While this book does have one of my least favorite tropes, it does a marvelous job of keeping the reader engaged. I was excited to return back to the small town and the film making process with a little forced proximity. The characters are endearing and it makes one want to root for them. The will they, won't they was well played out in this title!

I really enjoyed this book up until about 70%. There are spoilers in this review, so proceed with caution.

This book includes the dreaded accidental pregnancy trope which usually drives me crazy. However I found myself unbothered by it this time around because it wasn't too soon after that our couple recovers from their previous conflict and decides to be together and have the baby. Then not too long after there is ANOTHER conflict that I found widely unnecessary for several reasons. This conflict centered around Kallum being too drunk and immature in the moment and Winnie having a near miscarriage that felt like it could be very triggering for some. (The baby ended up fine!)

Anyway, after that conflict I kinda lost interest in the book. While I did enjoy the way things wrapped back up at the end, I would personally have loved this book if it wrapped up after the first conflict instead.

The second book in this series is once again a wonderful read. It is such a fascinating concept of combining the sweet earnestness of a typical Hallmark movie with the raunchy, ribald smuttiness of romance novels. I had the privilege to meet the authors at OLC and learn of these novels. I read both of them as soon as I could, and I really think they are a great addition to the Romance genre!

I loved the first book in this series, but A HOLLY JOLLY EVER AFTER is all sex and no relationship. I could go on and on about all the ways these characters didn't have a relationship outside of hot sex, but I can probably sum it all up by telling you this: these two exchange "I love yous" and get pregnant and the hero doesn't even know the heroine has narcolepsy. In fact, as far as the reader knows HE NEVER FINDS OUT, epilogue be damned!

This also had no Holiday Romance charm or story-lines besides that Kallum and Winnie are actors in a holiday movie so they are sometimes in costume. Otherwise, no holiday magic.

A HOLLY JOLLY EVER AFTER has a lot (read: A LOT) of seriously steam sex scenes and it also has a really good exploration of religious trauma and purity culture. But this book has almost no other storyline.

If you didn't read the first book you will be seriously lost. A HOLLY JOLLY EVER AFTER does not succeed as a standalone.

Overall, I was stupidly disappointed by this book.

2 1/2 stars rounded up to 3.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

I liked this book a little bit better than the first book in the series. I’m a sucker for anything boybandish so I loved that they continued the series with another INK member in the lead. I also really liked Kallum and Winnie’s relationship and that we got to see more of its progression than we did for Nolan and Bee.

Not super heavy on the Christmas vibes though. I think you could easily read this anytime of the year.

Good spice level.

If I don’t get an Issac/Addison book out of this series I’m going to be heavily annoyed.

I have been so enamored with the whole concept of Christmas Notch and the amazing writing combination of Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. This series always gets me feeling wintery-festive and delivers lots of hearts and laughs. A Holly Jolly Ever After delivers plenty of heat, tons of heart, and a surprisingly complicated and unexpected story.


It was so great to be back in Christmas Notch, a Hallmark movie lovers Christmas town wet dream….the filming home of wholesome style movies and also of the network’s more naughty movies…those with ACTUAL wet dreams…the “after dark” sexy type. The focus of this Christmas Notch adventure is the love story of the unexpected pairing of Winnie Baker, wholesome good girl, and burly Kallum Lieberman, pizza-man and also self-published amateur adult film star. Quite a combination indeed. Winnie is recovering from both a divorce from a cheating ex and also trying to overcome the lingering phantom of her super conservative upbringing. How better to rebuke all the trappings of her life than ditching nice movies for naughty? Kallum is full of his own contrasts. Forber boy band star, blossoming pizza titan (with a delightfully punnyily named pizza chain), AND now unexpected sex-tape star. His dad-bod and new smutty stardom make him the perfect smexy Santa…and makes him Winnie’s co-star in her big adventure.


This book had a lot I liked. I loved the carefully and thoughtfully done depiction of a character unpacking the impact of Christian purity culture. This had both moments of levity but also moments of depth and impact as Winnie explores her sexuality, struggles to embrace parts of herself, and to find her true identity after so long she was told by others (her parents, her religion, her network) who and what she should be. But after so much repression and denial this isn’t easy, especially when paired with the misogynistic obsession with purity and her family’s blame of her for her marriage failing. This was gently done, realistic, and really compelling.


Like others have pointed out, the two parts of this book felt disjointed, and at times even thematically contradictory. I actually take no issue with the trope that shows up in the second half of the book. I enjoy it. But I do think that in conjunction with the powerful (and important) themes of sexual empowerment and sexuality that the plot device in the second half almost reinforces the exact culture the first half of the book seems to rebuke. Of course I enjoyed seeing Winnie navigate this season of her life…and learning too that the impacts of sex, even here they are literally the very warning flag of purity culture, aren’t as they seem. BUT, it definitely has a big impact, especially on her and Kallum, and I found myself disappointed with the character arc after the beauty of the first half. It felt like two different stories thematically and in terms of character, even if each part was interesting to me. I liked both elements, I really did, it just felt like two different stories versus a cohesive one.


