Elise Maxwell is loving her first Christmas with her husband, Jay Smith. So far, newlywed life has been filled with laughter and lots of steamy marital "bliss." But when Elise discovers she's accidentally, against-all-odds pregnant, happily-ever-after screeches to a halt. Although she sees it as a Christmas miracle, Elise knows her new husband might not agree...

Such a good book! I really enjoyed it. This was my first book from Jenny Holiday and will definitely be reading more from her in the future!

i remember reading this short story/novella when i requested it and apparently forgot to come here and leave a review. I gave this 3 stars on goodreads but I didn't leave any other details on what I felt about it at the time - so I liked it - but in the end not super memorable

Elise believes she's infertile, Jay doesn't want kids due to his childhood. They married knowing this, so the reaction they both had to this surprise pregnancy was in line with their personalities. It was hard seeing Jay flip pot a little and seeing his childhood.

But with their friends anf family they got through it. It was a perfect holiday read of miracles and acceptance.

Not just a holiday read, but a great read for any time of the year. Jay thought he married someone on the same page as him. He thought she understood he didn’t want children, but then she becomes pregnant, I loved this story because this felt more like real life to me- unexpected things happen. I loved reading about their story after the wedding. Things are not always happily ever after!

I wasn't crazy about this book. They seemed younger than they were which kept throwing me off. I also felt this was a more one sided relationship with her following him. It might have come right in the end but it was torture getting there.

This is a great addition to the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series by Jenny Holiday. From reading the other books you assume Elise and Jay have already had their HEA, this is what happens after. I didn’t love that Elise wasn’t more proactive about some form of birth control, but if she was there wouldn’t be a story. Regardless, I enjoyed it and highly recommend the whole series.

The Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series is one of my favorites this year and found a new favorite author in Jenny Holiday. I've been so excited to read another novella featuring Elise and Jay after reading about their wedding in the series prequel novella, Once Upon a Bride (my review), back in the summer.

In the aptly titled Merrily Ever After as it's set around the holidays, Elise and Jay have been married for a couple of years now and everything is wonderful... until Elise found out she's pregnant. This is a huge problem for their marriage. Although Elise wanted kids, she had accepted the fact that she'll never have them because of her endometriosis, which made her Jay's dream woman because he never wanted to have any kids (daddy issues). Elise's pregnancy and Jay's reaction to this life changing news this could make or break their marriage.

I love romances that feature an already married pair and Merrily Ever After did not disappoint! Elise and Jay are my favorite couple in the series--I love the pairing of the vivacious interior designer and the reserved accountant who is actually a sexy beast in the bedroom, their mutual love of board games, and the grand gestures for his woman from said reserved accountant. And, yep, we got all that here!

One of my favorite things about the series is the female friendship between Elise, Gia, Jane, and Wendy. They have such distinct personalities and I loved seeing all of them again and getting an update on what they've been up to. Merrily Ever After also acts as a nice refresher before we read Gia's book, which will be out next month.

If you're new to the series, I think Merrily Ever After can be read as a standalone (or read Once Upon a Bride first about Elise and Jay's wedding, which is currently free on Kindle) if you just want a quick holiday read. But, if you're a fan of the series, Merrily Ever After is a must-read! Great characters, female friendships and found families, all the swoons--what's not to love?

This is a couple that has only been married for a year and a half with no children. And that is the way the both planned it. For her, because she couldn’t have any for his it was his background.

With that said it jumps right into a sexually charged couple who love everything about each other and all things sex with each other. They will never make me see Scrabble as just a simple word game again. I want the spiced-up version, please.

They are fun and real as a couple. Jay is an accountant who to everyone else he is straight-laced and uptight. But being part owner of the business with his partner leaves him feeling the role of the adult. Much of the time in his household growing up is did as well. Which leaves him now wanting to cut loose with his younger wife.

Elise, his wife, and Cam his brother are the only two who have really seen the real, Jay. Elise fell head over heels for Jay. He was the man for her and she knew it. Jay took a little longer to agree. Elise’s family wasn’t the best she had an okay relationship with her brother but not her parents.

