I was looking for a sweet, happy, romantic Christmas tale and I was not prepared for the sexually explicit scenes in this book. Jay did not want kids ever and Elise has severe endometriosis and was told she could not have children, but lo and behold she is pregnant and afraid to tell Jay.

This was a quick, simple holiday read!

Somewhat potential spoiler-y things ahead.

This was a nice update into Elise and Jay’s lives. As we know from the first novella, Once Upon a Bride, as well as the first two books, Elise’s chances of getting pregnant are extremely low due to her endometriosis. So imagine her utter surprise when she finds out she’s with child.

What I think I liked most about this story, was how realistically both characters reacted to the news. Elise’s concerns and insecurities were justly felt, especially considering how clear Jay made it he did not want children. Her fears about how he would react were all valid, and I’m glad she didn’t assume things would be fine (even if she was very much hoping they would be).

Which brings me to Jay. I’m actually glad he wasn’t overcome with joy the moment she told him. That wouldn’t have been realistic. Obviously, we can assume how it’ll turn out (it’s a romance, after all, people!), but the journey it takes to get from the beginning to the end, is what’s important in romances. When Elise tells Jay the news, he lets his fear and insecurities do the talking first, as opposed to sitting down and taking a breath to think everything through. But not many people would do that. Does how he react hurt Elise? Yes, but unfortunately those we love and who love us sometimes do or say things that hurt us. How Jay heals those hurts he caused Elise, how he repairs the cracks in their relationship, matters too though. And I think Elise knows at the end of the book, that Jay is all in, including all the unpredictable things life brings with it.

I appreciated the journey they both took in this little novella, and how a whole new layer of trust was built from this unexpected life event.

This novella has lots of cursing (including f-bombs) and sex. If those things aren't your speed, this really isn't the story for you. While this novella can stand alone, you really should read One and Only first because it makes this one even better.

I found myself enthralled in the story from the very beginning and couldn't put my Kindle down once I'd started reading. Jay and Elise were flawed and a tad dramatic at times, but the plot and story were wonderful, and ending was absolutely perfect. If you liked Elise and Jay from the previous books, you will love this novella about them.

I am in love with Jenny Holiday’s Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series and Merrily Ever After is no exception. I loved the novella looks at Elise and Jay and them figuring out how to be married and weather storms. Their HEA is perfect, even if they needed a redo. If you need a quick holiday break, pick up this novella and enjoy the snow.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novella.

So after reading “Once Upon A Bride” I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this story and catch up with Jay and Elise. For the most part they have been on the same page about no kids but Elise ends up pregnant. Talk about intense. I didn’t know what was going to happen. My heart was hurting for both of them because they have issues with their families. I could also understand where Jay was coming from as well. I was really torn and couldn’t pick a side to be on.

“So keep remaking me, Elise. Both of you. Keep remaking me.”

Even though this book was a novella it packed a huge punch and Holiday knocked it out of the park! I really connected to the characters in this story. I love the bond these ladies have and are there for each other through good times and bad. I can’t wait for Gia’s book next year but I must admit I will be sad when this series is over.

Such a cute romance novella! I loved Elise and Jay’s story and will continue to read and recommend this series to my friends, family and social media followers!!!

I loved One and Only and I was excited to read this one so I requested it without even reading the blurb.
Fertility issues, unexpected pregnancies are an issue for me on a personal level and I avoid romances that revolve around them. I'd like to sincerely apologise but I won't be able to read and review this book

Jay and Elise are still wallowing in their post-honeymoon wedded-bliss phase of their marriage. They are as happy as two people can be, that is, until Elise finds out that she's miraculously pregnant. Having endometriosis pretty much put the kibosh on any future plans of having children, or so she thought, and Jay has stated unequivocally that he doesn't want children. So will Elise's happy news end up being a wonderful Christmas surprise, or are they headed for a Blue Christmas?

Merrily Ever After is probably one of the best novellas I've ever read. Normally, my biggest qualm with novellas are that they feel too rushed or incomplete due to the smaller length of story, but I felt like Jenny Holiday had a really well paced and complete story for Jay and Elise.

