I absolutely loved this book starting with the juxtaposition of the Hallmark movie cartoon cover on the outside and delightfully festive smut on the inside. There was also a surprising amount of depth to the story as both Sunny and Isaac work through their unresolved grief. The chemistry between the two was undeniable, and they played well off of one another. I also really enjoyed the story within a story as Sunny worked to solve the Christmas Angel mystery, which by the way had its own spicy twist. I also loved how Isaac called in reinforcements to bond with Sunny’s cat. That alone should have told the man everything he needed to know. I also feel like there needs to be a spin off with the old ladies because there’s definitely a story there. I really appreciate how well Murphy and Simone balanced the heavier topics with lighter moments like the capri sun bonding while Isaac was wallowing. This raunch-com was the perfect balance to get me in the holiday spirit.

And that's a wrap on Christmas Notch! This was a very fun final installment. I love Teddy; I loved seeing all our friends we've met along the way; I loved "love you big," a thing I've always said to my own kids. Cheerful Sunny and sad by Isaac really charmed me. The "we absolutely must"/"there's no way we can possibly" pattern repeated a few too many times for me, but the ending was a lovely Christmas miracle. And a bonus Saltburn ref...I see you Sierra.

This was not the holly jolly rom-com that I expected. The sex scenes were just plain vulgar and not at all sexy. The story seemed silly. The romance between Sunny & Issac seemed forced. I just couldn’t get into this whole small Christmas town with a porn star vibe. I know that there are people out there at will love it. But sadly it was just not for me.

I love the Christmas Notch series it’s so fun, airy and let’s not forget spicy 🥵

Sunny is honestly my favorite character to date. She’s so fun and full of life, ADHD is real for this one and I love the representation for that! She has her own trauma that she has not really dealt with, trying just to sweep over it like Isaac.

But together they are so perfect and they complete each other. They fix what is broken in one another but they never make the other feel bad for their grief.

Great ending to a great series. I’m obsessed with this universe and I’m sad it’s over. Issac and Sunny’s antics were amazing, the banter perfection, and the family drama? Loved

I loved A Jingle Bell Mingle, and I”m so sad that this series is over! It has been such a fun, spicy, and egg-citing ride!

Isaac is the last member of the boy band to find love. He has been a reclusive hermit wallowing in grief after losing his wife years ago. He is now living in a mansion in Christmas Notch trying to find inspiration for his next album. Sunny is also in town to research some local lore that inspired a screenplay she is writing. She ends up staying with Isaac after a mishap in her hotel.

Sunny exploded into Isaac’s life with all her brightness and chaos. He had no idea how much he needed her to pull him out of his funk. But grief is tricky and his wife’s death emotionally destroyed him. The idea of risking that type of heartbreak again was debilitating for Isaac. He couldn’t help how things developed with Sunny even with both of them resisting their connection no matter how many sexy librarians they pushed at the other.

I love how the book balanced some really heavy issues like grief with some hilarious moments like Isaac’s relationship/interactions with Sunny’s even grumpier cat, Mr Tumnus.

In addition to the central romance, this book tied up a lot of loose ends for other characters (Teddy gets a HEA!) and solved a holiday mystery. We also got to see all of our other Christmas Notch favorites as the story starts at Bea and Nolan’s (of A Merry Little Meet Cute) wedding.

I really loved this whole series! A Jingle Bell Mingle is the third and final book in the Christmas Notch series. Although each book stands alone, I do recommend reading the books in order for the best reading experience. I hope these authors write more together in the future!

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to review this book. Initially when I requested it, I thought it was the first in the series, thinking maybe the publisher was doing a re-release? Nah, just a similar color scheme. Straight to the library I went to immediately read the first two books and two novellas. I feel HARD for this series. It's so good, fun but serious, but not in a take itself too serious, serious way. I was so excited to finally read about Isaac and just as a I suspected, this was my favorite book in the series. Julie and Sierra write so beautifully. This is odd, but honestly what I loved the most, was the elevated vocabulary. I don't know how many times I used the highlight function on my Kindle to learn what words mean. They were always used in a way that I had an understanding of what they meant, but I learned SO MANY new words via this series and specifically A Jingle Bell Mingle. It wasn't done in a pretentious way, either. I literally kept saying to myself, "Jeez these women are so smart." and it truly shows in the writing.

I loved the dynamic between the two MCs. Nepo, Southern California babies. Both dealing with grief in some way. I did get annoyed with Isaac for constantly going back to his wife and his grief, but honestly, if I were to put myself in his shoes, would I not feel the same way?

The spice was spicing and honestly, Sierra and Julie write some of the BEST spice.

Hands down, five stars. I hope these two pair up in the future and continue to write. I'll be pre-ordering it in a Christmas Notch second.

