Cute, funny and fast paced. Might even reread during Christmas 🤭 their little squabble felt a bit unnecessary, but overall an enjoyable read

There's just something special about Christmas in July, and Codi gives all the festive feels with this delightful novel' -TheBritishBiliophile

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with the ebook Advanced Readers Copy here via NetGalley for me to read and leave an honest review.
-----------------------------------------

I'm back in the world of Codi Hall, and what a wonderful place it is! I was first introduced to her work when the kind people at Sourcebook sent me a stack of paperbacks this time last year, and her book Nick And Noel's Christmas Playlist was among them. I was immediately won over by the sweet, holiday romance that Nick and Noel were wrapped up in, so the moment I knew there would be another book in the series, it was a no brainer that I knew I had to read that, too.

Both books are standalones in their own right, but they are set in the same town/world as each other. Featuring some familiar faces in this one that we saw in Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist .

This novel has already been released in audiobook format so if you're a fan of that and of Codi, I highly suggest you grab it and treat yourself to a little bit of early festive spirit and one hell of a good story. Don't wait for the weekend, this is a read (or rather, audiobook) that's weekday worthy.

Codi Hall writes a charming, wholesome and sweet holiday romance that everyone can enjoy and pick up. There's Something About Merry is an irresistible single dad romance read, full of heart-warming romantic moments that will have you full-on swooning. Not to mention the magic of the holiday season healing things for both the characters in the book and us as readers. I always feel good and whole again after a truly feel-good holiday romance, and this novel was the medicine I needed.

But..., will this single dad be able to lower his barrier enough to let love in? And will Merry--scared to love--be able to do the same? One little man and the help of and flirting anonymously over a dating app will help them get the kickstart they need to a holiday Happily Ever After.

Praise has to be given to Codi for diving deeper into the pleasure pit compared to Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist'. The first standalone book in this series was PG and suitable for all audiences--which is not a bad thing, as it's nice to take a break from the steam every now and then--, but this novel goes a little bit further. Without spoiling anything, I definitely appreciated the feedback taken into consideration from those of us who wanted a little added seasonal spice. Would I have liked full spice? It's hard to say. The story in itself lends no need for in-bedroom activities, there's plenty to keep us entertained and happy without that need. Plus if this is Codi's go-to chosen style to keep things slightly more on the PG side and write wholesome holiday romance, it has to be and is understood at least by myself.

That said, I fell deeper into this world and the inhabitants with it. Clark is definitely someone I could see myself dating in real life, and Merry would be THE friend to go to if ever you needed both an ear to speak to/shoulder to cry on, as well as a hard-working, best friend for life. These two were written fantastically for one another, and I can honestly say that I just love, love, love their story and how they got to the point where the dating app ends, and THEY begin. Again, no spoilers of how that happens but it was great to read how the dots connected.

(Also, side-note, Merry's parents are just the sweetest!)

If you're looking for the perfect Christmas read to dive into when you're in the flavour for something festive, or if you'd like to inject a little Merryment (wink wink) at any point of the year, this is the novel for you!

I heartily give it 4.75 stars, and sincerely hope that I can add this to my Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist paperback on my bookcase, this upcoming holiday season!

Thank you Codi for a truly delightful read!

Book Review: There's Something About Merry
-
Rating: 4/5 stars
-
A perfect, hallmark-esque, holiday romance. Super cute, swoony, and had me grinning like an idiot throughout most of the book.
-
In the book the two MCs are messaging each other on a dating app, without realizing it's the other person. However, they figured out each other's identities at about 50% through the book. So the major conflict was resolved and we still had 200 pages to go. I felt like after resolution occurred the author added in another conflict just to keep the book going. It really felt like the book could've been split into 2 parts maybe? Overall the pacing and set up was just a little weird.
-
Over than the pacing issue, I really enjoyed this book. I will definitely be recommending this to others to add to their holiday TBRs.

This book was really cute and gave Hallmark Movie vibes. I was so here for it! I really enjoyed the dual POV, small town setting, and overall chemistry between the two main characters, Clark & Merry. I definitely plan to read more by this author.

If there is something wrong with reading a Christmas book in the middle of summer, then I don’t want to be right. Honestly this book is Hallmark adorable with a sexy, spicy side. Clark and Merry were too cute for words. There’s a comfortability and an ease between them that makes it easy to see their chemistry and become invested in their HEA. There were moments that just make your heart sing, but there are realistic moments too which I appreciate. I felt that certain situations were handled in a mature and authentic way that is rarely seen in romance books.

