Quinn and Patrick are in their first year of marriage, and they are struggling. Neither of them is happy with their jobs, their relationship is on shaky ground, and they aren’t communicating about it. On Christmas Eve, a mysterious stranger unexpectedly appears in their kitchen, gets knocked out, and then quits his job as Santa Claus. Patrick steps in to take on the role of Santa, and Quinn decides to help, unaware of how this experience will change their lives.

This story has strong "The Santa Claus" vibes, focusing on the journey of becoming Santa and Ellis, the "Merriest Mister" (Mrs. Claus as a man) while adapting to life at the North Pole. It resembles a couples therapy session but is set in a perpetually cold environment.

I am uncertain about how much I enjoyed this book. I liked Quinn, but I found it hard to connect with Patrick. Quinn displays a level-headed demeanor, yet his emotions and trauma seem to be overlooked and diminished. We hear more about Patrick's traumas, his healing, and his journey toward self-acceptance than we do about Quinn's experiences. Additionally, their relationship feels toxic to me. They are a sweet couple during good times, but they lack communication. Throughout the story, neither character expresses what they're truly feeling; even at the end, there is no conversation about their struggles. While they say, "I love you," and compliment each other, important discussions about job dissatisfaction, workplace homophobia, and major life decisions are neglected.

The early years of marriage can be tough as couples learn to navigate each other’s space, and this narrative effectively portrays the challenging aspects of a relationship, even amid wonderful moments. I enjoyed the enchanting atmosphere of the North Pole, the council, and the overall world-building. However, I was not enamored with the couple itself. They are both fascinating individuals, each with compelling stories and ideas, and they excel on their own. Still, when they share scenes, the chemistry I hoped for was lacking. On a positive note, the narrators did an excellent job of conveying the characters' personalities beautifully.

A marriage in trouble doesn’t really scream Christmas but I though this was well done and super realistic (well, the non-magical parts.) I loved how the North Pole characters immediately welcomed Quinn and Patrick. Janovsky works in some sadder themes throughout but it kept my attention and made for a good read. If you enjoyed The Santa Claus then you will definitely like this one!

If you are looking for a cute, funny Christmas romance, look no further! Thank you to SMP Romance & Macmillan Audio for the review copies!

Spice Level: fade to black

The Merriest Misters is this great balance of the realistic struggles of a young relationship - splitting bills and housework, making decisions about where to live and how to decorate, and balancing your work life, and your dreams and passions, with your home life - and an absolutely fantastical situation - being the new Santa Claus. There’s also a sprinkling of conversations about the rigidity of gender roles in our society. But Janovsky tackles these deep conversations amidst a fun romp of a novel, keeping the vibes mostly lighthearted.

Patrick and Quinn met in college and got married soon after graduating. They are early in their marriage, and things are getting a little rocky. Quinn starts out the book feeling emotionally neglected, and like he has been responsible for more of the housework and cooking while Patrick works long hours.

Patrick is learning how to show his love and appreciation in a way that actually makes Quinn feel loved and appreciated - and how many of us have had that phase in our relationships? There are whole books about the Five Love Languages to try to give couples the language to identify how their partner can show them love. And, of course, there are studies showing how home labor tends to fall on women’s shoulders more than men’s - even if the woman is the primary breadwinner. It was really interesting to see how these roles play out when there are two men in the relationship.

While I can go on and on about these deep conversations that I find interesting - the core plot of this book was so fun and lighthearted! After Patrick attacks Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, he becomes the new Santa, and moves to the North Pole for a year with Quinn. There is a lot of magic and fun at the North Pole - the Christmas vibes were off the charts! The whole cast of characters was so fun - especially the little poet elf that Quinn gives pep talks to.

🎧 I really loved these two narrator’s performances. With two POVs and flashbacks, it can sometimes be a little hard to follow by audio, but I found this one to be very clear with what POV we were in and where we were in the timeline! All of the characters were clear and distinct, and the narrators matched their characters so well.

✨ Review ✨ The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky; Narrated by
Mark Sanderlin and Zach Barela

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

I didn't read the synopsis of this at all, and so I was caught totally off guard when it turns from a Patrick and Quinn are having a rough spot in their marriage to a full Gay The Santa Clause where they're being rushed off to deliver presents on a sleigh after knocking Santa out with a frying pan.

