4.25 stars

I had so much fun with this. This is marketed at The Santa Clause meets Husband Material, and that is definitely accurate. I wasn't entirely sure about requesting an ARC with the basis being Christmas (I feel very strongly, personally, about not wanting to celebrate Christmas too early), but after reading this I'm so glad I went for it. Timothy Janovsky is such a great storyteller. He writes very real and relatable stories with a good helping of humor. The Merriest Misters is no different. Patrick and Quinn are newly married and experiencing some marital woes due to the stressors of life and adulthood. I really appreciated seeing a real and relatable representation of an established relationship experiencing struggles and how to work through them together. It's not just love that conquers all. Listening, compromising, and putting in the effort is what works when love is there. I especially related to Patrick's desire for approval from his parents, even as an adult. That is something I think so many people can empathize with, and I feel Janovsky handled that aspect of the story really well. We get a lot of Christmasy magic, adorable elf children, fun reindeer friends, and an unfortunate situation with a frying pan. This is a story about healing. Healing relationships, healing love, and, at times, healing your inner child. This was sweet, hilarious, and emotional. My only issue was that some of the pacing felt a little off with all the time jumps throughout the year. That said, this is an overall fun read and definitely worth checking out for a fun, Christmasy read.

Are you ready for the next holiday read? Try The Merriest Misters. It was a fun holiday romcom that will warm your heart.

The Merriest Misters is a cute, queer The Santa Clause retelling perfect for the Christmas season.

We follow Quinn and Patrick, who have been married for less than a year but hitting some rough patches. Their lives are turned upside down when they are given the opportunity to be Santa and the Merriest Mister (Santa's partner).

This is cute and whimsical and light like a Hallmark movie. It hits that silly Christmas story itch in a great way and makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

4 stars

Patrick and Quinn have been married for less than a year, but their relationship is less than perfect. With Patrick constantly worried about their extravagant mortgage and Quinn tired of not having his partner by his side, their once passionate romance has become stale. When Patrick accidentally knocks out Santa Claus, Patrick and Quinn are given the chance to become Santa Claus and the first ever Merriest Mister. Will this new opportunity allow them to revive their failing marriage or ruin it forever?

This was a fun book to listen to. I loved the two narrators and preferred the audiobook over the physical copy. The character growth of the two main characters was one of my favorite parts of this book. Not only did Patrick and Quinn grow as a couple but individually the learned what they needed to be happy in their life. Overall, this was a fun Holiday read focusing on the rediscovery of love for your partner and yourself.

The Merriest Misters comes out on October 1st.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to review The Merriest Misters. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What better way to work on your marriage by randomly becoming Santa clause and the Merriest Mister! This book is such a cute relantionship based book that shows the struggles after marriage and the start of growing apart.
The audio book was well narrated!

This was a miss for me. I think my biggest problem with it was it never felt like a romance when that's what I thought I was signing up for. I didn't buy the characters or their motivations. I didn't care about them and they kind of just annoyed me. They didn't really even seem to like each other. It was all problems and conflict and then they decide to just... live apart for awhile. Which is fine but not what I was wanting to read.

The whole Christmas plot was sort of hackneyed and didn't really work for me. Maybe I'm just not a fan of Christmas books but I've read and loved others so I don't think that's it.

The audiobook narrators annoyed me too and I was actively avoiding listening.

*Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy for review.

As a millennial, I am really enjoying this era of being pandered to. Nostalgia is great! Of course, I want to revisit all the things that brought me joy when I was young and full of hope!

So obviously, I was very excited to dive into this updated queer, marriage-in-trouble take on The Santa Clause. I also really enjoy Timothy Janovsky's writing so this was pretty much a comforting slam dunk. Thankfully in this version no Santas have to die for beleaguered architect Patrick to don the festive cloak that ultimately whisks him and his husband Quinn off to the North Pole. The only question now is where this new magical vocation will save their relationship on the rocks or just speed up their split?

In the highest form of praise, this book was exactly what it says it is and what I wanted to read at the time. I loved how we got little flashbacks throughout that provided helped context to their relationship and individual pasts and all of the little jokes and nods to the original source material.

The Merriest Mister is a heartwarming and hilariously light-hearted story that beautifully captures the ups and downs of marriage, making it a standout holiday read. One of the book's strongest elements is how it portrays the realistic struggle of keeping a relationship afloat. Marriage isn’t always a smooth ride, and this story nails that sentiment with a heartfelt and honest approach, particularly with the memorable line, “Marriage isn’t driving in the car with one person driving and the other a pillow passenger. It’s a tandem bike, with both having to pedal together.” This quote perfectly encapsulates the book's essence—marriage is about working together, even when the ride gets tough.

The humor is amazing, with so many great lines that had me dying of laughter. The light-hearted tone engages the story and adds a whimsical touch reminiscent of 'The Santa Clause' movies. But beyond the laughs, This story dives deep into themes of self-acceptance and realizing that the perfect house or job pales in comparison to the value of love and connection with those who matter most.

I loved how the characters not only fought for their marriage but grew together, showing that relationships take effort from both sides. Their journey of working through their differences and recognizing what truly matters was incredibly moving and relatable. 'The Merriest Mister' is more than just a holiday romance—it's a celebration of love, growth, and the true spirit of Christmas.

.3.5/4. I received an ARC audiobook-my thanks to the publisher. Cozy story-has that Hallmark vibe to it, totally crazy scenario about Santa and magic, I enjoyed the North Pole details and the sweet queer love story. This book was enhanced by two great narrators.

