Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Not Home Alone Review




She just walked into her dream Christmas rental… and found her worst enemy already unpacked.

Eternal optimist Merrily Tucker is excited to spend Christmas in the most beautiful house in town; a twinkly, tinsel-lined rental that’s just hers for the holidays. But inside is one big problem… the man who once turned her down in front of the whole of Holly Grove, irritatingly handsome, certified Grinch Grant Moody. He says he’s the owner. And he’s planning to spend Christmas here too.

The town might think he’s a playboy, but Grant Moody is determined to spend his Christmas nights alone. Zero decorations, a ban on baked goods, and definitely no holiday spirit. A mix-up with the rental company isn’t going to get in his way. Even if the woman at his door is the irresistibly gorgeous one-who-got-away Merrily Tucker…

Merrily and Grant are both too stubborn to leave.

Battling for control over what music plays on the speakers and heaving Christmas trees in and out of the house, they find themselves all tangled in tinsel. But Merrily’s “when I think about you, I touch my elf” t-shirt has Grant’s candy cane tingling in a way that begs the question…

Secretly, do they actually want to be home alone together this Christmas…?

An enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity Christmas romance perfect for fans of Meghan Quinn, Lucy Score and Ali Hazelwood. Holiday cheer in female form + the six-foot grump she loves to hate = the perfect festive read.

TROPES:
Forced proximity

Enemies-to-lovers

Fake dating
Spice levels 🌶️ 🌶️

My thoughts:

This book is set in a small town. I mean a town so small that a public slight can haunt people for a decade. So when Merrily comes back for a visit over the holidays, she's excited to spend time with her family while still having a private space for herself. But she opens the door to find the bane of her existence already in her private space.
 
Grant hasn't stopped thinking about Merrily for all these years, and is keenly aware of what the town thinks of him due to a teenage choice. But things are changing, and working together with Merrily is the best thing for him, and for the town. Or is it?
 
This is a very fun holiday story.  The tropes are a bit predictable, but not in a bad way, and it is a very hot story! My absolute favorite though is the town play, and all of the quips and mystery that comes with it. I absolutely recommend this book for a hot, fun, holiday read. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy. 

What readers are saying about Kayley Loring:

“I am having trouble words-ing right now because this book was AMAZING… THAT’S how much I loved this book… pretty much ticks every box there is… And Declan… sheesh… I can’t even… will be burned into my memory for the rest of my days… had me snort-laughing over and over again. It’s so funny!!!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“5 Jingle hop stars… This is my absolute fave Christmas read of the season… It is that good!!… the banging chemistry that these two possess, the humor—did I mention the humor! I love this book so much I want to hug it!!… comedic brilliance tied together with sexiness from another planet… It’s like the author reached deep into my soul, pulling out all my favorite things in an alpha hero, and the heroine was the stuff dreams are made of… I can’t wait to dive back in immediately.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“This book is PERFECT! I think I may be on a book-high (is there such a thing?) right now, but this was just spot on!… WOW! This was my first book by Kayley Loring, but I sure do want to read more! There’s a huge smile on my face.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“5+ STARS!!… PERFECT… so amazing… I almost died in the chapter 24. Just hilarious… This is hands down the best rom-com I’ve read this year.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“5 Oh, My Gawd Stars… So Sexy… And Cute… And Unbelievably Romantic, and made you want more… So go and read this, I promise you will be facepalming and giggling.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Every once in a while you come across a book that just blows your mind. That you smile all the way through, that you fall desperately in love with… makes you swoon, laugh out loud, and makes you highlight every other sentence! THIS was that book! There aren’t enough stars to rate this, five is definitely not enough!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Author Bio

Kayley Loring is an Amazon Top 25 and USA Today bestselling author of spicy romantic comedies. Read or listen to her books when you want humor, heat, and heart. You’ll enjoy top-notch banter, strong heroines, lovable characters you’d want to know in real life and you’ll swoon over perfectly imperfect book boyfriends. All Kayley Loring books are steamy open door romance. Be sure to check out her next-level audiobooks!


 
















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