Okay, I had a smile on my face the entire time I was listening to this. It's the perfect holiday read, and you've got to check it out.

Firstly, this audiobook??? WOW!!! It was phenomenal AND with a full cast with all my favorite narrators. I was squealing with joy. I freaking loved it so much, and I will absolutely recommend the audiobook to everyone. Samantha Brentmoor as Fable and Jason Clarke as Wilder were absolute perfection. This is the second book this month with these two as narrators that I've listened to, and they have this sort of ease and just feel right.

Just as Fable is reeling from the emotions of catching her boyfriend cheating on her during Thanksgiving dinner, her sister's boyfriend proposes minutes later. Her ex, who happens to be her sister's now-fiancé's cousin, is also part of the wedding as a groomsman, and all her plans to put distance between them are no longer an option. Adding insult to injury, he asks the woman he was cheating with to be his plus one to the wedding immediately after.

With the week full of annual holiday competitions in Evergreen Falls leading up to the wedding on Christmas Eve, avoiding her ex would not be an option, and Fable can't allow him to see her be affected by his actions, which leads to her concocting a fake dating scheme with her boss of all people.

Wilder has no interest in being set up with someone new for the holiday season by his aunt, so in order to avoid the situation altogether, he goes along with Fable's ruse. The two decide that this would be a mutually beneficial situation where she can show her ex how he didn't humiliate her, and Wilder can stay blissfully single without his aunt and sister meddling. Wilder also promises to show Fable exactly how a woman deserves to be treated while dating during the course of their fake relationship.

What starts off as a charade quickly starts getting out of hand as lines get blurry and feelings get real. Between hosting the bridal shower, teaming up in the games, and sharing a room and a bed in the cabin chalet, the two start questioning everything they thought they wanted. 

Wilder had a lot of baggage from his childhood and with the way things went down with his father and how it affected his entire family. This led to him never entertaining the idea of settling down or opening himself to that kind of hurt, and he couldn't find it in himself to trust anyone. He was the kind of person who was used to taking care of everyone in his life, making sure they had everything they needed, even if he felt a bit lonely at times.

Fable is the kind of person who feels more comfortable blending into the background while making sure others get the focus they deserve. Watching her own father be unfaithful and self-absorbed and watching her mother give him more chances than he deserved, she had no intentions of putting herself in a position like that. And although she had her goal set on starting her own business, she still held back due to the doubts that plagued her mind.

Wilder and Fable were similar in this way, where both of them were deeply affected by the actions of their fathers growing up, which left a permanent mark on them and left them feeling closed off, unwilling to show vulnerability, and with trust issues. 

As the two continue fake dating, they start to see how well they fit, how right they are together, and how they complement each other. Wilder always paid so much attention to everything Fable said, and his love language was definitely acts of service. It was so beautiful how she'd mention something and he would immediately turn it into a reality, pamper her, and make her feel cherished and special. And vice versa, Fable was always so attentive to everything Wilder said, making the perfect gifts for him that she knew would mean something to him, really hearing him out, even quoting him word for word. It was honestly so, so heartwarming, and you couldn't find two people more right for each other.

These two made the best team for real, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the competitions. I was totally cheering them on the entire time. And it also slowly transitions into understanding what's truly important in life. What's real, what needs priority, and how they don't need to prove anything to anyone for any validation.

Holy fuck, the spice was so incredible!! These two were fucking feral for each other, and I loved it. The entire experience was enhanced even more by the duet narration. The scene in Wilder's office, the one with the lights, the ribbon, under the tree. Basically, all the spicy scenes were spectacular and left me wanting more. Wilder was so sexy with how he took control, and then add all that dirty talking. FUCKKKK!!!!

Mac was the star in this book, and I loved her. She was so sassy, bold, smart, loving, fun, confident, and also really good at all that scheming. She was an absolute genius and the perfect sidekick. Watching her bond with Fable felt so natural and genuine. These two bonded over their love for being creative, and it was so fun to see how they explored that. Wilder and Mac had a very beautiful relationship, and they were more like friends.

The side characters all added SO much to this book and made it so magical. It truly felt like you were a part of this celebration along with everyone else (not you, Brady and Iris). Fable's friends were all so amazing and supportive and didn't buy her bullshit when she tried to deny her feelings.

Brady got exactly what he deserved, and Wilder putting him in his place like that was oh so satisfying.