I honestly can't believe that one of my favorite books of the year is a holidays royal take on romantasy but y'all it was so good?? It hits Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas right on the head, at turns full of flirty anticipation and other points that left me CACKLING. This book truly has no right being so good.

royal romance | achillean love | fake courtship competition | bi trio of best friends | golden retriever x black cat | corset vests | sugar & spice

The Nightmare before Kissmas is a delightful and quirky read.

Nicholas "Coal" Claus is a bit of a screw up. As a Prince of Christmas and heir to the Christmas holiday, Coal only wants to help people. But whenever he tries, he tends to make things worse. When an unanticipated engagement announcement goes out to the Holidays about Coal and Iris, an Easter Princess, Halloween is not pleased. Turns out Coal has met the Prince of Halloween, Hex, before, in a drunken make-out session behind a bar on one of his lowest nights. But the two had a spark, and Coal hasn't stopped thinking about the encounter ever since. Now Hex is in the North Pole and challenging Coal for Iris's hand, even though neither of them really want to get married to Iris, and she isn't exactly thrilled with the plan either. The Princes must now compete for a marriage of convenience none of them want, but also have to keep their hands off each other lest it end up in the Holiday tabloids. With the fate of the holidays and the magic in jeopardy, will the princes follow their duty, or their hearts?

This was a fun and sorta kitschy little read, but was a delight and a fantastic escape. Set in our real world, with magical Holiday royals, this was a delightful rom-com with lots of fun holiday details. The queer representation was great, with many of the main characters as bi, and the main romance was MM. It centered a lot on the popular Christian mainstream holidays, which is fine, but may leave some readers feeling a bit left out or confused. However the main driver of the story is the unwanted marriage of convenience, and the developing romance between Coal and Hex. The writing is very conversational, and not too deep, so it is easy to get into this book. The premise is a little ridiculous, but makes for a great bit of holiday escapism, especially in the fall and winter. This book would be perfect for an evening to destress, with a cup of hot cocoa and some leftover Halloween candy.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Tor Publishing Group/Bramble for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a brilliant read for the -ber months. I loved the romance itself: it was fun, cute and just a tiny bit spicy which works great for me. Coal was a very likable main character and I found him very relatable in the way he used his sense of humour to protect himself. Kris was a darling and Iris was lovely too, although I wondered why she was so passive at times. I also loved that beyond the romance, there are great relationships being explored: friendships, brotherly bond, father-son dynamics and even seemingly unrequited love. My one criticism is probably that I didn't really get the point of making Iris the sister of Coal's ex Lily but then not exploring that and not featuring Lily in the book. Because doesn't Lily have some thoughts about her sister being set up with her ex? Doesn't Iris feel awkward about the situation, since beyond being set up with her friend she is also being set up with her sister's ex? That part of the situation is never addressed so it felt unnecessary and unrealistic. But that's a minor point. I totally recommend this and I'm excited for book 2.

Nicholas “Coal” is the heir to Christmas, and a little bit of a hot mess. He’s fairly well known for being a screw up. When his father, Santa, publicly announces that Coal is engaged to marry his best friend, Iris, the princess of Easter, Coal is outraged. Iris is Coal’s brother’s crush, and Coal has no desire to marry her. He’s still swooning over a guy he drunkenly kissed in an alley over a year ago. Even more chaos ensues, when that guy, the Prince of Halloween, shows up to compete for Iris’ hand in marriage.

This book was full of Christmas puns, hysterical banter, and fun. I loved that each holiday had their own royal family and that there were some politics involved too. The friendship between Coal, Kris, and Iris was absolutely adorable. While the romance between Hex and Coal felt a little bit insta-lovey, it was paced well enough that it wasn’t a turn off for me. There was so much tension between them! I also loved all of the Christmas vibes and magic sprinkled throughout this book.

Many thanks to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

🎄🎃 The Nightmare Before Kissmas ARC Review 🎃🎄

Thank you so much to Sara Raasch and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book!

