One one hand, this was really enjoyable and a must read for someone who’s not looking for something sickly sweet to read during the holidays. On the other hand, this didn’t quite live up to the blurb expectations or the expectations I have of the writers.

The concept is really great and refreshing. I laughed a lot and think the story was just what a spice lover would want. Now, the spice? A bit disappointing. Maybe a 3/3.5 on the spice scale with the real shocker being some fade to black.

That being said, I adored Bee the female character. She was great. Nolan was a bit bland. I liked his backstory and the idea of him more than him. This book was also about 100 pages too long and would’ve been better just with Bee as the sole POV.

The POVs with our side characters like Teddy the producer made it seemed jumbled. Like, one too many things going on.

Overall, I did enjoy it and would read it again just with different expectations.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this one ready to be charmed by the story and I was. Assless chaps are not mentioned frequently enough in what I’m reading. Slice Slice Baby needs to be a thing in real life.

I loved Nolan and Bee. I really adored Teddy and the fact that he was a good guy in a mostly shitty business. I loved that Nolan had known and been best friends with his, since early childhood. I loved that Bee’s moms were so encouraging and supportive and loving.

I loved that Bee was an adult film star and I really liked that Bee’s sexual past was brought up without fanfare; I really believe that women are still being casually or aggressively shamed far too often for having the gall to have sex with as many partners of her choosing. Growing up I remember learning that sex was something that must be shameful and bad since no one ever talked to me about it. Ever. All I was actually told was not to get pregnant because if I did, I’d be forced into undergoing a termination. (thankfully I discovered Pamela Des Barres’ awesomely fun memoir, I’m With the Band in 1988 and am as sex positive as I am today thanks to Des Barres’ joy in sharing her past with readers.).

A Merry Little Meet Cute is an extremely enjoyable Christmas-themed mug of spicy hot chocolate on a cold day. Or whenever you enjoy reading Christmassy fiction 🙂

I adored this novel and plan on reading more of the authors’ solo works.

This was such a fun (and sexy) read! What started out as a Hallmark-like traditional Christmas flick starring a Harry Styles-like former boy band member quickly turned into a quasi-porn set when things went awry at a Coachella-like festival. The entire premise of this book is absurd, yet somehow it really does work! I enjoyed the body positivity and inclusivity of this book. I especially enjoyed how all the main players are working on personal transformations— our heroine Bee is a happy plus sized sex worker trying to break into mainstream acting; our hero Nolan needs to redeem his image in order to care of his family; the director is a former child actor looking for a career change; the producer runs a porn studio while trying to expand his projects to help fund one child’s venture and another’s schooling. Everyone is in transition and it makes for a great set-up. Plus, you can’t beat the setting in a small Christmas town in Vermont! I don’t usually re-read books but, depending on who is selected to narrate this book, I am looking forward to how this will sound in audio format!
Thanks to the authors, HarperCollins and NetGalley for this advance copy for review.

This was a fun, holiday read. It reminded me of Meet Cute by Helena Hunting for the childhood celebrity crush part and The Roommate by Rosie Danan for the sex positive/ porn industry representation. This book also has a plus sized MC which was great.

The book follows Bee Hobbes, a plus size adult film star, and Nolan Shaw, a washed up boy band performer who is trying to revive his career, as they try to film a Hallmark style Christmas movie in Vermont.

The costars have been secretly pining for each other for years; Nolan subscribes to Bee’s only fans account and Bee idolized Nolan as a teen. When they meet to film the movie, Nolan recognizes Bee immediately and their chemistry is intense. However, Nolan is trying to separate himself from scandal and the last thing he needs is to be caught dating Bee. And Bee, is trying to make a name for herself outside of the adult industry.

A Merry Little Meet Cute was fun and spicy but I wanted more. Nolan is wrapped up in some family issues and even though they are on set, they don’t seem to spend that much time getting to know each other. I just wanted more cute moments with them connecting and building their relationship.

Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

**Thank you Avon, (An imprint of HarperCollins publishers) for providing this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change.**

When a plus-size adult film star, Bee Hobbes gets accidentally cast for a wholesome Christmas movie and her co-star is none other than her long time crush. Nolan Shaw, an ex boy band member who is trying to clean up his bad boy image. As they get close on set, sparks fly and tensions are running high!

