ARC Review

Merry by Susan Breen is a Christmas story.


Merry Bingham comes from a family that adores Christmas. Their favorite book has always been A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

During her annual holiday decorating, an accident leads to the discovery of a serious health issue. Fearing this may be her last Christmas, Merry is determined to make it unforgettable for her family. When none of her children express interest in keeping a cherished family heirloom, she makes the difficult decision to sell it and take them all on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to London. She’s convinced that celebrating the season there will bring them closer together. However, the more she pushes for a perfect holiday, the more things fall apart. To make matters worse, the ghost of Dickens himself begins haunting her—and she has no idea why.

This is not a lighthearted Christmas story. Instead, it delves into the complexities of family relationships, especially during challenging times. It explores how people can support one another’s wishes, even when they don’t fully understand them. The novel carries a deep emotional weight, filled with moments of sadness and conflict, yet it ultimately delivers a poignant and meaningful ending. It reminded me of classic literature in its depth and storytelling.

If you’re looking for a heartfelt family novel to read during the holidays, this might be the perfect choice.

Merry is an unexpected delight of a book. Meredith, or “Merry,” is facing a troubled Christmas and wants nothing more than to gather her family together. She first is crushed when she learns her three grown children don’t want her prized possession—an early edition of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol,” so she decides it’s time to sell and use the money to create one fantastic Christmas holiday.

The trip to London to explore Dickens’s favorite haunts doesn’t go as planned (even though Merry made beautifully laminated itineraries for them). Over the course of their days in the city together, the family members must deal with old wounds and recent slights. I loved seeing the details of each of their lives unfold, seeing Merry desperately clinging to her hopes of a perfectly Dickensian holiday. It’s not your typical Christmas family story, but I absolutely recommend it for fun and surprises and unique characters. (Be sure to watch for the two Leroys!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the chance to read an advance copy of the book!

Merry: A Novel
by Susan Breen
3 out of 5 stars
To be published September 2025

When Merry falls off a roof while trying to hang Christmas decorations, she gets important medical information. This causes a series of events that ultimately lead to Merry learning a life lesson.

Thank you to NetGalley and Susan Breen for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. I was able to relate to a woman in her 50s with adult children and could understand Merry's interactions with her children. I could also relate to her fear and frustration with her medical news. The author did a fantastic job of capturing the woman's pain well. If the entire book had been written with the same heart, this would have been a big hit for me.

However, as much as I really wanted to love this book, the parts involving Charles Dickens didn't have nearly as much emotion, and they fell flat. The writing seemed forced, and the characters were both unlikeable and flat. They seemed to be stereotypes.

I will continue to read other books by this author, but this one was not enjoyable to me. I would recommend it to anyone who loves Christmas stories that teach a lesson and those who have a fascination with Charles Dickens.

Merry by Susan Breen is a thoughtful holiday read that transcends time and location.

This is a unique and different holiday read. I was not quite sure what I was expecting, but I was quite surprised. In ways this book was painted with sadness, but in others, hope.

This book is about life, mortality, family, second chances, finding out what really matters, communication and miscommunication, and not waiting until it is too late to let someone know how much they mean to you.

This is what I pulled out from Merry Bingham’s Christmas story. I enjoyed the association with one of my favorite books of all time, A Christmas Carol, and also the backdrop of the bustling city of London.

A very interesting, thoughtful, and introspective read.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Alcove Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 9/23/25.

The premise of Merry was so interesting and cozy sounding. Unfortunately, I could not get in to the story or the characters. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this, although I didn’t expect it to be so sad. If you are a fan of Dickens, you will potentially like pieces of this story. The writing is good too, the pacing makes sense it didn’t feel rushed or too slow.

“This could be the year that Merry Bingham is sensible about Christmas.”

This story reinforced for me the potential for misunderstandings and relationship damage when we aren’t upfront and honest with those we love. It also reminded me of the importance of sharing our values with loved ones. Had Merry approached the sale of her treasure differently, she could have avoided further heartache.

Spotlighting the different ways we cope with guilt and shame was a wonderful thread that ran through this story. It’s good to be reminded to step back and see others’ reactions through the lens of THEIR coping mechanisms.

Finally, it was good to see that family is elevated and bonds strengthened despite forces that work to tear it apart. I may have wanted to take some of the characters aside and ‘talk to them’ for their thoughtless comments/reactions, but my viewpoint is with as many years behind me as their mother has! Treading delicately with intergenerational interactions is the best policy; Merry could have used some of that advice.

As a result of this book, I made sure that my family knows the value I place on my treasures so that there are no misunderstandings ‘when the time comes.’

I was gifted this book by Alcove Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Merry by Susan Breen is a well-written story that I’d suggest to anyone who’s into books about books—especially Dickens fans. It’s set in London at Christmas and feels like a “middle-aged coming of age” tale. There’s also unresolved guilt, a messy but loving family, and a dash of the supernatural thrown in.
The book got a little sadder than I expected for a holiday story, but it still stayed hopeful. London feels super alive in the telling—I’ve never been, but it pulled me in anyway. I’m guessing people who know the city would enjoy it even more.
Note: I was happy to receive this as a free ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are my own.

I just finished Merry by Susan Breen. This was a fun holiday read to watch out for this fall. You won’t want to skip it.