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Kringletown Christmas #2
Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal
The perfect festive romance involving a very creative misuse of a popcorn garland, a grand Christmas romantic gesture and getting snowed in with only one bed . . .
There are two things you should know about Atlas 'Max' Maxheimer. he has the presence of a six-foot-four lumberjack with a knack for making people smile. he lives and breathes the holidays. Not only is he the reigning victor of the annual town Christmas contest, but his family have a literal Christmas tree farm. 'Tis his damn season.
And she's going to ruin everything.
Betty is new in town, full of holiday cheer and, worst of all, is helping her uncle open a rival tree farm next door. Max is convinced she's out to destroy everything he loves. Betty thinks Max might be one sleigh short of a winter parade.
And they're having way too much fun trying to outdo each other.
After Christmas chaos, public humiliation and booby traps that Home Alone would be proud of, it only takes a blizzard, a romantic cottage and only one bed for the sparks between Max and Betty to ignite . . .
🎄
💕Small Towns
💕Banter
💕Rivals to Lovers
💕Forced Proximity
💕He Falls First
💕One Bed
💕A lot of spice 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
But also expect . . .
Elite holiday movie references
A spicy moment with some chocolate covered cherries
Misuse of a popcorn garland . . .
READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH MEGHAN QUINN'S BOOKS . . .
'Outrageously laugh-out-loud funny' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'The way I completely obsessed about this book was not okay!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Perfect combination of sweet, sassy, funny and spicy' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'The banter was top tier! The spice was amazing!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'All the brother's-best-friend, fake-dating, enemies-to-lovers goodness packaged together in an adventure full of second-hand embarrassment and swoon-worthy moments' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'OH MY!!!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
There are two things you should know about Atlas 'Max' Maxheimer. he has the presence of a six-foot-four lumberjack with a knack for making people smile. he lives and breathes the holidays. Not only is he the reigning victor of the annual town Christmas contest, but his family have a literal Christmas tree farm. 'Tis his damn season.
And she's going to ruin everything.
Betty is new in town, full of holiday cheer and, worst of all, is helping her uncle open a rival tree farm next door. Max is convinced she's out to destroy everything he loves. Betty thinks Max might be one sleigh short of a winter parade.
And they're having way too much fun trying to outdo each other.
After Christmas chaos, public humiliation and booby traps that Home Alone would be proud of, it only takes a blizzard, a romantic cottage and only one bed for the sparks between Max and Betty to ignite . . .
🎄
💕Small Towns
💕Banter
💕Rivals to Lovers
💕Forced Proximity
💕He Falls First
💕One Bed
💕A lot of spice 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
But also expect . . .
Elite holiday movie references
A spicy moment with some chocolate covered cherries
Misuse of a popcorn garland . . .
READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH MEGHAN QUINN'S BOOKS . . .
'Outrageously laugh-out-loud funny' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'The way I completely obsessed about this book was not okay!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Perfect combination of sweet, sassy, funny and spicy' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'The banter was top tier! The spice was amazing!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'All the brother's-best-friend, fake-dating, enemies-to-lovers goodness packaged together in an adventure full of second-hand embarrassment and swoon-worthy moments' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'OH MY!!!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
445 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2025
20343 people are currently reading
49125 people want to read
About the author
Meghan Quinn
125 books49.1k followersLike me on FB: https://www.facebook.com/meghanquinna...
When I was in high school I occasionally read books but was consumed by other teenage things so I didn't take the time to appreciate a good book on a cloudy day, wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. It wasn't until I received a Kindle for Christmas one year that my world completely flipped upside down. When looking for books I came across the Contemporary Romance genre and was sold and I haven't turned back since.
You can either find my head buried in my Kindle, listening to inspiring heart ripping music or typing away on the computer twisting and turning the lives of my characters while driving my readers crazy with anticipation.
I currently reside in beautiful Colorado Springs where the sun is always shining and there is a trail waiting to be hiked on every corner. I share a lovely and warm home with the love of my life and my five, four-legged children.
When I was in high school I occasionally read books but was consumed by other teenage things so I didn't take the time to appreciate a good book on a cloudy day, wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. It wasn't until I received a Kindle for Christmas one year that my world completely flipped upside down. When looking for books I came across the Contemporary Romance genre and was sold and I haven't turned back since.
You can either find my head buried in my Kindle, listening to inspiring heart ripping music or typing away on the computer twisting and turning the lives of my characters while driving my readers crazy with anticipation.
I currently reside in beautiful Colorado Springs where the sun is always shining and there is a trail waiting to be hiked on every corner. I share a lovely and warm home with the love of my life and my five, four-legged children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,288 reviews
November 29, 2025
2.5 ⭐
It was cringy, it was long, and it was not a favorite for me.
It was cringy, it was long, and it was not a favorite for me.
December 22, 2025
dnf @ pg 163 (33%)
one word: cringe
this entire book is sarcastic, cheesy banter and overly quirky characters. i expected it to be cheesy (i didn’t mind the first book, honestly) but it was too much. for some, probably hilarious. for me, unbearable.
let me give you an example:
fmc: "i like freeballing it. i mean... not that i have balls. nope, i have a vagina."
mmc: "wow, you do? i have a penis," he says. "what a small world. although from the picture, you can tell there's nothing small about my world... err, i mean, my... penis."
(they're having this conversation in public and yes, all the banter is this cringey and awkward.)
there are so many more examples, i just don't care enough to type them. (like how the mmc talks to his best friend’s WIFE about his raging hard boner that he woke up with the other morning…) the faces i had to be making during all of the dialogue had to be so ugly.
and the whole two-liter bottle of soda situation? give me a break. iykyk.
call me Scrooge. call me the Grinch. i don't care anymore, i'll be a hater if it means i don't have to read another word of this.
