Strings, Snow, and Second Chances

Just when you think Ashley Herring Blake and Bright Falls are forever intertwined, she flips the script and delivers something wholly different—but just as magical. Make the Season Bright is a tender, emotionally charged second-chance romance that trades the small-town sapphic sweetness of Bright Falls for a snowy Colorado Christmas, a shared history, and unresolved heartbreak. And somehow, she makes it all feel fresh, intimate, and impossible to put down.

Instead of returning to the scene of the romantic crime, this novel pulls off a clever narrative trick: Brighton Fairbrook and Charlotte Donovan—nicknamed “Lola” by Bright—reunite far from home, unexpectedly finding themselves guests at the same holiday gathering. Their mutual friends (who also happen to be sisters) have invited them both to their childhood home to decompress over Christmas. Neither woman knows the other will be there. But when they come face-to-face after years apart, it’s clear the tension between them hasn’t cooled.

The story unfolds with all the hallmarks of a great holiday romance—cozy firesides, snowy walks, and simmering glances—but it’s Blake’s signature wit and ability to write emotional conundrums that really shine. She never takes the easy route, and in this case, she’s crafted a love story that doesn’t gloss over the hurt but instead asks: What happens when you walk away from someone you love—not because you didn’t love them, but because you weren’t ready?

Bright once left Lola at the altar. There’s no sugarcoating that. But Blake manages to make you feel for her anyway. She was too young, too overwhelmed, and ultimately, too scared. The novel never excuses her actions, but it does explore them with nuance and honesty. And it helps that Bright is utterly charming, self-aware, and genuinely remorseful.

One of the unexpected joys of this sapphic love story is its musical thread. Both women are professional musicians—Bright is a pianist, and Lola is the lead violinist of the Rosalind Quartet. Their shared language of music weaves throughout the narrative, offering rich metaphors for harmony, dissonance, and ultimately, resolution. I even learned more than I expected about string quartets—and loved every note of it.

Make the Season Bright is about coming home—not to a place, but to a person. It’s about trusting love again after it’s let you down. And it’s about second chances, not just in romance, but in growing into the version of yourself that can show up, stay, and love fully.

If you’re looking for a sapphic romance with depth, wit, and a snow-dusted touch of holiday magic, don’t miss this one. Blake proves she can break away from Bright Falls and still deliver the kind of emotionally rich, character-driven story we’ve come to adore.

Stay tuned for her next novel, Dream On, Ramona Riley, on Tuesday!