It was so fun to be back in Christmas Notch! These are the most fun, cozy yet spicy books to get into the holiday season. I loved reading about Sunny and Isaac and delving into their trauma that they were still working through. It was comforting to read them finding their person even if they were fighting it the whole time. I would go back to Christmas Notch any time!

A holly jolly perfect read for the holiday season! I will be picking up the authors' other books so quick this winter!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Perfect for getting in the holiday spirit!

Sunny, an adult film star and so much more, sells her first screenplay. Issac is a former boy band member who is currently depressed and needs inspiration for his upcoming album. When Sunny’s living arrangements are less than ideal, Issac invites her to stay at his mansion. Hoping they can pull inspiration from each other.

I LOVED this book and thought it was so cute! Sunny & Issac have amazing chemistry and I loved their banter. It was fun watching their friendship grow and how they helped each other. This was like a spicy Hallmark movie and I was here for it! Such a fun and festive read!


📘: A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone
🗓️: September 24, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone, and Avon Harper & Voyager for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

all that i think i need to say is the spice rating has gone up and i can feel the heat radiating off this book!

Sunny Palmer is a former adult film star who is now a screenwriter. She is working on a screenplay based on the town of Christmas Notch's folklore. Meanwhile, Isaac Kelly is a former boy band member who is grieving the loss of his wife and trying to find his way in the music business.

This awkward one-night stand turning roommates-to-lovers story is hilarious. As Sunny Palmer and Isaac Kelly navigate their personal baggage to not only discover themselves, but each other.

If you are into spicy, small-town Christmas stories, this is your jam. For me, it had more spice than I would like, but that is more of a preference than anything.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC

Thank you to the author, publisher and @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Well honestly, this was a bit of a let down… because I have loved things written by both of these authors, but this one missed the mark for me.

I didn’t feel the connection between the characters AT ALL. Now, they had some top notch spicy scenes and some great toy use, but I wish I liked the whole thing more

This was funny so freaking funny. My all time favorite character is none other than Mr. Tumnus. That cat is everything to me. I shall protect that little furry king with my heart and soul.
Now to the rest of the book 😂 if I had to describe the ambiance of it I’d say this is a Taboo hallmark Christmas comedy.
This is about Sunny a part time Adult actress/director/multi career aficionado Queen and Isaac a recluse widow and ex-boyband heartthrob. They run in similar circles and after a one nightstand turned temporary roommate agreement, they end up in close quarters for the holiday season.
The banter and chemistry between Sunny and Isaac is *chefs kiss* 👩🏻‍🍳💋
They are both obviously very in love with one another but due to their Trauma with a capital T they are very oblivious to their feelings, borderline don’t they couldn’t even define the word feelings cause they are so out of tune with them. They are both traversing life with the heavy load of losing loved ones far too soon in life. They find solace though in each others company.
If you are looking for a holiday read that will have you laughing, sobbing, screaming and laughing again then pick this up asap.
You, Sunny and Isaac can all be trauma bonded for the holiday season. JOIN THE PARTY!!!

The final book in the Christmas Notch trilogy, we get to visit the world of porn stars making holiday Hallmark-style movies one last time. Isaac has been a sad boy since his wife’s death 5 years ago, but cheery Sunny, part-time porn star & now aspiring screenwriter, has brought his sad libido back to life. When he sees the state of her hotel room after their 2nd one night stand, he insists she & her crazed cat move into his historic mansion with him… for her well being only, of course. As they work to find him a muse & to uncover a local mystery for her screenplay, their chemistry grows hot enough to melt the snow banks… but what happens when one of them catches feelings?

Forced proximity, curvy heroine, sad hero - sign me up! The 2nd book in this series fell a little flat for me, but I'm happy to say that they ended the series strong. This story is fun and unique while also dealing with grief and personal growth.

This one could easily be read as a standalone! I read the first book but completely missed the second book in the series, skipped ahead to the third. It was an adorable Christmas time read! The romance was cute at times but sometimes the MCs were a bit annoying but overall an easy read.