Now, I'll admit I haven't read the first book in the series, One and Only, of which Jay and Elise's wedding is featured but they also aren't the main focused couple there. I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. In fact, I felt like Jenny Holiday went a ways to introduce things about the characters in this novella that readers didn't know yet. Much like the characters themselves discovering things about each other. Such as the fact that Elise was truly ok with not having children when she didn't think it was possible, but now that she's pregnant, she admits that it is in fact something she dearly wants.

I felt readers were seeing a very clear picture of a marriage. The idea of growing and changing within a relationship and loving and accepting your significant other through those changes. All the hurdles that life imposes upon you when you decide to commit to someone forever.

Merrily Ever After is truly a sweet, festive read with some heat thrown in for good measure on these cold winter nights. I wish more authors would take a page out of Jenny Holiday's book for how to put together a fulfilling novella that gives all the feels.

The holidays can get a little crazy, and this book is the perfect length to take you away from the madness for a short time and into a wonderful holiday story. We met Jay and Elise previously, and watched as Elise's perfectionist tendencies morphed into epic bridzilla proportions. The four besties from the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series are all together for Christmas, with a lot more than just the Secret Santas being revealed.

Jay never wanted children so Elise's fertility issue made her even more perfect for him. They really are perfect together, and their life together is perfect. That is, until the impossible happens and Elise discovers she's pregnant. Find out how Jay and Elise deal with things when their perfect life gets a dose of reality, and catch up with the rest of the Bridesmaids in this delightful, fun and touching holiday novella.

*I reviewed an advance copy of this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Synopsis
Elise was looking forward to celebrating her first married Christmas with her husband, Jay. They have a pretty perfect relationship. A glorious sex life. A connected and loving marriage. But…with Elise’s endometriosis she was NEVER supposed to be able to get pregnant. She’d long ago come to accept her own infertility and as for Jay? Well, he’s always been honest with Elsie about how he absolutely never wants to be a father. But guess what? Elise is pregnant.

Christmas miracle? How can she tell her husband that she’s pregnant when she knows it’s something he doesn’t want?



My Thoughts
So, total honesty… At first this novella had me feeling really unsettled. I know this couple discussed not having children before they married. I know the choice to be childless is very valid. But omgosh, did you write it into your marriage vows?! I guess I just can’t see myself supporting a relationship wherein the female is certain she will be left in the event she accidentally becomes pregnant and chooses to keep her child. I know they discussed it… But nothing in life is certain. Stuff happens. I dunno, I had weird feelings.

However. Jay comes to understand the reasons he didn’t want children and realizes his love for Elise trumps all things. (Obviously. Its Romance.) So for me, the ending made the book worth reading. But I can see how a childless-by-choice person might not exactly love Jay’s change of heart… I dunno. This subject matter is so loaded! So here’s what I will say…Jenny Holiday is an excellent writer and this novella is well written and emotional and steamy. I personally liked the ending. But people may have a lot of feelings about this Merrily Ever After, one way or another.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever Yours for the chance to read and advanced copy. Merrily Ever After releases on December 4th. Check it out!

I love this series, a lot and I was so excited to read this novella.Merrily Ever After was a fun,quick and sweet read.This is the perfect holiday read , it has exactly what I needed for my afternoon.I read it in one sitting , I enjoyed the plot and the characters.

Although not a big fan of the novella format, I enjoyed this new installment in the "Bridesmaids Behaving Badly" series. The premise explores what an accidental pregnancy triggers in a still newly married couple when the husband has never wanted children. Elise is beyond happy as she thought her medical history prevented her from ever getting pregnant, but she knows Jay will not feel the same. How he finds his way to understanding what is most important to him leads to a very romantic ending. It is good to re-visit all of these characters and I look forward to what comes next.

Jenny Holiday’s Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series is one of my favorite finds of 2018. Obviously I was thrilled when I found out she would be releasing a holiday novella in the series. Better yet? Merrily Ever After features the couple whose wedding in the first book kicked off this whole ride. I was so excited to get a glimpse at Elise and Jay’s life together.

Merrily Ever After isn't all light and fluffy fun and games, but it's a realistic look at what happens after the HEA. Just a few months after their wedding, Elise and Jay's life together has come to a crossroads. Despite believing she was unable to have children, she's pregnant. Jay didn't want children. She didn't think she did either, but now she wants nothing more. Except maybe Jay. The story that results gave me a ton of feels. I was inside these characters lives and honestly felt like I was living in their heads at times. Life might not be perfect, but it certainly feels that way when they're together.

