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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✨ Review ✨ The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch; Narrated by Ellis Evans

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, Tor/Bramble, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copies of this book!

This promised Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas and it totally delivered on that (though maybe with more Christmas vibes than Halloween ones).

This book throws together Nicholas “Coal” Claus, son of Santa and Prince of Christmas, with Hex, the Prince of Halloween, in a staged battle for the princess of Easter (who is also Coal's bff). The tension between Coal and Hex sizzles as they compete in a reindeer race, drink hot cocoa, and show up to a variety of holiday activities.

In addition to the holiday vibes and super silly details (e.g. when Hex swears, Halloween-themed items appear near him lol), this book is filled with fun hijinks and serious reflection about the meaning and importance of holidays. When Coal realizes his dad is selling out the good things about Christmas to gain power, he digs deep in critiquing the capitalism and lack of authenticity in the holiday.

The book exists in a world split between a real world we'd recognize and a fantasy world populated by the holidays of the world, which admittedly was a little jarring sometimes. Coal's inner monologue also felt a bit repetitive, but in a way that's probably consistent with a lot of new adult books. Overall though this was tons of fun and perfect for the fall or winter seasons!

🎧 I loved the audio narration - he did distinctly different voices with very different feels for each of the main characters (so much so I didn't realize it wasn't two narrators!). It was the perfect sort of audiobook to lose yourself in!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.25)
Genre: m/m contemporary and fantasy romance; new adult
Setting: New Haven and the North Pole
Length: 12 hours 23 minutes
Reminds me of: Red White and Royal Blue
Pub Date: October 8, 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ Christmas and Halloween
⭕️ angsty 20-somethings
⭕️ prince + prince romance
⭕️ pumpkins and reindeer

WOW

I am just in awe of this. I seriously love all things Halloween. I mean as a fall baby I thrive come October, but this even with its moments of Christmas joy did not make me feel like I was eating tinsel and pine needles.

Coal was so relatable to watch, when you're an anxious ball anyways one mistake stays with you forever. I loved how I was rooting for him even as a screw up, granted I wasn't sure in what ways he was a total screw up but I ran with it anyways. I think the mysteriousness of Hex was so appealing and really leaned into the whole Halloween vibe.

I think the festivities and humor throughout this gave off authentic vibes that can be so hard to represent to people who aren't wild about specific holidays. I was engrossed in this from the start and would happily read about every holiday there is because this gave me mad The Guardians vibes. IYKYK.

I cannot thank Sara Raasch, Netgalley, and Tor Publishing for my advanced copy for an honest unpaid review. 4.5/5 stars rounded up!

This book is so cute! The son/heir of the Christmas royal family (think holidays run like big family corporations) is kind of a mess. Cole is stressed out all the time because of the positions his father has forced him into in school and life because of his future - and now that includes an arranged marriage to the daughter of the Easter family, whether or not either of them wants it. Enter the Halloween prince- the one who got away. Hex has his own reasons for being around, and his presence starts to unravel the lies around Cole. The two of them have an adorable push-pull relationship and are so much fun, as are Kris, Iris, and the various staff at Cole's home. I found this book a joyful companion for my recent waiting room experience.

I dnf'd around 8% in. The characters read like young teens and were really annoying. The writing was also too overly descriptive.

"those two words set off a roll of percussion that shakes down to the pit of my gut, a reverberation that could make a fortune doing ASMR."

This was the anti-capitalist Holiday read that my brain and heart desperately needed.

Although the punny title and cover makes it seem a lot more childish and lighthearted, this romance is definitely a lot more than that and I hope readers can look past.

It has well written dialogue that knows when to pace out exposition but make it entertaining as it does so.

Coal is just such a relatable and my gosh, characters who actually COMMUNICATE. It's so refreshing to read a romance where the dialogue is so real and yet well-structured to push the narrative forward.

I also found myself really enjoying the royalty like structure of the various Holidays' courts. Kind of gave the book a bit of political intrigue.