It's getting HOT in here! So take off ALL YOUR CLOTHES!!

“She smelled like utter sweetness and innocence, but she felt like sin incarnate.”

Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone, the author duo I did not know I NEEDED!! A Merry Little Meet Cute is not your typical Christmas themed romance novel.This book is more HBO than Hallmark. DO NOT let the cute cartoon cover fool you, this book is SINFULLY DIRTY!
It's a fresh new take on your typical holiday read and I’m here for it!

“I love you, Bee Hobbes. I Love you in front of the whole world.”

This book is your reminder that plus size women are sexy, desirable and are more than capable of finding a man that worships their bodies and the ground they walk on. Although this was a quick an enjoyable read, I felt like it was missing something; which is why I’m rating it 3.5/5

Special thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC of A Merry Little Meet Cute!

I absolutely was caught by the super cute cover! And why not read a "holiday" themed book in May.

TW: Parent with bipolar disorder, loss of a parent, fatphobia, explicit sexual scenes, and discrimination/harassment/hate towards sex workers [not by the authors or main characters its discrimination the characters face by the media/strangers within the book]

This book was So fun! the banter was epic, lots of LOL moments, super steamy love scenes! It centers around the xmas holiday season with a romance between Bee and Nolan. I mean - why not hire a plus sized porn star actress to star in a hallmark-type film? then pair her with a former hunk? I Mean this book kept me smiling the whole time!

I will absolutely be re-reading around xmas again!
I hope there’s more books in this world because this book was sensational!!!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with a collaboration between YA queen of adorableness Julie Murphy and the spicier Sierra Simone. Somehow they make this rather unusual story work! Bee is an adult film star who takes a last-minute job in the Hope Channel's (read: Hallmark) PG Christmas movie, Duke the Halls. Her costar, Nolan, is a former boy band star trying to rehab his image. Everything about this production needs to be above reproach, and no one can find out about Bee's other career.

But of course things immediately start to go wrong. Not the least problem is the undeniable attraction between Bee and Nolan, who have both promised to be on their best (celibate) behavior for the shoot in the year-round Christmas town. There are threats on all sides, from nosy tabloid journalists to clueless crew members. But maybe there's hope for a merry Christmas after all.

I'm assuming Murphy was in charge of making the characters, especially Bee, endearing and adorable. And Simone took the hot scenes between Bee and Nolan. But either way, the whole mix makes for a fun and surprisingly steamy holiday read.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the banter between Nolan and Bree so much. I loved the tension between them and you could literally feel it coming off the pages. The side characters were wonderful and enjoyed their close bonds and hilarious dialogue. I usually don't love when one person falls fast, but the way this one was written I loved it. Nolan was such a softie and I as all about it. I do think the book felt a bit long and there were moments when I was hoping for some more Christmas cheer and steam. Overall, I cannot wait to reread this one when we get closer to the holidays and relive that church scene- IYKYK.

The plot set-up was super fun and I liked Bee, and the representation felt super natural and just really nice to read about. The part where she was sucking in and his response to it was superb. I also really liked this quote: “I never knew my body could feel like it was made for someone else.”

However, it just lost major steam for me even before 50%. The Christmas town and those puns were funny, but it didn’t even really make me want Christmas. The ending and the drama was just lackluster, since it was expected and foolish especially for two people TRYING TO BE SECRETIVE. Like the root cause of it was just so unnecessary and illogical. The writing style also wasn’t really for me but I could’ve ignored that for layered characters and maybe a different break-up catalyst.

I think eliminating his POV would’ve done wonders for the plot. I simply did not enjoy anything about his POV sections. Also not knowing he subscribed to her until the end would’ve been balls to the wall better than the premature <s>ejaculation</s> revelation we got. I also just didn’t like him very much. He seemed kinda like a cardboard cutout. I think I would’ve been way more into the mystery of him than him him.

