From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a brand new holiday rom-com with all the humor and heat her fans adore.
Nothing says I love you like trespassing, public humiliation, and a town-wide Christmas spectacle to win your crush back.
Atlas "Max" Maxheimer did not sign up for this. One minute, he's anxiously trying to keep his family's Christmas tree farm from imploding. The next? He's passed out in the snow after getting clocked by a suspiciously strong bottle of soda.
Enter Betty: new in town, full of holiday cheer, and helping her uncle open a rival tree farm next door. Max is convinced she's out to destroy everything Evergreen Farm stands for. Betty thinks Max might be one sleigh short of a winter parade.
Cue the holiday chaos.
Between blizzards, blown reputations, wildly misguided romantic plots, and one stolen ornament with a seriously tragic backstory, this small-town war turns into something far messier―and much more delicious―than either of them expected.
Merry Christmas You Filthy Animal by Meghan Quinn is exactly the kind of chaotic, banter-filled holiday romance I was hoping for and I strongly recommend reading it with Home Alone in mind. From the very beginning, the dynamic between the main characters is sharp, snarky, and just the right amount of antagonistic. If you’re here for enemies-to-lovers tension, this one really leans in—and has a lot of fun doing it.
The banter is easily the standout. It’s quick, witty, and often borderline ridiculous in the best way. There are multiple moments where their back-and-forth escalates into these over-the-top verbal sparring matches—like playful insults turning into full-blown competitions or arguments that feel less about the issue at hand and more about who can out-sass the other. It gives their chemistry a really strong foundation, so when things do start to shift, it feels earned.
And speaking of that shift—the enemies-to-lovers progression is super satisfying. You get those classic moments where annoyance starts blurring into something else: lingering looks that last a second too long, begrudging teamwork that turns surprisingly supportive, and those tiny cracks in the armor where they accidentally show they care. There’s a particular kind of scene (no spoilers!) where one character steps in to help the other in a way that completely contradicts all their earlier bickering, and it’s chef’s kiss for trope lovers.
That said, it’s not a perfect five-star for me. There are a few moments where things feel a little exaggerated or slightly repetitive—like the banter occasionally looping instead of building, or certain situations stretching just a bit longer than necessary for comedic effect. It didn’t ruin anything for me, but it did keep the story from feeling as tight as it could have been.
Overall, though, this was a really fun, feel-good holiday read. It’s flirty, funny, and full of that delicious tension that makes enemies-to-lovers so addictive. If you’re in the mood for something festive with a lot of personality and a couple who clearly enjoy driving each other crazy (until they don’t), this one is absolutely worth picking up.
Overall I give this book 4.1746 out of 5 stars. - Katie
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