*available on kindle unlimited
one word: cringe
this entire book is sarcastic, cheesy banter and overly quirky characters. i expected it to be cheesy (i didn’t mind the first book, honestly) but it was too much. for some, probably hilarious. for me, unbearable.
let me give you an example:
fmc: "i like freeballing it. i mean... not that i have balls. nope, i have a vagina."
mmc: "wow, you do? i have a penis," he says. "what a small world. although from the picture, you can tell there's nothing small about my world... err, i mean, my... penis."
(they're having this conversation in public and yes, all the banter is this cringey and awkward.)
there are so many more examples, i just don't care enough to type them. (like how the mmc talks to his best friend’s WIFE about his raging hard boner that he woke up with the other morning…) the faces i had to be making during all of the dialogue had to be so ugly.
and the whole two-liter bottle of soda situation? give me a break. iykyk.
call me Scrooge. call me the Grinch. i don't care anymore, i'll be a hater if it means i don't have to read another word of this.
*available on kindle unlimited
October 18, 2025
I enjoyed the first one, so I was excited for this one. This one was even better than the first in my opinion. So christmasy. 🎅🏼 To be honest, Netflix and other streaming services should be fighting over who gets to make these books into a Christmas series.
Like the title, there were a lot of Home Alone references. It was very fun. I absolutely love the narrator, same with the first book and I think it helps to make the story great. All the dialogue was super funny and great.
The first half of the book is no spice, the second half is very spicy so keep that in mind. I thought it was really well done spice though (and even funny at parts, if you read it you’ll see what I mean 😉).
I enjoyed seeing this town once again. Max is such a great main character. He really made the book. He is perfect. I am sad that the ending made it seem like this will be the last one in the series. Although, I really don’t think you can top this one anyways, because Max’s character was so good nothing will compare.
I have a love/hate relationship with this author, so I am glad I loved this one so much. 🎄
Like the title, there were a lot of Home Alone references. It was very fun. I absolutely love the narrator, same with the first book and I think it helps to make the story great. All the dialogue was super funny and great.
The first half of the book is no spice, the second half is very spicy so keep that in mind. I thought it was really well done spice though (and even funny at parts, if you read it you’ll see what I mean 😉).
I enjoyed seeing this town once again. Max is such a great main character. He really made the book. He is perfect. I am sad that the ending made it seem like this will be the last one in the series. Although, I really don’t think you can top this one anyways, because Max’s character was so good nothing will compare.
I have a love/hate relationship with this author, so I am glad I loved this one so much. 🎄
December 1, 2025
4.5 🌟
OMG THIS WAS SO FUN AND BINGEABLE!!!! Loved it so much!!!! ❤️
The audiobook was perfect to laugh, giggle, and get all flustered with this smutty romance 🫣🎧 I do have to say that for ME this wasn't a 5 star read only because some of the smutty scenes hit my limit, which was the food play lol 😂 I just can’t when you introduce food into foreplay, but I had such a good time that I didn't let it bother me so I rounded up instead of down.
The story is Hallmark holiday material ✨ you have Max, who works for his family’s tree farm and finally has the opportunity to prove he can handle it while his parents are away. Everything is going smoothly until a gorgeous blonde woman named Betty enters the equation… more specifically next door 👀 and plans to help his uncle create a rival tree farm. The only sensible plan? Make her fall in love with him to derail the plans, DUH!!! 😈 😂
I adored the small town Christmas vibes so much 🎄 and their banter was my favorite part. The narrators of this audiobook took the awkward Hallmark moments to the next level (in a good way) as well as the smooth transition between flirty and humorous. LOVED every second of it! 😍🎧
I can easily say this is SPICYYYYY AF 🌶️🔥 so if you’re looking for a smutty holiday book, look no further! This truly felt like the epitome of a Hallmark but ✨ make it smutty ✨ book version.
tropes
🎄holiday romance
🎄witty banter
🎄small town
🎄strangers to lovers
🎄fake dating (she doesn't know it)
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 ꪆৎ ˚⋅it's time for a new audiobook, you filthy animal 🤭
OMG THIS WAS SO FUN AND BINGEABLE!!!! Loved it so much!!!! ❤️
The audiobook was perfect to laugh, giggle, and get all flustered with this smutty romance 🫣🎧 I do have to say that for ME this wasn't a 5 star read only because some of the smutty scenes hit my limit, which was the food play lol 😂 I just can’t when you introduce food into foreplay, but I had such a good time that I didn't let it bother me so I rounded up instead of down.
The story is Hallmark holiday material ✨ you have Max, who works for his family’s tree farm and finally has the opportunity to prove he can handle it while his parents are away. Everything is going smoothly until a gorgeous blonde woman named Betty enters the equation… more specifically next door 👀 and plans to help his uncle create a rival tree farm. The only sensible plan? Make her fall in love with him to derail the plans, DUH!!! 😈 😂
I adored the small town Christmas vibes so much 🎄 and their banter was my favorite part. The narrators of this audiobook took the awkward Hallmark moments to the next level (in a good way) as well as the smooth transition between flirty and humorous. LOVED every second of it! 😍🎧
I can easily say this is SPICYYYYY AF 🌶️🔥 so if you’re looking for a smutty holiday book, look no further! This truly felt like the epitome of a Hallmark but ✨ make it smutty ✨ book version.
tropes
🎄holiday romance
🎄witty banter
🎄small town
🎄strangers to lovers
🎄fake dating (she doesn't know it)
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 ꪆৎ ˚⋅it's time for a new audiobook, you filthy animal 🤭
December 14, 2025
1⭐️ (DNF @ 30%)
All I can say is that I really tried...this was just so bad. Soooo bad.
I definitely think this was the worst Christmas book I've read..ever.
Let me get into my reasoning okay, SO...