✨

They forgot to use any of the lube and toys—mentioned SO MANY TIMES—together??? And it barely even teased ass play. I’m so confused. It had more fade to black situations than I would’ve thought and idk it wasn’t that steamy. It was steamy but I truly didn’t know who the two people having sex were—he went deep, but the connection was shallow and the book was majorly surface-level.

There wasn’t any tension as they’d both been horny for each other for the past several years. The only real tension was him finding out it was her he’d been subscribing too, but that was over so fast.

✨

This book is 384 pages (hardcover edition) and it’s about 150 too long. They had like zero meaningful, memorable conversations. A lot of the book was inner monologue—Inner monologue that didn’t really differ from POV to POV. Without the chapter indicators, they could’ve been the same person thinking.

I will say, I’d sell my soul for the movie they were shooting PLUS sex with modern toys. Like fuck his 1800s ducal world up with the Hitachi girl. Like if the book was the time travel plot of that movie plus raunchy sex, then we’d be talking. Also the cover is super ducking cute I’d totally jingle its bells. I’ll probably end up buying this purely for the cover.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶.5*/5

*It was steamy but I didn’t really feel their connection nor did I really care that they were having sex. There were maybe four full scenes? I’m really not sure. It’s probably a 3.75🌶 but again I just didn’t care. Him watching her videos online in a separate room was way hotter than them together.

Hi, I LOVED this book. It's laugh-out-loud funny, unabashedly sex-positive, really thoughtful about sex work, has two bisexual love interests, and is just a freaking delight. If you were like, "huh, I wonder if the famously steamy Sierra Simone will write a similarly steamy book for publication at Avon," YEP.

I am begging for more books in this universe; I'd read about literally any side characters. Nolan's former bandmates seem tee'd up, but Sunny, Angel and Luca, and please god I am begging you Teddy and Steph all deserve stories. Everyone I know has heard me talk about this book, because it is that fun, and I cannot wait to make more people read it this fall.

Bee is a plus sized leading porn lady. She yearns to make it in the mainstream film industry. Nolan is a former bad boy boy-band star who needs to find success in film to support his mother and sister, having been swindled by his former business manager. Bee has had a crush on him since his boy-band era and Nolan has long been a card carrying subscriber to and fan of Bee’s porn streaming service. Both are trying to reach their goal with a schmaltzy Christmas movie produced by the Hallmark-ish Hope Channel. They each have to appear straight-laced for the Hope channel. Nothing could go wrong with that, right? Well…

The secondary cast of characters are just that- characters, often laugh out loud characters. You see, the actual producer does mainstream and porn films. When half the regular film crew get incapacitated (funny story there as well) he brings in his porn film workers to fill in the gaps. They all need to keep their origins a secret as well. Again, what could go wrong with that?

There is a hint (and a hope?) that this will be the beginning of a series and it would be wonderful to devote another book to any one of these people.

I like that the book smoothly added some diversity issues- it covered fat shaming, slut shaming, mental health issues, bi- and homosexuality. But it isn’t a heavy or preachy treatment. It all just flows. And makes for a hilarious steamy romcom.

Going into reading this I knew it was going to be steamy but it missed the mark. I've read other books by Julie Murphy and loved them especially due to the plus size main character. This novel seemed to be bogged down by having both points of view. I think just telling Bee's story would have been captivating enough.

The last Julie Murphy book I read was a miss, but this is a hit. It's funny, but serious. I was really cheering for the main characters and the side characters were also really fun. It seems like there will be more books in this series, which is great.

The premise of this book is *chef's kiss* perfection - and it 100% delivers on its promise. It is the sex positive Christmas story you didn't know you needed in your life.

In a twist of fate, Bee Hobbes, adult film star and owner of a successful only fans style account is cast in a Hope channel (stand in for Hallmark) Christmas movie alongside former bad-boy boy band member Nolan Shaw. Nolan is doing the movie in hopes of remaking his image as squeaky clean. Nolan is, however, anything but. He's bisexual, anything but vanilla, and a huge fan of Bianca von Honey (Bee Hobbes' stage name). When Bee shows up on set - it gets increasingly hard for Nolan to not act on his attraction to Bee.

