The Holiday Mixtape
by Liberty Stowe
Publisher: RupertBossier
Release Date: October 3, 2025
Reviewed by PJ
When a failed pitch at her Chicago ad agency leads an idealistic dreamer to the perfect Christmas town, Erika with a K stumbles on a holiday mixtape at a flea market that guides her path straight to the town’s most eligible bachelor. But does he want to be eligible?
And is Blitzen, Kentucky a Christmas town?
Erika’s campaign for an old-fashioned Christmas hinges on help from the bachelor basketball coach slash Volunteer Fire Department's assistant chief in need of a new firetruck, and he’s not happy about it.
“Do you realize how much time you just obligated me to? If Erika pulls this off, she’ll have done something unheard of. She landed here the first week of December and she’s going to save the town in one month? That’s not a Christmas miracle. It’s a fairytale.”
Two strangers. One goal: raise enough money for a firetruck through an Old Fashioned Blitzen Christmas festival... an endeavor that will join them at the hip throughout the holiday.
“Get in my truck before I pick you up and put you in it.”
“You’re being a dick.”
“You’re being a brat. Get in the f***ing truck.”
“I will not.”
It takes a lot to make Kourt fumble on the court, but this Christmas, the unexpected visit from Josephine Amherst’s great niece proves a lot more than he bargained for. The Holiday Mixtape is a bickering, bantering, fun-filled journey of self-discovery for both Erika and Kourt, with emotional depth and enough sexual tension to melt the snow.
What if, and just because it’s Christmas, track three on the holiday mixtape sealed their fate before Erika even pressed play?
PJ's Thoughts:
Do you believe in magic? Christmas magic, that is. There just might be a bit of it at play when Erika lands in her great-aunt's small Kentucky town for the month of December. Or, at least enough of it to get the holiday romance ball rolling while Erika and her reluctant chauffeur, Kourt work around the clock to restore the town's lost Christmas spirit while raising enough money to buy a much-needed fire truck...and maybe find love in the process.
This book has me ready to haul out the Christmas decorations and stream holiday tunes on a constant loop. The characters sucked me into their lives from the start and came with enough layers to keep me intrigued. I loved the banter between Kourt and Erika as well as the spark of attraction that continued to grow, even when one of them tried their darndest to ignore it. There's emotional baggage at play with necessary healing (Kourt) and growth (Erika) that needed to be accomplished before the relationship could progress. The process each of them went through felt realistic and authentic to the characters. I was rooting them on the entire way.
The best friend relationships were pure gold, offering up terrific dialogue, unquestioned support, but also necessary truths for the main couple...plus a few unexpected surprises. Community members rounded out a richly textured supporting cast who helped add conflict, humor, and emotional depth to the story. The breakfast scene with police and fire officials was hilarious. There are no secrets in small towns and no shortage of advice either.
The author's descriptions of Blitzen and the surrounding areas had me wanting to visit during the holidays too. She brought it all to life in such a way that I felt like I was right there with the characters, exploring caves, delighting in nighttime snowfalls, navigating icy mountain roads, and strolling along town sidewalks, humming Christmas songs while warming my cold hands and nose with steaming hot cocoa. She brought the magic of Christmas in Blitzen to life and I was there for it, every step of the way.
If you enjoy small-town stories with snappy banter, strong community, slow-burn romance, emotional depth, humor, and happy endings, all wrapped up in a holiday bow, check out The Holiday Mixtape. It has my enthusiastic recommendation.