The couple proceeds to bring magic back to their marriage via literal magic at the North Pole, and it is the cheesiest of cheesy Christmas stories. With that said, we're living in a moment where some cheesy queer cheer is needed to soothe the soul, and it provided me this silly joy in a week where I really needed it.

I loved that both Patrick and Quinn found ways to pursue their passions, feel more connected to their individual identities, and explore their couple goals together throughout this book. In this way, the book provides silly and serious in a way that you just might need right now!

🎧 The audio was lovely -- both characters brought forward their emotions and unique identity through the narration.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Genre: contemporary/fantasy m/m romance
Setting: the North Pole
Length: 10 hours and 7 minutes
Reminds me of: The Santa Clause
Pub Date: October 1, 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ The Santa Clause
⭕️ queer holiday romance
⭕️ rocky post-marriage turned romance
⭕️ architects and teachers

This was a super sweet and cute fade to black romance that I was perfect for the holidays! I loved that happily ever did not mean giving up who you are or what you love to be with the other person. I also loved that their perfect relationship didn't mean living together 24/7 365. This was a perfect example of an alternative relationship that is happy and healthy! The narrators were truly wonderful and really made the story come alive!

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!

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.

The audiobook performance was great. It really added to the whimsy of the book, and I didn't want to press pause.

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.

This was a fun, fluffy holiday read. I love a marriage in crisis story, but, for me, the expected emotion was missing with this one. I didn't FEEL the conflict, nor did I feel the emotional connection. The characters were kind of flat and one dimensional, and I just couldn't connect with them. If you like fluffy predictable holiday Hallmark movies, this one may work better for you than it did for me.

The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky

Patrick and Quinn haven’t even been married a year and they can feel the cracks in their domestic life…. It’s Christmas eve and Patrick has hit Santa and now he has quit. It’s up to Patrick and Quinn to save Christmas and they both sign on to stay at the north pole for one year but what do you call a man who is stepping into Mrs. Claus’s shoes?

This is too cute for words. A gay couple struggling in their marriage but a change of scenery doesn't really fix the issues. The book gives a rather glaring viewpoint that sometimes love isn’t enough. It has a HEA so don’t panic but it wasn’t the ending I wanted.

I love that Patrick learned the kind of husband he was and that Quinn found a way to advocate for himself, that was super heartwarming.

I would adore christmas every day, I would love to be Mrs. Claus! The snow… well I could do without that but this book was so full of Christmas, that it sent me down a christmas book rabbit hole.

The book comes from both POV and I did prefer Quinn’s tone but the book really was enjoyable. Loved the audio.

4 stars

This was a sweet fun read. It did such a good job balancing the magic of Christmas with the deeper lessons and character growth. If you are looking for a merry good time this holiday season this is the book for you.

This was a cute look at the struggles we bring into marriage and how sometimes the choices we make for our marriage have to look different from the choices other couples make. It's probably more of a 3.5, and the ending fizzled a bit for me, but it was overall a cute, fun holiday read.

I was beyond excited to check out the newest holiday theme book from Timothy Janovsky. Last year, I read Your Mean One Matthew Prince, which was a book that I really enjoyed. So, I had to read The Merriest Mister next.
I was hoping that I would enjoy this novel, but in the end, it left me disappointed and wanting something more. I thought this novel would be like Tim Allen’s The Santa Claus, but make it gay and add in a bickering couple. Instead, what I got was one second of them delivering presents and a sad marriage.
Don’t get me wrong, I knew that this novel was going to be about their marriage that was on the verge of divorce. I was expecting to see growth or something from the couple. I could understand both Patrick and Quinn’s side and the reason why they grew frustrated with each other. Although Patrick has a great heart, he is selfish and is so determined to make his parents proud that he would ignore how his parents treat Quinn. Meanwhile, Quinn doesn’t speak up, which causes misunderstandings within their marriage. I was really hoping to see them grow closer, which they did, but it felt forced, and maybe it was because of the lack of chemistry I felt between the two of them.
Now I don’t want to say this novel was bad, because there was still some parts I enjoyed. How Quinn slowly started to stop pretending to be someone else to him, connecting to a certain elf and teaching them to be themselves too. I also enjoyed Patrick and his brother’s relationship and how they were both mistaken about how the other person was.
I also listen to this novel as an audiobook, and I have to say that Mark Sanderlin and Zach Barela did a great job at narrating the novel. The audiobook was easy to follow, even when it switches from different POV or the flashbacks.
Now if you are looking for a cute holiday romance, check it out, but if you are looking for something that is like The Santa Claus, then maybe watch the movie instead.

