We Grant You a Merry Christmas

Save the Date

by Morgan Matson

A new story set in the world of Save the Date!

It’s Christmas of Charlie Grant’s sophomore year in college. And even though the Grants are no longer in their old house, Charlie is feeling the pressure to have the perfect holiday. All her siblings are coming back. Will they be able to re-create their Christmas traditions? Will it even feel like Christmas at all? And why is everyone suddenly sold out of Sir Harry’s Happy Christmas Gingerbread?!

In the midst of all of this, Charlie has a decision to make about her future. She’s hoping for a quiet, peaceful holiday so she can sort things through.

But HAHAHAHA these are the Grants! This Christmas is going to be anything but a silent night. Between unreliable vans, missing Santas, stolen cars, a greenhouse heist, and far too much time spent on the New Jersey Turnpike, Christmas is threatening to turn into an utter disaster.

Will Charlie manage to turn things around before Christmas morning?

Genres: Christmas, Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance, Holiday, Short Stories, Fiction

110 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Morgan Matson grew up in New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles but halfway though a theater degree, she started working in the children's department of Vroman's Bookstore and fell in love with YA literature.

Following college graduation (and the proud bearer of an incredibly useful theater/English degree) she moved back East to attend the New School, where she received her M.F.A in Writing for Children.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, inspired by Morgan's three cross-country road trips, was published in May 2010. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Book, a PW "Flying Start" book, and was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Book Prize.

In the meantime, Morgan moved back to California, went back to school again and in 2011 received an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California.

Her second book, Second Chance Summer, was published in May 2012 and draws largely on her experiences spending summers growing up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

Her third book, Since You've Been Gone, was published in 2014.

Morgan currently lives in Los Angeles, though she loves to travel and does it whenever she can. She is currently writing another book, to be published in 2016.

Reviews

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has everything:
- Christmas
- siblings
- road trips
- New York City
- an extremely low page count
- a romantic subplot
- banter
- drama of the fun variety
- everything resolving happily
- a misbehaving dog

And it's by Morgan Matson.

And it's a surprise quasi-sequel to one of my very favorite Morgan Matson books.

And it's more about siblings than it is about friends or romance or anything else.

Every book should take the hint and be a little more like this book.

Bottom line: Do you ever like reading something so much that you're kind of sad to even think about it being over?

Yeah. That.

------------------
pre-review

christmas spirit activated.

review to come / 4 stars

clear ur sh*t book 46
quest 21: a book with a group cast

[Anu · Rating 5 out of 5]

OKAY, CAN THE GRANTS JUST ADOPT ME, PLEASE???

i want to be a part of their family so badlyyy 🥺🥺

Save The Date is one of my favorite Morgan Matson books and I'm so thrilled that I got to read this novella! It was so adorable and sweet, and it made me so happy! I love the Grant's chaotic energy, and this book had me laughing out loud every few pages. I loved it so much. And honestly, J.J. just made the whole thing fifty times better 😂❤️

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this was super adorable, and it made me desperately need to reread Save the Date. I love the Grant family!

[Jaye Berry]

really cute unfortunately I have seasonal depression in addition to my normal crippling depression so i didn't enjoy this too much 😔✌️

[Harley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super cute and a lot of fun!

[Eram Hussain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about not holding on to your past and moving forward. Charlie is trying to have their usual Christmas with all their traditions but it is difficult as their life has changed in the last few years.
The Flat Santa is missing, they are unable to find their usual ginger bread and everything that can go wrong in the holidays goes wrong. This was about keeping traditions, but also realizing that sometimes things need to change.

[talia ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

you know 2021 is a (firery hot mess) cry for help when it's 5 days til christmas, and i have to search for some holiday spirit in BOOKS because the real world is just giving me depression and anxiety right now

[Jenny Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute holiday read. Thanks Simon Teen for the copy!

[Jordan Dailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas in July? This has been in my email for ages, so glad I was finally able to read it!

[kate lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

reread 2023: morgan matson and i will forever and always be like this 🤞

—
ugh this gave me ALL of the warm and fuzzy feelings. I’ve been meaning to reread save the date for a while now and being able to catch up with the Grants is making me even more excited to reread it soon. I loved it!!

[Reagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Eleri Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I really enjoyed Save the Date, so when I saw this promoted on Twitter last night I couldn’t resist - I immediately paused my current read & read this in one sitting!

It was fun, very festive, and such a joy to catch up with the Grant family. MM did such a good job in the first book of making you love this big cast of characters, and that really pays off when you return to them in this - it didn’t take long at all to get back into their story (although it did take a minute for me to tell the brothers apart), and I found myself genuinely wanting to know how they were all doing in their lives.

Only reason it’s not a 4 is that it was pretty predictable throughout - not in a bad way that hindered my enjoyment, but all the twists/reveals/surprises were just super obvious from the moment they were hinted at.

