Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Dreamscape Media for the gifted audio book!

Read this book if you like: Enemies to lovers, fake dating, grumpy sunshine

It's a cute small town, enemies to lovers romance with baked goods. The audiobook and narration are great. They were a bit too much of enemies to me. It's a quick read, so a lot is spent on hostility. I still loved it and highly recommend it!

This is an audiobook to get you in the holiday spirit! I listened to in a day! Daphne and Tristian are a fun spin on a holiday romance with tropes like enemies to lovers, fake dating and an HEA. Daphne sells her bakery items at a little market in Tristian’s work building and they have never gotten along. For such a quick book, you do really feel their long standing dislike for the other!

This was such a sweet read. It’s an excellent holiday romance. It’s got Grumpy X Sunshine and Fake-Dating. Daphne is such a ray of sunshine. It was wonderful to watch Tristan’s growth over the story and the way Daphne brought the best out of him. This is the perfect story to get into the holiday spirit.

I would like to thank author Samantha Chase, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity and for the advanced listener copy of Baking It Merry. Samantha Chase is a new-to-me author and I am hooked!

Baking it Merry tells the story of Daphne , a pop-up shop baker and Tristan, an uptight architect. As their paths cross, their interactions are not so pleasant. Tristan , who loves clean lines , is appalled by Daphne's Christmas cheer and decorating of her gingerbread baker shop. Daphne on the other hand has a way of thawing Tristan's frozen, bitter heart and helping realize what truly matters in life.

This was the perfect cozy Hallmark-like book that gave me all the feels- even happy tears! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Samantha Chase.

Rating: 5

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC of Baking it Merry from Samantha Chase!

This was the first book I have read by Samantha Chase. It is the perfect cute holiday romantic book! My guilty pleasure every Christmas is watching Hallmark movies, and this book, checks all the boxes!

Loved the narrator and I loved the banter between Daphne and Tristan! Is it predictable? Yes, is it cute? yes Is it perfect for the holiday season? Absolutely yes!

Thank you again Dreamscape Media and NetGalley!

Mr. Bah Hum Bug meets Ms. Fields in this hilarious Christmas tale. Tristan hates everything to do with Christmas and Daphne lives for the season to bring joy to everyone she meets with homemade treats and loads of cheer. Putting them together is a laugh out loud journey - one that will put a smile on your face and get you in the mood for holiday time. Samantha Chase brings out the best in her characters and this is the perfect book for the season.

Grumpy sunshine, fake dating, workplaceish romance with an upright architect and a christmas loving baker. Not ground breaking by any means but enjoyable and sweet, if not a bit predictable

It’s Christmas time in Raleigh, NC! Daphne sets up her yearly holiday baking booth next to other vendors in the lobby of the big office building as she does every holiday season. Everyone loves her baked goods and cheery disposition except one Scrooge, ahem, executive - Tristan Knight. He’s an architect from the top floor and he’s not interested in any of the holiday cheer.

When Tristan needs help catering holiday parties, he’s stuck asking Daphne for help. Then his parents assume she’s his girlfriend and they start fake dating. Will Daphne be able to change his holiday tune this season?

This book is cute. It has grumpy x sunshine & fake dating. It’s a typical Hallmark Christmas movie story with a happy ending.

Daphne was a sweet, fun character but I feel like Tristan had literally nothing going for him. He’s a mean grump & he doesn’t communicate. I don’t know what she saw in him other than “bed chem”

The dirty talk was pretty cringey. I was cracking up listening to it. It has fade to black spice.

This book comes out on November 19th. Thank you to Samantha Chase, Dreamscape Media, & NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

Perfect enemies to lovers to get the holiday going! I wish I had recipes for some of the goodies mentioned. The attention to details was great and I could picture the parties! What a great read to get one in the holiday spirit!

This was a cute, sweet, and fun enemies to lovers Christmas romance. There was a little bit of mystery and betrayal elements to it towards the end. But a wonderful wrap up with a happily ever after.

I was provided with a review copy of the audiobook and this is my honest opinion. I gave this book 3.5 stars. (If I am unable to leave partial stars, I will always round up.) Narration was excellent!

I plan to check out some of the author’s previous/future works.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Samantha Chase!

Another Samantha Chase story that is a win from me. Baking It Merry was an absolutely adorable Christmas romcom that would make a perfect Hallmark-esque movie. This sweet enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, grumpy/sunshine story will get you in the holiday spirit! Great narration on audio. Highly recommend for your cozy reading list!
Thank you to Dreamscape and NetGalley for this ALC!

This book is a sweet, friends-to-lovers/fake-dating romance, where the uptight grinchy architect Tristan Knight finds he needs the help of the holly jolly Daphne Noelle, baker extraordinaire, when his mother asks him to host four different holiday parties. Her holiday spirit and impeccable party planning skills thaw his heart which has been frozen in the middle of a crisis of confidence.

The narration was perfectly lovely, but adding a male narrator to read Triston's point of view would have added an interesting level of depth.

This book gives lovely hints of Pride and Prejudice, with a bad first impression, a snooty and superior man, a warm and spirited woman, and a misunderstanding that threatens to separate the two forever.

