Do not let the cover deceive you because this book is in the naughty list. Like seriously, I came here expecting cute Christmas romcom, and this was everything but that.

Now, here's why I rated it 3 stars. The first half of the book was amazing. I loved the jokes, the chaos, the banter, and overall, everything. It was a bit spicier than what I'm used to, but I was ok with that. The second half was a different story. It changed to a slower pace, the banter was barely there, and basically the things I liked were gone. Another thing is that there is a particular scene (that I will not spoil), that made me uncomfortable and I had to skip that.

But, I have to admit that I loved the diverse characters, the talk about body image, the descriptions of the scenery, the whole Christmas atmosphere.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Avon for providing me this ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary hard-copy ARC & the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone *is* very very cute (sorry) & just an overall positive read where people support & love each other. Then factor in the steam (sex in a church, anyone?) & you have something that is wholesome & love affirming & also pretty darn dirty.

Adult performer Bee Hobbes is offered the chance to act in a Christmas Hallmark-ish movie but she has to be careful that no one realizes she’s actually adult film star Bianca von Honey.

But her costar & former boy band member Nolan Shaw recognizes her right away bc he’s a huge fan.

He keeps her secret & when the sparks finally ignite, the book went up in flames & I grabbed my fire extinguisher .

The steam in this book is stellar. But I think what really makes the book stand out for me is how much respect the leads have for each other, their total lack of judgement, their support for each other’s goals & wishes, & just how harmonious they are, in bed & out.

It really felt to me like this couple is going to go the distance.

The support didn’t just extend to the leads either. There are so many loving secondary characters, so many people rooting our precious & libido-happy leads on.

Other things I love? Their confidence & maturity, the body positivity, the bisexual rep, how you can tell how much Nolan has grown since his boy band days (but how he still likes to have fun), & the funny mix-up when the other adult film employees show up to work the Hallmark-ish movie set.

This is a great time!

4.5⭐️. Out 09/20.

CWs: a former revenge porn attempt. Some fatphobic members of porn community. Reference to a previous death. Mother is bipolar.

[ID: a white woman wearing a red dress holds the book in a greenhouse.]

This book will tick very many boxes for many different readers making it a must read.

A Merry Little Meet Cute is a fabulous balance of romcom hilarity and super hot interaction between the main characters.

Not only do we have an exciting storyline with eclectic characters but we have positive representation of many minority groups, most especially our plus size, porn star FMC.

Centred around the making of a Christmas movie, this is highly readable. However, don't be surprised by the missing sickly sweet, matching sweaters holiday cheer. It's so much more than the picture that this evokes.

A must read for anyone who likes hawt humour!

**4.5 stars** I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for this read!

This was the most funny, heartfelt romcom I have read in so long.

Why did I love this?
Bee was a plus size character and the inclusion was written so well. Plus both the FMC and the MMC were bisexual.

The stakes were high for both main characters in this book but the joy and cheer of being surrounded by Christmas in Christmas Notch, Vermont was felt through all the tension.

It was honestly the most wholly enjoyable book I’ve read in a while.

I loved the chemistry between Nolan and Bee. And the spice was just so amazing.

This book is perfection. I adored the way it handled plus size, bisexual, and sex worker positive representation while still being enduring and Christmas sweet. This combo of authors is an instant must read for me from now on!

4.25 stars

I really enjoyed this book! It had a really unique storyline and it sucked me right in. The book was a fun spin on a holiday book/Hallmark-Esque movie with a former boy band member and an adult film star. I also love the former/child celebrity crush trope in a book and this did it well. Bee and Nolan had a lot of chemistry and I was very invested in their relationship.

I really loved Bee’s character. She was so unapologetically herself. It was so great to see positive plus-size representation in a romance book. Nolan was a man obsessed before he even met Bee, which I love to see. I loved seeing the relationship he had with his family as well. The side characters also added a lot to the story and I hope we may get to see more of them in future books.

