Thank you to Netgalley and Bramble for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Well...I did not expect this to make me so dang emotional. I was ready for a cute little romcom full of laughs and boy was I wrong. BUT I was not disappointed. These characters were so absolutely real and all too raw, and that made everything so much more meaningful. It was truly a Christmas story full of the spirit and magic of Christmas itself, but the spirit of holidays in general made everything so special.

My one and only complaint was that it felt like it was far too long for a romcom. Once you get further into it, it doesn't seem to feel as long, but I was definitely feeling the length in the first 3rd of the book.

The humor of this book is perfectly balanced with the depth, and I appreciate that in so many ways. There was a lot of emotion to be grappled with, and the humor truly kept it from becoming too much to handle. The characters were perfect matches for one another in a way that did not become too much as it often can.

I cannot wait to read more in this series and see where the love goes!

This story follows the prince of Christmas who falls for the Prince of Halloween. I liked the concept of the storyline especially with the halloween and christmas aspect of it. I do have to say that this book is something that you would want to read only during the holidays. As much as the plot was cute, I do have to kind of say that it didn’t properly deliver. It felt like the story focused mainly on the character for a middle grade/ya story. The pacing was good and I did think the world was fun. This book is told from Coal’s pov only which I thought was very interesting.

Coal is the MC aka prince of christmas. He needs to improve his repuration. I did like Coal’s growth but I just didn’t connect with him. Then we have Hex, the Prince of Halloween, and I thought it was strange we didn’t get his pov because he’s on the cover. I thought that was very strange. I wanted to know more of Hex’s character and see what he really had to go through. There are many side characters throughout this book and I believe they will be in the next one. The romance is M/M with instant love and as this book does say enemies to lovers, it’s not that.

The ending was good but overall this book was okay. I blurb didn’t exactly deliver and there could have been improvements made for the story. It’s cute and perfect for the holidays if you want a Christmas read, but not something I would pick other than the holidays.

*this book was provided to me free by the publisher*

"The Nightmare Before Kissmas" by Sara Raasch is a fun, festive, and slightly spooky holiday romance that will have you grinning from start to finish. Raasch perfectly blends holiday magic, sweet romance, and a bit of mystery to create an unforgettable story. It’s the perfect mix of cozy and thrilling, with characters you’ll love rooting for. Huge thanks to the publisher for the ARC! I’ve already grabbed a copy for my library system. If you’re in the mood for a quirky, heartwarming holiday read with a twist, this one’s a must-read! Highly recommend it!

This was the perfect holiday rom-com with just the right amount of chaos and heart. The enemies-to-lovers vibe was on point, and I adored the festive spirit with a spooky twist. A delightfully offbeat seasonal romance.

This combines two fun holidays into a fun romance! I enjoyed it, and I am looking forward to more books in the series.

This was THE perfect book to kick off the holiday season. The world building and the structure of how the holidays functioned was just so inventive and I loved all of the behind the scenes scheming.

The romance had me kicking my feet and squealing and I just fell in love with these two princes. They were so made for each other and it was such a joy to see them fall so hard.

I didn’t want this one to end and I cannot wait for Go Luck Yourself next March!!

Thank you so much to Bramble and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Ugh, so good. The chemistry between the two MMCs was so good. The story was clever and banter was *chefs kiss*!

I wanted to absolutely love this one, but oh my Gods it dragged in the middle. It made up for it in spots but had this been 100ish pages shorter this would have been so much more enjoyable. All in all though still a fun holiday romp amongst disaster bisexuals and who doesn't want to read about that?

“Halloween and Christmas collide in the sweetest, sexiest crossover romcom of the year! Two royal princes, one fake competition – but will it be trick...or treat?”

This is an adorable holiday M/M romantasy (the holiday magic is REAL) that’s giving RWARB - add it to your list! It makes reading Christmas books year round totally ok! 😆

Ok, hi, hello, I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. I came into this expecting this to be a "good" book but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I am definitely going to be picking up Go Luck Yourself - I need to know how my two boys are doing!