But I love this world- it’s fun, it’s sexy, its crazy, and I do love these characters, and I love starting Christmas each year with a smutty, sensational, and salacious visit to Christmas Notch.

My Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶.5/🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

I have now read all 3 (1 is a novella) of the books out in the A Christmas Notch series and I loved A Holly Jolly Ever After just as much as book 1. Julie Murphy's writing style is one of my favorites, and I love the way she blends humor and spice to create the perfect romance for any time of the year, not just Christmas! While the story revolves around a naughty holiday movie and a town obsessed with Christmas, it isn't actually the heaviest of themes and you could easily read this at any point in the year. It is like a Hallmark movie with spice, and I loved being able to absorb myself in Kallum and Winnie's characters who I already knew from A Merry Little Meet Cute.

The narrators for the audiobook did a wonderful job, and I am now a huge fan of both Joy Nash & Chris Brinkley. Nash also narrated book 1, and she fully embodies the female characters in both books. Brinkley was a good fit for Kallum as well and these two made the characters and chemistry really shine! There is plenty of banter and I laughed out loud multiple times, but I also loved that there was some gravity to the story as well. Winnie has some sh!t going on with her family, and frankly, it pissed me off. I thought Murphy did an exceptional job with all facets of the storyline, and if you are looking for a steamy, funny romance I would recommend this series as a whole! They can definitely be read as standalones since they focus on different characters, but I would still read them in order if you want even more characterization.

I meannnn did you see how much I LOVED the first one? There was no way I was going to miss this one! I knew I was going to love this one too. I was a little taken aback at some parts because I wasn’t expecting where this was going at all. But it wasn’t bad. I guess I just wanted more of the vibe of any and everywhere like the first one lol

Ok so if you’ve seen my list of TWs, you’ll know there is a………. look away if you don’t want to know………. baby. Yes this is what threw me off. Babies complicate things and I really just wanted the vibes of the first one. They’re getting to know each other and can’t keep their hands off each other, but still have secrets! AND like, sometimes it makes me wonder if they’d feel the same if the baby wasn’t there. And that just makes me nervous for the couple and I spend a lot of time wondering what if. This couple didn’t make me feel the what ifs, but I did get frustrated because it was like why just make the decision for him? It was like Oh I know he won’t want to do xyz, when in fact, none of that was the case. She just didn’t give him the chance.

When they finally got it together, I loved their relationship. I also loved that Kallum isn’t the traditional hero too. Actually I think that’s my favorite part. I HATE always reading about the same person, because it’s just not realistic. And it’s not my brand of a hero either lol My husband is mostly built like Kallum, but he’s not as tall from what I remember lol So seeing someone like my husband on page was hella refreshing. Winnie is also described as having bigger thighs and being fat and that was refreshing too. I love seeing characters that just seem more real.

As for the two of them together, I thought they were cute, but I think it could have been more. Like I liked the first and the novella so much because of the way they felt obsessed with each other. Like Nolan was obsessed with Bee and Luca was obsessed with Angel as much as they tried to deny it. I just didn’t feel that in this one. And that was disappointing. I’m not saying they weren’t cute, because they were, but they just didn’t have what the others did. Idk, I’m not making sense lol

The plot was so realistic tho. I unfortunately really understood where she was coming from when she worried that he was too childish. I had to have the same conversation with my husband when we discussed whether or not we wanted kids. It just felt really real to me and I felt so validated. Because people said I was mean and didn’t need to tell him that. I just felt really seen.

This was a surprise considering how much I loved the first one. But it wasn’t bad, I just had some personal issues with it. If you read it and think different than me, let me know in the comments! I want to know if I’m just making up problems lol

I'm the biggest Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone fan since their first novel, A Merry Little Meet Cute. And A Holly Jolly Ever After is no exception. With dual POV, if you love those stories about two characters who are drawn together by a spark and they have a "teach me" vibe? Then go pick this one up now. From the beginning, I loved Winnie. The ways she feels she's done everything right and made so many choices that were never hers. And all the ways she's been put into this box of sexuality and objectification by society.

