I really don’t like giving negative reviews, but this story was just awful. It wasn’t the writing or the premise, it was the characters. This male main character is in the top 3 worst that I’ve read this year. He wasn’t grumpy, he was an abusive, manipulative, childish jerk who needed therapy. The fact that the fmc had to tell him to never touch her again that way after he grabbed her shoulders was shocking. He constantly guilted her into spending time with him even when she was past the point of exhaustion. He was an elitist prick talking down about people who work jobs like hers. Lacking social skills does not always make for an abusive mean hearted person which is the excuse that was given by his family. The fmc should have never gotten involved with this man and had plenty of chances to stand up but never did to the degree that was necessary. I don’t even know how they ended up together honestly. Cute holiday romance? Not so much, I felt icky after reading it and only finished it to see how bad it got.

This audiobook was narrator was not for me. The cadence and pronunciation of certain words was bizarre and distracting from the story.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Samantha Chase, and Dreamscape Media for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review. This publishes on November 19th.

This was a delightful holiday romance that perfectly captures the charm of the season. The story follows Daphne, who runs a pop-up bakery in a high-end office building where Tristan, an architect, works. Tristan isn't shy about his disdain for the festive holiday shops cluttering up the building's polished space. But when he finds himself in urgent need of a baker, he has no choice but to turn to Daphne for help. As the two start spending time together, their initial tension gives way to undeniable chemistry. Though they’re opposites, their personalities complement each other beautifully, with Daphne’s warmth and spontaneity balancing out Tristan’s structured, orderly approach to life.The narrators truly bring Daphne and Tristan to life, capturing every ounce of their charm, quirks, and growing attraction. If you're in the mood for a sweet, heartwarming holiday read, this is one you’ll definitely want to add to your TBR.

Thank you, Samantha Chase, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC.

This adorable holiday rom-com nailed the rivals-to-lovers trope! The chemistry between Daphne and Tristan was undeniable, and it was so much fun to watch their relationship evolve from festive enemies to something much deeper. Their connection felt strong and genuine, making each moment between them engaging and heartwarming. A perfect, cozy holiday read with just the right blend of humor, romance, and festive cheer.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book.

3.75 Stars

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the audio-ARC - this is my honest review*

This is kicking off the Christmas season for me and Baking It Merry held all the fuzzy feelings and romance of a holiday Hallmark movie.

Daphne Noelle and Tristan Knight do not get on - and they haven’t for years. But every year Daphne sets up her Gingerbread themed bakery in the lobby of Tristan’s building and it’s so festive he can’t stand it. Daphne thinks he’s a grinch and she doesn’t give him the time of day. That is until Tristan is tasked with hosting a series of holiday parties and Daphne is the only one who can help. Sparks fly amidst the Christmas season as the two former enemies have to work together amongst a bevy of baked goods and sweet treats to bring the holidays to people they care about.

Baking it Merry is a closed door, enemies to lovers holiday romance with a touch of fake dating and a lot of sugar. It’s great for fans of Netflix and Hallmark Christmas movies and will leave you with a smile.

4.75 stars

What a cute, quick, enemies to lovers holiday romance. If you love Hallmark movies, you'll love this one. A cozy hug with good character development, a realistic 3rd act conflict, and some good groveling/grand gesture. And all under 6 hours! I was able to finish this doing my weekend chores and errands and was happy to have it on the whole time. It was a cozy hug as I prepare for the holidays. My only issue is that this is marketed as "small town" when it is set in a high-rise building in the capital city of NC. That's not at all small town...

I enjoyed the narrator though the voice did remind me of the AI voice on TikTok at times.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ALC!

OMGoodness, this book is so good!

Small Town
Grumpy Sunshine
All Things Christmas
Count me in!

I totally enjoyed this book. I am so here for the grumpy sunshine and all things Christmas. And there is baking. Who does not enjoy the baked goodies that the holidays bring?

From the super cute cover to the witty banter and Christmas adventures of Tristan and Daphne Noelle, Baking it Merry is the perfect blend of Christmas goodness that puts a smile on your face.

And yes, it’s all the feels.

It’s a win of a read. Totally book hangover worthy.

Bonus for the audiobook. Listening to the words as they come to life page by page is an awesome listening experience.

Definitely the Grumpy x Sunshine Trope and loved every moment of it. Daphe and Tristan are polar opposites in this and yet they couldn’t be a more dynamic duo for this story. As an audiobooks, this was one of the best I’ve heard and really good as a themed one at that. Melany Mendez worked out so well for this. I feel she captured the characters really well and made it so much fun to listen to.

Give me a holiday Christmas grumpy x Sunshine read…… I will completely devour it. This book was soooo damn cute, the vibes, the Christmas spirit, literally made me want to put my Christmas tree up and listen to Christmas songs on October 31st 😂😭

I absolutely loved the characters, Daphne is like a star, the sun , she shines so bright and it’s so beautiful to see a positive character with so much support from her family. I loveeeeedd the banter, it really kept me going and laughing so much. I really thought Tristan wouldn’t win me over but at the end he did, and I loved every second of it.

