When Bee (a plus-sized adult film star) is cast in a Christmas movie for the squeaky-clean Hope Channel, her co-star is an ex-boy band member, Nolan. Bee had a childhood crush on Nolan, while he is the biggest fan of her ClosedDoor account. If Bee and Nola can’t keep their off-camera romance under wraps, their meet cute might not end of being so merry.

I’m a fan of Julie Murphy’s other books, so I was excited to read this. And I liked it! Warning: it was racy. I listened to it, and I found myself skipping some parts because it was a lot.

Two beloved authors joined forces to bring the heat with this story of an adult film star and former boy band singer hitting it off on the set of a family-friendly holiday movie. Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone are authors I'm familiar with and I think they both brought out the best in each other in this collaboration. I hope we have many more books from the two of them to come!

I loved the book's nods to classic romance tropes and Hallmark movies, as well as the focus on a heroine who works in the sex industry and finds a lot of joy and pride in the work that she does. I enjoyed the way the romance built, as well as the side characters. Unfortunately I struggled with the ending, I really felt the hero needed to grovel more. It felt as though Nolan really abandoned Bee when push came to shove, and it seemed as though he was quickly and easily forgiven for it.

That said, I'm still looking forward to reading more in this series and from these authors!

I ended up not finishing this one. As a big Julie Murphy fan, I was disappointed in myself. It's possible that it just wasn't the right timing for me, but I just kept getting distracted while listening, unfortunately.

Okay, so this book? Total plot twist from what I was expecting. It's marketed as a holiday read, but surprise, surprise, it’s not your typical cheesy Christmas tale. Don't get me wrong, those have their place, too, but this is NOT one of those lol.

I had a blast reading this. The characters were a riot – such a diverse bunch! You've got your regular movie crew and then there's the adults-only movie crew adding this whole other level of hilarity.

What really got me giggling was how the book kind of poked fun at those Hallmark movie clichés. It's like, "Hey, here's the formula, let's have a laugh about it." But beyond the laughs, there's depth here. Both Bee and Nolan are dealing with some real stuff, and it's cool to see their growth through the conflicts they face. Although, I wouldn't have minded a deeper dive into their emotional connection. Also, major props for not taking the predictable route with the character conflicts.

Nolan and Bee? Hot dang, they were on fire! The tension, the banter – it was like sparks flying off the pages. Their connection and relatability added this extra oomph to their chemistry, and oh boy, those spicy scenes? Let's just say, they'll make you blush.

So, in a nutshell, this book is one heck of a sexy, fun holiday read that's definitely worth picking up. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

I absolutely adored this audiobook. It was cute and sexy! A perfect light holiday read! Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone are an amazing writing duo and I sincerely hope they will be writing more books together in the future.

A Merry Little Meet Cute is serving ya the BEST Holiday SPICE ever!!!! Are you looking for a book to celebrate Christmas in July?? This book is definitely for you!!! This book has it all … SPICE, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, mental health awareness and SO much more.

This book was everything I needed and wanted and so much more. Who knew I needed a book with both main characters being Bi. I did. And I was here for it all. I enjoyed both narrators though the woman narrating Bee did take me a hot minute to get use to. But over all the narration brought this story alive. It was hella CUTE!!

A huge thank you to Harper Audio and Netgalley for this listening copy. It was so much fun. All opinions are my own. Can’t wait for Book 2 A Holly Jolly Ever After coming out fall of 2023.

A Merry Little Meet Cute By Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone

Short review: the description sounded better than it was, in my own opinion. I just didn't get pulled in as much as I thought I would. But, it is a good Christmas story. It just took a little longer for something to actually happen than I typically prefer in my reads.

Synopsis: 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.

Adorably cute holiday romance that I couldn't get enough of. The characters were perfect for each other, and I loved reading their connection through the fun flirting and banter. Like a Hallmark movie in book form, but way better! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

Truly SUCH a perfect holiday read! Steamy, sexy, heartfelt, a perfect romcom for fans of Hallmark Christmas movies (especially since the plot hinges on the making of one).

This was a cute spicy funny read. The storyline was a bit stupid and not entertaining but the characters were great! Nolan and Bee were super hot ! And all the side characters: directors, agents, friends, crew were hilarious. Would recommend if you want to laugh and read some body positive spiciness.

I’m a big fan of Julie Murphy’s Dumplin, Puddin, and Pumpkin books and I was so excited for this Adult book as YA is not really my thing. I feel like YA books tend to talk down to or dumb down their stories for the reader and I just don’t enjoy that. Overall, I liked the story and characters in this book, but the writing and dialogue left much to be desired. For as many adult topics this book touches on, I expected it to have a more mature tone but there was a lot of dialogue and writing that felt more like YA than an adult novel. Much of the language and dialogue in the book felt generic, and there was too much telling and not enough showing. The narrator was excellent however, I just wasn’t a fan of the book.

