Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal

Had you previously read "How My Neighbor Stole Christmas" before reading "Merry Christmas You Filthy Animal?" If so, were you excited to get Max's story (and to revisit Cole and Storey)? If not, did you feel like you missed out on anything by not having read the earlier book? Will you go back and read it now?

Max and Betty have quite the meet cute! What did you think about their initial interactions?

Are you generally a fan of the rivals to lovers romance trope? What did you think of how it was executed in this book?

Max can come across as immature at times. Did you find his personality annoying or endearing?

As it turns out, Max and Betty have fairly similar personalities. They are both awkward, sweet, and a little off-the-wall. Did this make them perfect or each other or do you think they'd be better off with someone who grounds them more?

Did you find the high levels of awkwardness cringe-worthy or hilarious?

Do you enjoy a lot of humor with your romance? What were some of the scenes or interactions from the novel that had you laughing out loud?

The title comes from the movie "Home Alone." How many references and easter eggs from the Christmas movie classic did you notice?

The back half of this book got spicy! What did you think of the spice levels? And... will you ever look at popcorn garland and chocolate-covered cherries the same?

If you listed to this as an audiobook, how did you like the full cast narration?

Should the Hallmark channel adapt this book into a holiday movie? Who do you envision in the lead roles?