At the heart of this story was the theme of family. The family banter, both blood and chosen, provided the much needed laughter and sarcasm and truly made this book a RomCom. The Winters’ family made me wish this book was a sitcom. This book provided love and laughter with a dose of Christmas cheer. It is the perfect book to pick up and read this upcoming holiday season. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC

This was a cute, fun holiday read about Merry and Clark. I love how the Winters family accept and take in Clark and Jace. The online communication between Clark and Merry is very sweet. I love this post history between the two. It's such a sweet, Hallmark-like read. I really enjoyed it!

Ok while I am not one for enemies to lovers I can say I really did like this book. I thought it was cute and swoon and I love an idea of a guy working at a Christmas tree farm and a girl falling for him!!! This book was a bit more spicy than I thought it was going get but I am not mad at it! I really hope Hall keeps up with this series because I will definitely reread them every year for the holidays!

This was super cute, I love You've Got Mail, so this was right up my alley. If you love Hallmark Christmas movies, this is for you. Lots of fluff, not a lot of big topics, but still very entertaining.

SOOO CUTE!! The chemistry between Clark and Merry is amazing and I love that we got to see the friendship, the fight, and then their life post-fight. Normally we get to see the fight and the part where they got back together and then it ends so I loved seeing the next steps. Also, seeing how Clark's son, Jace, is an important factor for Clark in his relationships is great and truly shows how single parents look at dating.

There’s Something about Merry (𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂) — 4.5 ⭐️

𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: September 6th, 2022

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: When the Winter’s family hires Clark on their Christmas tree farm, Merry is reminded of her short-lived crush on him in high school, but as a single dad, he doesn’t seem interested in any romantic relationships. Distracting herself by corresponding on a dating app, she starts flirting with a local guy. Will it be enough of a distraction from her growing feelings for Clark?

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: There’s Something about Merry is everything I wanted it to be! It was magical, and it flowed well. It gave me all the cutesy feels, and it made me want to curl up with a hot chocolate by a fireplace.

Honestly, the Winters are # FamilyGoals! I cannot get enough of their family dynamic. Plus, Clark’s son, Jace, is one of my favorite characters, and the MC’s romance seemed realistic yet still swoon-worthy.

I have my fingers crossed that the next book in the series is about Holly! We shall see…

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 —
👀 Multiple POVs
🎄Christmas Related
💪 Strong Characters + Development
🔥 Slow Burn Romance
😂 Plenty of LOL Moments
🏡 Small Town Setting
🥰 Feel-Good Story
💼 Workplace Romance

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐟 —
👦 You’re good with kids
🎄 You’d love to manage a Christmas tree farm
🎅 Christmas is your all-time favorite holiday
⛸ You go ice skating every year
🎁 You enjoy giving gifts

𝐓𝐖: abandonment, sexual content

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks - Casablanca, for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Once I realized Merry had her own story I had to read this, and the Single Dad Lumberjack trope is definitely a whole vibe and something I didn’t know I was missing in my life until now.

What I loved:
▪️The Dual Narrative/POV - This is always a favorite for me
▪️Merry! I loved her in book one, but loved her even more in this one. She’s such a pure honest soul. I loved how she was so understandable about everything that was happening, no matter how bad things got.
▪️Clark - Mr. Single Dad Lumberjack. He’s the new Forman for Merry Winters Family Christmas Tree Farm. Quiet, withdrawn, broody, and super sexy!
▪️ The Dating App Messages that Merry and Clark shared with each other. That was my favorite part of the story.
▪️The Hallmarkish style Romance with added Steam. Sweet, but also spicy!
▪️Jayce: Such a cutie! Clark’s young son that won me over really quickly.
▪️The Winter’s Family Dynamic. It’s such a fun family to read about.
▪️All the mentions of Nick and Noel throughout (from book 1).
▪️ The crazy guy with the chickens 😂 (IYKYK)!
▪️Daisy the Dog 🐶 ❤️
▪️The Voodoo Dolls. Such a funny added touch to the story.
▪️How Clark’s Ex was was handled in the story line. It was Very well done.
▪️ The special Christmas Tree at the end..SWEET and SWOON WORTHY.

I really enjoyed this one so much. If you weren’t a fan of book one in this series, I suggest trying this one. This series has officially redeemed itself with this book!

