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Merry Me: A Holiday Romance
She thought she buried her past...until it shows up in a Santa suit at her sister’s wedding.
Natalie Bennett has a plan: survive her big sister’s Christmas Eve wedding, avoid her estranged father, and absolutely do not fall apart in front of the ex she walked away from...even if he does look annoyingly good in red velvet.
Easton Maddox was supposed to be a high school memory—before Hollywood, before heartbreak, before she convinced herself walking away was the right thing. But when one broken down car, a meddling grandmother, and a very compromising duet throws them back together, old feelings resurface faster than you can say “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus.”
Now stuck in a cozy mountain lodge with one very determined ex, Natalie’s forced to confront the truth: maybe love doesn’t follow logic. And maybe, just maybe…the boy she left behind is the man who never left her heart.
Merry Me is a funny, tender, and swoon-filled second-chance romance standalone about finding your way back to the one who never really let you go.
*A standalone set in the Wrong Player Series world*
Natalie Bennett has a plan: survive her big sister’s Christmas Eve wedding, avoid her estranged father, and absolutely do not fall apart in front of the ex she walked away from...even if he does look annoyingly good in red velvet.
Easton Maddox was supposed to be a high school memory—before Hollywood, before heartbreak, before she convinced herself walking away was the right thing. But when one broken down car, a meddling grandmother, and a very compromising duet throws them back together, old feelings resurface faster than you can say “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus.”
Now stuck in a cozy mountain lodge with one very determined ex, Natalie’s forced to confront the truth: maybe love doesn’t follow logic. And maybe, just maybe…the boy she left behind is the man who never left her heart.
Merry Me is a funny, tender, and swoon-filled second-chance romance standalone about finding your way back to the one who never really let you go.
*A standalone set in the Wrong Player Series world*
328 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2025
1708 people are currently reading
5810 people want to read
About the author
C.R. Jane
96 books5,230 followersI'm a wife, mother, and author! Writing has always been a passion for me, and publishing my first series is a dream come true. I drink too much caffeine, never sleep, and my imagination is always churning out ideas. Eva and her men have been in my head for awhile, and I'm so glad to finally take you with me on this journey!
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November 22, 2025
Rating: 3.75 or 4 stars.
Honestly, this book was fun, cute, and super easy to sink into, but it also left me weirdly frustrated at times. I’m still torn on how many stars to give it because it hit me with such mixed emotions. On one hand, it’s emotional, raw, and genuinely entertaining.
The vibes? Perfect. The setting? Cozy and magical. I laughed, giggled, and “hehe’d” my way through so many scenes.
But then there were moments where I was rolling my eyes out of pure annoyance or secondhand cringe. It’s like the story knew exactly how to charm me and irritate me at the same time. Still, I ended up really loving the overall storyline and the way everything unfolds. I’ve never read a book set during such a full-on Christmas festival where the characters work through their issues while wrapped in winter lights and holiday chaos, and that uniqueness definitely stuck with me.
── .✦
Merry Me is a cozy, second-chance Christmas romance where Natalie shows up to her sister’s wedding determined to avoid her past, especially her estranged dad and the ex-boyfriend she once ran from. But Easton, now a charming Hollywood star in a Santa suit (because of course), ends up stuck with her thanks to bad luck, nosy relatives, and a dangerously romantic duet. As they’re forced into close quarters in a snowy mountain lodge, all those buried feelings start bubbling back up. It’s funny, tender, and full of that “oh no…I still love you” energy.
── .✦
Now, let's talk about the characters. I actually loved all of them as their journeys unfolded throughout the book, everything was slow, loud, and messy in that very realistic way. But the relationship buildup? Yeah… I didn’t love it, and I’ll explain why.
°˖➴Natalie:
Natalie is such a calm, emotional character. She hides her feelings to avoid drama, and honestly, I love that for her at first. But sometimes it crossed into being childish and unnecessary, like, this entire 400-page book could’ve been cut down if she just said one thing out loud. I get her fear of dating someone famous. I get that she’s 18 and still figuring herself out. I didn’t try to blame her for that. But as the story goes on, you expect some growth, right? You expect her to start facing things head-on instead of running from every tiny confrontation.
Instead, she kept avoiding, hiding, overthinking, and it dragged the plot out in a frustrating way. She honestly annoyed me until the point of giving up and finally confessing her feelings.
°˖➴Easton:
On the other hand, Easton is fierce, strong, and genuinely kind. I loved this man, truly, deeply. Even after all those years, he still held onto his love for her, even though she was the one who ended things. And the way he had that quiet, steady “what was mine is still mine” energy? I screamed. Every woman deserves to experience that kind of devoted, patient love at least once in her life.
Sometimes young love doesn’t work out at the time, but this one? This one had the exact kind of intensity and loyalty I always hope for in a romance book. He wasn’t closed off when he saw her again, he didn’t pretend not to know her, he didn’t act distant or awkward. He stayed soft, and warm, and real. I LOVED THAT SO MUCH.
Also… did you see how handsome he is on the cover? Oh my god. If that man were my boyfriend, I would hide him from the entire world. And I’d absolutely fight Natalie, because she was too scared. Like girl, stay scared, I’m taking him. I need my own Easton too, please and thank you.
── .✦
Okay, moving on from the giggly side of this book, let’s talk about the “here we go again” problem or the relationship build up, because I am genuinely exhausted. I swear, every time I even sense this trope creeping into a romance book, I physically scream. Yes, I know it’s a spicy book, I’m aware, but that does not mean the entire relationship needs to be built on intimacy. I hate that.
I SWEAR, if the spice had started in the last part of the book, this would’ve been an easy five-star read for me. But no. Their minds were literally overflowing from page one with “I want to do this and this with him/her,” and honestly? It was exhausting. Like mentally draining.
THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL IN ROMANCE WRITING. What is the point of making them swoon over each other in the first chapter? You killed all the tension, all the buildup, all the potential fun. You gave me dessert before the actual meal. Enough. I’m done. Literally.
I loved the forced proximity in this book, it felt so natural and flawless, like it was exactly what the story needed for these two to finally find their way back to each other. It didn’t feel forced at all; it felt right. And honestly? I really enjoyed every moment of it.
── .✦
The ending was good, nothing mind-blowing, but solid enough. Honestly, I’m just impressed I made it out alive because this book was hella long. The real shocker is that I finished it in two days. Two. Days. The writing was so fast-paced and bingeable that I just kept flying through pages, and for that, I’m actually grateful.
>>> ──────── .✦
⋆♡⸝💌⊹➴ I saw the cover and immediately said “yup, I’m reading this,” no questions asked. It just looks like the kind of fun, goofy, giggle-filled book I’m always in the mood for. So honestly? I’m diving in purely on vibes alone, let’s see if it lives up to the energy it’s giving!
Honestly, this book was fun, cute, and super easy to sink into, but it also left me weirdly frustrated at times. I’m still torn on how many stars to give it because it hit me with such mixed emotions. On one hand, it’s emotional, raw, and genuinely entertaining.
The vibes? Perfect. The setting? Cozy and magical. I laughed, giggled, and “hehe’d” my way through so many scenes.
But then there were moments where I was rolling my eyes out of pure annoyance or secondhand cringe. It’s like the story knew exactly how to charm me and irritate me at the same time. Still, I ended up really loving the overall storyline and the way everything unfolds. I’ve never read a book set during such a full-on Christmas festival where the characters work through their issues while wrapped in winter lights and holiday chaos, and that uniqueness definitely stuck with me.
