Merry Little Hate Notes

By: Jennifer Peel

Narrated by: Stephen Dexter, Stephanie Rose

Nothing says I love you like a merry little hate note.

Holly:

A woman does her very best to avoid at least one of the following people in her life: an annoying coworker, her brother’s best friend, and her first kiss. Unfortunately, for me, all three happen to be the same person—Brandon Cassidy. I’ve done my best to avoid the man, even if it means working in the ladies’ room whenever he visits the main office. Sadly, my days of hiding are coming to an end because I’ve been assigned to assist Brandon through the end of the year. The holiday season is already hard for me, but this . . . this is just the icing on the fruitcake that is my life. To add insult to injury, Brandon resurrects our old childhood game—the hate note game. I’m trying to resist the urge to engage, because do I ever have some hateful things to say to him. But that’s only because I really used to love him. Ugh. Please don’t repeat that. Like ever.

Brandon:

Sometimes you want something so badly, you do things you regret. Like kissing your best friend’s little sister on her sweet sixteen and then letting her believe it was all a dare. I’ve tried my best to move on from Holly St. James over the years, but how do you forget the girl you fell in love with before you even liked girls? When the opportunity arises to work closely with Holly, I jump at it. Unfortunately, the woman does her best to ignore me. So, I devise the only plan I can think of to get her attention—the hate note game. Anything to get her to talk to me. Because there are things she needs to know. First, how sorry I am. Second, I’ve never stopped loving her.

USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Peel presents a swoony holiday romance that proves when it comes to falling in love, sometimes all it takes is a little hate.

©2024 Jennifer Peel (P)2024 Jennifer Peel

Your Next Favorite Listen!!!

This is the Christmas rom-com story you need in your life! The perfect balance of laughter, emotions, hatred (think enemies-to-lovers), healing, swooniness and love!!! Seriously it is the BEST!!! And these two narrators together are perfection! I loved how they brought the story to life and created more chemistry between these two characters!!! Give me books narrated by Stephanie Rose and Stephen Dexter any day!!!

I was dying to enjoy this one with all of the teasers that Jennifer Peel was sharing for it. And let me just tell you that I squealed and did a happy dance with lots of giggles when it was available!!! Oh! My! Heart!!!! It's adorable! That prologue will have you all kinds of cheering for Holly and Brandon! But be warned...you might want to give Brandon a talking to, cause hello!!! How could he ever walk away from Holly?! There are some circumstances that cause them to go their separate way but oh la la to when they finally meet up again. Holly is a tough nut to crack but Brandon is not walking away from her again. Be still my heart!!!

The Merry Little Hate Notes are the icing on the cake! I was cracking up listening to them. So clever! I loved Holly's spin on the sticky note messages. It was the best watching her come out of her shell.

Things I absolutely loved:
The TED talk *swoon*
Working in the bathroom *giggling*
Christmas Tree Hunting
Her Dad
His Parents
Blue sticky notes
Work Forced-Proximity (no hiding this time Holly)
Workplace Holiday Cheer Activities *Good job sidekick*
Best sidekick EVER!!!! *You're going to love all of the conversations/thoughts about this*
That kiss *the first one and each one after*
Allllll of the Christmas vibes
Everything!!! *Seriously, I loved it all*

The cover is absolutely adorable and is a great portrayal of the cuteness you'll find within the pages. I will definitely be relistening to this one again here soon and getting a copy for my bookshelves!

I'm going to recommend listening this one with a cup of hot cocoa, a comfy blanket, some twinkle lights and some soft holiday music in the background. Just make sure you pause in your reading to drink your hot cocoa because you don't want to be spitting it out when you laugh. Fair warning! ;-) Maybe you'll even start your own little sticky notes messages with someone special out there! <3

Content: Some kisses and nothing more. The characters share a hotel room but nothing happens between them. There are a few mild swear words. ****Trigger warnings: Death of a relative and talk of a secondary character who is an alcoholic****

Happy Listening and Note Writing and Giggling and Swooning!!!

Perfect Holiday Story!

This is the perfect story to read this holiday season. It’s a captivating journey filled with the essence of Christmas, and a lovely second chance romance.

