saved me too, even if I didn’t deserve it. You drew a line and you said ‘no more,’ and you walked me to the door and you didn’t look back.”

*********************

“I am all in, Lo,” he said quietly. “I knew from our first date that I was going to fall in love with you. And I did. I’m never moving on. There is no version of my life where I move on from being desperately, utterly in love with you. You’re it for me. You’ll always be it.”

[Kiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christmas Break was about Lauren Barrett, a receptionist at Muse Magazine, and her husband, Tom Barrett, an architect in his family's firm. (While their ages weren't given, they were probably in their late 20s to early 30s.)

After five years of marriage, Lauren finally learned that not only did her in-laws consider her and her handmade Christmas decor tacky, a joke, and an embarrassment, but her husband did as well. He couldn't wait for her to grow up and grow out of" the need to decorate so much for a holiday that was "just one day". That she would learn to be more subtle and develop some restraint in her decorations.

When Tom didn't seem to appreciate the quilt she had hand-made for him, and when he didn't present his wife with the necklace she had peeked at in his briefcase (it was his brother's gift to his new wife and Lauren had to watch as Tom's brother put it on his wife), but instead gave her a thoughtless, last-minute check for $500 with a note that said "X-mas, buy yourself something nice" Tom had actually gone to the mall to get Lauren a gift. But when he looked at jewelry and chocolates...and the LINES of people, he felt it was "too much", so he decided on money, she finally understood that her family...His family... and Tom thought of her as an embarrassment.

After everyone left, Tom confessed to his relief that it was over and that not only should they not host the next Christmas party, but that he felt that his parents were right in saying she went overboard each year. He said they needed to "tone it down" because it was all "just...kind of cringe". Upon hearing him say that, Lauren finally broke and kicked him out. She packed a bag for him, handed him the bag and the quilt she made him, and told him to sleep somewhere, anywhere but at home. After Tom left, Lauren looked at her home as if she were seeing it for the first time through his eyes, and she finally gave in. She threw away all of her decorations that had been in their bedroom so he'd never have to see them again. Then, after having cried it all out, she fell asleep.

When Tom arrived home from work the next day, he laid all the blame at her feet, telling her he knew once she'd calmed down that she'd realize she had overreacted. Then he told her she needed to stop with the decorating, to "tone it down", and that he "couldn't be married to someone like this". because it was all "too much", and he cut her to the quick with, "How can we raise kids if you're still acting like one?". It was at that point she knew their marriage was over, because she couldn't pretend that this wasn't who she was...that if she changed for a time, it was a guarantee she'd return to the same person and end up being an embarrassment to him again. So she chose to leave. He tried to tell her that "Christmas isn't this important. It's not this big of a deal" for her to walk out on their marriage over. When he couldn't convince her of that, he told her to grow up, and said that his parents were right about her, and that it was embarrassing to have a grown woman for a wife who spent all of her time creating DIY knick-knacks.

Instead of allowing her to leave, Tom chose to go to her parents' home (they were away for the holidays)...a place he rarely set foot in. In their home, he realized that it was almost identical to his...that his mother-in-law decorated the same way Lauren did, and his thought was, "no wonder Lauren didn't know better" on how to keep a minimalistic home (like his parents did). To him, his parents "had dignity, discipline", " whereas Lauren (and her parents) went overboard and were childish in their decorating schemes. To him, his in-laws' home was another embarrassment. She sat down and created a wreath that held the words "I DESERVE BETTER"; she decided to take it to work the next day.

The next day, Lauren removed the rest of the decorations from the house and took them to the curb for the dump truck to pick up. When her co-workers learned about the separation (Tom had decided to send her a HUGE bouquet of roses to her workplace), they all (including her boss) took her to lunch. While there, her boss and co-workers got an inspiration for their next month's magazine edition: featuring Lauren's crafts, including the "I Deserve Better" wreath. A few days after the magazine went public, Lauren was presented with an offer from a local art gallery to showcase several samples of her work in their studio.