Don't let this title and cover fool you. This book is NOT a sweet, "Hallmark" romance! It was pretty raunchy from page one to the end.

The main character, Bee Hobbes, is a plus-size adult-film star, Bianca Von Honey. She's highly successful at what she does but when one of her favorite producers offers her a starring role in a movie he is making for the Hope channel, she figures her regular consumers wouldn't recognize her in a sweet, clean film. An added bonus for her: her co-star is Nolan Shaw, the boy-band star of her teenage dreams. (Her childhood bedroom is still wallpapered with posters of his face - even on the ceiling.) Can she really pull this off, when their onscreen chemistry steps into offscreen shenanigans?

Nolan Shaw is doing what he can to clean up his act so that he can better support his mother and young sister. When he learns that his co-star is his favorite online drool fest, he's concerned that he won't be able to "keep it zipped", which was his manager's one requirement. Working with Bee is by turns delightful and steamy, but Nolan holds it together until .... Well, read it to find out.

I listened to most of this and really enjoyed the voice of the male lead. Most everyone involved in the story falls into the LGBTQIA+ category, so in some ways, it's surprising that Bee and Nolan end up together. The only thing merry and cute in the story is the location of the movie being filmed. I wasn't a fan of this story, but it did have some pretty humorous moments. I really struggled to complete it, though.

I have read other Julie Murphy books and they did not prepare me for this one. This is about a porn star who tries to make it on standard side of acting and a former a bad boy boy bander trying to clean up his image. Both of them head to this Holiday movie set intent on keeping their secret, and to start something new. But of course, when they both have to be on their best behavior and fight their natural tendencies, those natural tendencies cause them to smack right into each other. That is meant both literally and figuratively. Is this book full of tropes? Absolutely. Is this book raunchy and spicy? Absolutely! Is this book a fantastic ride that will have one grinning and smiling from beginning to end? Heck yes! I absolutely loved this book and I hope that Julie Murphy and Simone do more books together. The combining of the two authors writing makes for a lively and entertaining story. You felt the romance, you felt the sex and you felt the Christmas. The Christmas was very present and if I had to describe this this is a Hallmark movie, it’s a Hallmark movie meets SkinaMax and it works in all the best ways.

this one is one spicyyyyyyyy and that is not necessarily my jam! for those that love spice, i think this would be a great book for them to read! it's a great holiday read that will warm you up.. a little too much

Dnf. Couldn’t get through it. Rating will not be posted to goodreads or retailers as I only share ratings there for books I complete.

This had so much potential but I was lowkey disappointed. I loved the inclusivity of this book and I adored the characters and the concept of the story but the delivery just wasn’t it for me. I think my problem with the book was that it was just a little too long so I was bored at times. Also the couple didn’t have as much chemistry as I would’ve liked them to have.

On the bright side the spice was immaculate and the cover is absolutely adorable.

This book didn't work for me. There was a lot of hype around this book and I was expecting something special but unfortunately I found it boring. There is a lot of spice but that could save it.

The more I think about this book, the more I love it. We follow two adorable (to me) bi main character, both of which have secrets the want to keep hidden.

Bee, porn star/cam girl, wants to act in mainstream movies and finally gets a break in this (may as well be) Hallmark Christmas movie, produced by her current boss (also porn producer wanting to go into mainstream). The moment I was introduced to Bee I fell in love! She is the sunshine woman of my dreams. Confident in her plus size body, head-strong and knows what she wants! Then we meet Nolan! Ex-boy band bad boy wanting to turn a squeaky-clean leaf, and what's a more perfect way to do that than star in a sweet, wholesome Christmas movie!? He was another character I fell in love with almost immediately. Although he could come across as a jerk at times, I couldn't help but think of him as a sweet, misunderstood boy... who just also happened to be a bad boy, but still misunderstood lol

Trust me when I say antics ensured as they get closer and closer! Their romance (and smut) was believable. I could feeling their pull towards each other and the tension!

But it wasn't just the two mains I loved. The side characters were interesting and had depth - I'd love to follow a few of their romances!

The audiobook was well done. Joy Nash and Sebastian York made Bew and Nolan believable and gave then the depth and personality you want from a smutty RomCom.

I really could gush for hours about this one right now! I was worried that I had fallen into a Holiday book slump, but this is what I've been waiting for! If you love Hallmark Christmas movies and Christmas book, but wanting to up the anti-so-to-speak, then you will love this one!

I'm waiting for my phsycial copy and I will be tempted to immediately reread it!

Fun and steamy story- I would love to watch the movie being made! This wasn't so much a Christmas book- more of a book set during Christmas time.

Okay yep, this one really worked for me! I love love love the premise. A porn star accidentally starring in a wholesome family friendly movie with her childhood crush/rockstar legend is just a recipe for hilarity. The chemistry between the characters was intense and amazing. I loved all the positivity in the book - career positivity, sex positivity, body positivity. I don't know how else to say it - for me, it just worked!