“Sorry, honey. I forgot you were coming home for Christmas.” Anna Carmichael’s life is falling apart faster than an apple crumble pie. With no money and only a defunct cookie business to her name, Anna’s forced to swallow her pride and move back home to live with her mother. But right before takeoff, she finds out that her mother is jetting off to Europe, and to make matters worse, Anna’s plane is grounded in Colorado due to a snowstorm. Thankfully, Christmas is saved when an eccentric grandmother offers Anna refuge in a place called Merrily—a small town that runs on peace, goodwill and lots of chocolate. Everything would’ve been perfect, if it weren’t for her new friend’s grandson, Matt Bergman. The grumpy former Marine has no problem letting her know she’s a distraction he doesn’t need for the holidays. In addition, he has a bad habit of asking too many questions, mainly about why her family ditched her for Christmas—which they didn’t. They wouldn’t… But there are secrets surrounding Matt too, a pain from his past which he hides from the world that runs as deep as hers. Will the miracle of the season help them heal from their past wounds? It might just take a Merrily Christmas and a whole lot of love and courage to help put the pieces of her life back together. Christmas on Merrily Street is a clean, small town romance featuring heart-warming moments with strong messages of family, new beginnings and delicious chocolate surprises. This book can be read as a standalone, but the events in this book take place after the conclusion of You Swept In , which is Book Two in the Callaghan Legacy series.
This story is an emotionally heavy-hitter. For the second time in the last week, I walked into a Christmas book expecting lightness & holiday cheer… and walked away with all that plus a free therapy session. 😭
My heart absolutely broke for Anna and the dismissal/abandonment she faced from her mother. It broke for Matt, too—the grumpy, broken & trying to mend ex-Marine turned writer who lost so many of his friends in a raid gone wrong.
The small town Christmas feels are magnetic! And I always have a soft spot for found family! You can’t help falling in love with this bunch, particularly an affectionate, amazing, meddlesomely energetic Nana. 🥰
It is pretty insta-attraction, and as a novella, the romance happens quickly. But, honestly, I didn’t hate it because Matt & Anna are just so cute. If I’m being nit-picky, there’s a little bit more kissing than I prefer.
Yet it’s more than a cute Christmas romance. It’s a story about broken people, abandonment, loss, starting over, finding your people, and more! This story & these characters were everything my heart needed! 😭💛
I read this in one day hehe It was a super cute romcom Christmas story! No spice at all but it wasn’t bland because of that. It’s setting by a smaller author so the writing wasn’t amazing but it was really cute and j enjoyed it!
This book had no business being this flipping adorable!! I can’t nail down exactly what I love about it but literally every part was just so so sweet!! This might be at the top of my favorite books I’ve read!
Louise Grey, please get your work properly reviewed before publishing. Chapter 16 was painful.
3/10, rounded up to 2 stars mostly because this book was free (on Sep. 2023).
I like a good holiday romance as much as the next girlie. And did you see the cover of this book? So cute.
Quoting Harry Styles, the vibes here are immaculate. Snowed in, a small town with Christmas markets, chocolates and cookies everywhere, the love interest has a dog and the cutest grandma? Sign me up.
But that's about where the positives end, sadly. The writing was bland, the plot was meh, I had to keep pushing myself to finish this book. On top of that, for me, the romance wasn't believable. So when the relationship started moving fast it gave me the creeps.
Some passages were so cliché I thought I had mistaken this romance for satire, e.g. "[He] scooped [Her] up in his arms. She was as light as a rose and smelled just as sweet. (...) His fingers tightened around her delicate frame. (...) She might look like a fragile blossom on the outside, but her spirit was forged from titanium".
Yikes.
I'll end with my favorite quote: “If you can find one or two people in your life who believe in you, and can lend a helping hand from time to time, you'd be surprised at how much you can accomplish.”
“Just because you failed at something, doesn’t mean you can’t start again.”
The vibes: - Small town - Grumpy/sunshine - Found family
Well that was so cute. It literally felt like a hallmark movie. The plot moves very quick- and sure, one could say falling in love in a matter of days is too quick, but this was just cute. I really enjoyed it. It was the perfect Christmas in July read for me. It was cozy, short, and sweet. It had Christmas trees and baking and chocolate. If you’re looking for a happy, sweet, Christmas book- check this one out.
This was so heartfelt and I read through it so fast! Completely caught into Merrily Street with Marit who lives there and sits next to Anna on a plane who’s family did not let her know they would be away for Christmas. I love how welcome Anna is in their house and the fun and quirky town that knows everything about everyone. And then there’s Matt of course, a grumpy handsome ex marine turned writer with his adorable dog. Anna helps out at the Christas Market and how can that go wrong? I thoroughly enjoyed the kind people, the love, the enthusiasm, and even the heartache that they have felt about their lives that brings them closer together. The perfect novella to end this year!