A special thanks to Netgalley and MacMillian for a copy for this audiobook for a honest review!


This novel will be included in my 25 days of holiday books that will be taking place on tiktok durning the month of december!

The Merriest Mister is a cute and lighthearted read, perfect for the holiday season. The playful tone and charming characters brought warmth and cheer to the story. However, some chapters felt a bit longer than necessary, causing the pacing to slow down at points. Despite this, the overall experience was enjoyable, and the whimsical plot kept me engaged.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this delightful book!

Why isn’t this a holiday movie yet?? A gay couple is strugg With transitioning from fun date life to married…bliss? But it’s not so easy and as their first official Christmas comes around there might be criminal charges instead of eggnog. The two narratives are well done by two excellent voice actors who hopefully weren’t offended (like I was) at the stereotypical shallow “queen” representation of characters deserving of more. I would love to see Pat & Quinn again in another novel, still humorous, but with more growth.

Can being Santa Claus and his Mr. Clause save a troubled marriage? Absolutely! In the delightful Christmas all-inclusive rom-com The Merriest Misters, we get a perfect blend of holiday magic and real-life family pressures.

The story beautifully captures the enchanting atmosphere of Santa's North Pole workshop while exploring the relatable relationship challenges faced by Quin and Patrick. As they navigate their issues amidst the joy of Christmas, the humor and warmth of the narrative truly shine.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet story—it’s a perfect reminder that love can work wonders during the holiday season!

This book had wonderful narration and I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book.

The narrators for this book were good and made listening easy and smooth. That was the best thing I have about it. The blurb about taking over for Santa intrigued me as The Santa Clause is one of my favorite movies and it’s a nice change to read about established relationships going through real life issues. But something about it didn’t keep my attention. I found it to be a bit boring and slow going. I do like more chaos, snark, and action in my books so this might be more my issue and the book just wasn’t a good fit for me.

In a Nutshell: A Christmas MM romance-drama with a married gay couple at the centre of attention. Fabulous inclusivity, a plot with some atypical writing choices (especially considering the genre), shallow main characters, somewhat YA/NA in tone. Might work better for you if you like NA romances.

Plot Preview:
Patrick and Quinn have been married for not even a year and the cracks have already begun showing up. Patrick is very work-obsessed, which leaves Quinn feeling neglected and frustrated at having to handle the domestic chores alone.
When Patrick ends up hitting a “burglar” with a frying pan on Christmas Eve, they both are stunned that they’ve knocked Santa Claus unconscious. Santa’s flustered assistant, an elf named Hobart, insists that one of the two men take over Santa duties to save Christmas. Little do they realise that their duties weren’t meant to last only till Christmas morning. Will their struggling marriage be able to handle this added pressure?
The story comes to us in the alternating first-person perspectives of Patrick and Quinn, from two timelines.


This is my first proper M/M romance novel. For some reason, I have never found M/M blurbs appealing, though I have read and enjoyed plenty of F/F love stories. This book’s blurb reminded me of Tim Allen’s ‘The Santa Clause’ movies, which I had really enjoyed back in the day. Though the book didn’t entirely satisfy me, it is partly due to my reading preferences, and I hope I have a better experience with the next M/M story I pick up any time.

