✨Im Literary Anxious✨

𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲🕒: 2 minutes

𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿:  Lauren Blakely✍🏻𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 13 Hours, 16 Minutes🎧

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Lauren Blakely
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿(𝘀): Connor Crais, Vanessa Edwin + Full Cast
𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 796
𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: 10/10
𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: 8/10
𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁: Standalone
𝗘𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲: HAE
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲: Dual POV/Duet Narration

“𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙄 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙣?”
“𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨, 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶…𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦?”
“𝙔𝙤𝙪. 𝘼𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴.”

💋Grumpy x Sunshine
🎄Fake Dating
💋Single Dad
🎄Brother’s Best Friend
💋Hockey Player x Matchmaker
🎄Small Town Romance
💋Banter Galore
🎄Improper (and fun) Use of Candy Canes

I don’t think I’d ever listened to anything narrated by Connor Crais before, but thankfully this impulse pick cured me of that tragic oversight. Catch me immediately adding every single thing he’s ever narrated to my TBR/audio queue.

I decided to kick off a holiday-themed book binge, and Merry Little Kissmass was the first one up. I’ve never read Lauren Blakely before, and for absolutely no reason whatsoever, I usually avoid seasonal books. So if it hadn’t been for the Christmas binge vibes, I probably would’ve skipped right past this one.

So glad I didn’t.

The full-cast narration alone elevates an already adorable story. Rowan is the ultimate grump—like, other grumps should be taking notes. Isla, meanwhile, is sunshine and rainbows if they married pure sugar and had a unicorn baby. In the audiobook? Love her. In real life? She might be someone I’d want to gently strangle. But considering I’m writing this while wearing a “What’s Up, Grinches?” shirt… that tracks.

Grinch energy aside, I ADORE THIS MAN. Rowan needed zero dating classes. He was perfect from moment one. He built her a Christmas farm. He made her custom price tags. PRICE TAGS. I nearly ascended.

I also loved his relationship with his daughter and how he realized his “no Christmas ever” stance was accidentally dimming a season she loved. Growth, character development, father-of-the-year behavior—we love to see it.

Extra bonus points to the kid for being an avid reader, and triple bonus points for the bookish advent calendar. If Rowan could send my husband an anonymous tip, that’d be great. 👀😆

In conclusion: this book made me blush, kick my feet, and smile like a loon while washing dishes. If you’re hunting for a festive, feel-good holiday romance with a fantastic audiobook production, this is absolutely one to pick up.