ShayI just got dumped…left at the altar! But instead of licking my wounds in the darkness of my apartment, I take the errant advice of my best friend and go on the honeymoon by myself. I mean, who does that? Apparently, me. I do that, even as the universe repeatedly shows me it is a bad idea.
Things only get worse when the rental property I’m staying at floods in the middle of the night. What am I supposed to do? It’s Christmas Eve. There is no place else to stay, except at the very handsome landlord's place next door. Surely that won’t be a problem. It's only for a week. It doesn’t matter that he’s handsome, sweet, and everything my ex isn’t, I don’t need—no, I don’t want—a rebound guy.
EvanMy old college roommate and his new wife just arrived to stay in my rental property for their honeymoon. Except, my friend isn’t with her. It seems he decided not to show up for the wedding. And he says it’s because of my advice. Crap! Now I have this teary-eyed woman staying in my rental. And from what I’ve heard about her, she may not be completely stable. I should have gone back to New Hampshire for Christmas with my family.
Now, because of a broken pipe, she’s staying in my guest room. I may have neglected to mention that her ex and I are friends. But that shouldn’t matter, right? She’ll only be here until New Year’s and then it will be back to business as usual. I don’t want to be that guy. The one who gets his friend’s cast-off. Even if I think he was crazy for letting her go. Now if only I can keep my growing attraction and lips to myself for one measly week.
*Part of the Gift-Wrapped Romance series, Merry Kismet is a jilted bride and ex's best friend, sweet and clean romantic comedy. Enjoy all five romances in any Crush by Kasey StocktonMerry Kismet by Anneka WalkerSolo for the Season by Martha KeyesOne Small Secret,/i> by Esther HatchJingle Bell Jilt by Mindy Burbidge Strunk
Okay, okay...this is the book that needs to be made into a Hallmark.
It was fun, flirty and just downright adorable!
'Why do I feel like this is a major turning point in my life?'
Left at the altar, on her honeymoon-solo, an attractive rental home "manager". What could go wrong? Also, what could go right? ;)
I laughed out loud so many times in this one that you need to read it just for how awesome it will make you feel emotionally. Read it for the Christmas vibes in a warm climate. Read it for the mistletoe kisses. Read it for all of the happy things!
This is my first book from Mindy and if they are all like this I have some happy backlist reading ahead of me!!
Thanks to the author for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content: mild language, laugh out loud entertainment, left at the altar, death of a loved one, kisses only.
There's nothing better than the magic of mistletoe kisses.
Shay was jilted right before her wedding and went on the honeymoon to Florida alone. A shaky and disastrous first meet with Evan was the last thing she needed. The Universe is winning! But alas...a little forced proximity, a couple of ugly Christmas sweaters, a slew of holiday traditions and a dash of self-introspection dishes up a delightful romp through the pages.
I loved each of their personalities and how first impressions were cast aside. It was so much fun to watch Shay and Evan navigate new expectations and focus on making new memories, as they each had a bit of trauma to work through.
Instant love isn't always believable, but this one definitely is! I'm all about grand gestures and the last few chapters melted my heart faster than a dozen ice cream containers left in the refrigerator.
If you love Mrs. Claus magic, think Die Hard is a Christmas movie, and enjoy ALL the magical things (and places) of Florida, this story is sure to charm the synthetic threads right off the sweater.
Content: mild romance
*I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were voluntarily given.*
I read a quarter of this but I’m just confused. Why did this guy think that he would be spending Christmas with his college friend and his new wife ON THEIR HONEYMOON? Why would he think they would want a third wheel?
Likewise, why would she assume he wants to hang out with her during Christmas holiday? She is taking control of the situation, enthusiastically suggesting they go holiday decoration shopping, and it’s just weird. She’s taking a LOT for granted, that he would want to hang out with a complete stranger. She should let him take the lead when she is in his domain like this, squatting at his apartment.
This is just too contrived.
And she’s an over the top germaphobe and talking to the “universe” in front of strangers.
This is trying way too hard to be “quirky” but it just feels cheesy.
This book is so much fun!!! If you're looking for a delightful Christmas read full of spunky characters, humor, crazy situations, a jilted bride, hurt, healing, friendship and all around swooniness...grab a copy!
Yes, it's a Christmas story but you could totally enjoy this one any time of the year!
I loved the Christmas sweaters, the competition to decorate on a very small budget. All the treats and snacks and goodies for drowning your sorrows in (seriously this part was so funny)! The water leak. The setting. The mix-up. And sooo much more! I laughed and laughed. I just loved these two together.