The biggest reason I couldn't stand this book was the MMC and his side of the story. Right from the first chapter, I couldn't tell if I was reading from a child's perspective or a grown ass man. He was immature and juvenile and so UNLIKABLE. The prologue is him as a child and it's very clear his personality and character never changed. I genuinely didn't know if I was reading more of the prologue or getting into the main story?
Edit: as pointed out in the comments, I may have mistaken the MMC for being a child in the prologue and I apologize for that! I was under the impression he was because of his childish behavior. My point still stands that if he was an adult, that makes it a million times worse cause what adult would act like that? 😭 anyways, I’m sorry again if I was wrong; definitely a mistake. 😊
The FMC, Betty, didn't really do much to the story up to the point where I DNF'd. She didn't get much page time so I don't really have much to say about her.
The conversations between the FMC and the MMC were going in circles around the damn coke bottle catastrophe AND THAT IS THE ONLY THING THEY TALKED ABOUT FOR OVER 100 DAMN PAGES! Every conversation, every thought, just everything in general was so repetitive I wanted to rip my hair out of my head.
I don't know what changed from the first book in this series, but Cole (MMC's best friend from the first book) was even more insufferable in this book compared to the first one. There is always a fine line between grumpy and straight up rude and this man was an asshole. In a lot of cases, side characters can make or break a story and the way they were in this book was awful.
This has to be my least favorite, or most hated, b0ok by this author and that makes me so sad cause I've loved all the others I've read. The writing was repetitive, the characters were insufferable, and I just couldn't bear to continue and suffer. If you're going to read a Christmas style book, I guarantee you're not missing much here. Find something much better, I promise it won't be difficult.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: ❄️❤️
Now that Thanksgiving is over, CHRISTMAS READS ARE HEREEEEE
This is my first of the season so let the Christmas reads begin 🤭
All I can say is that I really tried...this was just so bad. Soooo bad.
I definitely think this was the worst Christmas book I've read..ever.
Let me get into my reasoning okay, SO...
The biggest reason I couldn't stand this book was the MMC and his side of the story. Right from the first chapter, I couldn't tell if I was reading from a child's perspective or a grown ass man. He was immature and juvenile and so UNLIKABLE. The prologue is him as a child and it's very clear his personality and character never changed. I genuinely didn't know if I was reading more of the prologue or getting into the main story?
Edit: as pointed out in the comments, I may have mistaken the MMC for being a child in the prologue and I apologize for that! I was under the impression he was because of his childish behavior. My point still stands that if he was an adult, that makes it a million times worse cause what adult would act like that? 😭 anyways, I’m sorry again if I was wrong; definitely a mistake. 😊
The FMC, Betty, didn't really do much to the story up to the point where I DNF'd. She didn't get much page time so I don't really have much to say about her.
The conversations between the FMC and the MMC were going in circles around the damn coke bottle catastrophe AND THAT IS THE ONLY THING THEY TALKED ABOUT FOR OVER 100 DAMN PAGES! Every conversation, every thought, just everything in general was so repetitive I wanted to rip my hair out of my head.
I don't know what changed from the first book in this series, but Cole (MMC's best friend from the first book) was even more insufferable in this book compared to the first one. There is always a fine line between grumpy and straight up rude and this man was an asshole. In a lot of cases, side characters can make or break a story and the way they were in this book was awful.
This has to be my least favorite, or most hated, b0ok by this author and that makes me so sad cause I've loved all the others I've read. The writing was repetitive, the characters were insufferable, and I just couldn't bear to continue and suffer. If you're going to read a Christmas style book, I guarantee you're not missing much here. Find something much better, I promise it won't be difficult.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: ❄️❤️
Now that Thanksgiving is over, CHRISTMAS READS ARE HEREEEEE
This is my first of the season so let the Christmas reads begin 🤭
December 13, 2025
3.75 stars ⭐
⤷ mini spoiler-free review!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ my thoughts
it was the former!!! i lost count of how many times i laughed out loud because of how ridiculous and cringey this book was 🤣 betty and max were absolutely unhinged—half the things that came out of their mouths made me want to knock them out with a bottle of soda (very on-brand, considering that’s exactly what betty did to max) just so they’d stop spouting nonsense 😭 and in typical Meghan Quinn fashion, the spicy scenes were spicyyy (let’s not talk about the chocolate-covered cherries scene though 😅) 😮💨🪭 i will say, the ending made me roll my eyes—i saw it coming a mile away, and the resolution felt way too convenient 🙄
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ overall
i still had a fun and silly time with this book 🤭 if you’re planning to pick it up, i’d highly recommend going in fully aware that it’s probably going to be one of the most ridiculous and cringey books you’ll ever read and just embracing it for what it is 🙂↕️🙂↕️🙂↕️
────────── ⋆⋅end⋅⋆ ──────────
pre-read
i’m either gonna have a fun and silly time with this book or absolutely hate it 😅 really hoping it’s the former 🤞🏻 wish me luck besties! 🤣
⤷ mini spoiler-free review!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ my thoughts
it was the former!!! i lost count of how many times i laughed out loud because of how ridiculous and cringey this book was 🤣 betty and max were absolutely unhinged—half the things that came out of their mouths made me want to knock them out with a bottle of soda (very on-brand, considering that’s exactly what betty did to max) just so they’d stop spouting nonsense 😭 and in typical Meghan Quinn fashion, the spicy scenes were spicyyy (let’s not talk about the chocolate-covered cherries scene though 😅) 😮💨🪭 i will say, the ending made me roll my eyes—i saw it coming a mile away, and the resolution felt way too convenient 🙄
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ overall
i still had a fun and silly time with this book 🤭 if you’re planning to pick it up, i’d highly recommend going in fully aware that it’s probably going to be one of the most ridiculous and cringey books you’ll ever read and just embracing it for what it is 🙂↕️🙂↕️🙂↕️
────────── ⋆⋅end⋅⋆ ──────────
pre-read
i’m either gonna have a fun and silly time with this book or absolutely hate it 😅 really hoping it’s the former 🤞🏻 wish me luck besties! 🤣
Currently reading
January 12, 2026˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Pre-read
I had so much fun with the first book that I'm starting this right away. I'm still not ready to be done with holiday reads 🎄🩵
I had so much fun with the first book that I'm starting this right away. I'm still not ready to be done with holiday reads 🎄🩵
December 9, 2025
home alone (18+ version)
December 4, 2025
4 ⭐️ This was such a fun, Christmas read!!