This is a fun steamy summer perfect for the holiday season.
I know many people would love this kinda second chance romance with some cozy vibes and chemistry hot enough to warm a whole town, but sadly it isn’t for me. I don’t want to rate it badly purely from the fact that it’s not a book I’d personally read. Perhaps I should’ve done more research on this book, and that’s on me.
I’m sure this book will be well received by many people. Sadly I can’t recommend it as it’s not something I’d choose for myself.
The characters are great and the setting is amazing. And the duo authors is just an extra amazing thing.
Overall it’s a book that will be loved by many, and I know I’d love it if it didn’t have some of its content. & that’s on me.

What a way to wrap up the Christmas Notch trilogy!

This book was everything I expected and so much more. Humor was infused into every part-benevolent reindeer strippers! Barbies getting freaky! Mr. Tumnus!-but it didn’t shy away from diving deep either.

The story did a beautiful job of exploring the ways that grief and family can shape us for better and for worse. In particular I really appreciated the way Sunny’s ADHD was shown throughout the book, equally as a super power and a burden. It’s perhaps the best representation I’ve seen as an ADHD woman and I really felt seen.

The relationship between Sunny and Isaac was so achingly sweet, the pining and desire and my god the LONGING. (Plus the sexy scenes obviously were amazing.) I loved the way that their pasts and friends and families were woven into the fabric of their relationship.

And TEDDY RAY FLETCHER. What a legend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This is the first book I’ve read in this series. It was cute, but it felt like a lot was going on - unnecessarily. I think if the storyline had been a bit more streamlined I would’ve liked it more. I also felt like it didn’t feel too Christmasy. It happened around Christmas, but otherwise it didn’t give me the warm cozy feels I normally want from a Christmas book. Being that I hadn’t read the other books in this series, and honestly I went in blind not even reading the description, I had no idea it was going to be as smutty as it was. Not my typical pick for a Christmas read but it was still a cute story.

They do it again! The town of Christmas notch is back and such a fun and whimsy book that still tugs the heart strings! I loved Sunny and Isaac’s story, overcoming grief and loss, and turning it into something beautiful.

I've been a devoted fan of the Christmas Notch series since I first read A Merry Little Meet Cute. I'm devastated to learn that this will be the last book in the series but what a great note to end it on! This book, like all the others is full of lively, vibrant, and loveable characters, tons of sexy Christmas spirit, lots of love for the plus size girlies, and so much fantastic example of female friendship. I'm bummed I won't be able to spend more time with the INK boys and their girls (and guys) but I think these books will be a Christmas staple for me for years to come.

This series is more explicit that I usually prefer to read (not yucking anyone's yum; it's just not MY thing) but Murphy and Simone write So Darn Well that I tend to just plow through the naughtier bits and enjoy the rest of the story.
In this case, we get Sunny and Isaac. Isaac is the last singleton of the former boy band, INK. His two bandmates fell in love in the previous books. Isaac is in the pits of dark despair because he lost the love of his life, his muse, when she was young. And now he is ruined for all others and isn’t sure that he even deserves to live. He will, however, occasionally have sex. The last time he did so was with Sunny, former part-time porn star, now working on a script for the Hope Channel.
Sunny has a pretty rich back story herself but we mostly see her trying to be an independent woman who takes care of her son… er, her cat, Mr. Tumnus. He’s the whole reason she agrees to move out of a crappy hotel and sleep at Isaac’s mansion, it’s so her cat doesn’t have to suffer.
The two obviously have the hots for each other and there is some sexy time, even as Sunny insists on trying to find Isaac’s next muse. But this is a romance so it may just be that his muse is right under both their noses.

Four stars
This book comes out September 23, 2024
Christmas Notch #2
Follows Holly Jolly Ever After
ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

I had to DNF this one. Sadly it was a bit too spicy for my taste. I enjoyed the humor and writing style, however.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest op

Now, wait a damn minute. I have read this series, front to back, to enjoy a PARODY of a Hallmark romance franchise with an absolutely hilarious horny spin. Not to cry. Not to get hit right in the feels. And certainly not to grow from examining my own grief as compared to Isaac's and how I need to bring down my walls and stop hiding to not inconvenience anyone. And also with a similar examination of Sunny's grief- and how I've been running and keeping busy instead of facing it or.. something. I don't know. But this will certainly all be brought up with my therapist next week thanks to a silly holiday romance book? 2024, you're wild.


Is this the best book of the series or did I just connect to this more than the others on a personal level? I don't know, you can find out for yourself when you read it. But for me- this was the best book of the series. I have LOVED getting to know Sunny's black cat disposition over the previous two full novels and two novellas. The TINY glimpses of our sad recluse, but actually a cinnamon roll, Isaac lead beautifully into this third book.

I enjoyed the absolute undeniable pull of these two, both of their individual subplots were intriguing and the full circle moments just did not stop.

