I love love love the fat and sex worker representation in this book, but for some reason it just wasn't for me. The writing felt so basic, which I was not expecting because I usually LOVE Julie Murphy's work. I am so disappointed, but I DNFed this book at 15 percent. I would still recommend it to others because of the wonderful representation. It just didn't click with me and I'm really not sure why.

The title of this romance is pretty misleading- yes, it's a take on a holiday movie. Yes, there are many tropes employed. But this is one super steamy romance that has a plus-size porn star and a former bad-boy pop singer at its heart. Hallmark movie it is not! Insta-love or not, I was enthralled by these two leads who know themselves, but need some time and space to know and trust each other. The background characters were hilarious, the mutual admiration society of the couple was well-done, and I was surprisingly invested in them growing as a couple. Four super hot and steamy stars!

This one was a serious miss for me. Nolan really oversexualizes Bee and he's just generally unlikeable. It's patently absurd that anyone thought they were going to release a "Hope channel" film with a porn star as the main character while meanwhile the INTERNET EXISTS.

It was all sex (described in a way that made me personally grossed out) and no romance and really didn't combat anti-fatness in the way it was attempting to.

Disappointing. I felt myself cringing and feeling awkward whilst reading, and ended up skimming my way to the end. A strange premise that was not done well.

Positively the most fun Christmas book I read this season. I loved everything about this one! A Hallmark type movie is filming staring an ex boy bander and an up and coming actress, who also works as an adult film star, but that is on the down low.
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This book is pure spice, but has so much heart, wonderful inclusion, body positivity, an amazing cast of characters and I couldn’t have loved it more.
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Thank you #avon and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

The cover deceived me! To have such a fun cartoon cover it gets dirty! The plot was hilarious and I really enjoyed the concept. I love hallmark movies and obviously the fictional movie company is modeled after that. To throw the porn stars in his comedic genius and I just really enjoyed it!

Adult film actress 'accidently' gets picked to star in wholesome Christmas movie with a conservative background.

Former bad boy singer looking to clean up his image in the same movie.

Thought the cover was most definitely deceiving 😂 Looks like it's going to be a cute Hallmark-y book, and it kind of is BUT WITH SPICEEEEEE!

Loved it! Thought it was cute and something different! I also always enjoy learning new things, however 'dirty snowball' is maybe something I shouldn't have Googled... 😅

This was not your typical sweet holiday book. This was more like holiday meets xrated. While it was cute it had more spice than I like. I want my holiday books to be like watching a Hallmark movie. Romantic and sweet with a happy ever after.

I was so incredibly excited about Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone’s Christmas book, A Merry Little Meet Cute, that I actually read it really close to its publication date. Which was, um, September 20. And here we are in *checks calendar* December and I’m finally writing about it. Oops. I’ve been shouting about to everyone who will listen though (and even some who won’t…) because I found this holiday offering so entertaining!

Here's the book’s description:
Bee Hobbes (aka Bianca Von Honey) has a successful career as a plus-size adult film star. With a huge following and two supportive moms, Bee couldn’t ask for more. But when Bee’s favorite producer casts her to star in a Christmas movie he’s making for the squeaky-clean Hope Channel, Bee’s career is about to take a more family-friendly direction.
Forced to keep her work as Bianca under wraps, Bee quickly learns this is a task a lot easier said than done. Though it all becomes worthwhile when she discovers her co-star is none other than childhood crush Nolan Shaw, an ex-boy band member in desperate need of career rehab. Nolan’s promised his bulldog manager to keep it zipped up on set, and he will if it means he’ll be able to provide a more stable living situation for his sister and mom.
But things heat up quickly in Christmas Notch, Vermont, when Nolan recognizes his new co-star from her ClosedDoors account (oh yeah, he’s a member). Now Bee and Nolan are sneaking off for quickies on set, keeping their new relationship a secret from the Hope Channel’s execs. Things only get trickier when the reporter who torpedoed Nolan’s singing career comes snooping around—and takes an instant interest in mysterious newcomer Bee.
And if Bee and Nolan can’t keep their off-camera romance behind the scenes, then this merry little meet cute might end up on the cutting room floor.
Personally, I’ve been describing this book as a sex-positive, fat-positive, holiday rom com with A LOT OF STEAM. It’s light on the actual Christmas celebrations and heavy on the sexy times. Prepare your reading mood appropriately.

Is this book perfect? Oh, definitely not. I didn’t get a good enough sense of Nolan and the two characters’ voices just didn’t quite seem distinct enough. The whole premise is laughable if you think about it too much (so I suggest you don’t – that’s part of the fun). But it’s so damn entertaining that you can’t help but love it, at least a little. That’s why I’ve been recommending it to so many people. It’s fun and a really great escape for a hectic time of year.

