5 SMOOCHES!
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SYNOPSIS:
Wanted: A fresh shot at love for the holidays. But fake dating my brother’s grumpy best friend? He’s my new client, for Santa’s sake!
As a professional matchmaker, my biggest job this holiday season should be simple: find a date for the sexy single dad hockey player—aka my brother’s best friend—for his team’s fancy Christmas Eve gala.
Sure Rowan’s hot as a crackling fire and spicier than a gingerbread man, but he hasn’t just sworn off romance. The Christmas hater has made a bet that I can’t find him a holidate.
What’s a matchmaker to do?
Win, of course. Even if it means fake dating the grinch myself to get him ready for the real thing.
Only…these fake dates at Christmas tree farms and hot cocoa competitions in the snowy small town of Evergreen Falls start to feel a little too real as I get to know the man behind the scowl. Somewhere between kisses under the mistletoe and a snowed-in night in his cabin curled up by the fire (where the stockings aren’t the only thing hung), I realize I’m in over my elf-loving head.
And when Rowan opens up to me at last about his painful past, I’m determined to give my brother’s best friend the holiday he deserves.
But what if the only gift I want him to unwrap this season is… me?
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REVIEW:
Merry Little Kissmas by Lauren Blakely is a delightfully festive and swoon-worthy holiday treat that masterfully blends the fake dating and brother’s best friend tropes with irresistible charm. I listened to the audiobook, narrated in duet by Vanessa Edwin and Connor Crais with a full cast including Carlotta Brentan, Samantha Brentmoor, Jason Clarke, Adam Gold, Teddy Hamilton, JF Harding, Erin Mallon, Soneela Nankani, and Evan Parker. Blakely’s full cast productions are always wonderful, and this one was no exception. A holiday setting, the fan favorite brother’s best friend trope and all the magic of a holiday romcom, and this was a winner that put me in a seasonal state of mind.
When Isla, a cheery matchmaker who adores everything about Christmas, agrees to find a fake date for Rowan, her brother’s grumpy, Christmas hating, single-dad, pro hockey player best friend, their arrangement quickly unravels amid effortlessly witty banter, Christmas tree farm dates, hot cocoa and a seriously cozy night that sparks the undeniable chemistry sizzling between them.
Blakely’s storytelling shines as the forced proximity and festive cheer soften Rowan’s scowl and ignite a connection that feels both heartwarming and deliciously steamy. With its cozy holiday setting, adorable moments featuring Rowan’s daughter, Mia, and a perfect match romance, this rom-com is an utterly captivating, feel-good holiday escape. Five smooches from me for Merry Little Kissmas by Lauren Blakely!
~Danielle Palumbo
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