I loved this book so much 🥺 am i surprised? Not at all lol I have loved every Timothy Janovsky book I’ve read and this being a queer retelling of The Santa Clause had me sold from that description alone! I loved both Patrick & Quinn and it was so easy to root for them even when they just needed to communicate and they would be able to solve 75% of their problems! I have more to say about this one eventually but I’ll just leave it at I loved it for now

In The Merriest Misters, Timothy Janovsky delivers a festive twist on a classic holiday tale, blending the magic of Christmas with a heartfelt exploration of love and commitment. Patrick Hargrave and Quinn Muller, married for less than a year, find their relationship strained under the weight of daily life and financial stress. On Christmas Eve, an unexpected incident involving a certain jolly intruder propels them into an adventure that requires them to don the iconic red suit and take on the role of Santa Claus.

As Patrick and Quinn navigate the challenges of delivering presents and managing the North Pole's operations, they are forced to confront the issues that have been driving them apart. The journey is filled with humorous mishaps, endearing elves, and a sleighful of holiday spirit. Through this magical experience, the couple learns valuable lessons about communication, trust, and the true meaning of partnership.

I'm giving The Merriest Misters a jolly 3.5 out of 5 stars. The love story is engaging, and the character development is commendable as we witness Patrick and Quinn's growth both individually and as a couple. However, the ending felt somewhat unsatisfactory, leaving certain plot threads unresolved and a desire for a more conclusive resolution. Despite this, the novel offers a unique and heartwarming holiday read that combines romance with a dash of Christmas magic.

This book was in turns fun and heartbreaking, but ultimately full of love.

The story is told from alternative POV between Patrick and Quinn. They are both dealing with a lot, but they are hesitant to share it with each other. It definitely highlights the need for communication within a marriage.

I feel like I connected most with Quinn and his experiences of trying to be what everyone else wants, while hiding his own needs, or pushing them aside. He loves Patrick, but doesn’t feel like he’s enough.

Patrick also struggles with feeling like enough. He thinks that his family is disappointed in him and that he is failing Quinn and a disappointment as a husband. His feelings of inadequacy create a self-fulfilling prophecy for him, the worse he feels, the less he does right.

There is so much humor mixed in throughout the story, starting with Patrick’s first interaction with Santa and continuing through Patrick’s parents learning where he has been for the year.

I loved the world of the North Pole that Janovsky created. The elves and Priors were a lot of fun. Patrick really comes into his own and Quinn learns what he really needs while they are there. But their relationship is challenged by it all.

I like the way that the story is ended. Things aren’t perfect, but they are exactly as it should be.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a fun Christmas book!

I’m a huge fan of The Santa Clause franchise. So, the idea of a reimagining of that premise was right up my alley. I adored this story. It had me grinning so much.

I really enjoy books about couples who are going through a rough patch and are contemplating breaking up, only to discover their love for each other all over again. This book definitely tackled that topic but, it tackled so much more while still keeping a lightness about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel!

I'm a big fan of holiday rom-coms and I loved The Santa Clause as a kid, so I was extremely excited to read this book once I saw its premise. The story follows Patrick and Quinn, two husbands who are feeling their romance start to dwindle as they deal with stress from their jobs and their new fixer-upper house. On Christmas Eve, Patrick hits an intruder in their home - only to realize it's Santa Clause! Santa angrily quits his job on the spot, and it's up to Patrick to pick up the sleigh reigns and save Christmas. Patrick and Quinn end up making a year-long commitment to live at the fantastical North Pole and prepare for the following year's Christmas, with Patrick continuing on as Santa and Quinn becoming the Merriest Mister (formerly the role of Mrs. Clause), along with the help of the elves who live there. Will this time in a new, magical place be enough to rekindle their relationship?

This is a sweet story! I had a hard time getting into it initially, but once they arrive at the North Pole, it really picks up. I loved the magical atmosphere, fun side characters, and unique take on the plot from The Santa Clause. The story tackles a lot of complex themes, but it still manages to keep a fairly lighthearted tone. Timothy Janovsky excels at balancing the complicated issues his characters are going through with the whimsical Santa Clause plot line. I enjoyed it.

I found the characters in this book to be realistic and fairly likeable. I really liked Quinn; he is easy to root for as he discovers himself and learns to prioritize his own needs. While I didn't always love Patrick's choices, I also found him to be an interesting character. He feels very human, as he makes mistakes, tries to learn from them, and then still continues to struggle, even when he has good intentions. Both main characters show growth throughout the story. There are some great side characters, too, but I wish that some of them had more page time. Patrick and Quinn are the only fully developed characters (which makes sense, given that it's a romance book), and the side characters tend to only be around for a chapter or two at a time.

I thought the writing was good overall. Sometimes it did too much telling and not enough showing, but otherwise, I thought it was easy to read and flowed well. The author created such a cozy atmosphere at the North Pole - I loved those chapters. I don't always like when novels include a bunch of flashback chapters, but here, the flashbacks were great. They gave me just enough context to better understand Patrick and Quinn's relationship, but they also didn't slow down the story.

I have a few minor critiques I want to mention, but they didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story very much.

First, the pacing could have been slightly improved. The first quarter of the book is a little slow, and the last quarter wraps things up a tad too quickly. I liked the ending, but I wished the epilogue had gone on longer and we got to see how things went for the characters further into the future. I also found a few plot holes, but it's hard to take them too seriously when the book's premise is so silly to begin with, so I won't spend time going into those. Lastly, and this one might be a personal preference, but I would have liked the Christmas plot to be a little heavier, especially in the final third of the novel. It's certainly present throughout the beginning and middle of the book, but at the end, the magic and holiday wonder kind of fades into the background. If the ending had been expanded, it would have been nice to get a few more warm and fuzzy Christmas moments. I think people who are picking this up solely for a fun Christmas read could be disappointed by how much of the plot revolves around the main couple's relationship and their individual issues.

I had a good time reading this, though! The Merriest Misters is one of the better holiday romances I have read, and I love all of the diversity it features. This was my first time reading one of Timothy Janovsky's books, but I'll definitely be checking out his other works in the future, because this was delightful.

3.75 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

I struggled with this book for so long. It took me three weeks to get to 54% when I finally decided to just give up and read the last couple chapters because I could not connect with either of these characters. They had terrible communication and every time Patrick did something without consulting with Quinn first (or he would just LIE, which is even worse) I wanted to scream.

Thank you to St. Martins for the eARC in exchange for a review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

I feel sad giving this one just two stars, but it disappointed me. This is a book that I had such high hopes for because I love Christmas and The Santa Clause has always been one of my must-watch movies during the holidays, so I loved the premise of one of the characters unexpectedly taking over the Santa Claus role, but unfortunately, I just did not love it.

I didn't love with either Patrick or Quinn as characters and by the end of the book, I found myself almost wishing that they'd end up getting divorced because they were so mismatched (and not in a fun "opposites attract" kind of way) and it was just so clear that they got married way too quickly and probably would've broken up by now if they hadn't been married. The end felt less like a happily ever after and more like a "fine, we'll just do these things to stay together" to me.

Some of the more Christmas-y elements in the North Pole were fun, though! I loved the idea of all the retired Santas and their wives living in the North Pole and guiding the new Santa.

Such a wonderfully fun Christmas story! I loved that the romance was between an already established couple. I also loved that it was a retelling of The Santa Clause, a hugely nostalgic film for me. A very humorous story with a lot of heart.

I don’t know about you all but it’s cold and snowing where I am, so I’m still reading holiday books!

THE MERRIEST MISTERS is a hilarious Santa Clause story about a gay couple who aren’t quite happy in their marriage and in their careers, and they get a year to figure it out when one of them unexpectedly takes the reins (literally) and becomes Santa Claus. I really enjoyed the shenanigans (elves, reindeer) and the story. Would recommend! Thanks to the publisher for the copy via NetGalley!

