this was absolutely everything I wanted and more! Fun fact about me I adore The Nightmare Before Christmas and I will read pretty much any book about it. So OBVIOUSLY when my lovely friend told me about this book I knew I just HAD to have it, so I was so insanely happy when I found the audiobook on Netgalley!

I adored the plot, the romance was just kick my feet perfection. I really enjoyed my time with the book! It reads so quick since there's always something happening in the book which I always appreciate. I think this is gonna be turn into a bit of a series where we hopefully see the other character's in the book fall in love which I am SOOOO excited for!

Can't wait for this to release so I can buy the pretty sprayed edge copy and re-read it hehe.

I really enjoyed this book! My only gripe is that I feel like the romance was a little rushed. Maybe it’s just preference, but I was promised a rivalry and instead got instalove. I’m not saying that’s a terrible thing, and it didn’t take away from my reading experience, but it did feel a little misleading. I loved the characters, however and can’t wait to see what the author has in store for this universe in the future!

This book was absolutely delightful. I thought the character development was fantastic and the story was so sweet while still having some substance to it. The descriptions of Hex's corset vests was perfection and made me desperately want one for myself. I think Hex and Coal were super sweet together and their relationship felt very genuine. My biggest disappointment was the lack of an epilogue, but I'm assuming we're going to get an Iris and Kris book which will feature Coal and Hex and the improvements made to Christmas. The narrator was great too. I would've liked to have gotten dual POV, but it wasn't something I absolutely needed for this book.

Everything about this book appealed to me. Halloween? Check. Santa as a baddie?! Check! Holiday RomCom? Check!

This was a delightful read. In a world where royal families govern holidays, we are introduced to two Christmas princes, an Easter princess, and a Halloween heir and how they navigate political intrigue with parents who've lost sight of the real meaning of their respective holidays. Cole is forced to marry his best friend, Iris, to establish an alliance between Christmas and Easter. Cole is a wonderfully flawed character who cares deeply about his brother and holiday. He starts to come into his own as he develops feelings for Hex, the heir to Halloween. Their relationship is a little insta-love but it's still adorable.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

The Nightmare Before Kissmas
Sara Raasch
Coal is the eldest prince of Christmas. Someday he will take over for his father, Santa Claus. Each kingdom/holiday has some form of monarchs. His best friend is Iris the princess of Easter. Coal’s brother Kris, is in love with Iris but hasn’t shared that fact with her yet. Hex is the prince of Halloween and wears quite a fashion statement.
Coal was drunk when he met a man in the alley behind the bar and kissed him; the man disappeared. The kiss must have made a lasting impression because Coal couldn’t stop thinking about it. Coal’s father has his life planned for him. He forces him to attend Yale, to study global economy and now to return home for photo ops. The paparazzi were all gathered at the North Pole. Santa was throwing a big party. Iris was there with her father the Easter Bunny. Without consulting Iris or Coal it is announced they are in love and to be married. Then Santa brings in Hex to be a rival against Coal. There was no rivalry between them just a lot of lust. It seems Santa has a plan to manipulate/blackmail Halloween into an alliance along with all the other holidays. He is demanding a tith of Joy. Santa wants to be the “King” of all the holidays.
I think I will start with the characters. Coal/Nick is rather immature and self centered in the beginning of the book. The reader watches as he matures and becomes a trustworthy man, a man worthy of being Santa. I love Kris; he is definitely my favorite character. Iris is sweet, intelligent, loyal and a great friend. I didn’t care for Hex he was manipulative. Coal’s father, Santa is controlling and dislikeable. The plot is unique; I have never read a tale that had Santa trying to strong arm the other holidays. I don’t think this will be come a holiday classic but it is interesting.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

