I love Sierra Simone’s books so really wanted to love this. I don’t know if I’m just not in the mood, but I’ve struggled to get through this I one. I love the premise—honestly I’m on board for anything that throws some steam into (typically wholesome) holiday romance! That said, I just didn’t buy the chemistry between these characters. They both had crushes on each other before meeting, which is fine, but everything about the attraction seemed surface level, and I wanted something deeper. And I wanted something more interesting from the sex scenes between these two. Bee has a whole suitcase full of toys! For this concept to work for me, the steam level would have had to get turned way up, and their relationship would have needed to be more developed.

I appreciated how sex positive the box was, and that it called out the double standards held for men and women in the entertainment industry, but in general I was kind of disappointed in this book. The plot was very silly and kind of raunchy (not in a good way). I also felt a little bit like Nolan fetishized Bee before he even met her, so their relationship seemed really weird to me. There were also SO many characters in this book, it was impossible to keep them straight.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to Avon for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was precious. I wasn't sure that was going to be the adjective I'd use going into reading it, but it honestly fits it so perfectly. The other adjectives I was going to use (steamy, hot, spicy) all still absolutely apply, but at its core, A Merry Little Meet Cute was an adorable holiday romance worthy of a...maybe not Hallmark, considering the commentary on the Hallmark-like channel at the center of this plot, but more like a Netflix holiday rom-com.

Bee is a porn star, both in films and in her "Only Fans"-esque website, who is trying to diversify her acting career by getting roped into starring in a Hallmark-type time-travelling Christmas romance. Nolan is a former boy band member with a tarnished reputation due to a scandal (involving America's sweetheart Olympic figure skater and a suspected orgy) trying to earn back his respectability and get jobs to provide for his family, and what better way to do that than by starring as the Duke in a holiday romance?

I adored every second of this book. They both had things to come to terms with, and honestly, the decisions they had to make had me hurting for them both, but I ended up adoring this and loving their romance. I gave this book a 5 out of 5 stars, and this will probably become a holiday re-read for me in the future.

So, when I got an email from goodreads asking if I wanted to enter the free giveaway for this title, I jumped on the chance! That impulse was quickly followed by this thought: “I wonder if the title is available on NetGalley…”

It was. I got it. And I read it in one sitting. And it was delightful. It was more graphic than I anticipated, but I’m no retiring violet and it served the story, given Bee’s job. And I really loved the whole idea of the movie and the town perpetually in Christmas mode. It was lots of fun. But, some real stuff, too and a couple of tears, rather surprisingly. I dug it. 💜📚

When I saw that Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone co-wrote this book, I was immediately intrigued and excited to read it. We follow the story of Bee (a sex worker/adult film star) who has been cast in a family holiday movie alongside Nolan, a former boy band heartthrob. Both characters have a lot at stake coming into this project, and they have to reckon with their individual situations along with their growing feelings for each other. I loved the characterization in this book, and how the growth of the main characters was explored throughout. The cast of side and supporting characters was also lovely, and I felt immersed in the world that Murphy and Simone created. I hope these two write more together because I will definitely read it.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the review copy.

A holiday tale where a plus sized porn star is cast in made for TV Christmas movie with a former boy band bad boy, how could I possibly say no? This books delivers all of the fun, humor and sex positivity you can hope for. I wasn’t quite sold on the relationship between Bee and Nolan. They were both attracted to each other before they met but outside of some vert apparent sexual chemistry their relationship never really gets more developed. A small quibble when you are reading the most original holiday book in recent memory.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone, as well as Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I smiled and laughed through the whole book. It was super cute and funny. For a book about a sex worker, the sex scenes were not super spicy, but that wasn’t why I wanted to read it. I love the light, funny, holiday genre of books.

I would 10/10 recommend this book to anyone who loves holiday romance. Can’t wait to read it again to get into the holiday spirit!

This review will be posted to my Goodreads and Amazon accounts immediately and to my instagram account @ginganinja333 upon publication on 9/20/2022.

When a porn star and a former boy band bad boy get cast in an innocent Christmas movie, the first word that comes to my mind isn't cute but that's exactly the word I would use to describe A Merry Little Meet Cute. I smiled through almost the whole book and truly couldn't stop laughing.

Bee and Noah have crushes on each other that are from their "before" lives. This makes for great tension and funny moments between these two. When the tension finally becomes too much, and they get together, it is perfect! Not only are our two main characters great but the entire supporting cast is sweet and hilarious.

The characters in this story are well-developed and interesting. The story has perfect pacing. The spice is good without being over the top or overwhelming the story, which is hard to do when one of the MCs is a literal porn star. It's a quick and great read if you like a spicy rom com that will make you smile and laugh. I whole-heartedly recommend this book!