November 25, 2025
Meghan Quinn + Christmas is literally my favorite combo!!!
I loved this one so much! After loving the first book (how my neighbor stole christmas) I was so excited to read this one! I enjoy Meghan’s writing so much!!! It always is such a good time.
Max might be my new favorite character from this world!! I adore him! I don’t think I enjoyed this one as much as the first book, but it was still so much fun and so perfect for the season!
I loved this one so much! After loving the first book (how my neighbor stole christmas) I was so excited to read this one! I enjoy Meghan’s writing so much!!! It always is such a good time.
Max might be my new favorite character from this world!! I adore him! I don’t think I enjoyed this one as much as the first book, but it was still so much fun and so perfect for the season!
October 19, 2025
Oh boy….
First off the last book called him Max and this one calls him atlas all the time so idek what to call him at this point….
I loveddd book 1, It was hilarious and worked because Cole was so grumpy and embodied the grinch. But now having a story ALLLLL about Max/atlas is rough. His personality is very hard to swallow even for a comedy. It’s very cringe. I’m not attracted to this man at all when he opens his mouth. Instead of giving funny humor it’s just plain immature and I’ve gotten the ick. Max is like a teenager entering puberty at this point. Honestly betty isn’t that far behind him. You’d both dip a dick and nips in eggnog? What are we doing here guys????
The only enjoyable scene was the snowstorm because it’s the only serious moment and I could finally enjoy them. Him going back for the tarantula made me actually like him for once. But then it got immediately ruined once he went back to goofy and started that unnecessary sexual text messages with his friends about what he did with her. Gag. The way these people talk to each other is ew. Talking like that to your best friends wife? ICKY. They are so different during their spicy scenes that it feels like completely new people. Then the conversation with the parents and popcorn garland really tipped it over the edge. Absolute nonsense. This isn’t even comedic it’s just ridiculous.
The reasons Dwight hates max made me irrationally angry.
It never feels like I truly got to know Betty. She feels one dimensional and it’s like she’s not a main character even though I’m getting her POV. I don’t care for her personality OR his. After all that the ending was lackluster and disappointing.
Thank you for this ARC
First off the last book called him Max and this one calls him atlas all the time so idek what to call him at this point….
I loveddd book 1, It was hilarious and worked because Cole was so grumpy and embodied the grinch. But now having a story ALLLLL about Max/atlas is rough. His personality is very hard to swallow even for a comedy. It’s very cringe. I’m not attracted to this man at all when he opens his mouth. Instead of giving funny humor it’s just plain immature and I’ve gotten the ick. Max is like a teenager entering puberty at this point. Honestly betty isn’t that far behind him. You’d both dip a dick and nips in eggnog? What are we doing here guys????
The only enjoyable scene was the snowstorm because it’s the only serious moment and I could finally enjoy them. Him going back for the tarantula made me actually like him for once. But then it got immediately ruined once he went back to goofy and started that unnecessary sexual text messages with his friends about what he did with her. Gag. The way these people talk to each other is ew. Talking like that to your best friends wife? ICKY. They are so different during their spicy scenes that it feels like completely new people. Then the conversation with the parents and popcorn garland really tipped it over the edge. Absolute nonsense. This isn’t even comedic it’s just ridiculous.
The reasons Dwight hates max made me irrationally angry.
It never feels like I truly got to know Betty. She feels one dimensional and it’s like she’s not a main character even though I’m getting her POV. I don’t care for her personality OR his. After all that the ending was lackluster and disappointing.
Thank you for this ARC
November 24, 2025
Cringe, cringe, cringe! Made it to 30% and had to DNF. Too bad because I loved the first book.
November 28, 2025
4 stars
Meghan Quinn always writes the most hilarious stories. I haven’t read one of her books in a while, and I’m glad I picked this one up. I had so much fun with the ‘Home Alone’ references, and Max and Betty were truly two peas in a pod. Talk about made for one another! Pick this up if you want a holiday read that is a heck of a good time!
Meghan Quinn always writes the most hilarious stories. I haven’t read one of her books in a while, and I’m glad I picked this one up. I had so much fun with the ‘Home Alone’ references, and Max and Betty were truly two peas in a pod. Talk about made for one another! Pick this up if you want a holiday read that is a heck of a good time!
Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Full Cast
Narration Rating: 5 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 12h 6m
December 24, 2025
“Take that, you filthy animal!” And then like a rocket being blasted through a cannon, a two-liter bottle of Pepsi flies right at my head, knocking me out cold." 😵
I couldn’t wait to get back to Kringletown after reading ‘How my neighbour stole Christmas’, especially as we were going to hear Max’s story this time around. Meghan takes us back to this quaint town for some more holiday cheer 🎊🎄✨
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book. I half expected another Christmas competition story but for better or worse, we got something new and exciting. Including a new character- Betty - who brought plenty of holiday shenanigans 🤪 This rivals-to-lovers story is full of ‘Home alone’ and ‘You’ve got mail’ references, a small-town war, and a good old blizzard for good measure ❄️
“It’s kind of like an unspoken rule: You help your neighbor. Over time, you get to know everyone and their backstory. Sure, there is a lot of gossip, but that’s what you get with a small town, and the return is so much better." 🥰💖✨
MQ never fails to make me laugh out loud; she is a pure comedic genius! And she definitely delivered more of her brilliantly absurd scenarios in this story.
