Merry Measure is one of my favorite holiday romances, precisely because it is cheery but doesn't ram Christmas down your throat. This book, which is a . . . prequel? Hmm, that seems very official. This is a story that takes place before Merry Measure, and we get to see the romance of Tom and Bee, who featured heavily in Arlo and Jack's story.

(I will admit that I was a bit slow on the uptake and clocked shitty ex Steven before Tom and Bee, which feels embarrassing but legitimately funny. Also, I guess we really do remember the negative most vividly!)

This is a very sweet, fairly fast paced story of two people who get off on the wrong foot and quickly sort things out to enjoy a long weekend trip. It has a lot of Morton's signature wit and conviviality among the characters, and it a great companion to the previously published (tho yet to happen in their universe) book.

Highly recommended, and I shall look forward to revisiting it on audio in future years!

(Thanks to GRR for the review copy!)