I enjoyed this cute little story of rival princes falling for each other. This was a cute way to see Christmas and a Halloween come together. I would have liked a bit more Halloween and a bit less rambling from Nicholas while he was “with” Hex but overall the story was good. I know we are left hanging at the end so we’ll want to read the next story but it was way too abrupt for me.

Oh this was such a lovely story. Couldn’t recommend it enough especially for the upcoming holiday season. Really great characters very well written funny fast paced

I am always very nervous about romance books, but there was no need for me to worry with this one. Despite a few one off cringey lines, this one was perfect. Each character was crafted so beautifully and carefully that they all felt like real people. Our main characters internal monologue was so real and relatable that it made me care immensely about him and everything happening around him. The plot itself was also extremely well constructed and compelling, I truly couldn't put it down. Was not expecting such a cliff hanger ending, I can't wait for the next one!

This book is everything I needed in a romantic comedy novel. Incredibly funny with great banter and romance. Love the whole thing!

Overthrowing Santa has never been so sexy.

Coal, the Christmas Prince, more like the Chaos Prince, grants every Christmas wish for a small country and causes an economic collapse. He runs to a local bar to drown his sorrows.

Cue his meet cute with a brooding stranger in a dark alley, complete with intense making out. His brother and best friend think that he is drunk and imagining things since the stranger disappeared without anyone else seeing him.

…Christmas, One and half years later

The darkly, mysterious stranger is none other than the Halloween Prince. The two princes are reunited when the holiday representatives are gathered to celebrate Christmas and the holiday festivities are about to heat up.

With Christmas Eve quickly approaching, Coal and his friends have to find a way to balance the distribution of winter joy to save Christmas and stop his father's manipulative plans for their holiday.

Recommended for: fans of opposites attract romances & Christmas romance readers

Content warning: profanity; sexy times; one bad Santa

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking for more of a “fluffy” light title like Disney Channel level of drama but this was more Lifetime. Not bad by any means just not what I was looking for/my cup of tea. The love interests definitely hit it off immediately and there is a lot of politics with a slower plot. Give it a try! You will know instantly if it’s for you or not.

This was the delightful chaotic bisexual energy that I needed. This book had me laughing, crying, and feeling all of the emotions. The friendship group was fantastic, and I could see the growth that Coal went through during the book, and how he kind of noticed he wasn't being the best friend or brother, but that he did have his heart in the right place.

I can't wait for Kris's story next.

Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas. Coal Claus loved Christmas until his father, Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. One night Coal gets tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make- out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night.

As the heir to Christmas he’s commanded to do his duty: he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess. A situation that has disaster written all over it. Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess’s hand...and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar hottie: Hex, the Prince of Halloween. It’s a fake competition between two holiday princes who can’t keep their hands off each other over a marriage of convenience that no one wants.

A story that it’s perfect if you like the following:
⛄️Fake rivals to lovers
🎃The nightmare before Christmas
⛄️forbidden romance / secret relationships
🎃 holiday magic
⛄️family drama

This book was a delight to read, from the first moment the charisma of the characters grabbed my attention, from how they interact with each other to all the banter in their group chat, it was so funny to read. Coal and Hex were my favorite characters, not only because of their blooming romance but also because of all their talks about their courts and how they view the world and their expectations and struggles as heirs to their holidays. It kind of felt like an adult coming of age at times, kind of like Honey Girl.

I loved learning about the holidays courts and how they exist in our world and function with joy; the subplot of what the current Santa is doing to make Christmas the most joyful court and all the mentions Hex did about Halloween and Día de Muertos. This world has a lot to give and I can’t wait to go back to learning more about the courts in the next book.

🍂Thank you @coloredpagesbt, @brambleromance and @sara_raasch for gifting me a copy in exchange of a honest review.

This was literally everything I craved and wanted in a romance!!! The pining, the FLIRTING, the TRAUMA???? I fully wanted to reach into the book and give Hex and Coal hugs and then smoosh their faces together until they kissed forever. I loved Coal finding himself throughout the book, because he was only ever seen as the fuck up, even by his friends. AND THE SPICE??? Sara Raasch continues to amaze me (and I told her this in person) with how poetic and beautiful her spice scenes are!!! I cannot WAIT for book 2, and I will be feral for these boys, especially because my birthday is St. Patricks Day!!!

