Two exes find themselves stuck at the same house for Christmas in this holiday romance by Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Iris Kelly Doesn't Date . It's been five years since Charlotte Donovan was ditched at the altar by her ex-fiancée, and she’s doing more than okay. Sure, her single mother never checks in, but she has her strings ensemble, the Rosalind Quartet, and her life in New York is a dream come true. As the holidays draw near, her ensemble mate Sloane persuades Charlotte and the rest of the quartet to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado—it is much cozier and quieter than Manhattan, and it would guarantee more practice time for the quartet’s upcoming tour. But when Charlotte arrives, she discovers that Sloane’s sister Adele also brought a friend home—and that friend is none other than her ex, Brighton. All Brighton Fairbrook wanted was to have the holliest, jolliest Christmas—and try to forget that her band kicked her out. But instead, she’s stuck pretending like she and her ex are strangers—which proves to be difficult when Sloane and Adele’s mom signs them all up for a series of Christmas dating events. Charlotte and Brighton are soon entrenched in horseback riding and cookie decorating, but Charlotte still won’t talk to her. Brighton can hardly blame her after what she did. After a few days, however, things start to slip through. Memories. Music. The way they used to play together—Brighton on guitar, Charlotte on her violin—and it all feels painfully familiar. But it’s all in the past and nothing can melt the ice in their hearts...right? “Ashley Herring Blake’s Make the Season Bright is the mulled wine of holiday love stories: sweet, steamy, and completely intoxicating. If you love second-chance romances between former best friends as much as I do, then make sure this one is in your stocking. A delight!”— Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Summer Will Be Different “This book is a snowy sapphic delight. Ashley Herring Blake delivers all the yearning you want from a second chance romance, with a full cast of complicated, lovable characters who push each other to change and grow. This one is going straight to the top of my Christmas romance reread list!”— Bridget Morrissey, author of That Summer Feeling "A sexy, snow-filled confection that will warm your heart no matter the season. The history and heat between the leads had me rooting for a happily ever after while fanning myself to keep from fainting. I adored this deliciously satisfying, joyfully queer holiday romance!"— Rebekah Faubion, author of The Lovers "Cozy and comforting... This is destined for many a keeper shelf.”— Publishers Weekly “Blake excels at bringing readers along on the emotional journey of her characters, going from feeling jilted Charlotte’s angst to eventually rooting for a reunion as Brighton’s side of the story is revealed. .. Featuring a hard-won happily ever-after and queer found family, this is a second-chance holiday romance to revel in.”— Library Journal " Make the Season Bright is the perfect holiday second-chance romance... It's what I love most about Herring Blake's books. The well-developed characters, the very real and complex emotions, and a few surprises to keep everything interesting."— Culturess "Jam-packed with a fun and diverse cast of characters and holiday merriment, Make the Season Bright is exactly what readers would expect from Herring Blake... Make the Season Bright is a wonderfully modern and refreshing take on the classic small-town Christmas romance."— Shelf Awareness "Cozy up this festive season with Make the Season Bright, a refreshing second chance sapphic romance that blends humour with heart and delivers all the festive shenanigans your heart could ever desire!"— The Nerd Daily Ashley Herring Blake is an award-winning author. She holds a master’s degree in teaching and loves coffee, arranging her books by color, and cold weather. She is the author of romance novels, young adult novels, and middle grade novels . She’s also a coeditor on the young adult romance anthology Fools in Love . She lives on a very tiny island off the coast of Georgia with her family. chapter 1 Charlotte Donovan was cursed. She'd been trying to ignore the signs all day long, but now, three weeks before Christmas, she found herself stuck in a vintage cage elevator between floors four and five having a panic attack, and denial was no longer an option. Granted, she'd known the truth since she was a kid-December was the month the universe conspired against Charlotte and rained down an amalgam of mishaps, everything from a mundane red wine spill on a white blouse to the disaster five years ago she wouldn't even let herself think about anymore. Except here she was, clawing at the latticed elevator door of Elle's Upper West Side building, thinking about it. "We'll get you out of there, sweetie. Just stay calm." This was from Slo