Knowing the conflict of their relationship, I was just waiting for it to all blow up and I feel that it could have happened a bit earlier so that we got to see more of Bee and Nolan in a relationship post-conflict.

This is a fun book set in a Christmas themed town where a Christmas film is being made. Think Hallmark or Lifetime movie, and a quaint New England town.

This wasn't the same as every other Christmas romance book, which made it even more enjoyable to me. These authors are perfection on their own, and together? MORE PLEASE.

I'm going to need to know what happens with Kallum, and Isaac, and especially Teddy & Steph!

Will definitely read more if this becomes a series.

Spicy. Like 3 1/2 peppers worth.

Oh! And I loved the reference to the Monks of New Skete. I was impressed that I got it. ;)

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Short Review: Body positivity, embracing your sexuality, and a little bit of Christmas magic. Seriously, what's not to like? All the stars.

"...I love you in the dark. I love you in the light. I love you everywhere."

Long Review: What else can I say? I loved this sweet little book. I loved the message that no matter who you are, how you look, where you came from, or the mistakes you made, you are an amazing human who MATTERS. Not to mention, the chemistry between Bee and Nolan is so sizzling hot I don't recommend reading this book at a busy airport ;). Phew. The sexual tension is real, people.

Get this one on your holiday MUST READ LIST.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
STEAM: 🔥🔥🔥

This is not your typical love story.

Bianca Von Honey has been given a new assignment. She is to star in a feel-good historical holiday romance that involves time traveling on the Hope Channel. Definitely a change of pace for the curvy beauty who normally works in the adult film industry. The only drawback to this change is that she must keep her current job and identity a secret, thus creating Bee Hobbes, up-and-coming Hollywood starlet.

What she did not bank on is being paired with Nolan Shaw, the former member of boy band INK and Bee's childhood idol.

Nolan has his own set of secrets. He is struggling to make a comeback to provide for his mom and sister, and he is on thin ice with his manager because of his bad boy image. This movie is his last chance, so he is vowed to celibacy. Unfortunately for him, the woman of his closed-door fantasies is now his leading lady. Can he keep his vow, and can Bee keep her secret?

This is definitely not your regular celebrity secret romance. I absolutely enjoyed the body positivity and the unconventional road to a happily ever after. Bee is definitely a boss. I love her confidence and self-awareness. I adore that Nolan embraces that completely and wholeheartedly. Their chemistry was on par; it felt natural for two people who have adored each other from afar prior to their actual meeting.

There were a few things that took me away from the full experience. For two sex-positive people, this was not quite as spicy as I expected. Their scenes seemed more aligned with the Hope Channel, which is unfortunate. I also found that it was hard to follow Nolan's drama because there was a lot going on and I felt like it required some mental gymnastics to get everything sorted out.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone, Avon and Harper, and Netgalley for providing an ARC. **

A VERY MERRY LITTLE MEET CUTE – Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone
Avon
ISBN: 978-0-063-22257-1
September 20, 2022
Romantic Comedy

Christmas Notch, Vermont – Present Day

Teddy, a porn movie producer, is trying to shift his career to mainstream television movie making, but his first project is in danger of not being made after his lead actress and other crew members suffer accidents that sideline them from filming. Desperately needing a lead actress for a film that starts shooting in 48 hours, Teddy enlists the services of his leading porn star, Bee Hobbes (aka Bianca Von Honey), and orders her to Vermont. But she must not tell anyone on the set what she really does, or Teddy might lose the contract he has with the squeaky-clean Hope Channel.

Bee enjoys her job as an adult star and is very popular on the fan site which is similar to OnlyFans. Flying out to Vermont for the movie gig, she’s looking forward to taking her career in a different direction, especially since the male lead opposite her will be none other than former boy band member Nolan Shaw, her teenage fan crush. But Bee is warned by Teddy that she can’t reveal to anyone, including Nolan, who she really is. Filming starts out great, including a hot kiss between the two stars, but Nolan soon reveals to Bee that he knows who she is—and that he is one of her biggest fans.