── .✦
Merry Me is a cozy, second-chance Christmas romance where Natalie shows up to her sister’s wedding determined to avoid her past, especially her estranged dad and the ex-boyfriend she once ran from. But Easton, now a charming Hollywood star in a Santa suit (because of course), ends up stuck with her thanks to bad luck, nosy relatives, and a dangerously romantic duet. As they’re forced into close quarters in a snowy mountain lodge, all those buried feelings start bubbling back up. It’s funny, tender, and full of that “oh no…I still love you” energy.
── .✦
Now, let's talk about the characters. I actually loved all of them as their journeys unfolded throughout the book, everything was slow, loud, and messy in that very realistic way. But the relationship buildup? Yeah… I didn’t love it, and I’ll explain why.
°˖➴Natalie:
Natalie is such a calm, emotional character. She hides her feelings to avoid drama, and honestly, I love that for her at first. But sometimes it crossed into being childish and unnecessary, like, this entire 400-page book could’ve been cut down if she just said one thing out loud. I get her fear of dating someone famous. I get that she’s 18 and still figuring herself out. I didn’t try to blame her for that. But as the story goes on, you expect some growth, right? You expect her to start facing things head-on instead of running from every tiny confrontation.
Instead, she kept avoiding, hiding, overthinking, and it dragged the plot out in a frustrating way. She honestly annoyed me until the point of giving up and finally confessing her feelings.
°˖➴Easton:
On the other hand, Easton is fierce, strong, and genuinely kind. I loved this man, truly, deeply. Even after all those years, he still held onto his love for her, even though she was the one who ended things. And the way he had that quiet, steady “what was mine is still mine” energy? I screamed. Every woman deserves to experience that kind of devoted, patient love at least once in her life.
Sometimes young love doesn’t work out at the time, but this one? This one had the exact kind of intensity and loyalty I always hope for in a romance book. He wasn’t closed off when he saw her again, he didn’t pretend not to know her, he didn’t act distant or awkward. He stayed soft, and warm, and real. I LOVED THAT SO MUCH.
Also… did you see how handsome he is on the cover? Oh my god. If that man were my boyfriend, I would hide him from the entire world. And I’d absolutely fight Natalie, because she was too scared. Like girl, stay scared, I’m taking him. I need my own Easton too, please and thank you.
── .✦
Okay, moving on from the giggly side of this book, let’s talk about the “here we go again” problem or the relationship build up, because I am genuinely exhausted. I swear, every time I even sense this trope creeping into a romance book, I physically scream. Yes, I know it’s a spicy book, I’m aware, but that does not mean the entire relationship needs to be built on intimacy. I hate that.
I SWEAR, if the spice had started in the last part of the book, this would’ve been an easy five-star read for me. But no. Their minds were literally overflowing from page one with “I want to do this and this with him/her,” and honestly? It was exhausting. Like mentally draining.
THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL IN ROMANCE WRITING. What is the point of making them swoon over each other in the first chapter? You killed all the tension, all the buildup, all the potential fun. You gave me dessert before the actual meal. Enough. I’m done. Literally.
I loved the forced proximity in this book, it felt so natural and flawless, like it was exactly what the story needed for these two to finally find their way back to each other. It didn’t feel forced at all; it felt right. And honestly? I really enjoyed every moment of it.
── .✦
The ending was good, nothing mind-blowing, but solid enough. Honestly, I’m just impressed I made it out alive because this book was hella long. The real shocker is that I finished it in two days. Two. Days. The writing was so fast-paced and bingeable that I just kept flying through pages, and for that, I’m actually grateful.
>>> ──────── .✦
⋆♡⸝💌⊹➴ I saw the cover and immediately said “yup, I’m reading this,” no questions asked. It just looks like the kind of fun, goofy, giggle-filled book I’m always in the mood for. So honestly? I’m diving in purely on vibes alone, let’s see if it lives up to the energy it’s giving!
December 8, 2025
Gird you Christmas loins
🎄✨ second chance romance full of cozy Christmas cheer & smutty longing!
“My perfect, dirty girl. Soaking wet for Santa’s cock.”
✨🎁 ♥️✨ 👅 ✨♥️ 🎁 ✨
Natalie is a glorious basic bitch who broke up with her high school boyfriend years ago but still thinks about him daily. Now Easton is back as a Hollywood movie star & he is set to win her back!! They are stuck together in a Christmas wedding party 🎄 and he is not above light trickery to get her to notice him…and his new abs.
Second chance is typically not my favorite trope BUT Easton was obsessed & there was never any ambiguity around his desire for her!! Their dynamic was a mix of public foreplay & deep longing that was drenched in cozy Christmas smut!
♥️ obsessed mmc that is seducing the house down
🎄 she bangs Santa!
♥️ EMOTIONAL dialogue & abandonment issues
🎄 filthy mistletoe traditions
♥️ dirty talking mmc
Easton’s ONLY MISSION is to win Natalie back & he brings out the bigdick guns 👀 that man can get it!!! The endless flirting, sincere vulnerability layered with desperate smut…I’m deceased!!!! ♥️✨
I absolutely loved every single chapter of this story! The Christmas vibes, the desperate mmc and filthy smuttiness. I didn’t expect to be so emotionally packed & have me chocked up though. Don’t make me cry on Christmas!!
4.5 ⭐️
second chance romance
celebrity/superstar mmc
bold fmc
one bed
dirty talk
touching in public
forced proximity
Christmas karaoke
crazy Memaw
HEA
“My perfect, dirty girl. Soaking wet for Santa’s cock.”
✨🎁 ♥️✨ 👅 ✨♥️ 🎁 ✨
Natalie is a glorious basic bitch who broke up with her high school boyfriend years ago but still thinks about him daily. Now Easton is back as a Hollywood movie star & he is set to win her back!! They are stuck together in a Christmas wedding party 🎄 and he is not above light trickery to get her to notice him…and his new abs.
Second chance is typically not my favorite trope BUT Easton was obsessed & there was never any ambiguity around his desire for her!! Their dynamic was a mix of public foreplay & deep longing that was drenched in cozy Christmas smut!
♥️ obsessed mmc that is seducing the house down
🎄 she bangs Santa!
♥️ EMOTIONAL dialogue & abandonment issues
🎄 filthy mistletoe traditions
♥️ dirty talking mmc
Easton’s ONLY MISSION is to win Natalie back & he brings out the big
I absolutely loved every single chapter of this story! The Christmas vibes, the desperate mmc and filthy smuttiness. I didn’t expect to be so emotionally packed & have me chocked up though. Don’t make me cry on Christmas!!
4.5 ⭐️
second chance romance
celebrity/superstar mmc
bold fmc
one bed
dirty talk
touching in public
forced proximity
Christmas karaoke
crazy Memaw
HEA
Read
October 11, 2025dnf at 35%
it’s already getting repetitive and they already fucked and there isn’t even a serious reason for the break up in the first place. i wish this was a novella
it’s already getting repetitive and they already fucked and there isn’t even a serious reason for the break up in the first place. i wish this was a novella
October 8, 2025
Natalie pushed away the only boy she ever loved because he was going to become a movie star. So, at 18, she broke up with him. Two years later, she's slowly moving on with life until her sister informed her she's getting married. Nat is excited and worried that Easton would be there but thinks he won't since he's a movie star now. But nope, Easton is going, and he's going to win back his woman.
