Merry with My Family: A Christmas Comedy
Series: Family Comedy Trilogy, Book 2
Written and Narrated By: Shelton Johnson
Length: 2 hrs and 43 mins
Not quite as hiLARious as Book 1, but still got m’ Chucklesome Ya-Yas out!
Did you listen to author Shelton Johnson’s first offering? The one where he takes his quite possibly “The-One-Girlfriend” to meet his whoooole family for Thanksgiving?
Oh ya gotta! Do that, then come right back here because the chaos continues in Merry with My Family. This time, however, Stuart has married Tiffany and they’re off to fly to California to spend Christmas with HER family. What could go wrong? CERtainly Tiff’s family has GOT to be more stable than Stuart’s, correct?
Not quiiiiite. Her dad Frank and mom Nancy have split up but are still living together. Acrimonious Acrimonious Acrimonious, my GOSH! But Tiffany secretly hopes the Spirit of Christmas, the act of following old family traditions will work its magic and her folks will magically come to realize their undying love for each other and become reunited.
Uhm, did I mention that thing about Acrimonious? Stuart is stepping into a world o’ landmines and held grudges. Plus, Frank does NOT take it well when Nancy, all 55-years old of her, has her new date come to the door… and he’s all of 23. And did I mention that Tiff’s family has a family member who’s an ex-con? And that the entire clan is waaaary of menfolk showing up to door with a hand held behind his back? Sure, it’s flowers this time, but hey! The young twerp was ASKING for it, so only NOW will they put the knives and such all away. Bullet dodged (No pun intended…)!
Things are going from bad to worse with Tiffany’s sister Theresa (Who has a gap in her teeth, like, a MILE wide!) hating Stuart and loudly proclaiming that No Man of Hers would ever be allowed to have any say in Anything She Does, thereby encouraging Angel, Tiff and Stuart’s daughter, to leave the festivities posthaste… and okay okay okay, Angel is Stuart’s Step-father, but still!!!
Neither does it help that Frank AND Stuart AND Grandpa George are, like, perpetually randy (And dude! They’re in no waaaay shy about letting THAT be known). Hijinks ensue.
P’raps right about now I should mention that this story, the writing style, is an exercise in No Holds Barred and hey! PC? Whazzat?!
Things are aaaalmost as ribald and raunchy as Thankful for My Family was what with pretty near every man in this is popping little blue pills and soon become worried that their erections are ill-timed or have lasted for near ‘bouts 4 freaking hours.
Things are fraught and tense between Frank and Nancy, between Stuart and Theresa, and oh no! between Stuart and Tiffany. How on earth will the Spirit of Christmas prevail? And will Chris, otherwise known as Klepto, EVER stop his sleights of hand?
Johnson once again narrates this himself, and unfortunately he doesn’t do the bang-up job he did last time. Here, there’s a bit of a flatness to his voice where, really, this Christmas is FRAUGHT with flared tempers, unwanted mice, and tension you could cut with a knife, preferably one of the big chef’s knives from the kitchen. Oh wait, that one is reserved for flower-wielding 23-year-olds. The writing is truuuuly saucy and sassy and there are some Ooooooh! did s/he really just say that moments that could’ve been relayed in a Burn That Bridge to Cinders manner which Johnson kinda missed out on. Still?
Did I mention that the saucy and sassy writing saves the day? I didn’t? Okay, lemme just say that it DOES!
Nope, not the best of the Trilogy, tho’ I’ve yet to find the third anywhere on audiobook as of this writing. That this is a biiiiit of a letdown in no way will dissuade me from snatching Book 3 up when please gosh please gosh please gosh, it becomes available.
Chucklesome and snort-inducing. What’s not to love?!
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