I decided to pick this up after hearing Julie Murphy speak at Steamy Lit Con 2023, and I was surprised and delighted at how much fun it was to read. I finished it in an afternoon and immediately placed a hold on the first book (which you do not need to have read in order to enjoy this one). Winnie and Kallum were genuinely delightful protagonists and I was very invested in their growth as individuals and as a couple. Could this have been about 50 or 75 pages shorter? Certainly, but I also wasn't sad to have all that time in Christmas Notch. This would make a great Christmas in July book club pick -- it's got a lot of kitschy Christmas fun but doesn't actually revolve around the holiday itself.

Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

Love these two authors and hope they continue to write together! As with the first book they did, this cover is adorable - as is the story. So charming and sex positive. Will reread during the holidays for sure.

WOW how are these not Netflix movies? Seriously, if someone from Netflix is somehow improbably reading this, it's like Bridgerton meets those Vanessa Hudgens Christmas movies where she plays all the parts. IT IS DELIGHTFUL AND SEXY AND ALSO THERE IS CHRISTMAS. And there's body diversity! And sexual orientation diversity! And some ethnic/racial diversity but not in the main characters so much but the authors are white, so! Anyway, what more do you want? If you like a happy, sexy, christmas-y, tale look no further. I will read these as long as they come out. D E L I G H T F U L. 5 stars, no notes.

This was another sex-positive romantic comedy from Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone set in the Christmas Notch universe. If you liked a Merry Little Meet Cute, you'll enjoy this, too. Just like the first entry in the series, this one has multi-dimensional main characters with interesting back stories, a full cast of quirky side characters (including several we know from A Merry Little Meet Cute), a good bit of steam, a lot of humor, and plenty of behind the scenes movie magic. In this one, Winnie Baker, who features briefly as a plot point in the first novel in the series, is trying to shed her pristine image as the wholesome Hope Channel actress and former teen Christian purity icon now that she's divorced and got some dings on her reputation for being hospitalized after a Burning Man meets Coachella style festival in the desert. She's signed on for the first film in the first movie in a new "Hope Channel After Dark" series, starting opposite Kallum Lieberman. Kallum was in boy band INK (along with Nolan from the first book and Isaac from what I very much hope will be a third book in this series), but now runs a successful chain of pizza restaurants in Kansas City. He's trying to capitalize on the release of a sex tape and will be playing a sexy young Santa in the new Hope After Dark film (it seems like it would be hilarious, I kind of wish it was a real movie). He and Winnie crossed paths as teen stars (in a not so great way), but now Winnie asks Kallum for help doing research so that she can be more realistic during the sex scenes. They become friends with research benefits and of course it gets complicated, but they're a very cute pairing and I enjoyed their sort of opposites attract kind of deal. Overall a very enjoyable read, though I had two minor issues: 1) I wish there had more exploration of Winnie's chronic illness, which has such an impact on her life and 2) it was maybe a smidge too long? I didn't get bored at all, but I thought there might have been a few scenes that could have been cut without sacrificing much.

A Holly Jolly Ever After
Pub Date: Oct, 10
Avon
Thanks to Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone, Avon and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
#2 A Christmas Notch
This is the first book I’ve read in this series and I will tell you it’s a very steamy journey,
Read this for:
Sex Lessons, forced proximity, narcolepsy, and Dad Bod,
Part two went in a way some people might not like, however there was more plot than in Part one. I felt it ended abruptly. Not the book for me but others have enjoyed it.
4 stars

This book was four stars for me! I loved that the author made the male lead more "human". There were references to his figure all throughout the book, which made him more likeable in my opinion. The female lead was relatable, always feeling as if she was drowning in her family's expectations of her. I liked the family dynamics that were portrayed in the book, as well as the romance between the characters.

A Holly Jolly Ever After is a fabulous and steamy return to Christmas Notch. Is it possible that Kallum Lieberman is actually the hottest former INK band member? Yes.

Winnie is the absolute rule follower and good girl. She tried to do everything right and still got burned. She's a past Hope Channel star who has fallen from grace. But Hope After Dark is courting her hard. She could get her career back and her life on track, but she has to be brave enough to be a new and fearless Winnie.

Kallum is the funny dad-bod INK alum who is a pizza place mogul. Hope After Dark knows from a leaked sex tape how steamy he is.

The two come together to film a sexy Santa movie.

A Holly Jolly Ever after is so playful, so steamy, and so hilarious. I'd expect nothing less from Julie and Sierra.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC! A Holly Jolly Ever After is the second book in the Christmas Notch series by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. In this book, we follow the second member of the boy band, INK, the "funny one," Kallum Lieberman as he seeks to relaunch and legitimize his career (as well as capitalize) after the success of his sex tape. His Christmas themed movie will co-star his teen crush and good girl with a now struggling rep., Winnie Baker. Winnie is also trying to relaunch and rebrand after her divorse, but could this steamy holiday romp be too much for her? This book has a lot of the heart (and maybe more of the steam) from the first book. A Holly Jolly Ever After may be just the right holiday book for those seeking a little spice for the season.

