What do you think?
Rate this book
Holiday Romance Novel #1
Merry Me
From USA Today bestselling author Amanda Siegrist comes a heartwarming holiday series that will fill you with the Christmas spirit and lots of love.
He never knew a simple gift left on his porch step would mend his wounded heart.
Hiding his dislike for the holidays isn’t easy, especially when Chief Elliot Duncan meets a woman who captures his attention with one sweet smile. Lynn Carpenter is beautiful, strong-willed, and hardworking, and he doesn’t know how to return her gift that was left on his porch by mistake. As Christmas approaches, it doesn’t take much for the holiday spirit to seep in, not when Lynn makes it so effortless with her excitement. The only thing he wants for Christmas this year is her heart. But between his meddling father and the need to take care of her, something she passionately resists, he knows it won’t be that simple. He’s up for the challenge, because losing Lynn is unacceptable.
The entire Holiday Romance series: (Each book can be read as a standalone.)
Merry Me (Book 1): Elliot & Lynn
Mistletoe Magic (Book 2): Aiden & Theresa
Christmas Wish (Book 3): Bentley & Emma
Snowed in Love (Book 4): James & Erin
Snowflakes and Shots (Book 5): Stu & Chasity
He never knew a simple gift left on his porch step would mend his wounded heart.
Hiding his dislike for the holidays isn’t easy, especially when Chief Elliot Duncan meets a woman who captures his attention with one sweet smile. Lynn Carpenter is beautiful, strong-willed, and hardworking, and he doesn’t know how to return her gift that was left on his porch by mistake. As Christmas approaches, it doesn’t take much for the holiday spirit to seep in, not when Lynn makes it so effortless with her excitement. The only thing he wants for Christmas this year is her heart. But between his meddling father and the need to take care of her, something she passionately resists, he knows it won’t be that simple. He’s up for the challenge, because losing Lynn is unacceptable.
The entire Holiday Romance series: (Each book can be read as a standalone.)
Merry Me (Book 1): Elliot & Lynn
Mistletoe Magic (Book 2): Aiden & Theresa
Christmas Wish (Book 3): Bentley & Emma
Snowed in Love (Book 4): James & Erin
Snowflakes and Shots (Book 5): Stu & Chasity
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2016
1289 people are currently reading
1285 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Siegrist
64 books745 followersI’m a USA Today Bestselling Author that loves to write contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels, although I am partial to romantic suspense. I even dabble in paranormal. Honestly, I love anything that has to do with romance. As long as there's a happy ending, I'm a happy camper. And insta-love…yes, please! I love baseball (Go Twins!) and creating awesome crafts. I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice, working in that field for several years before I became a stay-at-home mom. I have a few more amazing stories in the works. If you would like to connect with me or see important news, head to my website at https://www.amandasiegrist.com. Thanks for reading!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
November 20, 2016
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a sweet Christmas romance that filled me with cheer. Nope, it wasn’t delivered by a jolly old man, it was delivered by Amanda Siegrist and she calls it MERRY ME. Grab your fluffy slippers, hop up on your comfy chair and discover a sweet as sugar plums tale of romance that will make the Holidays just a little more magical.
Elliot has lost his Christmas spirit, it died with his mother and the sadness has never left him. When he finds a mysterious present on the front porch, he opened it and figured his father was playing another Christmas game with him. It was meant for a needy family, but when he tried to return it, the priest refused, guiding him to a small coffee shop where his life would magically change forever.
Lynn works hard to scrape out a living for herself and her young daughter. With a past filled with dreams denied, she never lost her ability to stand strong and proud and to remember that no matter how hard her life was, there was always someone who needed a little Christmas cheer more.
Yep, you guessed it, Lynn works in the very coffee chop Elliot has gone to and yep, it was her gift that showed up at his house. And the rest is a tale of Christmas, the season of miracles, love and taking chances with one’s heart, having faith that anything can happen at this time of year.
Their dance of romance is tentative, filled with a few mistakes and definitely some toes are stepped on, but when all is said and done, will these two NORMAL people find the greatest gift of all?
Amanda Siegrist left me smiling like a lovesick puppy! She has created a simple, feel-good tale about real people, who experience the freedom and joy of finding someone to love while creating their own world of fantasy and dreams. Oh, there is humor, tension, mistakes and secrets, no dark secrets, just regular secrets like the ones we have, but their need for honesty is beautiful! Sure, call me a Christmas Romance Junky, give me sweet romance that stutters once in a while with true humanity and I think of shiny new bikes, picture-perfect scenes of sparkling snow and now, the sweetness of MERRY ME.
