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Evergreen Falls #2
Merry Little Kissmas
Wanted: A fresh shot at love for the holidays. But fake dating my brother’s grumpy best friend? He’s my new client, for Santa’s sake!
As a professional matchmaker, my biggest job this holiday season should be simple: find a date for the sexy single dad hockey player—aka my brother’s best friend—for his team’s fancy Christmas Eve gala.
Sure Rowan’s hot as a crackling fire and spicier than a gingerbread man, but he hasn’t just sworn off romance. The Christmas hater has made a bet that I can’t find him a holidate.
What’s a matchmaker to do?
Win, of course. Even if it means fake dating the grinch myself to get him ready for the real thing.
Only…these fake dates at Christmas tree farms and hot cocoa competitions in the snowy small town of Evergreen Falls start to feel a little too real as I get to know the man behind the scowl. Somewhere between kisses under the mistletoe and a snowed-in night in his cabin curled up by the fire (where the stockings aren’t the only thing hung), I realize I’m in over my elf-loving head.
And when Rowan opens up to me at last about his painful past, I’m determined to give my brother’s best friend the holiday he deserves.
But what if the only gift I want him to unwrap this season is… me?
Tropes: Holiday romance, brother’s best friend, fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, small town, Christmas competition, matchmaker romance, workplace romance
As a professional matchmaker, my biggest job this holiday season should be simple: find a date for the sexy single dad hockey player—aka my brother’s best friend—for his team’s fancy Christmas Eve gala.
Sure Rowan’s hot as a crackling fire and spicier than a gingerbread man, but he hasn’t just sworn off romance. The Christmas hater has made a bet that I can’t find him a holidate.
What’s a matchmaker to do?
Win, of course. Even if it means fake dating the grinch myself to get him ready for the real thing.
Only…these fake dates at Christmas tree farms and hot cocoa competitions in the snowy small town of Evergreen Falls start to feel a little too real as I get to know the man behind the scowl. Somewhere between kisses under the mistletoe and a snowed-in night in his cabin curled up by the fire (where the stockings aren’t the only thing hung), I realize I’m in over my elf-loving head.
And when Rowan opens up to me at last about his painful past, I’m determined to give my brother’s best friend the holiday he deserves.
But what if the only gift I want him to unwrap this season is… me?
Tropes: Holiday romance, brother’s best friend, fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, small town, Christmas competition, matchmaker romance, workplace romance
538 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2025
5034 people are currently reading
20181 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Blakely
245 books24.5k followersYou can find Lauren on TikTok at @laurenblakelybooks! A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good and witty. Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,809 reviews
October 17, 2025
✨ Rating: 4⭐️
🫧 Vibes: flirty banter and hot cocoa dates
🎶 Song: my only wish (this year) by britney spears
📖 Favourite Quote: "I'm in the sunshine to his grumpy. I'm the optimist to his pessimist. But maybe we're not that far apart after all."
📚 Would I recommend? yes!
💬 tldr thoughts: it's like christmas threw up all over this book (complimentary)
In the package:
📦 grumpy x sunshine
📦 fake dating
📦 banter and bets
📦 small town christmas
Plot: A professional matchmaker agrees to help her brother’s grumpy best friend — a single dad and Christmas-hater — find a date for a gala, but fake-dates with him end up stirring up real feelings just in time for the holidays.
Thoughts: I loved this and I feel like I would have loved this even more if I read it during Christmas time (I'm in full spooky mode rn 😅). The Christmas vibes were immaculate throughout the book and I absolutely LOVED the banter between Rowan and Isla and the way they turned every little thing into a competition. Their interactions felt natural and authentic. If you're looking for a grumpy x sunshine book for the holiday season, then this is the book for you. Rowan was the Grinch in human form. But Isla, who is a ray of sunshine and the ultimate Christmas lover eventually plowed through his walls 🤭 There's so many books out there with this trope and the grump turns out to be a total ass but I felt like this book truly balanced this trope well. And gosh, the way Rowan PAYS ATTENTION, I was swooning!!!
There's some cameos from characters in other books but this can be read as a standalone!
Thank you Hambright PR and Lauren Blakely for the ARC!
✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok and instagram⋆☾✩⁺₊✩
🫧 Vibes: flirty banter and hot cocoa dates
🎶 Song: my only wish (this year) by britney spears
📖 Favourite Quote: "I'm in the sunshine to his grumpy. I'm the optimist to his pessimist. But maybe we're not that far apart after all."
📚 Would I recommend? yes!
💬 tldr thoughts: it's like christmas threw up all over this book (complimentary)
In the package:
📦 grumpy x sunshine
📦 fake dating
📦 banter and bets
📦 small town christmas
Plot: A professional matchmaker agrees to help her brother’s grumpy best friend — a single dad and Christmas-hater — find a date for a gala, but fake-dates with him end up stirring up real feelings just in time for the holidays.