This book felt like watching a Hallmark movie inside my head. It was so sweet and had most of my favorite tropes: single dad, “met” through a dating app, and kind of a second chance. The setting was also a huge positive point in the story for me since I love when holiday romances are set in small towns with big, loving families.

I loved the romance between Merry and Clark. Their emails were pure gold, they made dating apps look so easy! Their conversation flowed so naturally, I couldn’t believe the same people struggled a bit to communicate face to face. However, I totally understood taking into account Clark’s past and the little misunderstanding between them when they were teens. I also adored Clark’s son, Jace. He was the sweetest kid, everyone loved him and with good reason. His bond with Merry felt very pure and special, and I loved how Merry’s family welcomed Clark, Jace and Sam into their family with open arms. The found family in this book was the best part

I have to say that the conflict introduced in the last quarter wasn’t my favorite thing. I kinda expected it, but I think it added too much drama to a story that was doing perfectly being sweet. However, I LOVE that there is no break up due to this conflict and Merry and Clark solve it together… this is my favorite way to resolve a third act conflict!

I’m very excited for Holly’s book. I admit I’m confused about who her love interest will be, but I have a big, clear favorite… and he has tattoos!

TW: Parental abandonment, domestic violence, child abuse.

Rating: 4/5
Steam level: 2/5

Thank you to Sourcebooks for my ARC! Opinions are my own.

This was a cute read! It was a bit slow going at first, but it quickly picked up. Jace completely stole the show, and was such an adorable character. I really liked how Clark and Jace were integrated into Merry’s family. Clark and Merry had a nice romance, but I felt it was a bit time-jumpy. And of course, Merry’s ‘art’ made me laugh out loud (no spoilers, but if you know, you know). I would definitely recommend this book for that alone.

This was a fun, romantic comedy that got me ready for Christmas already, in August! If you like Hallmark movies, you'll love this. I really enjoyed the "will they/won't they" and the premise behind the story. Good banter, kept me reading late into the night.

This book was full of festive joy and Christmas cheer. I adore books that have got 'You've Got Mail' vibes/retelling.

Merry & Clark's chemistry was intense & fire. I loved the single parent trope added to the mix.
Both the characters had amazing growth & the side characters were perfectly blended.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a great fan of Christmas books and Hallmark films (even in August), but I struggled with this one.

It was about 150 pages too long, and had far too many things going on, to the point that none of them were dealt with well.

For example, two people (Merry and Clark) meet on a dating app and start chatting, only to meet up and fall in love in their small town (he works on her family's farm) before they meet up on the app, This in itself would have been a great plot for the book but this was 'resolved at about 30% in. Merry wants to take over her father's farm, is roped into a Christmas tree festival, a Christmas parade and she starts a side hustle making crochet penises. Add to that a blast from Clark's past sweeps in and sweeps out again for no apparent reason taking up a couple of chapters. This book would have been greatly improved if it had been edited.

It wasn't the worst book I've ever read, but it wasn't the fluffy Christmas romance I was expecting and if it was a Hallmark film it would be 4 hours long with no ads.

There’s Something About Merry is a romantic Christmas delight! Merry and Clark are endearing characters and all I wanted was for them to find love and joy in their lives. I chuckled at many scenes in this sparkling novel, my heart broke a little, but the swoon-factor was the very best part!

This one is pretty spicy and has a few unfavorable words in it however the storyline is great and you simply just want to keep reading! I could’ve done without some of the language and the spice, but we never quite know what is going to happen which makes it all the more endearing! A great read!

Well rom-pals™ I’m back again with another advance review! I’m here to share my early review of Codi Hall’s holiday romance There’s Something About Merry.

As always, huge thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC, thoughts below are my own.

After I got over my initial, oh my god it’s August and I’m reading a holiday romance, I was able to come back down to earth and really focus on what I was reading. This was released last year as an Audible Exclusive, and much like Cara Bastone’s Seatmate is now getting a book version, huzzah!

I’ll get this one over with quickly: I didn’t love it. I wanted to, it really had all the parts I was sure to love: single dad, co-workers, cast of potentially wacky characters, small town vibes. But as a whole there were a few things that just felt off.

But before I rain on our proverbial holiday parade, what did I like? Jace (Clark’s son) was adorable, and stole most of the scenes he was. Daisy and Butch (a Great Pyrenees and Bloodhound respectively) are very fun and adorable dogs (I’m really grasping at straws here). Oh and Victoria (Merry’s mom) she seemed like a perfect mix of both Grace and Frankie (from one of my favourite Netflix show and my ideal style icons).