What an insanely silly and sweet book. I think if you're looking for a serious romance, this won't be your thing, but if you're looking for a blast of a time, go ahead and read this!

This was a delightful little queer holiday romance and I cannot wait to read more books by Sara Raasch.

I loved the world building that she created for this world of Holiday Royalty. It very much made me think of the world of Nightmare Before Christmas, which it was obviously inspired by. It added in some great political intrigue and a lovely romance built on a chance meeting and some wonderful chemistry.

Totally recommend this one! Loved it.

This book will draw you in the from the start with echoes of The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Santa Clause movie franchise vibes, but featuring a romance between the sons of different holidays as they are simultaneously being forced into other relationships to benefit their holidays. A real coming of age story as the heirs figure out how to come into their own and right things going forward.

This book is silly and delightful and more political than I expected, but one of my favorite books of the year. This is a must read for anyone who needs a little holiday joy and I can’t wait for the second in the series.

(4.25/5 stars)

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch is a fun queer holiday romance with a lot of heart and the author's adult debut.

I initially picked this up because it was comped to Red, White, and Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas and I was completely sold. I really enjoyed reading the former and the latter is one of my top ten favorite movies. Also the cover is AMAZING and the paperback has red sprayed edges!

I always have fun when books have mixed media elements, and in these books there are text chains between various characters. It was a little easy for me to tell that this was an adult debut; it felt like it leaned a little YA, especially at the beginning. But it's definitely an adult book, even if it leans on the New Adult side for me.

Overall this was very cute and there was great chemistry between both our MCs but also throughout their friend group. I loved the emphasis on the importance of communication in both romantic and platonic relationships, too. It's always great to see clear, explicit consent being sought for steamy reasons. I liked the worldbuilding and want to learn more about the different holiday kingdoms.

You might be asking yourself if this is a spoopy season book or if it is a winter holiday season book. It is absolutely the latter, but I think you could have a fun time reading this at any time of year. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

Tropes in this book include: forced proximity, forbidden, disaster bisexual

CW: toxic parent, absent parent, death of sibling (prior to book), processing grief

✨ ALC Book Review ✨
Thank you @macmillan.audio & @torbooks for my gifted copies of
The Nightmare Before Kissmas By Sara Raasch, narrated by Ellis Evans.

There is no secret, I love Nightmare Before Christmas (I have a village of black light houses on top of my shelves 😅) so when I saw this on Netgalley I HAD to request it. Next thing I knew it was in the catalog of offerings from Mac Audio and I scooped it up ! And I sure am glad I did! This audiobook narrator was enthralling, entertaining and got all the emotions rolling.

Sara Raasch is a new to me author and I already have the next in the series set on my TBR wishlist. The story follows Coal, Kris, Iris, Hex and many other characters within the magical realms of the Holidays.


I highly recommend this novel if you enjoy:
LGBT representation, family drama, self discovery, holiday politics and getting to the roots of Joy.

This was one of the CUTEST, heart warming, and funny holiday reads I’ve read. I finished at 2am and immediately had to get a physical copy because this will be a holiday tradition reread from now on. The author created such a unique and MAGICAL holiday world that sucks you in. The characters were relatable (magic aside) and HILARIOUS. And the princes?!?! ADORABLE AND had me screaming for them.

3.5 - ⭐⭐⭐💫

[Eff], Sweetheart, the moment I become fluent in your shivers, it’s going to be meteoric.

The Nightmare Before Kissmas is the first novel in the romantasy interconnected standalone series, Royals and Romance. In this instalment we follow Hex and Coal. Coal is the eldest son of Christmas and the heir to the empire...but disillusionment has sent him spiralling with a number of PR stunts that keep him on rocky terms with his father. As an ultimatum, his father, Santa, has commanded Coal to marry the Easter Princess, Coal's best friend and his brother's crush...except the other holidays are not too happy about this and one such holiday, Halloween, sends their own suitor to challenge - Hex, the heir to Halloween. Add in the fact Hex happens to be the handsome stranger Coal made out with in a seedy bar over a year ago and things are bound to go topsy turvy with a marriage competition no one wants and tension rising. Will they be able to find a path forward or will it all get lost in the seasons?