The Nightmare Before Kissmas is a MM fantasy romance and book one in the Royals and Romance series. Prince Nicholas is the Prince of Christmas, known for his wild lifestyle and partying. When he meets an unexpected stranger in an alley behind a bar, he has the best makeout session of his life before the stranger disappears. He has no idea who this mystery man is until he meets the Prince of Halloween and his entire world is thrown for a loop

This book! Words cannot express how much I adored this book! Coal and Hex were amazing characters and I loved their relationship together! This story was wonderful with so many unexpected elements - I will never shut up about how much I loved this book! This world was so creative and unique - I enjoyed every single moment of this book!

Overall this was a five star read for me! Coal and Hex are absolutely incredible and I love them so much! This book did have some potential triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. This book was a bit of a slow burn but did have some wonderful spicy scenes, so overall two flames for spice

If you’re a fan of holiday romances with strong characters, wonderful world building and great banter, then absolutely pick this one up!

Thank you so much to Colored Pages Book Tours, Bramble Romance and  Sara Raasch for having me on this tour & gifting me a copy of this book!

The Nightmare Before Kissmas is the book of the season!

"The fantasy of you was pretty great - but everything I've gotten to know about the real you is so much better."

The concept of this book was just so good! I love the idea of having Prince & Princess of holidays. And I am surprised that it hasn’t been done by now in the contemporary romance space (don’t come for me if there are others).

I love how the characters in the book all had names that played off their holidays. And that the families were like royalties. I will say for me it wasn’t always easy to follow the politics of what was happening but that is totally a ME thing.

Nicholas/Coal is the heir to Christmas (not Santa Claus) and I did feel bad for him because he did mess up a lot of times but he meant well by his actions. His dad has put SO much pressure on him (rightfully so for the position he will be taking at one point) but he is so young and his dad doesn’t seem to take in his feelings in anything.

My favorite relationship besides the couple is Coal’s relationship with his brother Kris. In the books I read, I don’t usually see brothers depicted in books so that was refreshing for me. Especially with how they needed to be a collective force to stand up to their dad (EVIL).

Hex and Coal - sigh. I love their meet cute and then watching them navigate how they could be a couple. They are just so hot together 🔥

Can’t wait for the next one!

This was so fun and kind of silly, but in a good way! The premise of having all of the holidays having royalty and courts gave me feelings of whimsy and I kept thinking “man, this would be a great Netflix holiday romcom!”.
I’m a sucker for a MC that’s a hot mess, emotionally stunted and running off anxiety and sarcasm. Possibly because I see that about myself and seeing the characters end up with their happily ever after and that gives me hope.

I really liked the relationship dynamics between Coal and each character. And he grew as a person by the end which is always one of my favorite aspects in a story. I liked that Coal and Kris actually liked each other. So many books with siblings have them competing or fighting or being jealous of the other. These two genuinely loved and cared and they showed it!

Coal and Iris very much had a brother/sister relationship so their parents saying an arranged marriage between them felt weird, but I guess that lends to the drama of arranged marriage. Their father’s pushing it and telling them that’s what they were going to do made my blood boil. At one point I noted on an update “Man, why is Santa such a dick?!” I found that Iris and Nick also felt like siblings but to be fair, she did only view Kris in that light. I don’t know why Nick secretly being in love with Iris was a thing, it wasn’t really a necessary plot point or fact to have mentioned. There were enough other things going on.

Coal and Hex were a variation on Grumpy/Sunshine and I was a fan. Hex was so reserved and controlled and Coal was a hot mess. It felt almost too insta-love for me even with the caveat that they had met previously and Coal had a long time to simmer with their interaction. I was also kind of confused about the conversation in the alley. But I think because Hex knew who Coal was but Coal didn’t know Hex is maybe why. The chemistry and tension between these two was so so so good. Coal’s inner thoughts about Hex made me all fluttery and giddy.

The characters and atmosphere were my favorite and 10/10. The plot was kind of chaotic for me, but like chaotic in a “omg this netflix romcom is crazy, that would never actually happen” way, not a “I can’t follow this story” way.
The writing wasn’t my favorite, there were so many descriptions of people’s appearances and of clothing. But really that’s my biggest critique.
Overall this was so much fun! Made me laugh out loud and made my insides feel fuzzy, that adds up to a pretty dang good story!