Bee is just delightful. She is confident and strong - secure in herself and her sexuality. She wants to try for something other than - or maybe more than just the adult film industry. The Hope Channel movie is her chance to try out mainstream - and she is a natural fit for it. But the success of the movie - and the chance for both Nolan and Bee relies on the connection to the adult film industry to be kept a secret. I think everyone can agree - there was ZERO chance that would ever happen - but it was fun to watch the show.

Overall - this book is a gem. I ADORED the perspective this book had on sex and sex workers. I also loved the perspective it gave on mental health and other very serious topics. So much so - that even when Nolan seriously disappoints with his behavior - you are still willing to forgive him and root for him and Bee as a couple. Such a great read.

I received this as an ARC via NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

A Merry Little Meet Cute is giggle-snort-out loud funny. This steamy holiday read is hilarious, fun, and what I truly imagine happening on the sets of all of those Christmas movies - well, a girl can dream can't she? LOL.

Bee and Nolan are cast in a Hallmark type of movie, but trademarks and all of that. Instead, their world is set up with the Hope Channel where the movie franchise is big on Christmas classics with cookie cutter scripts and full of holiday magic. Both Nolan and Bee need this good, wholesome rebranding for the same, but also different reasons, but for the family friendly part to stick, they both have to stay...well...squeaky clean.

Nolan is a former boy band pop star with a bad boy reputation that he needs to shed. He not only lost all of his earnings with a horrible contract during his singing years, he also threw gasoline on his reputation when he was caught in an orgy scandal. He's now trying to wrangle in his past so he has a future and can help his mother with her mounting medical bills.

Nolan is the perfect mix of reformed bad boy sassy and reformed good guy sweet. I know I mentioned reformed twice. He's walking a very fine line of reformation and he's so stinkin' cute on which side of the line he's on at any given moment, I just want to squeeze his cheeks at any given moment - I'll let you guess which cheeks I'm talking about. I'll just say, when he meets Bee, he recognizes her and he's been a huge fan of hers for several years. His fangirling over her is swoon worthy in itself. Here he is, Mr. Former Popstar and he has his own crush. Like I said, he's adorable in a totally filthy way.

Bee or Bianca von Honey as she's known by her stage name, is trying to go legit for the first time. She's been a huge hit in the porn industry, but this is the first time she's making a movie with all of her clothes on. She's really hoping that fans don't cross streams or this may be the first and last movie she does if her secret identity gets out, but until then she's going to enjoy every moment of her new, clothed, experience.

Bee is fresh, wide eyed, and hasn't let the world gobble up her youthful spirit or positivity. I loved that about her, not only from what her normal day job is, but also from where she lives and how much she struggled as a young adult. Overall, Bee is the kind of girl I'd want to be best friends with and as a plus she has the best suitcase full of accessories - LOL, Bee is just a ray of sunshine and that is what Nolan finds even more attractive once he gets over his initial crush. What's even cuter between these two, Bee grew up listening to his music and she's a total fan of his, but don't let that cat out of the bag.

Seriously, this book is fun, steamy, and chuck full of amazing secondary characters that filled the Christmas stockings and tied the entire storyline up to perfection. I fell in love with everything about A Merry Little Meet Cute and hope to meet some of these characters again.

Super cute! Super fun to read, read this in just a few sittings. I felt so connected to the character being plus size as there are more main characters like that coming to the publishing world! I will most likely read this again come holiday time!

Whew this book is hot. The banter is A+, it’s laugh out loud funny, the steamy scenes are hot as well .. I mean Sierra blesses us with a church scene!! It is during Christmas holiday time but I don’t think it’s Christmas heavy at all. I loved the conversations that took place around sex, sexuality, and sex work. I hope there’s more books in this world because this book was sensational!!!

If you love cheesy holiday rom-coms with a ton of steam + inclusivity, you'll adore A Merry Little Meet Cute!

It's about Bee Hobbes, a successful plus-sized adult film star, accidentally getting cast in her first mainstream role as a lead in a historical Christmas film for a Hallmark Channel dupe alongside her teenage crush Nolan Shaw, an ex-boyband member with his own dark past who, unbeknownst to her, is one an avid fan of her work.