The story and plot flowed so beautifully, I loved the narrator, she did an amazing job.

A fanatic story that will give you all the holiday feels. Enemies to lovers, workplace (kind of) and two opposites attract are just a few of the amazing tropes.

Daphne is a hard working, dedicated young woman who has the most amazing heart. She loves the holidays and baking and is so proud of her pop-up holiday shop….until the grinch comes along. Lol

Tristen is the grinch….he is a grumpy, businessman who thinks all the holiday “stuff” is nonsense. Underneath all the rough exterior is a sweet, caring man.

I adored this story and loved how their relationship blossomed into a beautiful, fun holiday love story! Their banter and dialogue will have you laughing and swooning!

Melanie Mendez delivers a fanatic performance. She gave perfect emotion, personality and emotion to each of the characters. A fantastic listen!!

Baking It Merry by Samantha Chase
Narrated by Melanie Mendez
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Romance
Expected Publication Date: November 19, 2024

Baking It Merry by Samantha Chase is a standalone Christmas romance, and I am here for it! This was a fun; quick read and I absolutely loved it!

The story was so fun. The characters were fascinating, and I always love the fake romance trope. I thought their chemistry was great! I loved the story and laughed throughout!

I loved the narration by Melanie Mendez. She did a great job bringing the story to life!

I definitely recommend adding this to your Christmas reads!!!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Daphne loves baking and the holidays and enjoys selling her goods in a pop-up bake shop. Not everyone in the office building is a fan of christmas and don't vobe with her open-hearded self. Tristan likes his office elegant and simplet and doesn't need the christmas spirit. Sometimes it just needs another person to feel the christmas spirit.

"Baking It Merry" is a fun and sweet story. I am a huge fan of christmas hallmark movies and this had the exact same vibe. Some aspects of the story were a bit predictable and also a little bit cringe but it added to the charm of the story.

The main tropes of the story are grumpy x sunshine and fake dating with a sprinkle of misscomunication.

I liked the narrator but I would have prefered it a bit more if the audiobook had two different characters. That's just a personal preference when it comes to audiobooks with dual POVs for me.

I recommend this book to fans of Sarah Adams and Emily Henry!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this Audio-ARC!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC of this novel.

Holiday obsessed baker Daphne vs. reserved architect Tristan. Enemies to fake dating to lovers. Opposites truly attract in this holiday rom-com from Samantha Chase.

I rather enjoyed seeing a woman hustle and not bat an eye at all the work it requires to make your dreams come true and start your own business. Been there, done that, so I could relate. The storyline was pretty predictable, but it was still a cute story.

Sweet & Spicy romance! I enjoyed Tristan and Daphne's love story - it had the perfect amount of swoons and flames. I listened on audio and the narration was lovely and flowed beautifully. I found myself lost in their story often, avoiding other chores I really needed to get done. I'd love to read a follow up to hear what they are up to after the epilogue.

Oh gosh, Samantha Chase's Baking it Merry is so much fun! I feel like I devour anything with characters in the baking business, and Chase grabbed my heart with Daphne's sweet and plucky character.

Along with Tristan's grumpy exterior (and a hidden heart of gold), these two are ripe for a captivating holiday romance.

I loved it!

The audio version of Baking it Merry is nicely performed by Melanie Mendez.

First, thank you to the publishing company for allowing me to be an advanced listener. I did enjoy this holiday book it is perfect to get in the holiday spirit.
Tropes: Grumpy/ sunshine, small town romance, enemies to lovers, fake dating.
If you enjoy holiday Hallmark movies, you will enjoy this as well. It feels like I was watching a movie while listening.

Who needs so many Christmas parties? Not sure, but they made for a very cute story. I loved the Hallmark vibes of the festive baker who just wants to see others smile and the serious architect who has pressure from all sides in his life. This was exactly what I look for in a Christmas romance.

What a perfect book to get me in the mood for the holidays! Tristan and Daphne's story was a great way to start my holiday season.

Daphne is a hard working woman who has a pop up shop in Tristan's building for the holidays. Tristan is the grump who doesn't want the shops there. When these two start to get on the same page with one another sparks fly.

Tristan, at times, was a little hard to like, but he redeemed himself at the end. I loved watching these two find their way.

The narrator did a great job with this one. I wish there would have been a male narrator, but the narration was good.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

This was cute, but I LOVED the baking treats being mentioned. Like yeah yeah alright romance but omggg the baked goods !! I don’t feel like the romance felt natural but the characters were cute , same with the writing.

I'll be publishing my review on Goodreads and StoryGraph 30th November and on Tik tok most likely will add to a monthly wrap up post with review the beginning of December.

This book hits SO MANY TROPES and I loved it!
✅ enemies to lovers
✅ fake dating
✅ grumpy/sunshine
✅ small town

If you need a bit of joy. A bit of hope. and a bit of holiday cheer (let's be honest who doesn't???) Don't miss this one!

Loved this heartfelt holiday romance! I feel as though it could be perfect for a classic holiday movie. Can't wait to read more! Special thanks to the author for this ARC.