This is hand downs my favorite book of 2024. I picked this up thinking it be a hallmark like Christmas falls in love with Halloween story. Like yeah cute fun but surface level. Was I so wrong in the best way! This book is amazing. Right out the gates it’s witty banter with added cursing. Which I love. Plus the added layer of Coal’s struggle with his parents and the burden of being the heir of Christmas. A holiday which has become an empty press event. The banter between Coal and Kris had me laughing. Using their little magic to pick on yet keep each other in line( when Kris froze Coal’s pants to his leg). And all this is before you even get to Hex and Coal’s relationship. I’m not a fantasy reader just sticking to straight romance but I LOVED this book. If Sarah Raasch wants to write a book about Coal and Kris’ father before the events of this book I’m so there.
My only complaint because I did get the audiobook version is since it’s just one male narrator when two characters are having an altercation it’s hard to keep track of who is saying which line. Like Coal and Kris fighting over the phone. Since the narrator can only pitch his voice so many ways. However when the narrator was Coal’s father. That voice could have been a book I’d listen to all by itself. The narrator gives the story such a witty funny timing. It’s GOLD GOLD I TELL YOU

I won't lie. The premise a d the world building on this are a bit rocky in the beginning, and you have to throw out any overly critical thinking to just go with the flow. Once you read with purely vibes, this is super adorable, Cole and Hex are likable, the romance develops sweetly, and the supporting side characters of Kris and Iris are fun.

🎄 👻 What’s it about?

When I saw this pitched as Red White and Royal Blue meets Nightmare Before Christmas, I was all in. I pre-ordered the print version. And then this audio came up on Netgalley and I have never requested a book so fast.

And it. Is. everything.

Cole is a Prince of Christmas who has cast off his duties to become the next Santa. Then his dad (Santa!) arranges for him to marry the Easter princess, Iris. But they are best friends and neither wants the marriage. And then the Prince of Halloween, Hex, shows up at the North Pole to “vie for Iris’ hand” to help make nice with the Fall Holidays.

But all too soon, Cole and Hex are making excuses to spend time together, and they can’t stop the passion growing between them.

Soon they uncover secrets about how ruthlessly the holidays collect joy, and together they must work to save them all.

♥️🎄👻♥️ My thoughts:

Oh my gosh. This book. Sara Raasch!

This book is so dang witty, clever, funny, sweet, and passionate. Hex is everything a Halloween prince should be. (The bit with the cursing repercussions is pure genius).

Cole, Chris, and Iris are a fantastic friend trifecta, and I adore every single thing about how they want to save, protect, and care for each other.

The romance. The ROMANCE. I can’t. It’s so sweet and passionate and sexy and I just love them so much.

The holiday references are pure gold. The way that the courts feed on the joy of the world reminded me of Monsters Inc and it was perfect.

Honesetly, this book is perfect. Just get it already.

"I've always been hypnotized by seeing joy on people, and I thought it was because of who I am - a holiday prince and all - so I don't usually question it and just revel in it. But the shattering crash of Hex's laugh demands every ounce of my attention so urgently, so aggressively, that I have a full on crisis.
Every single one of those instances when I thought I was hypnotized by seeing joy on other people I'd been searching. Searching specifically for his joy. Because now that I've experienced it, it renders all past joy obsolete."

This book was SO FREAKING CUTE, I can hardly stand it. Perfect Christmas read!
This book was so beautifully and romantically written, as well as hilarious and heartwarming. I loved it so much and I cannot wait for more. (At least I hope there's more..)

The narrator was perfect for the Christmas Prince. He was exactly how I would imagine this character to be - his voice, his cadence, his frazzled ramblings, his breathes of awe and enrapture. It all brought an added layer to the character and made the entire story come alive.

4.5 stars

This was sold to me as Disney's Nightmare Before Christmas meets Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, and that is exactly what I got. I really enjoyed the magical holiday world that exists within this story. The conflict is very political, which was actually very interesting among each holiday and how it all functions. The sibling relationship between Kris and Coal was equal parts endearing and hilarious (I mean, does "ball tag" get anymore brotherly?) Coal, Kris, and Iris have a great friendship and make a great team, and I loved seeing how the worked together and supported each other. Lastly, the relationship development between Coal and Hex was surprisingly adorable and sweet. They are both well developed characters, and they both go on a journey of growth throughout the story. This book has it all: romance, comedy, political intrigue, a tiny pinch of spice, and plenty of emotion. All in all, I had a great time. This really got me in the mood for spooky season and may require a reread around December.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for this ALC of the audiobook.

