Not Home Alone

A Spicy, Forced Proximity, Enemies to Lovers Romance

By: Kayley Loring

Narrated by: Max Meyers, Victoria Connolly

She just walked into her dream Christmas rental… and found her worst enemy already unpacked.

Eternal optimist Merrily Tucker is excited to spend Christmas in the most beautiful house in town; a twinkly, tinsel-lined rental that’s just hers for the holidays. But inside is one big problem… the man who once turned her down in front of the whole of Holly Grove, irritatingly handsome, certified Grinch Grant Moody. He says he’s the owner. And he’s planning to spend Christmas here too.

The town might think he’s a playboy, but Grant Moody is determined to spend his Christmas nights alone. Zero decorations, a ban on baked goods, and definitely no holiday spirit. A mix-up with the rental company isn’t going to get in his way. Even if the woman at his door is the irresistibly gorgeous one-who-got-away Merrily Tucker…

Merrily and Grant are both too stubborn to leave.

Battling for control over what music plays on the speakers and heaving Christmas trees in and out of the house, they find themselves all tangled in tinsel. But Merrily's ""when I think about you, I touch my elf"" t-shirt has Grant's candy cane tingling in a way that begs the question...

Secretly, do they actually want to be home alone together this Christmas…?

An enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity Christmas romance perfect for fans of Meghan Quinn, Lucy Score and Ali Hazelwood. Holiday cheer in female form + the six-foot grump she loves to hate = the perfect festive listen.

TROPES:
Forced proximity
Enemies-to-lovers
Fake dating

©2026 Kayley Loring (P)2026 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Heartwarming and hilarious holiday romcom!

There’s nothing better than a Christmas romcom that makes you swoon one second and laugh the next. Throw in all the feels and some next level longing, and you have Not Home Alone by Kayley Loring.

I knew I was in for a holiday treat when chapter one began with Merrily Tucker driving down Main Street in her hometown of Holly Grove while Michael Buble was blasting (and Bulbe’ing) hard on her dad’s radio. Next came her excitement over spending Christmas vacation in her dream home that just happens to look like the Home Alone house. (So many fun Home Alone nods are sprinkled throughout the story, and I loved them all!) Things take a sudden turn when Merrily finds that the owner is already there and plans to spend the holidays in the house too. To make matters worse, he just happens to be Grant Moody, her one-time crush who broke her heart ten years ago and has removed every single Christmas decoration from the house. The Grinch vibes are strong with this one!

The more time they spend together, the clearer it is that those old feelings haven’t changed. He may have rejected her in front of the entire town, but he hasn’t stopped thinking about her. Their chemistry is as hot as the cozy fire they build, and the steamy scenes will knock your Santa hat off. I love that Grant isn’t the steely, cutthroat businessman that everyone assumes he is. There is so much more to him, and I loved how it is gradually revealed. The final act is a true Christmas treat.

I went into this book expecting to be charmed, delighted, and thoroughly swooned. Those expectations were completely exceeded! The Christmas setting, the decorating debates, the steamy moments, and all the wonderful humor made this such a fun, feel-good story that brought me so much joy. Along with the laughs, it is a sweet romance that had me completely rooting for them. (Speaking of joy, I’m hoping we get to visit Holly Grove again for a story about Merrily’s best friend!)

The dual narration by Victoria Connolly and Max Meyers makes the audiobook the ideal way to experience this fun and festive story. They play off each other so well and make the tension and repressed feelings so very palpable. They both have perfect timing, expert delivery, incredible emotional depth, and fantastic singing voices. Victoria’s solo is a brief snippet of a favorite holiday song, but Max’s song is a hilarious masterpiece of improv. Both are incredible, and their top-notch performances make this story even more delightful!