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Christmas Notch #2
A Holly Jolly Ever After
Kallum Lieberman is the funny one™. As the arguably lesser of the three former members of the boy band INK, he enjoyed his fifteen minutes of fame and then moved home where he opened a regional pizza chain called Slice, Slice, Baby! He’s living his best dad bod life, hooking up with bridesmaids at all his friends’ weddings. But after an old one-off sex tape is leaked and quickly goes viral, Kallum decides he’s ready to step into the spotlight again, starring in a sexy Santa biopic for the Hope Channel.
Winnie Baker did everything right. She married her childhood sweetheart, avoided the downfalls of adolescent stardom, and transitioned into a stable adult acting career. Hell, she even waited until marriage to have sex. But after her perfect life falls apart, Winnie is ready to redefine herself - and what better way than a steamier-than-a-steaming-hot-mug-of-cider Christmas movie?
With decade old Hollywood history between them, Winnie and Kallum are both feeling hesitant about their new situation as costars…especially Winnie who can’t seem to fake on screen pleasure she’s never experienced in real life. She’s willing to do the pleasure research - for science and artistic authenticity, of course. And there’s no better research partner than her bridesmaid sex tape hall of fame costar, Kallum. But suddenly, Kallum’s teenage crush on Winnie is bubbling to the surface and Winnie might be catching feelings herself.
They say opposites attract, but is this holly jolly ever after really ready for its close-up?
EVERYBODY LOVED A MERRY LITTLE MEET CUTE ’Funny and saucy, this certainly puts the X-rated into Xmas’ Heat
‘The audacity of this magical author duo to sneak in and steal Christmas in the sexiest way possible . . . the charming holiday romp you absolutely need in your life!’
TESSA BAILEY
‘The holiday romcom of my dreams! Sexy, progressive, hilarious, and full of good cheer’
HELEN HOANG
’A merry little masterpiece . . . this is a read for those who want a winter romcom but with some X-rated antics’ Metro ‘The holiday rom-com of your dreams!’ Cosmopolitan
Winnie Baker did everything right. She married her childhood sweetheart, avoided the downfalls of adolescent stardom, and transitioned into a stable adult acting career. Hell, she even waited until marriage to have sex. But after her perfect life falls apart, Winnie is ready to redefine herself - and what better way than a steamier-than-a-steaming-hot-mug-of-cider Christmas movie?
With decade old Hollywood history between them, Winnie and Kallum are both feeling hesitant about their new situation as costars…especially Winnie who can’t seem to fake on screen pleasure she’s never experienced in real life. She’s willing to do the pleasure research - for science and artistic authenticity, of course. And there’s no better research partner than her bridesmaid sex tape hall of fame costar, Kallum. But suddenly, Kallum’s teenage crush on Winnie is bubbling to the surface and Winnie might be catching feelings herself.
They say opposites attract, but is this holly jolly ever after really ready for its close-up?
EVERYBODY LOVED A MERRY LITTLE MEET CUTE ’Funny and saucy, this certainly puts the X-rated into Xmas’ Heat
‘The audacity of this magical author duo to sneak in and steal Christmas in the sexiest way possible . . . the charming holiday romp you absolutely need in your life!’
TESSA BAILEY
‘The holiday romcom of my dreams! Sexy, progressive, hilarious, and full of good cheer’
HELEN HOANG
’A merry little masterpiece . . . this is a read for those who want a winter romcom but with some X-rated antics’ Metro ‘The holiday rom-com of your dreams!’ Cosmopolitan
12 pages, Audible Audio
First published October 10, 2023
1348 people are currently reading
39152 people want to read
About the author
Julie Murphy
43 books6,753 followersJulie Murphy lives in North Texas with her husband who loves her and her cats who tolerate her. After several wonderful years in the library world, Julie now writes full-time.
When she’s not writing or reliving her reference desk glory days, she can be found watching made-for-TV movies, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, and planning her next great travel adventure.
She is also the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels Dumplin’ (now a film on Netflix), Puddin’, Pumpkin, Ramona Blue, and Side Effects May Vary. Her middle grade novels include Dear Sweat Pea and a forthcoming 2023 title. She is also Disney's If The Shoe Fits, a modern day romcom retelling of Cinderella. Her writing partner is Sierra Simone and their romance debut is A Merry Little Meet Cute.
Julie has been featured in places liek Good Morning America, The New York Times, and Teen Vogue. Dumplin' was also named one of the best young adult books of all time by Time Magazine.
When she’s not writing or reliving her reference desk glory days, she can be found watching made-for-TV movies, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, and planning her next great travel adventure.
She is also the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels Dumplin’ (now a film on Netflix), Puddin’, Pumpkin, Ramona Blue, and Side Effects May Vary. Her middle grade novels include Dear Sweat Pea and a forthcoming 2023 title. She is also Disney's If The Shoe Fits, a modern day romcom retelling of Cinderella. Her writing partner is Sierra Simone and their romance debut is A Merry Little Meet Cute.
Julie has been featured in places liek Good Morning America, The New York Times, and Teen Vogue. Dumplin' was also named one of the best young adult books of all time by Time Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,773 reviews
October 14, 2023
I had fun reading the first part of this book. I always love a good sexual awakening, teach me storyline. But in the second part felt immature and consequently felt like it dragged.
dnf
December 7, 2023DNF @ 68%. This pains me because I was LOVING the first half and ready to give the book 5⭐️. When it got to 50% I was thinking it felt as though we should be closer to the end and entering the final act, so I was worried how there was still another half of the book to go.
Whelp, the authors threw in my least favorite trope out of nowhere (though the characters did make an incredibly stupid decision earlier in the book, so I should’ve seen it coming). And then the second half of the book just felt like it was trying to do too much, and it honestly didn’t even feel like the same novel as the first half. So instead of trudging my way through the last few hours of audio, I’m tapping out.
Whelp, the authors threw in my least favorite trope out of nowhere (though the characters did make an incredibly stupid decision earlier in the book, so I should’ve seen it coming). And then the second half of the book just felt like it was trying to do too much, and it honestly didn’t even feel like the same novel as the first half. So instead of trudging my way through the last few hours of audio, I’m tapping out.
October 31, 2023
This book would have been better if it didn’t have part 2.
November 19, 2023
3.5⭐️
I wanted to give this more stars but it literally had every trope I hate. I had an actual moment where I said “well all we need is the *blank* trope” and no joke, next chapter it was there.
