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.