Thoughts: I loved this and I feel like I would have loved this even more if I read it during Christmas time (I'm in full spooky mode rn 😅). The Christmas vibes were immaculate throughout the book and I absolutely LOVED the banter between Rowan and Isla and the way they turned every little thing into a competition. Their interactions felt natural and authentic. If you're looking for a grumpy x sunshine book for the holiday season, then this is the book for you. Rowan was the Grinch in human form. But Isla, who is a ray of sunshine and the ultimate Christmas lover eventually plowed through his walls 🤭 There's so many books out there with this trope and the grump turns out to be a total ass but I felt like this book truly balanced this trope well. And gosh, the way Rowan PAYS ATTENTION, I was swooning!!!
There's some cameos from characters in other books but this can be read as a standalone!
Thank you Hambright PR and Lauren Blakely for the ARC!
✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok and instagram⋆☾✩⁺₊✩
November 25, 2025
Overall, the storyline for Merry Little Kissmas was cute. However, this book didn't need to be this long. I felt this book was just drawn out with very little character development. I felt as if for a majority of the book Rowan and Isla just repeated the same day. This book was very Christmas-y and did put me in the mood for all things Christmas though so the bad evened out with the good.
December 2, 2025
3.75⭐️I kicked off my Christmas TBR with this book and honestly had such a good time. It gave me all the Christmas vibes and feels. Perfect mix of cute, cheesy, corny… and swoony.
I listened to the audiobook, which was full cast, and it was fantastic. The hockey team was giving me life it was so playful ….and hot.
Grumpy single dad vibe worked really well here, because the FMC is a ray of Christmas sunshine. I loved the little activities and I loved how much she softened him with just being herself.
I will say it was a little long, which is part of why I docked a bit of my rating, but even with that, I really enjoyed it. My only issue was the MMC basically throwing Christmas out the window because of a bad breakup like dude….you have a daughter THAT LOVES CHRISTMAS. It made me genuinely sad for her. If she weren’t there, the grumpy Christmas Grinch thing would’ve worked perfectly. He was a great dad besides that though so I’ll give him some points back😂
Other than that, I was smiling my ass off, and the spice totally caught me by surprise ….very Christmas-themed.
This man literally whipped out a baggie of crushed candy cane in the middle of them getting freaky HAHAHA.
Overall, this is a fun, laid-back little Christmas read that deserves a spot on your TBR.🎄🎅🏻
I listened to the audiobook, which was full cast, and it was fantastic. The hockey team was giving me life it was so playful ….and hot.
Grumpy single dad vibe worked really well here, because the FMC is a ray of Christmas sunshine. I loved the little activities and I loved how much she softened him with just being herself.
I will say it was a little long, which is part of why I docked a bit of my rating, but even with that, I really enjoyed it. My only issue was the MMC basically throwing Christmas out the window because of a bad breakup like dude….you have a daughter THAT LOVES CHRISTMAS. It made me genuinely sad for her. If she weren’t there, the grumpy Christmas Grinch thing would’ve worked perfectly. He was a great dad besides that though so I’ll give him some points back😂
Other than that, I was smiling my ass off, and the spice totally caught me by surprise ….very Christmas-themed.
This man literally whipped out a baggie of crushed candy cane in the middle of them getting freaky HAHAHA.
Overall, this is a fun, laid-back little Christmas read that deserves a spot on your TBR.🎄🎅🏻
November 16, 2025
this guy sucked lmao
what kind of dad takes CHRISTMAS away from his DAUGHTER for 5 YEARS bc his ex left them. he didn’t even let her have a tree for crying out loud.
you can’t convince me he was over his ex when he still had such strong reactions towards anything christmas related after 5 years.
i HATED that it was Isla that made him see the fun in christmas again and not his DAUGHTER??? hello??? it felt like he needed her to rewrite christmas and give himself almost a do-over with another female since his ex left him. it was gross and not very romantic
he didn’t realize he had real feelings for sooo long. he was fine with “it’s all fake and will end soon” while she’s torn up and realizing she likes him. then he breaks up with her bc he realizes his daughter likes her too much and will get attached to her - therefore ruining christmas once again when they eventually break up bc nothing lasts forever. stfu
what kind of dad takes CHRISTMAS away from his DAUGHTER for 5 YEARS bc his ex left them. he didn’t even let her have a tree for crying out loud.
you can’t convince me he was over his ex when he still had such strong reactions towards anything christmas related after 5 years.
i HATED that it was Isla that made him see the fun in christmas again and not his DAUGHTER??? hello??? it felt like he needed her to rewrite christmas and give himself almost a do-over with another female since his ex left him. it was gross and not very romantic
he didn’t realize he had real feelings for sooo long. he was fine with “it’s all fake and will end soon” while she’s torn up and realizing she likes him. then he breaks up with her bc he realizes his daughter likes her too much and will get attached to her - therefore ruining christmas once again when they eventually break up bc nothing lasts forever. stfu
November 1, 2025
4.5 stars.
