New Release Review: Merry Little Kissmas by Lauren Blakely

 Fake dating my brother’s best friend during the holidays?

I'll take that bet.

My teammates got me a matchmaker for Christmas... But now all I want under the tree is her.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes a sexy, standalone holiday romance, MERRY LITTLE KISSMAS! This spicy, small town, fake dating, matchmaker, single dad hockey player romance will Christmas-seduce you! MERRY LITTLE KISSMAS is now available in all formats, and free to read in Kindle Unlimited. 

And there’s more good news! 100% of sales for the first week of release across all formats will go to animal rescue charities, including pre-orders. So together we can help homeless pets find homes this holiday season! And all you have to do to help make that happen is read or listen! One-click your copy today!

✦ Signed & Personalized ➜ https://laurenblakely.com/shop/
✦ Amazon ➜ https://blkly.pub/KissmasAMZ
✦ Audible ➜ https://blkly.pub/MLKAudible
Performed in duet by Vanessa Edwin & Connor Crais with a FULL CAST!

 

About MERRY LITTLE KISSMAS:

Dear Santa,
When I asked for a fresh shot at love for the holidays, I didn’t mean fake dating my brother’s grumpy best friend.
Especially since he’s also my new client.

As a professional matchmaker, my biggest job this holiday season should be simple: find a date for the sexy single dad hockey star—aka my brother’s best friend—for his team’s fancy Christmas Eve gala.

Sure Rowan’s hot as a crackling fire and spicier than a gingerbread man, but he hasn’t just sworn off romance. The Christmas hater has made a bet that I can’t find him a holidate.

What’s a matchmaker to do?
Win, of course. Even if it means fake dating the grinch myself to get him ready for the real thing.
Only…these fake dates at Christmas tree farms and hot cocoa competitions in the snowy small town of Evergreen Falls start to feel a little too real as I get to know the man behind the scowl. Somewhere between kisses under the mistletoe and a snowed-in night in his cabin curled up by the fire (where the stockings aren’t the only thing hung), I realize I’m in over my elf-loving head.
And when Rowan opens up to me at last about his painful past, I’m determined to give my brother’s best friend the holiday he deserves.
But what if the only gift I want him to unwrap this season is… me?

Tropes: Holiday romance, brother’s best friend, fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, small town, Christmas competition, matchmaker romance, workplace romance

ONE-CLICK YOUR COPY TODAY!

✦ Signed & Personalized ➜ https://laurenblakely.com/shop/
✦ Amazon ➜ https://blkly.pub/KissmasAMZ
✦ Audible ➜ https://blkly.pub/MLKAudible
Performed in duet by Vanessa Edwin & Connor Crais with a FULL CAST!

My review: 5 stars!

I absolutely adore author Lauren Blakely's writing and Merry Little Kissmas was a delight! The banter between main characters Rowan and Isla was perfection and I am always here for when fake-dating turns real. The setting was festive and fun and the Christmas competition was the cherry on top. I listened to the audiobook, narrated in duet by Vanessa Edwin and Connor Crais with a full cast joining it- it was fantastic!

ABOUT LAUREN BLAKELY:

A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good and witty. Her books have been featured in US Weekly and People. Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party. 

Connect w/ Lauren:

Website: laurenblakely.com 

NL Signup: http://laurenblakely.com/newsletter  

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LaurenBlakelyBooks

Instagram: http://instagram.com/laurenblakelybooks

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenblakelybooks

New Release Review: The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

 

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed the prior novels I have read by Sarah Pekkanen, both her solo works, as well as her books co-written with Greer Hendricks. The Locked Ward grabbed me from the very first chapter- an only child finds out she has a twin? A twin who has been arrested for murder and is being held in a locked ward? This premise was fascinating and the dual POV really kept me invested and speed-reading to find out what happened. Some twists were a bit predictable, but I still found the over-arching mystery to be intriguing and it definitely kept me engaged until the end.