En bref, j'ai beaucoup aimé Kallum et Winnie mais il m'a manqué un petit quelque chose que je ne sais pas vraiment expliquer pour adorer leur histoire. Ils sont mignons tous les deux, à un tournant de leurs vies quand ils se rencontrent et ils vont devoir apprendre à vivre pour eux et non pas au travers du regard des autres. J'ai parfois trouvé que c'était un peu long alors que d'autres passages vont trop vite et j'ai aimé les personnages secondaires et ce qu'ils apportent à nos deux héros même si parfois il y en a un peu trop. Les mots des autrices nous font ressentir leurs questionnements et j'ai aimé les choix qui sont faits et la manière dont ils s'y tiennent et vont de l'avant. Ils doivent apprendre à réfléchir par et pour eux-mêmes et ils y arrivent très bien, le final est vraiment chouette et on les quitte avec un grand sourire !

Spectacular is all I have to say about this one. I love this series so much. I love the boyband aspect, and the spicy parts are spicing the way they should.

10/10 - 100% Recommend

Kallum is a good guy, although not a big think before you do or speak type of person. Winnie is out of a bad marriage and now able to spread her wings from her overbearing family and church guilt

Kallum is the person to step into the world with on the set of their after-dark Christmas movie.

I had a blast reading this one, and ill reread it. The little surprise at the end was the chef's kiss - if you know, you know.

Loved

Kallum and Winnie’s story is all kinds of sweet with loads of smexy times. She is the sweet grown up child Star ready to transition into more adult roles. He is a former boy band member living an everyday life. He’s a known serial dater and has had a secret crush on Winnie. Their chemistry ignites when they are ‘practicing’ their scenes.

This is my favorite of theA Christmas Notch series so far. It’s definitely a steamy feel good story with an HEA.

#juliemurphy
#SierraSimone
#hopechannel
#sweetandsteamy

I will never look at Santa or Mrs. Claus in the same way. This is not your old school Naughty List. Instead it's a fun romp through two very charming characters' lives as they find their way to each other through a humorous but sometimes very serious story. Finding oneself is always a challenge. Finding yourself while starring in a Rom-Com soft porn holiday movie is not for the faint hearted. This book is definitely targeted to more mature readers with an open mind. I don't what inspired Murphy and Simone to start this series, but they are definitely on to something!

I'm loathe to write a negative review just because it wasn't my cup of tea. The writing is good, the plot is fine, I didn't particularly like or dislike the MCs. It's just not my jam. Readers who enjoy the previous books in the Christmas Notch, hardcore Tessa Bailey fans, or fans of The Shameless series (Rosie Danan) would enjoy it. I'm neither pro, nor against, A Holly Jolly Ever After and will likely recommend it to certain readers.

NetGalley provided the ARC, opinion is my own

A Holly Jolly Ever After is more raunch-com gold from the talented writing duo that is Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy. We are happily back in Christmas Notch as our favorite producer in Teddy/Uncle Ray-Ray has a new movie to film featuring a fall from grace former Hope Channel star, Winnie Baker and the K in the former boy band INK, one Kallum Lieberman. These two couldn't be more different yet for Winnie, Kallum becomes much more than just her easygoing co-star: he is most decidedly the man to uncover her true self just when she needs it most.

Once again I was laughing out loud at the crazy that always ensues whenever a Hope After Dark production is upon us. There must be something in the Vermont air, no matter the time of year, that causes a bit of mayhem each time Teddy's film crew show up. The are all sharp witted characters who offer up the best one-liners and keep everyone on their toes. Winnie is most definitely out of her element filming a darker and dirtier kind of movie, but with the help of her sexy bad boy co-star, the magic they create both in front and behind the camera manages to fit right in with all the extraneous madness going on around them.

Kallum is a sweetheart. The king of pizza, his love for his boisterous family made me smile. I felt so at ease with his loud, loving Jewish crew as it reminded me of my childhood with close friends who were members of this fabulous faith and loved with everything they had. Kallum is loyal and just wants the people around him to be happy. When he sees that Winnie is anything but, his new mission to allow her to free her of her puritanical thoughts and her horrid former marriage in one fell swoop, let's just say he gives her the right to enjoy her sexuality while knowing it will help give the best performance of her life in and out of the bedroom. And once he unleashes her desires, it's as if Kallum and Winnie both know they may just have found their other half.

I think what makes these two so perfect for one another is that they both have insecurities of never being what the world may want. Kallum, however, does what he wants but is always ready to correct his mistakes, just wanting to make his family and friends proud. Winnie, on the other hand, has been repressed for too long, that she has to use every ounce of courage to even ask Kallum to give her back her feelings of want. But when the frequent times of passion between them offers up quite the surprise and things become strained, I had to hope that the love that was slowly building up between be the only thing that would ever matter.

Murphy and Simone continue to offer up a tangential kind of storyline featuring Teddy and Steph, talent manager extraordinaire. Although I would have loved a separate novella featuring their unconventional and shocking romance, at this point, I'm completely satisfied with how things are progressing and how both characters are showing their vulnerability to one another with warm responses. Just to prove again just how talented this writing partnership is, that they can give us a story within a story and never miss a beat.

