In "A Jingle Bell Mingle," Sunny Palmer, a part-time adult film actress and aspiring screenwriter, returns to Christmas Notch, Vermont, seeking inspiration for her screenplay. Her journey takes a twist when she becomes roommates with Isaac Kelly, a former boy band heartthrob facing his own creative block.

What unfolds is a charming and humorous tale of two opposites under one roof, navigating their shared struggles and unexpected chemistry. The story beautifully captures themes of grief, inspiration, and the magic of the holiday season.

With witty dialogue and well-developed characters, this delightful romantic comedy is a perfect escape for readers looking for festive cheer and heartfelt connections.

the queens of banter and spice have done it again, I would say this is the best book in the series as of yet. The storyline makes sense and the spice adds to the main plot, it call come back together full circle in the end.

Fun and sexy, festive and feisty, this group of characters deserve their happiness. The spicy scenes are good, but so are the sweet and melancholy parts. I'll definitely read the earlier books in this series. I received this ARC from Avon and Harper Voyager via Netgalley.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC of the next installment of my favorite book series in the whole wide world in exchange for an honest review :)

A Jingle Bell Mingle is the third and final book of the Christmas Notch series. The novel follows two "chaotic, nepo baby bisexuals" - Sunny Palmer, part-time adult film actress/director (and of course the BFF of Bea, the heroine of the first novel), and Isaac Kelly, the third member of the (ex)boy band INK and widower. Sunny has sold an unfinished screenplay to the Hope Channel, Isaac is writing a Christmas album to get out of his record contract, and they are both in a creative slump. Throughout the book, Issac and Sunny find solace in one another as they struggle to find inspiration to meet the deadlines for their respective creative endeavors.

Though opposites (Issac is the grumpy to Sunny's sunshine, no pun intended), they both have one thing in common: Isaac and Sunny are professionals at running away from their feelings. Sure, the sex scenes are excellent (the photo booth??!!!!!!!!), Issac chatting on Discord with little old ladies is absolutely adorable, the subplot of Teddy finally proposing to Steph is unbelievably heartwarming, and the reintroduction of the gingerbread lotion made me laugh out loud. But Murphy and Simone do a brilliant job at balancing the hilarity of a roommate-with-benefits scenario with finding love after loss, and the guilt one feels from moving on after such tremendous grief.

All the characters (new and old, main and side) are dynamic and well-thought-out. I loved being able to peek into the lives of the couples from the previous novels, and I appreciate the consistency of Teddy narrating the prologue and epilogue. I will say that (and this is my only negative critique) because the cast is getting so large; I do wish there was some sort of family tree or glossary of characters to refer to. At some point, I had to crack open my copy of A Holly Jolly Ever After to jog my memory. Nonetheless, this well-paced, "sweet and spicy" novel is very much worthy of a 5-star rating.

On one last sappy note, I'm forever grateful to the Bad Bitch Book Club for introducing me to the Christmas Notch series. In December 2022, I finished A Merry Little Meet Cute about 15 minutes before hopping on a Zoom call with fellow BBBC members for a virtual Q&A with authors Murphy and Simone. And if I thought I loved the book before, I was absolutely obsessed with it when I got off the call. I'm so eternally grateful to have attended that meeting, and I feel honored to have received this ARC. It's bittersweet that this series is over.

Overall, A Jingle Bell Mingle is a super cute romcom that will get you right into the holiday spirit.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of this book!

I will say this one is my favorite out of these books so far! (I accidentally skipped number 2) I adored the back story throughout this book with both Isaac and Sunny. The hunt for more detail on the Christmas Notch Christmas miracle and the backup from the cat thread (IFYKYK)... all helped create this adorable Christmas rom-com with some spice! This is an interconnected standalone in the small town of Christmas Notch, Vermont that will have you laughing, feeling some feels and feeling the heat between these characters.

Since one shared night, Sunny and Isaac haven’t been able to get each other out of their minds. Now they are both back in Christmas Notch and after a friends wedding they wake up together. While they are both creatively blocked, they agree to live each other and help each other out.
Fans of this spicy Christmas series will love the most recent installment. This book is filled with witty banter and steamy chemistry. But it also has more serious tones with both main characters working through grief. The found family in this series is filled with the quirkiest characters and I love it so much.
Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

A satisfying end to the Christmas Notch "trilogy"!

Sunny accidentally sells a screenplay she has not actually written. To inspire herself, she needs to immerse herself in Christmas Notch and learn about the local legend. Isaac, professional "Sad boy" and 1/3 of INK, has lots of room in the old mansion he just bought. Even though Sunny and Isaac have had one, okay, no, two intense nights together, they can live together and just be friends, right?

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, hated the second, and was so glad that this book found the fun and heart again.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

3.5 I enjoyed this book! I thought it had the perfect splash of spice, plot, and holiday spirit to keep it interesting. It also helps that you get to know the side characters in the previous books. I LOVE a plus size lead that is unapologetic, and their entire existence is not about their weight. The book reps the LGBTQ+ community with both leads being bi-sexual. I really felt for both the lead's traumas in this. I do hate the self sabotage trope though, so I am knocking some off for that. Overall, it was a fun, quick, spicy, holiday read.

Fun, light hearted Christmas rom-com. The supporting cast really adds a layer of fun as they cross across the series. Love the series and this one is no different!