If you're looking for the perfect grumpy/sunshine, single dad, hockey player x matchmaker Christmas romantic comedy to get you in the holiday spirit this year, "Merry Little Kissmas" by Lauren Blakely is the book for you! Oh my god, this book is SO GOOD! It is festive, hilarious, full of delicious banter, cute, fluffy, and steamy as heck! I thoroughly enjoyed Isla and Rowan's romance. Isla LOVES Christmas, and Rowan, rightfully so as we learn, has every reason to hate it. While she's all about bows and wreaths and hot cocoa and Christmas competitions, he is a Scrooge who has a hard time even getting a Christmas tree, even though his young daughter loves the holiday, too. As Isla takes a job trying to matchmake for Rowan and his grumpy self, he does everything he can to sabotage her efforts. Over time, the more time they spend together, Isla and Rowan slowly but surely begin to develop feelings for one another. The best part about this book is their banter! They are joking with one another in an effortless, realistic way. Their interactions are seamless and never feel forced or inauthentic. Even with his moodiness, Rowan isn't a total jerk, and even with her bubbliness, Isla isn't overly annoying. Sure, some of the stuff they say and do is a little cringe, but it's *~holiday cringe,~* which I think makes it acceptable. I also love the way Isla interacts with Rowan's daughter, who takes a liking to her despite Rowan's protestations. The secondary characters in this story are great, especially Rowan's hockey teammates, who bring consistent laughs and holiday shenanigans from beginning to end. I think this book is well-paced and not too long. It's a quick read because you won't be able to put it down! If you get the chance, please listen to the audiobook featuring a full voiceover cast, including the main cast talents of Connor Crais and Vanessa Edwin, as well as secondary characters voiced by the likes of Teddy Hamilton, Jason Clark, JF Harding, and Soneela Nankani. Absolutely fantastic audiobook production here featuring terrific voiceover narrations! Perfect!!
Thank you to Lauren Blakely for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
If you're looking for the perfect grumpy/sunshine, single dad, hockey player x matchmaker Christmas romantic comedy to get you in the holiday spirit this year, "Merry Little Kissmas" by Lauren Blakely is the book for you! Oh my god, this book is SO GOOD! It is festive, hilarious, full of delicious banter, cute, fluffy, and steamy as heck! I thoroughly enjoyed Isla and Rowan's romance. Isla LOVES Christmas, and Rowan, rightfully so as we learn, has every reason to hate it. While she's all about bows and wreaths and hot cocoa and Christmas competitions, he is a Scrooge who has a hard time even getting a Christmas tree, even though his young daughter loves the holiday, too. As Isla takes a job trying to matchmake for Rowan and his grumpy self, he does everything he can to sabotage her efforts. Over time, the more time they spend together, Isla and Rowan slowly but surely begin to develop feelings for one another. The best part about this book is their banter! They are joking with one another in an effortless, realistic way. Their interactions are seamless and never feel forced or inauthentic. Even with his moodiness, Rowan isn't a total jerk, and even with her bubbliness, Isla isn't overly annoying. Sure, some of the stuff they say and do is a little cringe, but it's *~holiday cringe,~* which I think makes it acceptable. I also love the way Isla interacts with Rowan's daughter, who takes a liking to her despite Rowan's protestations. The secondary characters in this story are great, especially Rowan's hockey teammates, who bring consistent laughs and holiday shenanigans from beginning to end. I think this book is well-paced and not too long. It's a quick read because you won't be able to put it down! If you get the chance, please listen to the audiobook featuring a full voiceover cast, including the main cast talents of Connor Crais and Vanessa Edwin, as well as secondary characters voiced by the likes of Teddy Hamilton, Jason Clark, JF Harding, and Soneela Nankani. Absolutely fantastic audiobook production here featuring terrific voiceover narrations! Perfect!!
Thank you to Lauren Blakely for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
undecided
November 3, 2025Self note:
Skimmed atm.
He had an ex, who's also the mother of his kid and someone he really loved. She walked away from them five years ago, right on the day he was meant to propose to her. He said he was over her, but the hurt is still there, and now he can't stand Christmas since it was his ex's favorite holiday.
As his connection with the FMC, she's the sister of his best friend/agent, and he's been crushing on her since last year??? The FMC finds him attractive too, but I didn't know how she feels about him. I haven't yet read anything concrete as proof.
Skimmed atm.
He had an ex, who's also the mother of his kid and someone he really loved. She walked away from them five years ago, right on the day he was meant to propose to her. He said he was over her, but the hurt is still there, and now he can't stand Christmas since it was his ex's favorite holiday.
As his connection with the FMC, she's the sister of his best friend/agent, and he's been crushing on her since last year??? The FMC finds him attractive too, but I didn't know how she feels about him. I haven't yet read anything concrete as proof.
