Thank you to @Netgalley and the publisher for providing me the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, what a cute, raunchy and heartwarming rom com! I enjoyed these characters so much, probably my favorite couple out of the series! Isaac is our brooding heartthrob who is still grieving over the death of his muse. Sunny is our ray of sunshine who is having a writers block for a screenplay she is writing. These two start to work together in more ways than one, until feelings begin to complicate things.
A must read for the holidays!!

#AJingleBellMingle #NetGalley

This book is so funny, but it also made me cry. I got completely sucked in and I just couldn’t stop reading. The theme of love after loss is so well done and characters are so relatable. The writing is absolutely seductive and the story holds you to the very end. I absolutely love Christmas and I think this is a book I’ll read every year. You won’t regret becoming obsessed with this one.

4.5 ⭐️✨
Someone get me some water, I’m still on fire from the spice in this book. 🔥

Good lawd.

The MMC, Isaac, has been pining for the FMC for 2 years (bless his soul) after a salacious tryst that involved the FMC and a plus one. I feel like everyone is bisexual in this book, and our MMC and FMC exhibit that right from the start. We discover that our sad MMC is a retired-ish pop star who has a gloomy past—that he is literally looking for some sunshine in his life. The FMC’s name is Sunny (too cutesy, maybe? I’ll take it though). She is an heiress and an ex-porn star (cue the salacious threesome with Isaac). They’re both nepo babies and end up being roomies with bennies at Isaac’s mansion.

They embark upon an adventure where they attempt to find a muse for Isaac and solidify a story for Sunny’s movie, which was promised to bring feel good Christmas charm + a threesome with a ghost. 👻 During their adventure, Isaac and Sunny have to deal with their off-the-charts chemistry that they both try to ignore.

This book has it all really. The slowest of slow burn love. Out of this world spice. Angst. A mystery to be solved. A cat from Hell to woo. Copious amount of Capri Suns. Cozy settings. Several cosmically failed first dates. Poignant grief guide morsels that make you feel all the things. It was cozy, heartfelt, and the perfect rom-com read.

3.5 Stars

I added Capri Suns to my grocery order after I finished this book.

Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy once again provide an inventive and HOT holiday rom com. I love this series and thoroughly enjoyed this latest story.

This book was the perfect balance of sweet and spicy!! Sometimes a girl just needs both!!

This book futures Isaac, a former boy band widower. Who has turned into a heartbroken hermit crab after the death of the love of his life. He is convinced that he will never love again and is destined to spend the rest of his life alone. Enter Sunny, a semi porn star, turned writer for the Hope channel, whose path is crossed at a friends wedding. When they are both looking to hook up, they end up using an app and matching with each other, remember their previous experience and threesome together, they agree to a one night stand and nothing more. That is until Isaac sees the despair that is Sunny’s dilapidated hotel room and he invites he back to his mansion to live with him while Sunny’s writes her screenplay and tries
to unravel the mystery of the Christmas Angel!

Can Isaac find love again? Can Sunny finish her screen play? Read this book for sweet, hot and heavy romance!!

4.5⭐
I have enjoyed each of the novels and novellas in the Christmas Notch series, but this one is definitely my favorite. This author described raunch-com had me laughing and tearing up in places. It's simultaneously charming, hilarious, filthy, sad, cathartic, vulgar, and sweet. I get the feeling that Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy have had a great time writing this series, and it definitely translated to my reading experience.
In Jingle Bell Mingle, we finally get the story of the final member of INK and perpetual sad boi Isaac Kelly and part time adult film actress/director/makeup artist Sunny Palmer. I am sad to say goodbye to Christmas Notch, but this final installment does a fantastic job of gathering all the hilarious and heartwarming side characters we have met through the series for a sweet send off. We get updates on each of the previous featured couples, and I really loved the unravelling of the story within the story of the Christmas Legend Sunny is writing her screenplay about.
The rawness of Isaac's grief and love for his deceased wife just jumps off the page. The way that it's explored by Sunny, and her reactions to it, came across as genuine to me. I felt it when she reached her breaking point, but also loved how she made space for Brooklyn in their relationship.
One of the things I appreciate most about this series, and this book in particular, is its openness about exploring the sexuality spectrum through a diverse cast of characters. It's progressive and body and sex positive without reveling in trauma. The spice is HOT and plentiful. We see relationships of all types flourish in healthy ways. Overall I recommend the series, and have a special place in my heart for Isaac and Sunny.
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy for the ARC opportunity!

