Scan barcode
bootsmom3's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, and Physical abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Pregnancy
jillkaarlela's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Taylor Swift Songs: “peace”, “Afterglow”
Age rating: 17+ (3 steamy chapters, 1.5/5🌶️)
Why did I wait so long to read Talia Hibbert’s books??? They are so good!!! I really enjoyed this sweet and spicy yet remarkably moving holiday novella! I loved that while it was an uplifting romance, it also dealt with issues of parental trauma, homelessness, domestic abuse, mental health (specifically intrusive thoughts) etc. and in a novella, no less!! The characters in the book were so charismatic and I really liked them for each other!! If you like “he falls first and falls harder”, you will LOVEEEE Cash, because this man is OBSESSED with her!! And we love a giant tatted grumpy/shy man!!!! He’s so cute, I love him!! While everything did happen pretty quickly, since this was a novella, I feel like it all made sense and felt right/not rushed. It still had emotional growth and depth while being relatively short. Overall, really enjoyed this quick read, and I highly recommend!
TW: domestic abuse, violence, intrusive thoughts, homelessness, parental death
Age rating: 17+ (3 steamy chapters, 1.5/5🌶️)
Why did I wait so long to read Talia Hibbert’s books??? They are so good!!! I really enjoyed this sweet and spicy yet remarkably moving holiday novella! I loved that while it was an uplifting romance, it also dealt with issues of parental trauma, homelessness, domestic abuse, mental health (specifically intrusive thoughts) etc. and in a novella, no less!! The characters in the book were so charismatic and I really liked them for each other!! If you like “he falls first and falls harder”, you will LOVEEEE Cash, because this man is OBSESSED with her!! And we love a giant tatted grumpy/shy man!!!! He’s so cute, I love him!! While everything did happen pretty quickly, since this was a novella, I feel like it all made sense and felt right/not rushed. It still had emotional growth and depth while being relatively short. Overall, really enjoyed this quick read, and I highly recommend!
TW: domestic abuse, violence, intrusive thoughts, homelessness, parental death
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Violence
bekacrook's review against another edition
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I usually love Talia Hibberts books but this one just moved too quickly and was too short for me. I generally liked Cash and Bailey and all the surrounding characters. There were some really sweet moments and I loved that he seemed to unconsciously draw her all the time.
But the pacing of the book just didn't fit with some of the themes included. I know it's a romance book so it's not meant to be realistic but a man with a lot of childhood trauma and complex emotions around love is not going to miraculously change the way his mind thinks or what it tells him in one conversation outside a church with a woman. The same goes for Bailey's issues surrounding love, they appeared to just disappear overnight.
The epilogue was very sweet though.
But the pacing of the book just didn't fit with some of the themes included. I know it's a romance book so it's not meant to be realistic but a man with a lot of childhood trauma and complex emotions around love is not going to miraculously change the way his mind thinks or what it tells him in one conversation outside a church with a woman. The same goes for Bailey's issues surrounding love, they appeared to just disappear overnight.
The epilogue was very sweet though.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Stalking, and Domestic abuse
what_karla_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
5/5 stars
2/5 spice
Tropes:
Acquaintances to lovers
BWWM
Work together
Boss/ Employee
Trauma/healing
Grumpy/sunshine
Forced proximity
One Bed
Dual POV
Loved it! That's really all I can say about this one. It was my first time reading this author's work, and I just loved it. All the Christmas vibes and a cute, grumpy man that melts for his girl... just wonderful 👌🏽
Trigger/Content warnings:
Mentions DV and child abuse as memories, explicit language, sexual content
2/5 spice
Tropes:
Acquaintances to lovers
BWWM
Work together
Boss/ Employee
Trauma/healing
Grumpy/sunshine
Forced proximity
One Bed
Dual POV
Loved it! That's really all I can say about this one. It was my first time reading this author's work, and I just loved it. All the Christmas vibes and a cute, grumpy man that melts for his girl... just wonderful 👌🏽
Trigger/Content warnings:
Mentions DV and child abuse as memories, explicit language, sexual content
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Cursing
Minor: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
cass_lit's review against another edition
3.5
I know when I pick up a Talia Hibbert book that by the time I finish (which, for this one, was only like 2 hours later) my cynical heart is going to start believing in love again. And that people are good. And that there’s hope in the world.