While it was the process of the whole series, Teddy, the porn star producer, being the voice of all of the prologues and epilogues was a winner every time. But the way it all came together in this final installment- absolute chef's kiss.

Truly this series blew me out of the water. I picked up book 1 before I had even joined obsessed reader land. I made a brief tiktok about it on my personal page (booktok was not a thing for me then)- stating that I had no clue what the book was about but I saw a big girl on the cover and felt seen. So glad I took that leap from the Target shelves- and now here I am, several years later, all in on reading, and one of the lucky ARC readers of the final installment. And here it is- meeting me in this time of new grief, and actually guiding me through it? How weird, but wonderful..

This is an incredibly wordy and personal review. Perhaps I shouldn't post it. But if you know me in real life- and from getting to know the authors on socials and through a lovely author event last year- I feel their push to just hit publish! So... BOOP!

Book Title: A Jingle Bell Mingle
Series: A Christmas Notch #3
Authors: Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
Publisher: Harper Voyage/Avon
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: September 24, 2024
My Rating: 2.5 Stars!
Pages 400


I was drawn to this because of the cover. I love Christmas and thought this was going to be a sweet Christmas romance, However, I did not realize it was book #3 in this series and I hadn’t read the other two. There is a bit of a recap of the first book’s characters, Bee and Nolan, and goes back to their wedding via Teddy Ray Fletcher’s POV as he attends their wedding. Sunny Parker and Isaac Kelly are both guests and find each other attractive and end up in Sunny’s dilapidated hotel room

Sunny is a part-time adult film actress/one-time adult film director/makeup artist.
Isaac is a former boy band heartthrob in “INK” a boy band and widower, and now the owner of the town’s historic mansion.

When Isaac sees how horrible the place is where Sunny is staying, he invites her to stay at his mansion during her time in Vermont.

In addition to Sunny and Isaac there are several sub plots which were okay however, I would have preferred the story be shorter and more focused- perhaps that is because I missed the previous two stories.

I always enjoy reading the author’s notes and//or acknowledgements- in this case, our authors tells us about pitching this to their agent as a ‘deranged raunch-com- I busted out laughing since I love Psychological thrillers a raunch-com certain doesn’t appeal to me nearly as much as a deranged psychopath. Okay call me weird but at least I have a better understand as to why this story was not for me – True my fault as I didn’t do my homework and certainly doesn’t mean other will love it.

Want to thank NetGalley and Harper Voyager/ Avon for granting my wish with this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 24, 2024.

I was so excited to venture back to Christmas Notch for the conclusion of the Christmas Notch trilogy by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone and this was by far my favorite addition to the series.

The latest Christmas Notch addition follows Sunny who is an adult film actress accidentally trying her hand at screenwriting for a movie project by the Hope Channel. She hooks up with Isaac Kelly a former boy band member for a second one night stand that ultimately results a roommates with bennies situation.

Isaac has moved to Christmas Notch following the death of his wife and muse to write a Christmas album. He and Sunny both have creative writing blocks keeping them from moving forward with their perspective projects, and a fair amount of roommate distractions between them.

This is a classic grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract Christmas rom com with extra dirty bits. If you’re looking for some extra steamy Christmas fun to get you ready for the holiday season definitely pick this one up. You don’t really need to read the others in the series to enjoy A Jingle Bell Mingle but they’re all so entertaining and absolutely unputdownable why not read ‘em all?

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone was a fun conclusion to the Christmas Notch series. The book follows Isaac Kelly and Sunny Palmer who through rom-com circumstances end up as "roommates" in Isaac's mansion in Christmas Notch after a post-wedding hookup. I loved their delightful grumpy sunshine dynamic and chemistry between the pair. We also got to see into the HEAs of the earlier books' protagonist. A Jingle Bell Mingle is a great book to read during the holiday season for a little steamy romance on a cold day.

Loved everything about this book! The sad angsty Isaac, the bubbly but closed off Sunny, and of course the miracle!
The writing was equal parts hilarious and heart wrenching. I felt all the feels with these crazy kids and the supporting characters were as always, amazing.
This is the last book in this series and it’s bittersweet. I’m glad we got everyone’s stories, but sad it’s over.

Another Christmas Notch naughty romance with some of our favorite side characters turned MC - this time Sunny and Isaac, aka Sad Boy. After an unforgettable threesome with the one and only Jack Hart, Sunny and Isaac find themselves drawn to one another like lube to labia as Isaac settles into his big mansion all alone and Sunny evicts herself and her demon spawn puss partner, Mr. Tumnus, from a local roach motel.

Their energies could not be farther apart but both have this pattern of being lost and haunted that makes them more similar than either realize. And their chemistry together makes living together hotter than the Yule log.

Another fun filled romp with everyone’s favorite lovable porn stars and boybanders.