i expected a fun, cozy, christmassy read and while it was all of those things it was also emotional and heartwarming. this book made me shed tears and kept me laughing. i think this was the spiciest book out of the christmas notch series so far and it did not disappoint. the friends to lovers really made this book for me, i love how they showcased being able to fall in love slowly and having it naturally occur between two friends. includes grief, trauma, plus size fmc, and lgbtq representation!
thank you to netgalley and avon books for letting me read this early in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the eARC of “A Jingle Bell Mingle” by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone in exchange for my honest review.

A Jingle Bell Mingle is book 3 in the Christmas Notch series. It continues with sharing more details on the characters from the first two books but it’s untimely about the unexpected second chance at love for Isaac Kelly and Sunny Palmer. Sunny is in need of a place to stay so she becomes roommates with Isaac in his mansion along with her evil cat. Along the way they form a friendship while investigating a legend of Christmas Notch for Sunny’s movie.

I wasn’t really hooked on the book until the last half. I enjoyed the unfolding of the Christmas Notch story within the story. If you haven’t read the first two books, you may get a little lost with the characters, therefore I highly recommend you read the books in order. Overall, I’d give this one a 3 stars.

3.5 stars. Two bisexual disasters fall in love. What more do you need?

It has its heavy moments, with Isaac and Sunny talking about shared experiences of loss, but overall is good dirty holiday fun. I enjoy that they both grow as people and respect that their love is the quiet kind that sneaks up on you - both of them needed something quiet and comforting.

Thank you to NetGalley, Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone, and Avon Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone had me at “potentially demonic cat”. I love a book that makes me cry from laughing one minute, and then cry from heavy loss the next. This book did just that. Emotional, hysterical, and perfect for a snowy day by the fire!

***Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for sending me an e-arc of A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone! All thoughts are my own!***

Part-time adult film actress/one-time adult film director/makeup artist Sunny Palmer accidentally sold her very first screenplay to the Hope Channel six months ago. With a looming deadline ahead and zero inspiration, Sunny has returned to Christmas Notch, Vermont, to immerse herself in the local Christmas miracle on which her movie pitch was based.

Isaac Kelly, former boy band heartthrob and the saddest boy in the music biz, is the latest owner of the town’s historic mansion. After his years of heartbreak following his young wife’s death, Isaac’s record label is done waiting for new music. He is attempting to write his first holiday album in his snow-covered mansion where he can be a hermit in peace.

But after their best friends’ wedding leads to them waking up together in a freezing motel room with questionable wiring and a broken shower, Isaac takes a chance and asks Sunny to stay with him at his home. Surely the place is big enough that he’ll hardly see her or her unhinged cat, Mr. Tumnus. But when the two discover they’re both creatively blocked, they make a deal: Isaac will help Sunny hunt down the truth behind the local lore, and Sunny will find Isaac a new muse.

The first thing I need to say about this book is IT IS SPICY!! This is probably the spiciest Christmas Notch book so far.

I absolutely love this cast of characters, and I love getting to see them in each book. It makes you feel like you are a part of the Hope Channel cast.

Sunny and Isaac start out by just being roommates with benefits. But with them both grieving in their own ways, Sunny with her parents, and Isaac with his wife. Them having this shared past in mind, it definitely creates a conflict for them. They realize there is a connection between them that makes it impossible to stay away from each other. I was just glad they finally got over their own emotional hurdles to be together.

A Jingle Bell Mingle is available September 29th!

A Jingle Bell Mingle
Authors: Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyager
Pages: 400
Stars:🌟🌟🌟.5
Scoville Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Take a dash of Sad Boy Widower, Former Boy Band Star Isaac who is searching for a muse, any muse to gt him inspired to just write music to complete a contract with his record label. Add in a splash of Sultry, Sexy, Curvy Sunny who has determined she'll write a screenplay about an urban legend whispering around the hills and dales of the town of Christmas Notch. Toss in a finicky cat named Mr. Tumnus* (frankly, my favorite fish stealing character besides the Three Ladies Detective Thread), and you get a melancholic but full of fun and happliy ever after in A Christmas Bell Mingle.

