Where the Heart Is by Lily Seabrooke Review — Is It Worth Reading?

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Verdict: A warm, funny Christmas friends-to-lovers romance: Stella Jackson’s family heads to the cosy town of Bellsford for two weeks, her parents secretly divorcing, and her childhood best friend Abigail, closeted and heartbroken after a semester abroad, comes too and ends up sharing Stella’s bed. Readers love the cosiness, the large cast and matchmaking little sister Clarissa; a few found the family tedious.

Best for: Readers who want a cosy, low-angst holiday romance with only one bed and a big, chaotic family.

Heat level: 🌶️🌶️

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.1/5 — a 4.35 Goodreads average across 285 ratings, 4.08 on StoryGraph from 39 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 348 Amazon ratings)

Tropes: Childhood friends to lovers, only one bed, forced proximity, Christmas, coming out, family drama.

Where the Heart Is is Lily Seabrooke’s 2023 friends-to-lovers Christmas romance, a cosy holiday story of about 70,000 words; our listing notes ADHD representation for one lead. Kissing her childhood friend on a family Christmas vacation is probably a bad idea.

It holds a 4.35 average across 285 Goodreads ratings, with 85% of them four or five stars, 4.08 on StoryGraph from 39 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 348 Amazon ratings.

What Is Where the Heart Is About?

The Jackson family is primed to explode: Stella’s parents are hiding their divorce during a two-week trip to Bellsford, and Stella and her sisters are under strict orders not to cause drama. Falling for her childhood friend probably counts.

Abigail came home shattered by a whirlwind relationship abroad she cannot talk about without outing herself. Sharing a room with her longtime crush is the worst, or maybe the best, part of the trip, and the sparks feel different now.

What Works in This Book

• Coziness: Readers call it the perfect cold-day Christmas read.
• Clarissa: Stella’s little sister steals the show.
• Large cast: One reader marvels that a big family is introduced so clearly.
• Humour: The leads’ interactions and inner dialogue had readers laughing.

Book Synopsis

A family hiding a divorce. A best friend hiding everything else.

Two weeks, one room, one bed.

My Review

Seabrooke’s Christmas romances have become an annual tradition for some readers, and this one delivers hope and joy with a touch of magic. The childhood-friends reunion, strained at first by distance, reconnects naturally, and the family subplots weave together without loose ends. One longtime fan calls it their favourite Seabrooke book.

Not everyone was charmed. A couple of readers found Stella’s family, especially her grandparents, tedious, and one wanted Stella to stand up to them sooner. One felt the stakes were low and Stella a bit boring, and one found the romance forced and the spice awkward.

My honest note: A cosy holiday hug from a reliable author.

Element	In Where the Heart Is
Central relationship	Stella Jackson & Abigail “Gale” (childhood friends)
Core tropes	Friends to lovers, only one bed, Christmas
Setting	Bellsford, a cosy Christmas town
Heat level	🌶️🌶️
Length	About 70,000 words
Series	Standalone
Content notes	Parental divorce, homophobic relatives, being closeted, breakup

How Spicy Is Where the Heart Is?

Mild to moderate. Readers describe it as sensitive and sensual, with some spice.

Readers mention homophobia, a secret divorce and coming out to family.

Who Should Read This Book?

You’ll likely love it if: you want a cosy Christmas friends-to-lovers romance. It is on our neurodivergent sapphic romance list.

You may want to skip it if: big-family drama wears you out.

In short: One bed, many relatives.

What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)

On Goodreads the split is 54% five stars, 31% four, 12% three, 2% two and 1% one. On StoryGraph, 83% tagged it lighthearted and 83% found the characters loveable.

Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Coziness first. Second, Clarissa. Third, friends to lovers. Fourth, humour.

What readers argue about and complain about: The family, above everything. Second, low stakes. Third, Stella.

The comparison worth making first: The Christmas Pic, another sapphic holiday romance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there only one bed?

Yes. Abigail, now going by Gale, has to share a room and a bed with Stella on the Jackson family’s two-week Christmas trip.

What is the family drama?

Stella’s parents are hiding their divorce from the extended family, her grandparents hold old-fashioned views, and everyone is under orders not to cause drama, while Gale is still closeted and heartbroken.

Who is Clarissa?

Stella’s little sister, a matchmaker whom many readers say steals the show.

Is it angsty?

Not very. Readers describe it as sweet, cosy and fairly low stakes, with some tension from family secrets.

Is Where the Heart Is on Kindle Unlimited?

Yes, when we checked, or $5.99 to buy on Kindle.

If You Loved Where the Heart Is, Read These Next

Try The Christmas Pic or Make You Mine This Christmas. Browse our neurodivergent sapphic romance list or the full Book Reviews archive.

The Bottom Line

Where the Heart Is sets out to be a cosy Christmas friends-to-lovers romance, and its warmth and humour deliver. What holds it back, for some, is a trying family. A lovely holiday read. Check Where the Heart Is on Amazon →

The Eikna Overall Ranking

On the Eikna scale, Where the Heart Is ranks as a strong holiday pick — cosy, funny.

The Evidence Scorecard

Overall ★★★★☆ 4.1/5

• ✓ 4.35 average across 285 Goodreads ratings
• ✓ 85% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
• ✓ 4.08 on StoryGraph from 39 reviews
• ✓ 4.5 stars across 348 Amazon ratings

Romance ★★★★☆ 4/5

• ✓ Childhood friends
• ✓ One bed
• ✓ Pining
• ✓ Sweet

Characters ★★★★☆ 4.1/5

• ✓ Stella
• ✓ Gale
• ✓ Clarissa
• ✓ Tedious grandparents

Writing ★★★★☆ 4/5

• ✓ Warm
• ✓ Funny
• ✓ Clear large cast
• ✓ No loose ends

Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.8/5

• ✓ Coming out
• ✓ Family secrets
• ✓ Hope
• ✓ Joy

Heat Level ★★☆☆☆ 2/5

• ✓ Some spice
• ✓ Sensual
• ✓ Adult
• ✓ Romantic

Ending ★★★★☆ 4/5

• ✓ Happy
• ✓ Christmas magic
• ✓ Standalone
• ✓ Warm

Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 4.1/5

• ✓ On Kindle Unlimited
• ✓ $5.99 Kindle price
• ✓ 70,000 words
• ✓ Annual holiday read

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