A Grump in Moose Falls

Moose Falls #2

by Emily Silver

Wanted: one fake boyfriend for the holiday season.

There are few things I need more in life than my work and my friends. Sure, I’m inexperienced in all things love, but who cares? My life is good.

When my coworkers try to set me up, I invent a fake boyfriend to get them off my back. But when the company holiday party comes around, I need a real boyfriend.

Who does a man turn to in his moment of need?

His best friend.

Hunter is the perfect person to help. One night. That’s it. We can pretend to date for a few hours. But when Hunter needs me to return the favor, it all starts to come too easily.

Kissing. Holding hands. Feelings. I want to experience everything with Hunter.

Can we keep this going after the holidays?

Maybe it’s time to make this whole fake relationship real…

Genres: Friends To Lovers, M M Romance, Holiday, Christmas, Romance, Fake Dating, Contemporary Romance

148 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 7, 2025

About the author

After winning a Young Author’s Award in second grade, Emily Silver was destined to be a writer. She loves writing strong heroines and the swoony men who fall for them.

A lover of all things romance, Emily started writing books set in her favorite places around the world. As an avid traveler, she’s been to all seven continents and sailed around the globe.

When she’s not writing, Emily can be found sipping cocktails on her porch, reading all the romance she can get her hands on and planning her next big adventure!

Find her on social media to stay up to date on all her adventures and upcoming releases!

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Grump in Moose Falls is the second novella in the Moose Falls series by Emily Silver. You can easily read this if you haven’t read the first one. This is a short, sweet, steamy, friends to lovers, MM holiday novella.



Ollie is happy with his life. He loves his job and has a close knit friends group. He has never been in a relationship and has no experience with bedroom matters but he’s still happy. Except that his co-workers keep trying to fix him up. So he tells them he has a boyfriend. When it’s time for the holiday party, they insist it’s time to meet his make believe boyfriend so his best friend, Hunter, volunteers for the job.

“One night as fake boyfriends won’t change anything.”

Hunter Wells owns the Naughty Pine Tree Farm. Hunter was hurt previously by an ex so he has sworn off relationships. But, when his best friend needs a one night fake boyfriend, he doesn’t want anyone else volunteering for the job. When it’s his turn and he needs Ollie to be his boyfriend for one day, they decide to be real boyfriends, just until Christmas. Then back to being just friends.



Things are so easy between them, like it was always meant to be that they were together. But both are afraid that something could happen and they would lose a lifetime of friendship. On the other hand, what if their friendship is the perfect basis for a lifetime of love?



This was cute and steamy. Ollie and Hunter were perfect for each other. It’s really short so save it for an afternoon in front of the fire.

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I’m a sucker for best friends falling in love, especially when there’s fake dating involved!

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧:
- small town
- holiday novella
- grumpy x sunshine
- fake dating
- friends to lovers
- virgin MMC

[ren ౨ৎ (rozanov's version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⁀➷ 2.75 ★ ´ˎ˗

i thought i was starting to move past my hatred for dual point of views, but this book reminded me why they often suck (especially in novellas).

[Brooke.reads_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this novella so quickly! I love Ollie and Hunter so freaking much! A lumberjack falling in love with his best friend? What more could you want? I have been waiting for this novella to come out since I finished my boys Charlie and Brooks story! My heart is so happy! I agree with Ollie, I’d like to climb Hunter like a tree too.🤭 I’m obsessed with their “one more day” fake dating plan. We all know how well that works out! Also, this novella made me want soup real bad. If you didn’t read that in Jennifer Coolidges voice, we can’t be friends.😂
I can’t wait for the next novella in the series! Emily set it up so perfectly and hinted to who the next couple will be.

Everyone needs to pick up this sweet, feel good story when it releases on Nov 7th!

4.5 ⭐️

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
Fake Dating
Friends To Lovers
One virgin MMC
Small Town Romance
Holiday Novella

Thank you so much to Emily Silver for the ARC exchange for my honest review🫶🏻

[Madam Ra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing beats a jet2 ho…. Oh it wasn’t that 😄 a really nice Christmas novella.

[Trish- Late Knight Luna Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect holiday novella to kick off all the holiday releases. “A Grump in Moose Falls” is a sweet, heartfelt, and romantic MM holiday novella that was a delightful story to the “Moose Falls” series.