Exactly what I needed to get me out of a bit of a slump so thank you netgalley for the arc. If you want the vibes of RWARB but still it's own story, this is the book for you then. I really loved the relationships in this between various characters and really connected with them with their own journeys. Even though this has smut in it, it didn't overpower the rest of the story which is what I like when I read a spicier book. I do wish the ending had continued a bit longer for the final conversation between the brothers but I presume that's where book 2 will pick up so I'm not wholly mad at it for leaving that off the page.

This book was an absolute delight!

The first in the Royals and Romance series, The Nightmare before Kissmas, has me longing for book two now. Nicholas, the heir and prince of Christmas, is a bi-sexual walking tornado who never pleases his father. On a drunken night, he mysteriously kisses a alluring man in a alley. This man becomes of the haunts of his lustful thoughts and dreams. Come to find out he's the forbidden prince of Halloween.

Both men finds themselves forced to vie for the affections of the princess of Easter in a political alliance across kingdoms. Hijinnx and shenanigans ensue as these two holidays fall in love, and push the princess to the love of her life, "the spare" prince of Christmas.

Loved all these characters and I can't find to find out what happens in book two, Go Luck Yourself, coming in March '25.

Thank you, Tor Publishing Group | Bramble

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to others.

" 'What is your preferred form of murdering guests then?'
Sexual tension, I wanted to say."
And oh wow, was Sara Raasch NOT kidding.
Come. Stay. Swoon. But in The Nightmare Before Kissmas, it might not be in that order.

I figured I'd be getting cute, light, fluffy smut with some laughs when I picked this up.

I did NOT think I'd be cracking up out loud at jokes in the best three-way texts between two brothers and bestie I've seen (the group text names-- SO on point), dropping my jaw during the smut scenes (nor was I the only one, ahem), and snorting over Coal's made-up newspaper headlines (I mean, fair, there were A LOT of PR events). In fact, by the end of these constant sources of delightfully interspersed humor, Sara Raasch ensured there was not a Christmas pun left to to be made (yes, yes I am jealous that Hex gets Coal in his stocking) by the time I finished this book at 2 AM (and yes, stayed up and I read this in one sitting because I HAD TO MAKE SURE these occasionally TOO noble princes got the ending right).

In this holiday romantasy in which Hex (the Prince of Halloween) and Coal (the Prince of Christmas) fight it out for the Princess of Easter's hand in marriage (and by that I mostly mean fight their undeniable feelings for one another), you get your snowy North Pole delights, but the Halloween magic and even bits of Easter magic were delightfully refreshing, and Sara Raasch had me CACKLING with the way these college students put them to use. The characters, in fact, were particularly well done: the brothers had a great relationship, Coal as the narrator was young and believable and showed both immaturity and growth, and the relationship between Hex and Coal was perfection. From the heated glances to the clandestine texts (and resulting reactions over the dinner table) to their continuous switching of power dynamics-- they were always entertaining, they were ALWAYS enticing, and they also moved at a realistic pace that tantalized but also allowed them to build trust and a genuine emotional connection. The two also had very distinct speaking voices as Hex was bilingual, and his touch of formality (matched to his sharp wardrobe) really did it for me AND Coal (who was like a moderately dominant cinnamon roll..."sweetheart" never sounded so good in a scene, I swear). I read a LOT of smut, and this was utterly delicious-- the chemistry between these two princes was practically sparking off the page and had MY toes curling.

The book also had some unexpected depth-- loss, growing up, falling in love for the first time, and feeling the pressure of familial expectations while figuring out your future were all subjects that lurked in the background enough to ground the book and keep it from being just fluff.

I will say that at first I didn't love the reason behind the competition between Hex and Coal for Iris's hand in marriage and I do think some of this storyline could have been truncated, but in the end the book made me appreciate it for two reasons: one, the resolution was actually clever and well-thought out and two, holidays do lose their magic as you get older and that theme will definitely hit home for readers. The world changes as you grow up and parents work so hard to create holiday magic. Now that it's MY turn to make the magic and joy, I understand how it can seem hollow and manufactured. I don't think it's an accident that the book left that little thought niggling in the back of my mind beneath the delighted laughs and squeals and blushes, and I hope I don't forget it either during the upcoming holiday season.