Lots of banter, a couple of tense moments between the two. Easton not giving up, showing up to cute moments. Rescuing her from a dead car, sharing his room, and making sure she heard him when he got himself off in the bathroom. Hehe, he's making grand plans.
And poor Nat doesn't know what to do; she misses him and still thinks she doesn't fit into his Hollywood life. Besides that, she has news that her estranged father might show up to the wedding.
So there are some heartfelt moments that made you tear up (or was it just me, lol).
Drama-wise, it's Nat and her push/pull, a coworker for a split second trying to cause drama, and father drama. Besides that, I'm glad Nat and Easton got their happy ending.
No ow/om drama (one second of ow), no cheating, slight secondary character, drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5
Prologue
Seperation (2 years)
Praise kink
Tiny public play
Stalking
Masturbation
Parental abandonment
Estranged parent-child relationships Mentions of emotional neglect and childhood trauma
Brief mention of a loved one with cancer
No condom
Hea
Epilogue
Lots of banter, a couple of tense moments between the two. Easton not giving up, showing up to cute moments. Rescuing her from a dead car, sharing his room, and making sure she heard him when he got himself off in the bathroom. Hehe, he's making grand plans.
And poor Nat doesn't know what to do; she misses him and still thinks she doesn't fit into his Hollywood life. Besides that, she has news that her estranged father might show up to the wedding.
So there are some heartfelt moments that made you tear up (or was it just me, lol).
Drama-wise, it's Nat and her push/pull, a coworker for a split second trying to cause drama, and father drama. Besides that, I'm glad Nat and Easton got their happy ending.
No ow/om drama (one second of ow), no cheating, slight secondary character, drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5
Prologue
Seperation (2 years)
Praise kink
Tiny public play
Stalking
Masturbation
Parental abandonment
Estranged parent-child relationships Mentions of emotional neglect and childhood trauma
Brief mention of a loved one with cancer
No condom
Hea
Epilogue
October 9, 2025
I have been so excited for this book, and unfortunately, it was a huge disappointment. I absolutely love the Pucking Wrong series (and the Wrong Player one), but this book felt like she took her usual wit / humor and dialed it up to the point of being unbearable. Literally every single line of this book was forced to be clever or had an over-the-top simile, and it made the book tedious to get through. It also felt like she tried to recreate the magic of the Circle of Trust’s text messages with the girls in this book, and it just didn’t work.
Also, Easton deserved so much better than Natalie. From the start of the book, I found her immature and unlikable, and it never got better. It made no sense at all why she would break up with him. Easton adored her and waited for her for two years, and he deserved someone who had been missing him too and wouldn’t run away at every possible opportunity.
Also, Easton deserved so much better than Natalie. From the start of the book, I found her immature and unlikable, and it never got better. It made no sense at all why she would break up with him. Easton adored her and waited for her for two years, and he deserved someone who had been missing him too and wouldn’t run away at every possible opportunity.
dnf
December 15, 2025DNF 31% this book had good potential (and a really cute cover), but I didn’t like the fmc and, in my opinion, everything was made too dramatic without a valid reason. While reading, I was bored and annoyed at the same time. Overall I just found it mediocre and kinda cringe
December 21, 2025
3.75⭐️ I truly love the vibes of all of CR Jane’s books. They’re a full kick-your-feet-up good time, and her humor is absolutely top-tier. This one was absolutely giving all the romcom vibes, and she’s always gonna make me laugh out loud. If there’s one thing I always know going into one of her books is that I’m going to have the best time.
This is a cute, spicy second-chance romance, and the audiobook narration? Really freaking good. It honestly added so much to the experience.
There are so many fun moments in this book forced proximity, and an ex who is completely hell-bent on getting his woman back. And I mean down bad since the second they broke up. This man does not try to play it cool. He does not try to hide it. He literally plans to see her at her sister’s wedding and pulls every string possible to make sure they’re stuck in the same space together. I loved how unapologetically obsessed he was with her.
I will say the FMC wasn’t my favorite, but honestly, that’s okay because I still really enjoyed the book. I wasn’t super invested in the characters overall, which usually throws me off a bit, but this ended up being such a fun, easy Christmas read and I’d absolutely recommend it.
This is a cute, spicy second-chance romance, and the audiobook narration? Really freaking good. It honestly added so much to the experience.
There are so many fun moments in this book forced proximity, and an ex who is completely hell-bent on getting his woman back. And I mean down bad since the second they broke up. This man does not try to play it cool. He does not try to hide it. He literally plans to see her at her sister’s wedding and pulls every string possible to make sure they’re stuck in the same space together. I loved how unapologetically obsessed he was with her.
I will say the FMC wasn’t my favorite, but honestly, that’s okay because I still really enjoyed the book. I wasn’t super invested in the characters overall, which usually throws me off a bit, but this ended up being such a fun, easy Christmas read and I’d absolutely recommend it.
December 16, 2025
REVIEW
Rating: 4/5
POV: 1st, Dual
Tropes: 2nd Chance; Famous/Actor MMC; Forced Proximity; No 3rd Act Breakup; Angsty; Christmas
Heat Level:5+/5
Kinks:
Likes:
* Easton, the MMC, is very swoon worthy. That was a man who knew how to fight for love
* Great banter, this author writes some of the best banter.
* Lots of Christmasy stuff to keep the book feeling like you’re reading a Christmas book but it’s not over the top
Dislikes:
* never thought I’d find myself saying something like this but I actually wish the book was longer when it’s already a perfect length! There were a few things that I felt were left unresolved/hanging out there.
Conclusion:
I really enjoy this author. If you’ve previously read her and enjoyed her books then this one is a must!
It has her strong banter style, a quirky/crazy family member, and 🔥🌶️.
The MMC, Easton, and the FMC, Natalie, were high school sweethearts. Natalie ends things her senior year (my guess is Easton is a year older) because she doesn’t want to make him feel like he’s missing out on his dreams due to her being back home and him wanting to go to Hollywood to act.
With a little family manipulation Easton decides not to fight for Natalie at that time and give her what she wants.
Jump 2 years later and Natalie’s sister is marrying Easton best friend. So Easton comes back home for the wedding week with the complete intention of winning Natalie back. This man never stopped loving her and pining over her. It was so 😍😍😍.
The family manipulation was actually a good thing and everything made sense as to why Natalie ended things, why Easton did not fight for her at that time, and why now it was time for them to reunite!
Lots of angst, tension, family drama, romance, and Christmas activities to keep this book feeling like a Christmas story!
Quote by Easton:
“You’re my soulmate, Natalie Bennett.” A pause. A breath. “And I was made to never stop loving you.”
Rating: 4/5
POV: 1st, Dual
Tropes: 2nd Chance; Famous/Actor MMC; Forced Proximity; No 3rd Act Breakup; Angsty; Christmas
Heat Level:5+/5
Kinks:
Likes:
* Easton, the MMC, is very swoon worthy. That was a man who knew how to fight for love
* Great banter, this author writes some of the best banter.
* Lots of Christmasy stuff to keep the book feeling like you’re reading a Christmas book but it’s not over the top
Dislikes:
* never thought I’d find myself saying something like this but I actually wish the book was longer when it’s already a perfect length! There were a few things that I felt were left unresolved/hanging out there.