I was prepared for a bit of a bumpy ride with Merrily Ever After and I certainly got that. But it wasn't overly angsty or anything. From the fun and sexy times to the more emotional ones, I was all in for Elise and Jay. I felt like I totally understood what each of them was going through and struggling with. I never once doubted they would get the ending they deserved, together. In fact, I think the unplanned pregnancy actually strengthened their relationship. They were so freaking good together. The romance and swoons outweighed the harder times and, of course, I ended up a little teary eyed before it was all said and over.

If you've been reading the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series, you'll want this one on your TBR. If you're just a fan of Christmasy romances, you'll be able to enjoy the story without knowing the backstory. But you should think about checking out the series anyhow. It's fantastic. Merrily Ever After was a delightful holiday romance and a great addition to a series I'm loving on so hard.

Favorite Quotes:

He was perfect. The perfect gentleman and the perfect... not gentleman, as the situation required.

"I did sign up for this. I signed up for you. So I signed up for this."

I have some complex feelings about this novella, which is book 2.5 in the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series. This couple had previously been set up to not be able to have children and been more than happy with that. The setup for this book was apparent going in that she was going to Miraculously Get Pregnant. And I was pleased with how the author dealt with the fallout within the relationship and how realistically she had them renegotiate things between them. The same for how she had the secondary characters react.

However...I was so happy to have a couple be child free AND happy. So this is probably my own hangups coming out but to have that and then have this kind of reversal was not great. I just really wanted these two to have their HEA. Alone. 3 Stars.

3 stars
After reading the other books in this series, this one fell flat for me. I wished I could have liked it more, because I really liked this series.

**I received an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I loved reading Jay and Elise's story in Once Upon A Bride, so I was excited to know that we were getting a novella for them as well.

So far marriage has been everything that Jay and Elise have ever wanted. It's been pure bliss and they are madly in love. A wrench is thrown into their well laid plans when Elise discovers that she is pregnant. Not only did she think it was medically impossible for her to get pregnant, Jay has always made it perfectly clear he did not want to be a father.

When Elise breaks the news to Jay, she's hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. Will these two be able to work through this large bump in the road or will it end the paradise they have been enjoying?

I really enjoyed how Jenny Holiday laid out this novella and while it was pretty angsty, I loved it. I enjoyed watching this couple confront their fears and work through their issues together. There was a bit of everything in this book and there were definitely swoonworthy moments!

Can't wait for the next book in this series when it comes out next year!

I love the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series and Merrily Ever After is a great addition to that.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

I'll admit I was pretty nervous about this one. Knowing how staunchly Jay was against the idea of kids, I was very worried that this would turn into a "magically I changed my mind" story---but it wasn't that way at all! First of all, you really get the sense of how Jay and Elise work together in their marriage. Both Jay and Elise's fears and worries are reasonable and well-developed. I think it's a great way to expand our idea of what a romance is---it's watching them change and grow. Although this is short, it's fully formed and I found myself rooting for this new turn in their marriage. It was just lovely.

This is one of those books where I wished I had read the previous books. I think to appreciate Elise and Jay it would be important to read the other books. I especially liked Wendy and I think that I would be interested in reading her book as well as Gia's upcoming book.

This book fell a little flat for me which is why I mentioned the fact that it is part of a series which I haven't read. The synopsis sounded interesting and yet I was frustrated. Just because someone says they cannot get pregnant doesn't mean that it's impossible. As long as the parts are there and slightly working there is always a chance so both characters reactions were completely OTT to me. I mean absolutely no precautions were taken yet one definitely did not want children and the other all of a sudden actually did. I just felt that they were married adults and the conflict was ridiculous.

Also, where were Elise's parents? The issues were presented, but there wasn't any follow up. Yes, I know that this was a novella My issue was that the entire novella was sex, sex, pregnancy miscommunication. and more sex. I was over it rather quickly.

I sooo loved this series and I’m loving this Christmas novella even more! Jenny does an amazing job of putting humor passion and quirkiness into her characters that I adore!