Book two, in what I'm hoping will be a trilogy (eagerly waiting Isaac's second chance at love!), did not disappoint! Kallum and Winnie heated up the pages until I was sure my Kindle would combust. I loved the return of so many beloved characters from Nolan and Bee's story, and can't wait for a third trip to this Christmas Wonderland with Isaac.

What a cute and steamy way to gear up for the holidays!! Kallum and Winnie are the definition of opposites attracting. Their relationship is set up so nicely with the casting of a movie that requires a bit of research on Winnie’s end. She has led a very conservative life up to this point so she doesn’t have the necessary life experience to act out love scenes. Enter Kallum who is all to willing to help out!! This story has so many laugh out loud moments and is such a feel good story. It’s so fun to read but still brings the heat when needed.

So the positives: The first half of this one was funny, steamy, and entertaining. I loved Kallum and I appreciated how Winnie's character was handled. Real talk here: I didn't grow up as entrenched in purity culture as some of my friends, but there were definitely elements of it where I was, and I was adjacent to the more intense stuff. Even what I experienced f'ed me up to a degree as an adult. I had to unpack a lot of s**t along the way for sure, and I count myself lucky that I wasn't as screwed up as many who came out of that environment in the late 90s/early 2000s. That all said - I thought the authors did a great job of portraying Winnie as a character who grew up with that background, went into her failed marriage from that position, and has already come out on the side of "this is bs" and is working on moving forward. I'm glad we didn't have to see her go through the process of unpacking all of that, but we still got to see the small ways that it continued to impact her further down the road. A+ for how this character was handled. She DID come across a little naïve and immature at times, but I think that fits with her background and upbringing. Her history and her earlier beliefs would have absolutely had an impact on her emotional maturity (as it did for me), so while I've seen a few people who were a little annoyed by her, I think it fit what we know about the character and I feel like we also got to see her coming into her own a bit more throughout the story.

The not so positives: The second half of this felt like a totally different book. There's a universally hated trope that makes an appearance around the mid-way mark. I might could have dealt with that on its own (there ARE books with this trope that I enjoy), but the way it was handled made it so much worse. I can't go into too many details without spoiling it all, so Ill just leave it at "I was not a fan". Some portion of that storyline pretty well dominates the entire 2nd half of the book, so it's not exactly something you can just skim over or ignore either. There was also an event that is potentially triggering to a lot of people that didn't really serve a strong purpose to the story. Aside from a few reviews, I haven't seen it mentioned as a possible trigger anywhere - not cool. For something that was really only there to be a driver to another plot point (that I also wasn't a fan of) it also took up an oddly long stretch of story. It felt very out of place in what was a fun, sexy rom-com in the first half. Truthfully, I disliked the 2nd half enough that my 2.5* rounded up is feeling REALLY generous at the moment.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, I'm still looking forward to the next novella and the final book - but this one was not for me.

4.25 stars

If you’re looking for a book that feels like a Hallmark movie after dark, this is the book for you. A Holly Jolly Ever After is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy and is the kind of book you’ll read in one sitting next to a fire with your favorite hot beverage in hand.

The chemistry between Kallum and Winnie leaps off the page, and both have to grapple with issues they’ve been harboring from their pasts. This story is sweet, steamy, and heartfelt, and a fantastic holiday (and every day) read. It’s a cozy hug of a novel that’ll also get your blood pumping. (If you know, you know.)

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Super cute and smutty. So cozy to be back in the world of Christmas Notch. So much fun to love the pizza king of KC and the Hope Channel's fallen heroine. Winnie and Kallum have this insta love, heat thing that is elevated a bazillion times by sex lessons. She is so relatable and honest about her hang ups and upbringing and her sweetness and authenticity make her the perfect compliment to his sex tape. lol.

I like this series so much. Much more than I expected. And I am happy to hang out here for the holidays.

Don’t let the illustrated cover fool you, this book is 5 alarm hot! Julie and Sierra never disappoint when it comes to spicy, humor, content and story and Christmas notch is the best way to get you some holiday goodies. (Wink*wink*). I loved loved LOVED the continuation of the ex-boyband member storyline and I really loved watching Winnie’s growth over the course of the story. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it a million times, secret baby/accidental pregnancy trope is my least favorite trope ever, but it never deters me from reading a book. Done well, I can still enjoy a book that contains it and this was done well. I love the prism of emotions you get with these books, you’ll laugh, you’ll sweat, you’ll swoon, you’ll have a wee bit of rage (this conflict tore me apart) but it’s all worth it in the end. 4.5/5 stars.

What does a teen star who gave it all up for love and one third of a former boyband turned pizza mogul have in common? They’re both trying to kick start their careers by starring together in a steamy new movie. Nothing to it you might think but the heroine Winnie has always played the role of the good girl, something that came natural to her raised in a family where purity culture was everything. She’d even been a virgin on her wedding night and look how that turned out. She’s got no idea how to vamp it up for sexy scenes in the movie never having experienced any pleasure. Fortunately for her, her co-star Kallum is more than willing to help her ‘rehearse’, after all back in the day, Winnie was the object of his unrequited teenage crush, and it is for the movie after all.

