Merry Ex-Mas

By: Courtney Walsh

Narrated by: Lee Samuels, Virginia Rose

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

I haven't been home for Christmas in eight years.

That's about to change. This year, I'm traveling to my small hometown to convince my producer to make me the permanent host of Good Day Denver.

The plan: Charm viewers by sharing my favorite family Christmas traditions and, in turn, get the likes, clicks, and shares to land the job.

Not the plan: Run into my ex-boyfriend. In my house. For Christmas.

Here he is, a guest of my mother, who apparently had more trouble letting go of Max Weber than I did.

Unfortunately, he is as handsome and charming and talented and annoying and frustrating and flirty as ever. Even more unfortunately, he seems to have a plan of his own to convince me to give him a second chance—not happening.

There's just one problem—my viewers love him. More than that, they love us. Me and Max. My ex. The boy who broke my heart. The boy I now have to fake flirt with to win over the hearts of my viewers.

It's not their hearts I'm worried about... it's mine.

Merry Ex-Mas is a sweet, small-town, second-chance romance with a dash of not-so-fake flirting, a tiny bit of enemies-to-lovers, and just enough forced proximity to make things sizzle.

©2022 Courtney Walsh (P)2023 Podium Audio

Merry Christmas is adorable

I recommend this Christmas listen. It’s adorable and filled with Christmas charm. The characters have depth to them and the whole story is sweet

Perfect I’m beginning to end

I can honestly say, I love this book. The writing was funny and heartwarming. The narration was over the top great and I will be sure to listen to more of Courtney Walsh. I wish every audiobook had narrators as good as the two in this book, it would make every book, wonderful. Don’t miss it.

Fun holiday romance

Enjoyed the fun banter and development of characters - fun, clean second chance Christmas read - excellent narration.

Fun, cute, humorous, and clean

Fun, cute, humorous, and clean! I thourally enjoyed this rom com and the narrative performance was superb!

Absolutely charming, with depth and heart

This book was a delight to read. I devoured the audiobook in less than a day, because I couldn’t stop. Maren and Max are fantastic MCs. I loved that this book was filled with heart and depth, but balanced by lighthearted moments and lots of Christmas cheer. This was a second-chance romance done right, and I would read it again in a heartbeat.

such a sweet and cozy Christmas romance

This book is perfect to listen to while making holidays crafts, driving on a cold morning, or wrapping gifts. The characters and traditions are sweet. It is worth using your credit for.

Some people have ever lasting love

The not we need to gifts and forget that her career was more important than they love of her life that life does matter to other people

Favorite Christmas book!

I don’t think this could be better than Cross Country Christmas but boy was I wrong!!! I LOVED everything about this book - the romance, the family dynamic, small town life and Christmas. I love a good Christmas book that delves deeper than just focusing on the magic of Christmas. That’s what this one did. I laughed and I actually shed some tears. I connected so deeply with the grief aspect. The narrators were excellent. Highly recommend!!!

Absolutely fantastic

Sweet, funny, cozy Christmas story.
Small town. Childhood Friends. Almost fake dating. Town Christmas Festivities. Family Christmas Traditions. Dual POV. "It's always been you." Second Chance Romance. I love this trope! The tension. The history. The longing. Struggling between your head and your heart. The banter and bickering. There's just so many great things with it.
Ugh, this was so so good. All the things you want in a Christmas story. It has earned a spot on my Comfort Reads list and will definitely be rereading. 🥰 Highly Recommend. 🎄

💕 RCRS: 2 (Brief kissing)

🗨 Some Quotes:
I didn’t expect to see her—not after years of absence from her parents’ house—but now that she’s here, I’m floundering. I’m conflicted. All of the feelings I’d convinced myself I no longer had are back, and all I can think about is how much I’ve missed her.
[This is exactly what a real life Second Chance Romance is like!]

After the pact I made with Max, my stomach is a hamster wheel, and the hamster running on it is the five-time Hamster Wheel Champion.

“You don’t need to worry, Mom,” I tell her. “I’m not going to let him break my heart again.”
Mom glances at Max, then back at me. “It’s not your heart I’m worried about.”

This is why I don’t do 2nd chances or “clean”

This is the 2nd chance trope at its worst! Holding a hurt for 8 years after you’ve supposedly been in therapy? Nope. Also NO ONE understanding that being around her ex is difficult? Ugh. It’s like the whole town and the ex are gaslighting the FMC and it is frustrating and repetitive and immature.
The MMC is awful too. There are no words for how painful it is to lose parents, and everyone gets to grieve in their own ways, but this guy’s grief comes with an unhealthy dose of a-holery.
Lastly, I’m all for a well written closed door romance, This one however comes with a lack of adult language and actions. I don’t need curse words, but having the characters say “shoot” and “darn” when they are actually mad or upset is absurd. Just leave it out.
The voice acting is good, but other than that this is not a feel good holiday romance. And it’s certainly not a comedy. The laughs were definitely cringes.
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