So check ✅, every reason to not like this…but I did like it 🤷♀️
I must have been in a silly mood because I still had a good time. These authors have a great sense of humor and I definitely chuckled a couple times out loud.
“Because he’s a chode and chodes think small”
Just know if there is a something you absolutely hate when it happens in a romance novel, it’s in this book.
I wanted to give this more stars but it literally had every trope I hate. I had an actual moment where I said “well all we need is the *blank* trope” and no joke, next chapter it was there.
So check ✅, every reason to not like this…but I did like it 🤷♀️
I must have been in a silly mood because I still had a good time. These authors have a great sense of humor and I definitely chuckled a couple times out loud.
“Because he’s a chode and chodes think small”
Just know if there is a something you absolutely hate when it happens in a romance novel, it’s in this book.
November 27, 2023
This one… was kinda all the things. I’m actually surprised that this book was not a five stars for me based on how I felt in the first half of it. I absolutely loved their previous collaboration, A Merry Little Meet Cute, and the first half of this book was completely delivering on everything I loved about the previous one. Hilarious, sexy, quirky, indexing on important social commentary.
But then a trope that is usually a hit or miss for me came out of nowhere, and the next half of the book felt completely disengaged from the first. It was so weird, it was like two different books. And there were so many loose ends not tied up. For instance, Winnie’s ex-husband shows up on set and tells her something threatening like “this isn’t over”, and we never see him again…?? Then there’s the fact that we never got the outcome of the movie that they spent 2/3 of the book filming.
Overall, there was a lot to like, and there was a lot that I didn’t. I think the commentary on purity culture, and religion and sexuality was so important, so the majority of the stars are for that!
But then a trope that is usually a hit or miss for me came out of nowhere, and the next half of the book felt completely disengaged from the first. It was so weird, it was like two different books. And there were so many loose ends not tied up. For instance, Winnie’s ex-husband shows up on set and tells her something threatening like “this isn’t over”, and we never see him again…?? Then there’s the fact that we never got the outcome of the movie that they spent 2/3 of the book filming.
Overall, there was a lot to like, and there was a lot that I didn’t. I think the commentary on purity culture, and religion and sexuality was so important, so the majority of the stars are for that!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2023
I had a hard time rating this one and an even harder time finishing it. I think this is the most let down I’ve felt over a book in a long time. I loved A Merry Little Meet Cute and was so looking forward to another Christmas Notch book. I was very happy to receive an ARC and an ALC.
I liked how different Winnie is from Bee. I loved the body diversity with Kallum not being a traditional romance novel male MC. I enjoyed the dynamic between Winnie and Kallum. I loved returning to Christmas Notch but I like that AHJEA can be read as a standalone. The first half of the book was great. Every bit the ridiculous, cheesy, spicy romcom I expected.
Then halfway through they threw in a trope that I definitely don’t love and actively avoid because it stirs up some stuff in me. Had there been any indication that this trope would come up, I would not have read this book at all.
It became an entirely different book in the second half. I struggled to finish and I really should’ve just put it down. It did a massive disservice to the story, but especially to Winnie and her character’s growth and separation from purity culture. By the end, I couldn’t stand Winnie and Kallum wasn’t much better. Despite my being over it all by the end, the ending still felt a bit abrupt.
I’ll probably still read Isaac’s story if they write it, but I’ll definitely read reviews first.
I liked how different Winnie is from Bee. I loved the body diversity with Kallum not being a traditional romance novel male MC. I enjoyed the dynamic between Winnie and Kallum. I loved returning to Christmas Notch but I like that AHJEA can be read as a standalone. The first half of the book was great. Every bit the ridiculous, cheesy, spicy romcom I expected.
Then halfway through they threw in a trope that I definitely don’t love and actively avoid because it stirs up some stuff in me. Had there been any indication that this trope would come up, I would not have read this book at all.
It became an entirely different book in the second half. I struggled to finish and I really should’ve just put it down. It did a massive disservice to the story, but especially to Winnie and her character’s growth and separation from purity culture. By the end, I couldn’t stand Winnie and Kallum wasn’t much better. Despite my being over it all by the end, the ending still felt a bit abrupt.
I’ll probably still read Isaac’s story if they write it, but I’ll definitely read reviews first.
November 25, 2023
I think I’m probably in the minority here, but this book just wasn’t my cup of tea. First of all, the title and cover are terribly misleading. I was expecting a warm and fuzzy Hallmark-esque rom-com with a ton of holiday vibes. Nope. That’s not what I got at all. It was the complete opposite. There honestly should have been an x-rated warning label on this book. I dunno, maybe I’m just becoming an old, crotchety, and prudish hag in my old age, but my gosh. The sex scenes were insanely steamy and intense. And there were a LOT of them. The dialogue was super cringey, gag-worthy, and made me uncomfortable during these scenes. I just couldn’t get past it. Don’t get me wrong, I like my hot and steamy romance novels, but this one went way too far for my liking. I’ve come to the conclusion that this writing duo is not for me. No biggie. 2/5 stars for A Holly Jolly Ever After. Do not recommend.
November 1, 2023
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**4.5 stars**
A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. (2023).
(A Christmas Notch; #2)
**Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 4 October 2023**
When actress Winnie Baker agrees to star in a steamy Christmas movie, she has one concern: how can she be sultry on-screen when she's never been sultry in real life? Kallum Lieberman is an ex-boyband member now known for his reputation in the bedroom, thanks to a rogue sex tape. He has the experience Winnie needs. But Winnie and Kallum need to keep this 'research' purely professional. They say opposites attract, and that makes this co-stars-with-benefits deal extremely dangerous indeed...
Oh my golly gosh, I'm not sure I can even write this review without blushing. This is a dirty, dirty book - if you don't like graphic sex scenes, definitely don't pick this up. Like it's preceding book, 'A Merry Little Meet Cute', once again the innocent cute cover successfully hides the pornographic story inside. Winnie and Kallum are both great leads, super likeable with fabulous chemistry. While part one is very sex based, part two goes down a slightly different track with a storyline that could be considered a stereotypical trope - I didn't mind it at all but others may feel differently.
Overall: if dirty romance is your thing, don't go past this one!
P.S. I sincerely hope that there will be another book from these authors set in this world - there's one member left of the former boy band who needs his own sexy story told now!
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. (2023).
