Merrily You

by Chelsea M. Cameron

If there’s one thing I can count on, it’s my family to be all in my business. No matter how many times I explain boundaries and privacy, they’re just not getting the memo, especially when it comes to my relationships. For years they’ve been asking me why I don’t date my best friend and roommate, Daniella. No matter how many times I say the words “we’re friends,” they’re not getting it.

I love my family. I really do. But they will NOT leave me alone about being single. Every time I show up, they’re throwing someone new at me or making pointed comments about Holiday that aren’t subtle at all. Since murder isn’t an option, I’m going to need another idea.

With my family Christmas celebration coming up, I honestly think about cancelling, but then I have a better idea. Since everyone already believes that I’m secretly in love with Danny, why not just go with it? We’ve known each other for so long, this will be easy to pull off.

Leave it to Holiday to come up with an absolutely wild, but completely brilliant, plan to get our families off our backs. The two of us are so comfortable that pretending to date shouldn’t be that different than being besties. And then…it is. Very, very different.

Genres: Friends To Lovers, Romance, Adult, Fake Dating, Christmas, LGBT, Lesbian Romance

100 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 10, 2024

About the author

Chelsea M. Cameron is a New York Times/USA Today/Internationally Best Selling author from Maine who now lives and works in Boston. She's a red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, former cheerleader, and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, eating brunch in bed, tweeting, and playing fetch with her cat, Sassenach. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.

Reviews

[LEAH · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ★ PUSSY WITCH to describe someone who just ate you out?! Lmaoooo. Nothing could’ve prepared me for that?! The vocabulary choice is wild!! I will be referring to all my future lovers as such from now on 🤣 Cracked me up honestly.

Moving swiftly on, the characters felt real and the chemistry alike. I loved everything about it! I just wish it was longer - can’t wait to continue reading the rest of the series. The running theme here is the writing is done well.☝️🤓

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever read Chelsea M. Cameron's books before, but I'm definitely going to change that!

This was such a cute holiday romance with hilarious banter. I absolutely loved both Holiday and Danny!

[lauraღ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was as if she’d revealed another facet of herself that I hadn’t seen before. How was that possible? I’d seen her in every way. I’d seen her face more than my own. How did it look so different now?

3 stars. Maybe like 2.75? This series of low-angst sapphic romance has been one of my favourite discoveries of the year; they're always such a good, sweet, simple time. And I thought maybe a novella in this series would hit better than novellas usually do for me, but... no. This was a cute friends to lovers Christmas romance, but it was just too short for me to really get much out of it. Not enough Christmas stuff, not enough of the connection between Holiday and Danny, not enough romance... I liked the foundation well enough, but this flew by so fast I almost have no opinion on it.

Danny and Holiday are best friends and roommates, and have been for a while. Both their families think they would be perfect together, and also question them about their relationship. So this Christmas, they decide to... fake date... so their families will get off their backs about it? No, it doesn't really make sense to me. But I don't mind if my Christmas romance has a very thin premise. I just need it to be good. And this was unfortunately just okay. It was short, even for a novella, and didn't really leave much room for their developing feelings. I love and opposites attract dynamic, especially in friends to lovers, but this just didn't convince me that these women are particularly well-suited for one another. It was cute and hot, but otherwise... eh. 

(I know for a fact I had other issues with this, but it's been a few weeks, and I unfortunately didn't take many notes for this one. So I'm left with the feeling that I've forgotten to say something important. Oh, well.)

Listened to the audiobook as read by Lori Prince and Bailey Carr, which was fun. I do like when Prince plays a bubbly character (though I did find a few phrases to be a little over-exaggerated). All in all, it was fine, but it doesn't really hold a candle to the rest of the series.

[Robin Clairvaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and sigh-inducing holiday romance

When best friends Danny and Holiday pretend to be girlfriends at Christmas so their families will finally stop shipping them, their charade feels a lot more real than it should.

