The winter holiday reading season has officially begun! I was expecting a totally fluffy holiday romance. I got some of that . . . and more depth.

I wasn't a fan of the frequent flashbacks on top of the alternating points of view between chapters. While there is a great deal of humor—of which I always seek more and appreciate greatly—it's not all smooth sailing for Patrick (an architect) and Quinn (a teacher), who have a lot of growing and maturing to do, individually and collectively. [They are in their late twenties.] I loved the couple's professions—what they are, and how they feel about them. Both are dedicated and are trying to find their way to the best application of their talents and skills. Quinn helps a young elf gain confidence and develop. Patrick's family (especially his parents) provide some tension to the storyline.

There is gay, lesbian, and asexual representation. This is especially powerful in the ways that Patrick's and Quinn’s successes influence rules revisions for the current Santa Claus and partner, as well as for the North Pole community.

Bonus points are always awarded for a character named Milo—in this case, a shelter dog. [Background for those who are new to my party: I proposed the name for our babies and was denied. So, years later I named my animal companion—an adorable and fun ball python—after the main character in The Phantom Tollbooth.]

Janovsky is a new-to-me author. I'm definitely open to reading more of his work. Narrators Mark Sanderlin and Zach Barela did a great job of bringing all the characters to life.

Overall, The Merriest Misters was a fun, light Christmas romance/fantasy read!

The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky is a cozy queer Christmas read. If you're a fan of The Santa Clause movies with Tim Allen, you’ll love this — but take away the kid and make it gay!

The story follows Patrick and Quinn, a newlywed couple struggling under the pressures of work, their mortgage, and the day-to-day realities of domestic life. On Christmas Eve, things take a hilarious and unexpected turn when Patrick knocks out an intruder with a frying pan—only to discover that the intruder is Santa Claus himself.

Santa’s had enough and quits on the spot, leaving Patrick and Quinn with the impossible task of saving Christmas. After a whirlwind night of delivering presents, the sleigh whisks them away to the North Pole, where they learn they’re the new Santa and “Merriest Mister” (instead of Mrs. Claus). They commit to the role for a year, and in the process, their relationship begins to heal. But the big question remains: Can they truly grow together as a couple, or will the challenges of their new life drive them apart once again?

This novel is a closed-door romance, but I loved how the book embraced queer representation in a way that felt like a Hallmark Christmas movie but, you know, gayer. I’m giving it 4 stars!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC audiobook.

Thank you Macmillan audio and NetGalley for an ARC of this audio book.

The merriest mister is about Quinn and Patrick, husbands that are stuck in a rot of everyday life. When on Christmas eve they stumble upon an intruder that will change their lives forever.

I loved this audiobook. The narrators did a wonderful job of making these characters come to life! This book was so cute and a perfect holiday read!

The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky
Narrator: Mark Sanderlin; Zach Barela
Rating: 3.5 stars
Pub date: 10/1

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy and Macmillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook. #macaudio2024

When Patrick accidentally knocks out Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, he and his husband, Quinn, end up having to take over Santa’s duties. What starts as a wild night of trying to save Christmas turns into a bigger challenge: fixing their marriage.
This turned out to be a cute read. I’m still not sure how I feel about the ‘marriage in trouble’ trope, and this didn’t make me feel better about it. These two have a difficult time communicating and their relationship continued to suffer for it. There were some very frustrating moments and it didn’t feel like their issues were ever resolved.

There is a good balance of humor and heart, with Quinn’s snarky narration making me laugh while rooting for him and Patrick to figure things out. Their marriage, less than a year in, is already feeling the pressure from work, bills, and just life in general. It’s easy to relate to how they’ve drifted apart, even though they clearly still care about each other.

The flashbacks show how Patrick and Quinn’s relationship got to where it is, and while it was helpful, it also disrupted the flow of the story.
The narrators did an amazing job with Patrick and Quinn’s personalities, and I enjoyed listening to this one.

Overall, this is a good pick if you’re looking for a feel-good holiday read with lots of laughs.

Patrick and Quinn’s marriage is strained until a Christmas Eve incident lands them in charge of Santa’s sleigh and the toy shop at the North Pole. To save Christmas, they must work together, leading to a year-long trial run as Santa and his spouse. Can their relationship can survive?

If you like modern Christmas fairytales, this book is for you. From a romance perspective, I found it unsatisfying. Patrick’s toxic ideas about masculinity are challenged, but he never really proves that he can be the kind of supportive spouse Quinn needs. I did, however, enjoy the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I received this ALC from NetGalley and MacMillan audio and I thought the narrators Mark Sanderlin and Zach Barela did fabulous jobs. Their performances really brought this story to life and made it enjoyable. Thanks you NetGalley for the audio!

This book felt like a bit of a The Santa Clause retelling - but with queer characters in a rocky marriage.

It's a sweet holiday romance that is closed door and has a non-traditional ending. I'm not big on non-traditional HEA's so I'm still on the fence about how I felt about this one, but it's not terrible.

