Acting Merry

by Martha Keyes

She brought him to save her pride, but what if he steals her heart?

When Reese Cameron learns that her annual friend’s Christmas getaway will include her ex coming as her friend’s plus one, she considers a few

Stay home and nurse her prideBreak her leg skiing for a rock-solid excuse not to goAsk someone to come as her fake boyfriendEnter Cole Bradley. He may be a contractor rather than an actor, but he’s convincing enough at the boyfriend gig to make Reese question if it’s really all an act. But Cole has a strict two-date policy, and Reese’s heart isn’t built for casual. Which means she may leave this holiday getaway with her pride intact—and her heart broken.

Acting Merry is a closed-door holiday romcom novella filled with fake dating, festive banter, and all the swoony vibes—without the spice.

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Holiday, Audiobook, Fake Dating, Clean Romance, Contemporary

206 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2025

Reviews

[Oceana Reads Co. · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

She brought him to save her pride. He showed up ready to steal her heart.

Reese Witherspoon Cameron gets more than she bargained for when she asks Cole Bradley to be her fake boyfriend for a Christmas getaway.

Author Martha Keyes nails the fake boyfriend trope in this one! I love how the forced proximity and a handshake agreement begin the breaking down of walls, allowing love to grow from their deception. Having both POVs pulls readers into the story, giving insight into what’s going on in each character’s thoughts.

I enjoyed the transformation of both Reese and Cole. One sheds a strictly enforced dating rule and another allows themselves to be truly seen. The fake romance is the catalyst for this transformation. The kiss in the snow … 🥰

This one has ALL THE FEELS and it’s extremely well plotted and executed. Highly recommended.

[Alysha (For The Love of Christian Fiction) · Rating 5 out of 5]

K. I need this one for my shelf now…

Literally obsessed with this book! It was such an adorable fake-dating story and I laughed like a literal hyena a few times I’m SURE! This story had wit, chemistry, heart, and healing. It was so well done and I ABSOLUTELY need a trophy on my shelf now!

[Toni Shiloh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty, great banter, and swoony romance with a holiday backdrop

[Alicia (aliciasalwaysreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5, rounded up!)
GENRE
-Christmas rom-com

CONTENT
-🤬: none
-❤️: make outs
-⚠️: parental abandonment

Okay, this was SO DANG CUTE!!! Cole and Reese's story is instalove done right. I loved their meet-cute and the way their personalities just played off of each other.

When Reese's girl gang are all bringing significant others to their girls' weekend at the cabin (including her ex of only two months ago), Reese spontaneously invites Cole to come as her fake boyfriend. But that faking quickly leads to real feelings. I loved that mistakes were made but quickly fixed with adult communication. Also, the nickname Reese's Pieces? Stop it right now. IT'S SO CUTE!

There were some teeny-tiny errors that probably aren't noticeable to most readers, but I am me, so I noticed, lol. Regardless, I highly recommend this delightful novella this holiday season!

Favorite Quotes:
-"You don’t find love; it finds you while you’re busy enjoying life.”

-As a dental hygienist, fixation on people’s smiles is a job hazard. I see amazing smiles, totally average ones, and truly disturbing ones. Cole Bradley has a nice smile. Like, really nice. I’d work on that mouth any day. Professionally.

-“I had a feeling it would come to this, Reese’s Pieces.”
“Come to what?”
“You begging for me back.”

-I know we had to sell the kiss. That’s not the problem. The problem is that I’m the one who bought it. Hook, line, and sinker.

-"Strong relationships don’t just withstand the truth. They require it.”

-I’m obsessed with my husband, and I’ve accepted that because—guess what? He’s also obsessed with me, and mutual obsession is acceptable. I hope.

[Melmo2610 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this story! This one was perfect, I loved the opening scenes, the chemistry and the banter between Reese and Cole is pure perfection, and Cole’s nickname for Reese is adorable. An absolutely wonderful read. I’m adding this one to my all-time favorites list!

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

•𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰•

{𝑨𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑴𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒚}

“𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚝."

❄️ Release Date: October 22, 2025 ❄️
.
.
.
This novella was downright adorable and so much fun to read! It had the perfect amount of everything from comedy to romance to vulnerability between the characters 🤍 The story started off really strong and kept me thoroughly entertained, watching Reese & Cole pretend to date while denying their ever-growing feelings!

I loved how perfect Reese & Cole were for each other! You could tell right from the start that these two were going to be endgame ♥️ The teasing and flirting at the cabin to pull off their fake dating scheme definitely had sparks flying. They were hard pressed to convince anyone, much less themselves, that any of it was actually fake!