Nolan is trying to rehab his sunken career to help support his mother and sister. But he needs a squeaky-clean rehab after his bad boy antics ruined his music career and income. If the Hope Channel finds out that Bee is Bianca, a popular porn actress, they will torpedo the movie. After Nolan let it slips to her that he knows who she really is, they both agree to keep it a secret—but they can’t stop the mutual attraction that is brewing between them. As readers suspect, secrets have a way of coming out into the open.

There are multiple characters in A VERY MERRY LITTLE MEET CUTE that helps make it a funny tale, but it is the main characters, Bee and Nolan, who make it work. Bee is unabashed about her porn career. Even while in Vermont, she continues to make and upload videos that are available to her fans. At first, she doesn’t realize that Nolan is one of her subscribers until he accidentally blurts it out. The fact that he knows who she is only turns her on even more. Her teenage crush likes what he sees in her! It doesn’t take long before they’re sharing a few illicit kisses…and more. Can they keep their affair a secret? Teddy had warned Bee that she would be blacklisted if she got into any sexual escapades while filming the movie. They are walking a tightrope.

A VERY MERRY LITTLE MEET CUTE is a fun romp that seems like it could be part of a movie. Bee is a plus-sized porn star and loves sex. Nolan isn’t the bad boy despite his reputation. He is, however, one to be protective of others, including his mother and sister. Getting the leading man part in the movie will hopefully lead to more “clean” roles. But discovering that the producer and lead female star are from the “dirty industry” has him worrying about what will happen if the press finds out. But his attraction to Bee may end up “outing” the whole movie. Will that happen? Find out by picking up a copy of A VERY MERRY LITTLE MEET CUTE.

Patti Fischer

A sweet fun romance that I just loved! A perfect feel good read on a dreary day! Always a huge fan of sierra Simone!

DNF at 20%

I think this was a me problem, not a problem with the book. There’s a lot going on in this book with the FMC being an adult film star with an OnlyFans-esque account unexpectedly cast in a wholesome holiday movie and keeping that side of herself under wraps and the MMC being an ex-boy band star caught up in a sex scandal and trying to change the narrative by doing this movie. You’d think all of these things would be enough to keep my interest but I was bored. Neither of the main characters captured my attention and the side characters were a LOT, especially the ones from the adult film world trying (unsuccessfully) to keep their work experience to themselves.

I kept abandoning this, trying to come back to it and not succeeding. So, instead of being miserable and pushing through, I decided to call it quits.

Rating: Loved It, 4.5

A Merry Little Meet Cute is an adult, holiday romance novel in which Nolan, a washed up, bad-boy, pop star, and Bee, a plus-size, porn star, both attempt to make a new beginning for themselves on a squeaky clean Hallmark-esque Christmas movie. Obviously, romance ensues.

I thought that this had the potential to be so fun, so I requested it, and it honestly was so much better than I expected. I think that what surprised me was the depth of the characters underneath the funny rom-com type packaging. It gave me the Hallmark movie vibes I came to it for, but didn't have the super cheesy aspect of those that make me groan. The characters were really well-written in my opinion. I will say that they did read somewhat similar, and there was one time where I went into the chapter and had turned the page before I realized that we were in the opposite person's head. But honestly, that didn't bother me too much because I thought both characters were funny and it was entertaining to be in their heads.

The subplot where we examined each character's motivation for breaking into the Christmas move market was the best part of the story in my opinion. Nolan's mom is revealed to have bipolar disorder, and after their dad died things got really difficult for the family. She has difficulty finding medication to manage her disorder for long periods of time, and the balancing of the meds is really difficult. There is a conversation between Nolan and his mom in which they talk about the guilt that she feels in being able to be productive some of the time but not hold a job. And this really resonated with me and my family's situation. I thought it was a lovely moment and honestly is probably what bumped it up from a 4 to a 4.5 star read.

