A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone is a fun and festive holiday romance with just the right mix of heart and spice. The story follows Sunny, a former adult film actress turned screenwriter, and Isaac, a former boy band star struggling with loss, as they find themselves stuck together in a cozy Vermont mansion. Their slow-burn romance is filled with witty banter, emotional depth, and plenty of holiday charm. The book does a great job balancing heavier themes like grief with the feel-good warmth of a Christmas romance. While some parts are a bit predictable, the characters and setting make it an entertaining and cozy holiday read.

Hello hallmark after dark. This was sexy and charming and I really think it’ll be the perfect addition to anyone’s holiday reading line up

I have been a big fan of these authors and this series so I was so excited to get an early copy of “Jingle Bell Mingle” - thank you! I was so excited to have a story about Isaac, the I in INK, and Sunny. Christmas Notch, Vermont and the Hope Channel movies make the perfect setting for a spicy and romantic holiday rom com!

I couldn’t get myself to continue reading this. I started and stopped half a dozen times and ended up DNFing around 5%.

*'A Jingle Bell Mingle'* is a delightful holiday romance that perfectly blends heartwarming charm with a dash of heat. Written by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone, the book delivers on both the festive spirit and emotional depth, with two main characters that are easy to root for. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and their connection grows in an authentic, yet steamy way that adds to the fun of the story.

The authors do an excellent job of creating a cozy, holiday atmosphere, bringing in elements of tradition while also exploring themes of self-acceptance and second chances. The writing is witty, and there’s a good balance of humor and deeper moments that tug at your heartstrings. While the story is predictably sweet, it's also refreshingly bold, offering an escape with its festive backdrop and lovable characters.

Perfect for fans of holiday romance with a bit more spice, this book will leave you with a smile.

✨ARC REVIEW✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

🌲roommates to lovers
🌲forced proximity
🌲grumpy x sunshine
🌲queer rep
🌲parent/spouse loss

I like the Christmas Notch series and I am sad to see it end. While this could be read as a standalone I would highly suggest reading the previous books to make sure you are familiar with all the other characters that are referenced often in the book. Julie and Sierra did a great job balancing humor, spice and grief so the story wasn’t overwhelming sad given both main characters have lost someone very close to them. I did find it to be a tad too long and at times boring. The series as a whole is great but I wish given this was the end that it gave me just a little more.

I am a big fan of Sierra Simone and of this series. A Jingle Bell Mingle is a great addition. I really enjoyed Isaac and Sunny's relationship and the subplot of the Christmas angel mystery.

A Jingle Bell Mingle was such a fun, heartfelt way to wrap up this series. I loved the chemistry between Sunny and Issac from the get go. In some ways this book is such a slow burn to real trust and love...but so much hot time together that we expect from this series. Loved the humor with so many characters popping in and also Sunny's cat! I hope these two write together again!

I love this series, and I'm sad that this is the last book. I think that the characters are so fun. I also loved books that are in the same universe, but shift who the main characters are. I'm so happy that each of the boy band members of INK received their happy endings...pun implied!

Sad Boy Issac and Sunny (the literal prefer grumpy/sunshine trope) are probably my favorite couple from the Christmas Notch series. Fun, silly, spicy, Christmasy, a little sad, and with the usual amazing side characters. This whole series has been so fun to read. And of course Teddy remains the story that I love the most throughout all 3 books.

Sunny Palmer--an experienced adult actress/director/makeup artist--has accidentally sold her very first screenplay to the Hope Channel.

Isaac Kelly, former boy band heartthrob and the saddest boy in the music biz, is the latest owner of the town’s historic mansion where he can write his first holiday album in peace.

But after their best friends’ wedding leads to them waking up together in a freezing motel room, Isaac takes a chance and asks Sunny to stay with him at his historic home. But when the two discover they’re both creatively blocked, they make a handshake deal: Isaac will help Sunny hunt down the truth behind the local lore, and Sunny will find Isaac a new muse. This is a spicy holiday story that is the third one in the series-A Christmas Notch.

The, what I believe is, conclusion to the Christmas Notch series was nothing short of a good time. If you haven't read the other two books in the series, I would recommend trying those out before jumping into this one, as there are a lot of overlapping characters. Reading the others first, while not necessary, just makes it that much better. You get to know the characters and care for them, just like you're apart of the friend group. The friend group that consists of former boyband mates and adult film stars who've started starring in Hope After Dark movies (aka spicy Hallmark), what a combo you didn't know you needed in your life.

This book follows Isaac and Sunny, two who are acquainted with one another in a one-night-threesome-stand kind of way. When they cross each others paths once again, Isaac offers Sunny a place to stay since she was in a bad run-down motel in town and he happens to own the big mansion used for filming. In taking up his offer, Sunny and Isaac soon find themselves in a writer's block conundrum, while Sunny is supposed to be writing the newest Hope After Dark film, Isaac is supposed to be penning the newest Christmas bop. Both are struggling for inspiration and decide to help each other out. Sunny vows to find Isaac a new muse for his song, while he promises to help dig up dirt about a local legend that Sunny is basing her new movie on. The only problem is the tension they once held that one night so long ago quickly comes back, and you know what they say about opposites attracting...

Overall, this was a good read that wraps up this friend group's love stories. It was an easy read, but seemed a bit long for what it was. I think if it had been paired down, it would've had a better pace. With that being said, it was still enjoyable and very spicy, just like the others in the series. Definitely pick this one up if you're looking for a spicy Christmas romance this holiday season!