It’s Christmas time in Moose Falls and Ollie is panicking because he needs a date for this work’s holiday party because he may have told them he has a boyfriend. His best friend, Hunter, offers to be his date because they have been friends their whole lives so he knows everything about him. They have always been close but one night of pretending has them questioning if there is more between than just friendship.

Ollie and Hunter have such a sweet relationship and I loved them as a couple even more. Ollie is sweet, a bit shy and has an adorable soup obsession. Hunter is a grumpy lumberjack but loves his mom and is a great friend to Ollie. I loved how he stepped up and made sure that he was for him at the holiday party. They were close as friends and just made so much sense as a couple. The one fake date is all they needed to see how perfect they are for each other. I loved that Ollie was inexperienced and how gentle and patient Hunter was with him. And once they had that moment, the chemistry was undeniable. The drama is low angst and this novella is just such a sweet story. Ollie and Hunter were adorable and I can’t wait for more from Moose Falls.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars.

This was everything I needed right now. A short Christmas story that read so fast and simple. I really enjoyed myself while reading this and finished it in what felt like the blink of an eye. I absolutely recommend this!

[Booklover Judy Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

#FriendsToLovers #FakeRelationship #GrumpyHero #Holiday #Virgin #SmallTown
I am voluntarily leaving this honest review after receiving an advance reader copy of the book. It is written in first person from an alternating dual POV, can be read as a standalone, and ends with a heart-warming HEA.
Ollie is an awkward, nerdy, anxious hero that I absolutely adored. Hunter is more self-assured, a little grumpy, and rocking the lumberjack vibe. When Ollie needs a fake boyfriend for a work holiday party, Hunter steps up for the role. Friends since they were babies, they really know each other. It was a joy to read as they finally see each other as more than their best friend. Spicy times are hot and tender. The support they offer each other is dreamy. This was a fast read that carried all of the warm holiday feelings of love and peace and hope.

[Bookish Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanted—one fake boyfriend for the holiday to fake out his coworkers

She’s done it again. Honestly, visiting Moose Falls brings me such joy, which is exactly what I needed. And Emily delivered the cozy vibes, adorable romance, & general holiday magic with this novella.

We’re Hunter and Ollie. Nothing is going to change that.
Not even one night as boyfriends.
Fake boyfriends. I can’t forget that part.
One night as fake boyfriends won’t change anything.

Our adorably nerdy hero needs to bring a date to the company holiday party & he’s already told them about his boyfriend... that he definitely doesn’t have. Enter his burly bestie to save the day & pretend to be said boyfriend.

“He is so handsome,” Ollie repeats.
“Okay. I think it’s time to head home.” I grab the drink from Ollie and set it on the table. “We don’t need to hear how handsome I am.”
“But you are,” Ollie slurs. “The handsomest boyfriend. To ever handsome.”

Throw in some drunken confessions & tons of soup worship & you have the ingredients for a fun, entertaining story. But then there’s the romance part of it. I mean, it’s a romance, so we all know how this is gonna end, but it’s the journey we love to much.

I’m tempted to kiss the top of his head. To pull him closer and run my fingers through his hair. But that’s not something friends would do.
Boyfriends? Yes.
Friends? No.
The boyfriend clock expired at midnight. I’m back to being Hunter, Ollie’s best friend. A title I wear proudly.

And this journey takes us down the fake dating train with the lovely addition of these guys being best friends. I am always so down for a friends to lovers romance because I love hearing the history shared between our couple. I mean, there’s years of inside jokes & shared experiences that we get to witness as they fall in love with one another. Those moments of looking at your bestie through romantic eyes, like you’re seeing them for the first time? Ugh, swoon! That swoony moment in this story fully lives up to the hype & makes me love them even more.

“Look, I know we’re fake dating right now to get through the holidays. But instead of it being fake, let’s just, I don’t know, be real. Like a real couple.”
“You don’t like relationships,” Ollie points out.
“I like you.”
“Does this have anything to do with that kiss earlier?” he asks.
“I mean, it was pretty⁠—”
“Nice,” he finishes.
“Only nice?” I fire back.
“I enjoyed it and would not be opposed to more.”
Pressing my palm into the side of the barn, I step closer to him. “Is this you agreeing to my plan?”
“Just until Christmas, and then we go back to being friends?”
“We’ll always be friends, Ol. Just friends who kiss now.”
“I don’t think you’re kissing me right now,” he says.
“Would you like me to change that?”
“Yes. I very much would like you to kiss me again.”