Unfortunately, I DNF’d this about 10% of the way. It’s not the story, it’s the narrator. I just didn’t really care of their reading of this book.

I’ve requested the ARC of the ebook but even if I don’t get it, I’ll be getting it when it comes out because the story sounds so cute and I really do want to read it and see where it goes. The narration was just too distracting for me.

This was definitely Nightmare before Christmas meets RWRB. It was amazing! The audiobook narrator was so good that I will definitely relisten to this during Christmas season. While this has nightmare before Christmas vibes, it’s definitely a Christmas season book. This was hilarious, fun, sweet and very addictive. I liked how it had some bad language sprinkled into the writing. Sometimes you need the F word. And how the narrator says the F word still makes me chuckle to myself.

I’ll be shocked if this book isn’t huge when it’s released. 🤌🤌🤌

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Nightmare Before Kissmas on October 8, 2024.

I LOVED this book. The vibes, the banter, the heart? I was hooked immediately and continued to be blown away by the way Sara Raasch depicted relationships between the characters and individual character arcs. This book gave the exact same feel-good emotions as a Christmas movie, and it had an engaging plot to keep things moving in addition to a DELICIOUS queer romance.

Hex and Coal will always have my heart. I loved their tension, their interactions, and their motivations. Each character felt palpably real and relatable, and I would love NOTHING more than to have an epilogue or bonus chapter of them visiting Halloween together. My only complaint is that I wanted MORE Halloween content from our gloomy spooky boy. Otherwise, this book was perfection.

All the stars and 10000000/10 recommend. Everyone better be picking this one up come October!

I’m all in my Holly jolly Halloween feels after finishing Sara Raasch’s The Nightmare before Kissmas! Nicholas “Coal” Claus loved Christmas, but his father, the reigning Santa, has taken the joy out of Christmas, especially when he is commanded to marry his best friend Iris, the Easter princess (and his brother’s crush)—to make it worse, to appease Halloween, he has to compete for Iris’ hand against the Prince of Halloween, Hex, a beautiful man he has been dreaming about since they made out on a drunken night years prior. Oh I loved this book. I loved the magic and the world building. It has a big Red, White and Royal Blue feel, but with all the holidays. I loved the politics, and I loved loved loved these characters. This read is steamy, but in a way that just feels intimate and personal and Hex and Coal are just beautiful together. Coal is wonderfully relatable—he’s anxious and wants to do well for the people he loves. And Hex is all broody and sexy. I love how these two challenge each other and help each other grow. The writing is fun and witty and emotional and there is something so fresh about this story. It’s gooey and steamy and heartwarming, and I could rave about this book all day!

Oh my gosh what a sweet and spicy Halloween/Christmas romance. Call & Hex have instant chemistry and such a loving and tender relationship throughout the novel. I will say the spicy is 4/5🔥 so just be prepared. I was listening to this in the yard without headphones and it got SPICY 😂

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC.

4.5/5 rounded up!
Read if you likeeee:
*Royals*
*Queer Christmas Romance*
*Family DRAMAAAAA, squeal*
*Cute witty banter*
*Mommy & daddy issues*

SPOILERS

Btw thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC! I can't wait to get my own copy.

Smut 3/5

This Rom-Com was a cute story, following Nicholas (Coal), after a "serious" screw up, who falls for Prince Hex of Halloween, despite being forced into an arranged marriage with his best friend, a princess of Easter, Iris. It's like the cup of fresh hot chocolate with marshmallows you didn't know you needed, regardless of the month!

The courts were so intriguing. I wished we heard more from the end.

(Santa, why does each Christmas holiday require a tithe for Joy when Christmas joy should already be off the charts?!)

