A Christmas romance for Barbie fans who wished Ken and Allan got their own love story.

Henry Aster swears he is unlucky when it comes to love. He thought he’d finally found The One, but a sudden break-up has left him hopeless right before the holiday season.

Facing another family Christmas alone, Henry makes a wish for “The Perfect Man.” The next morning, when he arrives at the Jersey Shore vintage shop he manages, he finds one of the male display mannequins has sprung to life and entirely wrecked the place.

The magicked man is gorgeous, of course, but he comes with a Cinderella-style If he doesn’t experience true, human love before the midnight chime on New Year’s Eve, he will turn back into a mannequin for good.

Now Henry doesn’t have to show up to family Christmas alone. The catch? This new man—self-named Aidan Smith—knows nothing about being a human. Henry has one month to teach Aidan how to be a functioning person in the modern world and the swoony boyfriend that will win over his family. It’s an arduous task that draws them close together… but can human love ever really be true?

I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Some books just make you smile the second you hear the concept. A mannequin brought to life for a holiday romance? Sign me up. As someone who watched the 80s film Mannequin obsessively as a kid, this premise hit all the right buttons for me.

Janovsky delivers exactly what you’d hope for from a setup like this: a cozy, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt story. At its center is Henry, a vintage shop owner who’s had his heart stomped on a few too many times. He’s jaded, sarcastic, and not exactly brimming with Christmas cheer. (To say I could relate is an understatement.)

Enter Aidan, a mannequin who magically springs to life after Henry makes a desperate holiday wish. Aidan, who names himself after bingeing Sex & the City, is basically brand new to everything. He doesn’t understand the world, but he’s curious, open-hearted, and ready to throw himself headfirst into the messiness of being human.

The story alternates between Henry and Aidan’s perspectives, which really worked for me. Henry’s cynicism is grounded in real heartbreak, and it’s easy to see why he’s hesitant to hope again. On the flip side, Aidan’s wide-eyed optimism provides the perfect counterbalance. He’s learning what it means to be human, so every awkward stumble, every joy, every fear, and every illness feels fresh. Watching these two perspectives bump against each other and then slowly start to sync up gave the romance a satisfying rhythm.

One of the things I appreciated most was how the book balanced sweetness with spice. This isn’t one of those holiday romances where sugar overwhelms the story. It’s definitely cute (and unapologetically so), but the emotional beats feel genuine. There’s enough tension and growth to keep it from being too fluffy, and the sex scenes had just enough spice without overpowering the story.

The holiday setting adds sparkle, but the story leans more toward romance than holiday hijinks. That’s not a bad thing, just worth knowing if you’re going in expecting sleigh rides and cookie-baking montages at every turn. The Christmas season gives Henry and Aidan a ticking clock (the spell ends at New Year’s, and some of the window dressings they do are holiday themed), but the heart of the story is about their connection and the lessons they learn from each other.

Since I read this as both an ARC and an audiobook, I have to shout out the narrators. Lee Osorio and Mark Sanderlin were fantastic. Each captured their character’s voice perfectly. Osorio nailed Henry’s mix of weariness and wit, while Sanderlin gave Aidan that curious, earnest spark that made him feel alive.

By the end, I was fully invested in Henry and Aidan. The magic conceit may be whimsical, but the relationship felt real. It reminded me that sometimes the most unbelievable circumstances can lead to the most believable love stories.

This is a cute, clever, and charming romance that gives you more heart than holiday fluff. If you’re hunting for a holiday romance that blends humor, heart, and just enough magic to make things sparkle, this one belongs on your TBR. Especially if you ever secretly wished those department store mannequins might wink back at you.