I absolutely loved this! I honestly started with the second in the series before I realized it even was a series and it still worked out! These are such holiday must reads and the banter between the FMC and MMC are just *chefs kiss*!

A Merry Christmas all-around for the third book in the Christmas Notch series! Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone pen a delightfully funny and romantic holiday tale. Romance abounds in this diverse and body-positive romance novel.

Sunny, a part-time adult film actress, accidentally sold a script to the Hope Channel 6 months ago and is still uninspired on what to write. Issac, a former boy band heartthrob hasn't written any music since the death of his wife 5 years ago. Brought back together because of mutual friends, the two decide to lodge together for the winter in hopes that inspiration strikes them both. While the two search for a muse for Issac, and solve a Christmas miracle, the two begin to realize that maybe inspiration isn't as far as they thought it would be.
This book was hot, hot, hot! *insert fire emojis* Not only was the spice super detailed and sensual, but the book itself dove deeper into grief and loss. Both characters had lots of growth throughout the book, and it was a great balance of sex and self-improvement.

I have enjoyed the other holiday books in this series, and this one fit in well with the others. Isaac and Sunny made me really root for them, and I'm so happy to see how this entire series wrapped up too.

Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone always deliver a fun story.
A quick holiday read with a lot of spice!



Thank you to netgalley and avon & harper voyage for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (2.5/5)

This holiday read didn’t quite hit the mark for me, and I’ll admit upfront that I didn’t realize it was part of a series when I picked it up. Jumping into the third installment without the context of the previous books left me feeling a bit lost. While the cover promises a cozy Christmas romance, the story leaned darker and felt more focused on physical chemistry than emotional connection.

The real standout of the book? Mr. Tummus, the cat. He stole the show in an otherwise forgettable plot. Unfortunately, the festive charm I was hoping for just wasn’t there.

Thanks to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. A Jingle Bell Mingle releases on September 24, 2024. If you’re interested, I’d recommend starting with the first book in the series to get the full experience!

We're returning to Vermont, with a Christmas setting and two amazing characters, Sunny who is an adult film actress and part time screenwriter, has recently sold her latest project to Hope Channel. And then we have Isaac Kelly, a former band boy, whose heart is broken and lives in the towns historic mansion. After a one-night stand following their best friends' wedding, they end up as unlikely roommates at his place and what follows is purely entertaining (literally was LOL'ing through a lot of this.) Whenever the grumpy and the sunshine start living under the same roof without thinking about doing the deed, they both start to wonder how long they can resist their attraction when they already know the pure passion they share?!?!?!
I really loved Teddy's POV as he attends the first book's characters, Bee and Nolan, because through them we meet Sunny & Isaac as their paths crossed and then the Christmas Spirit takes off...well, sort of. I did truly enjoy the grumpy x sunshine trope mixed in with a lot of steamy romance + Christmas!
I am not really sure what I went into this thinking, probably a little more on the traditional rom-com side, but I thought it was cute for the Christmas-y season and enjoyed the characters and their backstories in this as well!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for a copy of this digital ARC!

MF
Bisexual MCs
Roommates with benefits
Nipple piercings
Grief (widower/orphan)
Idiots in love

Rating: 5/5 - I will reread this one
🌶️: 4/5 - there are more than a handful of explicit intimate scenes
🎄: 5/5 - this is a sexy version of a Hallmark movie

TLDR: Highly satisfying end to a series

I absolutely adore this series. It is mostly light hearted and fun but there are also heavy themes that are well addressed, in my opinion. I think this one covers grief in a really nice way. This book makes me laugh and brings me holiday joy. It's sexy and fun and also makes me cry. I really appreciate the consistent sex positive attitude this series has. The end of the series was really satisfying. I really think it was written with fans in mine which is always nice. Ultimately, I would recommend this series to anyone and everyone, but it will probably appeal specifically to people who are looking for a sex positive Christmas story and who can handle themes of grief.