Read
October 27, 2025I’m finally throwing in the towel because I have to admit at 49% I’m so checked out of this story and truly don’t care enough to listen to almost 7 more hours. I’m bummed because I’ve enjoyed this series so far, but this book just missed the mark for me.
DNF @ 49%. I’ve been trying to finish for a week now and I’m just bored. I can’t force it any longer.
DNF @ 49%. I’ve been trying to finish for a week now and I’m just bored. I can’t force it any longer.
October 17, 2025
Oh wow! I think this book is now my favorite Lauren Blakely book! She hit this holiday romance out of the park!
Rowan, single dad hockey player with a past that makes it hard for him to trust again. Isla, sweetheart matchmaker professional who’s passion for “seeing” and “hearing” people is next level.
They’re brought together when bumping into each other at a charity event and while Rowan is planning his escape after hastily throwing out his donations, he gets blindsided by his teammates with a gift that literally keeps on giving. He has to be love matched by the one and only matchmaker, Isla. BY CHRISTMAS!
So not to spoil a single thing, this funny and sexy adventure with these two turns into more than they ever dreamed it would. Trying to avoid any real feelings they decide to do away with the date coaching and just go ahead and fake date each other to make it easier for them both all the way around. But when they can’t tell what’s real and what’s fake anymore is when the real fun begins. I 100% recommend this holiday romance to get cozy with!
Tropes:
💋fun and improper uses of candy canes
“Candy canes are my kryptonite.” Also, “The Case of the Candy Cane Punch Poisoning”
💋 single dad
💋 fake dating
💋 new kinks unlocked: lumberjack porn
💋 brother’s best friend
💋 hockey romance
💋 he’s sworn off dating
💋 spice is a 3/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️
I ALSO RECEIVED THE AUDIOBOOK FOR THIS AND YOU HAVE TO GET IT! FULL CAST DREAM TEAM! 🙌🏻
Thank you Hambright PR and Lauren Blakely for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review!
Rowan, single dad hockey player with a past that makes it hard for him to trust again. Isla, sweetheart matchmaker professional who’s passion for “seeing” and “hearing” people is next level.
They’re brought together when bumping into each other at a charity event and while Rowan is planning his escape after hastily throwing out his donations, he gets blindsided by his teammates with a gift that literally keeps on giving. He has to be love matched by the one and only matchmaker, Isla. BY CHRISTMAS!
So not to spoil a single thing, this funny and sexy adventure with these two turns into more than they ever dreamed it would. Trying to avoid any real feelings they decide to do away with the date coaching and just go ahead and fake date each other to make it easier for them both all the way around. But when they can’t tell what’s real and what’s fake anymore is when the real fun begins. I 100% recommend this holiday romance to get cozy with!
Tropes:
💋fun and improper uses of candy canes
“Candy canes are my kryptonite.” Also, “The Case of the Candy Cane Punch Poisoning”
💋 single dad
💋 fake dating
💋 new kinks unlocked: lumberjack porn
💋 brother’s best friend
💋 hockey romance
💋 he’s sworn off dating
💋 spice is a 3/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️
I ALSO RECEIVED THE AUDIOBOOK FOR THIS AND YOU HAVE TO GET IT! FULL CAST DREAM TEAM! 🙌🏻
Thank you Hambright PR and Lauren Blakely for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review!
December 18, 2025
5⭐️
3🌶️
🎄Holiday Romance
🔥Brother’s Best Friend
🎄Fake Dating
🔥Grumpy/Sunshine
🎄Matchmaker/Hockey Player
🔥Single Dad
🎄Dual First Person POV
Merry Little Kissmas is a fun, sweet, cozy that is full of steamy Christmas romance to get you in the spirit. Rowan is the grumpiest grump, hockey player, and single dad. He hates everything about the holiday. His teammates decide to bid on a matchmaker to find him a date for the team’s Christmas gala. Isla is his agent and he’s friend’s sister and lover of all things love and Christmas. She’s up to the challenge of matching Rowan with his perfect date. He’s all for spending time with her, since he’s had a crush on her for over a year, but tries to sabotage her efforts. It starts with a passionate kiss under the mistletoe that snowballs into fake dating that doesn’t feel fake. Neither are looking looking for love because of bad past experiences, Rowan doesn’t believe in love for himself and Isla is focused on finding love for others. With his schedule and only a few weeks until the gala, he convinces her to fake date him to get back at his teammates. Really, it’s an excuse to spend more time with her. Lauren has a way with words, full of ‘festive AF’ banter and Christmas cheer. The chemistry and tension betweeen these too burns slow but whoa the spice and the spicy eating of candy canes is worth the wait.
Plot: 5
Engaging: 5
Character: 5
A Few Favorite Quotes:
“Why do frustrating men need to be so sexy?”
“Perhaps, I’ll need to fake date this crush out of my system right up until Christmas.”