There is lots of laughter, a ton of love and erotic trysts that are both sensual and touching. Kallum may have not been the so-called favorite of INK but he's proven himself to this reader and I've fallen hard for his boyish ways and his selfless charm. His adoration for his long-time crush in Winnie is heartwarming and sweet. The way he takes care of her throughout this book is beyond endearing and I was truly thrilled that he does in fact get the girl of his dreams. For Winnie, watching her emerge as this bada$$ movie queen was fabulous. Her determination to be the woman she wants to be, even it if isn't what her parents need of her, proved just how far she had come, which was a gorgeous thing to witness.

With hints of what might happen next in Christmas Notch with the 3rd member of INK, Isaac, along with the always amusing Sunny and not to mention the cranky Jack and Winnie's bestie Addison, I wouldn't even venture a guess as to what Simone and Murphy have up their wicked writing sleeves. But I do know I'll be there for every wild moment since these books and series are absolutely wonderful and I'm fully addicted.

When looking for the very best in raunch-coms, you don't have to venture any farther than A Holly Jolly Ever After. You'll chuckle, sigh and have the very best time. Well worth your time, I happily give this book a huge 5 stars!

O que eu mais gosto na combinação da escrita de Julie e Sierra é que elas trazem personagens fora do padrão do que encontramos nos romances. Winnie é uma ex-atriz mirim que usava anel de pureza, foi criada por pais religiosos e esperou casar para perder a virgindade, depois que se separou ela começou a olhar para si mesma, mas ainda tem muito daquele ensinamento puritano em sua mente, e o medo de julgamento. Kallum era membro de uma famosa boyband, o "gordinho engraçado" que tinha menos produtos e menos fãs. Ele dedicou-se a construir uma marca com a pizzaria 'Slice, Slice, Baby', e não tem nenhuma perspectiva de ser visto como um "boyfriend material" dado ao seu histórico.

Com muitas cenas quentes (muitas mesmo), a história é construída, e eu amei ver o lado vulnerável deles, ver a Winnie desabrochar nesse romance, ver Kallum perceber que ele pode sim ter uma história de amor, que pode ser escolhido. Claro que não posso deixar de falar dos personagens secundários que tornam essa história ainda mais divertida, e amei rever Bee e Nolan, protagonistas de "Um Encontro (não tão) Inocente" (A Merry Little Meet Cute). Estou ansiosa pelo próximo romance dessa série.

Am I the only one that somehow missed A Merry Little Meet Cute & Snow Place Like LA by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone?! This fantastic writing team is coming in hot (and I do mean HOT!) with their next book in A Christmas Notch series, A Holly Jolly Ever After.

This is the story of two young entertainers whose reputations have taken a hit. The big difference in how they’re treated, in what’s asked of them to redeem themselves? One is a man…Kallum, a former boy band member. The other a woman…Winnie, former teen actress. While Kallum works his way through bridesmaids, and opens a pizza shop, a sex tape becomes public. Winnie married her childhood sweetheart, but now finds herself divorced and shunned by her fan base. The answer for both…Hope After Dark’s upcoming holiday film, a new venture for steamy movies by a traditional tv network (think Hallmark). When Winnie is bombing the intimate scenes she reveals to Kallum sex with her ex had not included a happy ending for her…ever. Thus begins the offscreen sex tutorial portion of our story. 🥵🌶️

The first half of this story flies. I loved the chemistry between Winnie and Kallum. Murphy and Simone do an excellent job balancing the steam with the inclusion of Winnie’s disability (narcolepsy). I loved how they touched on the unrealistic and damaging nature of purity culture that continued to plague Winnie into adulthood. The second half shifts into a different feel, but it still worked well for me.

I’m now excited to go back and read the first two books in the Christmas Notch series!

Thank you to my friends at Avon Harper @avonbooks for the early copy via Netgalley.

A fun follow-up in Christmas Notch. I was a little worried about the pacing on this one, but man, it totally paid off.
I am legit obsessed with how this series' darling vintage-y covers, which are even better than your usual cartoon fare, both match and juxtapose the story.

This was great. I loved this, and the concepts and themes it tackled. It was delightfully steamy in the great Sierra Simone Way. Definitely recommend!

One thing that I love about both A Merry Little Cute & A Holly Jolly Ever After is that while they are both incredibly spicy, you have a solid plot as well. You have emotional matters that are being worked through.

I also love Christmas Notch and this was a fantastic trip back there. Winnie and Kallum were both delightful characters and I found myself rooting them on to admit how they felt about each other. I really appreciated how they handled approaching religious trauma with Winnie.

Part 2 of the book was a surprise for me with a pregnancy trope and fear of miscarriage triggers that I wish had been disclosed.

However, it was a funny cute and christmassy rom-com that I enjoyed overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.