Merry and Bright

Home Sweet Holidays #2

by Ali Rosen, Barrie Kreinik (Narrator), Eric Nolan (Narrator)

What starts as a Hail Mary fake romance scheme turns into the real deal in this delightful story of holiday deception from Ali Rosen, author of Alternate Endings and Recipe for Second Chances.

Miriam Brody is dreading Hanukkah with her overbearing family in Charleston. Ditto for dreamy pro football player Cal Durand and Christmas. After sharing a few flirty drinks on the flight there, the strangers conspire to tackle the holidays together, posing as a couple. But as shenanigans unfold, Miriam realizes her feelings are anything but fake. Uh-oh. Are they headed for a holiday miracle—or a holiday disaster?

Ali Rosen’s Merry and Bright is part of Home Sweet Holidays, a cookie-sweet collection of holiday romances sure to bring color to your cheeks. Read or listen to each story in a single heart-fluttering sitting. And to fully immerse yourself in the charm of the season, don’t miss a special message from each of our holiday heroes!

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Audiobook, Holiday, Novella, Short Stories, Contemporary

2 pages, Audible Audio

First published November 20, 2025

About the author

Ali Rosen is a bestselling author of both cookbooks and novels, and is the Emmy and James Beard Award-nominated host of Potluck with Ali Rosen on NYC Life.

Her latest novel— described in a starred review by Kirkus as “a swoonworthy romance reminiscent of a Nora Ephron movie”—is Unlikely Story. She is also the author of three cookbooks including the recently released 15 Minute Meals.

She has frequently been featured on shows like NBC’S Today Show and ABC’s Good Morning America, and in publications including The New York Times, Bon Appetit, The Washington Post and New York Magazine.

She is originally from Charleston, SC but now lives in New York City with her husband, three kids, and rescue dog.

Reviews

[Clace · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was the biggest jumpscare🧍

[rei ‧₊˚✩彡 · Rating 2 out of 5]

╰┈➤ 2 stars!

cuter than book 1 because of the bouquet but the ex dead wife came outta nowhere. i had to make sure i didn’t skip any chapter when i read it

・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・

pre-read:

christmas book #7! 💞🫧 so unfortunately, the first book did not deliver and i’m just hoping for this one to be better because my streak of good books broke 🥹

[buket · Rating 1 out of 5]

yeah dead ex wife is what i need in my short christmas books🙄

[Lexi (academic hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book delivered cozy holiday vibes, family warmth, and a sweet, easygoing romance in a super short format. ✨💖🎄

📖 Book: Merry and Bright
🖋️ Author: Ali Rosen
🌟 Rating: 2 ✧
🎄 Genre: Contemporary Christmas romance
📚 Series: Home Sweet Holidays (standalone novellas)
🕯️ Summary: Dreading another emotionally loaded Hanukkah at home, Miriam never expects a chance encounter on a plane to change everything. Enter Cal: a swoony football player who’s equally unenthusiastic about returning home for Christmas. A playful joke turns into a fake dating deal, and suddenly they’re pretending to be the perfect couple for their families. But holiday magic has a way of complicating things — and when the celebrations end, Miriam and Cal must decide whether their connection was just seasonal… or something more. ✨

♡ What I loved most:
• The Hanukkah details: I genuinely enjoyed learning more about Hanukkah traditions — it added something special and refreshing to the holiday setting 🕎✨
• The holiday atmosphere: it was cozy, warm, and very family-focused. It felt like being wrapped in a soft blanket with twinkling lights 🎄
• The overall vibe: this story was a little cocoon of warmth and happiness — easy to read and comforting from start to finish 💞
• The romance: it was so cute and sweet. Not my usual soul-consuming, “it’s always been you” kind of romance — but I still found myself enjoying it 🥰

“‘Is that . . . ?’
‘It’s a cheese bouquet,’ he says. I look closer. Salami rolled to look like roses; blocks of cheese shaped like tulips; rosemary for greenery stems. It really is a goddamn cheese bouquet.”