If you are wanting a cute romance, this is the one. It is an easy read, fast paced, and cute as all get out, and I need everyone to read it now.

This was adorable. I love a good, cute, gay rom-com and this definitely delivered! The holiday fantasy elements were a great backdrop to this sweet 'star-crossed lovers' romance, but what really stole the show for me was Hex's character. I mean, anyone who knows me at all would NOT be surprised to hear that I adored the Prince of Halloween, but that's beside the point. 🤣 He was SO funny and precious and soft, and I just loved him to bits! I can't wait to continue the series and I really hope we get cameos of Coal and Hex in future installments.

This book is sharp, immersive, and just unsettling enough to make you question everything. Whether it’s the story, the writing, or something you can’t quite put your finger on, it gets to you. When you finish, you won’t be the same.

The story was slow to start. It felt like the same conversations happening but things picked up in the second half. Even still, I grew attached to this group of friends and the sibling love between Coal and Kris. I read a preview of Kris’ story and it went a totally different direction so I can’t wait to read what the author has in store for him. Also the St. Patrick’s Day’s royal heir sounds like walking chaos. 😆

“Someone help me, please, because this guy makes me want to learn hymns but only recite them if I’m moaning and I think that might be sacrilege, but I’m okay with damnation if he’s the reason, I just want to know for sure which way is up.”

This book. My goodness. It has been living rent free in my brain since I finished it. For such a whimsical premise, this had surprisingly serious themes; Political corruption, family dysfunction, parental abuse. It's queer and romantic and angsty and joyful. The writing is absolutely beautiful and it is full of quotes I couldnt help but highlight and underline.

I've already purchased the next book in this series and I cannot wait for more!!

Super cute book! Very campy with the humor and festive magical undertone which I thoroughly enjoyed! The repeated quips between the brothers and their best friend, the Easter princess, were shining and funny moments! Looking forward to the next book in this world!

This was so much fun! I really loved these characters and their romance. I think the world and magic system could have used a little more building, but I'm hoping that will come up in later books in this series. Overall I thought this was just a fun, cute time, which is exactly what I'm in the mood for sometimes. I will definitely be continuing in the series!

Weird and wonderful- I'll be looking forward to the sequel. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read this early!

'The Nightmare Before Kissmas' is a solidly cute, silly romance. This is in no way an enemies-to-lovers and more of an insta-love. At times it attempts to be angsty but it never really hits, except with the brothers. I think truthfully the strength of this book is Coal and his brother Kris's relationship. At times, it felt like the main focus of the book and set aside the romance. All in all, solid if not a favorite and I'm looking forward to reading more from Sara Raasch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group | Bramble, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Nicholas "Coal" Claus used to love Christmas, until his father, the reigning Santa, made everything into a PR faced and Coal would do anything to escape the spectable, like making out with a stranger while drunk. But as the heir to Christmas his father wants him to marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess and his bother, not so secret, crush. When a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess' hand, things get from bad to worse when Coal recognize the stranger he made out with as Hex, the Prince of Halloween. As they fight each other for a hand none of them really wants, Hex and Coal start to fall in love into a messiest, sexiest and more brilliant move.

I LOVED The Nightmare before Kissmas! First of all, it's so original and being marketing as similar to Red, white and royal blue captured my attention right away and I fell in love with Coal and Hex and this world created by Sara Raasch.
WOW!
It's swoony, sexy, funny, embarassing and so cute and I loved every single page of it!

You know the feeling when you are snuggled under a blanket with your favorite beverage and everything is just right in your world? This is how The Nightmare Before Kissmas made me feel.

I loved this cozy, whimsical take on the different holidays with the undercurrent of political intrigue. This was such an adorable, messy romance.

🎃 Prince of Christmas falls for off limits Prince of Halloween
🎄 fake competition for a marriage of convenience with the Princess of Easter that neither wants
🎃 funny banter