Max is anxiously trying to keep his family's Christmas tree farm afloat, and before he knows it, he is knocked unconscious in the snow. 😵 Enter: Betty 😈 We have a new girl in town. She is ready for a new start helping her uncle open a rival Christmas tree farm, and she is full of holiday cheer 🎊 His ingenious plan? To make Betty fall in love with him so he can change her mind about the farm. Once step one of the battle plan is accomplished he’ll break up with her. However, those plans get tossed out the window when he falls first and wildly misguided matchmaking takes place…is she his perfect match after all? 💖
"The moment Storee noticed Max had heart eyes for Betty, she threw his stupid plan—drawn-out diagram included—right out the window. She has a plan of her own, and it’s called being the Cupid Christmas matchmaker." 😈🤭💘✨
Max is a six-foot-four lumberjack with a knack for making people smile. However, I didn’t find him all that likeable. I think my feelings for him were forever tarnished by his willingness to deceive Betty at the beginning. I did slowly warm to him and but only through Betty’s eyes 👀
Betty, on the other hand, was much more likeable. Despite being a new character on the block, I thought she was instantly charismatic and relatable. I totally understood her need to create a new chapter of her life and to prove that she was not the bad guy.
Their relationship was actually so hilarious, I couldn’t stop laughing at times. They were both equally awkward, rambling away through every conversation, always going one step (or ten) too far…it was comedic gold! When Max’s parents came back into town…😱🤣🫣 I seriously think MQ should consider a career as a comedian!
While I still merrily skipped my way past the steamy sections, there seemed to be less of them than I remember in the first book; less crude at least.
A few other things I loved about this book include: the friendship between Max and Storee, the interactions with the town citizens, the Christmas tree ornament tradition, and some other unexpected heartfelt moments between Max and Cole.
Overall, I actually enjoyed this book more than the first one. While I preferred Storee and Cole’s characters, I really liked this plot. In this book I got a nice mixture as Storee and Cole were still heavily involved in the storyline. Other than the rather vulgar language, I really enjoyed this book. It was just so funny and very original!
"And then I got to know you, I saw myself in you, I saw how well we meshed, how I felt comfortable around you, and I immediately knew, this is my person." 🥰
4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
I couldn’t wait to get back to Kringletown after reading ‘How my neighbour stole Christmas’, especially as we were going to hear Max’s story this time around. Meghan takes us back to this quaint town for some more holiday cheer 🎊🎄✨
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book. I half expected another Christmas competition story but for better or worse, we got something new and exciting. Including a new character- Betty - who brought plenty of holiday shenanigans 🤪 This rivals-to-lovers story is full of ‘Home alone’ and ‘You’ve got mail’ references, a small-town war, and a good old blizzard for good measure ❄️
“It’s kind of like an unspoken rule: You help your neighbor. Over time, you get to know everyone and their backstory. Sure, there is a lot of gossip, but that’s what you get with a small town, and the return is so much better." 🥰💖✨
MQ never fails to make me laugh out loud; she is a pure comedic genius! And she definitely delivered more of her brilliantly absurd scenarios in this story.
Max is anxiously trying to keep his family's Christmas tree farm afloat, and before he knows it, he is knocked unconscious in the snow. 😵 Enter: Betty 😈 We have a new girl in town. She is ready for a new start helping her uncle open a rival Christmas tree farm, and she is full of holiday cheer 🎊 His ingenious plan? To make Betty fall in love with him so he can change her mind about the farm. Once step one of the battle plan is accomplished he’ll break up with her. However, those plans get tossed out the window when he falls first and wildly misguided matchmaking takes place…is she his perfect match after all? 💖
"The moment Storee noticed Max had heart eyes for Betty, she threw his stupid plan—drawn-out diagram included—right out the window. She has a plan of her own, and it’s called being the Cupid Christmas matchmaker." 😈🤭💘✨
Max is a six-foot-four lumberjack with a knack for making people smile. However, I didn’t find him all that likeable. I think my feelings for him were forever tarnished by his willingness to deceive Betty at the beginning. I did slowly warm to him and but only through Betty’s eyes 👀
Betty, on the other hand, was much more likeable. Despite being a new character on the block, I thought she was instantly charismatic and relatable. I totally understood her need to create a new chapter of her life and to prove that she was not the bad guy.
Their relationship was actually so hilarious, I couldn’t stop laughing at times. They were both equally awkward, rambling away through every conversation, always going one step (or ten) too far…it was comedic gold! When Max’s parents came back into town…😱🤣🫣 I seriously think MQ should consider a career as a comedian!
While I still merrily skipped my way past the steamy sections, there seemed to be less of them than I remember in the first book; less crude at least.
A few other things I loved about this book include: the friendship between Max and Storee, the interactions with the town citizens, the Christmas tree ornament tradition, and some other unexpected heartfelt moments between Max and Cole.
Overall, I actually enjoyed this book more than the first one. While I preferred Storee and Cole’s characters, I really liked this plot. In this book I got a nice mixture as Storee and Cole were still heavily involved in the storyline. Other than the rather vulgar language, I really enjoyed this book. It was just so funny and very original!
"And then I got to know you, I saw myself in you, I saw how well we meshed, how I felt comfortable around you, and I immediately knew, this is my person." 🥰
4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
September 29, 2025
✨ Rating: 4⭐️
🫧 Vibes: christmas rom-com meets chaotic rivals-to-lovers
🎶 Song: rockin' around the christmas tree - brenda lee
📖 Favourite Quote: "And then I got to know you, I saw myself in you, I saw how well we meshed, how I felt comfortable around you, and I immediately knew, this is my person."
📚 Would I recommend? hell yeah!
