Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Merry and Bright
SERIES: Hartbridge Christmas
AUTHOR: N.R. Walker
NARRATOR: Glen Lloyd
PUBLISHER: Bluehart Press
LENGTH: 8 hours and 57 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 20, 2026
BLURB:
When given the opportunity to make his dream of owning his own bookstore come true, Winter Atkins couldn’t say yes quick enough. Moving to Hartbridge, Montana, with his favorite aunt is the adventure he needs to start over. And leaving behind a string of unhappy boyfriends because of his asexuality, Winter is all too happy to shelve the idea of dating forever.
Deacon Clark has never fit in. Autistic and neurodivergent, he excels in his studies and at his father’s veterinary clinic, but his social skills are lacking. He’s attracted to men, but his bluntness and aversion to physical touch have made dating impossible.
When Winter brings an injured cat into Deacon’s clinic, it sparks an unlikely friendship; something both men need more than they realize. Hartbridge’s Christmas Cupid has his work cut out for him this year. But with the help of two newly orphaned kittens, from friendship, the strongest bond forms.
REVIEW:
Note: This is the sixth book in this series and has major spoilers for all the previous books. If you’re OK with that, the you can listen to this as a standalone.
Win Atkins has moved to Hartbridge from Boise with his Aunt Rowan to open a bookstore on Main Street. He really likes the small town and is opening his bookstore in time for December 1 for the holiday season. When he accidentally has a car accident and ends up at the local veterinarian office and meets Deacon Clark. He is the vet on duty. When Win is upset, Deacon quotes one of Win’s favorite books to him.
Win then finds two kittens under his new store. He ends up back at the vet office 🙂 The kittens end up getting named Merry and Bright – thanks to Deacon. Win is charmed by Deacon but it’s clear he is not your everyday vet. He does offer to help Win at his store getting the inventory ready for the opening which happens to be the town Christmas tree lighting.
In the course of getting the store ready, Win meets a lot of the other townspeople. A number of the men tell him that he is clearly this year’s target of the Christmas cupid 😉 But having a relationship with Deacon may be challenging as Deacon is on the autism spectrum and touch averse. This isn’t a bit issue for Win though since he is homoromantic and asexual.
Deacon’s family and Ro support both Win and Deacon in figuring out what they each want and how they are going to go about making progress. Steps are slow, but steady 🙂
Honestly, this is such a sweet story! Win is adorable and Deacon is someone who needs to be approached in a certain way. I loved the parents and how the town accepts both men. Too bad there aren’t more small towns like this one where everyone is free to be themselves 😉 This is the sixth book in the series and it’s pretty inventive of the author to keep expanding this group of men finding happiness 🙂
Glen Lloyd is a great narrator. This is another terrific job. There are a LOT of characters in this one and I felt like the continuity from the previous couples/books was spot on! This series is a gem and the holiday feels are all there too. Recommended.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