Read it for:
❄️ Fake dating
❄️ Christmas cabin trip
❄️ Gingerbread house competition
❄️ Cutesy nicknames
❄️ Mistletoe
❄️ Ugly Christmas sweaters
❄️ Hot tub shenanigans
❄️ HEAs
.
.
.
Thank you, Martha, for allowing me to read an arc of your new Christmas novella 🤍

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a festive cabin setting! When Reese finds out her ex will be joining her friend group’s annual Christmas getaway in Snoqualmie, she panics and convinces Cole Bradley, commitment-phobe and former owner of her home, to pose as her fake boyfriend.

Cole was such a charmer. He had that sunshine-y, here for a good time energy that gets me every single time. The flirty banter between him and Reese was so good right from their very first hilarious mail fiasco meet-cute, and I loved how naturally they slipped into an easy friendship. His little nickname for her, “Reese’s Pieces,” was adorable too!

I really liked the friend group dynamic here, especially the messy complication of Reese’s friend dating her ex. I live for this kind of drama! And I liked how it was all eventually mended with some much needed honesty and heart-to-hearts.

Where it lost me a bit was the insta-love. It’s a short book (206 pages), with the cabin events happening over only a couple of days, so I get it—I just think it would’ve felt more believable if Reese and Cole had admitted their feelings, yes, but saved the love declarations for the epilogue. A cute, quick read nonetheless!

(heat level: kisses only)

[Holly (IG Hollys_Book_Musings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Rules are rules"
"You know mistletoe isn't a prerequisite for me to kiss you, right?"
"It sure can't hurt though."

Acting Merry by Martha Keyes

Looking for your next Swoony and Sweet Holiday Romance?
Look no further than Acting Merry by Martha Keyes, her latest romcom.
This book will "knock your socks off" and keep you warm during the chilly days ahead.
Grab some hot chocolate, your choice of Reese's candy, and warm blanket and curl up with this adorable read.

Reese is a dental hygienist. Cole is a home remodeler and builder. Their worlds collide when she buys his house and he goes to pick up the mail that hasn't been forwarded. They agree to fake date each other when she goes to a cabin with her 3 friends for their annual Christmas getaway in order to avoid an Ex.

I loved everything about this read--the fake dating, forced proximity (two of my fave tropes together!), building gingerbread houses, hot tub, one bedroom, and so much more. This was literally the perfect bite-size romance to binge on audio in a day.
I'm so happy I came away with a copy of the paperback at the basket exchange recently.
A favorite to keep and reread in the future. I loved it so much! Definitely highly recommend!


Favorite Parts:
Meet Cute
Fake Dating
Forced proximity
Gingerbread House Building Contest
Movie watching
Their Chemistry
"So Fire Me"
One Bedroom
Mistletoe “Sardines”
“You get Cole for Christmas” “Guess you were on the naughty list”
Hot tub and snow angels
The socks and epilogue
Mistletoe

Content Guide:
Language: none
Sexual Content: feelings of attraction, appropriate touching, kissing (steamy make-outs--not detailed)
Violence/gore: none
Substance Use: none
Prejudices: none
Religious Content: none
Other: Feelings of self-doubt/worth, family problems

Book Info:
Series: Standalone
Genre: Holiday Romcom; Christmas
Romance Level: Kisses Only
Release Date: Available Now
Audio Publisher: Paradigm Press
Narrator: Caroline Lauf
POV: Dual First Person

[Kenzie | kenzienoelle.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

IG Review: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQHF3uJDU...

3.5 stars. A moment for this cover because HOW CUTE!! I was immediately sold for the cozy winter cabin vibes.

This Christmas-y romance novella centers around Reese. She just found out the her annual Girl’s Winter Cabin trip now includes significant others… not only is she very single, but her friend Madison is bringing her boyfriend who just happens to be Reese’s ex. Cool cool cool. Enter Mr. Cole Bradley, the handsome man that just showed up quite literally on her front porch. Fake dating anybody?

The vibes were a snowy chef’s kiss! Most of the story takes place at the cabin and it was a cozy winter wonderland delight complete with gingerbread house making. I really loved both Reese and Cole (and if you know, my picky romance taste, I have to love both love interests!)

My biggest struggle was how insta-love this romance was. And that’s just a personal preference. I also think because it’s a novella not a full length novel , things have to happen quickly so I get that. But I wanted more time with the characters, more letting the characters connect, more emotional depth and I think those would come with more pages. Sooo I guess I just wanted more! I think if this was a full length novel I could’ve loved it.

I do think this was such a cute book and will still highly recommend it to readers looking for a quick, sweet, Christmas vibes romance read!

Spice: closed door

Thank you to the author for the gifted egalley in exchange for review!