It was cute but not great. I liked it fine.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a delightful LGBTIA holiday romance with M-M representation. I loved that this book was more than just the same old romantic comedy, and that the story had depth and emotion to it. I can't believe that I haven't read a book by Timothy Janovsky until now. I've certainly been missing out. So I encourage YOU to definitely not miss out on this book either! I wasn't familiar with either of the audiobooks narrators -- Mark Sanderlin or Zach Barela but I found their voices lovely to listen to, so I would definitely consider looking for more books narrated by them in the future.

And yes, if you loved The Santa Clause like I did as a child, I think you will fall head over heels for this book!

Many thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

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Patrick Hargrave and Quinn Muller have been married for less than a year, but their passionate romance is cracking under the pressures of domestic life and a cumbersome mortgage. That’s until Christmas Eve when Patrick wakes Quinn up with: “I think I’ve killed a man.” Quinn realizes the “burglar” Patrick knocked out is none other than Mr. Claus himself. Instructed by a harried elf to don the red suit and take the reins of the reindeer-guided sleigh up on the roof, Quinn and Patrick work together to save Christmas.

But as the sun rises on Christmas morning, the sleigh brings them back to the North Pole instead of New Jersey, and they’re in for a massive shock. The couple must assume the roles of Santa Claus and the first ever Merriest Mister or Christmas will be canceled… permanently. With Christmas–and their marriage–on the line, Patrick and Quinn agree to stay together for one year.

4⭐ (audio) I listen to a ton of audiobooks, and this one was well done. Both narrators pull you into the story and entertain. They both do a fine job with the voices and the narrative, and bring you along on a fun story!

4⭐ (story) I rather enjoyed this! The story is fun and the characters are relatable. I enjoyed the writing, and while the plot was a bit far-fetched, it is fiction so I can overlook that for the sake of some holiday cheer! There was a lot of backstory that made this "light" story a bit more meaty, and some things (like Quinn's relationship with his mum) felt a bit underdeveloped, but overall, this was an entertaining Christmas story!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audio copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

This is much more than a cutesy Santa rom com. I love romance books with married couples who are just trying to work through LIFE together. I adored the concept of them “rewriting” the Santa bylaws to accommodate a queer couple. Overall, the magic and pure realness of this book was very charming.

The narration was great as well. I sped it up and listened at 2.5 speed.

Another delightful book from Timothy Janovsky. He is my go to writer when I am looking for a MM love story. Although it is a little early for Christmas, it really put me in the Christmas spirit. I want there to be snow, drink hot coco, and get cozy while watching Christmas movies and reading more Christmas books. Unfortunately, it is only September so instead I will focus first on Halloween. I love the Santa Clause aspect of this book. It was nice to see a more modern version of that story. My favorite part was the North Pole wanting to be more inclusive since Santa Clause was married to a man. Forget Mrs. Clause, we get the Merriest Mister!!!

STOPPPP. THIS IS TOO CUTE!

If you took the "The Santa Clause" movie, added in some fun of 'Elf' and then tacked on some cute holiday drama from The Family Stone... You'd get The Merriest Misters. I was so pleasantly surprised with this one!

Patrick and Quinn were great characters - and I loved the little blips back to when they first got together. Holiday chaos mixed with the loss of a job, navigating marriage and Christmas being in jeopardy all makes for a delightful, adventurous and festive read.

I cannot recommend this cheery read enough this holiday season!

The Merriest Misters was… fine. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. Like the synopsis states it’s pretty similar to the movie The Santa Clause but make it queer + marriage in crisis trope. I’m not like mad I read it or anything but I could have skipped it and been totally fine. If it sounds good to you, go for it, but I’m not necessarily recommending it.

The audiobook was well done and both of the narrators did a good job.

Thank you so much to MacMillan Audio for an advance copy of this!!

This book is an absolute delight! The holiday reads that I have read previously never fully gave me the holiday vibes but this made me want to go to the North Pole and got me in the spirit of Christmas.

"Marriages are, as silly as it may seem, tandem bicycles. If you can't learn to pedal together, you'll end up tipping or crashing or worse."

The Santa Clause is one of my all time favorite holiday movies so I was excited when Janovsky announced that this was going to be a retelling. I felt that it had the same spirit but written for 2024 and with the author's own flair. Marriage in trouble is a new trope for Janovsky to write and I thought he did a good job navigating it. My heart felt for Patrick and Quinn - they both had so much love for one another but wanted to still do stuff on their own.

They both were at different crossroads - Quinn realizing that he might not want to be a teacher anymore and Patrick being overworked & losing his job and not sure what his next move could be. Going to the North Pole was a reset for them as a couple and really allowed them to spend that missed time together and to realize why they love one another. Patrick and Quinn just seemed so happy in the North Pole and it had made me wonder if for Quinn not having the "timeline" would have perhaps made him more present instead of just waiting for the ultimate end to occur. I will say I am nervous for the couple for being separated majority of the time but they seem to have a plan and to make it work especially with the epilogue.