When she started her own business at thirty, they became angry and stopped talking to her. No, real loss though. You see Elise has her family of choice: Gia who is a model, Wendy is a lawyer, and Jane is a fantasy writer, friend, and her sister in law. All there to support her always.

When Jay finally got on board and fell head over heels for Elise, he knew he had to toe the line he knew he was taking on all her friends too. When Elise thinks she’s pregnant, she’s calling in her troops they are there. Telling Jay and he reacts wrong, they are there too.

So, when Jay overreacts, they’re there for her. Even Craig, in his own way. Even though he loves his brother to death he works to get him to understand that if he doesn’t open up to the woman, he loves he will lose two of the most important beings ever.

Getting him to really think. Looking at the bigger picture. Not just the "me" factor. Is a life without his wife worth it? Or is working through his fears a better plan?

I enjoyed the gritty emotion and feelings that the pain of her husband’s rejection of their child was now doing to them as a couple. Causing her to question it what they had was real or a lie. Then Jay’s POV and the real fear he has of repeating his father’s past. I loved the brother’s interaction and bonding over the Lego. So, heartwarming. I give this: 5 stars. Provided by netgalley.com.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
A cute read about what happens when something you didn't expect or know that you wanted.

Life is about to change drastically for Elise and Jay when Christmas brings Elise a true miracle: an unexpected pregnancy. She's not sure how she feels, she's been told for years that having children weren't in the cards for her. She's scared to tell Jay because he's been very clear about not wanting kids.

I loved the way Elise and Jay's feelings were explored, the emotional angst that each went through to discover how they truly felt about being parents.

4.5 Stars
Elise and Jay are back and boy have things changed for them this time around!! 

I was a little worried about how this whole surprise pregnancy would play out between this couple who had both placed themselves firmly in the not wanting children club. I was worried about how we were sold that they both were not just okay with not having children, but that they preferred it and that they would somehow magically be over the moon with the news. 

Well, while Elise took the surprise pretty well other than knowing that it was going to cause a problem in her marriage, Jay did not handle the news with grace or ease. He was actually not very nice about it at all but that fell very realistic to this relationship and I appreciated the realness of his reaction. 

It was how the situation was resolved that really sold me on this book though. I love that Jay didn't just fall in love with the idea of having a baby just because of how much he loved Elise but because he realized that his reasons for not wanting kids were not valid and that maybe he's wanted kids all along. 

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review

Elise and Jay alreayd had their HEA or so they thought. This novella tested their love and also who they really were inside. It was beautiful and special and I was so happy to read it!

4 stars

Merrily Ever After by Jenny Holiday is a beautifully written and heartwarming read.

I enjoyed the storyline, my interest was kept from start to end and I loved how Jay and Elise's relationship evolved and how much love their was between them.
Overall, a lovely and heartwarming read.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy.

I'm a huge fan of Jenny Holiday's Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series so I was excited to see this novella about Elise and Jay. Although this could be read as a standalone, you won't be able to really enjoy it fully without having read the first two books in the series. This story centers around an unplanned pregnancy for a couple who had always agreed that children were not an option for them. I think that was handled very deftly in this novella. I highly recommend this one AND the series as a whole!

Had problems with this story at first because I've been in heroine's shoes and there's no excuse for not using birth control, no matter what doctors have told you. :( Also didn't say much for her that she'd marry a man who couldn't roll with punches and accept unexpected events, regardless of his "life plans." BUT it got better and the hero's motivation was much stronger.

Cute story, nice characters...could have used a little more proofreading, as there were several typos/mistakes along the way, but all in all a decent way to spend an afternoon.

Liked it; didn't love it. Part of the problem may be that I haven't read the other books in the series. Since I didn't have an impression of Jay Smith going in, when I read how Elise was so concerned about his reaction, it made me think harshly of him. Being exasperated with the male lead character made it hard to get into the story.

