First Responders: #2 The Anti-Social Season by Adele Buck book review

In this quirky holiday romantic comedy, Thea Martinelli, an overworked and traumatized firefighter, transitions to a social media coordinator role to escape the burnout and anxiety of her demanding career. Her new mentor is Simon Osman, a librarian who had a huge crush on Thea in high school.  She has to look him up in her yearbook to remember him.  As they navigate the chaos of the holiday season, their professional collaboration ignites unexpected feelings, leading them to face their emotions head-on. Yet, their budding romance is complicated by misunderstandings and personal insecurities, resulting in a cycle of relationship troubles. Ultimately, Thea and Simon must decide if they’re willing to sacrifice their hard-earned progress for love. 

Readers will be drawn to this delightful tale for its relatable characters and engaging premise. Thea, a strong female lead, grapples with the real issue of burnout, making her journey authentic and compelling. Simon, the endearing librarian, adds a charming dynamic, creating a perfect blend of grumpy and sunshine tropes. I love that the author went with a male librarian and a female firefighter.  Simon feels that he does not do well in social situations.  Thea seems to be super outgoing, but she feels insecure about a number of things. The story captures the essence of holiday spirit while maintaining a spicy undertone, making it a perfect escape for readers. I read both books in this series and I really enjoy the characters and the writing.  However, I do think it's odd to write a Christmas romance and take some digs at religion.  There were also some parts where the author was very forcefully interjecting her political opinions (with pronouns and Drag Queen Storytime's) that didn't necessarily flow with the romance part of the story.  But overall, I love the characters, I love the library setting and I love the cover!