Another hilarious, romantic entry in the Christmas Notch collection! I liked this one the best so far - maybe because we've gotten to know all of the characters more by this book in the series, or possibly because Sunny and Isaac are "what's your damage" swoon-worthy and that's one of my favorite tropes. Great writing, funny banter and antics, and a happily-ever-after ending.

I may have jumped the gun with this book, first book of this series I read (didn't know it was part of a series beforehand). But....

100% recommend this book!
Fantastic read, Christmasy, spicy, cute, what more could you ask for this time of year??

Can't wait to dive in and start from book one!

I thought this was the perfect blend of Christmas and spice! The characters had depth to them and the town was straight out of a Hallmark movie! Definitely put me into the holiday spirit!

This book Sparkled brighter than tinsel!
The humor was spot on, but also had a few deeper themes like grief and loss. Isaac’s mourning and the introspective we get was gut-wrenching. Both Isaac and Sunny have been through pain and are hesitant to love again, but their chemistry is undeniable from their first one-night stand.

I loved how the were never awkward or tried to change for each other—they just fit. The forced proximity of not only living, but also working together in Christmas Notch, with their creative blocks and the mystery of the town’s “Christmas miracle,” only added to the tension and spicy (oh so spicy) moments that Julie and Sierra do so well! 😏

Sunny’s attempts at writing for the Hope Channel and Isaac’s retreat from his boy band fame create the perfect plot for their slow burn romance, and I loved how it all played out with a little dirty talk, some steamy scenes, and plenty of heart. (I mean, they had to stay warm somehow…right?)

The pace was spot on and had a great balance of humor with heartfelt moments, This one hit all the right notes for Christmas spirit, friendship, and scorching heat! 🔥

I love a Christmas romance no matter what. This one is great! Really enjoyed the first Christmas book in this series and really enjoyed this one too.

I wanted something light and seasonal and this spicy romcom fit the bill! Sometimes I don’t like it when a character is improbable but ALL of the characters were improbable here: porn stars, a diaper heiress, middle aged boy band members and all together in a Christmas themed town. Over the top but it totally works!

This was a very fun Christmas steamy romance. If you’ve read the previous installments, you know exactly what you’re in for here. I liked this better than the second one but not quite as much as the first one. But characters were a little too one-note for me and needed a bit more depth. I did enjoy seeing all our previous friends, though that may have been confusing to those who hadn’t read the previous books.

It's hard to believe that A Jingle Bell Mingle is the final book in the A Christmas Notch series, and I'm kind of sad. I have been waiting for Isaac's story since the first book and I can say he's worth the wait!

Isaac lost his wife way too young and has the grief of that has made it hard for him to do anything anymore. He needs to make a final album for his record label, but his muse is gone. Sunny accidentally sold her first screenplay to the Hope Channel, but has no clue what she's doing. Both of these characters were amazing and perfect for each other before they even knew it. This is a slow burn romance with quite a bit of spice, but it worked. I loved Isaac and Sunny slowly getting to know each other. They understood each other more than they realized.

Besides that I once again loved the body positivity as well as how healthy the relationships here are. They talk things through. Things may get frustrating, but in the end the communication is there. A Jingle Bell Mingle had me laugh, swoon, and even shed a few tears. I love the little town mystery added to this book.

On top of that we get to see all of the characters we've come to know and love from the previous books. This story comes together really well and I don't think the authors could end this in a better way. I'm sad this series is over and I really hope that the authors continue writing stories together.

My review will also be posted on https://thebookdutchesses.com on December 19th.

I had high hopes for this book, but didn’t find myself getting too attached to the characters. I was hoping for more romance from the two main characters, but it fell flat for me.

This is exactly what I wanted from this book. 🌶️❄️🌶️❄️🌶️❄️

This book includes:
🎄 Christmas themes
🎄 Queer Rep
🎄 Overcoming grief
🎄 Five pepper spice!! 🌶️
🎄 Ripping tights 😏
🎄 A Cranky Cat
🎄 Witty banter
🎄 Dual POV

The first book in this series I loved. The second I hated. So this book was a 50/50 chance for me. I absolutely adored the characters, the laugh out loud humor, the touching storyline and the very very hot spice scenes. I’m glad it’s duel POV because some of Isaac’s actions (and you know which moment I’m thinking of) almost felt unforgivable in what was said. But it showed that he really did love her and so I was quick to get over it. I also adored the plot of them finding this Christmas miracle story that tied in beautifully at the end.
P.S. The audio book is well worth it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

📖 arc book review!

a jingle bell mingle - julie murphy & sierra simone

📘 g e n r e: holiday romance

📚 s e r i e s: 3️⃣rd book - christmas notch series

❤️ c h a r a c t e r s: sunny palmer & isaac kelly

✨ o c c u p a t i o n s: adult film star/ mua turned screenwriter and former pop idol

🏡 s e t t i n g: christmas notch, vermont

💞 t r o p e s:
•grumpy x sunshine
•roommates to lovers
•plus size FMC
•one bed
•holiday romance

💬 t h o u g h t s: I always love the festive cheer and the hallmark-after-dark type read that the christmas notch series brings. I really enjoyed sunny and isaac's story; the roommates-to-lovers and one bed/ snowed in trope are always fun!

A special thank you to Netgalley for the ARC opportunity.