Conclusion:
I really enjoy this author. If you’ve previously read her and enjoyed her books then this one is a must!
It has her strong banter style, a quirky/crazy family member, and 🔥🌶️.
The MMC, Easton, and the FMC, Natalie, were high school sweethearts. Natalie ends things her senior year (my guess is Easton is a year older) because she doesn’t want to make him feel like he’s missing out on his dreams due to her being back home and him wanting to go to Hollywood to act.
With a little family manipulation Easton decides not to fight for Natalie at that time and give her what she wants.
Jump 2 years later and Natalie’s sister is marrying Easton best friend. So Easton comes back home for the wedding week with the complete intention of winning Natalie back. This man never stopped loving her and pining over her. It was so 😍😍😍.
The family manipulation was actually a good thing and everything made sense as to why Natalie ended things, why Easton did not fight for her at that time, and why now it was time for them to reunite!
Lots of angst, tension, family drama, romance, and Christmas activities to keep this book feeling like a Christmas story!
Quote by Easton:
“You’re my soulmate, Natalie Bennett.” A pause. A breath. “And I was made to never stop loving you.”
October 30, 2025
.5 stars for me for finishing this absurdity
Another day, another annoying FMC. There’s literally no real conflict here, just a self-absorbed girl acting like the world revolves around her while her poor love interest treats her like she hung the moon. The guy deserves not just an Oscar but a Nobel Prize for patience and blind devotion. The group chats are secondhand embarrassment and those so-called witty dialogues? Yeah, they’re not witty, they are painfully irritating. The whole book screams “me, me, me and more, let's f××k everywhere."
Another day, another annoying FMC. There’s literally no real conflict here, just a self-absorbed girl acting like the world revolves around her while her poor love interest treats her like she hung the moon. The guy deserves not just an Oscar but a Nobel Prize for patience and blind devotion. The group chats are secondhand embarrassment and those so-called witty dialogues? Yeah, they’re not witty, they are painfully irritating. The whole book screams “me, me, me and more, let's f××k everywhere."
December 25, 2025
3.5 🌟
Le tenía expectativas y si que las cumplió.
La hermana de Natalie la sorprende con una boda en navidad, por lo que regresa a casa no solo para pasar las fiestas si no para la boda el problema es que se va a encontrar con su ex, el cual ella corto y sabe que la convivencia no va ser muy buena por lo que hará todo por evitarlo pero sabemos que las cosas no salen como uno las planea.
Había escuchado cosas muy buenas de la autora y quise darle la oportunidad con este libro que aunque tiene una que otra conexión con unas de sus sagas fácilmente se puede leer de forma independiente, y fue muy una grata sorpresa.
Al inicio no estaba conectando bien con Natalie, la razón por qué decide cortar con Easton es válida y más a esa edad pero me molesto mucho que le mintiera y que no pudieran terminar de forma tranquila, así que ese suceso me hizo no poder empatizar con ella y la primera mitad del libro me estaba desesperando hasta que conocemos a cierto personaje y pude entender todo mejor y hasta solté algunas lagrimitas por ella.
Ahora que puedo decir de Easton él es hermosooo, hace TODO por ella, no saben lo bien que loz hizo, le daba su espacio pero estando igual presente la comprendía, la escuchaba y estaba ahí para ella, fue bellooo ese hombre.
El final se me hizo muy de telenovela con todo lo que pasaba pero no me quejo me encantó 🫣
Le tenía expectativas y si que las cumplió.
La hermana de Natalie la sorprende con una boda en navidad, por lo que regresa a casa no solo para pasar las fiestas si no para la boda el problema es que se va a encontrar con su ex, el cual ella corto y sabe que la convivencia no va ser muy buena por lo que hará todo por evitarlo pero sabemos que las cosas no salen como uno las planea.
Había escuchado cosas muy buenas de la autora y quise darle la oportunidad con este libro que aunque tiene una que otra conexión con unas de sus sagas fácilmente se puede leer de forma independiente, y fue muy una grata sorpresa.
Al inicio no estaba conectando bien con Natalie, la razón por qué decide cortar con Easton es válida y más a esa edad pero me molesto mucho que le mintiera y que no pudieran terminar de forma tranquila, así que ese suceso me hizo no poder empatizar con ella y la primera mitad del libro me estaba desesperando hasta que conocemos a cierto personaje y pude entender todo mejor y hasta solté algunas lagrimitas por ella.
Ahora que puedo decir de Easton él es hermosooo, hace TODO por ella, no saben lo bien que loz hizo, le daba su espacio pero estando igual presente la comprendía, la escuchaba y estaba ahí para ella, fue bellooo ese hombre.
El final se me hizo muy de telenovela con todo lo que pasaba pero no me quejo me encantó 🫣
December 26, 2025
No he leído ninguno de los libros con los que está relacionado y no me ha supuesto ningún problema, puede leerse de forma independiente.
He conectado a ratos con este romance de segunda oportunidad que, de por sí, no suele ser mi trope favorito. Esta vez se me ha hecho largo, tanto, que he tenido que combinar otras lecturas para no abandonar.
Easton es un gran protagonista. He subrayado frases y frases, es por él que he seguido leyendo y que le doy tres estrellas.
No he empatizado con Natalie, por mucho que quisiera entender sus razones para romper la relación, su drama y lo joven que se supone que era. Las vueltas que se le da a las dudas de Natalie son excesivas y, el drama añadido de su pasado volviendo al presente, sobra del todo.
Seguro que cada una tendrá su opinión y cuando empieces te harás una idea de si te compensa el relleno por leer a Easton. Yo, lo he terminado.
He conectado a ratos con este romance de segunda oportunidad que, de por sí, no suele ser mi trope favorito. Esta vez se me ha hecho largo, tanto, que he tenido que combinar otras lecturas para no abandonar.
Easton es un gran protagonista. He subrayado frases y frases, es por él que he seguido leyendo y que le doy tres estrellas.
No he empatizado con Natalie, por mucho que quisiera entender sus razones para romper la relación, su drama y lo joven que se supone que era. Las vueltas que se le da a las dudas de Natalie son excesivas y, el drama añadido de su pasado volviendo al presente, sobra del todo.
Seguro que cada una tendrá su opinión y cuando empieces te harás una idea de si te compensa el relleno por leer a Easton. Yo, lo he terminado.
October 11, 2025
I try to never write a review for a book if I didn't finish it... So I don't think you should pay attention to this review.It's really just more of a note to myself should I forget why I stopped reading.
Dear self on the shelf,
The mmc is swoon worthy and you really liked him the way that you like hot chocolate....the way you like the first snow of winter....the way you like snuggling under an electric blanket when the house is just a little bit chilly and your feet are just a tiny bit cold, but...BUUUT...the fmc in this book made you want to violently punch a cute little christmas elf in the face. You quit reading because you could not stand her flakiness and the dance she was making Easton do right after she told him she would always be there for him. So when she ran, literraly, for like the fifth time it became apparent to you that maturity was chasing her, but she just runs faster. You don't enjoy female characters like this... The way that you don't enjoy sand in your sheets... The way you don't enjoy burning your mouth on the first bite of pizza.... The way that you hate it when you get that itch between your shoulder blades on the one area of your back that you cannot reach so you bought a claw at The End of a long stick on Amazon. And now, your cat won't stop demanding that you pet her with it!!!!! 😡🤬 So, the ghost of today me wants to warn the ghost of tomorrow you ... that you should only attempt this book again if you had a stellar day at work.