This adorable second chance romance focuses on aspiring architect Patrick Hargrave and his adorable husband, second grade teacher Quinn Muller. Nearing a year of marriage, their relationship is suffering from Patrick's long hours and secret-keeping and Quinn's passive role. After a string of bad luck caused by Patrick's own choices, Patrick and Quinn struggle to even stay in the same room. When Patrick inadvertently causes Santa Claus to quit on Christmas Eve, Patrick sees an opportunity - to save Christmas, save his career, and save his marriage. Quinn isn't as excited, but he will do anything to preserve his marriage.

I'm going to be 100% honest. This book should have been entirely up my alley, I consume cheesy Christmas themed romance movies and books like a fiend. This started great, I was so ready for our gay married couple in trouble to find themselves in a crazy magical situation and fix their marital issues. However every step forward seemed to have a step back, they didn't communicate well, seemed to have majorly different life goals and in the end the solution is one would live in the Northpole visiting we very so often and the other would return to his old life and be happy to recieve love letters and occasional visits. I think it's supposed to be a non-traditional end, but it just didn't feel like a romance when all was said and done, which was what I signed up for

An absolutely charming novel that throws some Christmas magic at you when you least expect. I listened to the audio books, which was masterfully narrated but I suspect the printed novel is just as enjoyable.

This was oddly exactly what I expected and nothing like I expected all at the same time. There were cute and heartfelt moments, of course lots of Christmas and character growth throughout.

A twist on The Santa Clause with a focus on love and people and ever changing relationships. It has a nice balance between current day and flash backs to set the scene. I think the narrators did a wonderful job depicting each character and made the book come to life. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

Not many books spotlight a marriage that's hit a rough patch, and out of the few I've read, this has to be my favorite. The dual POV was perfectly executed, and I really appreciated the different narratives of their relationship and experiences. The magical element wasn't overdone but an element in the background that really bought out the best in the visual experience. Coming from a culture where arranged marriages are the norm, I had a very romantic idea of what love marriage felt like, and this vision was only encouraged by rom coms with HEAs. (I'm still unmarried). This book really questioned that perception, showing how any relationship can have hard times, and that work needs to be put in to heal it. The resolution to this story was not what I expected, but I loved it all the same.

This was a unique, fun Christmas read!

I listened to the audiobook and I thought both narrators really captured their character really well. They both did a great job at their own characters, well also managing to make whenever the voiced the opposite character in their chapter work well.

I thought Patrick and Quinn were both good characters, and liked that they could actually be frustrating and unlikable at times. It made them seem more real to have flaws. I could have probably done with a bit less miscommunication, but it wasn’t to the point that I would stop reading. I don’t think the side characters were really fleshed out enough, which is too bad because I would have loved to see more of Blizzard and Patrick’s brother.

The ending did not end how I thought it would, but I appreciate that it was showing that marriages and relationships don’t have to all work the same way.

Overall this was a cute, Christmas romance and I loved all the queer representation.

I didn't love or hate this book it was just meh. I thought the premise was cute (I love Christmas) and enjoyed the banter. However, I found Patrick to be so selfish and it seemed like him and Quinn hid so much from each other it makes me wonder if they were really meant to be. How did Patrick not notice or ask Quinn why he had changed so much since beginning of relationship? And also Patrick's mom treats Quinn borderline disrespectfully and it's never really addressed. That being said I did enjoy Quinn growing into himself throughout the book.

I’ll take this version of The Santa Clause permanently. When Patrick and Quinn find themselves in a pickle as the new Santa Clause and the Merriest Mister, the inadequacies of their relationship are suddenly insistently magnified forcing them to address who they are independently, as a couple, and as a son/brother. I enjoyed their self discovery throughout the story and loved watching them realize how strong their bond truly was. I didn’t love the miscommunication and dishonestly that led them to be in their situation to begin with. While it was all relatable (saying things you think your partner wants to hear, being who you think your in-laws want you to be, assuming instead of asking, not correcting wrong assumptions, etc.), it’s just not my favorite story driver, and this story relied heavily on it. That aside, I found this story to be low stakes and extremely sweet. The audiobook was really easy to listen to. The narrators were great and I felt that matched their characters impeccably. I think it’s a perfect story for scratching a Christmas itch without going over the top Christmas.

Thank you to NetGalley, Timothy Janovsky, and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC.

Patrick and Quinn have been married for less than a year, and the romance is starting to fizzle out. Until, on Christmas Eve, Patrick accidentally almost kills Santa Claus. They now have to replace him for the rest of the night... and longer. So they will have to make their marriage work for at least a year to run the toy shop and attend other Santa duties until next December 25 in order to save Christmas... and their marriage.
This is a MM, marriage in trouble romance with magical realism. It made me think a lot of The Santa Clause (the movie). I loved the dual timeline/POVs. I also loved how Quinn appropriates himself the Mrs. Claus wardrobe! This deals a lot with family issues/judgement, and I really enjoyed it, although I would've prefered it was resolved in a deeper way than barely brushed over. This was a very fun Christmas read (and now I want to watch The Santa Clause so bad!).
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Merriest Misters has me anxiously looking at my holiday decorations in late August. I was gifted this ALC by Macmillan Audio and NetGalley and it truly is a joy to listen to. While the description may come off as “The Santa Clause”, Patrick and Quinn’s stories dive deeper into coping with familial expectations, finding your own identity when you’re now part of a married couple, and the burden and excitement with following your dreams. Along with Patrick and Quinn, Janovsky and the narrators bring you with them in a journey of suspending your disbelief and embracing magic-and finding the magic in an everyday life that had grown stale. This is one book where I really think I would enjoy the audiobook over hard copy as I feel like the narrators really embody their characters. Thanks to Macmillan audio for choosing me for this ALC!