Review: Single and Ready to Jingle by Piper Rayne

Thank you Valentine PR for my copy! All thoughts are my own!

There are two things I love in a holiday romance: faking dating and grumpy sunshine. When I read the synopsis for Single and Ready to Jingle by Piper Rayne, I immediately added it to my TBR. And it didn’t disappoint! This book was fun, festive, and super sexy. It’s great to enjoy with hot cocoa or a glass of wine!

Synopsis:

“ The girl who loves Christmas falls for the Grinch—it’s a Christmas miracle.
What started as a dumpster fire of a blind date turns into a deal.
In truth, it probably didn’t help that I showed up dressed like an elf but that’s a story for another time. Our start was rocky at best which is why it’s so frustrating that I can’t stop thinking about his sexy British accent. Or the way his chest and arms fill out his suit. Or his perfect hair with that single streak of grey at the front.
Santa likes lists and so do I, so here’s all the reasons why Andrew and I aren’t right for each other:
He’s my brother’s best friend
He’s the biggest grump I’ve ever met.
He hates Christmas.
That last one is big for a girl like me who thinks that the entire month of December should be a national holiday. So, when he calls for my help in planning his firm’s holiday party, I can’t pass up the opportunity to grow my small business. Bonus, we make a deal, and he agrees to attend three holiday events with me so I can make him fall in love with Christmas. As if I’d pass up an opportunity to make a Grinch’s heart grow three times its size.
It isn’t long until I discover Andrew has a very real reason to hate Christmas and I start to see him in a different light. That’s when the Christmas miracle begins.”

What I Liked:

The Tropes—I love grumpy/sunshine, especially for a holiday book! Plus adding in a little forbidden aspect is always fun (in this case, brother’s best friend!).
The Pacing—I thought this book was well paced! It kept me engaged and wanting to keep reading. It was packed full of fun holiday vibes and I really enjoyed it.
The Characters—I loved Andrew and Kenzie! Andrew is the type of hero I’m always drawn to in Romance and Kenzie was a Christmas lover but wasn’t annoying or obnoxious. It all felt very real and well balanced.

What Didn’t Work:

Would have liked a few aspects to be fleshed out a little more—I think because I’ve read and loved Faking Under the Mistletoe and enjoyed the similarities, I’m a bit of a tougher critic on these tropes. Just needed a little more added to the story, especially the strained relationships with their parents.
The Reason for the 3rd Act Break Up—This felt very out of character for Andrew and like they just needed a reason to break up.