Mobility Mom Book Shelf: Love Me Merrily by: Alyssa Jarrett(Audio Review)

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Grab your copy HERE!!!

Book Description

They don’t believe in Christmas magic—until they make their own

Summer McKenzie hates the holidays. Maybe it’s because she’s an atheist who’s never had a reason for the season. Maybe it’s burnout from working at the second-best hotel in Yosemite National Park. Or maybe it’s because nothing has felt truly festive since she lost the love of her life in a climbing accident.

Still, even Scrooges have to do their jobs, and this year, Summer is determined to nab a promotion to sales director by throwing Granite Grove Lodge’s merriest masquerade yet. She’s not expecting anyone to get her out of her bah-humbug funk. She definitely isn’t expecting John Beecher.

With his punk-rock aesthetic and graphic designer’s eye, John’s talented at many tasks: creating seating charts, painting stunning landscapes, and helping out in a pinch. He’s also a fellow heathen who understands her grief in a way no one else has. As one party-planning catastrophe after another brings them closer, Summer starts to feel something she never thought she’d feel again: hope.

In the final days before Christmas, they fall for each other like a surprise Sierra Nevada snowstorm—hard, fast, and totally unplanned. Sweet, spicy, and full of heart, Love Me Merrily is a holiday novella for anyone who’s ever found joy in unexpected places and love on their own terms.

About Alyssa Jarrett

Alyssa Jarrett is a romance author and tech marketer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. When she’s not telling steamy, satirical love stories, she can be found drinking an iced tea or cuddling with her husband and three cats.

You can follow her @authoralyssajarrett on Instagram and subscribe to her newsletter, Grumpy + Sunshine, on Substack.

My Thoughts

Oh my word, what a delightful holiday surprise! Alyssa Jarrett's Love Me Merrily is a sweet, spicy, and genuinely heartwarming holiday novella that proves you don't need a belief in Christmas magic to create your own joy.

The story centers on Summer McKenzie, a self-proclaimed Scrooge and atheist reeling from the loss of her love. Burnout from her job at a Yosemite National Park hotel doesn't help, but her determined pursuit of a promotion forces her to tackle the hotel's merriest event yet: a festive masquerade. She certainly doesn't expect to find holiday cheer, and she definitely doesn't expect to find John Beecher.

John, with his punk-rock aesthetic and graphic designer's talent, is the perfect unexpected ally. A fellow "heathen," he uniquely understands Summer’s grief. As their collaboration on the masquerade throws them together through one hilarious catastrophe after another, they fall for each other like a surprise Sierra Nevada snowstorm—hard, fast, and completely unplanned.

This is a cute, fast, and easy listen about a woman who hates the holidays but finds love again while navigating a Christmas event. It’s quite enjoyable and is packed with so much heart it will make you want to book a trip to Yosemite immediately.

A special note on the production: Elizabeth Russell is a fantastic narrator, delivering the story with a charm that makes this holiday novella truly shine. She was a new voice to me, and she performed this fabulously.

If you're looking for a holiday romance that finds joy in unexpected places and love on its own terms, grab this audiobook!