The best description I have for this book is a Hallmark romance.

Coal plays into this bad boy kind of character with a heart of gold. He truly wants to do good but always finds himself messing up. Seeing him trying to figure out what he wants and where he fits in this world was fun and I loved him gaining confidence to do what he thinks is right was a pleasure.

Hex is a mysterious character at times but he is so adorable. I loved Coal's obsession with Hex's corseted vests. He introduced Coal to a new perspective and challenges in ways that draws you in.

I also want to shout out Iris and Kris, the two side characters that really helped build up the story. I loved the romantic subplot here and the support they provide to Coal as he figures things out.

The story does have spice - I would say about 2 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. The spice is towards the second half of the novel. There are some fun steamy moments leading up to the spice and I felt the spice was nice - more romantic than explicit.

Everything about him is filed to a knife point, and I suddenly want nothing more for him to make me bleed.

The story itself is light and not very deep. You have Coal being forced into the PR campaign to marry his best friend but also be challenged to dive deeper into why his father is so adamant for him to marry. I felt this mystery was fun to explore alongside the slices of life that meant we got such fun banter between our cast. I liked seeing the character growth and while there are some typical romantic plot elements I feel the holiday theme really helps it stand out. The ending is sweet but brief.

Overall, a solid book for those looking for that perfect holiday book!

Thank you Bramble for the arc!

When I picked this up, I assumed it would be a bit cheesy, but it was such a sweet/tender story with the perfect amount of festive holiday elements.

Nicholas “Coal” Claus once adored Christmas—until his father turned it into a soulless PR stunt. Now, he’s desperate to escape, especially after a wild make-out session with a mysterious stranger behind a dive bar. Just as he thinks he’s free, duty calls: he’s to marry Iris, the Easter Princess and his brother’s crush. What could go wrong? Everything, apparently, when a rival swoops in to contest Coal’s claim—and guess who he bumps into again? Hex, the irresistibly charming Prince of Halloween. What unfolds is a chaotic showdown between two holiday princes, each trying to win a marriage they never wanted while their chemistry sparks like holiday fireworks.

Let’s be real for a moment: If this book ever becomes a movie, we will all watch it on repeat every Holiday season, I guarantee it. However, while I absolutely adored the premise of The Nightmare Before Kissmas, the execution left me wanting a bit. But let’s get into it.

The Nightmare Before Kissmas features some incredibly fleshed-out characters that give the story an almost movie-like quality. You have Coal, who is struggling with being the son who always messes up and lands his Holiday (Christmas) in trouble, yet also has the best of intentions. Coal just wants to get back to a time where the holiday meant more than just one single day of joy and rather filled people with the spirit of kindness and compassion—something his father is not on board with. Then you have Kris, Coal’s brother, who is a little bit of a showstealer. His pining for their mutual best friend Iris (from the Easter Holiday) is sweet, heartbreaking and also makes me really intrigued to see how his story is going to unfold. Iris, meanwhile, is headstrong but also chained to the duties that come with being the Princess of Easter, often bending to the will of her family because she doesn’t want to cause any trouble. Hex, the love interest and Prince of Halloween also graces the pages with flair, fancy and funny quips.

With such an amazing cast of characters that felt like they almost jumped off the page, I was very confused by how little agency any of them had. Coal and Kris’s father is just shy of a dictator who constantly wants more power and prestige—and will sell out (read: marry off) his own children to get it. The way the father just pulled all the strings with no one standing up to him felt very YA to me. I expect this in young adult fiction because it does this type of story so well (because, as we all know, every dictator in a dystopian fiction will find their rightful end), but in an adult romance it just did not make sense to me. Are there attempts to stand up to him? Of course. Do those drive the plot forward or serve as a lesson? No. That entire storyline made the first half filled with unnecessary repetitions of the status quo drag especially when none of the internal conflicts saw any sort of development.