Things I struggled with, were plentiful. When we meet Merry she’s in a HUFF about not being taken seriously at her family tree farm. She wants to take over one day, but her dad (apparently) is resistant and has brought in Clark Griffin (which HAS to be a reference to Clark Griswold?!) to be the farm foreman. Merry is displeased, and we’re told that this is her passion and dream. She’s kind of resentful of Clark, but they are trying to make their professional relationship work.

She’s also getting over a relationship that’s gone badly, and is maybe ready to put herself out there. Clark is also working through the trauma of having a child when he was 20, being essentially abandoned by his own parents and brother, oh and his baby momma just up and left their newborn and vanished.

So right away I’m sitting here like, ok so Merry and Clark are going to need to figure out how to work together for her to realize her dream of taking over the tree farm and Clark is going to have to grapple with his abandonment issues and it will snow at the end with a perfectly timed engagement yada yada.

BUT WAIT, no we end up on the snakes and ladders of plot(s) and storylines, and reader when I tell you by the end of this book I was ready to hang up my stockings and call it a freaking day. We also get a little side bar you’ve got mail moment between Clark and Merry, which was a real cringeworthy Merry moment.

Then there’s the abusive town drunk who is kicking puppies (I wish this was a metaphor), and the crocheted penises (which were referred to as Voodoo penises, which felt yucky and kind of disrespectful of the whole Voodoo being a practiced religion and all…), oh and the woman who abandoned Jace and Clark shows up, with strangle marks on her neck, announces her uncle sexually abused her as a child (and that’s why she did not want to have a son), and then asks Clark for what I can only assume is tens of thousands of dollars for her and DAUGHTER to escape to start a new life. But not before Clark has to gently remind Merry (after she’s like I DON’T UNDERSTAND PEOPLE WHO DISLIKE CHRISTMAS) that not everyone in the world follows Christianity and celebrates Christmas, and capitalism is bad. Good grief.

Oh and remember when Merry wanted to run the farm, Clark basically wraps that storyline up by just pulling her dad aside and being like “Merry wants this, she’s serious”, babe she’s been mocking up dongs wearing bowties, and organizing a holiday fair, does she really? Anyways. UGH.

This did not work for me, but it might work for you! There were definitely some “vibes” but not a lot of coherent plot, but also I guess there was some holiday warm-fuzzies and some o**l s*x in a woodwork shop so not all is lost. If you’re interested, grab your copy of There’s Something About Merry wherever you get your books when it drops in print form September 6th 2022.

“Just because a dream isn’t elaborate, doesn’t mean it isn’t extraordinary.”

Are you looking for a cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie in book format? Then look no further. Merry Winters has a sister named Holly, their brother’s girlfriend is named Noel and they live in Mistletoe, Idaho.

Merry wants to learn the family tree business so she can take over when her dad retires, but he hires a new foreman.

Clark worked on the tree farm in his teens and is back helping out the Winters. Now he’s a single dad and barely talks to Merry, except thats not exactly true. Both of them set up anonymous online dating profiles and ended up matching, so they’ve actually been talking online. Their version of flirting was so cringey, I died a little inside.

There was definitely a big focus on the fact that Clark was a single dad. While I don’t read single parent books as I can’t relate, it was incredibly realistic that Clark didn’t want to date because of his son. He didn’t want Jace to like someone, only for it to not work out in the end.

Holly, Merry’s sister is hilarious, and I liked her way more than Merry. I would absolutely read a book about her and I’m hoping she gets with Sam, Clark’s brother, even though that would make this family dynamic even weirder than it already is.

This book was so cheesy, some good, and some not so good. I absolutely love well written spice in just about any book, but this was a bit odd. We have all this Christmas Cheer in the land of Whos and then BAM Clark starts talking about his aching cock…. I was getting whiplash. It also had kind of weird pacing. They didn’t talk, then they were talking, talking-not-knowing-they-were-talking, then bad, then first date acting like they’d been together for years.

Overall this was a light and fun read. Maybe would have enjoyed it more in November/December. I love Christmas though so I can’t complain too much.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a free copy of this book so that I can review.

P.S. #Voodopeens i would have ordered an ipb one!

❄️ Single Dad
❄️ Christmas story

3.5 ⭐️
1.5 🌶