I received an ARC edition from Amanda Siegrist in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: December 1, 2016
Publisher: Amanda Siegrist
Genre: Christmas Romance
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Elliot has lost his Christmas spirit, it died with his mother and the sadness has never left him. When he finds a mysterious present on the front porch, he opened it and figured his father was playing another Christmas game with him. It was meant for a needy family, but when he tried to return it, the priest refused, guiding him to a small coffee shop where his life would magically change forever.
Lynn works hard to scrape out a living for herself and her young daughter. With a past filled with dreams denied, she never lost her ability to stand strong and proud and to remember that no matter how hard her life was, there was always someone who needed a little Christmas cheer more.
Yep, you guessed it, Lynn works in the very coffee chop Elliot has gone to and yep, it was her gift that showed up at his house. And the rest is a tale of Christmas, the season of miracles, love and taking chances with one’s heart, having faith that anything can happen at this time of year.
Their dance of romance is tentative, filled with a few mistakes and definitely some toes are stepped on, but when all is said and done, will these two NORMAL people find the greatest gift of all?
Amanda Siegrist left me smiling like a lovesick puppy! She has created a simple, feel-good tale about real people, who experience the freedom and joy of finding someone to love while creating their own world of fantasy and dreams. Oh, there is humor, tension, mistakes and secrets, no dark secrets, just regular secrets like the ones we have, but their need for honesty is beautiful! Sure, call me a Christmas Romance Junky, give me sweet romance that stutters once in a while with true humanity and I think of shiny new bikes, picture-perfect scenes of sparkling snow and now, the sweetness of MERRY ME.
I received an ARC edition from Amanda Siegrist in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: December 1, 2016
Publisher: Amanda Siegrist
Genre: Christmas Romance
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
February 4, 2017
Reviewed by: Annie Arcane
Initial thoughts:
Adorable. The story. The characters. All adorable.
What I loved:
Well, y'all already know how much a solid dose of angst warms the deep, dark cockles of my black heart, eh? So why did I venture out of my comfort zone into the world of happy holiday romance? Cuz it's Christmas soon, duh!
Merry Me sets out to be a feel-good story and did just that. Nothing was OTT. The plot was simple, straightforward, and well-executed.
The cuteness of Elliot and Lynn won me over. Both were real people with regular flaws, and their dynamic was endearing, to say the least. Add Laura and there were certain moments that had me grinning from ear-to-ear...
Like, c'mon. You smiled just now. I know you did.
What left me wanting:
I'm a huge sucker for emotional conflict and tension between characters, particularly in dialogue. That ain't no secret to anyone, right? And while Siegrist delivered a much "smoother" ride with fewer feels than my usual tastes, she also did two other things: 1) Made me smile and 2) left me smiling afterward.
Can't complain about that, now can I?
Final thoughts:
Quick, easy read I'd recommend to anyone looking to curl up by the fireplace and soak in some Christmassy love.
Initial thoughts:
Adorable. The story. The characters. All adorable.
What I loved:
Well, y'all already know how much a solid dose of angst warms the deep, dark cockles of my black heart, eh? So why did I venture out of my comfort zone into the world of happy holiday romance? Cuz it's Christmas soon, duh!
Merry Me sets out to be a feel-good story and did just that. Nothing was OTT. The plot was simple, straightforward, and well-executed.
The cuteness of Elliot and Lynn won me over. Both were real people with regular flaws, and their dynamic was endearing, to say the least. Add Laura and there were certain moments that had me grinning from ear-to-ear...
Like, c'mon. You smiled just now. I know you did.
What left me wanting:
I'm a huge sucker for emotional conflict and tension between characters, particularly in dialogue. That ain't no secret to anyone, right? And while Siegrist delivered a much "smoother" ride with fewer feels than my usual tastes, she also did two other things: 1) Made me smile and 2) left me smiling afterward.
Can't complain about that, now can I?
Final thoughts:
Quick, easy read I'd recommend to anyone looking to curl up by the fireplace and soak in some Christmassy love.