A fast-paced political intrigue! The relationship moved a little fast for me, but overall their banter and support of each other (though messy in the middle) was really satisfying to read!

I knew that this book would be fun, but I had no idea that it would be so much more than that! There is depth and there are high stakes, meaningful romantic developments, and complications. The complications aren't simply hijinks--although hijinks abound--but they are actually deeply complicated. The commercialization and hyper consumption that increasingly characterize traditional Western holidays is treated delicately without dashing the seasonality of the read. On that note, my friends have implored "but is it more Halloween or more Christmas--when should I read it", and honestly: I don't think it matters. Even with the holiday royalty setting, the book remains relevant with a beautiful romance to boot. I'm a fan, and I can't wait for the next installment.

They were so right when they said this book has Red White and Royal Blue vibes. For a book about the Princes of Christmas and Halloween, it wasn’t SUPER magical. Magic is there but in smaller ways. It was more about the setting than overtly using magic all the time, which I actually liked. It gave the book a more magical realism feel, which I loved.

This book was so sweet. It had some really endearing moments that I just really loved. It also surprised me pleasantly with the level of spice, something I’m always happy is given as I feel it gives the connections so much more depth!

If you enjoyed Red White and Royal Blue, and were a fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas growing up (again this is more vibe not a retelling or anything) definitely give this book a read! I loved it!

3.5 stars rounded up to four.

The concept of this book was super fun: Halloween prince X Christmas prince and I was expecting a jolly little romcom romp. What I actually got was a book steeped in anti-capitalism with plenty of swoon-worthy romance and general Christmassy silliness. I did enjoy myself but I would have preferred if it had leant into the romcom elements a little more as it felt a touch insta-love and lacked any kind of yearning or will they/won't they.

I really liked Coal as a character, he felt very well developed and flawed in a way that felt natural. I would have liked to see a little more of Halloween and where Hex came from. In a way, I think this story could have benefitted from being dual POV.

Overall, a fun, festive read that will have you giggling and kicking your feet.

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE KISSMAS is a queer holiday romantasy and probably the most fun i've ever had reading a holiday romance. it follows coal, the prince of christmas, as he competes with hex, the handsome and mysterious prince of halloween, to win a betrothal to iris, the princess of easter. except... it's all a PR stunt coordinated by his dad, the reigning santa, coal doesn't have feeling for iris, and oh, yeah, he's falling for hex.

if that sounds wild, it's because it absolutely is but in the best way ever and i had such a good time reading the book. the concept of holidays as magical kingdoms with alliances, betrayals, and revolutions is so creative!! i would read a thousand more books in this universe about the chaotic shenanigans of the heirs to the holidays (and good thing too because book 2 is coming out in march!).

read if you like:
- rwrb but magical
- christmas puns
- campy holiday fun

thanks to netgalley and bramble for the advanced copy!

3.5⭐️

This is a cute holiday centered romance. Perfect for fall/winter as our leads are part of the Halloween/Christmas “courts”. I was pleasantly surprised too with the way that this book dealt with themes of grief from losing a loved one to a parent leaving with no explanation - the author did a good job in exploring how this manifests differently for everyone and the ripple effects those behaviors can have on everyone around you.

Our two MMCs and their chemistry was well done. There was a lot of consent and conversation on page between them which is always great to see. I like too that the romance though there was an instant connection the characters moved more slowly and it felt more natural. Similarly the main conflict between the two felt natural - the push/pull of family and a sense of duty alongside a romance that seems that it will be impossible to overcome the roadblocks for.

I liked how much Coal grew throughout the book, we see a lot of changes from when we initially meet him at what might be his worst and all that he learns and gains from that experience and wanting to do better. I think overall there’s a lot of good character growth overall.

I’m giving this one a 3.5⭐️ because there was something about the writing that just at times felt clunky and not super well developed. I have a hard time articulating what the issues were but it just wasn’t right (for me) at times.