For connectivity, this is very clearly in the world of Moose Falls, which is its own thing & doesn’t have any crossover to books in the Emily Silver universe, at least that I could tell. And, aside from appearances by the couple in book 1 (Merry in Moose Falls) & others in their group of friends, there isn’t any mention of details from book 1’s storyline. So if you’re looking for a quick, queer holiday novella, you can totally pick this one up & you won’t be lost. (But, of course, I’d also recommend reading book 1 because it’s got the same holiday cozy vibes we love.)

[Cat Nunez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d been waiting to read Hunter and Ollie’s story since they were mentioned in the previous book, so I really enjoyed reading their novella and seeing how things developed between them.

Ollie and Hunter had known each other forever, but they were very different from one another. Hunter owned a tree farm, and after having a bad experience with his ex, he had sworn off relationships. Ollie was a quiet architect who had never had sex, and when a coworker tried to set him up with someone, he blurted out that he already had a boyfriend to get her off his back. He then panicked when he realized he had to bring his “boyfriend” to the company’s holiday party.

Hunter and Ollie often met up with their group of friends, and when Ollie mentioned he needed a fake boyfriend, Hunter didn’t hesitate to help him. Ollie was unsure at first, but Hunter was happy to be there for him. They had a great time at the party, but Ollie drank a little too much, so Hunter took him home. After spending the night and the next day together, Hunter started to see Ollie differently, and he didn’t know how to deal with those new feelings since they had only ever been friends.

They had only planned to fake date for the party, but after Hunter’s mom found out about his “boyfriend,” she insisted on meeting him. So, they decided to keep pretending for a few more days, not realizing how much things would change between them. Ollie also began to see Hunter in a new way, and their connection grew stronger until Hunter asked him to be real with him—just until Christmas—and enjoy their time together as a couple.

Ollie was inexperienced, but he enjoyed his steamy moments with Hunter from the start, and I loved how their chemistry grew the more time they spent together. It was sweet to see how patient Hunter was and how he made Ollie’s first time special. I also liked how things started to feel real between them, even though they both thought their time together would end after Christmas.

I loved how they finally admitted their feelings for each other and how perfect they were together. The epilogue was nice, and it was great to see them planning their future.

I also love their group of friends, so I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and see more of their friendship.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fake boyfriends and friends-to-lovers? Two of my faves in one book, so I was excited. Ollie is a little socially introverted at work, but not enough that people lay off trying to matchmake. A friendly coworker, Sharon, is one of the ones that wants to see Ollie happy and to her that means getting him a boyfriend. “I could only fend off Sharon and her wanting to set me up with her cousin’s boyfriend’s best friend’s brother so many times before I snapped.” Ollie snapping is gentle, just him telling people he has a boyfriend at home. They’ve never met him, obviously, since he is imaginary, but it’s worked so far. Until the company holiday party rolls around and plus-ones are invited.
He freaks out a bit, calling his friend group (who I loved) for help. Ollie not only doesn’t have a boyfriend, he’s a virgin who doesn’t use dating apps. So finding someone is difficult. But during his friend help session they come to the conclusion that what will work is one of the friends steps up to be the fake boyfriend. Ollie’s long-time bestie, Hunter, steps up as tribute. Just one night, they are best friends, no worries. And the fact that he didn’t want anyone else to do it means nothing. Hunter doesn’t do relationships, so it’s all for his friend. Friend. FRIEND!
Ollie does get adorably drunk at the office party and pays for it the next day, so it’s two days, not just one. Except Hunter’s mom finds out about it, and so now they have to do it one more day. Here I thought it was a little odd. Hunter and Ollie’s moms have been best friends since the boys were born, so the boys themselves have been besties since birth, so when Ollie starts talking about “…I cannot go empty-handed to meet my boyfriend's mother for the first time” I was confused. But to Ollie, meeting her as a boyfriend is totally different than just going there, and mama agreed.
As is the case of friends-to-lovers, there is the fear of losing the friendship, ruining the friend group if something happens, and too many changes meaning they won’t be friends after. I liked seeing how they were trying to navigate things. The one thing I didn’t get was the title, “A Grump in Moose Falls”. No one here was a grump!



Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews

[Amanda Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5⭐️ Spice: 3/5🌶️

What to Expect
🫎 MM Romance
❄️ Fake dating
🫎 Friends to lovers
❄️ Virgin MMC
🫎 Small town
❄️ Holiday Novella

GUYS!! I literally devoured this book!! OMG! The way Emily writes her books just pulls you in, she has the most beautiful way of putting her thoughts onto paper. It does not matter what trope, romance and story she’s writing, she does it amazingly.

Ok now onto the book. Like I said, this book was soo good. It was soo sweet. I instantly fell in love with Ollie and Hunter. They are complete opposites; Hunter is a grumpy, lumberjack while Ollie is a sweet, nerdy, shy guy with a huge soup obsession. Hunter offers to be Ollie’s fake boyfriend for a Christmas party. As they plan this fake boyfriend, they both realize feelings that they never had before. They start a “fling” with “one more day” as their motto. I loved watching Ollie and Hunter realize their feelings and slowly fall more and more in love with each other. Hunter was gentle and patient with Ollie, since he was inexperienced but after experiencing Hunter once, Ollie was feral🥵

Let's get to the good stuff. Their chemistry was absolutely epic. Their bond that they had created over the years as best friends was even sweeter as a couple. The way they looked out for each other. The banter between all the characters was great. The side characters definitely helped bring together the close knit friendship they have.

This book was the perfect holiday novella to get you into the holiday spirit. It is sweet, heartfelt and absolutely addicting. If you enjoy a sweet friends to lovers MM romance with fake dating in a small town this book is for you! Now I have to go back and read Charlie and Brooks’ story.

[Kristina Maysonet · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHH I loved this holiday novella! There is something about a fake dating holiday novella that just fits perfectly and feels so cozy!

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑵𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔: Hunter & Ollie
𝑺𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: Moose Falls

Ollie and Hunter are best friends but when Ollie needs a boyfriend for a holiday party, Hunter steps in for the role. But then it gets more complicated and they have to keep up the lie. The problem is that this is not all fake between them. They have real chemistry and an intense attraction. These two are not going to remain simply friends for very much longer!

I loved their story and it was a perfect balance of story and spice and still making it a really cute holiday romance! And the group chats had me laughing out loud. These boys are hilarious!

[Onceupona.spine · Rating 5 out of 5]

W H A T I T H O U G H T O F . . . 
 
📖 : 𝐀 𝐆𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐁𝐲  
 
"𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭" 
 
𝐎𝐡 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭! 
This was a lovely novella that felt like greeting old friends and getting the warmest of hugs from a loved one! 
 
Ollie & Hunters best friends to lovers, fake boyfriend romance was everything I needed and more.  
It was irresistibly delicious, utterly cute and contained banter that had me chuckling throughout. I love these two for one another. 
My only wish? I wanted it to be longer. I could have stayed with these two for much more than a quick visit. A long weekend or an entire vacations worth. 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
 
****************************

[Pauline (booksofviolette) · Rating 4 out of 5]

| 𝒪𝓁𝓁𝒾𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐻𝓊𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇 |

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕:
🪓 Holiday novella
🪓 MM
🪓 Friends to lovers
🪓 Fake dating
🪓 Virgin MMC

𝑴𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:
A grumpy lumberjack who doesn’t believe in relationships and his shy, soup-lover best friend who happen to be best friends…

I love being back in Moose Falls with our group of friends finding their love. And Ollie and Hunter didn’t have to look very far. They’re best friends who had never looked closely into their feelings until they decide to fake date for Ollie’s office party.

I love fake dating leading to romance and friends to lovers as well so I had a great time with these two and I already can’t wait to go back to Moose Falls!

[Anushka Bagde · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the unbelievable honor to receive an ARC copy of this book and I'm so sorry to leave this so late! This story was amazing, how they both came into this relationship for other reasons and fell for each other. This was the perfect creation of the fake relationship trope and best friends to lovers trope! Ollie and Hunter were perfect together and I loved the charm and cuteness to them both! The moments they had together and apart. I loved continuing to see their friend circle and their antics and watching them all be there for each other, especially during the holidays. Overall, I loved this story, the ending was amazing and that sneak peek for the next book was great!

