4.5/5

Absolutely scrumptious! Actually, I take that back. Scrumptious does not even begin to express how amazing this short holiday novella was. I devoured Elise and Jay's story, Once Upon a Bride, and was more than a little excited to find out that they would be getting another novella. I'm so so happy that Jenny Holiday decided to write these two characters' stories because they are my favorite from the series.

In Once Upon a Bride, we find out that Elise is infertile and that Jay wants nothing to do with children because he is afraid of taking after his own father. Their lives are thrown upside down here when Elise finds out that she is, in fact, pregnant, and even though she had grown to the idea of not becoming a mother, she is determined to this baby to the world. Merrily Ever After was quite angsty for a holiday novella, but I loved it just the way it was. I was curious to see how Elise and Jay would work through this upheaval in their lives. It's not often that you get to peek into the lives of a fictional couple after their happily ever after, so I appreciate it whenever I can find books that do just that. Jay and Elise's relationship definitely went through a bumpy road in Merrily Ever After, but Jenny Holiday never ever made me feel like I could not believe in the strength of their relationship.

In fact, she explored the depth of their relationship even further here and it was all very majestic. I just ship these two so so hard and they made my heart ache and cry in happiness. Jay and Elise were both bullheaded characters who clicked entirely too well together. I'll admit to wanting to shake Jay by the shoulders a couple of times, but boy did he redeem himself. The groveling/seeking forgiveness scene towards the end made me bawl like a baby and I'm not usually a crier when it comes to books. It was so beautiful and romantic and gahhh! ALL THE FREAKING SWOONS! Don't get me started on the friendship here either. It's always been a fantastic part of the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series, but I never tire of seeing these girls bond and support each other like nobody's business. Great romance, great friendships, what more can you ask for? Just pick up the book already if you haven't had the chance to yet!

If you would like to read a well-written and absolutely swoony contemporary romance series, I can't recommend this series enough. You have got to meet these delightful characters, ASAP!

This story was cute. It's told with the same fun style of Holiday's other books, and it was nice to see Elise and Jay again.

The sex scene kind of grossed me out a bit (I'm a bit squeamish about some things), but overall, I enjoyed having a light holiday story to pass the time while waiting for Gia's book. Not sure I'd recommend this one as an introduction to Holiday's world, because I think it helps to have more familiarity with the other characters first. But if you're already a fan like I am, you won't be disappointed.

*Review copy received from Netgalley*

(Will post on Amazon when I can)

Cute novella featuring Jay and Elise. We first meet them in the previous books in the series, and they're already together, loving life and not planning on having any kids. All that changes when Elise discovers that she is pregnant. I thought Jay's struggles were really well done. Of course it threw him for a loop when she told him, of course he didn't handle it well, but he worked through it and it just turned out so sweet at the end. If you enjoyed the other books in this series I definitely recommend reading Merrily Ever After.

Just when I thought Jay had unpacked his baggage, I saw how he reacted to the news of his infertile wife being with child, and let me tell you, it was not good, folks.

I was pretty excited to catch up with Jay and Elise. These two charmed the pants off of me in Once Upon a Bride, and I was curious to see how things were going. I must confess, I was hoping Elise got pregnant in the first novella, and therefore, I was excited to see my wish come true in this installment. I was sort of shocked at Jay's reaction.

This event threw him for a loop, and it was really painful reliving his past with him. I, however, never lost faith in Jay. He had shown, time and time again, what a wonderful person he was, and with the help of his brother (and their de facto family), Jay confronted many of his demons. AND, once again, Jay showed that he was a man of many grand gestures. Yes, he aggravated and disappointed me, but man! He sure made up for it in a great way.

This book was fun and sexy, heartbreaking and heartwarming. I have nothing but love for these two board game lovers, and will never stop cheering for them to live "merrily ever after".

I am really excited to catch up with these two and all the rest of the Bridesmaids next year, when we get Gia's book.

I was super excited to read this book, but it ended up being too much for me. There was so much swearing in it, and it was too erotic for me. When the author started mentioning specific squishing sounds during sex, I had to quit. It grossed me out so much. We don't need to know that. I will not be posting a review anywhere online.

I have been tearing through Jenny Holidays' books and was delighted to see this novella come up to help tide me over until her next book is released. I was intrigued by the perspective of a couple who is already married and is facing a struggle. Unfortunately, this story fell really flat for me and I found myself just skimming it in order to write this review.

2.5 stars!

Since the ending of Elise and Jay's previous novella, I have been itching for more of these two and here we have it! I was so excited to have been able to get back together with this amazing group of friends (and baby) again in this new novella! Of course, this one was quick and sweet, but it definitely took on a more serious turn that the other books I had previously read didn't have. I do have to admit though, I wasn't the biggest fan of Jay and almost felt as if he didn't really redeem himself. I also wish this novella could have been a full novel because I needed more from Jay, background/childhood wise.

Regardless, I love this crew and that second wedding was the sweetest and now I need to see more baby!

Anyone who has read any of the other books in this series will love this look into the relationship of the couple who's wedding started everything off. Full of emotion and plenty of heat this novella can stand alone but go ahead and read all of the books. You won't regret it.

Elise and Jay are perfect for each other. He doesn't want kids and she can't have any. Except, despite all the odds, Elise is pregnant. And she's terrified about what that's going to mean for their relationship.
Jay doesn't know what's going on but he knows that something is up. His normally loving wife isn't responding the way she normally does. How will he react to the news?
I wish that this had been longer. Elise and Jay were presented as a couple at the beginning of the series so we don't know either's back story very well (maybe they were in a different series?) and that would have helped tremendously with this story. I'm still very much looking forward to finding out what is going on with their model friend, Gia.

