3.5 stars, but rounding up because I love Julie Murphy so much.

This was a cute and fun, yet predictable, Christmas romcom. A little out of place to read in the late summer (it has a September release date), but fun nonetheless. The concept is great: undercover porn star tries to break into acting by starring in what is essentially a Hallmark Christmas movie with a digraced former boy band star. Of course they fall in love, duh. The supporting cast was excellent and I'd definitely read an Angel/Luca spinoff, or more about Gretchen and Pearl making movies together.

My biggest drawback from this was I felt like it was too long. Too much wallowing and debating and atoning for the past.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Merry Little Meet Cute was pretty much an adorable holiday romcom to jump into. It definitely gave me Hallmark or Lifetime holiday movie vibes. Which, I could and would totally watch a movie if it was ever about this book. Just saying.

In this, you will meet Bee and Nolan. Bee, aka Bianca, is an adult movie star and Nolan is an ex-boy band star and her long-time crush. It's safe to assume that she slightly freaked out when she realized that they were co-stars. I mean, I would probably freak out internally too if I was in her position. Let's be real, externally too.

Luckily, she's not along in the crush obsession realm either because he also has a crush on her. So, yes, it felt like a match made in movie heaven. The chemistry between these two was so freaking good. Of course, they had to try and keep things on the down low because who knows what would happen if someone found out.

In the end, I was not disappointed one freaking bit by everything. It was so easy to devour this book in one sitting. Definitely happy that I got the chance to jump into this and can't wait to buy the physical once it has been published. Also, will be on the lookout for the next holiday romcom Julie writes!

Based on the cutesy cover this had WAY MORE steam than I was expecting! Whoa! Like melt your kindle level steam!

What worked for me:
* as cheesy as Hallmark movies are, I LOVE them! I was glad they were filming a Hallmark type Christmas movie so the setting was perfect
* body positivity
* celebrity crush trope
* steamy!

What didn't work:
* even though I don't mind that it was super steamy there were some cringe-worthy moments
* a few too many supporting characters.
* the pacing was a bit off

Overall, it's a steamy romcom that will get you in the holiday spirit!

3.5 stars

Spicy and sweet! Our main characters both have their reasons to co-star in a cozy holiday movie, and they also have secrets to hide! The spice factor is very high on this one! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A hilarious fish out of water romance. The premise made for a fun and entertaining ride. The chemistry between Nolan and Bee was off the charts. I enjoyed how the story went deeper than their physical attraction, and explored their personal vulnerabilities. If you’re looking for a spicy yet heartwarming story, read this!

"A Merry Little Meet Cute" was...cute. That being said, I don't think it lived up to the promise of the excellent premise,. I had difficulty connecting with the characters and the balance of light silly romance and serious issues and background constantly felt slightly off. That being said, I will definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a fun holiday romcom this year. The authors' skill and experience is clear throughout--no cringe worthy dialogue that is so common in romances, lots of very genuinely funny parts, and decently well rounded background characters and locations. And even though the premise doesn't quite live up to my expectations, it is still a good enough premise to carry the book pretty far! It was just our two leads I could never quite connect to.

A Merry Little Meet Cute is an adorable "get you in the holiday spirit" book. Quick read that I throughly enjoyed. The characters, the storyline and the setting is perfect for all the Christmas feels. Can't wait to reread In December!
Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

A Merry Little Meet Cute was a really fun and sexy holiday romcom. There are a ton of great tropes in the novel like: forced proximity, workplace romance, celebrity crush, pining, and forbidden romance. Don’t let the cutesy cover fool you though - this book is spicy! Nolan and Bee have some super hot scenes (the church!) that definitely left me fanning myself. Even though it’s instalove, I liked how things ultimately developed between these two self proclaimed bi disasters and felt that the build up was really well done. What I loved most though, was how Bee and Nolan were fans of each other at different points in their lives. For both of them this was a celebrity crush dream come true.

The pacing of the book was on the slower side for me thanks to the numerous secondary characters & storylines to keep track of. This bogged down the story and made the book feel overly long. I didn’t mind the 3rd act drama too much and thought the conflict was understandable given their histories and concerns. The story set the stage for future books possibly featuring Angel, Kallum, and/or Isaac (I’m especially intrigued by his backstory) and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next.

I both read and listened to A Merry Little Meet Cute and thought the narration was well done. I enjoyed both Joy Nash and Sebastian York’s performances, but I did feel that Sebastian York sounded a bit too mature for Nolan. He did a great job as always, but I felt he was more suited for the Teddy character versus Nolan. Joy Nash is new to me and she really shined in her chapters. She had so much energy and was perfect as Bee.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 4 stars

CW: death of a parent (past), bipolar disorder (secondary character), financial insecurity, sexual shaming/stigma, fat phobia, biphobia, FMC mentions threat of revenge porn (past), negative & threatening social media posts/comments

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

I really enjoyed this book. I was already a fan of Sierra Simone but this book was a great addition to my book collection.

Can you say "sugar cookie lube and gingerbread junk"?

This is my first holiday read of 2022 and it's gunna be hard to beat! 𝗔 𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗬 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗘 has ALL of the good things: sizzling chemistry, sex positivity, so much freaking steam, great side characters, snort-laughs, and a true connection between the leads.

I effing loved that each of these main characters was the other's fantasy, but those silly fantasy ideals changed as they came to truly know each other. Bee and Nolan are sweet, spicy, and seriously lovable.