View all my reviews

New Release Review: Merry Christmas You Filthy Animal

Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal

by Meghan Quinn

Release Date: October 14, 2025

 

TROPES

He Falls First and Hard

Small Town Romance

Holiday Romance

Enemies to lovers

He Pines for Her

Cinnamon Roll MMC

Amazon Link

BLURB

Nothing says I love you like trespassing, public humiliation, and a town-wide Christmas spectacle to win your crush back.

Atlas “Max” Maxheimer did not sign up for this. One minute, he's anxiously trying to keep his family’s Christmas tree farm from imploding. The next? He’s passed out in the snow after getting clocked by a suspiciously strong bottle of soda.

Enter Betty: new in town, full of holiday cheer, and helping her uncle open a rival tree farm next door. Max is convinced she’s out to destroy everything Evergreen Farm stands for. Betty thinks Max might be one sleigh short of a winter parade.

Cue the holiday chaos.

Between blizzards, blown reputations, wildly misguided romantic plots, and one stolen ornament with a seriously tragic backstory, this small-town war turns into something far messier—and much more delicious—than either of them expected.

My review: 5 stars!

Main characters Max and Betty are both awkward and quirky in the most adorable way, and I adored this holiday romance! I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated with a full cast with Teddy Hamilton and Samantha Brentmoor as the leads, and it was just fantastic and so enjoyable. I'm always in for a "plan" and Max and Storee's plan was over the top and a hoot and had me dying laughing. This was cozy and festive and has me ready for the holiday season.

New Release Review: Little Pieces of Light by Emma Scott

 

Little Pieces of Light by Emma Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I simply adored this book so much! Emma Scott has been one of my favorite authors for years, and I'm never disappointed when I pick up one of her books. Xander and Emory's story was both heart-breaking and heart-warming. In particular, Xander's father's journey with dementia spoke to me, as I have had a family member with this condition and I know how difficult it can be for everyone in their midst. The storytelling felt honest and authentic and will stay with me long after I closed the book.

View all my reviews

New Paperback Release Review: My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely

When the holiday wish list calls for fake dating my billionaire boss…

The plan: make my ex jealous. The problem: falling for my billionaire boss instead.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes a sexy, standalone holiday romance, MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE! This spicy, small town, fake dating, billionaire, single dad, workplace romance will have you rocking around (or under…) the Christmas tree! MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE’s brand new paperback with the bonus short story, including the Target special edition with beautiful snowflake edges, is now available at your favorite bookstore!

Looking for the eBook or audiobook? They're available on Amazon (free to read in Kindle Unlimited) and Audible (performed in duet with a full cast)! One-click your copy of this steamy, holiday romance today!

About MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE:

Wanted: hot billionaire to pose as my Christmas boyfriend. Must be willing to make my cheating ex jealous by kissing me under the mistletoe at holiday parties. Bonus if you make him cry.

To my surprise my billionaire boss is more than up for the challenge of coming down the chimney as my holiday boyfriend. The sexy single dad desperately needs a plus one at a Christmas Eve wedding, where he’s the best man and I’m the maid of honor.

And since my ex is in the wedding party too, my boss and I team up as a pair of insta-lovebirds for the holiday season, including during the annual week-long Christmas competition leading up to the snowy destination wedding.

But soon staying up late to string the best popcorn balls ever turns into a scorching night in his arms where the chestnuts aren’t the only thing roasting on the open fire.

Can all these winter wonderland nights seeking revenge turn into the real thing when we return to the office? Or are we destined to go the way of a Christmas tree on New Year’s?

Tropes: fake dating, billionaire, single dad, office romance, small town, holiday romance

ONE-CLICK YOUR COPY TODAY!

✦ Amazon ➜ https://blkly.pub/MyFavoriteHolidateAMZ
✦ Audible ➜ https://blkly.pub/MFHAudible
Samantha Brentmoor & Jason Clarke narrate in duet with a full cast!
✦ Target Special Edition ➜ https://blkly.pub/MFHTargetSE
✦ Other Retailers ➜ https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/My-Favorite-Holidate/Lauren-Blakely/9781668208502

My review: 5 stars!

