The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park
Product Details
Web ID: 17689119a festive delight
Chloe Kwon and Peter Li are not friends. Their parents own rival restaurants in the Riverwood Mall's food court in Tennessee and even all of their delicious Korean food (from the Kwons) and Chinese food (from the Lis) can't bring these families together and heal their years-long feud. But this holiday season might change that when Chloe and Peter find out that the mall is about to be sold to a developer and demolished to make space for condos. Now instead of avoiding each other while working at the mall (Chloe as a photographer at Santa Land and Peter at the shiny virtual reality North Pole), these two are going to have to band together if they want to save their families' livlihoods. It might take a Christmas miracle for Chloe to work with Peter, but maybe holiday magic is just what they need to save the mall, mend fences, and maybe learn how to be friends--and maybe even more than friends!--in The Christmas Clash (2022) by Suzanne Park. The Christmas Clash is a standalone contemporary set overthe course of the holiday season. The story alternates between Chloe and Peter's narrations--both filled with Park's signature humor and laughs. The will-they-or-won't-they tension between Chloe and Peter compliments the urgency of the mall's closure deadline as these former rivals grow closer while working to save the mall. The story also offers an ode to mall culture, especially through the lens of their shared experiences of growing up in the mall and helping at their parents' restaurants. While saving the mall is paramount, Chloe also spends the novel navigating a prestigious photography competition and how to tell her parents she wants to pursue a career in art unlike her successful lawyer sister while Peter navigates pressures of his own from his parents and his overloaded extracurricular schedule. The Christmas Clash is a story about family and finding confidence wrapped in a cozy holiday mall setting. While the seasonal touches make this perfect winter reading the universal theme of fighting for what you care about makes this the ideal book for any time of the year. The Christmas Clash is a festive delight. Possible Pairings: A Match Made in Mehendi by Nandini Bajpai, Clementine and Danny Save the World (And Each Other) by Livia Blackburne, When the Vibe is Right by Sarah Dass, 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston, Finding My Elf by David Valdes Greenwood, A Pho Love Story by Loan Le, Cafe Con Lychee by Emery Lee, Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee, My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins, Recommended For You by Laura Silverman, Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto, Love a la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Heartwarming story about family and friendship
Two teenagers from two rival families team up to save their local mall. I enjoyed the theme of hope and community that was present in this story. I also found both Chloe and Peter to be likeable characters and I became invested in their mission. It was a great holiday story but even more than that it was a great story of friendship and family! Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Tasty YA RomCom
Romeo + Juliet meets the mall food court! The Kwons and the Li’s have hated each other for years. Until teens Chloe Kwon and Peter Li team up to save the mall from being demolished. -Yoda elf ears -delicious food -dying mall -enemies to lovers romance -sympathetic characters -sesame ball sweet romance
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great Holiday YA
This one was cute, it reminded me of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before with a Christmas twist. I loved the Romeo and Juliet with restaurant vibes and found the characters to be very likable. I will say it at times felt like the author was trying to hit a word count, did I need to know an entire workout of one character or all of the ingredients another put into a frying pan? Not really, but it doesn’t ruin the book for you, just drags it out a little. Overall, a cute listen, not overly Christmassy but it does all happen leading up to Christmas. I was happy I listened to this one rather than reading it!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A great YA rom com with depth!
