I adore the Christmas Notch books, so I was thrilled to read this one early. I did love it and I like both main characters, but it just didn’t have the same magic that the others had. I think partly because it wasn’t taking place on a movie set, and partly because most of the time it was just the two main characters. It didn’t have all of the incredible and hilarious side characters that the other books had until the very end. I still loved it though and am glad they got their happy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

**Tropes**
- Friends with benefits-to-lovers
- Celebrity/rockstar romance
- Grumpy sunshine
- Forced proximity

**Representation**
- Plus-size
- ADHD
- Both MCs identify as bisexual!

Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone are back with the final raunchy rom-com of *The Christmas Notch* series, and it does not disappoint! In fact, I feel this was not only a perfect conclusion to the series but also the best of the trilogy.

Sad Boy Isaac™ and Sunny seem like complete opposites, but their shared "nepo baby" backgrounds and individual experiences with grief create a solid foundation for their relationship.

The authors did a fantastic job balancing the grief Isaac and Sunny were experiencing with laugh-out-loud comedy. Even the characters’ narrations of their day-to-day, mundane activities managed to make me chuckle at times.

I also feel the authors did an excellent job tying up all the loose ends from the series. I will deeply miss Teddy Ray Fletcher and the *Christmas Notch* gang.

Murphy and Simone work so well together, and I truly hope this isn’t the last we see of them!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun winter read! Pick it up, cozy in with a blanket, and read straight through!

Welcome back to Christmas Notch, Vermont! Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone have done it again with this steamy romance novel.

Isaac a broody, former boy band member and Sunny a part time porn star/make-up artist. Both need a creative push, Isaac to write his next album and Sunny to write her screenplay. Will they end up being each other’s inspiration?

I loved the banter and chemistry! Isaac’s icy heart melts for Sunny and her demon cat, Mr. Tumnus. Both are dealing with grief alone but being together in the mansion makes them learn to rely on each other.

If you read Bee/Nolan and Winnie/Kallum’s story, don’t miss out on Sunny and Isaac’s story! I have loved the Christmas Notch series and O’m so sad that it’s over.

Read if you like:
- banter
- grumpy/sunshine
- opposites attract
- one bed
- friends w/ benefits

I cried and I laughed which to me is always a sign of a good book. I want all the feels with also all the steamy scenes. I loved the friends to lovers while also dealing with grief. Also throw in found family. A wonderful read.

A Jingle Bell Mingle concludes the series and our time in Christmas Notch. Like the others in the series, this book is laugh out loud funny, sex positive and sexy, and a fun time featuring a large cast of characters. I’ve seen other reviews say that the number of characters introduced was overwhelming and I can definitely see that. Even though I’ve read the entire series, there were many characters I didn’t remember but it didn’t take too much away from the story for me.

I really loved Sunny and Isaac both individually and together. I wanted them to communicate a bit more and more maturely which is largely why I docked a star from my review. The pacing of the story and the third act conflict felt a little off to me but overall I enjoyed seeing these two grow and come together.

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Not having read the previous books in this series made the prologue confusing with an overwhelming number of characters that are introduced right away, making it challenging to keep up initially. But once Chapter 1 starts, things clear up when it becomes just Isaac and Sunny. Isaac is a depressed widower lost to his grief, while Sunny loud and vibrant but with hidden insecurities. It's not your typical rom-com christmas story, being there was very little christmas involved but it keeps you on your toes and turning the pages to find out more about their love story.

A Jingle Bell Mingle is quite the fab way to say goodbye to the raunch-com crew of Christmas Notch. The wonderful writing duo of Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone gives us the kind of finale that made me laugh, swoon and smile broadly as we finally get Isaac Kelly's story, the 3rd member of the former boy band known as INK. As he tries to find his muse in order to complete a record contract, the self-proclaimed loner/hermit discovers her in the perpetually positive woman who is Sunny Palmer. This spitfire is exactly the person to bring Isaac out of his 5-year bout of loneliness since his beloved wife Brooklyn died. As they find themselves as sudden and albeit hesitant roommates in Christmas Notch after Bee and Nolan's wedding, let's just say the charm of a crotchety cat along with his delightful owner may just bring Isaac out of his lonely mood once and for all.