Halloween and Christmas are my absolute favorite holidays, and I have to say some of the best writing happened when talking about the holidays-- describing taking "joy from what is terrifying" as the best parts of Halloween or "joy in what is gone" during Dia De Muertos, and then Coal wanting nothing more than to see every shade of joy on Hex's face because that's ultimately what his holiday is about, too-- there were some beautiful little lines and notions that snuck up on me and made this book a little more than just a holiday read. In fact, I should mention the writing itself, which was so much better than just about ALL of the holiday romances/romantasies I picked up last year--fresh, funny, fun, authentic to a younger twenty-something with the weight of a freaking holiday on his shoulders-- and it gave me the bigger-than-life incandescent love/swoon-worthy, cosmos-shaking smut that I look for. The author's sense of timing as a writer was also just impeccable; she knew when to pull back and get a little serious, when to drop in a one-liner, and when to shock audiences with a total surprise gag or joke-- I laughed harder than I can explain when the gauze ghost decoration showed up (read it just for this because that was the funniest scene I've read this YEAR, I think I choked on AIR). And this is one book where college-aged students feel mostly like adults-- they're all about to graduate and have that heavy royal weight on their shoulders, so they ALMOST never come off feeling immature (brothers--sigh).

I did not think that this would give me EVERY SINGLE THING I could possibly want from a holiday-filled rom-com and then just continue to blow past those expectations. I've never read from Sara Raasch before, but am I SUPER excited for her next book? Absolutely. (I'm sorry, did I just read "boyo" as the new nickname in the teaser for the St. Patrick's Day book Go Luck Yourself? I'm not prepared for this.)

4.5 stars rounded up (just because I felt the background holiday politics storyline didn't quite hold my attention and was weaker than EVERYTHING else, which was utter perfection).

Also, COAL IS RIGHT those Elf on the Shelf dolls are TERRIFYING.

Sara Raasch has been a favorite author of mine for years, and the range and humor she brings to this holiday rom-com is so amazing!

Nightmare before kissmas is such a cute and cozy fantasy romance. I love it!
Hex and Cole are the sweetest and have amazing chemistry. I loved all of the wit and friendly banter. I highly enjoyed every single character. This was silly, cute and lighthearted while at the same time dealing with real life issues and then capitalism of holidays

This was one of my most anticipated reads for the year after seeing marketing for it on TikTok. I enjoyed this book and think it's a fun read for the holidays. If you love Christmas and romance books, this is definitely for you as it centers more around Christmas. The imagery is very descriptive and it does leave you feeling festive. I will say as a Halloween lover that was a bit disappointing for me how little Halloween elements were used.

The actual romance is a bit instant and I think the conflicts are repetitive at times. There were definitely ways the story could have been reworked to fix those elements, especially as the characters keep going through the motions during these conflicts and it leaves them feeling a bit one dimensional.

I saw in another review or two that there's criticism regarding how American/Christian centered the holiday lore is in this book. It's very valid and does bring up a really good point that a book centering around a universe of holidays lacks any mention of more culturally diverse ones. It honestly didn't occur to me while reading it because I saw Halloween and Christmas and just buckled in, but I hope that the sequel expands this universe to be more inclusive.

All in all, it's fun if you just want a silly and light romance. I highly recommend for readers that just want to escape and not think too hard. If you're looking for something with stronger development this may not be the book for you.

Never have I felt so seen by a book description. This was right up my alley and it did not disappoint at all. The Nightmare Before Kissmas was so fun and perfect for the season. I can't wait for the other titles in this series.

“Everything about him is filed to a knifepoint and I suddenly want nothing more than for him to make me bleed.”

Okay, so, going into this I already knew it would be something I really liked and it definitely delivered! It’s festive, silly, really funny and surprised me with some spicier scenes. I love love love the concept of holiday royalty, especially Hex the Halloween prince (who wears spooky corset vests).

