July Murphy and Sierra Simone did it again. This was so cute and such a fun read - even if I was reading it in July. The religious guilt was such a good way to handle the trope of the girl not knowing her body. I didn't find myself rolling my eyes at the male lead having to teach her everything. However, the main conflict near the end did make me roll my eyes a little so I can't say this book was a masterpiece.

After reading Merry Little Meet Cute, this one definitely falls into the same vein. There are lots of laugh out loud moments, and tender moments, as well as a fair amount of spice. Anyone who enjoyed the first book will certainly enjoy this one from this co-author duo.

A Holly Jolly Ever After is the second book in the Christmas Notch series. This book is about the next former member of INK, Kallum.
Kallum Lieberman has been cast as Santa in the Hope Channel's new steamy venture Hope After Dark. Kallum's family are not impressed with this new job especially since after Kallum's sex tape leaked, he chose to license it. Winnie Baker was raised to be a proper subservient woman which lead her to be a Hope Channel favorite. However, her image has changed significantly since getting divorced and the paparazzi speculating on her drinking and drug use. Now she's cast as a young Mrs. Claus opposite of Kallum.
This was such a good book. The chemistry between Kallum and Winnie was amazing and I love that we got to see a lot of the characters from the previous book.

Sweet and wholesome Winnie Baker has been the star of family friendly entertainment and even her 15 year marriage to the handsome and sensible Michael has helped her maintain a faithful following. Her world came crashing down when she divorced Michael and was accused of being unfaithful to him. With nothing left to lose she decides to co-star in an adult themed film with Kallum, who is the opposite of wholesome family friendly content.

Kallum Lieberman is a former member of the INK and good friend and bandmate of Nolan, who recently had his own scandal with an adult film star. Kallum has released his own sex tape with a bridesmaid that has been going viral.

Kallum screams sexuality and Winnie has no real clue what that means and she needs a lot of it for her new film. She turns to Kallum the one person who could safely help her find her sexuality. What starts out as a teaching and research time may turn into something more. It gets so hot that a snow machine catches fire and so do Winnie and Kallum’s feelings. Will the two be able to stay together after the film or is this just a movie set fling.

I was so excited when I saw this book was available as an ARC. I just finished reading “A Merry Little Meet Cute” last week and wanted to read Winnie and Kallum’s story. I loved that Winnie’s character was so open about how purity culture and beliefs were like for her. So many women go into marriage and that somehow magically they will enjoy sex and all will be right with the world. I also loved that Kallum was patient and didn’t make Winnie feel belittled or stupid for not knowing her own body, even after 15 years of marriage (and possible sex). This is an open door romance with real people. There were a scene at the beginning, specifically involving a pinky finger, that some women are squeamish about so I wonder if Winnie would be that open to that experience so soon. We need more Kallum’s in the world with emotionally safe sex and maple syrup & bacon pizza.

#NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager provided an advanced readers copy.

Another Julie and Sierra collaboration. I was iffy on how I'd feel about this one since I wasn't a huge fan of Bee and Nolan's novel but this one hit all the feels.

Winnie and Kallum are one of my favorite book couples ever.

So many troupes, so much spice. A Christian woman fallen into disgrace and takes charge of her future. What more do we need now.

Well written and so much to love.

Julie Murphy always gives a great story and "A Holly Jolly Ever After" was another great one, especially at Christmastime.

This book is just as great as the last book in the series! You don't need to know the previous book in order to read this book. The characters know each other, but they do not intersect that much.

If you enjoyed "Merry Little Meet Cute," you'll enjoy this. I stopped at 7% but I can tell it's very consistent to the brand they've created.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

It's Christmas time in Christmas Notch again, and the Hope Channel has decided to branch out with a new holiday movie that appeals to more mature audiences. "Santa Baby" will star Kallum Lieberman, former pop star, pizza entrepreneur, and the guy rocking a dad bod in his recently leaked sex tape -- and even though this new role as a hot Santa embarrasses his family, he is ready for the camera to roll! Especially since he's learned that his co-star will be Winnie Baker, the golden good-girl actress from other Hope Channel movies and his longtime crush.

Winnie, who grew up in a religious family and was held up as a darling of purity culture, knows her star is tarnished after her recent divorce. Work had dried up until this offer to star in "Santa Baby," and she does want to overcome her prudish background -- she's just not sure how. She's never even had an orgasm, and the idea of doing "research" just makes her cringe. The only thing that seems to be helpful is... Kallum's sex tape. And when he surprises her in her hotel room, watching said tape, he offers to help with... research.

You can see where this is going, right? Kallum is a warm and friendly character, if a bit impulsive, and his honest delight in sex and his absolute attention to his partner makes him a great confidant and safe space for Winnie. Winnie is a sweetheart, too, and as she learns to trust Kallum and to move beyond the mindset of her upbringing, she finds tremendous joy and pleasure in giving in to her physical desires. It's not often you find two characters who simply have sheer fun with sex, but these two make the most of their time together on set. Of course, the path to true love has many bumps along the way, but it also gives both characters time to learn more about themselves and about what they want.

It's a whirlwind romp that features many of the same characters (crew, director, and past stars and lovers Bee and Nolan) from A Merry Little Meet Cute, so if you enjoyed the cozy, hilarious, fun, and sexy times from that book, you won't be disappointed. 4 stars.

Thank you, Avon/HarperCollins and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.