Merry Little Kissmas by Lauren Blakely

Performed in Duet by Vanessa Edwin & 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

Thank you to Lauren Blakely and her team for an early ALC for review purposes. This review contains affiliate links.

“I’m the sunshine to his grumpy. I’m the optimist to his pessimist. But maybe we’re not that far apart after all.”

Merry Little Kissmas by Lauren Blakely was everything I love about her books, with the added bonus of being a fun and cozy Christmas romance. I love how she takes a trope that’s been done a million times and makes it feel fresh, smart, and fun. It’s no secret that Lauren Blakely’s audiobooks are my hands-down favorite. Mix that with a single dad, a Christmas romance, and a full-cast recording, and you have a recipe for success.

Rowan is a single dad and a hockey player, and he’s also a total grinch when it comes to Christmas. Though he has good reason, his daughter is missing out on all the fun holiday stuff. His teammates are fed up with the defenseman because he makes every holiday event miserable, so his agent/best friend and teammates buy him a professional matchmaking package from his agent’s sister to find him a date for the annual team gala.

Isla takes her matchmaking seriously, so she meets with Rowan to learn as much as possible in order to find him the perfect match. When they both realize they need dates for some holiday events, they decide to go together and “fake date” to help him practice. What Isla doesn’t know is that Rowan has been crushing on her for a while. Their feisty, flirty banter is exactly what I love in a romance.

“Um, five-second rule. Pretty sure we were still in the window.”
“It was in your mouth! The punch is already ruined.”
I don’t think, I just say, “My mouth doesn’t ruin anything, sweetheart.”

Their fake dates are filled with Christmas fun—tree shopping with his daughter Mia, holiday competitions, festive parties, and, of course, getting snowed in. But Isla’s still focused on finding the reluctant Rowan the perfect date… even as she’s falling for him herself.

“I don’t want to think too much on what this up-against-the-wall session means. Not when my body feels like a Christmas tree, turned on after a long winter’s night.”

Their slow-burn romance had all the angst, witty banter, and sexual tension that make Lauren Blakely’s books such a joy to listen to. The single dad who hates Christmas but gets pulled into the holiday spirit made it extra charming.

“I want to take a chance with you. I want to take all my chances with you.”

Likes:

I love a single dad, and Rowan’s a great one—except for one little thing (see the first dislike).
Their grumpy/sunshine vibe.
The sexy banter.
Seeing familiar faces from the Love & Hockey Series and My Favorite Holidate (last year’s favorite) without needing to read anything before this.
I loved his daughter’s personality so much!
It made me laugh but also brought a good amount of emotion.
A slow burn with just the right amount of spice for the story.
Some outdoor nookie.

Dislikes:

Some of Rowan’s great dad energy faded when I realized he wouldn’t just suck it up and enjoy Christmas for his daughter.
I didn’t totally understand the fake dating setup. They already knew there was more between them—so who were they pretending for?
It was a little long for the story at over 13 hours (540 pages). Usually, I love it when a book I enjoy is long, but this one felt expanded in a few spots that didn’t need it.
The chase scene felt trendy and unnecessary.
I wasn’t a fan of the daughter’s narration. I’m sure the performer is great for adult roles, but she didn’t sound like a kid to me.

The Narration:

The full-cast narration is amazing and an absolute must-listen. Even though one voice didn’t work for me, the rest easily made up for it. I can’t imagine experiencing this story any other way than audio, though an immersive read (listening and reading together) would be fantastic. The fact that I struggled with one voice brought my narration rating from a 5+++ star to just 5.

The Down & Dirty:

I loved Merry Little Kissmas by Lauren Blakely, and I’m sure it’ll end up on my holiday favorites list alongside My Favorite Holidate. Still, it’s not quite at the top of my list of all-time Blakely favorites. Her books are usually tight, fast-paced, and perfectly structured, and this one felt a little long-winded at nearly double the length of her usual stories.

That said, I adored the story, the characters, and especially the narration—which bumped it up another half-star to 4.5. The full-cast production brought the whole thing to life in the best way. Even when it’s not my favorite Lauren Blakely book, it’s still a favorite overall. That’s how much I love her audiobooks.