I'm so happy Coal and Hex got their happily ever after. Hopefully we get more of their story! 🥺 (Or of Chris & Iris)

This book kept surprising me with laughs! It was a fun concept that has Christmas and Halloween colliding while competing for the hand of an Easter Princess. Except, it is a reluctant situation all around, with the Christmas Prince and Halloween Prince having feelings for each other. It was cute, while also discussing while imagining the flaws that holidays present as the world becomes more worldly. The main character was annoying but in a just this side of making it endearing, so he didn't drive me too nutsy, particularly cause he liked to make himself the focus of a joke as much as those around him.

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t stop listening. I was hooked from the first minute! The narration was wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

A book that's been described as Red, White, & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas: YES PLEASE. This story will be the perfect one to curl up with on a cold winter night. It's addictive, funny, and adorable all the way through. For fans of queer romance, rival holiday princes, magic, fantasy, and royalty.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the Audio ARC of The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch.

First, I just want to compliment Ellis Evans on the narration. I thought this was very well done, and Ellis accurately captured the emotions and the dialogue of each character.

For the story itself, it's a bit more complicated. Yes, it is an engaging read, and it's fun if you don't think too hard about it. But if you read a lot of fantasy and world building / plot matters, this can definitely feel like a miss.

The Nightmare Before Kissmas is a cute title, but as it relates to Halloween and Christmas -- that's not part of the story. Halloween/Prince Hex is in no way a nightmare, and Kissmas is cute to say, but it doesn't actually make any sense with this plot. It feels a bit like it's trying too hard, and it's portraying the story as something it is not. The description also is a bit misleading, it sounds like it's going to be a fake competition story over a sham political marriage that none of the three involved are interested in.

There is no competition, at all. That does not exist. Instead, this is a story of court intrigue, political blackmail, collective bargaining, coup planning, with breaks for Prince Coal and Prince Hex to flirt and hook-up. When I realized the story was not a cute fake romance type plot, but was instead going fully non-combative-overthrow-the-hierarchy, I was very confused. First, because the full magic system is never explained to us. Holidays have courts in places around the world, all the royal kids go to Yale and Cambridge and study political relations. Magic is still totally secret, but the innumerable holiday royals are followed by the paparazzi all the time, in magical and non magical places. The holidays create their magic by the joy they generate for/from their believers, and each of them have related magic. The magic though seems to be things like, creating transportation portals that also exist in regular doorways, pulling fancy Easter eggs in sleight of hand, making rooms feel colder, or when a character curses, a Halloween item will magically appear from the sky. For Christmas, the magic seems to also allow Santa to do his thing, but past that the entire system is kind of nonexistent and vague. There's a lot of talk about the commodification of holidays and the dangers of consumerism and plastic, but I don't know where to fit that in something that is described as a "sexy, quirky rom-com". It also seemed very limited in what the holidays were past Christmas, Easter, Halloween, New Year's Day, and Dia de los muertos. It was odd to tell if the choices were solely chosen from a western facing culture or a certain religious background -- if you think about it too hard it seems very. very, very whitewashed and Christian. Like, the idea is very cute, but the execution does not hold up in magical system or anti-corporate theme.

The characters themselves - like, yes, I do want to know what is up with Iris and Chris at the end - 100%, At the same time Coal recognizes he is selfish and a bit of a screw-up from day one, but the way he treats his brother, Chris, isn't great. Whenever he is in a situation with Iris and Chris he relies on humor, which he acknowledges, but at the end of the story he is still behaving that way to them both. And to a degree, yeah, he should let other adults make their life choices, but at the same time, there have been so many hints dropped that Chris seems to be very emotionally fragile and the way Coal kind of dismisses that when Chris needs him irked me.

Hex, while levelheaded, also seems to use way more 4+ syllable words to talk to the other characters, which makes him seem a little bit more stilted on the page, and it's a bit harder to warm to him.

I think having the two only really know each other for 2 weeks and in that time a week is just fun, fun, fun and the next week is "yes, let me take the mantle of leadership that I have shown no aptitude or intention toward and change the world in 5 days" -- I feel like it needed more time to percolate with such LARGE plot. Again, still a lot of fun to read if you don't think too hard about it, but if you do, it's just too many moving pieces over too little time and too little development of character or world.