✘ What I didn’t love:
• The pacing felt too rushed: the short length worked against the story — everything felt very rushed, like it didn’t quite have time to breathe ⏳📖
• Too many names: for a novella this short, it had absolutely no business introducing around 20 characters — it got confusing fast 😵‍💫

───♡─────────────

୨ৎ Overall:
I liked this one much more than Snow Place Like Home. It delivered cozy holiday vibes, family warmth, and a sweet, easygoing romance in a super short format. While it felt rushed at times, it was still a pleasant, festive read — perfect if you’re in the mood for something light, cheerful, and seasonal 🎄✨

xoxo, until the next book 💋📚🎄

「Home Sweet Holidays」
#1 Snow Place Like Home — 1.25 ✧
#2 Merry and Bright — 2 ✧
#3 All Wrapped Up in You — 3.5 ✧
#4 You Better Not Pout — 2.25 ✧

[Alya ( 20 comments restriction ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughts
Oh my heart I adored this!! I fell in love with Mariam and Cal 😭 I didn't want it to end🥹 for a 63 page read this definitely hit me in the feels-- I want a full book for this couple pleaseeee🥲 loved everything about this novella

What to expect
▪︎ Fake dating
▪︎ Christmas and Hanukkah rep
▪︎ Football player MMC who tore his knee
▪︎ Snack food business owner FMC
▪︎ Love after loss

Plot Summary
Miriam Brody is already bracing herself for a chaotic Hanukkah with her demanding family, while NFL player Cal Durand is equally unenthusiastic about his own Christmas obligations. After they meet on their flight and hit it off over a few drinks, they decide to fake-date their way through the holidays to survive the pressure from both families. But as the holiday antics escalate, Miriam starts falling for him for real

My Bookstagram

[emelie 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚ (exams!!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

જ⁀➴ 𝟑.𝟓𝟎 ₊˚⊹🤎 𝟙𝟚/𝟙𝟡/𝟚𝟝—𝟙𝟚/𝟙𝟡/𝟚𝟝
aww this was perfect if you want a cute, simple tender romance (such young love vibes)!! 🥺

super insta-lovey (which is too be expected from a book this size) but still cute!! i loved the mashups of the holidays and it was overall just super cute and tender ✨ definitely recommend and i for sure want to read the other books in this series.

𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: 𝟑.𝟓𝟎 ☃️
𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕: 𝟑.𝟓𝟎

╰┈➤ what to expect!!!
🤎 novella romance
☃️ fake dating
🤎 holiday mashup romance
☃️ love after loss
🤎 complicated families
☃️ NFL pro athlete
🤎 insta-love

₊˚⊹ ᰔ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝:
am i reading this only for my reading goal? (54 pages)… yes 🙈!

BUT—i am excited to read another Christmas book and especially since this one is the best reviewed in this novella series!!❄️

also does anyone have any tips for me since i am now trying to read 13 books in 13 days 😭 (despite if they are novellas or not…)

[Carolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25 ✰ didn’t love this one as much cause there was too much going on and way too many characters for such a short story 🙂

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 🌟

[⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ Kim ⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

જ⁀➴ 3 stars

This was such a cute story! Cal was literally a sea of green flags. The bouquet? Like, that is the complete definition of “to be known is to be loved.” (IYKYK)

The only things I took stars off for:

1. Miriam’s family: I wish we got a scene or something where she finally stands up for herself and tells them off. She dreads spending Hanukkah with them every year because she feels like they treat her like she’s not there or she’s not a fully grown adult, they talk over her, etc. but there’s no scene where she finally stands up for herself, which I personally would’ve loved to see.

2. Cal: That…..plot twist? Reveal? Not really sure how to describe it because it’s not really a plot twist? Either way, people who read the novella know what I’m talking about lol. Anyways, I’d say that it came out of nowhere and was revealed in passing that I almost missed it. I feel like it played such a crucial part of his character background and it was revealed in a way that almost, in my opinion, almost diminished how much it affected him.

[Kelsey S · Rating 4 out of 5]

▹TL;DR Review: Super cute holiday romance between a woman who celebrates Hanukkah and a man who celebrates Christmas.

▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
▹Format: 📱 eReader
Thank you NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories and Ali Rosen for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This comes out November 20.
─────────────────────────

○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○

– About: Miriam Brody dreads the holidays with her overbearing family in Charleston, and NFL pro Cal Durand is equally holiday-averse. When they strike up a few flirty drinks on a flight to the same destination and agree to pose as a couple for the season, what begins as a fake romance turns into something real.
– FMC: Miriam Brody. Has her own “Nosh’s Sticks” Jewish snack business. Was the “surprise” baby and often feels invisible or like she’s still treated like a child during family events and just wants to be taken seriously.
– MMC: Cal Durand. Jason Momoa-esqu in stature and smile. Offensive lineman for the Giants. Feels heavy during the holidays due to his grief and impending time with his parents.
– Location: Charleston, South Carolina
– POV: Single first-person
– Spice: Very low spice (just kissing)
– Tropes: fake dating, pro NFL MMC, self-made entrepreneur FMC, he sees her when no one else really does, holiday family gatherings
– Content warning: grief (sudden death of a loved one, off page), family pressure,
– Representation: Jewish FMC, Hanukkah traditions