The MMC is one of the bandmates of the MMC from A Merry Little Meet Cute, so there's room for one more novel after this.

The FMC is very different from the heroine in book 1. She was raised in purity culture, which was portrayed pretty realistically, based on my own experience. While her turnaround (or recovery?) is so quick as to be little unbelievable, we do see a bit of the processing she works through. Probably all female readers (and probably plenty of male readers, too) will be able to identify to some degree with the internalized shame and other messaging.

I also really liked the MMC. He's very much a man-child to start, out for a good time but not really responsible. He's aware enough to know that he's "the one before The One," that romantic partners don't see him as a potential permanent option, but he doesn't really interrogate that until circumstances in the book-- and the honesty of the FMC-- force him to examine his priorities. He doesn't end up perfect at the end, but realistically more mature.

Unlike Snow Place Like LA, there's enough in this book that readers could jump in here, but established characters are carried over from book 1 and the novella, so best to start with A Merry Little Meet Cute if at all possible.

eARC from NetGalley.

This book is both delightful and sexy as all hell. There are so many relatable things that both Kalimantan & Winnie are dealing with. Purity culture, oppressive religious community, being labeled a specific way, and being an adult the way you want to.
Winnie is a just perfection. So much of her life was dictated and she was stuck in a box. She was judged harshly for things that men are patted on the back for. It ruined the life she had.
Kallum is a good time. That’s his job. Sure he’s built a successful pizza place but he’s also known as the guy who bones a bridesmaid at a wedding and then she gets married next. He’s all action not much thought.
These two were amazing together. Throw in the soft core Christmas movie and then s book is just great from start to finish.
And it asks the age old question, ““Why sit on Santa’s lap when you could sit on his face?”

This is another collab between Rom Com author Julie Murphy and erotic romance author Sierra Simone. Former boy band member Kallum and former good girl actress Winnie reunite for a steamy Christmas movie. Both characters bring past issues to the table and must work through them if they are to have a merry christmas together.

This gingerbread cookie of a book is the perfect blend of sugar and spice. Former boy-band member turned pizza magnate Kallum is not allowed to fall for his formerly pious co-star Winnie, who is trying to redefine herself after a messy divorce…but when Winnie confesses she doesn’t know how to fake the love scenes because she’s never actually had an orgasm. How can Kallum NOT help her out?

It turns out the two had their own merry-little-meet-cute a decade ago, when being caught alone with a rock star was enough to tarnish Winnie’s pristine reputation and create a scandal for the young girl who’d taken a not-til-marriage pledge. All grown up, both are starring in a smutty softcore Christmas movie for Hope After Dark, and the film is being produced by porn king (who readers will remember from the previous book). Even instructional scenes are super-hot, and all the fun is rounded out by a load of vulnerability: scars from being in the spotlight at a young age; Kallum’s dad bod, self-acceptance, and angsting over his looks and his reputation; Winnie’s struggles with purity culture, managing her narcolepsy, and her estrangement from her judgmental parents.

I don’t purchase a lot of hardcovers, but after reading Merry Little Meet Cute last year, I treated myself to a copy and will purchase this in hardcover as well, because Julie Murphy and Sierra Simon are a writing powerhouse of funny situations and creative scenarios knit together with whiplash fast dialogue, complex protagonists, animated supporting characters and humor, humor, humor. Allusions to plot points and characters from Merry Little Meet Cute won’t necessarily lose readers who have not read other Christmas Notch books, but it certainly adds to the experience if they have.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #AHollyJollyEverAfter from #NetGalley.

I enjoyed returning to Christmas Notch. I have a weird spot for Hallmark Xmas movies, and I want the realistic and spicer version of Hope Channel After Dark (remember when Oxygen had After Dark shows? I have aged myself in this review - oh well). While Sierra Simone took the reigns and brought in a lot of elder millennial quirks (thank you) and the effects of purity/evangelical church culture into the storyline, I wasn’t aware that I would get romance and therapy in a book. I understood why recovering from that culture is hard, even when you have been out of it for a while.

You got a boyband heartthrob (insert any real-life boyband boy), Kallum Lieberman from INK, and your Candance Cameron alike in Winnie Baker, whose now tarnished pure, girl-next-door vibe by a few decisions. Both people are at a turning point and decided to create a Santa movie that would be softcore porn for Hope Channel after Dark. Both have a history, both are trying to change, and both cannot help but fall in love with each other.

I read the ARC, and there are a few plot points that I wished were fleshed out more in the story, and perhaps they will when published. But those plot points were not crucial to the storyline, but just enough for me to want more.

