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Spice: More than closed door but less than one🌶️

by Kristen Bailey (October 14, 2024)
Many thanks to the author for the gifted digital copy and to @NetGalley and @stormboos_co for the advanced listening copy of the audiobook. Below is my honest review.

Maggie leads a small but fierce IT team made up of Frank, Jasper, and Leo. She loves her job and her quirky crew—and they love her just as much. So when they find out she’s spending Christmas alone, they refuse to let it happen. Their solution? Each of them takes Maggie along for their own holiday plans leading up to Christmas. What follows is a whirlwind week where Maggie finds herself fake-dating the ever-serious Frank at a wedding, rescuing baby foxes with the eccentric Jasper, and emergency babysitting with the infuriatingly handsome but caring Leo. Along the way, Maggie realizes just how much these three men mean to her, in very different ways. As the holidays unfold, their bonds deepen, secrets are shared, and they all guide each other toward the love and happiness they deserve.

This was my third Kristen Bailey novel, and once again, she perfectly balances heart and humor in her writing. She has a unique talent for taking familiar romance tropes—whether it’s Teach Me (Sex Ed), Age Gap (Textbook Romance), or Boss/Employee (We Three Kings)—and turning them into something fresh and magical. While this book is definitely a romance, at its heart We Three Kings is a celebration of friendship. I enjoyed the complex, hilarious, and heartwarming dynamic between these four IT professionals working in a sketchy basement office and finding family in one another. It’s a sweet, holiday-themed story with so much heart.

The audiobook, narrated by Harrie Dobby (who also narrated Kristen’s Sex Ed), is wonderfully done and runs just under 9 hours at 1x speed. It’s a great listen for anyone looking to dive into a feel-good, festive read!