The allure is still as addictive as ever as this last book in the series gives us not only the love story of Isaac and Sunny but the continual odd pairing that is Teddy and Steph as well as an update on all the characters we've all come to know and love these past two years. Everything flows beautifully as usual from this writing team as the use of a town myth becomes not only the basis of Sunny's script she can't seem to create but the spark that keeps her and Isaac from leaving each other's sides. Isaac takes his time in coming around to the idea of love again but doesn't hesitate to want to be more than friends with his housemate. His mansion sets the stage for both of them finally being able to find their muses in the other as Isaac's gift of creating music starts to flow again and Sunny's excitement over finally finding some words truly brings them joy. I loved Mr. Tumnus, the cat, who also acted like a bridge of sorts as Isaac fell just as hard for the persnickety creature as he did for Sunny. Their days are full of exploration in the cold, snowy Vermont as they keep trying to find out if the Christmas miracle of long ago was real in order for Sunny to continue writing her own naughty version but the nights are full of the kind of lust, longing and uninhibited moments they cannot get enough of. Of course, there are the requisite public trysts that this entire cast of characters can't help but fall prey to, adding joyful scenes that are both passionate and laugh-out- loud funny.

Overall, I was very glad Isaac finally put his grief in the past and would want to be with Sunny as more than just friends with bennies. There are plenty of ups and downs as they get to know each other and find a comfort with one another they didn't expect. Sunny is such a great person, her excitement for the seemingly mundane absolutely adorable. Isaac becomes her anchor of sorts as she navigates her new career as a writer and also as a more hands-on owner of her family's business. I loved watching her bloom into the person she always had within her. She just needed someone to simply get her.

Both characters struggle with past grief and the authors did a great job in not making it too maudlin as those wistful moments take over from time to time. Again, past couples along with newer confidantes offer support and comical situations when things seem too heavy. This entire group is crazy in the very best way with how they navigate the world around them, never giving a damn who might be watching.

Mayhem is a long-standing theme with this bunch as Murphy and Simone impeccably combine the world of porn with the world of sweet within the town of Christmas Notch. They have offered up the true meaning of acceptance as we hear about other residents and the struggles they had with simply loving someone. With witty one-liners, references to odd desires for food and drink along with erotic and downright naughty moments of intimacy, this book and series has something for everyone.

You'll come away from reading A Jingle Bell Mingle with a true satisfaction that everyone we've claimed as our own is fully content and that in the end, they will continue to be the same wild crew no matter what is thrown at them. That, yes, a little town tucked away in the wilds of Vermont is truly magical and that no one who is fortunate enough to be a visitor can be untouched by its enchantment, including this reader.

4 big stars!

While I *have* read the other books in the series, the onslaught of mentions in the first couple chapters made me want to go back and read the other two again because I didn't remember what had happened. This is a series that definitely need to be read with all installments together.

I love the found family in this book, it truly is one of the best parts of the story, because otherwise Isaac and Sunny's story fell pretty flat. A grumpy/sunshine forced proximity set at Christmas with some very heavy plot lines (he's a widower, she lost both her parents) that weren't really handled appropriately (the authors took a more light hearted approach rather than leaning into their feelings. Despite the amount of spice (which I don't mind) I didn't feel like there was chemistry between the two MCs.

All in all the story was fine. It was fun to revisit christmas notch but ultimately wanted more depth and resolution for Sunny and Isaac.


Thank you Netgalley, and Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my review!

These two have done it again! I loved the book. I’m happy that all the INK guys are getting their HEA, but I’m sad to see this series end. Issac and Sunny’s story, while not my favorite romance trope, was funny, sassy, and full of all the filthy high jinks that I was expecting from this writing duo. Mr. Tumnus is likely my favorite character…well and the Cat Advisory Thread. lol

Issac is a former boy band member who is still getting over the death of his wife. But, after a one night stand, he can't get Sierra out of his head. When he realizes she needs a place to stay, he offers to let her move into one of the rooms at his place. Can they help each other out, or are they just too different?
I loved the first few books in this series, and A Jingle Bell Mingle proved to be just as fun, sexy, and hilarious! Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy truly have an unmatched cadence and rhythm to their writing, and the way they develop characters and relationships are *chef's kiss*. I love how Sunny and Isaac bonded over their shared traumas but found new light and happiness in each other despite all they've been through.