Just in time for the holiday season! An adorable, feel good book, solid 4 star read. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! The steam, the emotions, the character development - all of it was fantastic. I think it was a little repetitive with how Sunny kept saying "I can't be his muse" throughout the novel but it didn't necessarily change my feelings about the book.

Thank you to the publisher and to net galley. I love this spicy series. In this book we are in Vermont following Sunny and Issac. This series really pairs emotional hard hitting topics with funny and light moments. It’s cute, it’s predictable but a fun addition to this series!

A Jingle Bell Mingle is the newest book in the Christmas Notch series and I’ve honestly had such an amazing time reading this series! Its centered around the holidays, bring the cheer and the spice (think hallmark with ALL the spice you didn’t know you needed). The characters have emotional depth and the cast of side characters are the best!my favorite book in this series!

I absolutely LOVED Sunny and Isaac’s story!

Sunny itched the scratch in my ADHD brain with her random rambles and in depth facts she dropped. The authors were true in there portrayal of ADHD in this character and I felt seen.

Isaac is our grump who is obsessed with the idea of having more but doesn’t know how to do it without feeling like he’s leaving something behind. His friends and family help to show him how he doesn’t have to lose his past while still moving forward and it’s comfort through grief.

Wow, I was not prepared for how much I would cry during this book! Such a beautiful story about grief, and love after loss. And, of course, the usual Christmas magic and absurdity we’ve come to know and love with a Christmas Notch story.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review. I have read all of the series and I have to say this is by far my favorite! I like the banter between Sunny and Isaac as well as the ties between previous characters in other books. I love how hard Isaac is trying to take care of Sunny's feisty cat by creating a group chat thread seeking advice and buying food and toys he might like. I also love Sunny and Isaac having previous history and now being under one roof navigating their feelings.

Well this spicy little number wraps up Christmas Notch in the best way! It's spicy, funny, romantic, and all around a hilariously hot Christmas book! I have loved this whole series! Add it to your holiday shelf now!

Narrated by Joy Nash & Zachary Webber

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 4/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) I bump up for public places/outdoor spaces and butt stuff.

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 Beautiful narration, so perfectly cast for these grumpy-sunshine characters.
🤩 Laugh-out-loud funny, even among the grieving and depressed vibes.
🤩 Double bisexual representation.
🤩 The setting—Christmas Notch, Vermont and the infamous mansion!!
🤩 Wedding festivities and fun.
🤩 Steamy threesome memories. Second chance at a one-night-stand. So very needy, hot, and full of chemistry.
🤩 Forced proximity, roommates with benefits, and finding a muse—love that part of the plot! I also love the work part of the plot.
🤩 How they deeply adore each other and also get super horny because of each other—the emotional and physical connection is lovely and feels so naturally. ❤️‍🔥
🤩 Their safe words.
🤩 The photo booth. 🥵
🤩 CapriSun and Costco love! 🤣
🤩 Sunny’s character won this one for me! “Sunshine, when I’m with you, I feel like I can breathe, like I can live, like I can go.”

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 Widow/widower trope is not my favorite because I just really don’t like my MCs to feel second best. This whole story is focused on sad boy, widower Isaac—grief overload for me. I know it’s a case of it’s not you, it’s me.
💫 They’ve physically got it so bad for each other, but they really need some therapy. In the end, I’m not sure I believe in their HEA without them getting some therapy.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this. I found no chemistry between the characters and more of a "hey you’re here so let’s have sex” type of vibe. There also seem to be very little plot happening. Such a shame since I really liked book 1 and 2.

This is the 3rd book in a series, but can be read as a standalone.
Funny, sexy, and spicy to its core. I loved this book.
4 stars from me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

A three book holiday book series?! Spicy, humor and couples you fall in love with?! What more could I ask for! Jingle mingle could be a stand alone read but after finishing who wouldn’t want to go back and read the other two? High chemistry they try to fight but ended up together. Love Issac and the cats relationship as well, every great book should have a grumpy cat to accompany it lol! Will be a highly recommended book to any of my rom com loving friends. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read in turn for my honest opinion.