December 19, 2017
While this book had the potential to be good, the writing was just so choppy and uneven that it took away from the story. Elliott is the chief of police and hates Christmas, ever since his mother died (not around Christmas). He meets Lynn, a single-mom who is struggling as a waitress at a diner. They meet, there is instant love and you can guess the rest.
There was SO much unnecessary details/thoughts in this book. I skipped multiple pages because they were irrelevant. I liked Lynn's daughter Laura, she was cute. Not the greatest story. A skip for me.
There was SO much unnecessary details/thoughts in this book. I skipped multiple pages because they were irrelevant. I liked Lynn's daughter Laura, she was cute. Not the greatest story. A skip for me.
November 23, 2020
This book was supposed to be about a couple in their 30s yet it seemed like they were teenagers. One minor disagreeable statement and "it's over for good/how will I live without her?" type bs. I get that Lynn wants to be independent but she does nothing to improve her situation (get a better paying job than a waitress; etc), never tries to mend the rift with her parents, when Elliot & his father attempt to help she refuses and sells an item that she should have kept for her daughter as something from her biological father. It just got extremely annoying. The characters in this story had no coping skills then we're to believe in a few weeks everything changes and all is good. Not a good one unfortunately.
December 9, 2021
An interesting start that quickly descended into a nothing story. Poor writing, dull plot, characters with either no personality or fit stereotypes, making yawn-inducing conversations. The MCs - 30something adults - were more childish than a seven-year-old. Whining about having no money, and then spending what they have on ! The dirty talk? Haha!
In a word, ludicrous.
January 2, 2018
Disappointing
I loved the premise and the book was promising at the start but then the book became repetitive and annoying as the main characters had constant mental arguments over their self doubt and insecurities. Their paranoia about the other leaving them became annoying quickly and I got bored.
I would have stopped reading except that I found that one chapter at bedtime helped me with my insomnia and the boredom became worth it because it helped me go to sleep. So little by little I finished but sadly it, didn’t get better. A shame as I thought it had good potential.
I loved the premise and the book was promising at the start but then the book became repetitive and annoying as the main characters had constant mental arguments over their self doubt and insecurities. Their paranoia about the other leaving them became annoying quickly and I got bored.
I would have stopped reading except that I found that one chapter at bedtime helped me with my insomnia and the boredom became worth it because it helped me go to sleep. So little by little I finished but sadly it, didn’t get better. A shame as I thought it had good potential.
May 5, 2017
The writing is clunky, the characters unbelievable and one-dimensional, the conflicts rather trivial, and the entire storyline played out too quickly, with too pat an ending. The result: a rather amateurish and unsatisfying novel.
December 1, 2016
This was the sweetest and absolutely most adorable Christmas novel I've read this season, and trust me my Christmas obsession is real. I've read several of Amanda's novels but for some reason this sweet Christmas novel is one of my favorites. Possibly because she was able to embody the Christmas spirit with giving when you don't have much to give or it could be loving when you're afraid of losing. Christmas has always been an enchanting and magical time for me and this book helped in making me just a little bit more enchanted.
Characters Elliot and Lynn will each take you on an emotional journey, but their story is so perfect I doubt it could have been written any other way. Sometimes all it takes is a nudge from an outside party to help Christmas magic take place. I know this review is short and sweet but consider it a present from me to you not to give too much away!!
Pick up this 5 star novel and kick off December with the embodiment of Christmas spirit and love.
Characters Elliot and Lynn will each take you on an emotional journey, but their story is so perfect I doubt it could have been written any other way. Sometimes all it takes is a nudge from an outside party to help Christmas magic take place. I know this review is short and sweet but consider it a present from me to you not to give too much away!!
Pick up this 5 star novel and kick off December with the embodiment of Christmas spirit and love.
August 24, 2021
4 Star review of Merry Me (Holiday Romance #1) by Amanda Siegrist
Amanda Siegrist is a a relatively new author to me. This was a sweet holiday read that left me smiling when I had finished. This is Police Chief Elliot Duncan and single mum Lynn Carpenter’s story and was a story that had me hooked from the first to the last chapter.
I really liked Lynn, she was sassy, feisty and a great mother to Laura, although perhaps a little bit too determined to do things herself. Elliot hates Christmas but it’s amazing how one simple gesture can turn someone’s feelings around; meeting Lynn changes everything for Elliott.