Christmas on Merrily Street is one of those Christmas books you can't help but love. The small Christmas town vibes invite you in and make you feel right at home. But it's more than just the place, it's the people there. Merrily has some of the best characters there are. I fell in love with each and every one of them. I was emotionally invested in their individual stories. While this book focuses on Matt and Anna, we get hints of romances to come in other books. I personally can't wait. I've been rooting for Brett from the moment I met him in the story.
All of the characters had their own personalities, and they shined throughout the story. It had great sibling relationships, their love for each other was evident in the way they interacted with each other, and that includes their banter! I loved the way they accepted Anna into their family, especially since Anna had so many struggles with her own. I really felt for Anna, she had so much emotional baggage she was carrying, and it really had an impact on how she lived her life. She had to work through all of that to get to her HEA.
The emotions throughout the story really cut deep. Serious topics weren't shied away from. Grief, childhood trauma, survivor's guilt, all were mentioned, but they didn't overtake the story. They easily could have, but there was a balance that was needed to keep things from becoming depressing. The author has a way with bringing those emotions into the story to create layers, and bring meaning behind certain things that otherwise would be completely normal.
Christmas is such a great setting for this book because of the topics it tackles. It's real. Christmas time all of those things we have dealt with, or even ignored, throughout the year tend to creep up because everyone is feeling the stress of the season around us. I personally love Christmas time. There is something to healing about the atmosphere. There are currents of emotion throughout the season that makes everything seem so different. It is a bright and beautiful time, even if the weight of grief is heavy on your shoulders. Christmas is a time that allows you to remember good times and happy moments with those you love that may no longer be around. It truly saddens me when people don't have those experiences to look back on, but I believe that one year they truly will experience something beautiful about the season.
Christmas on Merrily Street manages to capture those feelings so well. When I think back on how I felt reading the last few chapters of the book, I feel this hope infused joy. Not everything was set right, we still have characters I'm waiting to see get their HEA, but there is hope for them. Anna and Matt, though, they got their HEA. I am happy where their story ended because I know we will still get to hear about them in the next book. I'm really looking forward to it.
I'm really picky when it comes to Christmas books because I love everything about the season so much. The baking, decorating, the feelings, everything. The book had a good balance. I enjoyed the town so much that I actually would have loved to see it more. Given the story and the timeframe everything takes place in, it makes sense that the town wasn't used more. I hope that will be a little different in the next book, but we will see. I specifically like that this is a Christmas book, not just a book set at Christmas. You can't just change the setting and have it make sense, it has to be set at Christmas. That is one thing I appreciate about it, it is done right.
We did get to see some of the characters from The Callaghan series, which was a nice little surprise. I got more excited about that than I probably should have. Having those Easter eggs in the book are nice, so I do recommend checking out those books, but it isn't necessary to have read them before reading this one.
I definitely think this book is perfect for Christmas in July. Even reading it in the middle of the summer, it put me in the Christmas Spirit. It is one I will definitely read again whenever I am in the mood for something Christmassy.
This book swept in and pulled me along on a whirlwind story of Christmas and romance. It was an easy 5 star till the endish. Then it just got to wrap it up and make nice for me.
Anna is down on her luck after her restaurant fails, so she tries to fly home to lick her wounds at Christmas time. On her flight is Marik, a wonderful elderly lady who helps Anna. While Anna is flying home, her mother flew to Europe with her new husband for his daughter's engagement party. She won't even be there. And Anna makes it obvious through at least half of the book that her family barely considers her.
Then Anna's flight gets canceled, and Marik asks her to come home with her. Which introduces grumpy Matt ( the grandson) into the story. He is a former Raider with a former Raider dog in Sansa. He thinks Anna is taking advantage of something that disappeared pretty quickly after they got back to the house.
It happens pretty quickly that their stories and chemistry pull them together. From the snow clean up for the Christmas market to sitting together as he worked on writing his book, they were just drawn together. I loved it so much.
Obviously, because it all happens so quickly that when the airlines start flying again, Anna feels like she should go. How could a week make a romance? Oh, but it did. So she flies back to where her family home is. Obviously, it works out in the end, but I greatly dislike stories that show us how a character is and then ask us to forgive that character.
There are a lot of other stories brought up in this one. The story of Matt 's friend from the service who lost basically everything, his sister Kari and his friend Brett. I have to hope that the author plans to write a whole series around Marik's little town.
"Sorry honey, I forgot you were coming home for Christmas..."
