When Ivy Met Mr. Holiday

De: Jennifer Peel

Narrado por: Stephanie Rose, Neill Thorne

Friends don’t let friends fake date alone.

Oscar Wilde once said, “Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship.” Ha! Wrong. Dead wrong. And I can totally prove it.

For the last seven years, I’ve been just friends with Jack Holiday—yes, that Jack Holiday. The swoon-worthy, ridiculously famous, self-proclaimed king of the silver screen. Passion? Love? Worship? Please. Unless you count how much Jack worships himself. Take that, Oscar!

Okay, have I thought about being more than friends with Jack? Sure. I mean, the man waters my plants, never forgets my birthday, and knows exactly which ice cream to bring me—whether for PMS or heartbreak. But when our unlikely friendship began, I swore we’d never cross that line—even if Jack, like Oscar, doesn’t believe men and women can really be just friends.

Then Jack drops a bombshell: he wants to come home with me for the holidays. The guy who’s never cared about Christmas suddenly wants to play Mr. Holly Jolly. Worse, he needs me to pretend to be his fake girlfriend to save him from his ex. If that wasn’t bad enough, he’s laughing with my nieces and nephews, charming my family, and being . . . utterly, infuriatingly adorable.

And maybe—just maybe—we had to kiss.

Oh. Wow. So. So. So. Good.

So amazing, it’s making me want to swallow my pride and beg Oscar for forgiveness. But once you leave the friend zone, there’s no going back. There’s no safety net. Now, I have to ask myself, is risking our friendship worth the fall? And will Jack still be there to catch me?

USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Peel presents the merriest friends-to-lovers story bursting with holiday magic and charm.

©2025 Jennifer Peel (P)2025 Jennifer Peel

Such a cute story

Loved the book. This is definitely going on my list on fun re-reads/listens.

So so so good!

I loved this book! The writing was great, tension and romance perfect, and the narration was spot on! Will definitely be listening again!

Loved it!!!

Perfect rom com especially for those who love When Harry Met Sally!!! I couldn’t stop listening and was sad when it came to an end! Jennifer Peel and these narrators hit it out of the park!

Please don’t end!!

This audiobook is absolutely amazing, adorable, swoony, cute, perfect, holiday magic, and everything in between. The narrators in this book absolutely brought Ivy and Mr. Holiday to life. If you’re looking for the most perfect holiday romance, look no further. This is the best book.

PURE HOLIDAY MAGIC!!

This audio was so fantastically done! Both narrators brought the characters to life and their emotional delivery added depth and tension to the story! I could listen to this book on repeat for hours!

What you'll love:
fake dating
dual pov
best friends to lovers
Hollywood heartthrob MMC
he falls first..and he falls harder
Christmas obsessed family
one (bunk) bed trope
found family
Jack’s gift + Ivy’s letter!
character cameos
Uncle Jack
every.single.kiss
perfectly perfect ending…and epilgoue…and bonus scene!

Christmas tree decorated? Check.
Gifts wrapped? Check.
Heart stolen by this holiday romance. CHECK!

This book has everything I love about holiday romances plus so much more!! I binged it in one sitting (yes, I sacrificed some sleep, and no, I regret nothing). That ending was magical and I could not rest until I knew Jack and Ivy found their happy ending!

It's no secret that friends to lovers isn't my go-to trope, but this book may have just changed my mind. The chemistry and tension was off the charts (oh mylanta, that bunk bed!!!)! I LOVED their adorable friendship and watching Jack slowly but sweetly win Ivy over gave me ALL THE HOLIDAY FEELS! And the way he takes care of her? Be still my heart!

Add in Ivy's chaotic and crazy and ah-mazing family, Jack discovering Christmas magic for the first time, flirty snowball fights, a squeaky bunk bed that deserves an award for stealing the show, some not-so-pretend kisses that could melt the North Pole, and yea, I'm declaring this book a TEN-STAR holiday read!

If you’re a fan of flirty friendship meets slow burn, cozy holiday charm, found family, and a leading man who falls hard, then add this one to your holiday TBR this year! You'll laugh and swoon and maybe even shed a few tears at the sweetness of it all, but you will love every single minute of it.

Content: kissing only (tongue mentioned), some minor swears, parental neglect (past)

I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.

Holiday Bliss and Swoony Romance!

Jennifer Peel is definitely on the nice list this year for writing such a fabulous holiday romance!

It radiates holiday charm and the beauty and magic of Christmas in such a fun and delightful way. Add in a sizzling romance with a lot of humor and depth, and you have a story that’s more delicious than a plate full of Christmas sugar cookies.

Jack and Ivy completely stole my heart, and their romance was perfection. The way he pined so hard for her had me in a constant state of swooning.

I adored Ivy’s Christmas-loving family. The baking, caroling, snowball fights, ugly sweaters, and the Grinch hat of shame, all made me unbelievably happy.

This is the kind of story that gives you heart eyes while you’re reading it, and you hug it to your chest after you’ve read the last page. It really is that good.

So grab your hot cocoa, cozy blanket, and a copy of this gem, and be prepared to be swept away into holiday bliss.

You can expect—
Dual POV
Best friends to lovers
He falls first and falls hard
Fake dating
Forced proximity
Found family
One bed
Kisses only
HEA

I loved the dual narration, and thought both of them did a fabulous job.

This is a great holiday read, but definitely a perfect story to savor all year long.