I absolutely adored this YA vacation romance that's somewhat of a cross between Bunheads and Adventures in babysitting. Noelle is a ballerina who is missing her mom and struggling with Christmas cheer this year when her friends seem really busy and her Dad is wrapped up in work. So when her favorite babysitting family asks her to spend a week with them over the holidays at their ski lodge she jumps at the chance. Little does Noelle know that her biggest crush, Wyatt, is about to turn up unexpectedly too, throwing her and the rest of Wyatt's family into a series of holiday ups and downs.

This was a great book about learning to stand up for what you want and not being afraid to talk about how you feel. Both Wyatt and Noelle need to figure out how to share their feelings with their parents and each other. Throw in some cute younger kids and this was a sweet holiday read I couldn't put down and read in one day!

I definitely only read this because my future husband’s name is Wyatt. A cheesy YA book for teens and how Christmas can mean so much more for others.

I was looking for a cute and cozy book to get me more into the holiday spirit. And this one is it! A little cheesy but so cute. ☺️

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: I’m Dreaming of a Wyatt Christmas

Author: Tiffany Schmidt

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: young adult, romance, holiday

Publication Date: October 26, 2021

Genre: YA Romance

Recommended Age: 13+ (grief, parent death, romance, fatphobia, dieting TW, vomiting TW)

Explanation of CWs: Grief and parent death are discussed and grief is shown in the book. Romance is enemies to lovers without sexual content. Fatphobic comments and dieting and vomiting are shown in the book and discussed).

Publisher: Amulet

Pages: 336

Synopsis: Noelle Partridge is known for three things: being the best ballet dancer, babysitter, and person with the most Christmas spirit in her small town. But lately she’s bored by the lessons at her dance school, and her friends and father are more bah humbug than Hallmark movie marathon. So when her favorite babysitting clients ask her to accompany them on a ski trip over winter break, she packs her bags for the slopes. It helps that they’re offering double her rate—she’ll need the money for Beacon, an elite ballet academy that’s granted her an audition.

Noelle is ready to “Deck the Halls” and have fa la la la fun, until Wyatt, the older half-brother of her babysitting charges, decides to surprise his family for the holiday. He’s one of the best dancers at Beacon, and makes Noelle’s head spin faster than pirouettes. Unfortunately, she also manages to step on his toes—spoiling his surprise and complicating his secret plans. After a few missteps, Noelle and Wyatt begin to thaw toward each other and bond over the big decisions looming in each of their lives. With enough Christmas magic, Noelle might just start the New Year with lots of babysitting cash in her pocket and a chance with the pas de deux partner of her dreams.

Review: For the most part I enjoyed the book! It’s corny and punny with the usual holiday sayings. It’s done great with the character development and the world building. The book is also well written and it’s one of the cutest cozy holiday reads I’ve read recently. I also liked the message behind the book about confronting your problems head on instead of running from them.

However, Noelle as a protagonist is a bit pushy and it took me a long time to warm up to her.

Verdict: It was good!

Noelle loves Christmas but this year is having a hard time getting in the spirit - things are off at home and her friends don’t seem to be excited for their usual holiday activities. So when her favorite baby-sitting family offers to bring her to their ski cabin as their babysitter, she jumps at the opportunity for a Christmas change of scenery. But she is shocked when the older half-brother of the kids she is babysitting, Wyatt, shows up. Despite never meeting Wyatt before, she’s had a HUGE crush on him just from what she’s heard about him., which makes this trip even more interesting.

This is definitely designed for a younger YA audience - so if you’re looking for a sweet, fun holiday rom com for yourself or the teenagers in your life, this is a great one! There are so many feel-good vibes in this one. The main characters were both facing major life choices and it was interesting to see them navigate those, especially ay such a young age. Overall, this one was a fun holiday read!

Reader’s Notes:

– there is a female/female married parent’s for one of the main character’s friends (we do not actually meet them, but they are mentioned a few times)

– Noelle (our main character) lost her mother a few years ago around Christmas time and it affected the dynamic between her and her father over the years

– there is a short section where Noelle goes on talking about her period (as she wakes up for her final performance with it and wishes her mother were there to talk through it with)

– there is a bunch of dance terminology throughout the book, but it does not hinder the enjoyment for the reader if they do not understand what the words mean (like me)

Review:

At first, I wasn’t sure what to think about this story. It took a little while to get to the part I was most excited to read about (Noelle and Wyatt meeting for the first time) and I wondered if I should continue or go pick up another story that would get to the interesting part quicker. But I chose to keep going and was glad I did! All the things that were holding me away from the part I wanted to read were great for development purposes and understanding Noelle more and her dynamic within Wyatt’s family as their babysitter/family member. I think that besides Noelle and Wyatt’s interactions, my favorite parts had to be Wyatt’s stepsiblings’ antics (with one being a sassy eight year old and the other a four year old who loves Noelle’s jokes and retelling them until they get past the point of being annoying). Kids just make things more interesting without them even trying

That was so so so so so cute!!!