What a fun, sweet + spicy wrap up for our time in Christmas Notch. I loved all of these oddball characters finding love, but I was especially smitten with Isaac and Sunny! I loved seeing them figure out how to move on from the hurt and grief in their pasts to be able to love each other better by the end. I thought the frame of the work they were both trying to do and needing muses for was a fun way to get into the story and create fun holiday antics and I loved seeing the way their friends kept showing up for them. This series is a delight if you want to pick up something that feels a little different from most of the holiday romances out there!

I didn’t realize this was a part of a series! Given that, it was still easy to read as a stand alone, but I will go back and read the others. I enjoyed the FMC and she had a unique storyline compared to other FMC in this genre. The Vermont setting at Christmas time is perfect. Cute story with the vibes of a hallmark movie but more spice!

I’m not sure how I feel about this story. I didn’t connect with any of the characters. The MMC and FMC were annoying at times. It’s a good book if you’re looking for a Christmas story.

We return to Vermont for this steamy Christmas book. Sunny is a part time adult film star. She recently sold her first screenplay to the Hope channel. We pick up where she is currently struggling to finish the story before it’s deadline. This causes her to head to Vermont for some inspiration. When she gets there she runs into Issac who is a former boy band hearttrob. He is the owner of the mansion that Sunny is staying at for inspiration.

Things get very steamy between to the two and he asks her to move in with him.

This grumpy sunshine in a small town trope is perfect for Christmas.

This is book three in the A Christmas Notch series. This can also be read as a standalone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

Another home run for the dynamic duo that is Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone! This is definitely my favorite book in the series so far and I can’t wait for what’s next!

Isaac is a former boy band member who has been struggling with the sudden loss of the love of his life and looking for a new muse to help him finish the last album for his contract.

Sunny is a free spirit who runs into Isaac at a mutual friend’s wedding in Christmas Notch, VT and is determined to help him find his muse. In return, he’s agreed to help her learn the full story of a local Christmas miracle.

See these 2 lost souls learn how mutual grief and loss will bring them together in the most unexpected way 💕

If you love Hallmark movies but wish they had queer representation and a handful of spice, look no further than the Christmas Notch series! A Jingle Bell Mingle is book 3 in an interconnected standalone series and is out now anywhere books are available!

Tropes:
🎄 Found Family
🎄 Grumpy/Sunshine
🎄 Roommates to Lovers
🎄 Widower
🎄 Overcoming Trauma
🎄 Opposites Attract
🎄 Dual POV
🎄 Queer Representation

I really enjoyed this book! It was flirty and fun and perfect for the holidays coming up. I will definitely be recommending it to friends.
I loved the setting and the vibes of a lonely inn. I thought that the authors did such a fun job creating the characters and their previous lives that it all came together so cheekily in Vermont. I also loved the use of romance tropes and creative romance ploys since that was Sunny's career.
Overall, this was such a fun read and put new authors on a radar for me!

Omg! This was a perfect conclusion to the series! I read this in a day during an unplanned marathon reading session! I loved the character development, the perfect amount of spice, and holiday vibes! 10/10 recommend!

I loved the personality of the FMC. She was hilarious, and her pet cat was too. It was fun watching the characters relationship blossom, as the MMC was dealing with grief and healing. All the characters were enjoyable, and the story moved at a good pace. Whew, and the SPICE! This series is always a fun and quick read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of A Jingle Bell Mingle.

I really liked the first book in this series. I found this book much more chaotic and hard to get into. I didn’t really connect with Sunny and Isaac.

this is a cute, tender, spicy story! Sunny and Isaac are really freakin cute together twice-post hook up turned roommates, they are so into each other and are somehow so shy with each other despiste already having hooked up twice. I love how sweet and tender and loving they are with each other through life’s topsies and turvsies while also being so hot and passionate in ~other~ aspects of their relationship.

overall just a holly, jolly, horny good time, a perfect third in this series! thank you for the arc :)