─────────────────────────

↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:00 ──ㅇ────── 4:12

Now Playing: 8 Days (of Hanukkah) by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

╰┈➤ ❝ Every one of them glows with love; Eight days of Hanukkah❞

─────────────────────────

★○ If You Like the Following, You Might Like This Book ○★

➼ Finding joy in the holidays when you’ve sworn them off
➼ Meeting a hot NFL player with kind eyes on a flight home and offering to be his buffer/fake date to his holidays in exchange for the same…and then forming real feelings

─────────────────────────

⍟»This or That«⍟

Character Driven———✧————————Plot Driven
Fast Burn—————————✧——Slow Burn
Sweet—✧——————————Spicy
Light/Fluffy————✧———————Heavy/Emotional

─────────────────────────

🎯 My Thoughts:

This was my first read by Ali Rosen, and I’ll definitely be picking up more. For just 63 pages, this short story was so cute, charming, and surprisingly heartfelt. The writing flowed seamlessly, and I genuinely felt for Miriam—and fell right alongside her for Cal.

Short stories and novellas often leave me wanting more, but this one struck the perfect balance. Sure, I’d happily spend more time with these two because their chemistry was so fun, but the story itself felt complete and satisfying.

Easily my second favorite in the series—and a perfect cozy pick for anyone who loves quick, feel-good holiday romances.

[Emma.catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Would you want eight nights in a row with your overbearing, oversharing, over-everything family during a time when they get a chance to be even more exuberant?” 👀🎄✨

This was such a joy little book. It takes real skill as an author to pack a punch in only 63 pages and Ali definitely succeeded 👏🏽

Although it was a classic take on a fake-dating for the holidays trope, this story felt new and refreshing thanks to the addition of Hanukkah into the mix. I would have liked to get to know Miriam and Cal better because they were such precious characters but that’s just the joys of a short story I suppose.

All in all, this was a great novella I loved the cute, fast, and heartwarming feel to the read 🎄

[Genni · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounding up

Available Kindle unlimited with audio

Loved this sweet little novella! It needed to be a full novel! I believe this is my first by Ali Rosen and definitely won’t be the last. Airplane meet cute- my favorite 🤩 A touch of Hanukkah, a touch of Christmas, and a whole lot of sweet surprises at the end! You will have to read it- there will be no disappointment 🎅

[Anila · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually so much cuter than I expected!! I honestly wish it could have been a full length novel because I felt like there was so much more to explore with the two leads. I really enjoyed this one and it is my favorite of the collection so far.

[paula ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐

I wish it had been longer; I absolutely loved it 🤩

I think I'll read more books by this author in the future because the characters and the plot captivated me.

And with this book, I've finished my 2025 reading. Let's hope 2026 brings me some amazing reads! 🥳

[ya.vl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Вони такі хорошенькі😍😍

[Brooke (B for Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5💛🩵🩶✨

[Ruth♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

La favorita de las cuatro ☃️

Me encantó esta historiaaa, quería más 😭 conectas muy bien con los protagonistas y eso que es corta pero los entidades, por los que han pasado y están pasando.

El toque extra es que la protagonista es judía y una de mis series favoritas de tv la protagonista es judía así que me encanta leer un poquito de esta cultura en estas fiestas. Igual ver a estos dos con sus respectivas familias mientras se conocen fue bonito.

Si van a leer una historia que sea está, la mega recomiendo 🤩

[María · Rating 1 out of 5]

Me emocionó más ver una pared recién pintada secándose que leer a estos dos individuos.

[Sandra Castro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a festive rom-com set in New York City, driven by fake dating, forced proximity, and holiday pressure. The story follows two roommates who agree to pretend to be a couple during the Christmas season, mostly to help their careers and survive family expectations. Cue twinkling lights, awkward lies, and the inevitable blurring of lines.