That was so cute! I loved the Florida setting. Most Christmas books are set in a snowy climate so that made this one a bit different. And they went to Disney and Universal! I loved all the Disney elements. I wish there were more of them! They also went to the beach and thought it was cold — at 72 degrees! That made northerner me chuckle. It was a bit instalovey, but all the festive moments between the two of them made up for it. I loved their ugly sweater competition and decorating competition. Overall a winner!!!
Kisses only. Cute book. I liked that the MCs got to know each other. I think had this happened a few months after Shay had been jilted at the alter or if she was the one to do the jilting I would have liked it more. The fact that she goes from her wedding day to two days later being in like with someone else wasn’t my favorite.
this entire book was so contrived. there were a few cute moments, but most of the book was so cringey and i just was not a fan. also i know it’s a book, but completely moving on to another guy just 2 days after being left at the altar is so unrealistic?? i can’t
This was a cute story with all the Christmas feels you can get being in Florida!
I really enjoyed Shay & Evan’s story. And while it was instalove (I actually enjoy this trope regardless of how unrealistic it is) I think it really fit their characters.
I loved all of the holiday traditions and just how go with the flow they both felt. It was an easy relationship and a sweet read. Their competitions were a lot of fun! They were both incredibly sweet, adorable, homey characters!
Overall it was super cute! I really enjoyed it. 4/5 stars
The Skinny: Shay was left at the altar and decides to go on her honeymoon alone. She finds a flooded rental property and a cute manager.
The Fat: Some books hit at just the right time and this audio checked all the boxes. ✅Walt Disney World ✅Christmas fun ✅romantic ✅just a bit of Christmas magic ✅Evan and Shay
Rhyme: Shay thought her life was going to be way different and assumed a guy would be involved on her honeymoon. Evan has got to stay away for so many reasons, but what’s a guy to do when he wants to hand her the moon?
This was such a fun book! I love the relationship that Shay and Evan build during her time in Florida. I love how they are able to GRT to know each other in such a short amount of time.
It’s been a while since I read a book by this author, and I was reminded how much I enjoy her books. I need to see if I’ve read all of them.
This Christmas story was so fun the entire time. I enjoyed the character’s banter. The friendships that felt genuine. The funny scenes and witty dialogue that had me smiling the whole time. It was a warm setting for a Christmas novel, completely not the traditional setting, but she made me love it regardless.
If you like the Hallmark happy Christmas feel, without the bad acting, this one is for you.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Christmas romcom Content: kisses, loss of a parent to cancer (past)
This was my first book by the author and I thought it was super cute! It was definitely instalove right on the heels of being abandoned at the altar so that seems...questionable in real life, but hey, it's fiction, yeah? I loved the way that Evan went along with Shay's silly ideas and how it was clear that he genuinely enjoyed spending time with her.
My only pet peeve was the use of "oh my heck" so many times in the book. That was very *Utah* 😂 I was absolutely cracking up about Shay's real name being Maryeshayne and how she completely made fun of that very Utah thing to do. (I'm not in Utah now but I did go to college and worked there for a total of like 6-7 years so I appreciate this because, yes, Utah names be craaaazy.)
Jingle Bell Jilt by Mindy Burbidge Strunk Gift-Wrapped Romance multi-author series 6h 8m narrated by Alexa Borys and E. M. Wylde, 224 pages
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Holiday > Christmas
Featuring: Jilted Bride Trope, Solo Honeymoon, Airport, Orlando, Florida; Disney World, Universal Florida, Forbidden Love Trope, Author, Movies, Jane Austen, Harry Potter, Instalove, Games
Rating as a movie: PG
Songs for the soundtrack: "All By Myself" by Celine Dion, "Independent Women Part I" by Destiny's Child, "Blue Christmas" by Elvis Presley, "Mama, I'm Coming Home" by Ozzy Osbourne, "Begin Again" by Taylor Swift
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🎢🎄
My thoughts: Major plot holes, but I chose to ignore them because of Disney, now that I'm done, it was a bit out there. Anytime a character jumps from an almost marriage to a new relationship, it's a bit weird, but it's a trope, so I gave it a pass. The odd part was the new guy being friends with your ex. The crazy part is the friend skipped Christmas with his family so he could be next door during his friend's honeymoon and spend Christmas with them, and he thinks she's the crazy one. He also announces to the abandoned bride that he lives next door. In other books I've read, you never let tenants know you live next door; they will bug you. I think her name was spelled Maryeshayne, so let me know if you had the print. Anyway, the park time was basic so it wasn't very enjoyable. The background story was out there, and I kind of thought Shay was bossy and overbearing. I have never been so happy to see a third-act breakup in my life; it actually made sense and everything, but the fourth act was so unrealistic that it lost most of its credibility with me. I had to remind myself that this is fictional fluff. The plan Evan had at the end was just as ridiculous as his plan to spend Christmas with his college roommate and his new wife on their honeymoon. I considered the 2-star zone because the storyline was so icky. Neither one of the MCs respects boundaries.