The story had plenty of angst, drama, and an emotional rollercoaster that kept the reader reaching for more. The spicy scenes were quite tame (they were written in a way that the reader only caught glimpses of what was going on, but it wasn't quite closed-door romance scenes). The flow of the storyline was a little chaotic, but not bad. The contention was more or less expected when considering that a lot of in-laws have issues with whom their child(ren) marry, even if most of their reasons were unfounded.

Both of the main characters were well-developed and mature, and the author gave them plenty of room for growth. Tom had one epiphany after another as he worked towards salvaging his marriage. It was a sight to behold as the reader read every nuance that changed in him...and Lauren as well, for that matter. They both made so much growth that it was like new people had sprung up in their places.

This book could have been a lot shorter because there was too much fluff that didn't need to fill the pages. But all in all, it was a decent book that earned a three-and-a-half-star rating that was rounded up to four.

[Christelle Ruiz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m not sure if I read a romance story or a hobby and craft tutorial! After 30% of the story, I skipped most of the monologue and craft descriptions and only read the dialogue. I was bored for most of this book even though the start was good!
DNF it after 55% of the story!

[Raffaella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, it was ok. As a first book for this year, I’m quite satisfied.
It’s certainly a bit too long and dragged but anyway the core is well done.
Heroine is a Christmas crazy kind of woman, she loves crafting all the kind of things for Christmas and turns her home into a feast of all you can imagine and beyond, all made by herself.
Dozens of wreaths, tinsel everywhere, glitter, rhinestones, red, green and gingerbreads hanging instead of lamps. I must admit I was a bit appalled myself, being a person that is unable to decently decorate one single little christmas tree.
The hero feels overwhelmed and embarrassed when they hosts the usual Christmas Eve dinner with his snob parents and his more likable brother, and when she gives him a quilt handmade by her with all their most significant moments crafted by her he… cringes.
And his present? A cheque.
Well, ok,I know about husbands that are not romantic and give their wives money as a present, but he really treats her like she were contagious.
And when she gets angry because of his embarrassed reaction, he tells her that she’s embarrassing and she has to grow up. Well..
The heroine, that has endured so much by his parents without him ever defending her, throws him out of their house and tells him she wants a divorce.
The hero then realizes his mistakes and accepts that he’s the real asshole and that without her he is nothing.
He tried for years to please his father who is a boring conformist and so he repressed his creative side thinking it meant growing up.
The heroine in the meantime becomes some sort of a celebrity artist and starts selling her creations, even featuring for an art magazine.
He apologizes time and again and begs to have another chance.
The heroine makes him work for it.
All is well in the end.
Well, I liked it.
There’s angst but not too much, and even if he was not very nice and definitely dumb for the first part of the book, I think he realized how arrogant and conceited he had been to his wife.
No ow, no cheating and safety very good.
I appreciate that this author that had initially written only cheating stories, managed to write stories with betrayals that didn’t involve cheating and that are equally angsty.
I love the hero’s redemption arc and in a way I cringed too when his wife was obsessing over Christmas cluttering their house with all sorts of glittering stuff.
But I have a friend of mine who’s exactly like her and I always joke with her saying that she lives in Santa’s house, so i can understand how the heroine was like.
And since she wasn’t hurting anyone with her love for crafting things I think the hero and his parents were really unnecessarily nasty to her.

[BiblioDarling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating System (as of 8/14/2025):
⭐: It was a struggle to read. I almost DNF
⭐⭐: This could have been so much better.
⭐⭐⭐: Good/Average
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Great book. I will probably reread it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I absolutely loved this book.
***********************************************************************

Tropes:
💕MF Romance
💕Family Drama
💕Marriage in Trouble
💕Grovel to HEA
💕Christmas/Holiday

Spice Level: 🔥🔥🔥

Spice Level Rating System (as of 9/4/25)
🔥: Clean. Handholding. Kissing.
🔥🔥: Non-Descriptive/Implied on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥: Hot-Descriptive on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥🔥: So Hot—Do Not Read in Public
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥: Oh My-BDSM. Blood Play. Smut.
************************************************************************
Quote:
"Jesus, Lauren. It looks like Christmas exploded in here," he said with a twist to his mouth that was half smile, half grimace.

