*Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone bring holiday cheer and steamy romance in A Holly Jolly Ever After, where opposites-attract sparks fly between actress Winnie Baker and former boy-band star Kallum Lieberman. Set in the festive (and fictional) Christmas Notch, the story follows Winnie, who’s rebuilding her life post-divorce, as she takes on a role in a spicy Christmas movie. The catch? She’s co-starring with Kallum, a once-famous pop star whose playful charm hides a genuine, kind-hearted side. With both characters navigating unresolved pasts, their on-screen chemistry and off-screen “research” ignite real feelings, challenging their perspectives on love and life.

Fans of romance with humor and heat will enjoy the playful banter, festive setting, and endearing character growth. Winnie’s journey of self-discovery and Kallum’s openness provide depth amid the laughter and holiday spirit, making it a compelling read for those looking for romance that’s both heartfelt and steamy. Ideal for readers who enjoy Christmas rom-coms with a bit of edge and character development that goes beyond surface level   .

First of all, thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances I was unable to download and review this book on time. That said, I have since purchased this book and have read it, there fore would still love to complete this review.

I loved the first book, A Merry Little Meet Cute from Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone and was super excited to read the next book in this series.

I loved the relationship between Kallum and Winnie and this book was cute and funny. It had some steamy scenes that I enjoyed and although there were some moments that I would raise an eyebrow at, but loved the way that it all worked out.

The storyline was disorganised and seemed to be coming out of nowhere since people were acting in unexpected ways and making significant decisions that went against the script. Regretfully, the language tended to explain much too much instead of showing.

This book had a really important topic of discussion fleshed out in a comedic and spicy way. Those parts were pretty good. However! Winnie made a choice I really didn't like, but in the end it was all good. I'm going with a strong 3+ stars. I liked it!

This book was a hilarious follow up to A Merry little Meet Cute. It follows Kallum Leiberman a character we met in A Merry Little Meet Cute. I found that I preferred the chemistry between Kallum and Winnie and I'd be interested to read the next book by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.

Reading the blurb, I was very excited to read this, but unfortunately, this was not something I ultimately enjoyed, and to me, it just did not flow.

Now, this doesn't mean that I still wouldn't recommend it to others to read, especially to those who like steamy romances, it's just that personally it was not my cup of tea.

As expected, this was another racy read from this writing duo. The heat begins almost immediately & it’s not a book that, if read on audio, you want suddenly blaring through your speakers for others to hear!

I didn’t really feel the Christmas vibes with this as much as in Book 1, and likewise I’m just not sure the connection between the love interests felt as developed or as genuine.

An enjoyable enough read, but probably a bit of a forgettable pairing in the world of romance books. I actually really loved the pizza business side story & would have loved so more on this!

Thank you for the ARC of this!!!

This book was cute, funny and steamy! Absolutely adored it, this award actually my first time reading these authors, but they did not disappoint!

This was a rollercoaster of emotions but I am glad I did it :) 4 stars can’t wait to read more by these authors

First half of the book I was enjoying then it just slipped and became disappointing. I was enjoying the blend of steam and humour but overall this just fell short for me.

I enjoyed A holly Jolly Ever After, but I didn't love it.
It was funny and all the elements for a great story were there, it just didn't do it for me.

✨2023 CATCH UP REVIEW✨

📚A Holly Jolly Ever After - Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone📚

Yes I know we’re practically in February, and yes I know this is typically a “holiday read”, but trust me when I say, it is never the wrong time to bring some festivity into our lives…especially the steamy, spicy kind (and I mean SPICY! 🌶️ 🔥🥵) 🙈😍 This one is book two in A Christmas Notch series, however it is written as a standalone so feel free to do with that what you wish 😜

Julie and Sierra have this seamless way of not only writing together and sounding like one voice, but also including so many different tropes within a book, and I am totally here for it. We have workplace romance, opposites attract, and forced proximity with a side of cheeky banter and s3x lessons 🙈 I love the body positivity rep throughout this series and this time highlighting the “Dad bod” was something I loved to see! It did include a trope that I don’t normally like (dm me so I don’t spoil), but the execution was done really well so hats off to the authors 🥰

What you can expect:
🩵 Workplace romance
🧡 “Dad bod” rep
🩵 Diverse sexualities
🧡 Forced proximity

I really enjoyed this one and can’t wait to read more by these authors over the coming year (and next holiday season!) 🎄