This did feel very reminiscent of Red, White, and Royal Blue so I think if you liked that you’ll enjoy this one as well. Overall, I enjoyed this one and would recommend if you’re looking for a cute romance novel as we enter into the autumn/winter holidays!

Thank you to Bramble and the author for an ARC of the book. All of the above thoughts are my own!

nicholas “coal” claus loved christmas until his father, the reigning santa, turned it into a PR façade. now, he’ll do anything to escape the spectacle, even if that means drunkenly making out with a stranger behind a bar. as the heir of christmas, though, he has certain responsibilities…such as being told he will marry his best friend/his brother’s crush, the easter princess iris. even worse, a rival challenges coal for iris’s hand…and coal finally gets to put a name to the face he made out with: hex, the prince of halloween. although both of them want each other more than they want the marriage of convenience with iris, they have to keep up the fake competition for appearances.

as a lifelong fan of the nightmare before christmas, i had to add this book to my tbr as soon as i heard its title. i do think it was a fair comparison due to different holidays playing an integral part in this book. i also loved coal and hex. this is told through coal’s pov, so we got to know him more, but i still loved getting to know hex through coal’s viewpoint. they were both interesting, complex characters, and i liked seeing their character growth and relationship development throughout the story.

overall, this was a fun (though serious at times) romance novel with fantastical elements. i would highly recommend it, and i can’t wait for book two!

What a cute book!!
At first it started off a little slow for me but once I got more into It I ate it up 🤭🤍

I loved the main characters Coal & Hex they were both so lovable and just the sweetest. The banter was perfect and I found myself laughing during many parts of this story.

I highly recommend this one!! It’s a light read perfect for the holidays ❤️🖤

I can’t wait to read book 2 ~

Thank you for the ARC!

A 3.5 star read downgraded to a 3 star read for me.

So here's the good: this book gave definite Red, White & Royal Blue vibes with two feuding Princes- the Prince of Christmas and The Prince of Halloween- who end up falling in love. The chemistry between the Princes was electric and there were a lot of seriously steamy scenes. One of my favourite parts of the book was a group text thread that had very funny and pun-y inappropriate holiday related titles. There was definitely a lot of humour in this book as well.

What didn't quite work for me was the premise of Holiday Families and them forming alliances and all the Holiday Politics and what this exactly meant- this book is a little outside of my regular wheelhouse and it's possible I didn't fully understand it. Further, it felt like this book was marketed as YA but the spice scenes are definitely meant for an older audience.

Overall, it was a fun queer romance, and the good news is that if you enjoyed it there is going to be a sequel! Thank you Netgalley and Tor for the opportunity to review an earc of this holiday mashup romance.

The synopsis of this intrigued me a while ago and I’m so glad I was able to get a copy of this before release day to post about it! This book has some of the best humor (puns) and some really hilarious wordplay. The romcom side of this story is so heartfelt and joyful and I love every second of it.

This story is a lot of things. It is like a tootsie pop. If you keep licking you eventually find something else underneath. (I feel like Coal would appreciate this type of humor). Hidden under that romcom is a deeper story about the meaning of Christmas and how it has become very much commercialized and all about things, instead of family and love. Raasch is able to weave into all of this a tale of overcoming grief that will punch you in the gut while your guard is down laughing at one of of Coal’s jokes.

“Joy can come from grief. From pain. From fear.”

This concept is ever present in the story and I felt this hard seeing how some characters were coping (or not) with the loss of someone in their lives. This is possibly the best romcom I have ever read (okay, okay, I’ve only read two but still). You’ll love this if you love the holidays at all, love a good romcom good (bad) humor and if you aren’t a total grinch.

Also, if you can, listen to the brilliantly narrated audiobook for this. Evans does a fantastic job voice this cast of characters, making it easy to distinguish between the voices.

Thank you to @brambleromance for my copy of the book. Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the ALC. All thoughts are my own.