(A Christmas Notch; #2)
**Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 4 October 2023**
When actress Winnie Baker agrees to star in a steamy Christmas movie, she has one concern: how can she be sultry on-screen when she's never been sultry in real life? Kallum Lieberman is an ex-boyband member now known for his reputation in the bedroom, thanks to a rogue sex tape. He has the experience Winnie needs. But Winnie and Kallum need to keep this 'research' purely professional. They say opposites attract, and that makes this co-stars-with-benefits deal extremely dangerous indeed...
Oh my golly gosh, I'm not sure I can even write this review without blushing. This is a dirty, dirty book - if you don't like graphic sex scenes, definitely don't pick this up. Like it's preceding book, 'A Merry Little Meet Cute', once again the innocent cute cover successfully hides the pornographic story inside. Winnie and Kallum are both great leads, super likeable with fabulous chemistry. While part one is very sex based, part two goes down a slightly different track with a storyline that could be considered a stereotypical trope - I didn't mind it at all but others may feel differently.
Overall: if dirty romance is your thing, don't go past this one!
P.S. I sincerely hope that there will be another book from these authors set in this world - there's one member left of the former boy band who needs his own sexy story told now!
December 23, 2024
I ordered this book from the library quite a while ago. I had intentions of reading it for the holidays, but it didn’t arrive until about a week ago.
So…Obviously, I am a bit late to the party. It is after all, February. I also forgot to record that I was currently reading it.
And…There is something about reading a Christmas book after Christmas, that doesn’t always fit with the mood.
Still…It is Julie Murphy, and I like her. I read Puddin’ years ago. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
So…Let’s discuss.
There are 2 parts to the story. The movie set and the characters actually connecting…
And then…The struggles with life changes.
But…The prologue and the epilogue seemed disconnected from the story.
And…I think this story wanted to be hot, sexy, spicy and romantic…
But…It felt forced.
And…As readers when we were placed on the set of a “Christmas” movie…
My immediate feeling was…I’ve been-here-before. Which means, I’ve seen this before. Which means, hasn’t this been written before? For the screen or between the pages?
Only…With more over-the-top steamy scenes than a PG movie would allow.
I’m not even sure the swoony, heartwarming moments at the end could make up for this disappointing read. Am I sounding like a Bah humbug?
So…Obviously, I am a bit late to the party. It is after all, February. I also forgot to record that I was currently reading it.
And…There is something about reading a Christmas book after Christmas, that doesn’t always fit with the mood.
Still…It is Julie Murphy, and I like her. I read Puddin’ years ago. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
So…Let’s discuss.
There are 2 parts to the story. The movie set and the characters actually connecting…
And then…The struggles with life changes.
But…The prologue and the epilogue seemed disconnected from the story.
And…I think this story wanted to be hot, sexy, spicy and romantic…
But…It felt forced.
And…As readers when we were placed on the set of a “Christmas” movie…
My immediate feeling was…I’ve been-here-before. Which means, I’ve seen this before. Which means, hasn’t this been written before? For the screen or between the pages?
Only…With more over-the-top steamy scenes than a PG movie would allow.
I’m not even sure the swoony, heartwarming moments at the end could make up for this disappointing read. Am I sounding like a Bah humbug?
November 22, 2023
A delightfully sexy and utterly Christmassy romance that lovers of Hallmark, spicy Rom-coms and cinnamon roll love interests are going to Devour!
Set in Christmas Notch, A Holly Jolly Ever After follows Winnie Baker, the squeaky clean Hope channel actress still recovering from the scandal of her public (and rather messy) divorce. And Pizza mogul/ former boyband member, Callum Lieberman, as they co-star in the Hope Channels’ new business venture: Hope After Dark. Which sees the pair co-starring in an all new, sexy Christmas movie called Santa, Baby.
Having loved A Merry Little Meet Cute soo much, I knew I needed to get my hands on a copy of its sequel/ companion novel as soon as physically possible—especially when I found out it would follow the pizza loving sweet heart,Callum. And, having done so (a massive thank you to Sofia for sending me a copy btw) I’m glad to report it’s just as sizzlingly swoon-worthy (and unputdownable) as its predecessor!
Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone’s unique styles of writing work so well together, and I love how seamlessly they blend humour and spice into such a heartfelt (yet chaotically sexy) read that I couldn’t help but emotionally invest in.
Continuing with the themes of double standards, sex and body positivity (first explored in book 1), Murphy and Simone also expertly delve into subjects, such as reputation, double standards, self worth and the harmful (media led) societal pressures that affect the way we see ourselves and our bodies. Which as a plus sized reader is something I really appreciated.
It was also really great to finally see some plus sized male rep which I feel is still something of a rarity in the genre (though if you have any recs do be sure to let me know.)
I loved our protagonists, who were both really well developed and full of soo much depth. And the romance was off the charts good! If you enjoy a well written and fabulously steamy romance then you’re gonna absolutely love Winnie and Callum’s on (and off set) interactions.
Winnie, having spent her entire life doing “the right thing” in an effort to keep a spotless reputation has found herself tarnished regardless, so exploring her shame around sex (due to her strict, faith based upbringing) and the role public perception plays in objectifying/policing women’s bodies was really interesting.
I was instantly endeared to her, and loved seeing just how much progress she made in unlearning soo many of the harmful perceptions she grew up with.
Callum, our MMC (and Winnie’s love interest) was also really adorable, cinnamon roll of a character, currently dealing with lifelong insecurities surrounding his weight and former career as the least popular, “fat” member of boyband INK. I really enjoyed getting to explore into a male POV surrounding the public perceptions and pressures that men in the public eye may also face.
His patience and support (of Winnie) was soo heartwarming and I loved how genuinely kind and patient he was in helping Winnie to unpack all that trauma. Plus, his corny pizza related puns added the perfect comic relief to the tenser, more emotionally charged scenes.
Overall, a sizzlingly satisfying, Santa-filled Rom com that’s bursting with festive sexiness (and pizza related puns) to offset the tenser, more emotionally charged scenes. I absolutely loved it! Just be sure to check TWs beforehand.
Also, a huge thank you to Sofia Saghir for the stunning finished copy.
Set in Christmas Notch, A Holly Jolly Ever After follows Winnie Baker, the squeaky clean Hope channel actress still recovering from the scandal of her public (and rather messy) divorce. And Pizza mogul/ former boyband member, Callum Lieberman, as they co-star in the Hope Channels’ new business venture: Hope After Dark. Which sees the pair co-starring in an all new, sexy Christmas movie called Santa, Baby.