Summary:
FMC and MMC are married. FMC loves Christmas and spends time making homemade wreaths, ornaments, etc. She has come to realize that the MMC does not like her homemade crafts. MMC has always had "classy/elegant" Christmases. It all comes to a head when the FMC does not receive a proper gift at their Christmas celebration with the MMCs family. This results in a separation.

During the separation the MMC must take stock of who he has become and who he wants to be. In the meantime, the FMC is establishing herself in the art community and becoming a well-known artist. This is a story of two people needing to decide what happens to their marriage when issues arise. HEA

Review:
This author is new to me. This was a recommendation in a FB group. I must say it was a quick and easy read. It was like a warm hug on a cold day. The fact that both the FMC and MMC knew that they loved each other but there had to be changes. The grovel is different but more than adequate. As the MMC begins to realize that he has changed and why he has changed. The FMC learns she should be accepted just for who she is. This was a nicely written and engaging story.
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[eesha]

this is why my friends you make sure you put a ring on it AFTER you confirm he's worked through all the issues his parents gave him. tom's christmas gift should have been a therapy appointment.

many thoughts:

1. can confirm elise camden groveling is top tier she gets it unlike many of the authors that attempt groveling. this was wayyyyyyy tamer i feel than the other one i read but honestly sort of better bc u can see how tom's parents fucked him up bad which is WHY it led to everything
2. loved loved loved how lauren had supportive girlfriends throughout and had her business blow up as proof that her crafting is incredible like ugh elise camden Gets it. the woman flourishes and THAT's not even the catalyst for the groveling ough.
3. and while i appreciated the journey tom took, i would have liked more interest in HIM taking risks in his design like he used to. we talk abt his bold designs but theres very little payoff for his reckoning maybe one (1) scene but i would have liked more.
4. the one mistake elise camden made was giving tom a well-adjusted brother because why the hell would i want parroting my controlling parents tom when i could have jake who's already gone through the deconditioning of his awful parents and is happily in love w his beautiful wife
5. i tried crying and it happened for maybe 30 seconds before i sucked it up. but idk if thats indicative of the fact that i don't let myself cry for very long (at least. not at the moment maybe in two weeks fr) but it did make me miserable which i signed up for so! such aching heartbreak gives me a lump in my throat fr
6. some would say there's a lot of redundancies in the writing but as someone who loves to ruminate on the same thing forever (a dead horse HATESSSSS to see me coming) and loves shame i was not mad <3

my overall thoughts are who hurt elise camden for her to be able to write abt the heartbreak and failure and betrayal warring with the years of love and comfort youve had with someone sooo poignantly and second question can we kill them

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read, but way too long.

I loved it at first I’m a big Christmas person also but I will say it dragged on a little longer than it should have. There is no cheating at all what’s so ever so if you read the description and the part where I think it says biggest betrayal I thought he cheated but nope. I’m all for the chasing trope when the ML messes up but I felt like this one lasted longer than it should have. I don’t like it too much when the FL forgives easily or too fast I love a good chase and working on one’s self. But this was just a little too long and some things didn’t need to be out in the book in my opinion but aye it’s still worked out. SPOILER: I will say one thing that I was kinda like ok was chapter 66 or 65 when mother came to FL house and went off on her and was being the mother in law we have seen since the first page then all of a sudden it was like a bipolar moment lol. A couple sentences she’s being all mean mother in law putting her down and also the son then the next sentence bipolar moment crying and apologizing lol. I thought she would change her ways and be nice but you can tell in the end she was still that mother in law that just won’t change and if that was the case keep it that way all the way to end. Idk that kinda just threw me off there for moment. Other than that it is good but maybe should have ended a little bit done than it did but I still liked it.

