I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm Review

Verdict: A cosy but emotionally layered YA holiday romance: guarded beauty influencer Lyric, who grew up in and out of foster care, pays Christmas-loving newcomer Juniper to pose as her girlfriend for sponsored holiday posts. Readers praise the depth, the realistic families and Grammy Viv; the prose/verse split and prickly Lyric divide them.

Best for: Readers who want a heartfelt Black sapphic YA holiday story with real stakes.

Heat level: Kisses only

Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.7/5 — a 3.79 Goodreads average across 318 ratings, 3.89 on StoryGraph from 234 reviews, and 4.2 stars across 15 Amazon ratings)

Tropes: Fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, holiday romance, influencer, dual POV.

I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm is Mariama J. Lockington’s 2025 young adult sapphic romance from Farrar, Straus and Giroux. High school senior Lyric has always found Christmas the hardest season. An up-and-coming make-up influencer who loves a bold lip, she isn’t looking for romance.

It holds a 3.79 average across 318 Goodreads ratings, with 65% of them four or five stars, 3.89 on StoryGraph from 234 reviews, and 4.2 stars across 15 Amazon ratings.

What Is I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm About?

Christmas is Juniper’s favourite time of year — or was, until her moms separated. They’re back together now, and Juniper needs them to stay that way so she can take the gap year she hasn’t told them about.

Lyric offers a deal: be her fake girlfriend in a series of holiday posts and split the sponsorship money. Soon the lines between camera and reality blur.

What Works in This Book

Depth: Readers call it layered and a little raw, not just a cute holiday romance.
Families: One reader found the parents and guardians among the most realistic in YA, and Grammy Viv is a favourite.
Representation: Readers value two Black queer girls at the centre, with a small-town Michigan setting.
Audiobook: Listeners say it elevates the reading experience.

Book Synopsis

A guarded influencer and a Christmas-loving newcomer fake-date for holiday brand deals.

When snow falls, sparks fly.

My Review

Readers describe a sweet fake-dating romance balanced with serious realities — foster care, an unreliable mother, a family on shaky ground. It is wintery without being over-the-top Christmassy, one reader notes.

The format is the main dividing line: a couple of readers felt the verse chapters left Juniper less developed, while one found Lyric’s prose chapters long-winded. Some found Lyric hard to like or selfish at times, though readers note she grows. One called it more Lifetime than Hallmark.

My honest note: Cosy on the surface, with real weight underneath.

Element	In I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
Central relationship	Lyric (beauty influencer) & Juniper (Christmas-loving newcomer)
Core tropes	Fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract
Setting	A small town in Michigan at Christmas
Heat level	Kisses only
Length	348 pages (Kindle listing)
Series	Standalone
Content notes	Abandonment, grief, foster care, death of a parent, infidelity (StoryGraph)

How Spicy Is I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm?

Not at all — it is YA, with kisses only.

StoryGraph users most often flag abandonment and grief, plus death of a parent and child abuse.

Who Should Read This Book?

You’ll likely love it if: you want a holiday romance with emotional honesty. It is on our cozy lesbian romance list.

You may want to skip it if: verse or teenage leads aren’t for you.

In short: Holiday fake dating with heart.

What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)

On Goodreads the split is 18% five stars, 47% four, 30% three, 3% two and under 1% one. On StoryGraph, 82% tagged it emotional and 54% hopeful.

Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Depth first. Second, families. Third, representation. Fourth, the audiobook.

What readers argue about and complain about: The prose/verse split, above everything. Second, Lyric’s prickliness. Third, YA voice for adult readers.

The comparison worth making first: Breakup Buddies, an adult holiday romance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm YA?

Yes. Both leads are high school seniors, and there is no spice.

Why is half of it in verse?

Lyric’s chapters are in prose and Juniper’s are in free verse. Some readers loved the contrast; others felt it left Juniper less developed.

Is it only fluffy?

No. Readers stress it tackles abandonment, foster care, grief and complicated families alongside the holiday romance.

Does it have a happy ending?

It ends hopefully; our list classes it as a happy-for-now ending.

Is it on Kindle Unlimited?

Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $11.99. Readers praise the audiobook.

If You Loved I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, Read These Next

Try Breakup Buddies or Tapping into Love. Browse our cozy list or the full Book Reviews archive.

The Bottom Line

I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm sets out to be a cosy holiday romance for girls who don’t get picture-perfect Christmases, and it succeeds. What holds it back is a format not every reader warms to. Recommended. Check it on Amazon →