Merry & Brett by Megan Byrd: Book Review

 *Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Can a spunky Elf convert a real Grinch?

Brett Jacobs hates Christmas. Just the sight of Santa Claus brings up painful memories. However, he loves his mom and will do anything for her, including getting a second job at the Arboretum’s holiday lights show to earn enough money to fix her car.

Meredith Larson loves, loves, loves Christmas and is thrilled it’s November again—Winter Lights is almost here! She’s still working out what to do with the rest of her life after earning her MBA, struggling to reconcile her dreams with her desire to make her family happy.

When she hires a new guy to work during the holidays, Meredith’s determined to transform his “bah humbug” attitude about Christmas. Maybe infusing a little Christmas spirit into Brett’s life will also help her figure out her future.

This is a grumpy/sunshine contemporary holiday romance book with trivia nights, ugly Christmas sweaters, and swoony kisses. It can be read as a standalone novel.

Megan Byrd lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband and two kids. She hates running, but loves hiking in the mountains toward a waterfall or scenic view and taking kickboxing, HIIT, yoga, and Zumba classes. When she’s not reading, writing, or chasing waterfalls, she enjoys visiting local bookstores, wandering through thrift shops in search of special gems, listening to live music, and catching up with friends.

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megan.e.byrd/

Find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormeganbyrd

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.