Baking It Merry by Samantha Chase offered a grumpy meets sunshine, enemies to lovers small-town romance filled with holiday baked goods and cheer. Narrated by Melanie Mendez, the story offered a delightful holiday escape despite some unneeded miscommunication.
by Samantha Chase
Narrator: Melanie Mendez
Length: 6 hours
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Heat Level:
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.5x
A Small Town, Enemies to Lovers, Holiday Romance from New York Times bestselling author, Samantha Chase
Everyone in the building loved the bake shop a lot.
Except for the guy on the top floor, who most certainly did not.
If it were up to him, there wouldn’t be a hint of Christmas in the building.For two months out of the year, Daphne Noelle got to live her dream of owning a bakery. Her little pop-up bake shop—one that looked just like a gingerbread house—brought joy to every customer who stopped by to enjoy her sweet treats. She loved meeting people and making them smile, and being in such a festive setting every day was just the icing on the cake! For the last three years, everything had gone smoothly, but this year, there was one guy who was determined to ruin it all.
One of the things Tristan appreciated most about the office complex where his architecture firm was located is how upscale and elegant it was. Unfortunately, every year for eight long weeks, a holiday shop set up in the lobby, turning it into the equivalent of a traveling circus, and the bake shop booth was the worst offender. The giant gingerbread house was an eyesore and the woman running it was too cheery for his liking. This year, he was determined to do everything he could to have her and her booth removed.
When Tristan finds himself in the middle of a delicate family situation, only Daphne can help him. Now, he’ll have to beg and plead and promise to be on his best behavior while dealing with her exuberant holiday joy. But the more time he spends with her—and the more awkward situations she saves him from—he begins to realize there’s more to her than over-the-top holiday cheer. And maybe, when you’re with the right person, Christmas can mean a little bit more.
Daphne Noelle dreams of owning her own bakery, but for now she enjoys the success of her pop-up Gingerbread stand in an office building downtown. This is her second year and everyone loves her shop & goods. Well, everyone except for Tristan, a member of the family that own and manages the architecture firm on the top floors.
I was not expecting a fake dating situation given Tristan’s thoughts on merry little Daphne, but it was fun to watch it unfold. Chase did a lovely job of giving us Tristan’s background and allowing a slow romance to unfold. It felt genuine, and I was all in.
What threw me for a loop was the odd misunderstanding thrown in towards the end, followed by a rushed confession of Tristan’s inner thoughts to his father. I loved how he opened up, but the timing given that his relationship was in peril felt off. In the end, the author brought it all together, but it pulled me out of the story.
Melanie Mendez narrates and did a lovely job of giving voice to both Daphne and Tristan. The overall quality of the audio was well done and I recommend listening. At just six hours, it’s the perfect listen for holiday travels.
About Samantha Chase
New York Times and USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan's Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40's to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Bookworm
Overall this sounds good even with the misunderstanding towards the end.
DB @ DB's Guide to the Galaxy
this… looks adorable and a short read?? Love that idea. Glad you liked it!
hena
Not really big on holiday books but good to hear you enjoyed it.
Anne- Books of My Heart
Robin rated this one the same. I usually like foodie books.
Ethan
I’m fully into cozy holiday listening mode right now, so I’ll be adding this one to my list!