I know people rave about The Christmas Notch series, but unfortunately, I've read a few of them now to realize that this series is just not for me. While I LOVE a steamy romance, this series is just so silly and inane that I found myself wishing for a way out. Thanks, but no thanks! Will stick Simone's darker, forbidden contemporary romances.

This third book in a series is a steamy opposites attract rom rom com that takes place during the holiday season. This was a cute quick read.

Love love love

This quirky sweet story was wonderful. I love to read these authors. It makes me smile , laugh and warms my heart

A snowy Christmas setting? A forced proximity trope? Familiar and well loved characters? That’s the recipe for A Jingle Bell Mingle, and I absolutely adored it! The third installment in the Christmas Notch series focuses on Sunny Palmer and recluse INK member, Isaac Kelly. Sunny and Isaac end up as roommates in Isaac’s Vermont mansion after Sunny’s hotel mishap in Christmas Notch. While they are staying together, sparks fly while inspiration strikes in their respective careers.

I thought this book was an absolutely adorable, albeit a pretty spicy, romance. It was such a fun and light holiday read. As mentioned earlier it is the third book that is set in Christmas Notch, Vermont. I particularly enjoyed the setup of this series as a whole. I really like a series that focuses on different individuals in the same universe. Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone did a particularly good job giving different characters their own books while furthering the development of the characters and series as a whole. While characters would come to the front and fade to the background, I still felt as though I was getting parts of the others’ stories as they moved throughout the series. I also think it made sense that INK’s recluse, Isaac, was the third in the series to get his second happy ending (No spoilers! Read the books to find out what I mean here).

I particularly enjoyed the fact that this book focused on Isaac and Sunny. These two characters are a really interesting matchup with their differing personalities, but they absolutely worked and the characters had so much chemistry together. Chemistry, that I’ll add, didn’t feel forced or fabricated. The relationship that was built between the two throughout the book just made sense. I also thought that the authors’ choice to make the characters connect more deeply through their respective work was a particularly unique choice, but that gave them an extra element of connection that might not have been built in a different setting. I additionally liked the forced proximity in this book. This can sometimes be a little clumsy or overdone with some romances, but the fact that these characters genuinely liked each other made the trope work a lot better for me.

The pacing of the story was really good as well. This was not a short book, but it didn’t feel like a long book. The story never really slowed down, nor did it feel like it was being rushed. There were enough different elements of Isaac and Sunny’s story as well as the stories of the secondary characters to make the length and pacing feel completely appropriate.

It almost goes without saying here that the setting is absolutely precious. I love, love, love Christmas Notch, Vermont. The series starts out with what’s essentially a riff on the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, and it really leans into the Christmas setting. The fact that the authors chose to focus each book in the series in the town made Christmas Notch that much more special, in my opinion. I really couldn’t imagine these books working as well with any other primary setting.

Overall, I loved A Jingle Bell Mingle, as well as the whole Christmas Notch series. I would, and do, recommend these for romance lovers that don’t mind a lot of spice in their books. This book was a fun and light holiday read that I will recommend to others and will likely reread myself during a future holiday season. I want to thank Avon and Harper Voyager for providing a copy of A Jingle Bell Mingle to me via NetGalley for review. Any opinions offered in this review are mine alone.

Well this quote starting a book is interesting. The past few years I have gotten the pleasure of reading Murphy and Simone and they haven’t let me down yet. The story of the three boys of INK and the saucy women they fall in love with are such a pleasure to read about. Isaac’s loss blinds him to what he has in front of him with Sunny and Sunny doesn’t think that she is good enough to be anyone’s muse. They are both so obviously head over heels for each other but can’t let go of their pasts to make their relationship happen. The shenanigans and spice that happens as they make their way towards their happy ending - bahahaha- is fantastic and such a fun read!

This was such a cute book to read for the holidays! A Jingle Bell Mingle is a fun, festive romance that really got me in the holiday spirit. The story is lighthearted, with plenty of Christmas cheer, charming characters, and the perfect setting of a holiday party where sparks fly. The chemistry between the main characters is sweet, and while the plot isn’t anything too mind-blowing or surprising, it’s exactly what you’d expect from a cozy holiday read.

The romance is cute and satisfying, though it felt a little predictable at times. I would have loved a bit more depth in the character development, but honestly, this novella is all about embracing the holiday magic and light, feel-good fun. It’s the kind of book you can curl up with on a cold winter’s day and enjoy without any heavy emotional weight.

If you’re looking for a quick, sweet escape that’ll leave you with a smile, A Jingle Bell Mingle is perfect for getting into the holiday mood.

I first found Sierra Simone through her incredible Priest series, then I found Julie Murphy through her Christmas Notch series with the incredible Sierra Simone, and I'm so glad! They've essentially made a book that's like drinking a cup of hot cocoa while cozying up in a Vermont cabin during the best time of year (aka winter).

This one tugged at the heart strings even more than the last (in the absolute best way). Sunny is an absolute delight, and brought a new light to Isaac's (our sad and angsty but lovable hero) life. Their banter is hilarious, their chemistry is steamy, and their love is heart warming.

While this book is obviously a holiday/Christmas love story, I firmly believe you can enjoy it at any time of the year when looking for a spicy, sappy, lighthearted romance!

I LOVE the Christmas Notch series! This 3rd installment of the series was fun - what is not to love about an old boy band member that just wants to live his life in solitude... but can't because of a "Hope Channel" movie being filmed. All of my favorite characters were back and I LOVED the internet sleuth ladies who gave Isaac advice. The story was well paced and really fun.