I loved that Sunny was so comfortable in her curves, that she is so forward with her wants and needs. She calls Isaac out on his "Sad Boy" status as someone who is perpetually grieving his wife's sudden death (talked about in the book, occured before the book).

Isaac is under some strange delusion that he can never find room in his heart to love. And Sunny is too scared to stay in one place or job to make any lasting connections beyond those of the adult film group that is the garnish of this book.

This is the 3rd book in a series (that also has 2 novellas) and I didn't know that going in. However, I felt I could follow it pretty well. Readers should know going in this is a high spice book. This also isn't a particularly lighthearted Christmas RomCom. It deals with death, loss of parents and loss of a spouse. It does have an element of mystery as Sunny is trying to find out more about a Christmas Legend to use as a base for her screenplay. So, if you like:

🍭 Spicy Scenes (maybe public!)
🔎 Solving an Urban Legend
❄️ A Snow Rescue
🎄 A Christmas Eve Miracle
📚 Sexy Librarians
👫 Friends to Lovers
👨‍👩‍👦👨‍👩‍👧 Found Family
🐈‍⬛️ A cat who steals the show

Than this book is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

*Whenever my cat tries to go into the closet, I tell him that Mr. Tumnus isn't accepting visitors for tea. So having the cat named Mr. Tumnus made me giggle.😹

I have not read the first two books in the Christmas Notch series, so I was a little bit confused at the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed it though! This book was a great mix of light hearted and serious. I will go back and read the first two haha

Definitely my favorite book of the series. I just loved the relationship that developed between Sunny and Isaac. Similar to another book that I finished, this one dove into grief, trauma, neurodiversity, and more. The Christmas time setting was perfect, and I love how the book used Christmas to celebrate big life events. This makes me want to find a town like Christmas Notch to visit this winter!

I laughed quite a few times in this book which is sometimes hard for me to find.

This book had some heavy moments and light moments. Overall, this book was really enjoyable and I think a lot of people is going to be able to relate.

Wooowee this one was spicy. I liked the friendship between Isaac and sunny as well as the fun little side quests they went on throughout the stories. I think it just dragged a bit at certain points.

This was a great additi9n to the series. Very witty. “I swear to God, if you kill me, I will haunt the shit out of you!”. I really liked Isaac. Do not get me started on the cat. Too funny and loveable.

Book 3 in the Christmas Notch series! I love this series so much! They’re all so funny and spicy, and this book was no exception! This is the perfect kick off for your holiday season!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! This book releases TOMORROW!! Go pick it up!! 🤩🤩🤩

I appreciate NetGalley for granting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book series has captivated me, and I believe this latest entry might just be my favorite yet. Sunny's character experiences a profound evolution, revealing depths beyond her previous role as the ever-joyful sidekick. Learning about her backstory and the pivotal moments that shaped her has strengthened my bond with her. Isaac's exploration of grief and his journey toward rediscovering joy are portrayed with remarkable sensitivity, and experiencing his perspective alongside Sunny's unveils the complexities of their characters, showing that he embodies much more than mere sorrow.

This installment is undeniably steamy, possibly the most intense in the series, with excitement igniting from the very first pages. What stands out to me is the positive portrayal of attitudes toward sex, which feels invigorating. This theme resonates throughout the series, emphasizing that sex is a natural and enjoyable part of life, especially in a town named after Christmas. I will cherish these books until my physical copies are worn out, as they effortlessly combine fun, warmth, and positivity while tackling serious and intricate issues.

The third book in the Christmas Notch series, this follows driven Sunny and forlorn Isaac as they try to focus on the next stages of their careers, discovering how much they need love and support along the way.

Throw in a Christmas movie dream town, a hilarious cast of characters, and some mishaps, and this is a fun read not for the faint of heart (very open door romance)!

Thank you to Netgalley and to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.