But don’t let all the sappiness fool you — this novella has the same steaminess her other adult romances do 😂
But don’t let all the sappiness fool you — this novella has the same steaminess her other adult romances do 😂
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
notsobinaryart's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Mental illness
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Classism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Death, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, and Pedophilia
itschelseaw's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A cute, quick read. I just really like Talia Hibbert’s style of writing, so most of her books will be a win for me. Even though this was more of a novella than full on novel (the version I read was 132 pages long) we still got to know the characters well and saw the development of them. The big conversations were satisfying, as was the smut and seeing them fall in love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
overflowingshelf's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
CW: domestic abuse; homelessness; intrusive thoughts; reference to parental death from cancer
Merry Inkmas is not your traditional holiday romance novella. If you’re looking for a light-hearted holiday romance, this is not the story for you. Now, I don’t think that should put you off the story though.
However, and I’m being honest, this is a bit of a hard novella for me to review. After reading it almost a month ago, I feel a bit indifferent toward it. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, but it didn’t leave as much of a lingering impression on me as I thought it would. It was fine?
Famous tattoo artist Cash Evans has come a long way from his troubled childhood, but he cannot fix his troubled outlook on love. To Bailey, Cash is “hot coffee guy” – a regular who comes into the coffee shop whom she flirts with and harbors an attraction towards. When an incident at the coffee shop leaves Bailey without a job, Cash offers one to her at his tattoo parlor. While Cash tries to avoid her to fight his attraction towards her, he cannot seem to stay away, fixing her plumbing, helping the homeless, and even offering Bailey a place to stay for Christmas. The more Bailey learns about Cash and his demons, she cannot help but feel her jaded views of love changing.
The romance in this book was really sweet, even though I would have liked a little more relationship development before jumping to the epilogue. However, it is a novella, so that format, by its nature, does compress timelines a bit, especially when this story has a lot of other things going on. I thought the chemistry between Cash and Bailey was fantastic, and their attraction was apparent from the story’s start. Talia Hibbert did a great job with the sexual tension between them and bringing the heat, and my heart was invested in them getting their happily ever after. Everything happens in a short timeline, which made certain things feel rushed, but overall I loved how their romance made me feel in the end.
The characters in this book took me by surprise. Cash was so unexpected. He’s the tall, tough-looking tatted ginger, but he’s got a heart of gold and is battling his own demons. I feel like when you get characters with his physical attributes, you expect a different personality from them, so I appreciated that he took me by surprise. Both Cash and Bailey are emotionally complex characters and well-developed. I liked that Bailey stands up for others – her heart is in the right place. These two have a rather pessimistic outlook on love, so they are perfect for each other.
Outside the romance, domestic violence and homelessness play a fairly big role in this story. I don’t think I’ve ever seen homelessness mentioned or addressed in a romance novel before, and I think Hibbert handled it well. The domestic violence storyline is tough to read, but it played an important role in Cash’s backstory and shaped him as a person, so it felt necessary.
As I said, I liked this book after reading it. But now, a month out from reading it, it doesn’t stir that much emotion in me. There’s no specific reason that I can pinpoint as to why – it might just be a vibes thing. Overall, I think this was a good story with a solid romance, but it’s something I’ll probably forget the details of by next holiday season.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Minor: Death of parent and Cancer
rickireadss's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
i wanted to love this SO bad. i honestly think if i had read the ebook, i would have enjoyed it more since i didn't really like the narrator. i did like the grumpy/sunshine aspect, the plus size rep, and the fact that our mmc was TATTED *swoon* but overall, i just felt like it was choppy and didn't really flow. like some of the scenes felt just thrown in there or abruptly happened, and i was like "woah, wait what???" not my favorite of talia's for sure, but i know many have loved it.
⚠️: domestic abuse, emotional abuse, home invasion, death of parent, mental illness, bigotry towards unhoused people, stalking, cancer, grief, adult/minor relationship (past, fmc’s mother)
⚠️: domestic abuse, emotional abuse, home invasion, death of parent, mental illness, bigotry towards unhoused people, stalking, cancer, grief, adult/minor relationship (past, fmc’s mother)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Stalking, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Grief, and Cancer
mslori's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I loved Baily's character, I however, did not like Cash. Just too moody, justified moodiness, but still not something I'd want to deal with in real life. And I felt things were a bit rushed in the end. So very cute, but not my fav of Hibberts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Domestic abuse