I’ll admit I had trouble getting into this book. I think it was mainly so far from what I expected from Sierra Simone although when it came to the steam factor, it was pure Sierra… just balanced out by a fun and sweet but not too Hallmarky story. Once I got into the flow of A Holly Jolly Ever After, reading did get a bit easier, and I finally began to enjoy the story. I loved the development of Winnie’s character as she finally took control of her life. The whole purity culture was a novelty as it’s not a thing in Scotland, but it seems to me it's mainly about making young girls feel ashamed for having natural desires but that’s my personal opinion. I also loved that the hero didn’t come with the requisite washboard abs but had a dad bod, perfection in a man is great for a fantasy but let's face, mostly fiction and Kallum’s imperfections just made him that bit more believable and appealing. With some fantastic dialogue, an engaging story and great characters I’d definitely be up for reading more from the writing duo of Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy.

Winnie Baker's life is in shambles. She is living in her friends boat house, there are no acting roles for her, her parents have disowned her and her husband has divorced her. Kallum Lieberman was a rock star, likes to do some acting but he is the pizza king. It seems that the studio that Winnie had worked for wants to do a little risque film. Her agent is going to team her up with Kallum. Let the fun begin. Winnie has led a religious sheltered life and Kallum knows his way around a body. Santa, Baby was an education that Winnie needed and in the process she fell in love. Words were said but couldn't be taken back. She needed space and he needed to get his house in order. Winnie finally has the family she always wanted, the Lieberman's and the friends she made along the way.

This book was pure perfection. Winnie and Kallum's romance is quirky and fun, heartfelt and steamy, and cute and swoon worthy. I found these characters so easy to love and care about and the book itself reads smooth as silk. You will be totally charmed and left with a big smile on your face and a mushy heart.

I loved being back in Christmas Notch! Kallum was such a golden retriever hero and though he continually put his foot in his mouth, he truly had a heart of gold. Special shout out to the entire Lieberman family too! They were the best and I loved the heart and humor that they brought to the story. Winnie's character arc is what truly sold me on the story though. Her strict curated upbringing and subsequent fight to break free from purity culture was really compelling and also heartbreaking. I was rooting for her from page 1.

As much as I loved Winnie and Kallum, the misunderstandings and drama in the second half weren't my favorite. I was annoyed by Winnie's reaction, but ultimately I appreciated that they both were given time to come into their own and get to know each other outside of the Christmas Notch bubble. I'm honestly surprised that I enjoyed Kallum and Winnie's story as much as I did, since it features one of my very least favorite tropes. I thought it was handled pretty well though and ended up enjoying the novel a lot. The prologue and epilogue from Teddy Ray Fletcher's POV was equally fun and I loved how readers got that little HEA too. I'm hoping that Isaac, the last member of INK, will get a book as well ;)

The narration by Joy Nash and Chris Brinkley was wonderful! Chris Brinkley was especially perfect as Kallum. I mainly listened to this one and it's all because of this fantastic narrating duo!

Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars

CW (possible spoilers): cheating ex, divorce, emotionally abusive ex, purity culture, controlling parents, strained relationship with parents, narcolepsy, fire and destruction of property, unplanned pregnancy and miscarriage scare

OW/OM notes: there is an on page sex scene between the MMC and an OW prior to the MC's meeting/starting anything. The MMC's past sexual activity it also mentioned quite a few times throughout the novel.

*I voluntarily read a review copy of this book. I listened to the audio via my local library/Libby*

This was a really fun read, but also gets rather emotional towards the end!  I was feeling all kinds of nostalgia for feel good/cheesy holiday movies and boy bands -  with a rather raunchy twist!!   I found myself laughing out loud through the first half of this book. Winnie and Kallum had such amazing chemistry and he was so great with her - but the secondary characters really elevate this story.  There are some very spicy scenes and some of the spice they had to film was very funny (pickle pouch anyone?)

Full disclosure, for the second half of this book there is a trope that pops up that I am not a fan of (no spoilers) and I wasn't sure where the story was going or if I would like it. The characters were so well written though and the plot had me completely invested.  As the second half of the book continued on, I found myself not caring about the trope and I just wanted to see what was going to happen with Winnie and Kallum!  By the end of the book I had happy tears in my eyes. I am completely obsessed with Kallum’s family! I definitely recommend this one!

✨Tropes
🎄Holiday Romance
❤️Small Town
❤️‍🔥Opposites Attract
💙Workplace Romance

I really enjoyed Holly, Jolly After, as the second book in the series the first one was full of crazy antics and extremely hot chemistry. As the second in the series, I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the plot themes addressed in the book including toxic religious values, life after devastating experience, chronic illness, and personal acceptance. I look forward to the Hope after dark family in the future.

Not sure if I needed to read these authors' first Christmas novel, but I read a few chapters and couldn't track what was going on, so I won't be finishing it, my apologies.

Okay, a LOT to unpack here:

The fact that a recovering purity culture girlie gets to be the FMC of a mainstream romance gives me so much joy. It’s a story close to home for so many of us, and Winnie was handling her new life in a way that SO many are handling theirs in reality. Super well written- somebody on that writing team knows the experience well.

