There's Something About Merry

About This Audiobook

Codi Hall’s *There’s Something About Merry* delivers the cozy, feel-good romance you crave when the holidays feel hollow. Merry Winters is done with flings and half-hearted affection—after a year of self-work, she’s ready for something real, even if it means searching in Mistletoe, Idaho, where eligible bachelors are as scarce as snow on Christmas Eve. Enter the brooding new foreman at her family’s Christmas tree farm, a man whose quiet intensity hides a past as tangled as the holiday lights Merry insists on untangling. Hall nails the balance between humor and heartache, crafting a love story that’s as tender as it is toe-curling. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at holiday clichés but secretly wanted to believe in them, this audiobook will sneak past your defenses. The romance is slow-burning but satisfying, with enough festive chaos to keep things lively—think hot cocoa spills, mistletoe mishaps, and a hero who’s equal parts grumpy and swoon-worthy. It’s not a book that reinvents the wheel, but it drives home the point that sometimes, the right person is already standing right in front of you, even if they’re wrapped in flannel and pretending not to notice.

What makes this audiobook stand out is its narration duo. CJ Bloom and Lee Samuels bring distinct energy to the cast—Bloom’s Merry is sassy and warm, her voice crackling with the kind of confidence that makes you root for her from the first chapter. Samuels, voicing the gruff foreman, delivers a performance that’s as controlled as it is compelling, his dry humor cutting through the holiday sweetness like a well-aimed snowball. The production is polished but not sterile; you’ll hear the subtle hum of a crackling fireplace in the background, the jingle of harness bells on sleigh rides, and the occasional chime of a town bell, all of which ground the story in its cozy setting. It’s the kind of audiobook that makes you want to pour yourself a drink (or three) and press play on a snowy night, even if you don’t celebrate Christmas."

"review": "I went into *There’s Something About Merry* expecting a light, predictable holiday romance, but Hall’s writing and the narrators’ performances turned it into something I actually looked forward to listening to during my commute. Merry is the kind of heroine who feels real—not because she’s flawless, but because her flaws (her stubbornness, her occasional self-doubt) make her victories more satisfying. I loved how her journey wasn’t about finding a man to “complete” her, but about trusting her own judgment and embracing vulnerability. The banter between her and the foreman, whose name I won’t spoil but who might as well be called “Mr. Grump with a Secret Soft Spot,” crackles with chemistry. The slow burn is *just* slow enough to keep you engaged without making you want to scream at them to kiss already, and the payoff is worth the wait.

That said, the side characters occasionally felt underdeveloped—Merry’s best friend, for example, came and went with little depth, and some of the town’s subplots fizzled out abruptly. The narration, however, elevates the material. Bloom’s Merry is a standout, her voice dripping with sass and warmth, but Samuels’ performance as the foreman deserves special mention. His delivery of the hero’s dry one-liners made me laugh out loud in traffic, and the way he modulated his tone to convey quiet moments of tenderness was masterful. The pacing is tight, though I did find myself fast-forwarding through a few overly long descriptions of Mistletoe’s scenery (yes, even I can overdose on holiday charm). All in all, this is a romance that delivers exactly what it promises: a heartwarming escape with a side of holiday magic and a love story that lingers long after the last mistletoe leaf falls."

"tags": ["cozy holiday romance audiobook