“Who is this man? Giving me Christmas gifts. Ordering my favorite coffee. Wearing a Santa sweater that’s irreverent in a way that actually makes sense for him. It’s like he’s trying to Christmas-seduce me.”
“These aren’t just flutters. These are sparks. The full-throttle kind.”
“Yep. You taste better than any dessert,” he says, then drops his hand between my thighs again.
“By now, I’ve learned one important thing about fake-dates with Rowan: always wear a skirt.”
“Well, is that a candy cane in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” His eyes narrow. “Isla, I’m always happy to see you,”
3🌶️
🎄Holiday Romance
🔥Brother’s Best Friend
🎄Fake Dating
🔥Grumpy/Sunshine
🎄Matchmaker/Hockey Player
🔥Single Dad
🎄Dual First Person POV
Merry Little Kissmas is a fun, sweet, cozy that is full of steamy Christmas romance to get you in the spirit. Rowan is the grumpiest grump, hockey player, and single dad. He hates everything about the holiday. His teammates decide to bid on a matchmaker to find him a date for the team’s Christmas gala. Isla is his agent and he’s friend’s sister and lover of all things love and Christmas. She’s up to the challenge of matching Rowan with his perfect date. He’s all for spending time with her, since he’s had a crush on her for over a year, but tries to sabotage her efforts. It starts with a passionate kiss under the mistletoe that snowballs into fake dating that doesn’t feel fake. Neither are looking looking for love because of bad past experiences, Rowan doesn’t believe in love for himself and Isla is focused on finding love for others. With his schedule and only a few weeks until the gala, he convinces her to fake date him to get back at his teammates. Really, it’s an excuse to spend more time with her. Lauren has a way with words, full of ‘festive AF’ banter and Christmas cheer. The chemistry and tension betweeen these too burns slow but whoa the spice and the spicy eating of candy canes is worth the wait.
Plot: 5
Engaging: 5
Character: 5
A Few Favorite Quotes:
“Why do frustrating men need to be so sexy?”
“Perhaps, I’ll need to fake date this crush out of my system right up until Christmas.”
“Who is this man? Giving me Christmas gifts. Ordering my favorite coffee. Wearing a Santa sweater that’s irreverent in a way that actually makes sense for him. It’s like he’s trying to Christmas-seduce me.”
“These aren’t just flutters. These are sparks. The full-throttle kind.”
“Yep. You taste better than any dessert,” he says, then drops his hand between my thighs again.
“By now, I’ve learned one important thing about fake-dates with Rowan: always wear a skirt.”
“Well, is that a candy cane in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” His eyes narrow. “Isla, I’m always happy to see you,”
October 23, 2025
Thank you to Lauren Blakely for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This one was sooo cute and Christmasy!!!
Isla and Rowan were absolutely adorable. I always adore fake dating, but this book was sooo much more. It is festive, hilarious, full of sooo much banter, cute, fluffy and also sooo steamy. Some of these scenes were extremely hot. The outdoor fun "activities" left me speechless!!!
What to expect:
• fake dating
• hockey player × matchmaker
• brother's best friend
• single dad
• holiday romance
• the sassiest daughter
• the cutest adopted dog
• found family
• steamy and fun scenes 1.5-2/5🌶
This one was sooo cute and Christmasy!!!
Isla and Rowan were absolutely adorable. I always adore fake dating, but this book was sooo much more. It is festive, hilarious, full of sooo much banter, cute, fluffy and also sooo steamy. Some of these scenes were extremely hot. The outdoor fun "activities" left me speechless!!!
What to expect:
• fake dating
• hockey player × matchmaker
• brother's best friend
• single dad
• holiday romance
• the sassiest daughter
• the cutest adopted dog
• found family
• steamy and fun scenes 1.5-2/5🌶
December 2, 2025
DNF @ 45%
How tf are you going to refuse to do anything Christmas related for your daughter but will do it for some girl?! This book had me so mad. This book is also so long for what?
How tf are you going to refuse to do anything Christmas related for your daughter but will do it for some girl?! This book had me so mad. This book is also so long for what?
November 1, 2025
I loved most of the rest of the books from this series, but this book just dragged on way too long. The book could have been about 200 pages shorter and been much better. The “fake dating” was so repetitive. The whole thing was overly predictable and difficult to get through. I found myself skimming just to get through parts. Like the whole Christmas competition was so stupid and unnecessary to the plot.
October 28, 2025
Seriously? How stinking cute! I had so much fun with this one. I love a cutesy Christmas romance, and this one brought ALL the heat 🥵
I’m a sucker for the over the top, semi-cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies…and this gave me so much of that (but with the added bonus of that spice 🌶️). This instantly put me in the mood for the holiday season!