💬 tldr thoughts: equal parts hilarious, cozy and spicy
In the package:
📦 holiday shenanigans
📦 home alone references
📦 he falls first
📦 rivals to lovers
Plot: Atlas is ready to take over his family's Christmas tree farm and live his best Hallmark movie life, but those plans are thrown in chaos when Betty arrives in town to help her uncle open a rival farm on the land next door. His genius plan? Make Betty fall in love with him so he can change her mind and then break up with her. Those plans are also thrown out the window when he falls first and discovers they might be the perfect match for each other.
Thoughts: Meghan Quinn never fails to make me laugh out loud when I read any of her books. Honestly, I would pay rent to live inside her brain while she’s cooking up these ridiculous plots, because she's a genius. To write up with these ridiculous scenarios that these characters get into, takes a special kind of brilliance 🤣 I could not stop laughing when Atlas' parents came back in town and got home - I was wheezing💀 Both main characters are awkward people who ramble their way through every uncomfortable situations, and watching them interact is pure comedy gold: messy, awkward, and absolutely impossible to look away from.
Thank you Hambright PR and Meghan Quinn for the ARC!
✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok and instagram⋆☾✩⁺₊✩
🫧 Vibes: christmas rom-com meets chaotic rivals-to-lovers
🎶 Song: rockin' around the christmas tree - brenda lee
📖 Favourite Quote: "And then I got to know you, I saw myself in you, I saw how well we meshed, how I felt comfortable around you, and I immediately knew, this is my person."
📚 Would I recommend? hell yeah!
💬 tldr thoughts: equal parts hilarious, cozy and spicy
In the package:
📦 holiday shenanigans
📦 home alone references
📦 he falls first
📦 rivals to lovers
Plot: Atlas is ready to take over his family's Christmas tree farm and live his best Hallmark movie life, but those plans are thrown in chaos when Betty arrives in town to help her uncle open a rival farm on the land next door. His genius plan? Make Betty fall in love with him so he can change her mind and then break up with her. Those plans are also thrown out the window when he falls first and discovers they might be the perfect match for each other.
Thoughts: Meghan Quinn never fails to make me laugh out loud when I read any of her books. Honestly, I would pay rent to live inside her brain while she’s cooking up these ridiculous plots, because she's a genius. To write up with these ridiculous scenarios that these characters get into, takes a special kind of brilliance 🤣 I could not stop laughing when Atlas' parents came back in town and got home - I was wheezing💀 Both main characters are awkward people who ramble their way through every uncomfortable situations, and watching them interact is pure comedy gold: messy, awkward, and absolutely impossible to look away from.
Thank you Hambright PR and Meghan Quinn for the ARC!
✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok and instagram⋆☾✩⁺₊✩
December 28, 2025
🎄Chaotic, Messy, Try-Hard Energy
This fall somewhere between 2 and 3 stars
❄️ From Book 1 Love to Book 2 Meh
I loved Max in book 1, but I just couldn’t fuse with the romance in this one.
Maybe because Max and Betty share too much of the same personality and someone needed to balance the other out. Maybe because the book was trying so hard. Maybe because it felt a bit one-dimensional. And maybe because there were no palpable Christmas vibes at all.
🎧 Audiobook: Didn’t Save It
Disappointingly, the audiobook didn’t do much to save this book from its slow descent into the demise of stars.
👫 Together vs. Apart
Betty alone is cute.
Max alone is heart-stoppingly cute.
But together? Chaos. Mess.
They both ramble, have thoughts that make zero sense until explained, and they’re both deeply insecure. That made it hard to root for them.
There is some chemistry, but it wasn’t truly fleshed out, and it was trying a bit (a lot) tooooo hard at times.😵💫
What didn’t help was that they both sounded one-dimensional, and we didn’t really see any character growth.
Max is supposed to take over the farm and prove himself… but we don’t actually see that. Instead, that thread is sidelined to focus almost entirely on Betty.
🎄 Where Are my Christmas Vibes?
The entire vibe sits in the background, and the romance doesn’t really make any waves. It feels like the book relied on being in a Christmas town during Christmas to do all the heavy lifting. I didn’t feel it.
It was also so centred around Max and Betty that we barely got to see the other characters, you know, the ones who contributed so much to the fun of book 1.
They were so far in the background it felt like looking through fog. 🌫️
Even elements meant to add humour —like the famous spider side-kick— didn’t got any screen time. 🕷️
All the laugh-out-loud moments from book 1 were missing, replaced by awkwardness and messy faux pas.
Even the hilarious narrator and the breaking of the 3rd and 4th walls (some of my favourite parts of book 1) felt dull and very meh here.
📉 In sum:
Where Max is dramatic, Betty is melodramatic.
Everything fun felt pushed out of the picture because the two MCs —though not narcissistic in the least— wouldn’t share centre stage with anything beyond their own drama.
Storee and Cole got a tiny pass because they’re fan favourites.
And BKJ? Absolute MVP of the book. I think he’s next… and I will be waiting. 👀
--
Pre-read:
I need a win so I am putting all my faith in MQ and the audiobook cast🎄
This fall somewhere between 2 and 3 stars
❄️ From Book 1 Love to Book 2 Meh
I loved Max in book 1, but I just couldn’t fuse with the romance in this one.
Maybe because Max and Betty share too much of the same personality and someone needed to balance the other out. Maybe because the book was trying so hard. Maybe because it felt a bit one-dimensional. And maybe because there were no palpable Christmas vibes at all.
🎧 Audiobook: Didn’t Save It
Disappointingly, the audiobook didn’t do much to save this book from its slow descent into the demise of stars.
👫 Together vs. Apart
Betty alone is cute.
Max alone is heart-stoppingly cute.
But together? Chaos. Mess.
They both ramble, have thoughts that make zero sense until explained, and they’re both deeply insecure. That made it hard to root for them.
There is some chemistry, but it wasn’t truly fleshed out, and it was trying a bit (a lot) tooooo hard at times.😵💫
What didn’t help was that they both sounded one-dimensional, and we didn’t really see any character growth.