Having loved A Merry Little Meet Cute soo much, I knew I needed to get my hands on a copy of its sequel/ companion novel as soon as physically possible—especially when I found out it would follow the pizza loving sweet heart,Callum. And, having done so (a massive thank you to Sofia for sending me a copy btw) I’m glad to report it’s just as sizzlingly swoon-worthy (and unputdownable) as its predecessor!
Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone’s unique styles of writing work so well together, and I love how seamlessly they blend humour and spice into such a heartfelt (yet chaotically sexy) read that I couldn’t help but emotionally invest in.
Continuing with the themes of double standards, sex and body positivity (first explored in book 1), Murphy and Simone also expertly delve into subjects, such as reputation, double standards, self worth and the harmful (media led) societal pressures that affect the way we see ourselves and our bodies. Which as a plus sized reader is something I really appreciated.
It was also really great to finally see some plus sized male rep which I feel is still something of a rarity in the genre (though if you have any recs do be sure to let me know.)
I loved our protagonists, who were both really well developed and full of soo much depth. And the romance was off the charts good! If you enjoy a well written and fabulously steamy romance then you’re gonna absolutely love Winnie and Callum’s on (and off set) interactions.
Winnie, having spent her entire life doing “the right thing” in an effort to keep a spotless reputation has found herself tarnished regardless, so exploring her shame around sex (due to her strict, faith based upbringing) and the role public perception plays in objectifying/policing women’s bodies was really interesting.
I was instantly endeared to her, and loved seeing just how much progress she made in unlearning soo many of the harmful perceptions she grew up with.
Callum, our MMC (and Winnie’s love interest) was also really adorable, cinnamon roll of a character, currently dealing with lifelong insecurities surrounding his weight and former career as the least popular, “fat” member of boyband INK. I really enjoyed getting to explore into a male POV surrounding the public perceptions and pressures that men in the public eye may also face.
His patience and support (of Winnie) was soo heartwarming and I loved how genuinely kind and patient he was in helping Winnie to unpack all that trauma. Plus, his corny pizza related puns added the perfect comic relief to the tenser, more emotionally charged scenes.
Overall, a sizzlingly satisfying, Santa-filled Rom com that’s bursting with festive sexiness (and pizza related puns) to offset the tenser, more emotionally charged scenes. I absolutely loved it! Just be sure to check TWs beforehand.
Also, a huge thank you to Sofia Saghir for the stunning finished copy.
December 10, 2023
there is nothing i love more than a 'falling for ur costar' book. especially when what ur costarring in is a ✨mature movie✨. intimacy coordinators and choregraphing sex scenes and pRaCtIcInG for the gOoD oF tHe mOviE. all these tropes i didn't know i needed until now.
i was SO into this until the TROPE 😑
i was SO into this until the TROPE 😑
December 18, 2023
Oof. This is a challenging review to write because Part 1 and Part 2 felt like completely different books to me. First, I want to mention that A Merry Little Meet Cute was one of my favorite holiday reads last year, so I was so excited to read this book. I had high hopes, but truthfully, this was probably one of the most disappointing books I’ve read this year. I’m a firm believer in honest reviews, so that’s exactly what this is-even if it makes me sad because I love these authors.
Part 1 was very much what I expected and very similar to AMLMC. I loved it and would rate Part 1 of this book 4⭐️. I liked the characters and loved the personal journeys they were both on while also navigating their romance. Then came Part 2. This is where it all completely fell apart to me. My least favorite romance trope suddenly showed up (even though it shouldn’t have been surprising now looking back), but the book took on a completely different feel. The characters became so unbearably immature and unlikable and I could barely get myself to finish the book. I would literally rate Part 2 of this book 1⭐️.
I think if the trope in Part 2 is something you like, you’ll enjoy this, otherwise, I suspect you’ll feel the same way as me and other reviewers. Even aside from that particular trope, the strange shift in the characters just really made this difficult to finish.
I still love Julie and Sierra’s writing and I will read their other releases, but this one was just not for me. If you’re thinking of reading this book, it might be worth looking up spoilers to see if you still want to.
Part 1 was very much what I expected and very similar to AMLMC. I loved it and would rate Part 1 of this book 4⭐️. I liked the characters and loved the personal journeys they were both on while also navigating their romance. Then came Part 2. This is where it all completely fell apart to me. My least favorite romance trope suddenly showed up (even though it shouldn’t have been surprising now looking back), but the book took on a completely different feel. The characters became so unbearably immature and unlikable and I could barely get myself to finish the book. I would literally rate Part 2 of this book 1⭐️.
I think if the trope in Part 2 is something you like, you’ll enjoy this, otherwise, I suspect you’ll feel the same way as me and other reviewers. Even aside from that particular trope, the strange shift in the characters just really made this difficult to finish.
I still love Julie and Sierra’s writing and I will read their other releases, but this one was just not for me. If you’re thinking of reading this book, it might be worth looking up spoilers to see if you still want to.
October 10, 2023
Winnie + Kallum
Winnie used to be a huge star. Ever since she was little she's been on TV. Faith-based, good, girl, pure TV. Then at just 18 years old she got married to her co-star. Everything should've been perfect.
But it isn't anymore ... and now, 14 years later, divorced, she's about to star in her first sexy movie ... with Kallum.
Kallum. Who was one third of the famous boyband INK ten years ago. The least favorite guy in the band. But after a very naked tape leaked, he's suddenly back in the public eye. And he loves it. He was a tiny bit bored owning a chain of pizza places in his Kansas hometown. But now he's back and what could be better than to star in a porny movie with his teenage crush Winnie!?
LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN!
═════════════════
That was adorable!
I loved Kallum. He's so sweet and normal-ish.
And poor Winnie. Growing up super religious has done a job on her.
They have a lot of research and training to do to get the sexy moments in the movie right. LOL!
I loved those two together. And I obviously loved the whole Christmas vibe. Vermont. The town. The snow and the cold and the cuddling. The co-stars!
I need Isaac's book asap!
I could so see these books on TV! But not on a faith-cult-channel thingy!! Netflix or HBO please!
A HOLLY JOLLY EVER AFTER was such a sweet and adorable and sexy Christmas love story! Run to your nearest book dealer to get your own Kallum - this one is MINE!
💜
💜
November 27, 2023
4.5. If the first book in this series was “Hallmark movie but make it sexy”, this is “Hallmark After Dark but first let’s dismantle purity culture.” I loved it!