*4.5

I had a really fun time reading this book. I enjoyed how sex work positive it was and I loved that basically every character was queer. Now for a book that features a sex worker and is written by the same person who write priest, I expected more kinkier sex scenes but I enjoyed the ones we got.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Merry Christmas in June? Regardless, this little rom com is a gift. I was familiar with Julie Murphy’s heartwarming YA novels going into this read, and am happy to report that this book delivers the same feel-good, sugar rush sweetness, just with some added spice. And I do mean SPICE, which should probably be evident from the fact that the female lead is a porn star who has just landed her breakout mainstream role in a Hallmark-esque Christmas movie. Throw in one washed up boy band bad boy in desperate need of a career rehab and a few heaping servings of fanfiction vibes, and you have an imperfect, but very fun romp of a book that is a fun read year round, not just during the holidays. I loved that both leads are bisexual, and was glad to see some mental health rep for people with Bipolar Disorders, though I can’t comment on whether the representation is good, as I am not a member of that community. All in all, this very sex positive book about a porn star and a pop star known for his inventive orgies somehow still manages to be extremely wholesome, and I highly recommend it for someone looking for a little cayenne pepper in your hot chocolate this holiday season.

A Merry Little Meet Cute releases September 20th. Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks @harpervoyagerus for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#holidayromance #christmasromance #romancebook #holidaybook #christmasbook #christmasinjune #juliemurphy #sierrasimone #spicybooks #celebritycrush #sweetromance #romancereads #romancebookstagram #bookstagram #avonbooks #harpervoyager

While this was cute, and a fun surprise from Julie Murphy, I did not really connect with Bee and Nolan as a couple. The chemistry was definitely there, but I was not feeling the love and relationship. They felt very flat together when there wasn't anything physical happening. Some spots felt very stilted and just kind of dragged on. I think the concept was great and it is a fun author combo, but just needed some refining.

Also, as a personal grievance, I was so annoyed that it kept being emphasized that people who watched Hallmark type movies also wouldn't like watching things with more spice. I can tell you for a fact that isn't true. We can be more than one thing!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh how much I loved this book. “A Merry Little Meet Cute” had EVERYTHING – beautiful fat girl MC who’s secretly a —, a former boy band singer trying to improve his PR image and taking care of his family back home, bisexual rep (from both MCs!), Christmas themed small town, and — positivity all around. This story brings the best of Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone to a really fun, really heartwarming, really — story that I couldn’t put down. Shelving this on my “Hallmark After Dark” (or should I say “Hope After Dark” *wink*) list, as well as my “must-read” holiday list!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon & Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a different type of storyline than I've read from this author before. Her other stuff I've read was juvenile fiction - "Puddin'" for example. I enjoyed it. It was a fun story. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. #NetGalley #AMerryLittleMeetCute

listen. i am an avid reader of both julie murphy and sierra simone. never in my wildest imagination did i expect a cross over..... however the universe knew i needed this one and now i need more!!!!

EVERY. CHARACTER. IN. THIS. STORY. IS. A. DELIGHT.
Bianca ‘Bee’ Hobbes is a plus-size adult film star who started her career on ClosedDoors under the pseudonym ‘Bianca Von Honey’. She is very body-positive about herself and her fan base only further validates her. She also works for Uncle Ray Ray’s, a porn production company. Teddy aka “Uncle Ray Ray” is actually a pretty decent guy for being part of the porn industry and is starting to get concerned about diversifying his portfolio into other areas outside of just the skin on skin set. After all, he wants to make sure he can pay his son’s tuition and help his daughter with her sustainably sourced sex toy business.
When Teddy decides to get into the world of romantic Christmas movies for the Hope Channel (think Hallmark—yeah, I know), Bee begs him to find her a place. She’s been wanting to act her entire life in something more than just the bump and grind. Little does she expect that she would be chosen for the lead when Teddy accidentally puts her porn headshot into the pile of replacement actresses for the film “Duke the Halls”. The director, a former actor herself, is instantly taken in by her and demands her for the role. Teddy and Bee know this will be a tightrope walk—neither of them want to be ousted and ruin their new chances for growth. That may be harder than anticipated when Bee finds out that she will be working opposite her teenage celebrity crush, Nolan Shaw.
Nolan Shaw is the former bad-boy member of boyband. Much like Bee, Nolan is looking for a career refresh after some Olympic-level follies left him with a black mark on his reputation. Not that it was surprising given his bad-boy image. Nolan has more to worry about now that he’s out of money and also helping support his sister and their mother, who has been struggling with bipolar disorder. This absolutely has to work, and his agent is snapping at his heels to keep it clean. That’s also going to be hard for Nolan when he finds out that the woman replacing his costar is none other than the luscious Bianca Von Honey, the girl of his dirtiest and most delightful fantasies. Not only does he subscribe to her ClosedDoors account, but he’s superfan level. Knowing who she is and that he will be so close to her every day is going to be hard, figuratively and literally. But he cannot let on that he knows who she is in front of everyone. That would risk this production—his one chance at a fresh start. As they spend more time together day in and day out, Bee and Nolan’s feelings begin to get in the way of their work and it seems that the only way to quell the heat is to give into it. Unfortunately, one time is not enough. Is it ever?
With each passing day of the two-week shoot, Bee and Nolan find themselves not only falling into bed but also in love. But when a nosy gossip rag reporter—and the reason for Nolan’s career detour--comes skulking into town, disaster doesn’t feel like it’s far behind. And his interest in Bee could spell disaster for the entire production.
Murphy and Simone. Holy moly for the love of all things under the sun. This was a SCORCHER. BBW romances have always been a weakness, but this latest push for more size-inclusive contemporaries is my new found kryptonite. Olivia Dade is another author who turned me onto these romances, and Murphy and Simone have solidified and expanded my appetite.
I absolutely LOVED this book. Nolan and Bee are well thought out and every character can stand on their own. There are so many personalities in this book that it truly feels like there are more than two authors. Diverse backgrounds, super hilarious writing, and some super hot, spicy scenes really made me into a huge fan. I cannot wait for more of these—because there has to be more. There absolutely has to be!
Thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and Avon & Harper Voyager, for the advanced copy in exchange for this honest and all-my-own review!