What I will also say is that I struggled to find my footing in the book as the prose sometimes felt like it didn’t quite know what it wanted to be. While as mentioned above the plotline with Coal’s father and the lack of agency felt very YA, it sometimes gave me the ick to have a rather “younger” voice that sounded more like a teenager be followed up by overly sexual exclamations like Coal “still being able to taste” Hex. The discrepancy between the narrative voice during different scenes just didn’t quite work for me.

Now that we got the nagging out of the way, let’s get to some highlights from this book beside the characters: The politics. The politics of the different Holidays and their rulers’ attempts to make their Holiday the one with the most prestige and power was really intriguing. I enjoyed the way alliances were formed and nefarious plots were being set up by the parents and how every single move, whether it was hosting a feast or inviting people was basically playing a game of chess with your enemy. Of course, there’s also an overarching plot with Holidays and the power that comes from people believing in it and celebrating it that really worked for me (and lowkey reminded me of Monsters, Inc. but in a good way).

As this is set around the Christmas time, there are also a lot of seasonally themed activities that are so enjoyable to read! From sleigh riding (or, well, a bit more magical version of that) to the way the decorations and lavish feasts were described, this will definitely get you in the mood for Christmas.

And lastly, of course, is the romance between Coal and Hex. While the premise is a bit misleading (they’re never really enemies or rivals, mind you, they jump each others’ bones almost immediately), their interactions felt downright charged with tension. From their very first kiss to the both of them forming an alliance to set things right in the world of Holidays, their characters really fit well together and made for some kick-your-feet-while-giggling moments. All in all, I’m sure this seasonal romance will find a permanent spot on many a shelf.

A wholesome reminder of what the Christmas holiday is all about, The Nightmare Before Kissmas will enchant you with an intriguing political layout of Holidays fighting to be at the top, a romance that will warm your heart and some Hallmark vibes to get you in the festive mood!

<i>Thank you to Bramble for a chance to read an arc this book! 🖤 </i>

<i>5⭐️</i> Coal, you have my heart as my favorite disaster bisexual! tropes: holiday, romantasy, royalty | medium steam | ebook

<i> "He’s shadows that emit light, golden, a candle glow on a clouded night. I want to burn up in him." </i>

<i> characters </i>
🩶 Coal is the prince of Christmas. His relationship is his father was rough but I liked seeing him with his brother Kris and bestie Ivy. He is an anxious mess and a bit of a disaster in the most lovable way.
🩶 Hex is the prince of Halloween.

<i> "You are the poster boy for disaster bisexuals.” </i>

<i> favorite bits</i>
🖤 The whole concept and world of this book was incredibly fun. I like royalty romances and seeing that remixed in a holiday way was really interesting. I liked how dark that plot aspect got with what Coal's Dad was doing and it added even more depth to the story and the world.
🖤 Coal and Hex had great chemistry and I liked seeing them fall so hard for one another especially once they got vulnerable and learned about each other outside of their roles as princes. Coal was intense but I loved that in this dynamic as it went so well with Hex's more reserved nature. They had so many open and honest conversations what really melted my heart.
🖤 I really loved how much Coal cared about not just Christmas but truly helping people. He wanted not just to give people one day of consumerist joy but tangible good in people's lives. But it also focused on how joy, in even the smallest ways can improve someone's life and make it worth living. Coal's journey to believing he could be something and achieve success was great to witness.
🖤 The relationships between Coal, Kris, and Ivy were a joy in this book. I loved their dynamic as they supported and loved each other.

<i> “We aren’t just stewards. We deserve it too. We deserve to feel this happiness, to feel this joy, to feel this magic. It’s ours as much as it is the world’s.” </i>

<i> issues </i>
❌ I'm so lost at what went down between Iris and Kris and am super curious yet confused about the next book. So much of this book harped on their feelings for each other and I kind of wanted to see them together but it seems like that's not in the cards.

<i> "Prince Coal of Christmas is inexhaustibly in love with Prince Hex of Halloween." </i>

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