That being said, I really have enjoyed the majority of this author's work... The Pucking Wrong Number will be my favorite hockey romance likely for all time. the wrong play.... The pucking wrong guy.... This author really knows how to write an over the top unhinged possessive, obsessive hero. i can't wait for her next book, this one was just a bit of a miss for me because of my own personal issues with female characters that become cyclical
instead of directional. happy reading.
Dear self on the shelf,
The mmc is swoon worthy and you really liked him the way that you like hot chocolate....the way you like the first snow of winter....the way you like snuggling under an electric blanket when the house is just a little bit chilly and your feet are just a tiny bit cold, but...BUUUT...the fmc in this book made you want to violently punch a cute little christmas elf in the face. You quit reading because you could not stand her flakiness and the dance she was making Easton do right after she told him she would always be there for him. So when she ran, literraly, for like the fifth time it became apparent to you that maturity was chasing her, but she just runs faster. You don't enjoy female characters like this... The way that you don't enjoy sand in your sheets... The way you don't enjoy burning your mouth on the first bite of pizza.... The way that you hate it when you get that itch between your shoulder blades on the one area of your back that you cannot reach so you bought a claw at The End of a long stick on Amazon. And now, your cat won't stop demanding that you pet her with it!!!!! 😡🤬 So, the ghost of today me wants to warn the ghost of tomorrow you ... that you should only attempt this book again if you had a stellar day at work.
That being said, I really have enjoyed the majority of this author's work... The Pucking Wrong Number will be my favorite hockey romance likely for all time. the wrong play.... The pucking wrong guy.... This author really knows how to write an over the top unhinged possessive, obsessive hero. i can't wait for her next book, this one was just a bit of a miss for me because of my own personal issues with female characters that become cyclical
instead of directional. happy reading.
November 16, 2025
⭐️ 4.75 Stars
This honestly might be the Christmas book of the year for me. From the moment I started, I was hooked. It’s a perfectly messy, perfectly delicious second-chance romance with the funniest Meemaw, the kind of spice that makes you blush, and tension that crackles on every single page.
And that twist at the end? WTF in the best way. I did not see that coming.
I literally couldn’t put this down and devoured it in one sitting. If you’re looking for a holiday romance that will give you heart eyes, laughter, and a little bit of chaos, Merry Me deserves a spot at the top of your TBR. 🎄🔥
This honestly might be the Christmas book of the year for me. From the moment I started, I was hooked. It’s a perfectly messy, perfectly delicious second-chance romance with the funniest Meemaw, the kind of spice that makes you blush, and tension that crackles on every single page.
And that twist at the end? WTF in the best way. I did not see that coming.
I literally couldn’t put this down and devoured it in one sitting. If you’re looking for a holiday romance that will give you heart eyes, laughter, and a little bit of chaos, Merry Me deserves a spot at the top of your TBR. 🎄🔥
December 31, 2025
Thank you Podium Entertainment for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
✦ tropes & stuff:
🎄 holiday romance
2️⃣ second chance w flashbacks
🥹 first love
😎 famous movie star mmc
🛏 only one room/bed
🔗 forced proximity
😍 man obsessed
💫 it’s always been you
💞 dual 1st person pov
•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•
🎧 audio+ebook | ⭐️: 4.25 |
I loved the dynamic between Nathalie & Easton! I’m always down for a second chance romance.
Natalie’s POV chapters were HILARIOUS, I loved being in her head.
Easton is so down BAD for her, and I loved how obsessed he was.
The group chat with her friends was also so fun, I imagine they have their own books too!
and MeMaw 🥹 what a perfect side character
It did drag on for me at some point in the middle, without any real conflict, but I did still really enjoy the story!
🎧 audiobook thoughts:
Narrated in Duet, Alexis Paige & Sean Masters fit their characters SO perfectly! I loved the narration on this one.
📖 Merry Me by C.R. Jane
📚 technically not part of a series, but connected
💜: contemporary romance (mf)
🎙 narrated by: Alexis Paige & Sean Masters
*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍
✦ tropes & stuff:
🎄 holiday romance
2️⃣ second chance w flashbacks
🥹 first love
😎 famous movie star mmc
🛏 only one room/bed
🔗 forced proximity
😍 man obsessed
💫 it’s always been you
💞 dual 1st person pov
•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•
🎧 audio+ebook | ⭐️: 4.25 |
I loved the dynamic between Nathalie & Easton! I’m always down for a second chance romance.
Natalie’s POV chapters were HILARIOUS, I loved being in her head.
Easton is so down BAD for her, and I loved how obsessed he was.
The group chat with her friends was also so fun, I imagine they have their own books too!
and MeMaw 🥹 what a perfect side character
It did drag on for me at some point in the middle, without any real conflict, but I did still really enjoy the story!
🎧 audiobook thoughts:
Narrated in Duet, Alexis Paige & Sean Masters fit their characters SO perfectly! I loved the narration on this one.
📖 Merry Me by C.R. Jane
📚 technically not part of a series, but connected
💜: contemporary romance (mf)
🎙 narrated by: Alexis Paige & Sean Masters
*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍
December 11, 2025
If this hadn’t been my book club pick, it would’ve been an unapologetic DNF. The whole story leans way too hard into “romance” behaviors that were supposed to feel intense or swoony but honestly just came off toxic, obsessive, and weirdly uncomfortable.
Easton? Walking red flag. The man orchestrates an entire situation to get her alone, pursues her even when she literally runs away, and the book frames it as romantic instead of “sir, please calm down.” He’s possessive, obsessed, and not in a fun dark romance way but more in an “absolutely not, put the mistletoe down” way. (Literally the mistletoe scene)
The FMC didn’t help either. She’s written with hints of a deeper emotional arc the absentee dad, the complicated family dynamics, the lingering wounds but none of that gets explored with the depth it deserves. Instead, the weight of those themes gets buried under cheesiness, awkward insta-intensity, and cringey smut that made me physically wince more than once.
I kept waiting for the story to balance out, or for the characters to develop into something more layered than their tropes, but it just… never happened. There were glimpses of something real in the father subplot, but it was outnumbered by scenes that felt clunky, forced, or straight-up uncomfortable.
October 2, 2025
I love a good second chance romance, and this one was super cute, and a lot of fun to read. I love all the guys that CR Jane writes and Easton was the perfect amount of adorable, obsessed with and possessive of Natalie.
October 19, 2025
2⭐️ DNF at 66%
I was so bored, it was too long and I cared very little about the characters. I’ve enjoyed the series so far but this book is nothing like the others. Don’t want to waste any more of my time.
I was so bored, it was too long and I cared very little about the characters. I’ve enjoyed the series so far but this book is nothing like the others. Don’t want to waste any more of my time.
November 19, 2025
Holy freaking crap that was an excellent book! Easton is probably my top tier man of the year for romance reads! If you are looking for book husband material, he is it! Natalie is a girl who has been broken and doesn’t trust love. But having a man like Easton love you, oh man it’s intense! Also, I was very pleasantly surprised with how spicy this book was! And the fact that it started so soon in the book made it even better! We get a chance to enjoy the raw passion longer! Best second chance romance I have read to date! Definitely recommend!