I also want to stand and cheer at the way Bee, as a plus-size heroine, was handled. Bee's body size was one part of who she is, not her entire identity. And Nolan craves and desires her...full stop. No explanation needed.

When the lead's plus-size body is just written about non-stop it starts to feel...
(1) the ONLY characteristic she can have
(2) the need for the make lead to constantly repeat how into her "softness" he is 🙄
(3) cam feel almost fetishizing (to me, anyway).

𝗔 𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗬 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗘 strikes the perfect balance of addressing being a plus-size woman and the challenges that come with that, but not beating it to death.

Don't let the cutesy title or cover fool you, this book is melt-yo-kindle HOT. There is holiday scented lube for dayyyys.

I listened to the audio version of this book and it was good, but not great. Decent narrating that could be a bit dry and flat here and there.

Seriously, put 𝗔 𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗥𝗬 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗘 on your holiday wishlist now and you can than me later.

𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: Rated NC-17 / 5+ sex scenes, harsh language. *MIGHT* include props/bondage.
𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: bipolar disorder (side character), past death of parent, fat shaming (challenged), slut shaming (challenged)
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗦: 2/5 - A bit of drama, but still a pretty light read.

I actually really liked a lot about this book, from the adult film star FMC to the MMC who saw and accepted and liked her exactly as she was. I did think it was weird that in a book that featured an adult film star heroine with a suitcase full of sex toys, none of the actual sex scenes used any of the toys. It just kept teasing and hinting at it but never actually went there. I've read Sierra Simone before and she's pretty risqué with her sex scenes. Having never read Julie Murphy before, I'm going to guess that this was the compromise reached by both authors to land on a place that seemed comfortable to both. That being said, I liked the characters and I hope there are books coming with the rest of the INK band members.

When a super famous porn star gets the accidental chance to star in a Hallmark type holiday movie, she jumps on it. Especially when her co star is her favorite boy band crush. The sex industry meets straight laced family films is a super cute meet cute. It provided a great cast of characters and the clear opportunity for some serious heat and steam. However, as cute as it is, it just felt a little too much for me. It was almost like that thing they say about taking off an accessory before you leave the house. One more trip through to remove an over the top thing would have given it a little less flash and maybe a bit more depth to love the relationship even more. Cute, fast, easy, but just a smidge too much.

I somehow didn't know this was about a porn star, so that was a pleasant surprise. Much like in The Roommate, the porn industry is presented positively as sex work, which I think is fine. I don't think it's as successful as The Roommate in the actual romance, though. Bee and Nolan are both performers AND they're both fans of one another with celebrity crushes. This shallow attraction didn't seem like it changed all that much, despite attempts to show that. It is much spicier than The Roommate, but if you're going to introduce sex toys onto the page, you should at least use them. 🤷

This was my first time reading a collab book from Sierra Simone. She & Julie did an amazing job on this story. Love that they tackled subjects that people tend to steer away from. I love that they have a plus sized heroine who is a sex worker. Loved Bee & Nolan. Their chemistry was intense! Hope that Julie & sierra write more books together!

ooooohhhh lawd *fanning myself*…….this book was like if pornhub and hallmark had a baby and I’m not sure how to feel about it. I loved the dual POV, the sweet, smitten feelings of both characters, and that their chemistry is explosive. Smutty books don’t bug me, but some of the vocab used here made me cringe. Overall adorable and worth the moments that made me uncomfortable to read it on an airplane.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fun and witty read! This type of plot could easily be turned into a movie. I appreciate that Bee Hobles was a character that shed light on the sex work community because it’s often looked down upon. Bee is a character that knows her self-worth and I really do admire that. I also love the celebrity trope so the fact that Bee got an acting job with her celebrity crush, Nolan Shaw, was top-tier content for me.

This was so cute! A wonderful romance, filled with witty banter, delightful characters, and just enough steaminess. A must read for romance lovers!

I have read about half of this book, and I am not comfortable with the amount of pornography and sexual references in the novel, so I will not be reviewing this on my account. I do like the small-town Christmas setting, and there are some scenes with the characters that I have enjoyed.

Not gonna lie, I found this to be a bit too long and a tad bit boring, but also, I didn’t hate it.

Perhaps my expectations were too high, or maybe it really was the length of the book, but I really wanted to love this and I’m sad I’m not typing in all caps right now in adoration.

The romance was also not really doing it for me? I mean, two weeks? It was giving more “you’re my fantasy” than it was “I’m in love with you”, you know? I mean, I’d claim love if I ever came face to face with my favorite pornstar, but would I already hear wedding bells?? Hmm.

Ok ok, I did say I didn’t hate this and I didn’t! It was pretty hot, but nothing to reach my bedside table over. I think a lot of people will really love this though, and I really hope they do!

The premise of this rom com is totally unique and one I haven't read before -- a very successful porn-star and a former Boy Band personality end up starring in a Christmas movie.

This is one of the funnier books in this genre that I have read -- it had me laughing and smiling throughout. I adored both Bee and Nolan and the supporting characters are all great as well - very memorable, and I found myself missing everyone when I finished.

The setting for this is a perpetual Christmas town, called Christmas Notch, in Vermont. The setting was one of my favorite parts - I could visualize Christmas Notch so well, all the different parts of the movie set as well as the town itself.

The sex in this book is pretty detailed and if that's not for you, definitely skip this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!