Kallum is a go-with-the-flow kind of guy, not thinking too deeply or at all about any of his choices. He runs a successful pizza franchise so he doesn’t have to. He’s a very kind person for the most part but he can be careless and doesn’t always think about the consequences of his actions. Winnie’s whole life, on the other hand, has oriented around other people’s expectations of her, going along with whatever her parents wanted, right down to marrying the man they chose. But when her husband cheated on her, she chose to divorce him in spite of what her parents and religious community said. This paves the way for Winnie to explore what she wants out of life, from her career to her bi awakening.
And that leads us to how Kallum and Winnie get back in each other’s orbit post-teen stardom: they’re starring in a Hope After Dark Christmas movie. Only one problem: Winnie has never had an orgasm and she’s not good at faking one on camera. Obviously Kallum isn’t going to say no to helping his long-time crush experience pleasure!
I loved how this explored the effects of purity culture on Winnie’s life, from her selfish ex-husband to the shame she feels about her lack of experience. There’s no judgment from anyone and no expectation of compulsory sexuality. The scriptwriter takes her to a sex toy shop and gets her to buy her first vibrator. Well before he gets more personally involved, Kallum encourages her to do some research. But the vibrator and porn aren’t enough to overcome the mental block, which is a very common effect of purity culture. Only then does Winnie latch onto the idea of Kallum giving her more hands-on instruction. Their sex scenes were hot and fun. It was great to watch Winnie have a breakthrough, in every sense of that word. The best part of all this was Winnie realizing she wasn’t the problem. No, it was her ex-husband only focusing on his own needs and her parents and church’s patriarchal judgment and sexual shaming. Having great partnered sex doesn’t magically undo all of it but it’s a good start.
My other favorite part was the feeeeelings. made me cry. I just felt so bad for her. And that wasn’t the only time I cried! Winnie’s plight really tugged on my heartstrings. Kallum was a sweetheart in so many ways but he really needed to learn to think before speaking or acting. The lack thereof really bit him but it led to fantastic growth. The emotional arcs for both characters were fascinating to me.
My enjoyment of this book is all the more impressive since it contains one of my least favorite tropes.
The set up for the next Christmas Notch romance is all kinds of delicious. I can’t wait!
Characters: Kallum is a 30-something white Jewish pizza chain owner, actor, and former boy band member with a dad bod. He has a cat named Bread. Winnie is a 32 year old bisexual white actress with narcolepsy. This is set in Christmas Notch, VT, Kansas City, and Los Angeles.
Content notes: sexual assault (FMC’s ex-husband puts her hand on his clothed dick), past image-based sexual abuse (MMC’s sex tape was leaked by the bridesmaid he slept with who wanted revenge against her cheating fiancé; he has since licensed it), recent divorce (FMC’s ex-husband cheated), estranged parents (reappear in this story and remain toxic), past child emotional neglect, concern of miscarriage (pregnancy is okay, the placenta is resting over her cervix), unplanned pregnancy (used an old condom kept in phone case), options discussion (FMC decides to continue pregnancy), past difficulty getting pregnant with ex-husband, bi awakening, purity culture, sexual shame, slut-shaming by ex, infidelity (MMC unknowingly slept with bridesmaid who had a boyfriend), narcolepsy, past ableism by parents, fatshaming, blood (chipped tooth after falling off stage), past Hollywood diet and recent weight gain, past death of pet dog (cancer), past death of secondary character’s wife, vomit (morning sickness), on page sex, anal play, alleyway sex, masturbation, strip club, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, STD stigma (“clean”), MMC refers to genitalia in gendered terms (e.g. “little guy”), gendered pejoratives, ableist language
Kallum is a go-with-the-flow kind of guy, not thinking too deeply or at all about any of his choices. He runs a successful pizza franchise so he doesn’t have to. He’s a very kind person for the most part but he can be careless and doesn’t always think about the consequences of his actions. Winnie’s whole life, on the other hand, has oriented around other people’s expectations of her, going along with whatever her parents wanted, right down to marrying the man they chose. But when her husband cheated on her, she chose to divorce him in spite of what her parents and religious community said. This paves the way for Winnie to explore what she wants out of life, from her career to her bi awakening.
And that leads us to how Kallum and Winnie get back in each other’s orbit post-teen stardom: they’re starring in a Hope After Dark Christmas movie. Only one problem: Winnie has never had an orgasm and she’s not good at faking one on camera. Obviously Kallum isn’t going to say no to helping his long-time crush experience pleasure!
I loved how this explored the effects of purity culture on Winnie’s life, from her selfish ex-husband to the shame she feels about her lack of experience. There’s no judgment from anyone and no expectation of compulsory sexuality. The scriptwriter takes her to a sex toy shop and gets her to buy her first vibrator. Well before he gets more personally involved, Kallum encourages her to do some research. But the vibrator and porn aren’t enough to overcome the mental block, which is a very common effect of purity culture. Only then does Winnie latch onto the idea of Kallum giving her more hands-on instruction. Their sex scenes were hot and fun. It was great to watch Winnie have a breakthrough, in every sense of that word. The best part of all this was Winnie realizing she wasn’t the problem. No, it was her ex-husband only focusing on his own needs and her parents and church’s patriarchal judgment and sexual shaming. Having great partnered sex doesn’t magically undo all of it but it’s a good start.
My other favorite part was the feeeeelings. made me cry. I just felt so bad for her. And that wasn’t the only time I cried! Winnie’s plight really tugged on my heartstrings. Kallum was a sweetheart in so many ways but he really needed to learn to think before speaking or acting. The lack thereof really bit him but it led to fantastic growth. The emotional arcs for both characters were fascinating to me.
My enjoyment of this book is all the more impressive since it contains one of my least favorite tropes.
The set up for the next Christmas Notch romance is all kinds of delicious. I can’t wait!
Characters: Kallum is a 30-something white Jewish pizza chain owner, actor, and former boy band member with a dad bod. He has a cat named Bread. Winnie is a 32 year old bisexual white actress with narcolepsy. This is set in Christmas Notch, VT, Kansas City, and Los Angeles.