December 10, 2025
Easton Maddox 🙏🏼
December 30, 2025
♡ “You should know me better than that to think that just because you said you were done…that it meant I was done too.” ❄
This book tugged at my heartstrings almost immediately, and that emotional pull never really let up. The prologue alone set the tone in a way that genuinely hurt, in the best way. I understood Natalie’s hesitation and the logic behind the choice she made, but even knowing where she was coming from, my heart ached for both of them. Starting a book with that much emotional weight right out of the gate was bold, and it absolutely worked.
❄ “You can lie to yourself all you want but you’re mine, Natalie. You always have been. And I’m not walking away this time.” ♡
Easton, though… he was the reason I stayed glued to the pages. The fact that he never once gave up on Natalie was incredibly swoonworthy. I loved how persistent he was without ever feeling dismissive of her fear. His devotion showed up not just in words, but in actions, and that made all the difference. The banter between him and Natalie, especially as she tried (and failed) to keep emotional distance, was genuinely funny and added a much-needed lightness to an otherwise emotionally charged story. I found myself laughing out loud one moment and clutching my Kindle the next.
♡ “No touching allowed.” ❄
That said, Natalie’s resistance did start to wear on me after a while. Early on, her hesitation made sense, but as Easton continued to show up and prove his feelings, it began to feel less like self-protection and more like stubbornness. Watching her repeatedly push him away grew frustrating, especially when it felt like she was more willing to let Easton hurt than to risk being vulnerable herself. That push-pull dynamic became a bit repetitive and made certain sections harder to get through, though I’ll admit I powered through largely because of how compelling Easton was as a character.
♡ “I swear to all that is holy, Easton, I will deck your halls.” ❄
Emotionally, this book was kind of impressive in how hard it swung between extremes. There were moments where I had to pause and take a breath before I yelled at my Kindle, and others where I was giggling like a schoolgirl with a crush: usually thanks to Easton. I appreciated that this kept the classic C.R. Jane instant-obsession trope from the MMC, and while Easton isn’t my all-time favorite of hers (Lincoln Daniels still owns that crown), he was undeniably a strong contender. I loved that he recognized Natalie’s fear for what it was and chose to prove his love through actions…even if those actions veered into slightly unhinged territory, like locking a rival in a closet and stealing his role in holiday festivities. And yes… the mouth on that man? Completely unexpected and very appreciated.
❄ “You’re out of control.” ♡
Overall, while the story may have worked just as well as a novella, I still enjoyed the ride. It was emotional, frustrating, swoony, and funny in equal measure, and even when it tested my patience, it kept me fully engaged from start to finish.
Stars: 3.5/5
Spice: 2.5/5
Tropes:
❄ Second Chance ♡
♡ High School Sweethearts ❄
❄ One Bed ♡
♡ Forced Proximity ❄
This book tugged at my heartstrings almost immediately, and that emotional pull never really let up. The prologue alone set the tone in a way that genuinely hurt, in the best way. I understood Natalie’s hesitation and the logic behind the choice she made, but even knowing where she was coming from, my heart ached for both of them. Starting a book with that much emotional weight right out of the gate was bold, and it absolutely worked.
❄ “You can lie to yourself all you want but you’re mine, Natalie. You always have been. And I’m not walking away this time.” ♡
Easton, though… he was the reason I stayed glued to the pages. The fact that he never once gave up on Natalie was incredibly swoonworthy. I loved how persistent he was without ever feeling dismissive of her fear. His devotion showed up not just in words, but in actions, and that made all the difference. The banter between him and Natalie, especially as she tried (and failed) to keep emotional distance, was genuinely funny and added a much-needed lightness to an otherwise emotionally charged story. I found myself laughing out loud one moment and clutching my Kindle the next.
♡ “No touching allowed.” ❄
❄ “Phew, I thought you were going to say that I wasn’t allowed to stare at your perfect ass.” ♡
That said, Natalie’s resistance did start to wear on me after a while. Early on, her hesitation made sense, but as Easton continued to show up and prove his feelings, it began to feel less like self-protection and more like stubbornness. Watching her repeatedly push him away grew frustrating, especially when it felt like she was more willing to let Easton hurt than to risk being vulnerable herself. That push-pull dynamic became a bit repetitive and made certain sections harder to get through, though I’ll admit I powered through largely because of how compelling Easton was as a character.
♡ “I swear to all that is holy, Easton, I will deck your halls.” ❄
Emotionally, this book was kind of impressive in how hard it swung between extremes. There were moments where I had to pause and take a breath before I yelled at my Kindle, and others where I was giggling like a schoolgirl with a crush: usually thanks to Easton. I appreciated that this kept the classic C.R. Jane instant-obsession trope from the MMC, and while Easton isn’t my all-time favorite of hers (Lincoln Daniels still owns that crown), he was undeniably a strong contender. I loved that he recognized Natalie’s fear for what it was and chose to prove his love through actions…even if those actions veered into slightly unhinged territory, like locking a rival in a closet and stealing his role in holiday festivities. And yes… the mouth on that man? Completely unexpected and very appreciated.
❄ “You’re out of control.” ♡
♡ “And you love every second of it, don’t you, baby?” ❄
Overall, while the story may have worked just as well as a novella, I still enjoyed the ride. It was emotional, frustrating, swoony, and funny in equal measure, and even when it tested my patience, it kept me fully engaged from start to finish.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stars: 3.5/5
Spice: 2.5/5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tropes:
❄ Second Chance ♡
♡ High School Sweethearts ❄
❄ One Bed ♡
♡ Forced Proximity ❄
November 27, 2025
Unfortunately this book had not business being as long as it was.
October 2, 2025
Title: Merry Me
Author C.R. Jane
What to expect:
*Second chance
*Forced proximity
*Obsessed MMC
Pros:
Winter is my favorite season. Christmas is my favorite holiday. C.R. Jane writes some of my favorite male characters. Combine all of those and you get a Christmas themed novel featuring an over the top MMC who is ready to claim his forever girl, no matter what it takes!
Easton isn’t an unhinged as we are used to from this author, but he definitely doesn’t let anything or anyone stand in his way once Natalie is back in his life. So glad these characters got their HEA!
Thank you to Edelweiss and Podium Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this title!
Safety:
No OM drama, tiny OW drama in the form of a coworker, but the MMC shuts her down real quick. No third act breakup!
Format: Ebook
Genre: Contemporary fiction, romance
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Characters: Natalie (FMC) & Easton (MMC)
Author C.R. Jane
What to expect:
*Second chance
*Forced proximity
*Obsessed MMC
Pros:
Winter is my favorite season. Christmas is my favorite holiday. C.R. Jane writes some of my favorite male characters. Combine all of those and you get a Christmas themed novel featuring an over the top MMC who is ready to claim his forever girl, no matter what it takes!
Easton isn’t an unhinged as we are used to from this author, but he definitely doesn’t let anything or anyone stand in his way once Natalie is back in his life. So glad these characters got their HEA!
Thank you to Edelweiss and Podium Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this title!
Safety:
No OM drama, tiny OW drama in the form of a coworker, but the MMC shuts her down real quick. No third act breakup!
Format: Ebook
Genre: Contemporary fiction, romance
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Characters: Natalie (FMC) & Easton (MMC)
January 10, 2026
New Adult reunion romance with a terrific duet audiobook narration
In the prologue Natalie is a high school senior whose boyfriend of four years, Easton, is approached by a modeling scout while they are shopping in the local Walmart. Without any discussion whatsoever, she is instantly, irrationally convinced that he will certainly accept this (typically quite shady in the real world) offer and inevitably progress from modeling to becoming a famous movie star. Even though there's been zero instances of his being unfaithful, she irrationally concludes that he will want the freedom to pursue other more glamorous young women and preemptively dumps him.