And then I loved how diverse this book was both our MCs are bisexual, Bee has lesbian mothers, many of her friends are queer, Bee herself is fat, and none of these characters were reduced to that single element about them. They just happened to be fat and queer and living their best life. There was a plot point around some of it, but it was never the sole basis of the plot.

The spice: I was somewhat taken aback at first by how explicit some of it was, but I realized that I signed myself up for that. It ended up being so fun. I enjoyed how sex positive it was, and I thought that it was a perfect level of spice. Side note: I'm not sure if this is a typical romance thing, but I HAAAAAATE when they say things like "I want to taste your sex". Like I feel like that just makes things weird. But other than that, definitely enjoyed it.

Overall, I loved this book and would definitely reread at some point. I highly recommend if you're looking for a fun, holiday romance that has a good amount of spice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. A Merry Little Meet Cute releases on September 20, 2022.

#AMerryLittleMeetCute:⁣
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Thank you so much @avonbooks and @harperaudio for the gifted copies. ⁣
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“I learned that love was sticking around and believing in someone even when it felt impossible”⁣
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I know I promised I wouldn’t post a lot of holiday reads until Oct, but I’m sorry, this just CANNOT wait. A Merry Little Meet Cute is everything. The book gods realized how mediocre August was and decided to bless me with banger after banger. AMLMC bangs harder (pun intended) than Rudolph’s hooves on the roof.⁣
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We have Bee (adult film star) and Nolan (ex boyband bad boy) starring in a Hallmark type holiday movie. They’re both holding secrets as to why they need this film to go off without a hitch. They’re both big fans of each other (Nolan’s posters are on Bee’s wall.. Nolan is a loyal subscriber at the Honey Pot level of Bianca von Honey’s ClosedDoors account) Should they pine for their new co-worker, or keep it strictly professional?⁣
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This book had my tinsel in a tangle with its grip y’all. I loved all the characters and just wanted a HEA so bad. Their chemistry, the banter, the sex positivity, body positivity, mental health rep, all of it was amazing. I did the audio when the kids weren’t around and Joy Nash/Sebastian York combo was perfect. They delivered on pacing and emotion, along with the grit in the smut scenes. Highly recommend, but make sure you’ve got headphones just in case 😉⁣
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Listen, the way I want all of these characters to have a book is a tribute to the writing. Give me a novella of Isaac and Brooklyn before, I want Kallum, Sunny, and Angel to alllll have books. ⁣
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Yes, there are “people who liked cheerful holiday shit and unabashed raunch” peoples is me, I am peoples. This book was made for me. This might be… wait for it.. the first 5 golden rings (you have to sing it) of 2022. 10000% #MellieClaus approved. A Merry Little Meet Cute is out 9/20!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Sierra & Julie’s team for hooking me up with my first Christmas-themed ARC!

RATING: 4.75/5 SEXY SUGAR PLUMS

I knew getting my hands on an ARC of this book would make my summer. Truly, nothing sounds better than reading a Christmas book in August when all I want is a little snow. Sierra Simone is one of my very favorites and Julie’s book Dumplin’ became the Netflix comfort movie of my dreams and feeds my Dolly Parton-loving soul. It’s safe to say that when this collab was announced, I was all-in without knowing more than the basics.

Hallmark movies hold a very special, gooey place in my heart. The concept of an adult film actress starring opposite an ex-boyband member in a purely-PG TV film is obviously not what you’ll see on their channel, but I prefer some spice with my sugar so…

Bee and Nolan know each other, but they’ve never actually met. He’s a fan and avid subscriber to her work, and she still has posters of his teenage face in her childhood bedroom. The meet-cute is indeed very cute (I’m a huge sucker for a mutual crush that is so strong that both people are just completely decimated by it) as the pair are forced together on a tight filming deadline- set to film all through the big holiday.