*The twist* however was NOT for me. I’ll not spoil, but it really did undermine a lot of what I had hoped for Winnie and Kallum because of their individual experiences. I’ll leave it at that.

Still all in all a fun story with GREAT 🌶️ and a lot of character depth. Just still processing how I feel about the 55_75% portion of the book…

After a failed marriage Winnie wants to experience all that life has to offer and that includes overcoming her conservative reputation by starring in a steamy movie. She knows that her lack of experience will be a problem, so she convinces Kallum to give her some one on one tutoring.

After his career as a musician ended, he returned to his hometown where he is focused on the pizza shop he opened and women. When one of his escapades becomes public, he is approached to star in a steamy movie and when he finds out that Winnie will be his co-star, he is all in.

The chemistry between them radiates off the pages but that isn’t all they share. He shows her how fulfilling the physical side of a relationship can be and she shows him what how special a relationship can be with the right person and their journey is filled with great secondary characters, humor and all the feels.

My review (ARC provided)
@tlbcgirls.read
https://triciaciak.blogspot.com/
Four stars!

What a fun read! If you want a sexy, witty, and intelligently written book, look no further. Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy really ran with this story. It was so silly and unexpected. I need to read the first book now because it somehow slipped by me.

This book will have you laughing, swooning, and on fire. Kallum is like a big teddy bear; you just want to squeeze him. Winnie is so sheltered that you want to help her find her way. Kallum is the absolute best person to help her. He is sweet, generous, and knows his way around the female body. Winnie needs his expertise, especially with the steamy holiday movie they are starring in together.

I’m not going to go into the synopsis; you can read it if you want. I had no idea what it was going to be about, and I’m happy I was surprised by it; it made the read that much better. I’m ready to start my favorite time of the year: curl up with some hot cocoa and read the other books in this series.

This book was unbelievably cute, fun, and oh so steamy! I went into this book, somewhat blind, not knowing too much about the series overall and I think that made my reading experience even better. The concept of this book is absolutely genius. Christmas Notch seems like the best place to be ever. Winnie and Kallum are so adorable and have great chemistry. I love seeing their characters develop not only as a couple, but as individuals from the beginning to the end of this story. This book has such a great cast of characters of all shapes and size and I really hope they have a few more books planned in this series! This is such a perfect book for the winter time. It’s one of those books that you can cozy up on the couch reading for the day. It was seriously so much fun to read this book. It made me swoon, laugh so many times, and I even shed a tear too.

I haven’t read the first book in the series yet, even though I already own it, it’s now officially on my winter TBR!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Once I got started reading this one, it was hard to put down.

First, I'll say I have not read A Merry Little Meet Cute, and it did not take away from this book. Bee and Nolan made cameos, but I didn't feel like I missed any inside jokes from book one, although I'm sure there were some.

I loved Kallum and his, at times, deprecating humor. You just wanted to give him a hug and tell him everyone loves the funny guy. He's the best! I thought it was so cute that he grew up with a crush on Winnie, and here he was, making a movie with his dream girl.

Winnie is the typical good girl for the public and is trying to figure out who she really is. It was so beautiful seeing her accept her true self and blossom in front of our eyes.

This book was very spicy and also funny. I got a little emotional at the end. A few tears were shed.

Five out of Five would recommend.

I absolutely adored this book. Everybody who likes a little bit of contemporary and happily ever after is going to love this book. It’s a little bit cute. It’s a lot bit raunchy. I laughed. I had some tears. It was just the perfect break into holiday fun. Two people who need a break back into the biz make a soft core Santa movie with help from adult entertainment stars, a town that is literally Xmas all year, and pizza? Yup it has it all! These two main characters were so well written and I can’t wait to go back and read the first book of the series written by these two authors and continue on the Christmas Notch debauchery that is this ongoing series! Highly recommend. Thank you NetGallery, Candi Kane PR, Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy, and Avon and Harper Voyager Publisher for the ARC so I can sing its praises all holiday season!

Is it wrong that I really, really want to see the Kallum Lieberman sex tape? I just want to hear him say consider this dough tossed.

My love for pizza is living, breathing thing. I can’t get enough of it. Deep pan, thin and crispy, stone baked I just love it. I want mushrooms, artichokes, olives, smoked mozzarella, fresh basil. If Kallum opened a Slice Slice Baby franchise is Leeds, I would be there with Santa bells on.

Loved the first part of the book and the filming of Santa Baby at Christmas Notch. I think Teddy Fletcher is a great dad. I loved Winnie Baker and her naps and her innocence and her lady boner for Kallum’s pizza dad-bod.

I had that song from Magic Mike that Alex Pettyfer dances to on repeat in my head during a particular scene. Oh hell, that was hawt.

Not so keen on the second part of the book and I felt that both Winnie and Kallum’s characters came across as so much younger than their actual ages. I know it was probably intentional because she had been emotionally suppressed by her parents and ex-husband. Probably because I am old?

Still a great, mostly funny read. I’m ready for the sad boy, Isaac.