The Love Hypothesis meets The Holiday in this fake dating YA romance about a city girl and country boy’s lives colliding at Christmas

City girl Tia Solanké is dreading the festive season. She and her boyfriend are on a break and the last thing she wants is to spend Christmas away from London. Dragged to Saiyan Hedge Farm by her mother, Tia takes an instant dislike to the countryside estate. She falls in horse manure, is chased by sheep and the Wi-Fi sucks. How can she stalk her ex and concoct a foolproof plan to win him back from here?

Country boy Quincy Parker and his family run the farm, and this year they’ve been selected to host the biggest event in town—the Winter Ball. Preparations are underway, and Quincy is working around the clock to make it a success while recovering from his own devastating breakup. The only problem is, he’s told everyone he has a date to the ball, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

At first, Tia and Quincy don’t see eye to eye—until they realize they both have something to gain by pretending to be a couple. But when a snowstorm threatens to cancel the Winter Ball, their fake relationship is put to the test. Will Tia and Quincy be able to keep up appearances and save the day, or will real feelings get in the way?

BIO

Abiola Bello is a Nigerian-British, prize-winning, bestselling children’s and YA author who was born and raised in London. She is an advocate for diversity in books for young people. She’s the author of the award-winning fantasy series Emily Knight and was nominated for the CILIP’s Carnegie Award, won London’s BIG Read 2019, and was a finalist for the People’s Book Prize Best Children’s Book. Abiola contributed to The Very Merry Murder Club, a collection of mysteries from thirteen exciting and diverse children’s writers which published in October 2021 and was selected as Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month. Her debut YA, Love in Winter Wonderland, published in November 2022 and was an Amazon’s Editor’s Choice and was featured in The Guardian’s Children’s and Teens Best New Novels. Only for the Holidays published in October 2023 and was The Bookseller One To Watch, one of Waterstones Best Paperbacks of 2023 and was featured in The Guardian’s Children’s and Teens Best New Novels.

Abiola won The Black British Business Awards 2023 for Arts and Media and The London Book Fair Trailblazer Awards 2018. She is the co-founder of Hashtag Press, Hashtag BLAK, The Diverse Book Awards and ink! She has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Female First Magazine, The Mirror, BBC1XTRA to name a few. As well as being a writer, Abiola is a professional dancer. She performed for more than a decade in prestigious venues including The Royal Opera House, The Barbican, Sadler's Wells, Hammersmith Apollo and Unicorn Theatre. Abiola has also appeared on BBC's The Apprentice, Got To Dance and Street Dance AllStars The Movie.

REVIEWS

Selected for the Children’s Book Council Teacher Favorites and Librarian Favorites Awards

“A delectably festive YA romcom.” -- The Guardian

“Compulsively readable, frothy and fun-filled, this is a highly recommended festive pick-me-up.” -- Irish Examiner

“City girl versus country boy makes for some hilarious country fiascoes, which of course, lead to cute romantic moments and grand gestures . . . Grab a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy.” -- Los Angeles Book Review

“This sweet romance intertwines the festive spirit with themes of self-discovery and young love.” -- Audible

“A captivating Christmas romcom.” -- Waterstones

[H]  Soho Teen  /  October 08, 2024

1.2" H x 8.3" L x 5.8" W (1.1 lbs) 336 pages

[P]  Soho Teen  /  October 07, 2025

0.8" H x 8.1" L x 5.3" W (0.65 lbs) 336 pages

For ages 14 and up