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lauriereadsrom1's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
While searching for a full-time job in hospitality management, recent MBA graduate Meredith Logan accepts a temporary position with the Asheville Arboretum. The annual Winter Lights event is quickly approaching, and thanks to the recent retirement of the Arboretum's events coordinator, Meredith has been tasked with organizing this year's event. As a Christmas lover and longtime seasonal employee of Winter Lights, she couldn't be more excited. Meanwhile, local bookstore employee Brett Jacobs is looking for a way to make extra money to help his mom with some unexpected expenses. Working at Winter Lights isn't exactly ideal because of his antipathy for all things Christmas, but he decides to submit an application anyway because it works well with his bookstore schedule. Despite his less than enthusiastic attitude, Brett manages to impress Meredith at the interview and he lands the job. As she tries to help her new employee find his Christmas spirit, Meredith and Brett gradually become friends with the possibility for more...until Meredith's job search and Brett's old fears start to get in the way.
I loved this adorable holiday story, which featured endearing, relatable protagonists and a wonderful slow burn romance. Grumpy Brett and sunshine Meredith were each dealing with more than their fair share of family baggage and I couldn't help empathizing with their struggles. I really appreciated how hard they both worked to overcome their pasts, and the story's overall message about not letting the past dictate the future was a good one.
I highly recommend "Merry & Brett" for all fans of sweet/closed-door contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I hope Meredith's sister Paige gets a story of her own in the future!
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
I loved this adorable holiday story, which featured endearing, relatable protagonists and a wonderful slow burn romance. Grumpy Brett and sunshine Meredith were each dealing with more than their fair share of family baggage and I couldn't help empathizing with their struggles. I really appreciated how hard they both worked to overcome their pasts, and the story's overall message about not letting the past dictate the future was a good one.
I highly recommend "Merry & Brett" for all fans of sweet/closed-door contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I hope Meredith's sister Paige gets a story of her own in the future!
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Cancer, and Car accident
starburst3625's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
I really enjoyed this holiday romance. It was a sweet story with great characters, romantic intensity, and lots of holiday touches. The trivia night element was so cute. (And, apropos of nothing, I love “nibling”, “‘a neutral term for neice or nephew.’”) Brett had bad associations with Christmas related to his past, but despite his holiday grumpiness, he took an extra job working at Winter Lights in order to earn extra money to help his mother. Meredith, a Christmas-lover and the temporary coordinator of the event, and Brett didn’t hit it off immediately, but as they spent time together their feelings grew. But they faced plenty of question marks about their future, and Brett’s hang ups from his past reared their ugly head. “I know I’ve been totally unfair to Meredith, projecting past hurts onto her.” “I know I pushed her away out of fear, but maybe I’d rather be scared than sad.” This is a cute story. The ending is lovely. This book is part of a series but it reads well as a standalone too. This is a sweet and clean romance with no harsh language.
lizzuplans's review
slow-paced
4.0
This was a cute Christmas read!
I enjoyed getting to know Meredith (Merry) and Brett, and see their relationship develop.
They both had quite a lot of trauma to deal with and at times that dampened my reading experience a bit, but it worked with the story well.
The secondary characters were fun and engaging and really helped propel the story forward.
I really did need to push myself at first, as the writing style in this book is very descriptive. There is not that much dialogue and scenes are set with a wonderful attention to detail, but at the same time this detail gave so much information that was fully irrelevant (I know the hair colour of one of the shopkeepers, but they do not have a name nor did they appear a second time), that it was a bit hard to get through.
If this style works for you, would recommend.
Looking forward to reading the other books in this series!
3.75 stars rounded up.
I received an ARC of this book from the author (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.
I enjoyed getting to know Meredith (Merry) and Brett, and see their relationship develop.
They both had quite a lot of trauma to deal with and at times that dampened my reading experience a bit, but it worked with the story well.
The secondary characters were fun and engaging and really helped propel the story forward.
I really did need to push myself at first, as the writing style in this book is very descriptive. There is not that much dialogue and scenes are set with a wonderful attention to detail, but at the same time this detail gave so much information that was fully irrelevant (I know the hair colour of one of the shopkeepers, but they do not have a name nor did they appear a second time), that it was a bit hard to get through.
If this style works for you, would recommend.
Looking forward to reading the other books in this series!
3.75 stars rounded up.
I received an ARC of this book from the author (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.
randikaye's review
emotional
hopeful
4.0
Merry & Brett is the third book in the City Love series. It can be enjoyed just fine as a standalone if you have not read the previous books.
This was such a cute holiday read! I'm always a fan of grumpy/sunshine stories so when you mix that with the holidays--- him as a bit of a grinch and her with all the holiday spirit... oh, it just makes it all that much better! And while Brett certainly fit the grinch description well, as we get to know him better, we see that he has valid reasons for not loving the holidays... and that he truly is a bit of a softie as well. Both Merry and Brett had circumstances in the past that have shaped their current decisions. I loved seeing their growth throughout the story, especially Brett. There was a really great message of forgiveness that I think it perfect for the holiday season. I loved all the Christmas cheer and the slow burn of their relationship worked so well for this story. There was also a mention of Santa Claus, Indiana in passing and while it was such a small thing that most people would probably not even take note of, being from that area and having worked at the theme park there as a teenager, this made me smile and enjoy the story all that much more! If you are looking for a fun holiday romance, this is definitely one to check out!
Merry & Brett is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language.
**I received an ARC for consideration. All opinions are my own.
This was such a cute holiday read! I'm always a fan of grumpy/sunshine stories so when you mix that with the holidays--- him as a bit of a grinch and her with all the holiday spirit... oh, it just makes it all that much better! And while Brett certainly fit the grinch description well, as we get to know him better, we see that he has valid reasons for not loving the holidays... and that he truly is a bit of a softie as well. Both Merry and Brett had circumstances in the past that have shaped their current decisions. I loved seeing their growth throughout the story, especially Brett. There was a really great message of forgiveness that I think it perfect for the holiday season. I loved all the Christmas cheer and the slow burn of their relationship worked so well for this story. There was also a mention of Santa Claus, Indiana in passing and while it was such a small thing that most people would probably not even take note of, being from that area and having worked at the theme park there as a teenager, this made me smile and enjoy the story all that much more! If you are looking for a fun holiday romance, this is definitely one to check out!
Merry & Brett is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language.
**I received an ARC for consideration. All opinions are my own.
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