Merry Ex-Mas By Courtney Walsh

Merry Ex-Mas

by Courtney Walsh

Publisher: Independently Published

ASIN: B0BGD31R93

Courtney Walsh does such a great job with romance and this Christmas-y rom-com will give you all of the holiday feels! I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this clean romance as we head towards the end of the year. I was sent the ARC ebook for review.

Summary:

I haven’t been home for Christmas in eight years.

But that’s about to change. This year, I’m traveling to my small hometown to convince my producer to make me the permanent host of Good Day Denver.

The plan: Charm viewers by sharing my favorite family Christmas traditions, and in turn, get the likes, clicks and shares to land the job.

Not the plan: Running into my ex-boyfriend.

In my house.

For Christmas.

But here he is, a guest of my mother, who apparently had more trouble letting go of Max Weber than I did.

Unfortunately, he is as handsome and charming and talented and annoying and frustrating and flirty as ever.

Even more unfortunately, he seems to have a plan of his own—to convince me to give him a second chance.

Which is not happening.

There’s just one problem—my viewers love him. More than that, they love us. Me and Max. My ex.

The boy who broke my heart.

The boy I now have to fake flirt with to win over the hearts of my viewers.

But it’s not their hearts I’m worried about. . . it’s mine.

Merry Ex-Mas is a sweet, small town, second chance romance with a dash of not-so-fake flirting, a tiny bit of enemies to lovers and just enough forced proximity to make things sizzle.

My Review:

If you're looking for a Christmas story that gives alllll of the Hallmark vibes, look no further than this one! This clean, second-chance romance will light up your days like a Christmas tree as you read it.

I liked Marin. She's a go-getter and has her sights set on being the next host of the tv show she works on. Things don't go "right" for poor Marin from the get-go. The moment her mom opens the front door to their home, it all spirals out of control. When her ex, Max, steps into view, everything we imagine could go wrong, does.

Max is pretty amusing and plays up every moment he's with Marin. He gives her a hard time, in a sweet way, meanwhile she's NOT amused. As readers we also can't escape the fact that he's cover model worthy! You know how this will all play out, right? hahahaha

Since Marin & Max's families live in "Podunk" USA they do allll of the small town Christmas-y things. Max is constantly thrown into the mix and the audience loves it. There are some scenes that had me laughing out loud! I could just seem them unfolding in my imagination.

Of course, they have to deal with their breakup so that there can be some healing. Unfortunately, it's like ripping off a band-aid more than once. So rough to see, but true to form that forgiveness isn't always simple or easy. 

Now, I have to say I had a slight issue with Marin's mom who was a bit manipulative in the beginning & did a wee little lying - albeit with a good heart and the best of intentions. This is just a personal pet peeve of mine. I "get" where she was coming from, but it still bothered me. lol It was a bit ironic towards, then, end when she brings up Marin's sneakiness with her viewers. cough cough hello kettle. ;)

If you're looking for a feel-good, "home for the holidays" where things go awry, then you'll want to get your hands on this story! it'll absolutely put a smile on your face and I guarantee laughter!

*I received the ARC ebook for review. This is my personal opinion.

About the Author:

Courtney Walsh is a novelist, theatre director, and playwright. She writes small town romance and women's fiction while juggling the performing arts studio and youth theatre she owns and runs with her husband. Her debut, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists. Her novel, Just Let Go, won the Carol Award in 2019 and Just One Kiss was a 2020 Christy Award Finalist.

A creative at heart, Courtney has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children and a sometimes naughty Bernedoodle named Luna.

Visit her online at www.courtneywalshwrites.com.