I love books that blend poignancy with lightheartedness, and this one does it incredibly well. It was funny, romantic, and had a lot of depth to it. I’m sure I had a goofy grin on my face most of the time I was listening to it, but there were a few scenes that had me teary eyed. it was a more emotional read than I was expecting, and I absolutely loved it.

What I loved:
Second chance romance
Brother’s best friend
Forced proximity
Slow burn
Tangible chemistry
The TED talk
HS flashbacks
Holly’s sweetness
His mom is his wingman
Christmas Tree Hunting
Hate to love notes
Healing for both MCs
Christmas vibes
Bonus chapter & epilogue

This is a book that I can honestly say I loved everything about it. Jennifer’s skillful balancing of lighthearted moments and emotional depth made for a fun, engaging and uplifting read. Don’t miss out on this enchanting tale this holiday season!

🎧 The narrators did an amazing job, and made it a joy to listen to. They were outstanding!

Best Holiday Romance of 2024

Merry Little Hate Notes is Jennifer Peel’s newest stand-alone Christmas romantic comedy. Like all of her books, this story contains no sex scenes or profanity.
Holly is approaching her thirtieth birthday, which occurs on December 21. Holly enjoyed a nice childhood, raised by loving parents who had successful careers, and an older brother. Holly’s first bit of sadness occurred on her sixteenth birthday, when her next-door neighbor, Brandon Cassidy, kissed in her in a closet at her birthday party. However she found out from her brother, Christian, that he did it on a dare. Then a few months later, Holly discovered something terrible about her mother. She wanted to discuss it with Christian, but he was killed in a skiing accident before they got to talk. Her parents’ marriage imploded and her father drowned his sorrows in the bottle, losing his professorship at a nearby university. Holly went to college but didn’t pursue law school, instead going to work at Mr. Cassidy’s business so she could support herself and her father. Holly’s father has been sober for almost a year now, and he’s teaching at a local community college.
Holly is very successful at her job at Mr. Cassidy’s company, but she’s not working at her full potential. She is an introvert who is a master of spreadsheets. When the open office concept gets too much for her, she works from the sofa in the women’s restroom, where she overhears the office gossip. Holly’s plan is to get ahead financially enough so she can move out of the home she shares with her father (she has been the breadwinner), and share an apartment with her lifelong best friend, Carmen. There are many Friends references.
Brandon Cassidy feels guilt about what happened with Holly, Christian, and their family. Brandon considered Holly to be a playmate/sister until she was in her teens, when he developed a crush on her. He fought it until her sixteenth birthday party, knowing it would cause problems between him and Christian. So when Christian found out, he lied and said it was a dare, not anticipating that it would get passed back to Holly. He knew that Brandon had consumed beer before going skiing and regretted that he didn’t try harder to stop him. After college, Brandon took a job with his father’s software company, Elevate Technologies, but worked in their North Carolina office.
When Holly’s supervisor, Marisol, resigns her job to become a stay-at-home mom, Brandon comes to the Colorado headquarters to help out temporarily until her replacement can be found. Holly is then assigned to work with Brandon, which makes her want to move into the women’s restroom. Mrs. Cassidy decides that Brandon needs help to win Holly’s affection and insists on being his wingman. Holly and Brandon always had a thing where they left each other insults on Post-It notes; Mrs. Cassidy fixes up a goody bag for Holly and includes some Christmas-themed sticky notes for her to use. Mrs. Cassidy devises a workplace competition of Christmas activities and with her husband’s agreement, sets up Brandon and Holly as partners.
Now the reader knows that Holly and Brandon belong together, but they have multiple obstacles to overcome. Holly has a good job in Colorado but wishes she could someday attend law school. Brandon has some guilt about Christian, and he lives in North Carolina. If he moves to Colorado and permanently replaces Marisol, then Holly would have to change positions. Additionally, Holly isn’t trusting enough that her father can function without her assistance. So the reader is trying to figure out how they’re going to make everything work out to arrive at a happy ending.
This is the best Christmas romantic comedy that I have ever read, and my favorite of the author’s stories. Although they have a shared tragedy in their past, both Holly and Brandon are people who adapt and move forward with their lives. The shared tragedy is not the focus of the story; it’s explained but the story takes place in the present. The characters are engaging; the story is well-written; the family and workplace dynamics are realistic; and the plot and pacing are spot-on. Everything about this story is perfect.
These are what make Merry Little Hate Notes special (in no order):
• Spectacular chemistry between Holly and Brandon
• Many pop culture references, particularly Friends and shopping at CostCo
• The witty Post-It notes, both past and present
• Love between family members
• Strong, successful female characters
• Carmen, Holly’s Latino ride-or-die best friend
• Jason, the annoying co-worker who wears Axe body spray
• the Joel-Amy-Rita gossip in the women’s restroom
• description of workplace Christmas competition activities
• realistic story with minimal angst
• no profanity or sex scenes; can be read by readers of any age
In case you missed it, this is the first story that you should enjoy this holiday season. While I normally prefer reading to listening to audiobooks, the audio version was released first. It was superbly narrated by Stephanie Rose and Stephen Dexter. I recommend the audiobook first, because hearing Holly and Brandon’s innermost thoughts is very powerful. On the flip side, the reader actually views the hilarious Post-It messages at the beginning of every chapter in the book. I have already contacted the author, requesting that she write Carmen’s story.
I purchased an audiobook from Audible and a paperback from the author’s online store, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Oh wow! Fantastic Story, Fantastic Narration!!