Content notes: sexual assault (FMC’s ex-husband puts her hand on his clothed dick), past image-based sexual abuse (MMC’s sex tape was leaked by the bridesmaid he slept with who wanted revenge against her cheating fiancé; he has since licensed it), recent divorce (FMC’s ex-husband cheated), estranged parents (reappear in this story and remain toxic), past child emotional neglect, concern of miscarriage (pregnancy is okay, the placenta is resting over her cervix), unplanned pregnancy (used an old condom kept in phone case), options discussion (FMC decides to continue pregnancy), past difficulty getting pregnant with ex-husband, bi awakening, purity culture, sexual shame, slut-shaming by ex, infidelity (MMC unknowingly slept with bridesmaid who had a boyfriend), narcolepsy, past ableism by parents, fatshaming, blood (chipped tooth after falling off stage), past Hollywood diet and recent weight gain, past death of pet dog (cancer), past death of secondary character’s wife, vomit (morning sickness), on page sex, anal play, alleyway sex, masturbation, strip club, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, STD stigma (“clean”), MMC refers to genitalia in gendered terms (e.g. “little guy”), gendered pejoratives, ableist language
dnf
November 20, 2023dnf
nahhhh not the pregnancy trope at 56%🤢 i don’t even want to find out what happens the last half of the book
i think this series is just not for me.
nahhhh not the pregnancy trope at 56%🤢 i don’t even want to find out what happens the last half of the book
i think this series is just not for me.
January 21, 2025
Oh boy! This book is not good. I can not follow the writing. Oh no! I read many bad books in early 2025. I hope I still can have good book.
2 stars
2 stars
December 15, 2023
This was a pretty shitty follow-up to A Merry Little Meet Cute, which was disappointing. I enjoyed that one quite a bit.
Now, I'm not going to be completely negative about this book. I have to admit that the prose is good. The writing style for these authors is very fun and entertaining. That's what made A Merry Little Meet Cute a joy to read.
But the content of this particular entry is crap.
The romance sucks. There is, in fact, arguably no romance to speak of. Just insta-lust and way too much fucking. Most interactions between the main couple are them getting each other off. I don't see any connection between them other than the fact that they love each other's bodies. They don't love each other, regardless of what the narrative is trying to tell you. How could they? They have no meaningful interactions together, except for one scene where Kallum makes Winnie a pizza. They flirt, fuck, and fight (well, Winnie gets mad at Kallum, who's just kind of a kicked dog throughout this book). They can't seem to manage anything else together and the relationship is neither memorable nor believable.
The main characters suck. I didn't like Kallum from the start; Winnie started off likeable, but quickly took a nose dive into intolerable, especially once she lost her brain in Part 2. And as much as I didn't like Kallum, I felt like he took the brunt of the author's ire. Somehow, everything was his fault. He hooks up with an acquaintance at a wedding (which is framed as bad, even though Winnie's portion of the book is about her discovering her sensuality without having to have the strings of a committed relationship or marriage attached and learning that it's okay, so, huh?), and it turns out that acquaintance had a boyfriend he didn't know about. But somehow he's the one at fault and his acquaintance is the victim, even though the person with the boyfriend really should have mentioned the whole boyfriend thing at the start rather than enthusiastically consenting to the tryst. Takes two to tango, and all that. Then he gets buzzed at a party (not even like black out drunk, mind you), and someone else has an unrelated medical emergency that he can't handle with full competence because he was a bit sloshed. He's not a doctor, and he couldn't have predicted this emergency, and it's not like he's a raging alcoholic by any means, so why is this considered a failure of character on his part? I just don't get it, man. Again, I don't like the guy, but I still felt bad for him.
The plot sucks. A Merry Little Meet Cute was fun because it had the porn stars and crew trying to act like regular, wholesome, family-friendly filming professionals, but there's no similar charm here. Kallum and Winnie fly to Vermont to make a softcore Christmas porno. That's it. Everyone knows what's going on and what they're doing. The filming comes into play a bit as a background for a lot of awkwardly horny eye fucking, pretend fucking, and real fucking. If you don't like reading about overly graphic sex scenes that overuse the word "soft", there's not much here for you to enjoy. Part 2 is pretty much a completely different book altogether, but Winnie is being so dumb and the characters don't spend much time together at all so it's no better than Part 1.
Side characters? What are those? In A Merry Little Meet Cute, we got some cool characters on the side that really brought some extra sparkle to the story. In this one, we've got Addison, who may be a little insane? She's interesting, but she's not around for the portion of the book where she's most sorely needed. Then there's Jack, and Luca, but they're just tutting around in the background. Nolan and Bee make some small appearances so that Winnie and Kallum can have conversations with someone that they're not going to start fucking, but their presence doesn't bring anything extra to the table.
Anyhoo, this book is basically a handful of my least favorite tropes smashed together, with about a dozen or so of my personal squicks thrown in for good measure. To each their own and nothing against anyone who reads and enjoys books heavy on gratuitous smut, but for me, this book just kept activating the disgust centers of my brain. I don't know if I have ever read a book that has ever made me as physically uncomfortable as this one did. Just a genuine unpleasant read, all around.
Still better than Iron Flame, though.
Now, I'm not going to be completely negative about this book. I have to admit that the prose is good. The writing style for these authors is very fun and entertaining. That's what made A Merry Little Meet Cute a joy to read.
But the content of this particular entry is crap.
The romance sucks. There is, in fact, arguably no romance to speak of. Just insta-lust and way too much fucking. Most interactions between the main couple are them getting each other off. I don't see any connection between them other than the fact that they love each other's bodies. They don't love each other, regardless of what the narrative is trying to tell you. How could they? They have no meaningful interactions together, except for one scene where Kallum makes Winnie a pizza. They flirt, fuck, and fight (well, Winnie gets mad at Kallum, who's just kind of a kicked dog throughout this book). They can't seem to manage anything else together and the relationship is neither memorable nor believable.
The main characters suck. I didn't like Kallum from the start; Winnie started off likeable, but quickly took a nose dive into intolerable, especially once she lost her brain in Part 2. And as much as I didn't like Kallum, I felt like he took the brunt of the author's ire. Somehow, everything was his fault. He hooks up with an acquaintance at a wedding (which is framed as bad, even though Winnie's portion of the book is about her discovering her sensuality without having to have the strings of a committed relationship or marriage attached and learning that it's okay, so, huh?), and it turns out that acquaintance had a boyfriend he didn't know about. But somehow he's the one at fault and his acquaintance is the victim, even though the person with the boyfriend really should have mentioned the whole boyfriend thing at the start rather than enthusiastically consenting to the tryst. Takes two to tango, and all that. Then he gets buzzed at a party (not even like black out drunk, mind you), and someone else has an unrelated medical emergency that he can't handle with full competence because he was a bit sloshed. He's not a doctor, and he couldn't have predicted this emergency, and it's not like he's a raging alcoholic by any means, so why is this considered a failure of character on his part? I just don't get it, man. Again, I don't like the guy, but I still felt bad for him.