As mentioned, it's an inclusive romance - both leads are bisexual and there are a ton of same-sex couples here - that emphasizes body positivity (even if it did feel half-hearted at times) and shines a positive light on sex workers. I loved the concept, it's the execution I was massively disappointed by.

Despite really loving the cozy holiday vibe and overall cutesy-ness, I struggled to get through this. The pacing dragged on and quite a bit of dialogue/exposition/some scenes altogether could have been trimmed down. Some of the writing was too obvious and cringe-y for me. I couldn't really connect to the characters beyond their cliches, they felt rather boring and flat.

Two asides: I didn't like how part of the third act conflict was handled - (SPOILER) When Bee's porn career is exposed in tabloids, Nolan's publicist releases a statement claiming he had no knowledge of her profession and basically turned his back on her. This was the perfect opportunity to stick up for Bee and publicly humanize her beyond the sex worker stigma instead of basically pushing her down, which she's expressed numerous times is her biggest fear. This was a lost golden opportunity for Nolan to turn things around. Instead, he privately expressed his regret to Bee and it wasn't really believable or impactful.

My second gripe is silly, honestly, but sugar cookie flavored lube is mentioned in the first few chapters and, girl, I got a UTI just reading about it. Anything flavored or glycerin based will fuck your whole shit up. I get that this is a cute pretend world where STI's and UTI's aren't important, but damn I winced every time it was mentioned.

My point is lol if you're in the mood for a cute holiday romance with Julie Murphy's bold, unapologetic characters combined with Sierra Simone levels of steam (and oh boy, it is 🔥🔥🔥), you'll love this. I, unfortunately, did not love it overall but I loved some elements of it!

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Pub date: Sep 20, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone was a fun, witty, and spicy holiday romance that jingled by bells in all the right places! I loved Bee and Nolan's romance from start to finish. I thought the whole idea of secretly hiring a plus-sized porn actress to star in a Hallmark-y holiday movie with a former hunky boy band star was pure brilliance! Plus, the town of Christmas Notch, Vermont, a place that gives off Christmas vibes all year long, presented the picture-perfect move set. The chemistry between Bee and Nolan was instant fire, and I loved how they tried to deny their feelings for each other for the sake of keeping things professional. However, the more time they spent together the stronger their connection became. I couldn't help but find myself grinning through the entire romance.

Overall, I LOVED this book! If you are a fan of a holiday romance with a former bad boy boy bander with a charismatic heart, a sassy fierce porn star actress mapping out her future, Hallmark movies, a one of a kind costume designer, corset, trips to the North Pole, steamy secret rendezvous, and a HEA that will leave your heart filled with the true meaning of Christmas, then you will love Bee and Nolan's fun, flirty love story! I am looking forward to more from Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone!

This book was like a mix of a lot of things I wanted to read in different books, all of them packed in one perfect story.

This is the sex, bisexual, fat positive story the bookish world needed. The synopsis and knowing that the authors were Julie and Sierra were enough for me to know that there was going to be zero wrong things in this book, and I wasn't wrong. Everything is written is the most positive and supportive way. I loved every single page. If you think this story isn't emotionally charged, though, you're wrong. It's manages to be deep (no pun intended) and very meaningful at the same time it scorches. The connection between Bee and Nolan is much more than physical and their emotional chemistry was just as present as the sexual one.

The book also deals with some heavy stuff such as being a caretaker, fatphobia or slut-shame, but it was treated in a way that it doesn't take the shine from the good things of the story, which I loved. Sometimes books call for heavy, emotional stuff, and this romcom wasn't the case, so it was perfectly balanced in my opinion. It showed that not everything is perfect, but it will work in the end.

The supportive characters were everything. I want a best friend like Sunny. I loved Kallum, Maddie and Nolan's mom. I adored Bee's moms. Gretchen, Pearl, Teddy, Luca... everyone's role was significant and they made the story super fun to read. I saw that this is going to be a series, and I seriously cannot wait to know who comes next. I don't really mind who it is because I will devour it as fast as I have this one, but I want to start getting ready for it.

Julie and Sierra can throw as many books to me as they want. I'll read every single one of them.

Rating: 5/5
Steam: 5/5

Thanks to AVON for my early review copy!