Surviving the Holly-Days

by Echo Grayce

God grant me the serenity to not die a willing man between the thighs of a woman who thinks we’re faking it… Holly f*cking McAdams.

My best friend’s little sister.
Professional overachiever.
Human caffeine pill in heels.

Thanks to a freak blizzard and the universe personally targeting me, we’re stuck in the last room, with one bed, and no adult supervision.

Her brilliant solution?
A head-to-foot sleeping arrangement.
Cute. Harmless.
Until she latched onto my face mid-REM and tried to crack my skull between her thighs like it owed her money.

Death by snatch.
Not how I thought I’d go out, but hey—there are worse ways to die.

I take the bro code seriously, but there's no clause for mistletoe black magic, manifestation panties, or those damn librarian glasses practically begging me to dog-ear her pages.

And don’t even talk to me about the thigh-high striped socks.
She says they’re for warmth.
I say they’re a felony in five states and an act of war in the other forty-five.

Everything about her is a snake charmer’s symphony, conducting a full-scale assault on my co—er, anaconda.

Nick asked me to give his baby sister a ride.
He didn’t know she’d nearly suffocate me with her thighs and I’d get hard before I got oxygen.

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Holiday, Forced Proximity, Spicy, Enemies To Lovers

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2025

About the author

Echo wields words as a heart-piercing sword cutting through characters' souls. If you want passion-packed small towns and fierce hearts so steamy they’ll grab you by the throat like the ultimate alpha-hole with skillful hands and forearm porn for days, Echo is your girl. Every book promises beautifully brutal romances with a dose of angst, a double shot of romance, followed by a scorchin’ hot sexy times chaser that will leave you panting for more.

Born and raised in New England, she has Ben & Jerry’s in her heart, and real Vermont maple syrup dripping through her veins. She's an unapologetic Swiftie embracing her Fuck-With-Me-and-Find-Out era, and a certified Fall Out Boy groupie who’s low-key addicted to ink and metal–hello tattoos and piercings!

When she's not plotting world domination, she's busy either crafting stories that'll make your heart race faster than a caffeine-induced heart palpitation or designing some of romancelandia’s most coveted covers for fellow authors.

To all you lovely readers out there, Echo has one thing to say: she adores every one of you who read her books, turning her dreams into reality. As for talking about herself in the third person? Well, let's just say she's over it.

Echo out, but her fierce heroines and steamy stories are here to stay!

Reviews

[Gladys · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Humor, emotion, drama, spice and cuteness are woven into a very fun romance that was quirky, over-the-top and highly entertaining.

[Autumn LaRock · Rating 4 out of 5]

good story but confusing in places

I enjoyed getting to read more about the characters but there were several places where I felt the story just jumped around. I alternate between reading and listening and it was frustrating when I’d have to play a part back multiple times and then still switch to kindle to read it and still not know what was happening. Most of them occurred when Holly had been driving so I think that it was sort of on purpose but definitely hard to follow in areas. I also don’t think that Chance groveled enough for being a jerk. Even though she told him to be one. He didn’t have to be that big of one. Still enjoyed the read and I’ll read the others too.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Rating 4.5 ⭐

If you are looking to relax by the fire with a good holiday book, then this one is what you need.

I enjoyed reading it. The characters were easy to love, and the storyline was good. I didn't get the feeling that I was reading a book that has been written in poor manner, which is a big plus, though it could've do without a few chapters ( but that's just my opinion).

I loved Holly all the way. Okaaay I liked the MMC too.

[Keasha M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hilarious book

This one had the same vibes as book one but opposite pretending. Holly convinces Chance to act like he hates her so her father doesn't get the wrong idea. He goes along with it but quickly realizes it's the most difficult thing he's ever had to do, how do you pretend to hate the woman you love?

The banter was top tier and their inner monologue was fantastic, the phrases they use had me laughing way too much.

[Melodie Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was great for what it was. I'm a sucker for secret dating, or fake dating, or faking hating each other. I'm not entirely sure which one this book showed. It did get a bit confusing.

I love a bada** b*tch telling dads that don't think they're good at what they do because they're women. So like, it was hot.

[Samantha L · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated Holly’s tenacity and her desire to succeed in the business world, and honestly, it’s kinda the only reason I didn’t DNF this book. It just felt like the author was trying too hard to force the humor in this one. The only spice scene in this book gave me major ick as well.

[Alicia Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read!

This book is full of Christmas magic and top notch banter. I absolutely loved Chance and Holly's story. Great cast of secondary characters as well.

[Chloe Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
Formatting and grammar errors pulled me out of the story a bit too much for a higher rating but overall I enjoyed the book.

[Carmen Oprea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute and funny, but I loved more the first book.