The plot sucks. A Merry Little Meet Cute was fun because it had the porn stars and crew trying to act like regular, wholesome, family-friendly filming professionals, but there's no similar charm here. Kallum and Winnie fly to Vermont to make a softcore Christmas porno. That's it. Everyone knows what's going on and what they're doing. The filming comes into play a bit as a background for a lot of awkwardly horny eye fucking, pretend fucking, and real fucking. If you don't like reading about overly graphic sex scenes that overuse the word "soft", there's not much here for you to enjoy. Part 2 is pretty much a completely different book altogether, but Winnie is being so dumb and the characters don't spend much time together at all so it's no better than Part 1.
Side characters? What are those? In A Merry Little Meet Cute, we got some cool characters on the side that really brought some extra sparkle to the story. In this one, we've got Addison, who may be a little insane? She's interesting, but she's not around for the portion of the book where she's most sorely needed. Then there's Jack, and Luca, but they're just tutting around in the background. Nolan and Bee make some small appearances so that Winnie and Kallum can have conversations with someone that they're not going to start fucking, but their presence doesn't bring anything extra to the table.
Anyhoo, this book is basically a handful of my least favorite tropes smashed together, with about a dozen or so of my personal squicks thrown in for good measure. To each their own and nothing against anyone who reads and enjoys books heavy on gratuitous smut, but for me, this book just kept activating the disgust centers of my brain. I don't know if I have ever read a book that has ever made me as physically uncomfortable as this one did. Just a genuine unpleasant read, all around.
Still better than Iron Flame, though.
October 16, 2023
Hang on to your peppermint stick vibrators because this is going to be rough...
Holly Jolly Ever After was one of my most anticipated books of the year after loving Merry Little Meet Cute and Snowplace like LA that came out in ebook form this summer. And the first part of this book was pure Christmas Notch, spicy, silly, fun, sexy magic. Kallum is the himbo hero we have been waiting for and was the new standard for book boyfriend material. Love a sexual awakening, and 'help-me-find-my-sexual-awakening'? Yes please. The side characters we loved from the first two books were back and everything was working.
Until our authors committed unthinkable writing sins. Because y'all... choices were made and for two authors so engrained on social media, they should have known better. This way spoilers lay so you've been warned.
Finishing this book was a labor of hate, because I really did hate everything about the second half. I didn't find a single part of the second half redeemable. So for a book that was trending to be a stand-out five star for the first part, the second part and the egregious choices made by the authors have plummeted this one to 2.5 stars at best. Sorry not sorry.
Will I read the next in the series? Probably... mostly to find out what happens with Teddy and Steph.
TW/CW: purity culture, deconstructing christianity, miscarriage, surprise pregnancy, toxic parental relationships
Holly Jolly Ever After was one of my most anticipated books of the year after loving Merry Little Meet Cute and Snowplace like LA that came out in ebook form this summer. And the first part of this book was pure Christmas Notch, spicy, silly, fun, sexy magic. Kallum is the himbo hero we have been waiting for and was the new standard for book boyfriend material. Love a sexual awakening, and 'help-me-find-my-sexual-awakening'? Yes please. The side characters we loved from the first two books were back and everything was working.
Until our authors committed unthinkable writing sins. Because y'all... choices were made and for two authors so engrained on social media, they should have known better. This way spoilers lay so you've been warned.
Finishing this book was a labor of hate, because I really did hate everything about the second half. I didn't find a single part of the second half redeemable. So for a book that was trending to be a stand-out five star for the first part, the second part and the egregious choices made by the authors have plummeted this one to 2.5 stars at best. Sorry not sorry.
Will I read the next in the series? Probably... mostly to find out what happens with Teddy and Steph.
TW/CW: purity culture, deconstructing christianity, miscarriage, surprise pregnancy, toxic parental relationships
December 13, 2023
Lost me in the second half
November 3, 2023
My Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶.5/🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
I have now read all 3 (1 is a novella) of the books out in the A Christmas Notch series and I loved A Holly Jolly Ever After just as much as book 1. Julie Murphy's writing style is one of my favorites, and I love the way she blends humor and spice to create the perfect romance for any time of the year, not just Christmas! While the story revolves around a naughty holiday movie and a town obsessed with Christmas, it isn't actually the heaviest of themes and you could easily read this at any point in the year. It is like a Hallmark movie with spice, and I loved being able to absorb myself in Kallum and Winnie's characters who I already knew from A Merry Little Meet Cute.
The narrators for the audiobook did a wonderful job, and I am now a huge fan of both Joy Nash & Chris Brinkley. Nash also narrated book 1, and she fully embodies the female characters in both books. Brinkley was a good fit for Kallum as well and these two made the characters and chemistry really shine! There is plenty of banter and I laughed out loud multiple times, but I also loved that there was some gravity to the story as well. Winnie has some sh!t going on with her family, and frankly, it pissed me off. I thought Murphy did an exceptional job with all facets of the storyline, and if you are looking for a steamy, funny romance I would recommend this series as a whole! They can definitely be read as standalones since they focus on different characters, but I would still read them in order if you want even more characterization.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I have now read all 3 (1 is a novella) of the books out in the A Christmas Notch series and I loved A Holly Jolly Ever After just as much as book 1. Julie Murphy's writing style is one of my favorites, and I love the way she blends humor and spice to create the perfect romance for any time of the year, not just Christmas! While the story revolves around a naughty holiday movie and a town obsessed with Christmas, it isn't actually the heaviest of themes and you could easily read this at any point in the year. It is like a Hallmark movie with spice, and I loved being able to absorb myself in Kallum and Winnie's characters who I already knew from A Merry Little Meet Cute.