I loved it!!!!!!! The only thing missing (for me) is some steamy scenes, but totally respect the authors choice in leaving the book sweet, not spicy! This is an audiobook you can listen to on your home speakers with the kids around.

If you are anything like me, you will gobble up this delightful grumpy/sunshine story like I wanted to gobble up some of the tasty treats mentioned in this book. I didn't want to put it down and easily devoured the audiobook in one day. The narrator did a fabulous job. Our MMC is quite the grinch, but by the end I felt like he was becoming the ever popular cinnamon roll of a character. The FMC embodied the joy of Christmas. I wanted not only to visit her gingerbread house bakery, but also to work there. This story had a brilliant mix of Christmas cheer, tasty treats, fake dating, and a hint of a who-done-it mystery. This book does have some steamy scenes, but is a closed-door romance. You will definitely know that things are happening behind those doors, but there isn't any graphic spice. This was a great Christmas story that served up all the festive cheer and hope for the future. This is the perfect book for someone who wants a Christmas romance full of SUGAR but skips the SPICE and absolutely includes everything NICE. 1/5 spice rating.

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Super cute quick read. Love the sunshine and grumpy vibes and how they are so good for each other. I am always a sucker for forced proximity or fake dating so this is right up my alley. The characters were good and the plot, although a popular type of story, was good on its own and characters are what make it good. Definitely love the Christmas miracle and merry vibes 🎄

I absolutely adored this enemies-to-lovers Christmas story! The addition of the fake dating trope added an exciting twist to the plot, making their forced proximity all the more entertaining. Watching the chemistry between the characters shift from animosity to affection was a delightful journey, filled with witty banter and unexpected moments.

Set against a charming holiday backdrop, the story perfectly captured the spirit of Christmas while exploring themes of love and redemption. The narration was exceptional; the voice actor brought the characters to life, enhancing both the humor and the heartfelt moments.

The pacing was spot on, blending humor and warmth with just the right amount of holiday cheer. This story is a cozy reminder of the magic of Christmas and how love can blossom in the most unexpected situations. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a romantic escape during the holiday season!

Nice Christmas romance. Girl mets boy-grumpy boy and away we go. Community and family all mixed in. Nice story. Thanks NetGalley!

🎄 Merry Baking by Samantha Chase
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This festive romance is such a delightful read! With an enemies-to-lovers vibe, it had the perfect mix of sliw-burn, tension, humor, and holiday magic. The chemistry between the characters kept me hooked, and the Christmas setting made it even sweeter. If you're looking for a cozy rom-com to get into the holiday spirit, this one’s for you!

During the holiday season, Daphne Noelle was able to live out her dreams of owning a bakery. She had a cute little pop-up bake shop - that looked like a gingerbread house - that brought joy to every customer! She loved the holidays and loved being in festive settings. For the past three years, everything had always gone smoothly, but this year, there was one guy who tried to ruin it for her.

Tristan, an architect, has always appreciated how the office complex his firm was located in was upscale and elegant. But, for eight long weeks, there were holiday shops set up around the lobby area. He never liked the gingerbread house because it was a huge eyesore and the woman who ran it was way too cheery for his liking. He was determined to have her and her bake shop removed.

When Tristan finds himself in a predicament, only Daphne can help him. He has to beg her to help him and he soon finds himself dealing with her joyous attitude during the holidays.

My review:
I really enjoyed this book! It reminded me of a Hallmark movie and had a cute cozy feel to it! This book is definitely a must read for the holiday season!

This was a little hard to get into at first. I expected the MMC to be a grump, but he was a flat out jerk. Once he chilled out, the story was really enjoyable! Think Hallmark Christmas movie. Love scenes fade to black. This is a good one to listen to while doing some holiday prepping!

4⭐
Genre ~ contemporary romance
Setting ~ North Carolina
Publication date ~ November 19, 2024
Publisher ~ Dreamscape Media
Est Page Count ~ 237 (12 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 6 hours
Narrator ~ Melanie Mendez
POV ~ dual 3rd
Featuring ~ grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, enemies to lovers, no steamage

Daphne & Tristan
Daphne's dream is to open up her own bakery, but in the meantime while she gets enough cash she puts up a pop up bakery in an office building in November and December.

A certain someone, aka "Grinchy Grincherson", is not too thrilled that his building hosts these pop ups every year. They are just so tacky, especially the one that looks like a gingerbread house. But when he needs a caterer for some holiday parties last minute he has no choice but to ask Daphne to help. And then he's asking her for more help when his mom assumes they are together, so she pretends to be his girlfriend.

The grump/sunshine and enemies tropes were well done. I almost thought I was never going to warm up to Tristan, but he eventually won me over. Daphne is full on sunshine all the time, but when she's upset she's not afraid to show it. The support of her parents was phenomenal.

Overall, a cute, festive read that'll satisfy your sweet tooth if you have one, if not then you might just develop one. This totally gives Hallmarky vibes.

Narration notes:
Another dual POV with only one narrator, grrr. I’ve listened to many of Samantha’s books, so I just know it's how it always is, but this was someone new. Overall, she did fine, but I wasn’t overly in love with her voice.