Easton begs her not to abandon him. He tells her she's his one true love, but she cruelly kicks him to the curb anyway. In equally cowardly, passive-protagonist fashion, Easton does not try to get her back. He just accepts her decision and compliantly allows the winds of fate to blow him to Hollywood.
(SPOILER: We do not learn until much later in the novel that we're supposed to excuse Easton for his spinelessness because he was only doing what Natalie's grandmother ordered him to do: leave Natalie alone so she can discover herself separate from him during her first year of college. Unfortunately, that weak justification is invalidated by the fact that the only reason he approaches her, after two whole years, not the single year Memaw demanded, is because of the random chance of a wedding in their mutual hometown, rather than a self-directed plan of action.)
When the story picks up in present time, Natalie is a college student at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She has a coterie of female friends, but she doesn't date, because she has never gotten over Easton. She dreads going to her sister Paige's wedding in two weeks on Christmas Eve because Paige is marrying Easton's closest friend, Levi, and Easton will be the best man. It doesn't occur to her that this could be the perfect opportunity to finally have an honest, upfront conversation with Easton about why she gave up on him and, at the very least, get some closure. All she continues to care about is the self-inflicted wounds to her pride. She's afraid it will be embarrassing to be around Easton, even though there is no mention of anybody in her family who is likely to taunt her about her failed relationship.
In the next chapter in Easton's POV, we learn that he actually has become a successful movie star. (Which is entirely improbable, because he had zero acting training or previous experience before his big break, and Hollywood is enormously competitive.) He has never gotten over Natalie. He has dated a few times, but he's impotent with other women besides Natalie, and he has trouble performing believably sexy kisses onscreen with fellow actors. He can only tolerate any sexual contact, real or pretend, if he imagines the woman is Natalie. He is eagerly anticipating Levi's wedding because he is planning (at long last!) to go all out to win back Natalie.
During the next scene of the novel, there are multiple couples present with Natalie as she is tamping down her anticipatory anxiety regarding Easton via binge drinking at a bar. Based on the blurb for this novel, apparently these people are the MCs from the author's New Adult series, The Wrong Player. As someone who was stumbling upon what is advertised as a stand-alone novel, never having read anything else by this author, they and their salacious chatter were irritatingly pointless padding to me.
The Kindle version of this novel is available through KU. I found the audiobook version through Audible when I was looking for duet narrations. I far prefer that approach for romance novels than a dual narration. For a duet the female narrator performs all of the female characters, and the male narrator performs all of the male characters. In a dual narration, the female narrator performs all the chapters from the POV of the FMC, and the male narrator performs all the chapters from the POV of the MMC. I find it irritatingly disorienting having the FMC and MMC sound entirely different from chapter to chapter. Whenever I find a romance with a duet narration, I always try it out, because Audible allows you to return an audiobook for a refund of your membership credit if it's not to your taste.
I had never heard of this author before, and when I found myself struggling to get interested in not one but two passive protagonists in this novel, I examined her backlist on Goodreads. Sometimes if I don't like one particular novel by an author I will check out others of hers before giving up on her entirely. I discovered that she typically writes really dark erotica, which is not something I enjoy, so I won't be reading any of that. As a comedy, this novel is completely off-brand for her, so perhaps it's not surprising that she didn't nail it.
In the prologue Natalie is a high school senior whose boyfriend of four years, Easton, is approached by a modeling scout while they are shopping in the local Walmart. Without any discussion whatsoever, she is instantly, irrationally convinced that he will certainly accept this (typically quite shady in the real world) offer and inevitably progress from modeling to becoming a famous movie star. Even though there's been zero instances of his being unfaithful, she irrationally concludes that he will want the freedom to pursue other more glamorous young women and preemptively dumps him.
Easton begs her not to abandon him. He tells her she's his one true love, but she cruelly kicks him to the curb anyway. In equally cowardly, passive-protagonist fashion, Easton does not try to get her back. He just accepts her decision and compliantly allows the winds of fate to blow him to Hollywood.
(SPOILER: We do not learn until much later in the novel that we're supposed to excuse Easton for his spinelessness because he was only doing what Natalie's grandmother ordered him to do: leave Natalie alone so she can discover herself separate from him during her first year of college. Unfortunately, that weak justification is invalidated by the fact that the only reason he approaches her, after two whole years, not the single year Memaw demanded, is because of the random chance of a wedding in their mutual hometown, rather than a self-directed plan of action.)
When the story picks up in present time, Natalie is a college student at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She has a coterie of female friends, but she doesn't date, because she has never gotten over Easton. She dreads going to her sister Paige's wedding in two weeks on Christmas Eve because Paige is marrying Easton's closest friend, Levi, and Easton will be the best man. It doesn't occur to her that this could be the perfect opportunity to finally have an honest, upfront conversation with Easton about why she gave up on him and, at the very least, get some closure. All she continues to care about is the self-inflicted wounds to her pride. She's afraid it will be embarrassing to be around Easton, even though there is no mention of anybody in her family who is likely to taunt her about her failed relationship.
In the next chapter in Easton's POV, we learn that he actually has become a successful movie star. (Which is entirely improbable, because he had zero acting training or previous experience before his big break, and Hollywood is enormously competitive.) He has never gotten over Natalie. He has dated a few times, but he's impotent with other women besides Natalie, and he has trouble performing believably sexy kisses onscreen with fellow actors. He can only tolerate any sexual contact, real or pretend, if he imagines the woman is Natalie. He is eagerly anticipating Levi's wedding because he is planning (at long last!) to go all out to win back Natalie.
During the next scene of the novel, there are multiple couples present with Natalie as she is tamping down her anticipatory anxiety regarding Easton via binge drinking at a bar. Based on the blurb for this novel, apparently these people are the MCs from the author's New Adult series, The Wrong Player. As someone who was stumbling upon what is advertised as a stand-alone novel, never having read anything else by this author, they and their salacious chatter were irritatingly pointless padding to me.
The Kindle version of this novel is available through KU. I found the audiobook version through Audible when I was looking for duet narrations. I far prefer that approach for romance novels than a dual narration. For a duet the female narrator performs all of the female characters, and the male narrator performs all of the male characters. In a dual narration, the female narrator performs all the chapters from the POV of the FMC, and the male narrator performs all the chapters from the POV of the MMC. I find it irritatingly disorienting having the FMC and MMC sound entirely different from chapter to chapter. Whenever I find a romance with a duet narration, I always try it out, because Audible allows you to return an audiobook for a refund of your membership credit if it's not to your taste.
I had never heard of this author before, and when I found myself struggling to get interested in not one but two passive protagonists in this novel, I examined her backlist on Goodreads. Sometimes if I don't like one particular novel by an author I will check out others of hers before giving up on her entirely. I discovered that she typically writes really dark erotica, which is not something I enjoy, so I won't be reading any of that. As a comedy, this novel is completely off-brand for her, so perhaps it's not surprising that she didn't nail it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2025
3/5 ⭐️
2.5/5 🌶️
It was cute but didn’t blow me away. I did love how down bad the MMC was.
2.5/5 🌶️
It was cute but didn’t blow me away. I did love how down bad the MMC was.