Grumpy/Sunshine ✅ Tasteful Spice ✅ Single Dad ✅ Small Town ✅ Fake Dating ✅ honestly, it would have been hard for me to NOT like this one 👏🏼👏🏼
Look for this on your shelves on October 28. Big thank you to the author Lauren Blakely and to Hambright PR for sending me this ALC and eARC 🎁
I’m a sucker for the over the top, semi-cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies…and this gave me so much of that (but with the added bonus of that spice 🌶️). This instantly put me in the mood for the holiday season!
Grumpy/Sunshine ✅ Tasteful Spice ✅ Single Dad ✅ Small Town ✅ Fake Dating ✅ honestly, it would have been hard for me to NOT like this one 👏🏼👏🏼
Look for this on your shelves on October 28. Big thank you to the author Lauren Blakely and to Hambright PR for sending me this ALC and eARC 🎁
October 28, 2025
Okay, this one was such Christmas magic! ✨ Fake dating? Check. Brother’s best friend? Double check. Grumpy hockey dad who secretly melts your heart like hot cocoa? Check, check, check! ☕💞
Rowan might be a Christmas hater, but between tree farm “dates,” cocoa competitions, and one very cozy snowed-in night 👀🔥… this matchmaker didn’t stand a snowball’s chance at keeping things fake!
This story took me a little bit to get into but was sprinkled with all the festive charm, flirty banter, and swoony moments I crave in a holiday romance. It’s sweet, spicy, and sparkly in all the best ways. By the end, I was ready to deck my halls with mistletoe and love letters. 💌🎁
Rowan might be a Christmas hater, but between tree farm “dates,” cocoa competitions, and one very cozy snowed-in night 👀🔥… this matchmaker didn’t stand a snowball’s chance at keeping things fake!
This story took me a little bit to get into but was sprinkled with all the festive charm, flirty banter, and swoony moments I crave in a holiday romance. It’s sweet, spicy, and sparkly in all the best ways. By the end, I was ready to deck my halls with mistletoe and love letters. 💌🎁
October 31, 2025
This book threw me into the holiday spirit!!!!!
In this story, we get a single hockey daddy who is lowkey a grinch whose hockey team sets him up with a matchmaker. Now this matchmaker is special because she’s his best friends sister & also his crush… nothing could go wrong ;)
Tropes:
Hockey romance
Grumpy x sunshine
Fake dating
Single dad
In this story, we get a single hockey daddy who is lowkey a grinch whose hockey team sets him up with a matchmaker. Now this matchmaker is special because she’s his best friends sister & also his crush… nothing could go wrong ;)
Tropes:
Hockey romance
Grumpy x sunshine
Fake dating
Single dad
October 27, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ 2.5 🌶️ alllll the good holiday feels!
Lauren’s best holiday book yet. I was locked in the entire time! Connor Crais as a grumpy single dad who hates Christmas time and Vanessa Edwin as bubbly match maker Isla was the perfect pairing. PLUS the whole cast from books before???
Loved!
Lauren’s best holiday book yet. I was locked in the entire time! Connor Crais as a grumpy single dad who hates Christmas time and Vanessa Edwin as bubbly match maker Isla was the perfect pairing. PLUS the whole cast from books before???
Loved!
October 29, 2025
Merry Little Kissmas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Lauren Blakely
Narrators: Vanessa Edwin and Connor Crais with a full cast!
One of the Hottest, Sexy, Sassy Holiday Romcoms for 2025!
First of all, I loved this audiobook and I adored Vanessa Edwin and Connor Crais as our main characters in this book, Rowan and Isla. They were perfect and the full cast just made this experience all the more incredible!
What could go wrong when you have a professional matchmaker tasked with helping the grumpy single hockey player dad find love again? So much I tell you and every scene, every chapter was absolute perfection!
Add in some of our favorite characters from the Love and Hockey series and My Favorite Holidate and you have one of the best holiday romance books for 2025! I laughed, I cried, I chortled (yes, I chortled) and even made it past a very brief third act breakup!
But if I leave you with anything in this review it’s two things: 1) You have to read this book if you are looking for a sexy, sassy holiday romcom and 2) You must get the Bonus Epilogue (it’s chef’s kiss I say) and made me tear up one more time!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Lauren Blakely
Narrators: Vanessa Edwin and Connor Crais with a full cast!
One of the Hottest, Sexy, Sassy Holiday Romcoms for 2025!
First of all, I loved this audiobook and I adored Vanessa Edwin and Connor Crais as our main characters in this book, Rowan and Isla. They were perfect and the full cast just made this experience all the more incredible!
What could go wrong when you have a professional matchmaker tasked with helping the grumpy single hockey player dad find love again? So much I tell you and every scene, every chapter was absolute perfection!
Add in some of our favorite characters from the Love and Hockey series and My Favorite Holidate and you have one of the best holiday romance books for 2025! I laughed, I cried, I chortled (yes, I chortled) and even made it past a very brief third act breakup!
But if I leave you with anything in this review it’s two things: 1) You have to read this book if you are looking for a sexy, sassy holiday romcom and 2) You must get the Bonus Epilogue (it’s chef’s kiss I say) and made me tear up one more time!