The setup is fun and very seasonal, and the city-at-Christmas atmosphere does a lot of the heavy lifting. There are cute moments, playful banter, and that familiar slow slide from “this is just an arrangement” to feelings getting involved. It’s light, fast-paced, and easy to fall into.

That said, the romance never fully ignites. The emotional stakes stay pretty low, the characters don’t evolve much beyond their initial traits, and the conflicts resolve a little too neatly. It’s charming, but safe, more background-holiday-read than heart-stealing love story.

Overall, "Merry & Bright" is cozy, festive, and enjoyable in the moment, but it doesn’t linger once the decorations come down.

[Mai H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holidays 2025 #4

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merry and Bright is a short holiday romance novella part of an Amazon Originals multi author, Home Sweet Holidays collection. This has fake dating, the hero is a NFL player, and we have Christmas & Hanukkah rep (heroine is Jewish).

Cal and Miriam meet on a plane, both are nervous flyers and start chatting. He’s a pro NFL player who tore his ACL and is on his way home to visit family for Christmas, she is a snack food business owner who is on her way home to visit family for Hanukkah. Both realize their families live close by and since they aren’t exactly looking forward to going home (for different reasons), they decide (after some champagne on the plane) to be each other’s fake date for each family’s holiday.

This was actually very cute and fun. For being such a short read, the relationship felt natural and believable and very developed family dynamics and backstories. I really enjoyed it and would have read a full book with these characters. We get some emotion and heart to their stories and only a kiss on-page.

I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own.

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Mariam meets Cal Durand in a fight back home, and they decide to be each other’s buffer from their families for the Holidays. What happens to their fake relationship as they get to know each other?

The story comes from their first-person POVs.

This was a fun and sweet read, dealing with a few heavy themes but keeping the overall vibe heartwarming. It shows the festive celebrations in the Jewish and Christian (but somehow sans religious activities in both) for the season. I can’t say I learned anything new, but the main characters were nice.

[tiana ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

・❥・ ❝But what am I supposed to introduce you as? My emotional support giant?❞ ・

‧₊ ᵎᵎ 🐢 ⋅ ˚✮

This was a sweet and festive short story! ♡ I can’t say it’s a favourite of mine but it was easy to read and extremely quick to get through. Especially if you’re looking for a palette cleanser in between other bigger reads, this would be a good option 🌸

Two people fake dating in order to get through their holiday time with their respective families. Until, of course, feelings start to arise 🤭🎀

It’s very difficult to immerse yourself in these stories because they’re very short or get a believable timeline, so I would suspend any disbelief before going into this.

I loved the audiobook as well — the narration was lively, wonderfully done and it made the story stand out 🥰

P.S. : I’m OBSESSED with the special messages at the end of these stories!! 🤭💕

‧₊ ᵎᵎ 🐢 ⋅ ˚✮

✧˚ · . Thank you to NetGalley, Ali Rosen, and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own!

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The guy makes her a CHEESE bouquet and drops lines like "Your laugh makes everything better.", but I thought it a bit unnecessary(?) to make him a widower who was madly in love with his wife from age 13 and was "only half a person" now he'd lost her, in a 60 page romance...

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

This one was cute. A little too insta-love for me but I guess when you're only working with 60 pages things do have to move it along quickly. I would have happily read 100 more pages of these two!! A meet-cute, Hanukkah, Christmas, family traditions, and two people finding each other at exactly the right time.

[Анастасія ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Це було мило, але коротко. Момент, де він Кел подарував Міріам сирно-м'ясний букет найбільше сподобався, чому таких букет не дарують в інших книжках, це ж було куди смачніше👀 або в мені каже вічна ненажера😂

[NJS Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. Even though it was a short novella, it was so moving and I fell in love with the characters. Two strangers with an instant connection, a bit of faking dating and finding love after loss. I didn’t want to say goodbye to them.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was cute and I really love a good fake dating storyline. I appreciate the little bit of build up. This one may be my favorite of the series so far. I also liked that the story was spread out over more days. A fun holiday read to get you in the holiday spirit.

[Celeste Velocci (bookrecs_by_celeste) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This entire series is super cute for the holidays! Lots of different themes in this one and I overall enjoyed it.

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Charlestonian, I loved that this was set in my hometown.

Cal and Miriam's story was cute, but her family sucked so much.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧:
- holiday novella
- Christmas + Hanukkah festivities
- NFL player + CEO of a snack company
- strangers to lovers
- fake dating
- only one bed

CW: mentions of spousal death