December 16, 2025
One of those books that relies on spice to progress the plot. I didn't see a connection between the two causing him to seem obsessive to me. The FMC was one dimensional and whiny, so I wasn't rooting for her. I thought Easton was funny at times but he fell flat for me too.
November 26, 2025
This was painful to get through. I do not understand how this can be called a second chance romance when it’s been two years not even but these characters are acting like they’ve been separated for 10-15 years when really no time has passed. Nothing has happened for them to change and grow as people but yet when they come back together, it’s like they’ve spent a lifetime apart.in a super annoying dumb way
Natalie was insufferable. She placed everything on Easton and made it seem like he was This person that ran away,was the root cause of evil for her. When in reality she left she did the things that she did and placed all of that judgement onto him.
I feel like this could have been a good book had it actually been second chance things happened for them to break up for not a stupid reason and then finding themselves after they grew apart and realized OK I still love you but none of that happened. This felt like it could’ve been resolved if they just talked because in no way did anything that happened make any bit of sense with the timeline that they were on.
This book just left me frustrated in everything. The smut scenes were cringy,The dialogue didn’t make sense. The friend group was weird because why is this not a paranormal romance but you have a cat that is sentient. This was my second chance for this author, and I can confidently say I never want to touch another book by her.
Natalie was insufferable. She placed everything on Easton and made it seem like he was This person that ran away,was the root cause of evil for her. When in reality she left she did the things that she did and placed all of that judgement onto him.
I feel like this could have been a good book had it actually been second chance things happened for them to break up for not a stupid reason and then finding themselves after they grew apart and realized OK I still love you but none of that happened. This felt like it could’ve been resolved if they just talked because in no way did anything that happened make any bit of sense with the timeline that they were on.
This book just left me frustrated in everything. The smut scenes were cringy,The dialogue didn’t make sense. The friend group was weird because why is this not a paranormal romance but you have a cat that is sentient. This was my second chance for this author, and I can confidently say I never want to touch another book by her.
October 8, 2025
⋆.𐙚 ̊ ᴀʀᴄ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ⋆.𐙚 ̊
ᴍᴇʀʀʏ ᴍᴇ ʙʏ @crjaneauthor
5 ★
ᴍʏ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ -
“𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙤. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩, 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩. 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚. 𝙈𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙮. 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙗𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠, 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚, 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙩. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
I freaking loveeee a second chance story and this one did not disappoint, I was waiting for these two. This may be my top second chance book of the year
Natalie ended things with Easton before college started because she didn’t want to stand in his way to become a big star but Easton did not see it that way. And never gave up on their love or even on her
Easton friend is marrying Natalie sister and he sees it as an opening to finally see and get his girl back, these two are just made for each other and literally soulmates since middle school I’m so glad they found their way back to each other
Natalie and Easton relationship was sooo good and amazing and the angst!?! Oh my it had me going through it but I couldn’t get enough of these them
THE MANNNN EASTON ISSS, I literally love him so bad. This may be a rom-com but he’s just a possessive and obsessive as her other mmc’s he’s so sweet and patient with Natalie
I’m so glad they found their way back because their story was amazing and needed to be told. And their banter and chemistry was off the charts
❤️ what to expect
-Second Chance
-Holiday Romcom
-Boy Obsessed
-One Bed
-She’s always been the one
-Mistletoe Antics
-Hollywood Star x Normal Girl
ᴍᴇʀʀʏ ᴍᴇ ʙʏ @crjaneauthor
5 ★
ᴍʏ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ -
“𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙤. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩, 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩. 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚. 𝙈𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙮. 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙗𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠, 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚, 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙩. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
I freaking loveeee a second chance story and this one did not disappoint, I was waiting for these two. This may be my top second chance book of the year
Natalie ended things with Easton before college started because she didn’t want to stand in his way to become a big star but Easton did not see it that way. And never gave up on their love or even on her
Easton friend is marrying Natalie sister and he sees it as an opening to finally see and get his girl back, these two are just made for each other and literally soulmates since middle school I’m so glad they found their way back to each other
Natalie and Easton relationship was sooo good and amazing and the angst!?! Oh my it had me going through it but I couldn’t get enough of these them
THE MANNNN EASTON ISSS, I literally love him so bad. This may be a rom-com but he’s just a possessive and obsessive as her other mmc’s he’s so sweet and patient with Natalie
I’m so glad they found their way back because their story was amazing and needed to be told. And their banter and chemistry was off the charts
❤️ what to expect
-Second Chance
-Holiday Romcom
-Boy Obsessed
-One Bed
-She’s always been the one
-Mistletoe Antics
-Hollywood Star x Normal Girl
October 10, 2025
didnt love it….
So I typically LOVE this author but I did not love this book…
Possible spoilers…
I disliked the FMC so much! She was just so immature. I felt like Easton the MC was amazing and deserved so much better! She breaks up with him for pretty dumb reasons even though he is the love of her life. Then they are apart for two years and during this time he is so heartbroken that he can’t even think about other women while she is “collecting one night stands but at least she didn’t let them go d@wn on her” yuck. Then after all her crap he is still the one chasing and chasing hard! She did not deserve him! The wrong number series was amazing this not so much.
So I typically LOVE this author but I did not love this book…
Possible spoilers…
I disliked the FMC so much! She was just so immature. I felt like Easton the MC was amazing and deserved so much better! She breaks up with him for pretty dumb reasons even though he is the love of her life. Then they are apart for two years and during this time he is so heartbroken that he can’t even think about other women while she is “collecting one night stands but at least she didn’t let them go d@wn on her” yuck. Then after all her crap he is still the one chasing and chasing hard! She did not deserve him! The wrong number series was amazing this not so much.
December 18, 2025
2.5
This holiday read didn’t quite work for me. The story dove straight in with very little buildup, which made it hard to connect, and I honestly think it could have been shorter. The pacing felt rushed rather than engaging.
I listened to this on audio, and unfortunately the narrators really took me out of the story. They just didn’t hit for me, which affected my overall enjoyment more than I expected.
The only part I truly related to was the daddy-issues element, which added some emotional depth, but beyond that, this one fell flat for me and didn’t live up to what I was hoping for in a holiday read.
This holiday read didn’t quite work for me. The story dove straight in with very little buildup, which made it hard to connect, and I honestly think it could have been shorter. The pacing felt rushed rather than engaging.
I listened to this on audio, and unfortunately the narrators really took me out of the story. They just didn’t hit for me, which affected my overall enjoyment more than I expected.
The only part I truly related to was the daddy-issues element, which added some emotional depth, but beyond that, this one fell flat for me and didn’t live up to what I was hoping for in a holiday read.
October 14, 2025
4⭐️
Christmas came early!!!! I had such a good time reading this one. It was short, sweet, and romantic. Easton is a man with a plan 👏🏼 She might’ve broke his heart, but he had no plans to truly let her go! I highly recommend the audiobook!!
-second chance
-Christmas romance
-high school sweethearts
-movie star x college student
Thank you to the author and Valentine PR for the ALC!
Christmas came early!!!! I had such a good time reading this one. It was short, sweet, and romantic. Easton is a man with a plan 👏🏼 She might’ve broke his heart, but he had no plans to truly let her go! I highly recommend the audiobook!!
-second chance
-Christmas romance
-high school sweethearts
-movie star x college student
Thank you to the author and Valentine PR for the ALC!
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