Deck the Palms

An Annabeth Albert Christmas

By: Annabeth Albert

Narrated by: Lance West

Nolan Bell has a very Merry problem this holiday season....

As a native New Yorker, I’ve always dreamed of my name in lights on Broadway. But when my Army officer brother calls in a favor, I wind up in Hawaii to help his family while he’s deployed.

A winter in paradise doesn’t sound too bad until I become the substitute choir teacher at a middle school near the base. Wrangling a bunch of tweens while planning the annual school holiday lights festival is a far cry from playing Peter Pan.

Enter Merrick “Merry” Winters, the school’s grumpy but hot shop teacher. I can win over any audience, but Merry’s a tough sell. And I need his help to make the festival successful.

The more time I spend with Merry, the less grumpy he seems, and the more I like the guy. He’s the third generation of a legendary North Shore surfing family. He’s committed to raising his twin boys on the island as a single dad. And like me, he doesn’t have time for an inconvenient but undeniable attraction.

As disasters pile up, the only holiday magic Merry and I seem to be making is with each other. What starts as a harmless fling becomes the only present I want under my tree.

If I want this romance to last past New Year’s, I have to decide which dreams are truly worth chasing.

Can Merry and I catch a wave for a future together before the sun sets on this holiday season?

A brand-new holiday romance from the author of the beloved The Geek Who Saved Christmas starring two middle school teachers in over their heads in an opposites-attract, fish-out-of-water romance. Deck the Palms features a slightly grumpy single dad and a sunny city slicker navigating family dynamics amid holiday small-town romance vibes with a side of Hawaiian sunshine. Guaranteed low-angst, feel-good, happy ending with a heaping helping of holiday spice!

©2024 Annabeth Albert (P)2025 Annabeth Albert

Wonderful Performance

I found Nolan to be a fantastic character and really enjoyed his story of self discovery and his interactions with the school kids.

There were also several supporting characters I found likable and funny in this story.

The narrator did a wonderful job voicing all the many characters and I really enjoyed his performance!

Fun, Touching, Hot

Fans of Annabeth Albert's MM romance will enjoy Nolan and Merry's story. The larger community was lovely to read and the family they build together delightful.