Bee wants to try out mainstream work, and the opportunity she’s gotten is one she couldn’t expect or prepare for. Keeping her Bianca von Honey alter-ego under wraps is the only kink in her plan. Nolan, once a big-time singer with a bad-boy image, has fallen from grace and needs this chance to repair his image once and for all. These motivations are pretty titillating to someone like me who is constantly reading life-or-death situation books and stress-drinking iced coffee, because it’s believable and yet the audience knows they can work it out.

I had a wonderful time reading this book- from the cozy setting to the sizzling corset scene (you’ll know the one), the authors knew how to make the two characters connect and then deepen that physical connection. I was really intrigued by all the characters’ interactions, from the main couple to the sidekicks that I’m hoping to see more of in the next book. My only gripe is not getting to know them juuuust a little more, but I’m very much a character-driven-and-obsessed reader and Sierra Simone eternally spoiled me with the Thornchapel series (if she sees this review I hope she knows I sobbed when I finished the series because I was “leaving my friends,” as I told my girlfriend who was seriously concerned).

TLDR: Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone really brought me ALL the gingerbread lube-vibes I could ever want in one book. For someone who loves tension and emotional torture in my romances, this book was such a great relief for my brain and my heart. Definitely can’t wait to pick up the next book in the series!

There's a lot that I loved about this book - body-positive, sex-positive; we have a former boyband member and porn star making a Hallmark-type movie - it had all the makings of a really cute holiday from com.

It's steamy, but actually a bit less steamy than I thought it would be? There were many teased scenes that I thought would go further. It was a bit too long near the end middle with some side character drama that I wasn't very invested in (and actually just forgot who some of them were).

I found the premise unique and cute, and the main characters likable but did want a bit more from them. Everything happens really fast especially on Nolan's end which is fine and makes sense, but they are filming a movie for a while but don't end up spending that much time together. Also we really never got to see any of the sex toys that kept being referenced! I think with knowing one of the author's usual steam level it was surprising to me that there wasn't more there.

I think it will be a fun book for the holiday season, but not a classic or one I'd pull out again.

This is a super lovely, sexy and thoughtful twist on a holiday romance. Nolan is trying to rehab his bad boy boy band member image, and Bee is trying to break into mainstream movies from her successful porn career, and they both need to play it cool and keep secrets to do it. And that never works.

Highlights:
Bee is a gorgeous, fat woman with a successful online platform plus many movies to her pornstar name, and she is prepared to deal with with the rejection of Nolan and others based on her body and her background. She loves herself and her body, but she knows how cruel people could be, and in a sexy twist, Nolan is one of her top tier subscribers. Her being his literal dream girl is so fun, especially because as he gets to know her, she becomes a real person with depth that he comes to love.

Nolan is trying to clean up his image so he can make enough money to support his mom, who has bipolar disorder, and his teenage sister. Bills are coming in, and his local job just isn’t cutting it. He loves them so deeply, and worries about being so far away from them for the filming, but makes it clear that his mom is incredible, doesn’t deserve anyones pity, and he is proud to be her son.

The Christmas town setting in Vermont is fun, and the mix of movie magic space and small town that caters to that is charming. Throw in some porn industry wardrobe, gaffers, and other crew members mixed in with the wholesome production company and there are some very funny moments.

Overall, I liked this one a whole lot, it’s charming and makes some great points about a lot of different topics. It was missing something that I can’t define that would have popped it up to 5 stars for me, but I still highly recommend it.

I am looking forward to listening to the audiobook, "A Merry Little Meet Cute" by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. I am a huge fan of Julie Murphy's other books. Since I was gifted the audiobook on Netgalley, I will post my review for the title on that Title Feedback. Thank you, thank you!

This was such a fun, spicy holiday romance! I love reading romances with fat MCs and Bee didn't disappoint. I can't count the number of times I literally laughed out loud!

I have enjoyed Julie Murphy's books in the past but I think this one just wasn't for me. It was just little too much for me who went in expecting a cute, cozy Christmas novel. (I hate having to give stars on this one and wish there was a Amy Poehler-esque Good for You, Not for Me button to hit.)