Three stars
This novella comes out December 4
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley; opinion is my own

To be honest, I nearly didn't request this ARC because as someone who can't have kids, I struggle with magical pregnancies suddenly happening. I was pleased to read the original novella where the hero didn't blink at the heroine being unable to have kids and didn't want them either (this is rare in romance, so it was refreshing). So I didn't think I should review an ARC of the novella because of the personal bias, but decided I trust Jenny Holiday's work enough to go ahead.

Elise has endometriosis, and has had surgeries while dealing with the pain that comes with this condition. She is shocked to get unexpectedly pregnant. All their plans are for no kids. Their home and work set-ups are based on layouts and decisions made because they won't have to worry about the space or need for childcare. Jay has never wanted to the kids, to the point that Elise is the first woman he dated in years who was young enough to still be able to have kids.

One of the strongest elements of this novella is the discussion of honesty throughout. Elise hasn't told Jay she has started to want kids because that's not what they signed up for. Her friends (and bridesmaids of other books in the series) all know she does. They know she's pregnant before she tells him. Her friends are also honest about how they expect Jay to react, they are prepared to help her through a divorce. There's no disillusionment here that this isn't a major deal.

Jay's honest reaction does not go well at all when he finds out. He is not prepared for this massive shock and he doesn't know how to process it. He knows raising a kid is a huge amount of work. He doesn't want to lose Elise. But can Elise trust that he's there for the kid as well as for her? All coming back to honesty.

Ultimately, this novella is a point in time snapshot of a couple going through very real struggles and working them out. They know they'll have challenges again. They know they'll have to work through them, and they can together. I loved the little details, like Jay processing this in his own way with Lego. Their board game love is adorable. I fully understand Elise's love of snow and love the time machine. It's very well balanced between the characters, their growth and the challenges they're facing.

I'm glad this was written as a novella. It is much better on its own than as secondary story in another character's book. Looking forward to the next novel in the series, Three Little Words, in January.

Wow, the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series is one of my favorites of the year, and this newest installment did not disappoint. Elise and Jay were side characters in the first book One and Only, who we didn't know much about until the prequel novella Once Upon a Bride (where I fell in love with them).

I was super excited to read this novella because I read Once Upon a Bride last month and loved the book and this couple SO MUCH. They are so cute together, and their story is so swoony I needed more. This novella definitely satisfied my need to know more about this Elise and Jay. It's set the weeks leading up to Christmas, and Elise and Jay find out news they didn't think was possible. Instead of celebrating the holiday season happily, the couple is struggling to decide how their relationship is going to progress. Even though the novella was short, it packed a lot of emotional material into a quick, unputdownable read.

This was such a good novella, and if you're a fan of Jenny Holiday's newest series, I definitely recommend picking up this story!

This is the first Jenny Holiday book I've read but it certainly won't be the last. Merrily Ever After is a wonderful mix of witty writing, likeable characters, sass, humor and just the right amount of of steamy romance. Thanks to Jenny and NetGalley for a delightful read.

Elise Maxwell thought she'd never get pregnant. She was told her often crippling endometriosis would mean it was next to impossible and her husband Jay never wanted kids any way.

Well, as the holidays approach is pretty clear that Elise and Jay's active sex life has defied the odds, and Elise is definitely pregnant. And she definitely wants the baby. And she's definitely terrified that Jay will NOT be happy or want the baby.

Miscommunication and fear make this holiday romance novella a bit of nail biter, but by the end you'll be weeping with joy and happiness for Elise and Jay and chomping at the bit for the next Bridesmaids Behaving Badly title by Jenny Holiday.

This a sweet novella about a couple in a very strong marriage facing a major change to the future they had planned together. I am not usually a fan of novellas but I love Jenny Holiday and she did not disappoint me with this one at all.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun holiday read. I love the magic of Christmas and stories set during that time. So much fun to read this book and watch these characters grow and adapt to lifes changes but never lost themselves or their fun games.

This is a delightful holiday tale about Elise and Jay, a happily married couple that is madly in love....until an unexpected pregnancy throws a wrench into their relationship. , While they're both struggling to deal with their feelings about the pregnancy, neither is sure what it means for their marriage. This book is a warm and thoughtful Christmas story that will tug on your heartstrings. I read this is one sitting and found myself engrossed in Elise and Jay's story. If you enjoy the genre, this is a must read.

This book is an absolute slice of holiday perfection. I read it in one sitting and had no regrets. I felt the pain, the grief, the love. Cannot recommend it enough.

oh, this was so adorable. i adore this group and this novella made me love elise and jay so much. absolutely perfect, can't wait for gia's book (PLEASE let there be like a 10 years later epilogue at the end of that, i need it)

Another great entry into Jenny Holiday's Bridesmaid series!

I was excited to get another glimpse into Jay and Elise's relationship, especially when the blurb mentioned she would be pregnant against all odds.

Holiday does a wonderful job of developing Jay and Elise and making their experiences, both joyful and sad, realistic. They are easy characters to empathize and connect with.

The plot was perfectly suited for a novella length book and is a wonderful holiday read!

I pretty much started reading this the moment I received it - I love these characters so much and was dying to read more of Jenny Holiday's writing. This was a great story!! I loved Jay and Elise and the issues they worked through as a couple. I am sooo excited to read the final book in the series when it comes out in early 2019!