Oh wow. I knew I loved this story because I read the physical copy first. Author Jennifer Peel is a master at creating characters with depth and character that you can relate to and root for. The whole hate note writing may or may not have inspired me to buy my own sticky note collection. 😂
Listening to this fun story brought a whole new dimension. The dual narration was FANTASTIC! Brandon and Holly came to life like Christmas magic. So, so good.
I loved everything about this listening experience. Now I need this to be made into a movie. That's the obvious next step, right?

🎄Holly Jolly🎄

Best holiday rom com of the year! I can’t step foot into Costco without thinking of Brandon and Holly. Mangos anyone? Their love-hate relationship spans decades and brings all the feels. The narrators brought their characters to light perfectly! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sweet Holiday Romance

I love Jennifer Peel books and read them as soon as they come out. This one was no exception and I loved it. I’m not sure how, but listening to the audio book makes them even better!
The story was so cute, I loved that his mom was his “wingman”. And that Holly got her HEA even though her life wasn’t perfect.
The narrators did a great job and I’m looking forward to listening to it again. A+++

Lots of laughter and a few tears

Any book that teams this author with these narrators is an absolute joy.

Jennifer Peel has a talent for breaking your heart and then putting it back together piece by piece as the characters grow and heal together. Enemies to lovers can fall flat when there isn't a significant reason to keep the couple apart, but these two have a backstory that is layered deep.

Brandon and Holly need each other.
Expect forgiveness, second chances, and festive— sometimes Shakespearian insults that help Brandon and Holly heal in the only way that makes sense to them. And Brandon's wing-mom.

I may never get over that TED Talk.💗

I love Stephanie Rose and Stephen Dexter together.💞 No one else would have done this story justice.

No hate for this book!!

The sweetest little Christmas book I have read all season! Performance was great as well!

What a feel good!

This book was good for the soul a gentle love story and the perfect book to get you back into the Christmas spirit if you’ve lost that joy.

The definition of adorable- this book is a must read!

Next to second chance in the dictionary it should say Jennifer Peel, who in my opinion, is the queen of this trope and always keeps it fresh. I just want to eat her books all up. Merry Little Hate Notes is a total winner with second chance vibes, some enemies to lovers delicious friction, work place romance (with a side of some close proximity), and so much more.

This new holiday romance is a MUST! I can’t say it loud enough how much I enjoyed this book. Brandon and Holly were so like-able. I love how Peel wrote these powerful and heartfelt backstories for her characters and the growth and development they experience throughout the book. The dual POV in this novel provided layers to both MCs that made me love them all the more. This seriously is a new favorite book for me. Plus, the sticky notes melted me and I have to say, the wittiness was top notch.

Now I need to pause to slow clap for the narrators who did such a wonderful job with bringing Brandon and Holly to life. Stephanie Rose completely encapsulates Peel’s heroines whenever she narrates one of her books and she nailed it with Holly. I also really liked Stephen Dexter for Brandon and hope to pick up more books he has narrated. Ten out of ten, I totally recommend this swoony and fabulous book.