Wow. I picked up this book at the same time as a sweet romcom, so I was rather surprised to open it without double checking the blurb and realizing it was about soft-core porn. I don't particularly have a problem with that, it was all about expectations.

Previously, I have read two Julie Murphy books, both which were very tame, so this caught me by surprise. There is A LOT of sex. It is very explicitly written. If you want a sweet, closed door romance novel, put this one down and walk away now. But if spicy is your jam, this book is very very good. The characters are well-rounded, the conflict feels real, the supporting cast is vibrant, and everything is incredibly well-written. I didn't realize there was a prior book in this series, but I'll be picking it up ASAP.

After reading all of Julie Murphy's past books plus her joint Merry Little Meet Cute with Sierra Simone, I instantly knew I wanted to check out A Holly Jolly Ever After. Once again, this book is a compelling, sex-positive, witty and sweeping romance. Told in dual points of view, you really get a whole picture of their love story from making the newest holiday romance and beyond. While this book does have one of my personal least favorite tropes, I'll allow it because it takes the story to an unexpected, deeper place that makes A Holly Jolly Ever After way more than just a spicy romance novel. And yes, there are spicy scenes -- in spades. Also, I personally liked A Holly Jolly Ever After more than Merry Little Meet Cute, but that's just my taste and in no way diminishes the latter.

The Hope Channel is back with a new naughty, nighttime offering: Hope After Dark. Duke the Halls (book 1) was such a success that Teddy has been hired to film a new movie - Santa, Baby. Teddy once again leans on a former bad boy, pop star for his lead but this time he recruits Kallum Lieberman. When wholesome Winnie Baker is selected to play the future Mrs. Claus, it quickly becomes apparent that she may not be up to the task. Winnie is ready to break away from her good girl image and asks for Kallum’s help to prepare for her role.

A Holly Jolly Ever After is the second book in the A Christmas Notch series.There are open-door scenes throughout this contemporary romance. I highly recommend reading the first book, A Merry Little Meet Cute, before reading this one. Most of the characters and some of the storyline carry over into book two. There is a cute little novella, Snow Place Like LA, that takes place between books 1 & 2. While it is not crucial to being able to understand A Holly Jolly Ever After, it is also a fun read.

Winnie’s growth throughout the book is such a critical part to the MCs love story. She comes from such a restrictive background and Kallum is fully prepared to let Winnie lead herself for once. Winnie learns to not only stand up for herself but to be comfortable and to love herself. In the end, I think Winnie and Kallum both have a bit of a journey to becoming their better, true selves and they needed one another to get there.

This book is only vaguely holiday related. It could definitely be read at any time of year. I hope we’ll be getting at least one more book in this series. I am very curious to know more about Isaac, the third bandmate. Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone are both such fantastic writers. I would love to see more collaborative work from them in the future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really liked this book and am enjoying this series a lot. The authors work brilliantly together to perfectly blend smut and sweetness. It’s been days since I finished reading but I keep thinking about the male main character and representation of “dad bod” in romance genre since we get nice plus size representation these days which was done really well in book one. Just a solid read and really looking forward to anything else that they collaborate on in the future. Already bought Snow Place Like LA and am excited to read it!!

This was adorable and spicy and I couldn't put it down. I loved that each character had something to work on, it makes their books so much more believable. I'm never bored of these books because the full cast of characters is so amazing and intriguing. I can't wait for book 3!

In this second book in the Christmas Notch series, actress Winnie Baker has decided to reinvent herself after her seemingly perfect life and marriage have fallen apart. Despite trying to do everything right (mainly meaning doing everything her parents and husband have wanted), she's recently divorced and struggling with her next steps. Since her "wholesome" brand has already been tainted, she decides to really lean into the scandal by agreeing to star in a raunchy Christmas movie.

Kallum Lieberman (the "K" from the hit boy band INK) has opened a small but successful chain of pizza parlors and spends his time having flings with bridesmaids at friends' weddings. Although he's mostly happy with his life, he jumps at the chance to star in a sexy Santa movie, despite his family's objections. As filming begins, the chemistry between Kallum and Winnie quickly heats up even more off-screen.

This is the second book in the series, but I do think it can be read without having read the first one--although some of the minor characters and side plots might be a tad confusing. The book has the same signature spice as the first from this duo, although since Winnie was raised in a religious background, she is discovering pleasure for the first time with Kallum, so there's a lot of instruction involved in those scenes. Given Winnie's background, I felt like the sex between the two of them moved a bit fast. My other quibble is about Winnie's narcolepsy--there's a lot of internal dialogue regarding how she deals with her condition, but at no point does she ever bring this up to Kallum. The book was a little long and the end could have wrapped up a bit more quickly and neatly, but overall, this was a fun, sex-positive romp that readers of these authors' previous books will enjoy.

A fun and spicy holiday romance from the crack team of Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. I hope these two write more books together!