[Emily Johnston (Booked.Up.With.Emily) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super quick MM novella. Ollie and Hunter’s friends to lovers romance is a not to miss book this holiday season!

🫎Friends to lovers
🫎Fake dating
🫎Virgin MMC

Ollie needs a boyfriend STAT after telling his coworkers that he is in a relationship. Hunter, his best friend, steps up to the plate instantly. And you know what happens when friends turn into lovers 😉

These two are adorable! I loved their conversations not just between them, but also between their friend group. They kept me entertained and I loved when the switch flipped for them from friends to lovers.

[Lisa Hambridge (lisamareebooks1109) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MM holiday romance that was a great read.

Ollie and Hunter are best friends, so when Ollie needs a plus-one for an office party, he asks Hunter, and this is the beginning of a fake relationship, which for both may cross the line of fake and more into something that could become very real.

This book was well written, Ollie and Hunter were amazing characters, I enjoyed their connection and how they interacted, and how their relationship was important to them and nothing could change that.

Emily didn't disappoint this book was perfect.

Thank you to Emily for the ARC.

[Julie Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute friends to lovers with fake dating set at Christmas in a small town 🥰 low angst, one virgin mc who’s too busy with work to really bother with relationships, and one Christmas tree farmer who’s been burnt by love in the past and is determined to stay single. One magical season that brings them together.

Sitting at under 200 pages, this is a quick and easy read that I recommend to anyone who wants cute little MM romance story this holiday season!

[Katie Koziczkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Grump in Moose Falls was another cute and funny Christmas novella. I enjoyed both Hunter and Ollie. They're quite different from one another, but despite that they are still best friends and have a strong bond. Fake dating each other for Ollie's party gets both of them questioning what their relationship really is and what it could be. It was an enjoyable read! I wish I didn’t have to wait a whole year for Trouble in Moose Falls now!

[Amanda | manda_reads_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. I enjoyed this one a lot. This was a cute and quick holiday romance. I devoured this book in one sitting. I loved being back in Moose Falls with these characters. This had some of my favorite tropes. Friends-to-lovers, fake dating, and MM? Yes, please! I loved Hunter and Ollie. I've been excited for their story since book 1. Their chemistry together was so good. I'm happy they got their HEA together. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

[JenniferMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Grump in Moose Falls was a quick, sweet best friend’s to lovers holiday romance filled with fake dating and swoony moments. Once I picked up Hunter and Ollie’s romance I couldn’t put it down. These two just made my heart happy from start to finish. This romance is perfect to get you into the holiday spirit. Thank you to Emily for an early read.

[Mel Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was just too cute! As always, Emily’s sweet spirit comes through in her writing making this book feel like a giant hug. A sweet and spicy Christmas novella with fake dating, best friends, a meddling mom, and lots of soup haha! I loved these two so much. Having been best friends their entire lives just made this perfect. They already have a deep love for on another so watching them become more was so fun. A perfect quick holiday romance read!

Thank you to Emily for this ARC in return for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

[Nicolette Sampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What could be better this holiday season? A grumpy lumberjack, an awkward architecture, and fake dating! But wait the more Hunter & Ollie fake date the feeling start to spice up!

[Jessica Swan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

just simply adorable. childhood best friends to lovers with fake dating

[Laura¡! · Rating 4 out of 5]

emily silver is gonna have me reading any christmas novella she writes

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet, steamy and adorable. These two were cute together and I really enjoyed them.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars

[antonia🫧 · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked the concept, i liked the characters, but something was missing.

it was a bit dull?
my heart wasn't in it.

[Mads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good holiday novella. Even better? Friends to lovers of course! The perfect warm and fuzzy read for the holidays. Ollie and Hunter were just the cutest and I loved watching their love story unfold.

I'm a sucker for a burly lumberjack falling head over heels and Hunter did just that. He has lived his life so preoccupied with the day to day, love was the last thing on his mind. Hunter is the protector, the caretaker, and he almost missed what was right in front of him the whole time.

Ollie is soft and sweet, near opposite of his best friend. But somehow, it works. They complement each other in the best way and we get to see Ollie really get a bit more comfortable in his own skin. He never knew what he was missing until he found it.

This one is definitely worth the read!