I was in love with these characters from the start! First, I have to admit that when I selected this audiobook, I didn't look closely at the description. I saw Christmas themed rom com and was all in as that fit my mood. I realized quickly that this was a young adult book as the main characters are 16-year-old high school students and I am thrilled that I selected this book. While I am definitely not the target demographic, I loved how authentic and realistic these characters were and how relevant the plot is to today's world. The characters start out continuing a long-time family feud, but quickly realize that they need to team up to save the mall that both of their families have long time businesses as well as the businesses of the other mall tenants all while managing daily life of sports, extra-curricular activities, exams, planning for college, part-time jobs, friendships, family drama, helping in the family business and cultivating their blossoming friendship. As a former teacher, I felt that the author nailed the realism of the daily life while creating a wonderful budding romance and urgent life altering goals to achieve. The narrators did an outstanding job of bringing the characters to life and bringing their emotions to the surface. I am quite excited to see what else this author has for me to devour and can't wait to dive into another of her wonderful stories. Oh, and in case you didn't guess, yes there is a very happy ending!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Heartwarming & Enjoyable
The Christmas Clash is a heartwarming and enjoyable adventure. Chloe and Peter have never gotten along- they come from opposing restaurant families. But when their shared mall home is threatened, they must work together to try and save both restaurants. Along the way, Chloe gets to know the real Peter behind his smiles and Peter sees how deeply Chloe cares for her family. Can they save the mall before it's too late? The Christmas Clash is a perfect lighthearted read for the holidays. Chloe and Peter manage to balance the struggles of the mall along with the pressures of being in high school and attempting to navigate a future. My favorite part of the book was the nuanced portrayal of their families and how they always did their best, whatever that looked like. Chloe and Peter have plenty of cute moments between them as they advocate for the mall owners, many of whom struggle to understand the legal documents they have been presented with. The Christmas Clash would be ideal for readers who love the holidays, unlikely alliances, and a sweet romance. Thank you to Suzanne Park, Sourcebooks Fire, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Cute holiday read
**I received a copy of the book through NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed it. All my opinions are my own.** The Christmas Clash is a cute YA romance between artsy Chloe Kwon and all around nice boy Peter Li. When both discover the mall is set to close and the fate of their families’ restaurants hang in the balance, Chloe and Peter will have to set aside their differences to find a solution before the holiday deadline. Chloe and Peter inherit the Li and Kwon rivalry, and it leads to some entertaining pettiness with an even better laying down of arms. I expected an enemies-to-lovers story, but this was more a rivalry with irritation and attraction mixed in. Because their rivalry was not written in such a way that it would be insurmountable for them to become allies, when they started working together and eventually discovered their attraction to the other person, it was believable. While I enjoyed the book, I missed the humor and some of the funny antics that were more overtly present in Park's previous novels. There are still plenty of cute moments that made me smile. Read this if you're in the mood for a cute holiday romance, but do it on a full stomach. You might get a little hungry.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The Christmas Clash: Rivals to Romance Book Review
Read this if you: *Enjoy Christmas holiday RomComs *Like coming of age, rival to romance novels *Are fond of novels with family rivalry Meet the Author: Suzanne Park is a Korean-American writer who was born and raised in Tennessee. In her former life as a stand-up comedian, she was a finalist in the Oxygen Network’s “Girls Behaving Badly” talent search, and appeared on BET’s “Coming to the Stage.” Park was also the winner of the Seattle Sierra Mist Comedy Competition, and was a semi-finalist in NBC’s “Stand Up For Diversity” showcase in San Francisco alongside comedians Ali Wong and Nico Santos. Synopsis: Chloe Kwon and Peter Li join efforts to save the mall despite their families ability to get along with one another. Chloe and Peter soon learn the Kwon/Li family feud is much more than they ever imagined. The two families operate rival restaurants in Riverwood Mall. When the eviction notice is served so the developer can demolish the mall and build condos, Peter and Chloe are determined to work together. Reader’s Thoughts: The Christmas Clash is told from the perspective of both Chloe and Peter. This Christmas RomCom was so pure and innocent. Despite the family feud and rivalry there wasn’t much negativity, which I liked. The relationship built between Chloe and Peter was very age appropriate considering they are young teenagers. I was disappointed that there was not much mention of Christmas other than the Santa Land and North Pole virtual reality references, but this wouldnt deter me from recommending this book to a friend. Otherwise I truly enjoyed the book. It was a quick, easy, afternoon read. Available now in Paperback, eBook, and Audiobook! ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ Thank you, @NetGalley and @suzannepark for providing me with a complimentary review copy. In no way has that influenced my voluntary review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com