Recommend to others: Maybe. You'll either love it, tolerate it, or hate it.
Gift-Wrapped Romance Cabin Crush (2023) Kasey Stockton Solo for the Season (2023) Martha Keyes Merry Kismet (2023) Anneka R Walker One Small Secret (2023) Esther Hatch Jingle Bell Jilt (2023) Mindy Burbidge Strunk
Shay was left at the altar and is now going on her "honeymoon" trip to Florida by herself. At Christmas. She gets to her rental house and meets Evan. Evan is her ex-fiancé's friend, but she doesn't know that. Evan own's the rental and is in the house next door. When some unexpected flooding happens in Shay's rental, she has nowhere to go, so Evan invites her to stay in his guestroom. They decided to do all sorts of Christmas traditions together, and as they get to know each other, they start to have more romantic feelings.
This is a fun Christmas Rom Com. Very cute. I loved how quickly Shay and Evan became friends. Evan was so sweet to help Shay celebrate her Christmas traditions. I loved the Christmas decorations contest between the two of them. There may be a mistletoe kiss or two. I loved how they just seemed to fit together perfectly. I also liked how they helped each other to have fun. Overall, a great read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Content: just kisses, sharing a house (nothing sexual happens), some ogling of each other.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Oh my heck! I have loved the Gift-Wrapped Romance series so much! This is my first book by Mindy Burbidge Strunk and now I’m off to find what else she has written!!
I felt so bad to Shay being left at the altar, but was so happy that coincidence brought her to Evan! He was such a sweetheart and I loved how quickly they clicked and how he helped Shay get over Nathan as he gave her a place to stay, participated in her games, spent time with her, and really showed her what true love should be like! ❤️
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice: no spice, but the series does state it is a ‘clean holiday romance’ series
If you are looking for a cutesy holiday romance, well written and hallmark-cringy at times, look no further! This was a perfectly sweet holiday read and I truly enjoyed every moment of it! I will probably read at least one more of the books in this Christmas series.
The ending was a little extra cringy, but in a hallmark-movie kind of way, which is always welcome during Christmas time!
It was festive- albeit warm climate haha. Definitely different to what I typically make sure to read in the winter season. I liked the chapters that had them in Disney and Universal, that was fun. I liked the different games and traditions they did together. The only thing I didn’t like was the situation. Fit fine for your typical cheesy hallmark romance, but definitely seems far fetched. Or maybe just not my thing? Overall though, fun. The narrators did a great job too so that’s a plus.
What an adorable Christmas romance! I’m not usually a big fan of Insta-love, but Mindy convinced me with Shay and Evan!
Shay was left at the altar on her wedding day and needing to get away, decided to go on her honeymoon by herself. Her rental is next door to the handsome owner, who is friends with the ex-groom, unbeknownst to her. When a major water leak occurs, Evan offers to let her stay in his extra room. And this is where it gets good folks!
I loved these two so much! Shay was bubbly and spunky! I loved how she involved Evan in her Christmas traditions and showed him the joy of Christmas again. Evan was reluctant at first, but it didn’t take long for him to want to do anything to make Shay happy. He was such a softy! This book was filled with so many moments that made me laugh, but also sweet, tender scenes that melted my heart.
Make sure you add this sweet, clean Christmas romance to your must-read list!! I guarantee you will love it just as much as I did!
Things I Loved: ❤️Decorating competition ❤️Mistletoe ❤️Disney scenes ❤️Utahn ❤️Christmas sweaters ❤️The FaceTime call
I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I think this was the best book by this author that I've read in a while, so bravo to her. It had a couple good laugh out loud moments. I enjoyed the tropes- forced proximity, insta-love, Christmas, ex's best friend. I really enjoyed reading it.
I enjoyed this cute book! The way the story progressed made me not want to put it down. Perfect cutie romance for around the Holidays. Would definitely recommend! A little cheesy on some parts but who don’t love a little cheese.
Felt kinda of like a weird subliminal infomercial for Utah cultural. I'm from Utah and all the Utah slang made me cringe. Seemed like the minky blanket was product placement.
Also, why was this man thinking he'd hang out with his college friend and his new wife while they were on their honeymoon? And, very Utah of him to fall in love with a girl after 2 days of knowing her.
This was so fun! Shay and Evan were hilarious and I loved their banter. The sweaters and Christmas memories were so endearing. Loved the mistletoe kisses too 😍
💋Sweet kisses ⚠️Evan's mom died two years before. Shay's ex-fiance is an ex for a reason