Elise about to have an amazing time as a newly wed with her husband. Then finds out odds against odd that she's pregnant. Elise has a condition that would make it highly unlikely but now it worried knowing her husband never wanted to have kids. Now shes got to break the news and deal with the fall out testing the strength of their newly appointed marriage.

This was such a great read, I enjoyed it from start to finish. There was plenty of steamy times and well written content to keep the readers interested and hooked. I wanted to make sure these characters get the HEA they deserve because not everything stops after the wedding and it was interesting seeing the test of their love and seeing if they can work though things, how they get through it and it was just such a great book. Also on the plus side for you holiday readers its set during christmas time so might want to jump on this book what better time to read it, its also short so if your pressed for time and need a short escape might want to check this novella out.

A wonderful holiday love story of newlyweds and an unexpected pregnancy. I absolutely loved this book! A wonderful holiday story.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

My first foray into the writings of Jenny Holiday exceeded my expectations. I was expecting a feel good, enjoyable afternoon read with this novella, Merrily Ever After. What I got was a great, thoroughly. enjoyable afternoon with a read that kept me engaged…and reading! I found the writing engaging. The characters felt like friends (very relate-able) and the location(s) caught me off guard – referring to towns that I know and have visited (Toronto) or national holidays:

“…when they’d gotten tired of waiting for her, had somehow morphed into said friends crashing Cohen & Smith’s Canada Day party wearing the world’s most ridiculous glittery red maple-leaf glasses.”

Married couple Elise and Jay are a match made in heaven. Perfectly in sync with the same life goals, including being okay with the fact that Elise cannot have children. They are the “cute” couple… with everyone striving to have a relationship such as theirs – committed, loving, playful and they are each others best friend as well. Well except that Elise does have her gal pals. All appears perfect in Jay’s and Elise’s life until Elise discovers against all odds that she is with child. Jay never signed up to have children and now Elise is distraught over the fact that if she tells him, she may lose him.

This discovery comes as Elise and Jay are taking a romantic jaunt outside of the city for the weekend. They are a quirky couple with some interesting proclivities. They enjoy board games (usually involving taking clothes off for the loser… first person naked loses…or do they?). Elise tries valiantly to hide her secret but as the weekend goes on Jay knows something is off, but waits patiently for Elise to come clean. As one suspects, Jay does not handle either the deception nor the “being with child” news well.

Now I am not going to go into more of the story so that you may enjoy discovering all this gem of a novella has to offer, however, I can make some rather vague comments to whet your appetite.

The “not ever wanting children” on Jay’s part is actually due to many things that have happened in his life. Luckily for Jay, he has his brother around to help him discover, confront and (if all goes well) resolve past issues so that his marriage can continue with the love of his life.

The “not ever wanting children” on Elise’s part was founded on the assumption that she could not have children as a result of a severe case of endometriosis. So what is a gal to do when all her adult life she has pushed down the desire to have children when she believed she couldn’t and as such, married a man whom she adores but does not want children. When this changes…will her true desires win out and destroy her marriage? It definitely took Elise’s best gal pals to help her realize her true desires and then come up with a game plan for her life.

I found the hot and sexy parts were just enough steam for my liking. I also found the characters and storytelling so engaging that I could not put the book down. And that is a true testament in my mind as to how good a book is! Even the title is significant to Elise and Jay… made my heart flutter. My only criticism is that the story ended WAY too soon.

This thoroughly delightful story, Merrily Ever After, has me putting on my TBR (to be read) pile the other titles in the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly Series. If you like a bit of spice with your romance as well as humour, then you should put Merrily Ever After on your TBR pile!

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you Forever and Jenny Holiday for the chance to read and review Merrily Ever After. A full review will be posted shortly.

A sweet, smart, sparkly Christmas read with chemistry that sizzles from the page. A holiday confection for those who want their Hallmark-esque tale with a tad more substance. 'Merrily Ever After' asks us to consider life's twists and turns when the carefully planned story we have for ourselves takes an unexpected turn.

Jay and Elise show a portrait of real and messy love more enchanting still because of their authenticity. An easy voice to fall into, a perfect dessert for a night by the Christmas tree.