Author Lauren Blakely really treated her readers with this fantastic holiday romance! I was able to listen to the audiobook, narrated in duet by Jason Clarke and Samantha Brentmoor along with a full cast including listener favorites Andi Arndt, Connor Crais, Vanessa Edwin, Teddy Hamilton and Erin Mallon just to name a few. Fake dating is always a fun trope, and billionaire Wilder and employee Fable had such amazing chemistry and banter that had me giggling so many times. I adored Mac, Wilder's daughter, and she and Wilder's aunt were such great characters. I am never disappointed with a Lauren Blakely book or audiobook, and My Favorite Holidate has me totally in the holiday spirit!

ABOUT LAUREN BLAKELY:

A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good and witty. Her books have been featured in US Weekly and People. Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party.

Connect w/ Lauren:

Website: laurenblakely.com 

NL Signup: http://laurenblakely.com/newsletter  

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LaurenBlakelyBooks

Instagram: http://instagram.com/laurenblakelybooks

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenblakelybooks

Excerpt Reveal: My Favorite Holdiate by Lauren Blakely

 

It's Christmas time and I'm fake dating my billionaire boss!

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes a sexy, standalone holiday romance, MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE! This spicy, small town, fake dating, billionaire, single dad, office romance will have you rocking around (or under…) the Christmas tree! The MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE paperback is releasing on October 7^th, including the Target special edition with beautiful snowflake edges! The eBook and audiobook are available now! Check out the excerpt below, and pre-order or one-click your copy today!

✦ Amazon ➜ https://blkly.pub/MyFavoriteHolidateAMZ
✦ Audible ➜ https://blkly.pub/MFHAudible
Samantha Brentmoor & Jason Clarke narrate in duet with a full cast!
✦ Target Special Edition ➜ https://blkly.pub/MFHTargetSE
✦ Signed & Personalized Copies with Artwork ➜ https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/book/9781668208502
✦ Other Retailers ➜ https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/My-Favorite-Holidate/Lauren-Blakely/9781668208502

 

READ THE EXCERPT:

I tremble, then glance around the office. It’s huge, with windows overlooking the field. With a massive desk for the owner. With me on that desk. Have I had boss fantasies before? I don’t think so but right now all I want is to be taken in the morning by this powerful man.

I lean back further, making my intentions clear. The Christmas music is my wingwoman, the songs turning sexier.

“Fable,” he says, as a warning.

“Yes, Wilder?”

His eyes squeeze shut. There’s that battle again. But only I can assuage it. 

“Practice,” I urge. “Practice with me.”

He opens his eyes, shakes his head, but it’s not a no. It’s resignation to this lust. “You,” he mutters.

That’s all. Just you.

In one fell swoop, he pushes a folder of papers off to the side. My skin tingles from the thrill of watching them fly.

 

About MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE:

Wanted: hot billionaire to pose as my Christmas boyfriend. Must be willing to make my cheating ex jealous by kissing me under the mistletoe at holiday parties. Bonus if you make him cry.

To my surprise my billionaire boss is more than up for the challenge of coming down the chimney as my holiday boyfriend. The sexy single dad desperately needs a plus one at a Christmas Eve wedding, where he’s the best man and I’m the maid of honor.

And since my ex is in the wedding party too, my boss and I team up as a pair of insta-lovebirds for the holiday season, including during the annual week-long Christmas competition leading up to the snowy destination wedding.

But soon staying up late to string the best popcorn balls ever turns into a scorching night in his arms where the chestnuts aren’t the only thing roasting on the open fire.

Can all these winter wonderland nights seeking revenge turn into the real thing when we return to the office? Or are we destined to go the way of a Christmas tree on New Year’s?

Tropes: fake dating, billionaire, single dad, office romance, small town, holiday romance

 

ABOUT LAUREN BLAKELY:

A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good and witty. Her books have been featured in US Weekly and People. Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party. 

Connect w/ Lauren:

Website: laurenblakely.com

NL Signup: http://laurenblakely.com/newsletter  

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LaurenBlakelyBooks

Instagram: http://instagram.com/laurenblakelybooks

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenblakelybooks