Thank you St. Martin’s Press and SMP Romance for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

One of my favorite holiday books I’ve read in recent memory is You’re a Mean One Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky. It was so delightful and heartwarming so when I saw the author had a new holiday rom com coming out in 2024, I immediately added it to my TBR. And then when I read the synopsis, I was SOLD on it so hard. I was so excited!

And I liked it. But I didn’t love it. I think it was cute and festive, but the elements of the marriage in crisis trope didn’t feel like they had very high stakes. I still think Matthew Prince is his best holiday rom com, but this is definitely a cute, fun read if you’re looking to add it to your holiday reading.

Synopsis:

“Patrick Hargrave and Quinn Muller have been married for less than a year, but their passionate romance is cracking under the pressures of domestic life and a cumbersome mortgage. That’s until Christmas Eve when Patrick wakes Quinn up with: “I think I’ve killed a man.”Quinn realizes the “burglar” Patrick knocked out is none other than Mr. Claus himself. Instructed by a harried elf to don the red suit and take the reins of the reindeer-guided sleigh up on the roof, Quinn and Patrick work together to save Christmas.But as the sun rises on Christmas morning, the sleigh brings them back to the North Pole instead of New Jersey, and they’re in for a massive shock. The couple must assume the roles of Santa Claus and the first ever Merriest Mister or Christmas will be canceled… permanently.With Christmas–and their marriage–on the line, Patrick and Quinn agree to stay together for one year. But can running a toy shop together save their relationship, or will Patrick and Quinn be stuffing coal in each other’s stockings come next Christmas?” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Concept—I read the concept and thought it sounded like a modern, queer, rom com version of The Santa Clause, which is one of my favorite movies. It seems so clever to me and the perfect time constraints for the marriage in crisis trope.

The Characters—Quinn and Patrick were a delight to spend time with. I also wish we got to spend more time with Veronica!

What Didn’t Work for Me:

The Execution—Since this takes place over an entire calendar year, I feel like we lost the urgency of the situation.

The Pacing—Which in turn effected the pacing and kept me from wanting to pick it up.

The Conflict—I just didn’t feel it! I was confused as to where it was all coming from, because I didn’t get the perception the characters were growing apart. But I think it’s a me problem.

Character Authenticity: 3/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 3.75/5

Content Warnings:

homophobia (in the workplace), abandonment

Timothy's books continue to be hit or miss for me. I wanted to like this one more than I did, but I did still finish it. The characters seemed a lot younger than their ages and the book just seemed like it was cliche after cliche.

This book was a basically a gay take on The Santa Clause and I was all for that. It was a cute story with a bit of drama. I liked both leads and found it refreshing to read a rom-com about an established couple. All the Christmas pop culture references were fun too.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

I was really excited to read this book as I love holiday romances. However, I thought the premise was a little too strange. I like some form of reality in holiday books, and I kept thinking I was reading the book version of The Santa Clause (Tim Allen movie). The last third of the book was pretty good. 3 stars

A heartfelt, fun, second chance, marriage in trouble, dual POV, queer holiday romance that was a perfect take on The Santa Clause movie that explored one couples' anxieties about growing apart and finding their way back to one another over Christmas when they get tasked with taking on the role of Santa and his 'Merriest Mister.' This was cute but not one I would go out of my way to recommend. The audio narration by Mark Sanderlin and Zach Barela was well done, especially for two fairly new narrators. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. Fans of Sara Raasch's The nightmare before kissmas won't want to miss this one!

A delightful holiday rom com with a new twist. The story is light hearted and charming filled with humor and heart. The plot is whimsical and fun and is an engaging read. Patrick and Quinn are great characters and I enjoyed their escapade.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A queer take on The Santa Clause, this was an adorable, whimsical, and complicated little novel.

I actually loved that we dive right into a relationship that is crumbling over the holiday season. Add to that, some family drama, and we have a perfect depiction of a holiday we’ve all probably experienced at some point.

I don’t want to give too much away, but it was a light read. I will disagree with some reviews, because they couldn’t finish or it didn’t land for them - maybe I’ve watched too many holiday romances - but for what this was supposed to be? Perfect! Sure, it was cheesy at times, the couple was annoying at times (who isn’t?!), but I thought it was a great little start to my holiday reading.

The representation was incredible, the descriptions and writing were lovely, and I enjoyed it immensely. If you go into it knowing that it’s a Christmas theme and you’re used to watching cheesy little Christmas movies, I think you’ll enjoy it. I have had a hard time finishing books lately, but I devoured this faster than my favourite Christmas cookie (soft sugar!) with a hot chocolate on the side.

This book was so much fun. Janovsky took the plot of “The Santa Clause”, made it gay, and added a dash of marriage in trouble. I loved it! The beginning scenes and the world-building of the North Pole were my favorite parts.

There was a bit of dissonance between the lighthearted tone of the magical realism plot and Patrick and Quinn’s struggle to decide whether to salvage their marriage. It worked for the most part: that’s how life is, the good with the bad. Be warned though that some themes may feel too heavy for a Christmas romance! The third-act breakup felt very true-to-life, allowing both men time apart to decide what they each needed without the other’s influence.

This is Janovsky’s second holiday novel (check out my review of You’re A Mean One, Matthew Prince), and I’m looking forward to more from him in the future.

I do have to say, though… What year is it, 1990? Why is Patrick hand-drafting?? Computers make everything easier, my friend. Also at his level, he’d probably have underlings and interns to do the tedious drafting for him.

The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky
3.5 stars ⭐️
Thank you, St Martin's Press, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Quinn and Patrick's relationship had been struggling since they bought a run-down house. What a better way to shake up a marriage than to become Santa?! After the last Santa quit at their home, Patrick takes on the roll of Santa. Could a vacation from their stressful lives back home be the refresh their relationship needs?
I was completely obsessed with the first half of the book, but I felt like the second half was a bit of a letdown. I love the Santa Clause movie, so this book really scratched that itch. I wish that I got to see more of the growth in their relationship. I felt like all the growth in both characters came at the very end, and it felt a bit sudden. This was overall a fun and sweet Christmas read that I recommend checking out this coming holiday season.

Perfect for fans of The Santa Clause

Patrick and Quinn’s marriage is in distress.
Patrick’s a workaholic, but is now out of work and keeping it secret. Christmas is his favorite holiday, and he doesn’t want to ruin it with the news (and is also pouring effort into the side project that ended his employment in hopes of recouping enough money to stay afloat longer)
Quinn is fed up of feeling alone in their manage and being voluntold he’s expected to take charge of hosting his in-laws for Christmas on a week’s notice might be the last straw
Especially as he’s not a fan of cooking and instead of living in a dream house, it’s more a money pit nightmare

Christmas Eve brings an even bigger surprise - after twin assaults from the couple with a frying pan, Santa quits. In order to save Christmas one of them will have to step in.
A single night agreement stretches into a year, and it starts to feel more than a little magical. Can they save Christmas and themselves?

I know it’s all about the holiday, but I especially enjoyed the sort of magic that has enchanted coffee service

I appreciated the North Pole crew adapting the expected Mrs Claus position for their first Merriest Mister, but I wished they’d asked Quinn more about how they should go about it. That’s part of the drama though
There’s also some added drama from continuing unresolved communications issues. It doesn’t even take the full year before things are falling apart again, and this time they’re taking the North Pole down with them. Those poor elves!

They do eventually start to sort things out - communicating better than it seemed they ever had, the flashbacks proving that - and I like that they worked towards healing things between each other *and* their respective families.

Another unconventional HEA here, good because I wasn’t sure how things could work out for them!

Thanks to NetGalley SMP for the ARC

The Santa Clause meets Husband Material in this delightful holiday novel!
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I just love that movie and that book. I love the whole premise of the Santa clause even 2 and 3. Quinn and Patrick are on their first year of marriage but already a little distanced cause of work and life.
I love how them taking on the Santa role challenged their relationship but brought them back stronger and better than before. There were so many conflicts from different directions- work, family, parents, siblings, side jobs. But they were only in their late 20s and just finding their place. Loved where they both ended up and how they compromised all around to how their life would look. So lovely.

Okay, why am I so in love with this book? Maybe because the Santa Clause was absolutely my favorite movie (notice how I don't say CHRISTMAS MOVIE, just movie) when I was a kid.

Adorable, adorable, adorable. I loved it. Impeccable writing. I felt like I was in the book. I would highly recommend to my friends especially during the Christmas season. This would be a great book to gift!

Sadly, I DNF'ed this one. I feel like it probably developed and becomes a fun read, but I may not be the target audience for this one. Not badly written, just a little too far-fetched for me.

The Merriest Misters is a sweet, festive romance that explores the challenges of a marriage on the rocks, while delighting readers with a touch of holiday magic!

Newlyweds Patrick and Quinn find themselves in over their heads when domestic pressures and financial burdens start to strain their lives. The story takes a wild turn on Christmas Eve when Patrick accidentally knocks out none other than Santa Claus!! With no time to lose, the couple is thrust into saving Christmas, taking on the roles of Santa and the Merriest Mister for a year—if they don’t, Christmas might be canceled forever!

What makes this book special is its deeper themes woven into the lighthearted plot reminiscent of the movie the Santa Clause! The story isn’t just about delivering presents; it’s about navigating familial expectations, rediscovering identity within a marriage, and learning how to balance dreams and responsibilities. The “memories” chapters are a highlight, offering flashbacks that add depth to the couple’s relationship, allowing us to see both the highs and lows that have led them to this point. These moments help to ground the story, giving the reader a clearer understanding of Patrick and Quinn’s bond while adding layers to their emotional journey!

The realistic portrayal of chasing dreams and the burdens that sometimes come with them adds depth to what could have been a simple holiday tale. The novel encourages readers to suspend their disbelief and embrace the magic around them—even in everyday life. It’s a story that reminds us that sometimes, the most enchanting moments come not from sleigh rides or Christmas lights, but from working through life’s messy realities together.

However, there were a few aspects that didn’t resonate as strongly. The characters occasionally felt a bit shallow, struggling to embody the maturity expected of their ages. The miscommunication—or sometimes the lack of it—between them could be frustrating, and it often seemed like the couple was repeating the same mistakes rather than learning from them. Additionally, despite the plot’s focus on taking over for Santa and saving Christmas, the festive atmosphere felt somewhat subdued, leaving the holiday cheer less prominent than expected!

Overall, The Merriest Misters delivers a heartwarming holiday romance that balances sweet, playful moments with more serious themes about love, identity, and commitment. While it doesn’t always hit every note perfectly, it’s still a charming read that captures the spirit of finding magic in even the most unexpected places.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have read everything Timothy Janovsky has published. Although each was enjoyable, some I liked more than others. This one, The Merriest Misters, jumped straight to the top of my favorite books he has written. It dives a bit more into the speculative side then most but not all of his previous works. This is the story of a married couple, Quinn and Patrick. There has been some strain in their marriage lately and one of them has been keeping secrets. They are both questioning what led them to becoming a couple and whether they should have jumped so quickly into marriage. Then one Christmas Eve, they end up assaulting Santa. I don't want to give much away with this, but Santa is suddenly out the door and quitting his job. Thus begins the most fun magical Christmas tale that I've read in ages. This is funny, silly, and ridiculously sweet. The marriage problems are realistic as our the feelings these men both have. Some of Timothy Janovsky's novels are spicier than others and I prefer a little less spice and this book was perfect for me. This is the kind of seasonal story and romance that should feel at least a bit wholesome, which "Merriest Misters" does. I recommend this one!

This was such a fun unique story. I loved how they recognized their own needs and we got to see real life issues they went through. I also enjoyed the memory chapters because it gave us a chance to see how they met and I think those were important to understand their current difficulties.

Thank you NetGalley,
I was not a fan of this book at all. I felt like the queer factor was forced in this book and the characters didn’t ring true. The relationships seemed super forced. I like seeing representation in books but this book didn’t hit home for me. This was a solid 2 for me but hopefully I’ll like their next book better.

In Timothy Janovsky’s The Merriest Misters, newlyweds Patrick Hargrave and Quinn Muller struggle with the strain that a burdensome mortgage and the pressures of married life have put on their passionate romance barely a year in. Can they bear the additional responsibility of taking on the roles of Santa Claus and the first-ever Merriest Mister to save Christmas and keep it from being canceled forever? But will living and working in Santa’s workshop for a year help them fix what’s gone wrong with their relationship?

It shouldn’t be a surprise, given that their marriage is on the line, but The Merriest Misters is more angsty than I expected. However, Janovsky nicely balances the angst with humorous, sweet, silly, suggestive, fun, reflective, and festive moments that lighten the novel’s overall tone. Janovsky’s characters are complex, relatable, quirky, flawed, and conflicted. He develops Hargrave and Muller’s relationship through alternating between flashbacks to the initial days of their relationship and the present. If you’re listening to the audio, it’s jarring at first. But it helps to fill in the gaps in what we know about their relationship, reveal their personalities, and help to further the plot. Their interactions are sweet, funny, angsty, and filled with tension. Janovsky’s descriptive world-building, rich with details, draws you into the book, along with his intriguing idea and multifaceted story. His colorful, hilarious, and natural-sounding dialogue brings the characters to life.

Janovsky digs into the complexities of how the day-to-day adult responsibilities of married life (mortgages, in-laws, jobs you hate/don’t like, problems on the job, etc.) can change your romantic relationship. Each person brings their personal and childhood baggage into the marriage, affecting how they relate to one another and make decisions. When the characters have unresolved issues that have been driving their lives (career goals, relationship patterns, self-identity, etc.), eventually those things come into play as they do in The Merriest Misters. After Quinn and Patrick marry and buy a fixer-upper hot mess, they’re left with a burdensome mortgage. Patrick works all the time and spends less time with Quinn. Quinn is dealing with issues at his job. They barely see each other, spend quality time together, or even talk much anymore. So, of course, their relationship suffers. Quinn feels a separation forming. He’s also feeling like he’s changed, they’ve changed—and it’s on his mind. But Patrick’s too busy to notice. Janovsky’s skillful characterization makes it easy to empathize with Patrick and Quinn. At least Quinn had his best friend and co-worker, but Patrick only had Quinn.    

Instead of telling us all about how Patrick and Quinn enjoyed spending time together during their free time in the North Pole, I would have liked to see more of the scenes with them being together and having fun experiencing their new life. Nevertheless, The Merriest Misters is a sweet, funny, angsty, cute, closed-door LGBTQ romance.

I read this through a mix of audiobook and e-book. I received The Merriest Misters from St. Martin’s Griffin—the ARC via Netgalley and the ALC via Google Play—for review.

Quinn and Patrick are about to celebrate their first Christmas as husband and husband, and the way things are going, it might also be their last. They are stretched financially paying for a house they don’t like that needs a lot of repairs, Patrick offered to host Christmas without checking with Quinn, and they aren’t communicating. Things look grim when Patrick mistakes Santa for a burglar and smacks him with a frying pan, twice. Now Patrick and Quinn have to save this Christmas and next Christmas by agreeing to be Santa and the Merriest Mister for a year (they are the first same sex couple to hold the office of Santa and Spouse). They have the opportunity to take a year away from their lives and see if they can save their marriage. The complication is, the magic of the North Pole runs on the love they have for each other, and they aren’t sure how solid that love is.

The Merriest Misters isn’t really The Santa Clause, but make it gay. It’s less geared towards hijinks and more an opportunity to explore expectations, assumptions, and the ways we make ourselves small for the people we love. Janovsky gently plays with gender assumptions both through the North Pole welcoming Quinn as Santa’s husband and Patrick’s family’s assumptions about the ways Quinn should behave and present himself. Removed from the stresses of their daily lives, Patrick and Quinn are able to rediscover the love they have for each other, but they shy away from the underlying issues until it comes to a crisis.

I love that Janovsky grounds their conflict in the internalization of other people’s expectations, and neither of them are bad people. The Happily Ever After is a glorious celebration of compromise and creating a marriage that allows each partner to flourish.

I like Timothy Janovsky so much. His writing has become more confident since Never Been Kissed. He approaches his stories in ways that always surprise and delight me.

This book was interesting and I was definitely unsure about it at first. A queer couple hits Santa with a frying pan a few times and he ends up quitting so then one of the men in this couple ends up becoming Santa Claus. This book turned out to be so sweet and I loved reading as Patrick and Quinn navigated their life and all the changes. They found themselves and found a way to both be happy doing what they love. This book really shows that love finds a way if two people really want to be together🥺 so so sweet! I loved this book!!