What also helped was I really liked both Bee and Nolan. They were great main characters, and I was deeply invested in their lives – both together and as separate people. Murphy and Simone created two people who were flawed, who had to fight against their circumstances, and were just such a joy to read about.

Anyone who enjoys festive-lite reads that are smart, funny, and sexy must pick up A Merry Little Meet Cute. Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone have created a novel that’s delightful and fun but also full of heart and important topics. The novel doesn’t take itself seriously but it’s not a joke, either. It’s so much fun and perfect for curling up with this holiday season.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

This book was just so so. The characters were kind of flat in my opinion and weren't ones that I particularly liked. Honestly the book wasn't all that memorable, even after finishing it I already pretty much forgot what happened.

I will not be reviewing any HarperCollins titles until the HarperCollins Union (Local 2110 UAW) has a fair contract. I support HarperCollins employees and believe they are not currently paid a living wage.

This was so much fun! This has all the Netflix/Hallmark Christmas movie vibes and is also HOT 🥵🥵🥵 I loved the dynamic between Nolan and Bee and how crazy they were about each other. I hope these authors plan to write more with each other!

**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

The chemistry between Nolan and Bee was obvious from their first meeting, but I felt like the relationship/emotional development was lacking for much of the book. That made it feel more like a physical only relationship between two people who had celebrity crushes on each other.

I had no idea spicy holiday was a thing but I am here for it 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Based on the cover you’d think this was a typical holiday rom com which it is definitely not and I absolutely devoured and loved it. It is spicy x100 but also with so much depth. I absolutely loved the message of the book, which is something I think the world could use a lot more of - maybe we don’t have to personally agree with someone’s else life choices for ourselves but we can be tolerant of differences and learn from other’s experiences…and also maybe we’re all a little kinky 😉 Seriously though, can you imagine a world where we didn’t automatically “cancel” people just because they choose a different path or have different opinions? What a place that would be ❤️ Please do yourself a favor and add this to your TBR!

A Merry Little Meet Cute

A Novel

By: Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

Publish Date: 20 September 2022

Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon

General Fiction (Adult). Romance, Women’s Fiction

#AMerryLittleMeetCute #NetGalley

100 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to first thank both Avon and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Good Reads Synopsis:

When Bee Hobbes takes the lead in a squeaky-clean romantic Christmas movie, there are only three rules:

1. Don’t get involved with anyone on set.
2. Don’t tell anyone what you do for a living.
3. Definitely don’t get involved with anyone on set.
3b. Seriously.

Now, she’s filming in Christmas Notch, a small town with Christmas trees and festive tunes all year round.

But Bee’s got a secret identity to hide, and it’s not family-friendly. And her co-star, Nolan Shaw, an ex-boyband member infamous for his own x-rated antics, not only knows it, but is secretly her biggest fan.

When things start to heat up on set, Bee and Nolan must keep this steamy affair under wraps, or risk ruining everything . . .

Book Review:

I gave this book 4 stars. For me the book started out a little slow but as the story progressed it got better. I love the two main characters in the story. I like how Nolan wasn’t worried about how Bee looked. I love the family and friendship that is portrayed in the story and how everyone is very supportive. I am glad that Bee had a positive attitude about her job as a porn star and her weight. I also liked how she wanted to do something better but wasn’t afraid to continue with her work as a porn star if need be.

This book is for adult’s only because it is very steamy and very bedroom detailed.

Not only does Bee have rules to follow that is listed above but so does Nolan by his Manager. Is Nolan as bad as everyone thinks? You will have to read the book to find out.

As much as I wanted to love this novel (Julie Murphy is one of my favorite authors), A Merry Little Meet Cute fell flat for me. The story itself was fine and is certainly a great book to read to get you in the holiday spirit, but it was missing the extra depth that I have come to expect from Murphy’s writing. If you are looking for a funny, mindless seasonal romance with some spice, this is the book for you.

This is a cute Christmas romance that takes place on the set of a movie. The main characters are not usually the type seen in romcoms. Bea is a porn star who wants to branch out into mainstream films, and her costar Nolan is a former boy band member with a shaky reputation. The Hallmark type channel doesn’t know about Bea’s alter ego (as Bianca Von Honey). Bea and Nolan need to keep both their affair and her identity a secret to protect the movie.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Oh hey! Festive and steamy. If you are looking for the perfect holiday read, this one is it. I enjoyed the behind the scenes of a movie set and play on the Hallmark Channel. It was just fluffy and cute all the way through. I fell in love with Bee as well. She was strong and confident which just made me feel that way myself. I loved the inclusive and positive vibes in this story as well as the banter and relationships. It was steammyyyyyyy and rompy for those readers who enjoy that in their romances.

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for a gifted copy.

(12/14/2022) 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Tis the spicy season! A cute little romance with great representation, positivity, and an entertaining romance. The book went on a little too long but I enjoyed it a lot.

#AMerryLittleMeetCute #NetGalley So fun and really sweet! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out! Really great read.