The spicy scenes made me blush and kick my feet giggling. I loved the chemistry between the two (emotional and physical), and how sex-positive everyone in this universe is. The cameos from previous characters were so sweet, and the emphasis on friendships and familial relationships as well as romantic added even more emotional depth to this book.

Such a fun holiday romp!

I enjoyed the story. It was a fun read. I enjoyed the friendship between the Sunny and Issac (Don't worry there is more than friendship). It is a definitely a spicy book. I enjoyed the search for the Christmas miracle story. The book did a good a job of showing how a loss of a loved one can be different for each person. I hope Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone write more books together.

I am so excited to be returning to Christmas Notch, and this book did not disappoint. This is not your typical cookie cutter rom com, but it is spicy and delightful. Sunny and Isaac both are suffering from a lack of imagination which is stalling their current projects. Sunny is staying in Christmas Notch to get inspiration from a real life Christmas legend, and Isaac is in the local mansion to deal with the grief of his wife's death and to get inspiration for his music

I love that Sunny and Isaac were able to connect at Bree and Nolan's wedding - if you didn't read the first book then this might be a minor spoiler for that book. At the wedding, Sunny and Isaac flirt with each other until they end up back in Sunny's not so cheery motel room.

Isaac discovers the room’s horrible condition, and invites Sunny to stay at his mansion during her time in Vermont. This is when the spice is dialed up even more. Sunny and Isaac are both so obviously drawn to one another, and I loved all their scenes they shared together.

As always there are steamy scenes and great side characters that add to the plot. I definitely would recommend this book! It's a quick holiday read!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

I love all of the Christmas Notch books, and this was a perfect wrap up to the series. 🥹 It was incredibly sweet, and wove difficult themes of grief and connection throughout a hilarious romcom. How did Julie and Sierra do it?!?! I don’t know but I loved every second.

We come out of the gate with some immediate smut, and that was incredible. All of the appearances of characters from the rest of the series felt so genuine and brought me so much joy as a reader. Nolan and Kallum’s speech about how it’s selfish not to need others? That will be brought up in therapy, thank you very much! I also didn’t know how we were going to make an angel/mailman threesome cold case flow with a journey of grief and learning to be vulnerable, but somehow they made it work ✨perfectly✨.

It was exactly what I wanted from the finale of this series!

This is my second by Julie and I REALLY wanted to give this author a second chance. Especially as a lover of everything Hallmark. It just didn’t give me the Hallmark vibes. For some reason the opening sentence was my biggest annoyance. I wanted Hallmark vibes and it didn’t give it to me. It was an ok book over all. I won’t go out of my way to get it. 3/5

This book had me actually laughing out loud. I loved the body positivity & giving bigger girls more attention they deserve. Not everyone has to be stick straight. I also loved both tropes of Roommates with benefits and Roommates to lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. I’ve read all of the Christmas Notch books and thought they were entertaining for what they are - steamy, tropy, holiday rom-coms. However, I was glad to see in the acknowledgments that this is the last in the series. I think the series has definitely run its course as this one dragged for me. I found Isaac annoying and if I read the word “filthy” one more time, I was going to scream. Rounding up to 3 stars.

A grumpy/sunshine, failed 1 (2?) night stand, roommates to lovers spicy holiday HEA. I loved these two and the whole found family vibe. Would also love to see the women from the The Cat Advisory Thread again!

I absolutely loved this place Sierra and Julie created. It felt safe for a person of my size to let myself disappear and imagine I’m in the FMC shoes. Sunny was literally just as her name describes her, Sunny or as Isaac calls her, Sunshine. Issac, oh our poor Sad Boy. I wanted to shake him (and her too honestly) if they would just communicate! But then we wouldn’t have a grumpy (sad) sunshine trope with all the chaotic things going on. It was everything I wanted to end the series. And the cat, Mr tumnus, perfect little cat who could do no wrong. He knew Issac needed love and was showing him love throughout the book in the only way cats know how - plotting the unaliving of their owners.

It may be September but this book has me in the Christmas spirit! This book had me laughing out loud which feels like a major accomplish given how beautifully this book explored grief and loss. It's a hard feat to make a book as emotionally raw as Julie and Sierra did while keeping things as spicy as they do. I'll definitely be rereading this book during the holidays.

I also will be using some of the one liners at work because, "I'm a recluse...I'm not devoid of culture" is just *chef's kiss*. Here's to wishing "a merry Christmas for all, and for all a naughty night" 😉