The romance between Coal and Hex had me giggling and kicking my feet! There isn’t as much competition between them as the description makes it seem, it’s a lot closer to a secret relationship situation, but I actually preferred that.

Nightmare Before Kissmas is a new favourite and I can’t wait for the rest of the series!

Bursting with Christmas atmosphere and heartfelt romance! There are plenty of funny moments but also a surprising level of poetic, earnest emotion, which definitely makes it live up to its comparison with Red, White and Royal Blue. I will say, that if readers come to it looking for the Halloween vibes because of the title, they might get disappointed, because this is firmly a Christmas romance - but that was certainly not an issue for me.

This is the perfect lil cute read for either Halloween time or Christmas time. Like the MC’s, it goes both ways 😏

Remember the scene in Nightmare Before Christmas when Jack goes into the forest and there’s those trees with different doors to the different holidays? Okay now imagine that, but if all of those holidays were modern day worlds with Gossip Girl-like drama but also make them Royalty and then also LGBTQ.
There was a whole conversation in this book about bi confusion because of Pirates of the Caribbean that I really related to because… I mean duh.

In all this was heartwarming, hot, and at times very serious. I can’t wait for Klaus’ book next!!

"His smile makes me want to swear my soul to whatever god created him."

I was actually laughing out loud reading this. When was the last time that happened!?

"Hex pulls back, looks up at me, and says only, simply, “Grab my hair, please,” then he’s on me again.
Please. Fucking please."

Coal’s, or Nicolas’, humour was literally amazing 😂 almost everything that came out of his mouth was funny (do we detect some masking? Probably). It also fits in line with my style of funny, dry/dark, like I could see myself saying these things and I was dying.

“You’re the heir of Christmas,” he says, barely contained. “I’m the heir of Halloween. How did you see this ending?”

Anyway, what a fun concept! Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, Halloween, etc., “The Holidays,” are real and made up of families who collect joy from those who celebrate. They use that joy to create magic. Create magic? Becomes magic? I dunno.

"HEX: I really don’t care what you call me. As long as you say it in that way where you moan a little.
My eyes snap shut. I put my phone to my forehead, and breathe, deep, deep breaths, because that’s all my body needs. Just air. That’s all it’s going to get right now so it’d better learn to be okay with it real quick."

This book was about taking back control of your life, of finding yourself, your family, and not letting anything get in your way.

"Kris’s words end in a garbled cough as I pulse my hand at his mouth and fill it with holly. He hacks and spits it into his lap. “This stuff is poisonous!”
“Well, don’t eat it.”"

I loved the brother's relationship, they were so supportive and wholesome and I can’t wait for Kris’ book. I was also a big fan of Coal and Hex together, they were just perfect. Also, Hex’s clothes, good lord yes, he was wearing a corset vest the first time he makes an official appearance in the book. Yes, please.

The Headlines, group chat names, Kris’s sweaters, the fact that this was like a Holiday Mafia: backroom deals, shady characters, arranged marriages for political and capital gain, family alliances HOLIDAY MAFIA. I was living for all of it.

"I used to be made of something other than nerve endings. But suddenly, that’s all I am."

Who do I sell my soul to to get the next book? Cuz I will.

"I’d have to learn to live without it. Without him. To be okay going back to grays and beiges when I now knew that the world could exist in magenta and aquamarine and violent auburn."

I'd like to thank NetGalley & Bramble Romance for the opportunity to read this kindle ARC copy!

Nicholas “Coal” Claus and Hex 'the Prince of Halloween' stole my heart the second I met them. While there is a fake competition going on to enter a marriage of convience with a princess (a compretition that neither of them want to be a part of)... the two princes can't seem to keep their hands off of each other. If you're a fan of Red, White & Royal Blue, the banter between these two is SO perfect!

This book is filled which such amazing friendships, found family, elements of different holidays, and so much more! There was moments when I was giggling to myself, sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next, and the whole time I was so excited for more Coal and Hex moments!! I truly can't wait for this gorgeously funny book to be on my phsyical shelf as well as in peoples hands!!