Merry Kissmass is mostly light-hearted, with a few moments of seriousness as we get to know Pierce a little more, and definitely contains more than a hint of insta-love. Readers need to be OK with that, because the holidays really do work their magic as Brynn & Pierce reconnect and fall in love all over again. Piper Rayne gave me exactly what I was looking for in an end of year romance – holiday fun, stickily sweet with family hijinks, all tied up with a HEA bow.

(Part of a series but can totally stand on its own.)

**I received a complimentary  copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

My heart just broke for Zach as he goes through years of a secret love for his best friend. All the girlfriends, the months spent together without being able to show his true feelings … I can’t imagine. We know it works out for them but that’s decades of heartache.

Carter may be late to the party but once he figures things out he throws his whole self into their new relationship. He’s sweet, caring, and adventurous. He never lets Zach think he’s not all in.

Pretty much all the angst, the little bit that there is, is centered around their friendship and the issues that lead up to Carter understanding exactly what’s going on between them. After they get together we are treated to Nick and Carter settling into their new relationship, discovering the “benefits’ that come with those changes, and figuring out what their futures are going to look like. It’s sweet, steamy, and fun.

The believability rating for this one is low but the enjoyability is pretty darn high. The author does state before the book starts that to keep the book low angst that she made it easier for them. We could only hope that Zach and Carter’s relationship could develop the same way in the real world but we have a long way to go.

(I received a complimentary  copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)