[Sydney | sydneys.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

maybe I haven't outgrown Morgan Matson after all!!

Loved the pansexual (described as "into all genders, not just those who identify as female") rep for a main character, the mini road trip element, the throwbacks to SAVE THE DATE (lol we stan Don), the growth we get to see for all the main characters, the way Charlie has an exciting life event in the future (more short stories?? pls), and the numerous Taylor Swift references. The scarf one or the right where you left me one were my favorites.

Absolute must-read if you love Morgan or read SAVE THE DATE. Definitely only read if you've read SAVE THE DATE though, there's not a lot of context given.

[Caryn - iam.caryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Save the Date is one of my favourite books ever, so I had pretty high hopes for this one. It did NOT disappoint. I loved every second that I got to spend with the Grant’s. This was the perfect Christmas gift.

[ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

i lose a little faith in humanity every time another morgan matson book without clark mccallister comes around but this was still good enough to make up for the horrendous trash pile that was take me home tonight.

[Jessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Marti (Letstalkaboutbooksbaybee) · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS WAS SO CUTE AHHHHH

(Def recommend reading Save The Date before reading this as it’s a novella about that family)

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this was seriously cute. I like that all of Morgan Matson’s books are fun, but also have a more emotional aspect. This was about keeping traditions, but also realizing that sometimes things need to change. I love the Grant family and how they all interact with each other, but my favorite character was JJ. He was so funny and had so much Christmas spirit! And even though I called almost every twist, this was still a lot of fun. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by Morgan Matson.

[Hannah (FreeInFiction) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i just adore this family so much!!


review and thoughts in my reading vlog! https://youtu.be/QUP1BsjAtv0?si=JenCM...

[Margrethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so happy I found this! Save the Date is my favourite Morgan Matson book, so I was so happy to see more of these characters. I really loved this and reading it during Christmas was the perfect timing. As a person with divorced parents, that still struggles a little during the holidays, this novella made me feel seen. Also, it was very funny and I had such a good time reading it. Would absolutely recommend it if you liked Save the Date.

This scored 9.29 on CAWPILE. That makes it on the lower five-star mark.

[Atalia López · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Save The Date, so... The moment I found out that there was a sort of short sequel I knew I had to read it!
And what better time to do it than Christmas!
While very predictable and not as hilarious as Save the Date, this was an enjoyable fast read.
I loved checking back with the Grants and being part of their advertures again.
And while the setting was perfect what I loved the most about this is once again the overall message that while change is scary and we will prefer for things to never change, to hold onto what we know or happier times, different doesn't mean bad, and it's in fact needed.
Anyhow, as always with Morgan Matson it was a fun, sweet and enjoyable read.

[Courtpink14 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this novella for the first time back in May and then again recently at Christmas, and to say I absolutely loved it both times would be an understatement. "Save the Date" is one of my all time favorite books, so naturally I was filled to the brim with joy while reading this sequel novella. Charlie is an incredible narrator as there is much overlap between her experiences, passions, and insecurities with my own. Her voice is just so much my own and I take such comfort in that. I love Christmas and I love the Grants; combine that with the first Christmas post divorce and Charlie confessing her love for Bill, and we have everything I ever wanted from this short story. 10/10. Absolute perfection. I will be rereading this novella every year at Christmastime from now until the end of time.

[Molly Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was honestly exactly what I needed to read. The line about holding onto the past means you’ll just be left behind— UGH. I love the way Morgan writes about how challenging it is to accept change, but it’s how we grow and move forward. LOVED THIS!

[Nicole - Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die- · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Family love grows warmer at Christmas star

"I feel like this is part of life. You have to let go of things sometimes. But not everything. Some of our traditions we have for a reason"

In "We Grant You a Merry Christmas," set during Charlie Grant's sophomore year in college, the pressure is on for the Grants to recreate their perfect holiday despite moving from their old house. With all her siblings returning, Charlie aims to revive their Christmas traditions, but the elusive Sir Harry's Happy Christmas Gingerbread proves hard to find. Amidst the chaos, Charlie faces a crucial decision about her future, hoping for a quiet holiday to spend quality time with her family. However, chaos ensuses with unreliable vans, missing Santas, stolen cars, a greenhouse heist, and New Jersey Turnpike misadventures, turning Christmas into a uproarious disaster for the Grant family.



OH what an amazing short story in the world of the Grants. I loved reading about them during Save the Date and always wondered what happened after you finish the book. I am really glad that Morgan Matson released this for the month of December and I actually got to read around Christmas and I loved it! The chaos, love and everything else that involves the Grants. It picks up right at the ending of Save the Date and a lot has happened since then. Charlie and Mike both go to the same school and their relationship has been better and stronger than before. We learn a lot since then about the whole family: Linnie is pregnant and Rodney & her are so happy! Her parents seemed happier now they are not together and Charlie's mom have found happiness with Phil. Bill and Charlie are together and are very happy. This is such a feel good Christmas and it's a very short story that could be read in a couple of hours.