[Midnight Dahlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was good overall.
But I personally felt that whenever other people were around, Mia and Jake tried too hard to show their love and affection. It felt a bit overdone. Like, okay, we get it, you’re ace couple, relax.


It often looked like they were trying to prove something, as if saying, “See? My husband accepts everything I do,” and Jake is like , “My wife is the boss, I accept her choices.” After a point, it felt unnecessary. I honestly skipped some of their scenes because it started to feel forced.


I believe marriage is about equality. Both people should adjust and accept each other, not just one person giving up everything. It’s normal if someone doesn’t like Christmas decorations or crafty, colorful things. For example, if one person loves a fully pink, heavily decorated house and the other doesn’t, does the other person always have to accept it just to prove love?


In Mia and Jake’s relationship, it felt like only one person’s choices mattered. I wish they showed a home and lifestyle that reflected both of their preferences, not just one.


Personally, I like a minimal, simple home. I don’t like colorful or overly decorated spaces. If my partner loved tacky décor, does that mean I must accept it, or else I’m the bad one? Compromise should go both ways.


Overall, I really loved Tom and Lauren. They felt natural.But Jake and Mia’s dynamic came off as fake and artificial, and I wish they had toned it down.

[Birty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second chance marriage

Lauren and Tom have been married several years but it’s not been a happy marriage. Tom is old-school, straight lines, and traditional in his ideas about his job and his wife to keep his family happy. Lauren is bright and happy and loves crafting and glitter. On Christmas Day, Tom dismisses his wife’s homemade gift for him and gives her a check when she was expecting a necklace or at least a heartfelt letter. It;s the last straw for Lauren who feels belittled, dismissed, and unloved by her husband. After a heated argument, she demands Tom eave their house and she thinks her marriage is over.

Lauren uses her crafting skills to make a wreath that expresses her feelings and opens the door to another career when her craft ideas go viral. In the meantime, Tom has a great deal of time to think about what he wants and how he can win his wife back.

Both characters have so much growth to go through, both discovering what they want for a better life and how to save their marriage. Lauren takes her love of crafts to create a new career and life, and Tom rediscovers his love of architecture and design to use new ideas in his work at the traditional family firm. This is a lovely story about growth and discovery and love.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel bad rating this book so low, especially because I really enjoyed this author's other books, but this book was just not my cup of tea. It was way too long, very repetitive, and I'm sorry, but I don't think the reason for the "betrayal" in this book was a big enough deal to warrant so much groveling. (Yes, I realize I'm doing exactly what the MMC and his family did in the story by dismissing the issue that broke this couple up, but I can't help it.) I don't think we needed this long, drawn out grovel story for something that could have been resolved by a good heart-to-heart conversation once the MMC finally saw the light. Not to mention there were some inconsistencies or hard-to-believe scenarios that just didn't make sense if you really think about it. That said, I'll be completely honest, I started skimming around 30-40% because it just felt like the story wasn't going anywhere and I just wanted to be done since I try really hard not to DNF. Ultimately, not worth the time I spent skimming either, which is a shame, because I really love this author and the gut punch moments she's so good at writing. This one just missed the mark for me though...

[K Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Redeemable AF

For this hurt and betrayal, I'm shocked I even rooted for him in the end. I honestly can't think of a single H where I actually fully found him redeemable. The grovel felt quiet, not dramatic but the redemption is where it's at.
Spoiler-ish because I don't know how to review without possibly bringing up parts of the story
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No cheating, but definitely an eye opener in how outside influences can change a person and their opinions. At first he's dumb and still thinks it's her that needs to shrink and you continue to see him still hanging on to that but starting to sway. Either I missed it or he really figured it out himself, not that a friend or therapist opened his eyes for him. Based on that, him putting himself in her place and learning to speak her love language and FINALLY getting the timing right I was happy to see them working things out. I also especially loved that he put all this work in BEFORE finding out how she's thriving without him. It's not like hey ppl in my parents world accept you, now I can too. He fully wanted her back as she was and put himself out there before all that dropped.