Holiday with the Players

I’ll admit, I groaned when I saw the ‘snowed-in with jocks’ premise—until *Holiday with the Players* flipped the script in the first 20 minutes. Jenshak’s writing thrives on specifics: the way Holly’s annoyance at her brother’s invasion manifests in her *aggressive* hot cocoa stirring, or how the football players’ camaraderie feels authentic (their trash talk about fantasy football drafts had me laughing out loud). The romance builds organically from rivalry, not instant attraction, which makes the payoff sweeter. That said, the secondary love story between Stella and another teammate occasionally feels rushed; their chemistry is cute but lacks the slow-burn tension of the main pairing. The narration is where this audiobook *shines*. Peachwood’s Holly is a standout—her voice carries the weight of someone who’s used to being the responsible one, and her sarcastic asides land perfectly. Hatchet, though, is the revelation. His performance as the love interest walks the line between cocky athlete and lovestruck dork so well that I rewound a few scenes just to hear his delivery again. My only critique? The production’s ambient sounds (like wind howling) sometimes clash with the narrators’ pacing, creating brief moments where the dialogue gets lost. Still, the energy never flags, and the final act—complete with a holiday movie marathon gone hilariously wrong—left me grinning. If you love enemies-to-lovers with bite, sibling dynamics that ring true, and narrators who *commit* to the bit, this is your next listen. Just maybe don’t start it on a road trip—you’ll want to savor the chaos without distractions.