This was a sweet, holiday romance and I loved the relationship that Elliott developed with Laura. Elliott and Lynn bring the holiday spirit back into one another’s lives , after all it is the season for Christmas miracles.
Amanda Siegrist is a a relatively new author to me. This was a sweet holiday read that left me smiling when I had finished. This is Police Chief Elliot Duncan and single mum Lynn Carpenter’s story and was a story that had me hooked from the first to the last chapter.
I really liked Lynn, she was sassy, feisty and a great mother to Laura, although perhaps a little bit too determined to do things herself. Elliot hates Christmas but it’s amazing how one simple gesture can turn someone’s feelings around; meeting Lynn changes everything for Elliott.
This was a sweet, holiday romance and I loved the relationship that Elliott developed with Laura. Elliott and Lynn bring the holiday spirit back into one another’s lives , after all it is the season for Christmas miracles.
October 20, 2020
Sweet story, but the style of writing didn't really grab me, there were times when it seemed like the narrative had conversations with itself.
Elliot's behaviour is very childlike at one point, which didn't really gel with how he was mainly portrayed.
A seven year old having a boyfriend bugged me, I don't care if she is fictional, seven years old can have friends who are boys but not boyfriends, end of.
Elliot's behaviour is very childlike at one point, which didn't really gel with how he was mainly portrayed.
A seven year old having a boyfriend bugged me, I don't care if she is fictional, seven years old can have friends who are boys but not boyfriends, end of.
October 18, 2022
Elliot's and Lynn's story. Two people with loss and challenges in their past find each other in this sweet, romantic, feel-good, holiday story. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review.
November 30, 2016
Such a sweet, adorable and beautifully Christmassy story!! If you're looking for something full of magical Christmas cheer to get you in the mood for Christmas then check out this lovely romance!!
October 17, 2017
I received this book as a gift from the author. And I so loved it. It was fast paced and very sweet. Elliott is the perfect guy really. He has a tender yet protective way about him that just melts your heart. And Lynn is a very independent very proud woman. She has been through hell but Elliott will show her heaven. And it will be the best Christmas for both of them. They also heal each other in different ways. Can't wait to read more from Amanda Siegrist.
July 30, 2017
Holy moly. What a great book. I loved it. It was so hard to put it down.
April 1, 2021
All the stars!!!! One of the best romance books I’ve read. Amanda is a new favorite author.
September 23, 2020
I think this book could have been good if it had a better editor. Not just someone to worry about sentence structure but also someone to chop things out and make the story itself a little less repetitive.
Also, it would have been great if that editor were a man. The male characters just did not feel realistic to me. I get that this story is written for women by a woman, but I almost found some of the dialogue and thoughts of the men laughable.
This issue was driven home further because we had to spend scenes hopping back and forth from the male to the female character's thoughts. This took out a lot of the surprise, and nothing was a mystery. An example of this is when the H and h meet. We start in the man's head where he's amazed by her beauty, then we jump into the woman's head where she thinks she should have put on makeup and doubts the guy has any interest, this back and forth goes on a few more times until the man leaves a large tip and a note about seeing her again. All of the scenes like these would have been better if we only saw things from the woman's perspective, with her not sure about how the guy feels only to receive the tip and the note in the end as a surprise. But then the book would have been a lot shorter, which perhaps the author didn't want, but in my opinion this would have made for a much better if faster read.
I opted to give "Merry Me" two stars instead of one for an okay plot and characters that could have been interesting, though nothing quite met its full potential here due to writing issues.
Also, it would have been great if that editor were a man. The male characters just did not feel realistic to me. I get that this story is written for women by a woman, but I almost found some of the dialogue and thoughts of the men laughable.
This issue was driven home further because we had to spend scenes hopping back and forth from the male to the female character's thoughts. This took out a lot of the surprise, and nothing was a mystery. An example of this is when the H and h meet. We start in the man's head where he's amazed by her beauty, then we jump into the woman's head where she thinks she should have put on makeup and doubts the guy has any interest, this back and forth goes on a few more times until the man leaves a large tip and a note about seeing her again. All of the scenes like these would have been better if we only saw things from the woman's perspective, with her not sure about how the guy feels only to receive the tip and the note in the end as a surprise. But then the book would have been a lot shorter, which perhaps the author didn't want, but in my opinion this would have made for a much better if faster read.
I opted to give "Merry Me" two stars instead of one for an okay plot and characters that could have been interesting, though nothing quite met its full potential here due to writing issues.