Max is supposed to take over the farm and prove himself… but we don’t actually see that. Instead, that thread is sidelined to focus almost entirely on Betty.
🎄 Where Are my Christmas Vibes?
The entire vibe sits in the background, and the romance doesn’t really make any waves. It feels like the book relied on being in a Christmas town during Christmas to do all the heavy lifting. I didn’t feel it.
It was also so centred around Max and Betty that we barely got to see the other characters, you know, the ones who contributed so much to the fun of book 1.
They were so far in the background it felt like looking through fog. 🌫️
Even elements meant to add humour —like the famous spider side-kick— didn’t got any screen time. 🕷️
All the laugh-out-loud moments from book 1 were missing, replaced by awkwardness and messy faux pas.
Even the hilarious narrator and the breaking of the 3rd and 4th walls (some of my favourite parts of book 1) felt dull and very meh here.
📉 In sum:
Where Max is dramatic, Betty is melodramatic.
Everything fun felt pushed out of the picture because the two MCs —though not narcissistic in the least— wouldn’t share centre stage with anything beyond their own drama.
Storee and Cole got a tiny pass because they’re fan favourites.
And BKJ? Absolute MVP of the book. I think he’s next… and I will be waiting. 👀
--
Pre-read:
I need a win so I am putting all my faith in MQ and the audiobook cast🎄
December 18, 2025
3/5
This was a cute read! I always love Meghan Quinn’s banter and always find myself laughing out loud. Wish this book hadn’t been so long. Found myself ready to finish the book before it was over
This was a cute read! I always love Meghan Quinn’s banter and always find myself laughing out loud. Wish this book hadn’t been so long. Found myself ready to finish the book before it was over
October 21, 2025
Not even Teddy Hamilton in my ears could save this book
October 10, 2025
This was just so incredibly fun, Max was just absolutely ridiculous (& sweet!), and I love the full cast narration 😍 I could totally picture this whole story in my mind!
Thank you Meghan Quinn for the eARC & ALC, and Raincoast Books for the paperback ARC. All opinions are my own.
✦ tropes & stuff:
💫 rivals to lovers
☀️ cinnamon roll sunshine mmc
🙃 the opposite of opposites attract
❄️ snowed in
🤭 all the banter + rambling
💙 he falls first
🎄 small Christmas town
🍿 all the spice (including a popcorn garland scene)
💞 dual 1st person pov/duet narration
•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•
🎧 audio + ebook | ⭐️: 5 | 🌶️: 3.5 |
Meghan Quinn never fails to have me laughing out loud, and I absolutely LOVE the full cast audio narrations for her books!
I LOVED Betty + Max’s first meet-cute, and all the following ones 🙃 the way they were pretty much the same person, and all the rambling, had me laughing out loud 🤣
Max’s “plan,” teaming up with Storee & their ridiculous conversations, and Cole’s comments & eye rolling at all their shenanigans.
🎧 audiobook thoughts:
Teddy Hamilton was the perfect Max, fully embodying his golden retriever/sunshine personality, and amping up his ridiculousness.
Samantha Brentmoor brought Betty to life, giving her sweetness & the perfect rambling energy
I can’t imagine a better fit for a narrator than Shane East! I loved the moments where him & Max spoke to one another as well.
I loved that we got Vanessa Edwin, JF Harding, and Robert Hatchet back too!
🎄 book 1 review: How My Neighbor Stole Christmas
📖 Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal by Meghan Quinn
📚 book 2 • How My Neighbor Stole Christmas series
🎙 narrated by: Teddy Hamilton & Samantha Brentmoor + Shane East, Vanessa Edwin, JF Harding & Robert Hatchet
*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍
Thank you Meghan Quinn for the eARC & ALC, and Raincoast Books for the paperback ARC. All opinions are my own.
✦ tropes & stuff:
💫 rivals to lovers
☀️ cinnamon roll sunshine mmc
🙃 the opposite of opposites attract
❄️ snowed in
🤭 all the banter + rambling
💙 he falls first
🎄 small Christmas town
🍿 all the spice (including a popcorn garland scene)
💞 dual 1st person pov/duet narration
•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•
🎧 audio + ebook | ⭐️: 5 | 🌶️: 3.5 |
Meghan Quinn never fails to have me laughing out loud, and I absolutely LOVE the full cast audio narrations for her books!
I LOVED Betty + Max’s first meet-cute, and all the following ones 🙃 the way they were pretty much the same person, and all the rambling, had me laughing out loud 🤣
Max’s “plan,” teaming up with Storee & their ridiculous conversations, and Cole’s comments & eye rolling at all their shenanigans.
🎧 audiobook thoughts:
Teddy Hamilton was the perfect Max, fully embodying his golden retriever/sunshine personality, and amping up his ridiculousness.
Samantha Brentmoor brought Betty to life, giving her sweetness & the perfect rambling energy
I can’t imagine a better fit for a narrator than Shane East! I loved the moments where him & Max spoke to one another as well.
I loved that we got Vanessa Edwin, JF Harding, and Robert Hatchet back too!