As I mentioned above this book made me want to go to the North Pole and that is credit to the way Janovsky describe the setting. All that was missing was Judy's hot chocolate. Hobart was such a delight as a head elf!!

I thought the pacing was really well done. Throughout the book there was a countdown until the next Christmas with a sprinkle of past moments that give the readers a glimpse to their lives previously which was a nice touch.

Mark Sanderlin once again knocked it out of the park with his narration taking on the role of Quinn. I felt that based on what we knew of Quinn, Mark's tone and cadence fit his character perfectly. Zach Barela is a new narrator for me and I thought he was so good as Patrick. Just like with Mark, Zach's tone felt like it matched Patrick wonderfully! I love a dual POV and thought this was well done via audio and easy to follow by listening.

If you are looking for a book that emits Christmas magic and just is a feel good read - give this one a read!

4.75 stars

This was such a fun take on The Santa Clause but instead of a strained father/son relationship we have a marriage on the rocks. I really enjoyed the "a memory" chapters to see how they originally fell in love. I also felt the conflict was very real and understandable. The way the characters had to deal with their family's expectations on their life while also coming to terms with their own identities and desires was nice to see. And to see both of them do this on their own and together even without therapy was believable. I was glad to see they were never outright mean to each other during their struggles and could see where they may have added to the struggles on their own. And now I want to get all of my Christmas decorations out already!

Regarding the audiobook, both narrators were fantastic and had different enough voices to where I didn't get confused on whose POV it was.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC!

✨ALC Review✨

I love this (sort of) second chance romance. We have some realistic miscommunication between husbands, Patrick and Quinn. These two met in college, had a friends to lovers situation, and are now married. They aren’t doing a great job of communicating. This aspect felt real to me. I don’t mind a miscommunication trope when it’s miscommunication that makes sense. They’re both struggling at their jobs, their finances, their fixer upper house, and their relationship is suffering because of all this.

On Christmas Eve, Patrick walks back into the house from the garage and sees a man in their kitchen. He’s nibbling on the cookies Quinn set out for Santa. Patrick knocks him out with a frying pan. Long story short, the man IS Santa who quits on the spot. Hobart the elf appears and explains that unless one of them puts on the magical cloak and continues Santa’s mission, Christmas will be canceled.

Obviously, they have a quick sidebar and agree Patrick can be Santa for the night. After Patrick and Quinn have given out all the gifts, they expect the sleigh to fly them home to New Jersey. Instead they end up at the North Pole and are given the option to stay as Santa and the Merriest Mister.

During this time, without the pressure of jobs, family, and finances, the two work to find their way to be the people they’re meant to be and how that works as a couple. This is a sweet, funny, complex story of learning to truly trust your partner and let them see not only your bright light, but also the dark worries that can sometimes overtake us.

Great book by @timothyjanovsky. Excellent narration by @itsmarksanderlin and #zachbarela.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I received a copy of this #alc from #netgalley and @Macmillan.audio. All thoughts are mine alone.

#romance #contemporaryromance #gayromance #lgbtqia+ #loveislove #romancebooks #themerriestmisters
#christmasromance #christmasfiction

Thank you for this book in exchange for my honest review. While I normally love Timothy’s books, I was unable to devote my attention to this book because it didn’t appeal to me as I began reading it. The premise was great, but I was wholly uninvested in the character’s lives.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advance copy! This was a sweet, magical story of husbands fixing their marriage for the sake of Christmas and sustaining holiday magic around the world. The dual-POV, dual-timeline setup made the story more interesting and provided a level of depth and connection to the characters that I appreciated. I liked learning about how the Christmas magic worked in this world. Some of the recurring issues were slightly annoying (looking at you, Patrick) but one of my favorite parts of the book was watching Quinn become more comfortable and confident regarding everything from his clothing to his in-laws and his path in life.

It was pretty cute and could honestly be used as a YA book if the romance scenes were a little less steamy. I liked the main character and how he stayed true to who he was.

Oh my goodness did I love this book! At first I thought it would be like the gay version of Santa Clause but it was so much more. The true meaning of this story goes well beyond Christmas and shows the importance of being true to oneself in order to make any type of relationship work.

I want to thank Macmillan and Netgalley for the Advanced reader copy.

I adored this book. It was very heartwarming when the characters who were on the brink of divorce, learned to love each other again. Janovsky showed the main issues in relationships lately. The lack of communication and monotony of life after being with the person for a long time. This book made me both happy and sad for the characters. I laughed at the little squabbles they had. It also talked about the idea that sometimes you can not buy someone's love whether it be with the dream house or gingerbread houses.

This was a book that quickly climbed to my favorite book of the year and Janovsky became one of my favorite authors. It was like The Santa Clause as stated but it was also like a true Hallmark movie.