Bookish Yays:
🌈 A “romance” where the couple is already married and their relationship is somewhat fragile – quite unusual for this genre. It was refreshing to see a young couple struggling with the requirements of domestic living.
🌈 This might be a negative for some readers, but I truly appreciated how the plot shows one of them being dominant in the relationship without even realising how it affects the other one. Fictional gay relationships are always depicted as 100% positive. This book shows that they are as normal and as problematic as any straight relationship.
🌈 Every time there’s a white character in the book, the writing introduces them as such: “a white man”. I have rarely seen books introduce any white characters by referencing their skin colour, so kudos to the author! Let’s hope this becomes the norm. The default character colour in Western books shouldn’t be assumed to be white.
🌈 The rep is outstanding: a gay couple, a lesbian couple, a trans character, an ace character… At times, it did feel like there was a checklist being ticked off, but on the whole, it was a big positive.
🌈 Some chapters are termed “memories”, and these offer a flashback glimpse at how Patrick and Quinn first met and came together. These were well-written, and quite important in understanding their present difficulties.
🌈 A minor thread focusses on the issues faced by public school teachers (as Quinn is one) due to fund cuts – too short to be a major arc in the plot, but an important topic nonetheless.
🌈 Quinn has a "camp sensibility", a feminine side that he secretly acknowledges but struggles to show openly. I loved this writing choice! This portrayal is usually avoided in fiction as it is considered stereotypical or offensive. But Quinn's character development is very positive, showing him slowly embracing his "feminine side" without fear of rejection.


Bookish Mixed Bags:
⛅ I'm not a big fan of the whole “Christmas is RUINED without Santa and presents” trope. The book focusses only on the commercial aspects of Christmas such as gifts and lavish lunches and decoration. But given the premise of the book, I was kinda prepared for it.
⛅ While the Christmas setting does add some holiday spirit to the plot, the main storyline isn’t about Christmas but about the couple. The holiday vibes hence felt somewhat subdued, even in the location where everything should have felt most Christmassy.
⛅ The steam level is lukewarm – plenty of references to sex, no open-door action. This is good for me as I don’t enjoy steam in any romance books, regardless of the gender of the couple. But there are some corny references connected to the libido that made me cringe.

Bookish Nays:
🌧️ Patrick and Quinn are just twenty-six, which means they are new adults in their approach towards everything, including each other. This might be fine for readers in that age group, but much-older-moi found their actions tedious and their behaviour juvenile most times. It felt like they had much growing up to do individually and as a couple.
🌧️ Way too much anatomical focus in the writing! Almost every scene involves some mention of lips or eyes or hands or legs or whatever, along with various adjectives to describe them. (The word ‘eye(s)’, for instance, pops up a whopping 142 times in the book, with about a third of those references having descriptive adjectives.) Such writing makes me feel like the relationship is based primarily on physical attraction than on genuine feelings. Not my cup of tea at all. Might not be an issue for other readers.
🌧️ Way too much miscommunication between the lead pair! Also a lot of overreactions nd hyperdrama - annoying after a point.
🌧️ Broad daylight in the North Pole in December? Bruh!

🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at a little over ten hours, is narrated by Mark Sanderlin and Zach Barela. The narrator who voices Quinn didn’t have my preferred kind of voice. He was a bit too high-pitched, which ended up making Quinn sound even whinier than he was. Patrick’s narrator was much better for my ears. Regardless, I appreciate that the two have voices so different from each other’s, especially because both narratives were in first person. The distinct timbre of the voices helped me keep track of the two perspectives easily.


All in all, this was a good first experience of a M/M romance, but I do wish the characters had behaved more maturely and the Christmas setting had been put to better use. At the same time, the nays are because of my personal reading preferences. The right reader ought to like this work better.

Recommended to M/M romance readers looking for a story more focussed on repairing love than on new love.

3.25 stars.

Patrick and Quinn are a feuding about Christmas as they have to host an extravagant Christmas in their new home after just getting fired. After hitting Santa, the only way to save Christmas is by becoming the new Santa and delivering all the gifts to the rest of the children. What started as a rocky Christmas might just turn things around.
The book discusses topics like starting a marriage while dealing with family expectations. Although the storyline is good I just couldn't get into the characters. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun Christmas themed romance about a marriage in trouble. Maybe a way to save their marriage is to become Santa Claus? I thought this book was hilarious and I really enjoyed it.

Absolutely loved this fun, magical holiday romance! I RARELY give five stars, especially not to rom-come, but I just couldn’t find any flaws with this one. Patrick and Quinn have been in a career and marriage trouble zone for awhile, and as the pressures of extended family and outside expectations build around the holidays, things seem ready to fall apart completely. That is, until Christmas Eve arrives with a magical opportunity for a big change for tonight and the coming year, maybe even forever! Highly recommend adding this to your holiday TBR list!.