October 29, 2025
If you’re looking for your next holiday read definitely check this one out!
We have Rowan, a single dad hockey grump, that had his heart crushed on Christmas nonetheless. He’s what we would call a grinch. Isla is the ray of sunshine professional matchmaker that takes on the task of helping her brother’s best friend find love again, but the winds up fake dating him for a gala.
This is as such a fun cute holiday read with some of my favorite tropes including
-Grumpy x Sunshine
-Brothers best friend
-Single dad
-Fake dating
-Small town romance
-lots of banter
Thank you so much to Lauren Blakely and Hambright PR for the opportunity to read this pre-release in exchange for my honest review
We have Rowan, a single dad hockey grump, that had his heart crushed on Christmas nonetheless. He’s what we would call a grinch. Isla is the ray of sunshine professional matchmaker that takes on the task of helping her brother’s best friend find love again, but the winds up fake dating him for a gala.
This is as such a fun cute holiday read with some of my favorite tropes including
-Grumpy x Sunshine
-Brothers best friend
-Single dad
-Fake dating
-Small town romance
-lots of banter
Thank you so much to Lauren Blakely and Hambright PR for the opportunity to read this pre-release in exchange for my honest review
October 31, 2025
This Christmas romance really grew on me and I ended up feeling really invested in Isla and Rowan getting their HEA! I loved how Isla and Rowan both were not looking for love after having previous bad experiences but they were attracted to each other and eventually fake dating became real dates. I also loved how their friends, family and even the town people were rooting for them. Mia and Wanda are the cutest and I think everyone will be charmed by them. Thank you to author Lauren Blakely and Hambright PR for the opportunity to read this early. I will definitely be reading more of Lauren’s books!
December 2, 2025
4.5/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️
MORE FULL CAST NARRATION AUDIOBOOKS!!!
1.5/5 🌶️
MORE FULL CAST NARRATION AUDIOBOOKS!!!
December 16, 2025
3.5 stars
MMC and FMC were adorable and the side characters were incredible but this was too long AND had a very unnecessary third act breakup. Would’ve been a prefect holiday read otherwise.
MMC and FMC were adorable and the side characters were incredible but this was too long AND had a very unnecessary third act breakup. Would’ve been a prefect holiday read otherwise.
December 29, 2025
Cozy, spicy and festive ❄️🏒🌶️🎄
October 21, 2025
This is my second ALC and I absolutely loved it. It’s also set during my favorite season of the year, Christmas, which made it even more special.
This book has a hockey player MMC, fake dating, a matchmaker FMC, single dad, brother’s best friend, found family, and so much more. Rowan hates Christmas and doesn’t hide it. His dislike comes from a painful past experience, while Isla absolutely loves the holiday. When Rowan’s teammates intervene and bid on a matchmaking package for him, things take an unexpected turn.
I love how the author wrote about Rowan’s hurt and emotional struggles, and how she also captured Isla’s pain, even when she tries to act like she’s fine. It was so relatable.
As a Nigerian, I really appreciated the mention of Nkem in such a positive light—it’s not something I come across often in books.
A lovely, heartwarming story. I rate it 4 stars and highly recommend it.
Thank you to the author and Hambright Marketing for this ALC
This book has a hockey player MMC, fake dating, a matchmaker FMC, single dad, brother’s best friend, found family, and so much more. Rowan hates Christmas and doesn’t hide it. His dislike comes from a painful past experience, while Isla absolutely loves the holiday. When Rowan’s teammates intervene and bid on a matchmaking package for him, things take an unexpected turn.
I love how the author wrote about Rowan’s hurt and emotional struggles, and how she also captured Isla’s pain, even when she tries to act like she’s fine. It was so relatable.
As a Nigerian, I really appreciated the mention of Nkem in such a positive light—it’s not something I come across often in books.
A lovely, heartwarming story. I rate it 4 stars and highly recommend it.
Thank you to the author and Hambright Marketing for this ALC
October 22, 2025
yikes lol (1.5 rounded up simply bc i made myself finish it)
October 13, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up!
ALC review and this narration with Connor Crais & Vanessa Edwin was so good. This also had a full cast of narrators for the side characters and this made it so much more fun! Some truly amazing narrators!!
Absolutely loved this book! A holiday, hockey romance, single dad story with all the Christmas vibes, fake dating, and a grinchy MMC.
Isla is a professional Match maker and she’s supposed to be looking for a date for her brothers best friend. He’s a grumpy single dad, hockey player with a rough past and closed off to the idea of dating. This came with all the banter, laughter, and spice! I absolutely loved the added Christmas vibes & Christmas competition & the bond between Rowan and his daughter!! If you’re looking for a great holiday rom com this will be the perfect one for your holiday season!!
Thank you Lauren Blakely for this early ALC opportunity!!
