The Christmas Orphans Club
A Novel
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4.0 • 52 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
From bookfluencer and host of the BAD ON PAPER podcast, a riotous holiday rom-com about four friends in NYC who hold onto their unconventional Christmas tradition even when their paths diverge—but the changes they fear might be exactly what they need…
Hannah and Finn have spent every Christmas together since college. Neither has anywhere else to go—Hannah’s parents died, and Finn’s disowned him when he came out. Their tradition of offbeat holiday adventures only grows more outrageous with time. When the pair starts their adult lives in New York City, they add stylish Priya and mysterious Theo to the group, solidifying a found family and sense of belonging they’ve always craved.
But now, when Finn announces a move to L.A., this Christmas may be their last. Hannah is terrified of losing the family she’s built for herself, even as her boyfriend nudges her toward commitment. Meanwhile, Finn struggles with the things he’s about to leave behind—namely, his unexpressed feelings for Theo. Does growing up mean growing apart? This Christmas the changes these friends fear may be exactly what they need. . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Freeman's compassionate if rocky debut digs into the heart of what makes holidays special: the people they're spent with. Hannah and Finn's college acquaintanceship becomes a best friendship when both are stuck on campus over the holidays. Hannah's an orphan and Finn's family disowned him after he came out as gay, so neither has anywhere else to go—but they make things merry by dressing up in costumes from the drama department and holding a pancake feast. Christmas together becomes a tradition, and the festivities only get more elaborate when they add Hannah's N.Y.C. roommate, Priya, and Theo, Finn's onetime Christmas Eve hookup turned good friend, to the mix. This year, however, Finn drops a bombshell: he's moving cross-country for work. Hannah is devastated but determined to make this last Christmas one to remember. But with Hannah's boyfriend pressuring her to join his family for the holidays and Finn wrestling with whether to admit his lingering crush on Theo, it might be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Freeman doesn't skimp on the yuletide atmosphere and puts a lot of care into her characters' growing pains. The novel's structure has some flaws, however, hopping back and forth between many different Christmases and thereby creating information gaps and telegraphing surprises. Still, Freeman's take on how relationships evolve is full of feeling.