I recommend this book to anyone who have read Save the Date and want an update on what the Grants have been up too. It is a short novella and it brings holiday joy and makes you feel that you are part of the Grant family. I am really sad not to read about them anymore but I can't wait to read more Morgan Matson books and the next book I will be reading is Take Me Home Tonight

"While we were catching him up, I looked around the room, and realized with a shock that we were together after all. Not in the way I ever would have expected, but just to see my whole family in the same room together, laughing and arguing and trying to stop waffles from stealing food, felt like a tiny gift I'd been given when I'd least expected it-the present under the tree you'd overlooked"

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. You could probably enjoy this one even if you haven’t yet read Save The Date, however, it may take a little while to get all the characters sorted in your mind as this focuses on a large family and for whatever reason, the heroine’s name, Charlie, isn’t provided to the reader until the second chapter.

This is a “short story” however it is long enough to require chapters and if you’ve read Morgan Matson’s most recent novels then maybe you feel like I do that they’ve developed a kind of bloated quality, longer/draggier than necessary, I did feel a little of that here, too, but for the most part the pacing was pretty solid.

If this were a novel there were a couple areas I probably would have preferred to see handled a little more seriously, however given that this was just meant to be a quick holiday read, the lighthearted, often joking tone matches up well with the festive season, it kind of reads like a Christmas episode of a warmhearted and mildly sarcastic family sitcom.

[Kelsey O’Malley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute! I read Save the Date right after college when I was so excited to finally have freedom to read again, and the Grants were the perfect dose of charm.

It was really fun to revisit them at the holidays this year, with some extra nostalgia mixed in this time. The last time I was in this world, I was trying to figure out what to do with the first summer that wasn’t leading to a new school year and I related to Charlie’s aversion to change. Now, I am a Fully Established Adult preparing for a wedding of my own, but I still saw myself in this story, grasping to hold onto traditions that are fading quickly. I was more emotional than I expected reading this story, thanks in large part to the fact that my childhood bedroom, the place where I first entered this universe, no longer belongs to me. Much like Charlie, and to borrow from Garden State, I was homesick for a place that doesn’t exist anymore.

I am someone who ties my memories tightly to a sense of place, and I really felt for Charlie as she experienced going home for the holidays to a place that will never really feel like home and started to learn how to let her memories live with people instead of places.

[Lain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute short story! It had basically everything I was looking for: a lot of festive Christmas traditions, family fun, a few lines that got me to laugh out loud, small moments of romance, great humor, and that warm fuzzy family-related Christmas feeling. I also really appreciated the theme of how times changing and growing up affects traditions and how to learn to create new memories and not hold on too tightly to the past.

This book was also my first Morgan Matson story, and I think her writing was worth the wait. I felt very drawn to the story and the characters, and I can’t wait to read Save The Date, which technically comes before this story.

I honestly don’t think there was anything about this story I didn’t like. It was so cozy and sweet and exactly what I needed in a short Christmas read. I would definitely recommend, even if you haven’t read Save the Date.

[OneMamaReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

***

I think this would have been more appealing to me if I had read the book this family originated from. However, I loved the idea of a family trying to make their holiday traditions stay alive in the midst of divorce, grown children being elsewhere in the world, significant others, new loves, etc. The main character must recognize that the traditions are less important than being able to spend the holidays with her family. She doe not need the added stuff, just the laughter and love. A great short read that really touches your emotions, and makes you laugh a little bit here and there.

[Eniram · Rating 3 out of 5]

C'était une bonne petite lecture de Noël, sans prise de tête. Je n'irais pas jusqu'à dire que c'était une lecture doudou, mais c'était relativement doux.

On passe Noël avec la famille Grant. Les parents sont divorcés, et les enfants cherchent à garder leurs traditions de Noël. Ça veut dire retrouver le Père Noël dégonflé/ sans mousse, et trouver du pain d'épice.

Les frères et sœurs sont proches et différents les uns des autres. On apprend à les connaître, de même que leur histoire.

C'était une lecture calme. J'ai mis trop de temps à la lire, parce que je n'ai pas tant accroché aux personnages.

[Laila ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved catching up with all of my favorite characters from Save The Date!

When I first started reading this book I didn’t realize it was a spin off of a book I’ve read before! It was nice to see how the characters have grown and changed since the last book. I love the big family aspect and J.J’s sense of humor! A very light hearted, yet meaningful read to help me reach my reading goal for the year. I wouldn’t recommend reading this book if you haven’t read the other one, because you might not feel any attachment to the character.

The idea of letting go of the past and excepting change was a big part of this story. I highly recommend if you love Morgan Matson books

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️