June 28, 2021
Ugh. I finished this last night and I've already forgotten most of it. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't good either.
Small town chief of police Elliot finds a mystery gift on his front porch -- a pair of Christmas socks and a $20 bill. Grumpy, cranky and hating Christmas, he sets out to find who left the package and return it as he doesn't need charity. Tracking clues to a diner in the next small town over, Elliot's attention is immediately caught by single mom Lynn, whom he quickly figures out was the mysterious gift giver. What follows is a very thin story of finding Christmas spirit and love - not terrible but there were tropes that were just irritating:
1. Single mom determined to make it on her own and refuses to accept help - financial or other - even though she can't pay the rent, buy Christmas presents, etc.
2. Local bad girl is so ridiculously from central casting as to be just irritating and not providing an dramatic tension at all.
3. Super adorable understanding kid - again direct from central casting.
4. An accident in a blizzard of course helps move things along -- for a bit.
5. The steamy sex was anything but. I think it would have served the story better if it had been kept more sweet than steam.
This was first in a series of novellas set in the same town. Not reading any more.
Small town chief of police Elliot finds a mystery gift on his front porch -- a pair of Christmas socks and a $20 bill. Grumpy, cranky and hating Christmas, he sets out to find who left the package and return it as he doesn't need charity. Tracking clues to a diner in the next small town over, Elliot's attention is immediately caught by single mom Lynn, whom he quickly figures out was the mysterious gift giver. What follows is a very thin story of finding Christmas spirit and love - not terrible but there were tropes that were just irritating:
1. Single mom determined to make it on her own and refuses to accept help - financial or other - even though she can't pay the rent, buy Christmas presents, etc.
2. Local bad girl is so ridiculously from central casting as to be just irritating and not providing an dramatic tension at all.
3. Super adorable understanding kid - again direct from central casting.
4. An accident in a blizzard of course helps move things along -- for a bit.
5. The steamy sex was anything but. I think it would have served the story better if it had been kept more sweet than steam.
This was first in a series of novellas set in the same town. Not reading any more.
December 27, 2016
Cute, sweet, cheesy christmas story.
Very frustrating at times, but cute none the less.
Very frustrating at times, but cute none the less.
December 9, 2020
Free download, finished it, but it was a struggle, too soap opera-ish for me.
December 1, 2017
Small town romance between a struggling widowed single mother and a police chief who has lost his holiday spirit
Merry Me is a small town romance between a struggling widowed single mother and a police chief who has lost his holiday spirit, with a little help from a mischievous father. I thoroughly enjoyed this well written Christmas romance that had some surprising twists and turns to keep you guessing with just enough tension and drama mixed into this light-hearted read.
Elliot and Lynn had a sweet chemistry with the duo being strong characters who have gone through difficult circumstances that have lead them to their lives right now. Some of the moments between the two, and with Lynn’s daughter Laura, were touching, heartwarming moments that quickly has you liking these characters and hoping they get their HEA. The sub-characters in this book really added that little bit extra, especially Elliot’s father.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of small town or single parent romances, especially for a standalone Christmas themed read.
*I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
Merry Me is a small town romance between a struggling widowed single mother and a police chief who has lost his holiday spirit, with a little help from a mischievous father. I thoroughly enjoyed this well written Christmas romance that had some surprising twists and turns to keep you guessing with just enough tension and drama mixed into this light-hearted read.
Elliot and Lynn had a sweet chemistry with the duo being strong characters who have gone through difficult circumstances that have lead them to their lives right now. Some of the moments between the two, and with Lynn’s daughter Laura, were touching, heartwarming moments that quickly has you liking these characters and hoping they get their HEA. The sub-characters in this book really added that little bit extra, especially Elliot’s father.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of small town or single parent romances, especially for a standalone Christmas themed read.
*I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
July 23, 2019
I have read and enjoyed many of Amanda Siegrist’s novels and to have some romance and Christmas cheer in July is very welcome.
Elliot’s mother loved Christmas, the smells, the music, so Elliot did too. But, now, his mother is gone. His father tried to make it good for them, but Elliot had closed his heart, not letting anyone in.
The mystery gift..
Merry Me by Amanda Siegrist is an uplifting, heartwarming, karma – give good get good and it comes back to you – sacrifice, love and clean romance. At times it will cool you off and other times it will heat up your reading. This wonderful romance is perfect for any time of year.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Merry Me by Amanda Siegrist.