This is a super cute queer holiday romance. I love the take on The Santa Clause movie because I loved that movie when I was a kid. I love that it was given a queer twist. It's the perfect book to read during the holidays.

4 stars- I loved this LGBTQ+ "The Santa Clause -inspired marriage in trouble romance. I think it hit it out of the park right away- the first 30% of the story flew by. I feel the pacing slowed down a lottttt towards the middle and had a tough time staying with the story, but think I loved both Quinn and Patrick's arcs throughout the story. Both of their growth stories occurred in tandem with each other and showed how people in relationships can continue to grow, and the paths don't have to divert from each other but can run concurrently.

I’m pretty sure this is the first romance I’ve read featuring an already-married couple, and it still had my heart skipping! It didn’t follow a lot of classic holiday tropes, which was refreshing after all the other ones I’ve been reading this month 🎄

The Merriest Misters is a reimagining of The Santa Clause, featuring Patrick and Quinn, whose marriage could use a little magic!

I really loved both characters as I watched them work through personal, professional, and relational issues. The backdrop of Christmas was everything you need for the holiday season.

I’ll be honest: I was sold on this book when I heard it described as “a queer The Santa Clause.” Take one of my favorite Christmas movies and make it less heteronormative? And then tweak the world-building and magic system so that the only real connection to The Santa Clause is the concept of the main characters discovering, through an accident, that “Santa” identity/mantle is passed down (sometimes in a planned way, sometimes not-so-planned)? I’m definitely in.

This is the first Timothy Janovsky book I’ve read (although You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince has been sitting on my shelf since last Christmas…. Sorry, previously purchased book!), and it won’t be the last because I mostly had a blast reading this. The main characters, Patrick and Quinn, are lovable and relatable (if, near the start, a bit infuriating). Through flashbacks we see how they met, how their romance developed, how they got married and rushed into buying a home (because heteronormative expectations of wedded life…), and how they perceived their families’ reactions to all of it. This is important because, as I mentioned … they’re a bit infuriating at the start. I am not usually a fan of books where everything that happens hinges on a total lack of communication between people who should be communicating. There were several times early on where I stopped reading to shout “Oh, for Kringle’s sake, JUST TALK TO HIM!” But just as I was hitting my limit, the characters did start to talk it out – haltingly, yes, but just enough to keep me invested. And I’m glad I stuck with it, because the second half of the book was even more worth sticking around for. I laughed a lot, and I got teary-eyed as well. And may have cheered once or twice. (Without spoilers, let me hit you with this phrase: Non-Binary Young Elf Poet.)

The world-building is also fun, including looks into the elf society and the existence of a Council of Priors whose guidance isn’t always perfect but at least is heartfelt (including changing the title of Mrs. Claus to the titular Merriest Mister). I would welcome a repeat visit with Patrick, Quinn, their human families and friends, and their new extended family at the North Pole.

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

If you love the movie The Santa Clause, then you need to read this cute, sweet, funny, great rep for queer Christmas Rom-com. I have never read anything from Janovsky, and I loved that this was my first book by him. If you need a cute rom com that is festive, this is a book you need to read.

You will meet Quinn and Patrick, they’re still in the “honeymoon” stage in their marriage, not a year in but they have been dating since college. They love each other, but with everything going on in their personal lives at work they’re both feeling as though they’re at a crossroads. Quinn with him thinking that he might not want to teach anymore and with Patrick being overworked, and then losing his job. What will be their next move? They both didn’t know that they might need a little magic in their lives and when they get a chance to live in the North Pole and handle all things joyful and full of Christmas spirit Patrick jumps all in and Quinn is iffy about it. What will happen to this wonderful couple, will they be able to get through all their hardships and work on what makes them happy?

I thought this plot was fun and cute. I enjoyed the dual POV’s from the characters and really helped to understand where each of the characters dealt with the whole Santa part. I also liked the fact that we got to see bits and pieces of their past, like how they met, how their relationship progressed. I liked that you got to see a different rom-com plot, it’s not the oh they met and fell in love; but more about what happens afterwards and shows us that every couple at times have struggled in their relationships, one way or another. I loved that the author focused on those relationships/marriages being happy but at the same time you might feel as though something is missing and learning to understand, adjust and make compromises to continue being great. I also liked the fact that the characters were well rounded and easy to connect with.

I found both characters to be real, and easy to connect with. I liked the fact that it was easy to understand about their marriage and the issues that slowly creep up and how they both handled their issues in the end. It really shows you that HEA can happen even if the road looks bleak and scary. I could see that they loved each other so much, and I won’t lie at times, I was worried for them, but I love the compromising and watching them overcome their problems. Both of the characters' development was perfect for me, and I found that the author didn’t hurry it along but made it believable.

I can’t wait to read more books from this author.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the opportunity to review this book.

My December holiday book challenge is finishing off today with The Merriest Misters. December brought me 5 cute Christmas reads.

I thought the premise of this book was super cute with a gay version of the Santa Clause but the story fell a bit short for me. Let’s start with things I loved : dual POVs, with flashbacks. Christmas magic. Fun side characters. LGBTQ theme. Message of pursuing dreams/passions and staying true to yourself.

But….I ended up skimming a lot of the book as I just couldn’t truly get into it - didn’t want it to be a DNF but definitely could have been :( I didn’t click with the writing style or the main characters, especially Patrick. It truly didn’t feel like a romance novel most of the time, did the characters actually even like each other? And the miscommunication and hiding things from each other …over and over, just wasn’t for me.

Have you read it? What did you think?

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for a chance to read an arc this book! 🖤

3⭐️ Santa's just up and quitting > |
tropes: marriage in crisis, holiday romance | low steam | digital

Overall Thoughts 💭:
I like marriage in crisis book and holiday romances (even after the holidays are over) so this book was a nice treat! Patrick and Quinn's love for each other was never in question but if it was enough to keep them together and happy was. I liked seeing the flashbacks of their relationship because you could see exactly where the cracks started forming and why. I will say the actual North Pole antics weren't as fun or interesting as I thought it was going to be. They story dragged on a bit but I concede that their problems had to drag out for a whole year because of the plot.

Thank you @smpromance for the gifted copy! I am a big@timothyjanovsky fan - his writing is full of heart and his characters are all so earnest and real. This book was so much fun! It felt like a classic Christmas movie (if you loved The Santa Clause as a kid and grew up to be a romance reader this is for you). Patrick and Quinn were both characters I could connect with and root for, their growth as individuals and as a couple was so satisfying. I absolutely loved this. A great addition to your holiday reading era!

This was soooo much fun! It was a unique twist on a Santa Claus storyline filled with modernity, magic, and real emotions. I loved the trials and tribulations that Quinn and Patrick went through because they were real life issues and struggles! The setting was so much fun and I could really picture it all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

This is such a fun, interesting holiday novel. When Patrick accidentally kills Santa Claus, he is offered the opportunity to take his place with his husband Quinn acting as The Merriest Mister (an inclusive version of Mrs. Claus). What follows is an uplifting novel of hope and joy. It was hard not to fall in love with Quinn. I was #teamquinn the entire time. I didn't love Patrick or the way he treated Quinn for most of the novel, which is why I found it interesting that he was chosen to be Santa Claus. This is the perfect Christmas novel.

This was just the cutest Christmas story and such an unexpected premise. What I love about this author’s books is a lot of them have a bit of magical realism. And I am not usually a fan of that sub-genre, but I am here for it when Timothy Janovsky writes it! The couple in this book are struggling in their marriage (like most people) when suddenly one of them kills Santa Claus! They come to find out that person is now Santa. And they both travel to the North Pole to take on their new roles. Since this is a gay couple, for the first time there is no Mrs. Claus, but instead a Merriest Mister. They go back and forth between their conflicts in the real world and managing their new roles in the North Pole. Such a cute audiobook! Add it to your Christmas books to read!

Thank you to St Martin’s Griffin and Net Galley for an e-copy of the book!