[Jaida · Rating 3 out of 5]

.𖥔 ݁ ˖⋆ ˚❆.𖥔 ݁ ˖⋆ ˚❆.𖥔 ݁ ˖⋆ ˚❆.𖥔 ݁ ˖⋆ ˚❆.𖥔 ݁ ˖⋆ ˚❆

I honestly don't have much to say. I basically read this in two sittings and it was pretty good. I liked some parts but it didn't really stand out as being over the top amazing or anything. I liked how Cole called Reese “Reese’s pieces” and I liked the ending and all of the Holiday activities they did. I would read more from this author in the future but this wasn't my favorite and I probably won't really ever think about this again. It was pretty clean though.

The characters
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reese ~ I liked her well enough she was a little juvenile though.

Cole ~ I liked him for the most part but he was quite annoying sometimes.

Meagan ~ she was alright.

Brady ~ he was pretty annoying.

Hannah ~ she was really nice and I liked her.

Tyler ~ he was funny.

Tess ~ I liked her well enough.

Dylan ~ he was kinda boring ngl.

What to expect
🎄 Fake Dating
🎄 RomCom
🎄 Sworn Off Love
🎄 Friendship

Quotes
~~~~~~~
“The timing of this thing between you two is too perfect,” Tess says, leading the way out of the bedroom. I try to keep my voice casual as I follow her. “What do you mean?” “Oh, come on,” she says. “You get Cole for Christmas?” “Guess you were on the naughty list,” Dylan teases.

Cole’s smile turns teasing as he takes two steps toward me. “Is all of this your way of saying you’d like to come back for more?” I laugh, my cheeks Christmas red as I look up at him. “Keep dreamin’.” He meets my eyes. “I will.”

Reese’s was onto something with their OG cups—the mini cups were a small step backward, in my opinion—but they really found their stride with the trees and pumpkins and bunnies.” She opens the package, then breaks the tree in half and puts it in my mouth. “Note how there’s no hard chocolate barrier. It’s soft. It melts in your mouth and blends seamlessly with the peanut butter. They’re perfection.” “You’re perfection.”

“So,” she prods, “do you acknowledge the inferiority of Reese’s Pieces?” I chew a little more. The trees are delicious. But it’s too tempting to goad her. “Too soft.” She looks at me with patent disappointment. “You’re hopeless.” And then she snuggles back into her spot against my chest. I am hopeless. Hopelessly falling in love with my fake girlfriend.

Fake might’ve been the starting mark, but I’ve been driving on Real Road for miles now, and after that kiss yesterday, I’m pretty sure Cole’s in the car with me.

Content
~~~~~~~
❤️‍🔥Romance| a few kisses with only emotional details, some pretty mild innuendos Cole and Reese share a bed (nothing happens)

🤬Language| crap

🗡️Violence| none

🏳️‍🌈LGBTQ| none

✝️ Religion/spirituality| none

⚠️Other| Parental abandonment

[Sarah Monzon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great banter

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

The banter was top notch. 😂 This was the year for fake dating Christmas rom-coms, and I’m not mad about it!

The comedy was golden and the banter really was exceptional! I’m not usually a strangers-to-lovers, insta-love fan, but somehow, Martha made it work in a way that didn’t bug me.

Loved seeing Cole & Reese find their person—AND seeing the importance of open communication. ✨

[Jocelyn M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really hate to leave low ratings because I know authors work hard, but I also try to rate honestly for the sake of helping other readers decide whether or not a book is right for them. Two stars for me means somewhere between "I didn't like it" and "It was okay," and that's generally how I feel about this one. I think others may really enjoy it especially if looking for solid Christmas vibes and a fake dating trope, but it's possible the author's writing style may not be for me. There were some incredibly cheesy/cringey/cliché lines (e.g. "my heart explodes into a million heart-eye emojis" and "his lips spread into a smile that makes my insides feel like noodles covered in a delicious sauce of relief"), along with instalove which isn't my favorite. I will try another book by this author, maybe one of her historical romances. For what it's worth, this was also my first fiction audiobook, and the narration may have caused some lines to sound more cringey than they would have been if I'd read them on a page (though I thought the narration seemed decent overall). One thing I appreciated about this book was that there wasn't cursing, and it was closed door without implied intimacy.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars = I liked it. This is a Hallmark in book form.

Plot- Some fun tropes: Fake dating, FMC getting over her ex, friends-trip cabin getaway, snowed in, only one bed.

Characters- Both MCs were likable. The MMC was a little more sensitive/fearful/needing-reassurance more than what I’m accustomed to for a MMC. (Also, he was way too self aware about where his relationship issues stemmed from. If he was that self aware, you’d think he would be more proactive about changing his 2-date policy bc he knows it’s unfounded and fear based. But whatever.)