Merrily You is a cute, happy sigh and giggle-inducing holiday romance with two clueless sapphics cheered on by quirky but loving families. Danny and Holiday’s relationship is sweet and soft, but it’s a lot of fun watching it turn spicy. The Christmas festivities throughout the book enhance the bright and energetic chemistry between the main characters, making this story the perfect holiday escape.

[Chiara · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ Una veloce lettura di un’oretta molto cozy ma per me troppo corta perché si sviluppino sentimenti così profondi in 90 pagine.

[Chelles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merrily You

Such a cute, short, friends-to-lovers, holiday romance. Danny and Holiday have been best friends forever - inseperable since they were kids. With pressure from their families to settle down, they decide to fake date each other to get everyone off their backs. Of course, after a kiss, everything just clicks 🫰🏻💥❤️‍🔥. Happy Holidays to them!

[The_Book_Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cozy friends to lovers romance, with some fake dating for the holidays and then the "oh wait this feels right...." revelation.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and hot fake-dating/friends to lovers novella - read it in basically one sitting while getting a pedicure! Definitely going to check out more by this author!

[Doug Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merrily You is a wonderful Christmas tale with long time best friends Holiday and Danny finally making the leap to lovers. The story arc includes lots of snow, eggnog, and a nod to Jane Austen. The secondary cast creates an extremely supportive environment for the main characters. This is an enjoyable, if all-too quick, read, ending with dueling proposals and the expected happily ever after.

[EvaLovesRomance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this Holiday book! These two best friends Danny and Holiday grew up together and even shared an apartment during and after college yet never realized that they loved each other even though their families knew. Faking it until they realized it was very cute and entertaining. I recommend thus book and I'm about to read another one from thus author to see if I follow her. ENJOY!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends to Lovers

4.5⭐️ Super quick and sweet friends to lovers sapphic romance holiday read! Two best friends since the third grade, current roommates, decide to fake a relationship to get their respective families off their backs during the holidays. They may have gotten in over their heads. Or…are they finally getting it right?

[Jeff Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book, but felt rushed

I have read and enjoyed every book in this series including this one. But it seemed not up to the standards of the others. The going from first kiss to sex so fast seemed rushed. Would have enjoyed more build up. Just my opinion. Keep up the great work!!

[J.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two friends, one day at school long ago, who knew!

Dani and Holiday living together as friends, mothers hounding each to find someone, anyone, and maybe grandchildren, however you got them, maybe! Each secretly each loving each other until a fake engagement, or was it? Enjoy!

[Jasmine Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The storyline was captivating, and the overall reading experience was truly enjoyable. Will be looking at more reads by C. Cameron

[Minna Perälä · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Quick and light read. Sweet holiday novella. Maybe extra 50 pages would have made the story a bit more complete to fill some gaps and give the main characters a bit more time to figure their feelings out but it also works as a 99-page holiday romance.

[Karen Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Loved it… you can’t beat a fake relationship turns real and friends to lovers all rolled into one. Looking forward to my next Chelsea M. Cameron adventure! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and thanks for a great read.

[lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

always worth it!

Chelsea Cameron‘s stories are always so much fun! I loved the two main characters. Both so different, yet always kind, considerate and honest, which is the basis of true romance!

[Stacy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it

Short and sweet. Love this author and all her books. I didn’t know this book was coming out but glad it showed up on my messages to read.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute

Cute little Christmas story. Best friends to forever with a little not so fake relationship thrown in. Enjoyable quick read.

[K N · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a great love story !!!

[Margarita Cherena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends turned to lovers. A cute story, placed at Christmas.

[Suzi Tru · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely Christmas snack. Perfect for ending the day with at Christmas. Chelsea's stories are predictable in the best possible way and this short is no exception.

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and cute

[Caffeinated.Booktrovert.Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect novella for the holiday season! I love this series

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was honestly so cute and fun and just a perfect holiday rom com. Great if you need a short, sweet, and spicy holiday romance read.

[Kim Tunney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merrily you

School friends, flat mates and finally accepting the love they scared as friends was becoming real and passionate building towards their happy ending loved this book 🌹🌈