My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely

Performed in duet narration by Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke with a full cast including: Andi Arndt, Connor Crais, Vanessa Edwin, Andi Eloise, Teddy Hamilton, Erin Mallon, Noah Perez, Shakira Shute and Ryan West.

Holiday Rom-Com

My thanks to Lauren Blakely and her crew for providing an advance copy for review purposes. Ana’s Attic accepts no compensation for reviews, and all reviews contain my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links, meaning I’ll receive a small commission should you purchase using those links.

“Outside the snow is falling. Inside, I am.”

I am a HUGE Lauren Blakely audiobook fan. After a quick count, I realized I have at least 62 reviews of Lauren’s books on my blog! She writes with specific narrators in mind, which makes her audiobooks feel even more special—especially My Favorite Holidate, which features an incredible FULL CAST of narrators in duet style. This one really stood out and shot to the top of my list of all the Lauren Blakely books I’ve listened to.

First off, we have a single dad with an amazing daughter, which is one of my favorite romance tropes. Plus, he’s her boss, and they fake date! LOVE these elements. Throw in a wedding and a Christmas contest, and you’re in for a super fun listen.

“You like making people’s dreams come true, don’t you?”

Billionaire hottie Wilder Blaine is a single dad hosting Thanksgiving dinner for his friends, family, and their significant others. During this dinner, two things happen: Fable Calloway’s boyfriend cheats on her, and her sister gets proposed to by Wilder’s best friend. Wilder and Fable are soon signed up to be Best Man and Maid of Honor for this winter destination wedding.

Wilder’s aunt is always trying to set him up, and he’s tired of it. Fable, meanwhile, wants to prove she’s over her cheating ex. So they agree to fake-date all the way to the wedding. Since it’s a holiday-themed event, there are all kinds of games and contests, and Wilder and Fable are determined to win—especially against her ex and his new fling.

“It was the best date I’ve had in ages. Too bad it was fake.”

I adored Wilder’s daughter, Mac, who was on a mission to make the fake dating real! Wilder treated Fable so well, and you could tell he was the first to fall, but she wasn’t far behind. From their adorable text typos, to forced proximity, to glitter dicks, this fun and steamy holiday romance kept me hooked. The book is longer than most of Lauren’s others, which allowed more time to get to know and fall for each character, and I think that’s one reason it rose above the rest.

Likes:

Lots of Christmas shenanigans.
Getting revenge on the douchey ex.
Lots of amazing chemistry.
I loved his daughter Mac.
The fun Christmas contests.
It was super steamy and he was DREAMY.
Longer than most LB books.
Adorable texting.
A great friend group.
Cameos from previous characters (you don’t need to know them).

Dislikes:

I loved every word.

The Narration:

WOW. WOWOWOWOW. The full-cast duet narration for My Favorite Holidate was AMAZING. Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke were fabulous as Wilder and Fable, but the full cast of characters made it even better, especially with some narrators reprising roles from previous books. If you’re an audiobook lover, My Favorite Holidate is a must-listen.

The Down & Dirty:

Lauren Blakely never disappoints. She’s been one of my favorite authors for almost 10 years, and she keeps outdoing herself. My Favorite Holidate is easily one of my top Christmas romances (my list will be out this week) and one of my favorite Lauren Blakely books ever. Don’t miss this fun, sexy, romantic holiday read!