Thank you so much to @netgalley @andimjulie @thesierrasimone and @harpercollinsaustralia for sending me an e-book copy to review 🙏🏻

#lizzieslittlelibrary #ahollyjollyeverafter #juliemurphy #sierrasimone #achristmasnotch #harpercollinsaustralia #netgalley #bookreview #bookstagram #aussiebookstagrammer #festivereads

Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone always write great holiday romcoms and so I knew A Holly Jolly Ever After would be just as good as their previous holiday stories and these two ladies did not disappoint.
In this story we get Winnie Baker, an actress who has just gone through scandal and a messy divorce. A new Christmas movie has Winnie working with former boy band member and Pizza mogul Callum. But this isn't your average Christmas movie. No it is sexy and spicy with opposites attract, forced proximity and somewhat of a workplace romance.
Overall, this was another great holiday story by this fantastic duo. There were so many topics covered in this story that relate to real life matters such as self esteem, trauma, cultural/religious beliefs and more. The wit, banter, chemistry and overall humor in this story made for a great read.

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this one!

I liked that it had Winnie overcoming purity culture and that she learns to set boundaries and everything.
Kallum was a big fun loving goof. I liked the dynamic between them. They had some great chemistry.

I probably enjoyed part one more than part two? While it was good, and hard to put down it just didn’t do it for me as much? Maybe because the time skipped a lot and we miss in between moments or something it just didn’t bring the same energy as part one? I’m just spit balling. Lol

I think certain issues were handled really well though and overall I liked this one!

I have to applaud a book when it takes my most hated trope and makes me love it. It's even probably my favourite element of this book. But other than that, I have really mixed feelings. There were parts I enjoyed a lot, but also parts that didn't work for me at all. The pacing felt very chaotic, with very rushed moments and conflicts that were solved all too quickly on the one hand, and moments that slowed the book to a halt on the other. I also felt like the characterization was very off throughout most of the book, both for Winnie and Kallum. Winnie is this woman who's spent her entire life in the grip of Christian purity culture, and I found it quite unbelievable how easily she gets over everything she has to unlearn. I would imagine all of that unlearning would he much more difficult and take a lot more time. We were often being told she wasn't a chill person, but we were being shown quite the opposite, with her moving super easily to go along with pretty much anything. On the other hand we were being told Kallum is super chill and immature, but once again we're being shown pretty much the opposite, because I did think he responded maturely and dependable most of the time. This all felt super inconsistent and confusing to me, making me enjoy the story less. Which is a shame, because I did like the characters and the storyline.

Straight up here are some content warnings, because they caught me off-guard: Toxic, manipulative parents, FMC escaping/shedding religious purist culture upbringing, surprise pregnancy, near-miscarriage. Full disclosure - I've not read the first in the Christmas Notch series of which this is the 2nd, but I damn well will be after this.

I'm not sure what I was expecting of this hot Xmas romance but in my wildest dreams I could not have guessed what was delivered - a touching and thoughtful yet SCORCHINGLY hot book that skated close to erotica and but gave enough plot to land it firmly in the land of spicy romance.

Our FMC Winnie is an ex-Hallmark-style actress who grew up on a family tv show very heavy on Christian values. She did all the right things - always obeyed her parents, married her childhood sweetheart as a virgin, etc etc. Throughout, she's struggled with narcolepsy and hidden it from everyone. Then her world is turned upside-down when her toad of a husband cheats on her and she ends up divorcing him. She gets an offer of a job on a spicy Xmas movie which will require her to film sex scenes and decides she'll do it - she needs to take control of her life and her career.

The MMC is Kallum, an ex-boy band member who now owns a chain of pizza stores. He went viral with a sex tape a previous hookup released, so the movie producers think he'll be perfect for their steamy Santa flick. He's a big burly boy with buckets of confidence and of course sparks fly between the two co-stars as soon as they're on-set. It's not all about the (did I mention extremely hot?) sex though - Winnie's never had a big O and Kallum is very happy to teach her. She's learning how to come out of her shell, put her own pleasure first and also falling for the bearded hunk she's acting with every day in the sweet little Vermont town they're filming in.

This book gave me a lot of feelings associated with an accidental pregnancy plotline, and also blindsided me with a mildly traumatic miscarriage scare. That said, the writing is extremely good and my heart broke for Winnie every time someone disappointed her, or her shitty parents or shittier ex-husband showed up.