🎄 book 1 review: How My Neighbor Stole Christmas
📖 Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal by Meghan Quinn
📚 book 2 • How My Neighbor Stole Christmas series
🎙 narrated by: Teddy Hamilton & Samantha Brentmoor + Shane East, Vanessa Edwin, JF Harding & Robert Hatchet
*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍
December 10, 2025
this story may have been ridiculous at times, but I ate it up!!! megan quinn has a way of writing books that are so easy and quick to get through and just keep me constantly entertained.
this book also managed to avoid my biggest pet peeve when it comes to holiday books: I want the word christmas and/or christmas-adjacent words to be on every👏🏼other👏🏼page👏🏼 I want it to feel like christmas threw up everywhere and this book did exactly that.
atlas and betty were literally made for each other - the way they built on each other’s ridiculous comments and just made everything so awkward cracked me up 💀 half the conversations they had felt like I was watching a train wreck that I couldn’t look away from 🤣
and the popcorn garland scene?? I was laughing so hard by myself because it was the most insane but hilarious image in my mind 💀 top 5 favorite moments in a holiday book that I’ve ever read.
this book is perfect for a ridiculous but entertaining time around the holidays that doesn’t feel gimmicky and has substance, but also provides entertainment!
thank you to hambright PR and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
this book also managed to avoid my biggest pet peeve when it comes to holiday books: I want the word christmas and/or christmas-adjacent words to be on every👏🏼other👏🏼page👏🏼 I want it to feel like christmas threw up everywhere and this book did exactly that.
atlas and betty were literally made for each other - the way they built on each other’s ridiculous comments and just made everything so awkward cracked me up 💀 half the conversations they had felt like I was watching a train wreck that I couldn’t look away from 🤣
and the popcorn garland scene?? I was laughing so hard by myself because it was the most insane but hilarious image in my mind 💀 top 5 favorite moments in a holiday book that I’ve ever read.
this book is perfect for a ridiculous but entertaining time around the holidays that doesn’t feel gimmicky and has substance, but also provides entertainment!
thank you to hambright PR and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 9, 2025
The banter was SO GOOD. I was actually laughing out loud. Highly recommend listening to this on audio.
December 4, 2025
3.75 definitely worse than the first one. there was too much millennial humor that i don’t find funny in here but man does he know how to fuck
November 13, 2025
I never laugh at other books the way I laugh at Meghan Quinn’s books
December 24, 2025
3.5⭐️ / Meghan Quinn is, without question, the queen of millennial cringe, and this book fully leans into that lane. It’s Hallmark… but make it smut. Objectively bad, but somehow so wildly over the top that it loops back around to being fun. High camp through and through.
Quinn is genuinely great at crafting jokes, but she has a habit of not knowing when to let them end. Almost every comedic moment overstays its welcome, stretching just a beat too long until it becomes exhausting instead of funny. The same goes for the third-act breakup. I don’t mind one in theory, but Meghan Quinn’s are in a league of their own when it comes to sheer absurdity. This one is especially egregious, feeling wildly manufactured just to hit the beat.
That said, I’ll give credit where it’s due. Her books are probably the closest thing we have in romance to a traditional Hollywood rom-com. Even when they’re ridiculous, they commit fully to the bit. If you like your holiday romances unapologetically cringe and over-the-top, this one will absolutely be your vibe.
Quinn is genuinely great at crafting jokes, but she has a habit of not knowing when to let them end. Almost every comedic moment overstays its welcome, stretching just a beat too long until it becomes exhausting instead of funny. The same goes for the third-act breakup. I don’t mind one in theory, but Meghan Quinn’s are in a league of their own when it comes to sheer absurdity. This one is especially egregious, feeling wildly manufactured just to hit the beat.
That said, I’ll give credit where it’s due. Her books are probably the closest thing we have in romance to a traditional Hollywood rom-com. Even when they’re ridiculous, they commit fully to the bit. If you like your holiday romances unapologetically cringe and over-the-top, this one will absolutely be your vibe.
October 22, 2025
absolutely obsessed and full rtc
January 1, 2026
dnf @/11% 🖐️😭
she opened a whole year around Christmas shop and was shocked to witness her business fail 🤡
what kind of fuckass small town needs TWO christmas tree farms 🤡 girl what are you doing 🤡
but what really pissed me off was the narrator butting in. its not cute, its not fun, its annoying and cringe. did feedback not get to megan quinn that it was bad? why are we doing it in book 2? yikes
this town is a cult, positively stay away
that man is a manchild
kindly asking for christmas books that are actually good ❤️🤲
she opened a whole year around Christmas shop and was shocked to witness her business fail 🤡
what kind of fuckass small town needs TWO christmas tree farms 🤡 girl what are you doing 🤡
but what really pissed me off was the narrator butting in. its not cute, its not fun, its annoying and cringe. did feedback not get to megan quinn that it was bad? why are we doing it in book 2? yikes
this town is a cult, positively stay away
that man is a manchild
kindly asking for christmas books that are actually good ❤️🤲
November 10, 2025
Holy hilarious, this book was laugh out loud, try-not-to-pee-your-pants funny! Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal is chaotic holiday perfection with the kind of fourth wall breaks that make you pause the audio just to wheeze-laugh. Meghan Quinn absolutely nailed the mix of ridiculous, heartwarming, and romantically unhinged.
The narration? Chef’s kiss. Samantha Brentmoor, Teddy Hamilton, J.F. Harding, Vanessa Edwin, Robert Hatchet, and Shane East deliver absolute gold, but that fourth wall break moment? Easily one of the funniest audiobook experiences I’ve ever had. Having Teddy Hamilton and Shane East back together made me want to immediately re-listen to God of Fury by Rina Kent just for the nostalgia.
This small-town Christmas romcom has everything from holiday chaos, enemies-to-lovers tension, public embarrassment, and just enough heart to make you melt between fits of laughter. If you need a festive mood booster or a good reminder that love (and humiliation) conquers all and this one’s it.
The narration? Chef’s kiss. Samantha Brentmoor, Teddy Hamilton, J.F. Harding, Vanessa Edwin, Robert Hatchet, and Shane East deliver absolute gold, but that fourth wall break moment? Easily one of the funniest audiobook experiences I’ve ever had. Having Teddy Hamilton and Shane East back together made me want to immediately re-listen to God of Fury by Rina Kent just for the nostalgia.
This small-town Christmas romcom has everything from holiday chaos, enemies-to-lovers tension, public embarrassment, and just enough heart to make you melt between fits of laughter. If you need a festive mood booster or a good reminder that love (and humiliation) conquers all and this one’s it.
December 17, 2025
The beginning was so cringe but it was cute!!!
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