ALC review and this narration with Connor Crais & Vanessa Edwin was so good. This also had a full cast of narrators for the side characters and this made it so much more fun! Some truly amazing narrators!!
Absolutely loved this book! A holiday, hockey romance, single dad story with all the Christmas vibes, fake dating, and a grinchy MMC.
Isla is a professional Match maker and she’s supposed to be looking for a date for her brothers best friend. He’s a grumpy single dad, hockey player with a rough past and closed off to the idea of dating. This came with all the banter, laughter, and spice! I absolutely loved the added Christmas vibes & Christmas competition & the bond between Rowan and his daughter!! If you’re looking for a great holiday rom com this will be the perfect one for your holiday season!!
Thank you Lauren Blakely for this early ALC opportunity!!
October 22, 2025
What’s better than a grumpy single dad? A grumpy single dad who hates the holidays and is determined to keep it that way! When Rowan’s teammates pair him up with a matchmaker to try and give him a push to start dating again, Isla is determined to find him the perfect match. But as they start to fake date, it’s so obvious how real both of their feelings are.
The banter between Isla & Rowan is this is perfect and had me smiling so many times. But this is also a little emotional as Rowan navigates through past trauma that the holidays hold for him. I also really enjoyed how present Mia was in this story! She is so insightful and definitely sees more than Rowan might have realized. But the times that Rowan, Mia, and Isla were all together were so precious!
ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ🎧:
The audiobook is narrated in duet by Vanessa Edwin & Connor Crais and performed with a FULL CAST! I LOVED this audiobook so much and could not stop listening! It was performed to perfection!
ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ:
🎄ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ’ꜱ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ
🎄ʜᴏʟɪᴅᴀʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
🎄ꜱᴍᴀʟʟ ᴛᴏᴡɴ
🎄ꜰᴀᴋᴇ ᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ
🎄ɢʀᴜᴍᴘʏ x ꜱᴜɴꜱʜɪɴᴇ
🎄ꜱɪɴɢʟᴇ ᴅᴀᴅ
Thank you so much to Lauren Blakely and her team for letting me read & listen to an ARC/ALC of this in exchange for my honest review!
The banter between Isla & Rowan is this is perfect and had me smiling so many times. But this is also a little emotional as Rowan navigates through past trauma that the holidays hold for him. I also really enjoyed how present Mia was in this story! She is so insightful and definitely sees more than Rowan might have realized. But the times that Rowan, Mia, and Isla were all together were so precious!
ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ🎧:
The audiobook is narrated in duet by Vanessa Edwin & Connor Crais and performed with a FULL CAST! I LOVED this audiobook so much and could not stop listening! It was performed to perfection!
ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ:
🎄ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ’ꜱ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ
🎄ʜᴏʟɪᴅᴀʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
🎄ꜱᴍᴀʟʟ ᴛᴏᴡɴ
🎄ꜰᴀᴋᴇ ᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ
🎄ɢʀᴜᴍᴘʏ x ꜱᴜɴꜱʜɪɴᴇ
🎄ꜱɪɴɢʟᴇ ᴅᴀᴅ
Thank you so much to Lauren Blakely and her team for letting me read & listen to an ARC/ALC of this in exchange for my honest review!
October 31, 2025
This was such a cute little Christmas romance book. I love that I got to start this season off with a Christmas book that I actually enjoyed. The characters were fantastic, I can also now say that I only like a grumpy sunshine when it is in the context of a Christmas book lol. I also loved that we got to see some familiar characters from Lauren Blakely's other books that I've read.
I mostly listened to the audiobook and I just loved that it was full cast. It made me feel so immersed in the book, the narrators did such a good job.
If you are gonna be reading some Christmas/ holiday romance this year I would definitely recommend this one.
Thank you to Lauren Blakely & her team for sending me the ARC and ALC of this book.
I mostly listened to the audiobook and I just loved that it was full cast. It made me feel so immersed in the book, the narrators did such a good job.
If you are gonna be reading some Christmas/ holiday romance this year I would definitely recommend this one.
Thank you to Lauren Blakely & her team for sending me the ARC and ALC of this book.
December 4, 2025
3.5 stars!
This was an adorable holiday themed romance! I really loved all the Christmas cheer Blakely embedded in the book; it really helped me get into the holiday spirit! While I did enjoy the romance, I felt like this book went on too long, and a lot could have been cut. I got more invested when the couple began to get together, but again, it definitely dragged a bit. But overall, a really fun, steamy holiday read!
This was an adorable holiday themed romance! I really loved all the Christmas cheer Blakely embedded in the book; it really helped me get into the holiday spirit! While I did enjoy the romance, I felt like this book went on too long, and a lot could have been cut. I got more invested when the couple began to get together, but again, it definitely dragged a bit. But overall, a really fun, steamy holiday read!
October 28, 2025
This was such a cute Christmas book. I loved it so much. I 10/10 recommend.
Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
December 10, 2025
3.5 stars
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