This book is what happens when you get two very different authors - Murphy, who writes Disney romances for goodness' sake; and Simone, who gave us PRIEST and AMERICAN PRINCESS!! - and let them just go crazy on the page.

The only criticism I have in the end was the structure - the book is in two parts, and the breakup comes at halfway rather than the third act. AND there's a SECOND breakup, so it was a little left-of-center in terms of the normal romance plot.

Such a lovely book. I loved it from the start. I love the acceptance, the love story, the second characters and the sex positivity this duology brings!

Kallum Lieberman, the self-proclaimed funny one from the former boy band INK, decides to reclaim the spotlight after an old sex tape goes viral. He stars in a sexy Santa biopic alongside Winnie Baker, a former child star seeking a new identity after her perfect life falls apart. As reluctant costars with a decade-old history, Winnie and Kallum navigate the challenges of their on-screen romance, complicated by Kallum's teenage crush resurfacing and Winnie's struggle to fake pleasure for the camera. The novel offers a steamy and humorous exploration of Hollywood, love, and the unexpected journey to a holly jolly ever after that's ready for its close-up.

"A Holly Jolly Ever After" by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone is an exceptional addition to the series, showcasing the authors' remarkable talent in crafting heartwarming romances, and earning a well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars.

From the very first page, it's evident that Murphy and Simone have mastered the art of storytelling. Their writing and plotting are nothing short of astounding, consistently delivering narratives that captivate readers from start to finish. With each book they release, their literary prowess shines brighter.

The decision to offer dual points of view (POV) in a romance novel is always a welcome touch, providing readers with a 360° view of the love story. It allows for a deeper understanding of the characters and their emotions, making the connection between the reader and the story even more profound. Additionally, the choice to narrate the prologue and epilogue from Teddy's POV adds a unique layer of depth and continuity to the series, just as in previous installments.

The authors' knack for creating realistic romances sets them apart in the genre. In "A Holly Jolly Ever After," the slow pacing of the relationship, without necessarily being a slow burn, is masterfully executed. It allows readers to witness the characters' emotional growth and the development of their love in a way that feels authentic and relatable.

The book's setting in Christmas Notch, Vermort, brings with it the charm of found family, which is a consistent theme throughout the series. The sense of belonging and community in this cozy town is palpable, adding depth to the narrative and making it even more endearing.

As a fan of the series, you can already anticipate more enchanting stories on the horizon, and your enthusiasm for future installments is a testament to the authors' storytelling prowess.

In conclusion, "A Holly Jolly Ever After" is a perfectly crafted romance gem that showcases Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone's ability to weave intricate and heartfelt love stories. With its realistic pacing and richly developed characters, it's a testament to their storytelling mastery, and it easily earns a 5 out of 5 stars.

This book took a turn I didn’t expect. Initially, I didn’t like it. But then I warmed up to it, and once all the smut parts were over, I really enjoyed the story.

Actress Winnie Baker agreed to star in a steamier-than-a-steaming-mug-of-mulled-wine Christmas movie for the first time, when she’d never been sultry in real life. His bad-boy co-star Kallum Lieberman was an ex-boyband member known exclusively for his reputation in the bedroom, thanks to a rogue sex tape. They said opposites attract, and it couldn’t be more true for Winnie and Kallum.

I almost DNF’d the book in the first 30%. The smutness might’ve been a highlight for many readers, but I wasn’t one of them. I found it a bit too fabricated for my liking, and then it hit a particular trope I didn’t like (iykyk).

But then the second 30% got a bit more serious, and the story started shaping into something more readable for me. It finally had more depth I was looking for. Winnie and Kallum started facing ‘real world’ and acting less like rabbits and more like adults.

The last 30% ended up being thoroughly enjoyable, and I flew through it. The heartwarming ending gave me what I was looking for.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. I’ve been feeling very guilty that it is taking me so long to get through books. Life has gotten very busy - my apologies to the publisher.

I loved this!

1. It felt Christmas.
2. The Santa Baby movie concept was so so ridiculous and it cracked me up.
3. A trope I don’t usually like was made palettable for me, quite an achievement!
4. Winner and Kallum were very cute, and I loved the exploration of the impact of purity culture.

The only thing that didn’t suit me were the points of miscommunication. I have a very low tolerance for scenes when the leads argue/pull back when they could just talk it out.

A really great addition to this set between Murphy and Simone, and I eagerly await Isaac’s story (surely with his bodyguard!)