I am so deeply in love with this book it's disgusting. I am about to shape my entire personality around this and I am so, so thankful for the publisher partnering with NetGalley to hand over an advanced copy that I could devour in a day in exchange for my honest feedback. It's perfect, y'all. The sex worker representation was truly exquisite!

Well I was NOT expecting this book. Honestly, it was hilariously refreshing and amazingly fun to read.

A Merry Little Meet Cute is the absolute perfect holiday read! It’s cute, sweet, with just the right amount of naughty 😈

What would you do if you had the opportunity to film a sweet Christmas movie with your celebrity crush?? Bee & Nolan get to do just that💕 and maybe a bit more😉

Definitely gets “Five out of five Yule logs”😍

Fave scene:
I squeezed gently on Whitneigh Houston’s ribcage with my legs as I took a deep breath and forced my body to push through the anxiety and become a woman in love who couldn’t be more thrilled to be riding a murder beast through a snowy valley as her love interest playfully chased after her on his own murder beast.—-poor Bee her fear is real but y’all ‘murder beast’😝

#AMerryLittleMeetCute #NetGalley

It is so stinking cute!

There is nothing not to like about this book. Everyone loves Christmas, even the grinch grew to love it.

Nolan Shaw or Kowalczk if you want to use his non-stage name was the bad boy in the boy band INK. Now he’s turning his hand at a bit of acting and he’s going to be a duke in a period drama. Of course I’m imagining that sexy piece of ass in Bridgerton (I mean Anthony). Fall front breaches should definitely be back in fashion.

Nolan hits the jackpot when his co-star is replaced at the last minute by the girl of his dreams, Bee Hobbes, also known as Bianca Von Honey. She’s a glorious plus sized model and porn star. Bee is beautiful. Oh those lush curves. She owns them! Oh to be Bee!

Sierra and Julie have written a lovely heart warming book, full of gingerbread goodness and candy canes and, dimples and corsets. If only Duke The Halls was an actual film, I would absolutely watch it. Again and again and again. God I love breaches and corsets and buxom girls with peachy soft curves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: death of a parent (past), parent with bipolar disorder, fat phobia, biphobia, threat of revenge porn (past), tabloid gossip

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f workplace romance
-insta attraction
-lets bang it out of our systems
-childhood celebrity crush
-mutual pining
-elements of forbidden relationship
-fat, bi, porn star
-bi, former child star

This was such a wonderful escapist read that I enjoyed every moment of. Just the right amount of bonkers of having a pornstar star in a Hallmark-like movie, crew needing replacing and of course replaced by members of the porn filming crew. In a small town. And two people who have been lusting after each other for years and are supposed to be living quiet celibate lives. It is a recipe of disaster, romance, and epicness.

All tied in was a gorgeous story of body positivity, sex positivity, amazing secondary characters, and so much sexual chemistry. Bee and Nolan were alike in so many ways, trying to figure out a new path in life, prioritizing family, and in complete denial they were falling for the other. Every moment of them together, filming, trying to pretend they weren't wildly attracted to the other, just filled with so much laughter and heart.

This book also deals with some heavy topics with ease and sensitivity. Nolan's mom's mental health diagnosis, the responsibilities he felt for his family, how he and his former bandmates were dealing with fame, how the world treats sex workers and people who don't fit within the typical Hollywood expectations.

A wonderful holiday romance, full of heart, steam, and laughs, I'm hoping this is the first in a series.


Steam: 3.75