Romance- Average/below average chemistry. Pretty insta-love to be declaring their love for each other when they’ve only spent a couple days together, but that’s okay.
The 3rd act conflict was short and sweet. I wasn’t really that into the flipped roles of the MMC running away and the FMC having to chase him, so I was SO RELIEVED that the author didn’t make that dynamic play out entirely.
I liked the epilogue.

Writing - Fine.


Content-

Language- No swears
Spice- sweet kisses
Violence- no
Substance abuse- no.
Cover- great! WAY WAY preferable to the faceless/simplified features cartoon covers I’m seeing elsewhere.
POV- dual POV between FMC and MMC, first person
Cliffhanger- no
Format- audiobook via Hoopla
Narration- Good, but i really wish we had a male narrator for the male chapters. I couldn’t tell the difference between the male and female POVs with the female performing both POV, which confused me multiple times.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

Remember when I said I have a low tolerance for romcoms? I guess my tolerance is greater when it comes to Christmas romance because this story was kind of cheesy, very fluffy, and predictable, but I still enjoyed it.

❤️What I liked:
-I’m a sucker for fake dating, and it worked in this story!

🤷‍♀️Why not five stars?
You’ll hardly ever hear me say this, but I think this was too short. At around 200 pages, the author tried to cram too much into a novella. As a result, it felt very “insta-love.” Another 50-100 pages would have allowed for more development of the relationship.

🎧This is on Kindle Unlimited, and my library has it available on audio on Hoopla! I ended up not needing the audio because I finished it so quickly.

⚠️Profanity: none
Sexual: 1/5 (kissing only)

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super Cute! Great chemistry between Reese and Cole, fun setting and storyline. I like that both characters are "sunshine" which made it fun and lighthearted, but still had some depth. A quick, entertaining story with plenty of swoony moments! I'd read it again!


Content Clean

[Raina Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ The absolute perfect holiday read that I NEEDED. So witty, cutesy, sweet, and cozy with a sprinkle of fake dating. Sign me up 🤪 highly recommend if you’re looking for a fun and short, yet loving holiday read 🥰🤭 I LOVE LOVE AND CHRISTMAS 🎄🥰

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this festive tale! I listened to the audio version and it was very nicely narrated.

The interactions between Cole and Reese were wonderful. They had great banter together throughout the story and their chemistry was off the chart. I loved the way they both began to wonder if what they were faking could actually be more.

I didn't want to stop listening to this story because these two were so sweet together.

[Megan Crofton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want to put this down! Martha Keyes does it again! I love her stories so much. She does so well at bringing that depth and growth especially in a novella. And she always does it beautifully.

Cole and Reese were adorable! They had this fun, teasing banter that had me giggling. Their banter was fun and witty! I loved their draw to each other. Reese was such a loyal friend and sweetheart. I was curious about Cole's background. I loved how he protected Reese and cherished her.

All the Christmas games and activities were so fun! Put me in the Christmas spirit. What a fun group of friends as well. I loved the theme of friendship throughout and how it wasn't just a romance but was about her friendship with her friends.

This one definitely did not disappoint!

[Micah (micahs.bookshelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful! I loved this romcom and it is my new favorite of Martha’s books. It is the perfect length for the season, while feeling like a full satisfying story.

The flirting in this is TOP NOTCH! It was so cute and so funny and I just adored Cole and Reese together!

🔥: Kisses

[Laura Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ how does one write a novella this well?

Full review to come:
https://youtube.com/@lauras_lovely_li...

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a cute fake dating, kissing only, holiday romance novella but sadly not my fav by Martha Keyes. Parts were charming, parts were swoony (I really liked the ending) and it was good on audio but it just lacked that something special to put it over the top into memorable territory. With the field of holiday romance books being so vast, this wasn't a standout for me.

[Madison Allshouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

This book was so cute🥹 anytime you add fake dating with Christmas time? I’m sat🤌🏻

Reese and Cole had such a fun dynamic - I loved their vibe and chemistry! ❤️💚

[Marlee Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 50th book!!!!

[Kassidy Lundgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was a quick read with perfect Christmas vibes! The story didn’t feel rushed it was just the right length and the story was really fun!

[Megan Scholle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5! Fun, light, quick read 💕

[Cindy Davis- Cindy's Book Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one so much!
Read for:
-Fake dating
-witty banter
-all the feels
-swoony romance
-overcoming obstacles
-snowed (iced) in
-friend group
I listened to this on audio and it was fantastic!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a fun hallmarky romance for Christmas.

[Eliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fake dating plot done in my favorite way!