One Line Review: When Anna's life falls into shambles, she moves home for Christmas and for good, to start anew. Or so she thinks...
Synopsis: Anna has accepted the fact that her cookie company is gone, and that she has to move home and start it all over again. At the airport, she devastatingly learns that no one will be there when she lands, because her family is in a different country. They had forgotten that she was coming home for the holidays! A chance encounter with the lovely woman sitting next to her leads Anna on an adventure to Merrily, where she fall head over heels for a grumpy man who may hold the key to changing her life, her luck, and her lovelife.
My Thoughts: 4 stars. This was a sweet holiday read, exactly what I was looking for (no spice)
I I usually stick to reading historical fiction but I dabble in contemporary fiction from time to time. I picked up this book from a book giveaway. I started reading at the following day and when I say I didn’t want to put it down. I even stay up till two in the morning to finish it. this is my first introduction to Louise W Grey but I hope to read more of her works. The story was very interesting and I love the way she describes their emotions in the struggles that they face. I also really enjoyed the romantic interactions and I love the that she created in the story. Overall a really good book and I can’t wait to see what else she has to offer.
Both the h & H are working through challenges of the past. The h had a difficult childhood with divorce, her dad's death & feeling unwanted & forgotten by her mother. The H was a marine who is dealing with the multiple losses of brothers in arms & the guilt of being away when he returned home to care for family. Both are vulnerable & yet with time reach out to each other & learn to grow & trust in ways that are difficult. So many of our soldiers have similar experiences in the field & upon returning home. They need our support & encouragement. It is worth your time to read.
I'm torn, because I want to help authors who write clean romances to succeed. But there were many places where the story fell flat for me, and a few others where the text editor missed a few things (like misspelling the author's name). I feel as if Anna had been slammed with a few too many bad things in a row--why can't the girl just catch a break?! Her mom was just terrible. I'm glad Marit was there to step in and be loving toward Anna.
OK, enough ranting. I wish the author success in her future endeavors, and I do have to say the town is typical small-town, both from my own experience as well as all the lovable Christmas rom-coms out there in print and on TV.
Anna is on her way home for Christmas when she gets some unexpected news and then ends up stranded in a small Colorado town. That’s how this cute, sweet Christmas romance starts.
I enjoyed this one. The characters were great, especially Marit, the elderly woman who helps Anna when she’s stranded. Also, I’m a huge sucker for anything with a dog, especially one that is a retired military or police dog!
If you’re looking for a clean small town romance with a lot of heart, this one would be a good option
She’s a neglected daughter from a first marriage. He’s an emotionally scarred ex-Marine. When her flight home gets snowed in, and a kind fellow passenger invites her to stay until the snow clears up, she accepts. The fact that the fellow passenger’s grandson is tall, broody, and handsome is just icing on the cake.
This was pretty cliche, and had one or two strange typos, but it’s a solid three stars. No profanity, nothing steamier than a kiss or two and some longing glances.
For anyone who’s ever felt alone or missing a place to belong this is perfect! Matt and Anna while very different had past hurts that really bring them together! This story spoke to me! I have felt to some degree what Anna feels and it was such a sweet story. Loved this! The chocolate making grandma added the perfect sprinkle of fun the story needed!
This book was everything the description said it would be, but also similar to a movie that makes you want to be apart of its traditions and meet the people. There were some grammar issues that were a little distracting, but overall I did like reading about Anna's journey to Merrily and happiness.
I'm simply a sucker for sweet romance books that make me feel all giggly and warm inside 💛 specially if they're set on Christmas! Though the logic of never talking or seeing each other again when one of them leaves, is pretty dumb. I mean... you can text and call and them leaving doesn't mean that the whole thing is over... Actual rating: 4.3 ⭐️
Anna was basically forgotten at Christmas time by her family. Even if her connecting flight wasn't cancelled due to the weather, she was going to have to spend the holiday alone. Marit, her seat mate on the flight, refuses to leave her alone at the airport. She is embraced with the warmth of Christmas with her new friend's family and her grumpy grandson. It was a lovely story and brings hope.
A nicely crafted story, with engaging characters and a sweet and clean romance. The setting of Merrily is fun and I was disappointed that there are not more in this series. Well worth your time to read.
This book was very well written and the characters were very well done. I also liked it being a former military member myself and knowing what they went through. Thanks for the great read!
4 stars for Marrit and Sansa ❤️ In my opinion this books should be longer, I am not a fan of insta love and I think to many thing were solved to easily. But I enjoyed Merrily very much and it gave me Christmas vibes.
This was another short and very sweet novella. I loved the town setting and the family in the background. If you need a Hallmark vibe in a book, this one would definitely be for you! Quite predictable and cheesy but also heartwarming and adorable.