Publication: 23rd October 2025 – Aria
A slow-burn romance fifteen years in the making…
Hattie has spent half her life secretly crushing on Freddie – her best friend Sam’s irresistibly gorgeous older brother. But Freddie? He’s barely spared a glance for Hattie, the girl Sam befriended one fateful New Years’ Eve when they discovered they were birthday twins.
Fast-forward to now: Hattie finds herself single for the first time in years – just before the holidays. Enter Sam, who, in classic best-friend fashion, whisks her away to a remote cabin in the Forest of Dean to cheer her up. Snowy woodland views? Check. A crackling fire and a steamy hot tub? Check. Zero cell service, ravenous wild boars, and an incoming snowstorm of apocalyptic proportions? Also check.
And to make matters even more intense, Freddie joins them, unexpectedly. Still infuriatingly gorgeous, and still ridiculously off-limits. Except this time, he’s actually noticing Hattie. But then again, maybe he’s been noticing her all along.
Fifteen years of longing. One night to change everything. This New Year’s Eve, they’re playing with fire.
Back in April, I loved the author’s debut novel, Work Trip, but after reading House Party, Chloe Ford has become one of my favourite authors. I was completely addicted to this novel: the slow-burn romance and the chemistry, the snowed-in remote cabin, the close friendships, and the wonderful cast of characters.
The protagonist, Hattie, is funny and smart and I found her relatable and authentic. Single for the first time after a relationship of nine years, she wants to focus her last year in her twenties on herself and do all the things she couldn’t do before. First on the list is to organize a New Year’s Party to celebrate also her birthday and that of her best friend Sam, born one day apart. I loved the easy friendship between Hattie and Sam. They met on New Year’s Eve when they were fourteen years old and Hattie promised to hate his brother Freddie as much as he did and they have been friends ever since, going to the same school and university and even living together. However, as we see through flashbacks, it wasn’t that simple for Hattie to hate the handsome and arrogant Freddie. And now, Freddie has joined them on their New Year’s house party, determined to repair his relationship with his brother and, between confessions in hot tubs, sudden blackouts that leaves them alone in the dark, squeezing in a closet during a game of hide-and-seek, and snow-ball fights, they will face not only their feelings for each other, but also their past.
I couldn’t put down this well-written, witty, swoony, and immersive novel and I can’t wait for the author’s next novel!!!
A huge thank you to Aria and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this wonderful novel.
Chloe Ford grew up in rural Sussex but is now based in South Gloucestershire. She has an affinity with all things country, from riding horses to muddy walks. Her love for writing began at secondary school when her English teacher would set a writing task for the whole hour. An avid reader, she started sneaking Mills & Boon books out from under her mum’s bed as a teenager and hasn’t stopped devouring romance books ever since.
Book After Book 
Sounds great!
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Oh, I love the sound and look of this book!
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