See more at fundinmental
Elliot’s mother loved Christmas, the smells, the music, so Elliot did too. But, now, his mother is gone. His father tried to make it good for them, but Elliot had closed his heart, not letting anyone in.
The mystery gift..
Merry Me by Amanda Siegrist is an uplifting, heartwarming, karma – give good get good and it comes back to you – sacrifice, love and clean romance. At times it will cool you off and other times it will heat up your reading. This wonderful romance is perfect for any time of year.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Merry Me by Amanda Siegrist.
See more at fundinmental
October 20, 2020
Cute romance about lost souls, takes place around Christmas.
December 31, 2023
Ugh. Hated the characters from the first chapter. Writing is...awful and shallow. Carried on reading hoping it would get better, but when Elliot shows he has the maturity of a ten year old half way through the book I gave up. DNF.
October 17, 2020
Sweet romance
A sweet and sometimes steamy romance with compelling characters and an engaging premise set in a small community. Sometimes the writing was a little cheesy for my taste.
A sweet and sometimes steamy romance with compelling characters and an engaging premise set in a small community. Sometimes the writing was a little cheesy for my taste.
October 14, 2020
Fun read.
Elliot is a interesting Chief of Police. And he has caught Lynn’s eye. Their developing relationship avoids the big upheavals that are thrown their way. And love is found.
Elliot is a interesting Chief of Police. And he has caught Lynn’s eye. Their developing relationship avoids the big upheavals that are thrown their way. And love is found.
September 21, 2023
Cute holiday romance! The distraction I really needed. For some reason I kept getting Virgin River vibes. Maybe the small town feel?
December 31, 2022
An oddly written book - all this happy, innocent, Christmas spirit and then random sexual topics thrown in.
November 9, 2020
Worse book ever
Horrible writing, horrible plot, had to force myself to finish. Waste of time. Ridiculous plot. Characters unbelievable. Could find nothing good about this book.
Horrible writing, horrible plot, had to force myself to finish. Waste of time. Ridiculous plot. Characters unbelievable. Could find nothing good about this book.
January 7, 2021
Cute storyline, but I felt the story would have been much better if the main characters weren't so annoying.
The chief of police, Elliot, was a bit too much in his grief over his mother's death. I understand grieving your mother's death, but to not like Christmas because she had so much Christmas spirit and enough time had passed that it was disturbing. He idolized his mother so much it was disturbing.
Lynn, was a struggling single mother. She was so unyielding on her desire to give a donation to others for Christmas and give her daughter 5 Christmas gifts.
Elliot gives a large tip to her in the diner where she works. She decides it's too much and tracks him down to return it yet she is struggling to pay her bills, give her daughter Christmas and give the donation she so wants to give.
They meet and it's an instant attraction. They have their ups and downs and it's a cute story, but at times I felt they were a bit to intense and unrealistic.
The chief of police, Elliot, was a bit too much in his grief over his mother's death. I understand grieving your mother's death, but to not like Christmas because she had so much Christmas spirit and enough time had passed that it was disturbing. He idolized his mother so much it was disturbing.
Lynn, was a struggling single mother. She was so unyielding on her desire to give a donation to others for Christmas and give her daughter 5 Christmas gifts.
Elliot gives a large tip to her in the diner where she works. She decides it's too much and tracks him down to return it yet she is struggling to pay her bills, give her daughter Christmas and give the donation she so wants to give.
They meet and it's an instant attraction. They have their ups and downs and it's a cute story, but at times I felt they were a bit to intense and unrealistic.
December 22, 2021
Elliot and Lynn have some serious growing up to do. They are in their late 20s or early 30s, I think Elliot is actually 35. They act like teenagers. OK, everything happens in a two-week time span. They go from Elliot hating Christmas, needing to discover who left the mysterious package on his porch, to find it was Lynn. Lynn goes from not knowing how she's going to pay for Christmas gifts for her daughter, to refusing to accept Elliot's generous tip (which she tries to return), to realizing that Elliot is going to spoil her no matter what. She goes from absolutely no one to an instant family. And from knowing she'll spend the rest of her life alone to insta-love and thinking of marriage. The characters are likable enough and the setting is quaint. The story is okay, but nothing to get worked up over. It's a solid holiday read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews