Christmas romance novels are like holiday desserts: they come in many different recipes, baked with different flavors to suit all tastes, while completely satisfying readers with much-needed happy endings. Baking it Merry by Samantha Chase combines the enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, and fake dating tropes, with a generous helping of spice, to create a sweet but sassy story to be enjoyed anytime of year.
Daphne Noelle loves Christmas and creating sweet treats to sell at her holiday pop-up shop in the lobby of the office complex where Tristan Knight’s architecture firm has a home on the top floor. He wants her and all of the people crowding the elegant building out of his way, even threatening to get Daphne thrown out. However, everyone loves her muffins and cookies, which Tristan’s assistant has delivered to the office for a meeting, much to his chagrin. When Tristan finds himself in need of help for some holiday events, he grudgingly turns to Daphne for catering assistance. A miscommunication leads to a fake relationship, and sparks fly.
This romance is a bit on the spicy side, though the premise and the cover make it look simply sweet. If this were a holiday movie, it would be rated at least PG-13. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Melanie Mendez, with a running time of 6 hours. It’s a great book to enjoy while cooking or decorating for the holidays to get you in the spirit.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC audiobook. All opinions are my own.
This book releases on Nov. 19, 2024.