The narrators for the audiobook did a wonderful job, and I am now a huge fan of both Joy Nash & Chris Brinkley. Nash also narrated book 1, and she fully embodies the female characters in both books. Brinkley was a good fit for Kallum as well and these two made the characters and chemistry really shine! There is plenty of banter and I laughed out loud multiple times, but I also loved that there was some gravity to the story as well. Winnie has some sh!t going on with her family, and frankly, it pissed me off. I thought Murphy did an exceptional job with all facets of the storyline, and if you are looking for a steamy, funny romance I would recommend this series as a whole! They can definitely be read as standalones since they focus on different characters, but I would still read them in order if you want even more characterization.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Read
November 22, 2025this looked amazing until i learned it has on page ow sex -.- and fmc gets turned on by it AND he has a s*x tape she watches.
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July 3, 2023
I was lucky enough to find this ARC at an indie bookstore, where they were giving an ARC away for free with a purchase! I was flabbergasted to see this one on the shelf and immediately grabbed it.
I really enjoyed this trip back to Christmas Notch - just like the first book in the series, it's a VERY steamy journey. Sometimes you want the really sweet slow burn and other times you want them to rail each other in the first 100 pages - this really truly delivers on the latter. I loved part 1 of this book - getting to see Winnie learn about herself, her body, and her desires was lovely to see. This book really gives the middle finger to purity culture while also focusing on how damaging it can be, particularly for young girls.
Read this for:
- Sex Lessons
- Forced Proximity
- Disability rep (narcolepsy)
- Dad Bod
I do think part 2 of this book went in a direction that some people might not like - I actually really enjoyed it since the second part really needed more of a plot than the first part had. I did think it ended rather abruptly and I would have liked to see Winnie and Kallum spend a bit more time together on page (there was a bit more telling than there was showing in part 2).
I really enjoyed this trip back to Christmas Notch - just like the first book in the series, it's a VERY steamy journey. Sometimes you want the really sweet slow burn and other times you want them to rail each other in the first 100 pages - this really truly delivers on the latter. I loved part 1 of this book - getting to see Winnie learn about herself, her body, and her desires was lovely to see. This book really gives the middle finger to purity culture while also focusing on how damaging it can be, particularly for young girls.
Read this for:
- Sex Lessons
- Forced Proximity
- Disability rep (narcolepsy)
- Dad Bod
I do think part 2 of this book went in a direction that some people might not like - I actually really enjoyed it since the second part really needed more of a plot than the first part had. I did think it ended rather abruptly and I would have liked to see Winnie and Kallum spend a bit more time together on page (there was a bit more telling than there was showing in part 2).
March 25, 2024
Kallum was all kinds of hilarious and adorable.
Winnie drove me nuts the whole damn time.
This is the November pick for one of my book clubs and I will have a lot of angry words for the discussion tomorrow night.
Buuuuut also a lot of funny quotes I adored.
I enjoy the writing as a whole, these two definitely feed off each other beautifully.
The town is amazing, the storyline was entertaining I just hated Winnie.
Winnie drove me nuts the whole damn time.
This is the November pick for one of my book clubs and I will have a lot of angry words for the discussion tomorrow night.
Buuuuut also a lot of funny quotes I adored.
I enjoy the writing as a whole, these two definitely feed off each other beautifully.
The town is amazing, the storyline was entertaining I just hated Winnie.
December 9, 2023
That first spicy scene caught me so off guard omg it was so hot 🥵 and the spice hit thought this whole book!
I love books that explore purity culture/religious trauma and Winnie shed that identity and shame so beautifully throughout this book. Winnie’s fears and worries towards the end of the book regarding Kallum were so real especially after her marriage to Michael. I’m glad Kallum could pull his shit together and really be there for her, he was so sweet all the time and I love him 🥰🙈
Don’t even get me started about Winnie’s parents…they were truly awful and their behaviour towards the end was disgusting and I hated reading about it.
I’m now so excited for Isaac’s story!!
I love books that explore purity culture/religious trauma and Winnie shed that identity and shame so beautifully throughout this book. Winnie’s fears and worries towards the end of the book regarding Kallum were so real especially after her marriage to Michael. I’m glad Kallum could pull his shit together and really be there for her, he was so sweet all the time and I love him 🥰🙈
Don’t even get me started about Winnie’s parents…they were truly awful and their behaviour towards the end was disgusting and I hated reading about it.
I’m now so excited for Isaac’s story!!
December 6, 2023
This was a super fun, forced proximity, coworker romance that takes place on the set of a steamy holiday romance movie and sees recent divorcee and full-blown Christian actress Winnie taking on a new role in a steamy adult holiday movie with the former pop-star who helped trash her teenage reputation. Looking to finally enjoy the pleasures of orgasm, Winnie lets adult film star, Kallum teach her how to come while they fall for each other on set. Perfect for fans of Olivia Dade and great on audio, this was a standout holiday romcom that I loved on audio!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!
CW: MMC with narcolepsy
CW: MMC with narcolepsy
December 14, 2023
A book that makes fun of Christians? Nooo thank you. First and last book I’ll ever read by these authors👎🏼
December 22, 2024
Solid start and end but lagged in middle. Spice level went down a tad also but the main character being a recovering Christian kind of makes sense on that score. Really seems to nail the child star situation.
October 13, 2023
I loved being back in Christmas Notch! Kallum was such a golden retriever hero and though he continually put his foot in his mouth, he truly had a heart of gold. Special shout out to the entire Lieberman family too! They were the best and I loved the heart and humor that they brought to the story. Winnie's character arc is what truly sold me on the story though. Her strict curated upbringing and subsequent fight to break free from purity culture was really compelling and also heartbreaking. I was rooting for her from page 1.
As much as I loved Winnie and Kallum, the misunderstandings and drama in the second half weren't my favorite. I was annoyed by Winnie's reaction, but ultimately I appreciated that they both were given time to come into their own and get to know each other outside of the Christmas Notch bubble. I'm honestly surprised that I enjoyed Kallum and Winnie's story as much as I did, since it features one of my very least favorite tropes. I thought it was handled pretty well though and ended up enjoying the novel a lot. The prologue and epilogue from Teddy Ray Fletcher's POV was equally fun and I loved how readers got that little HEA too. I'm hoping that Isaac, the last member of INK, will get a book as well ;)
The narration by Joy Nash and Chris Brinkley was wonderful! Chris Brinkley was especially perfect as Kallum. I mainly listened to this one and it's all because of this fantastic narrating duo!
Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars
CW (possible spoilers): cheating ex, divorce, emotionally abusive ex, purity culture, controlling parents, strained relationship with parents, narcolepsy, fire and destruction of property, unplanned pregnancy and miscarriage scare
OW/OM notes: there is an on page sex scene between the MMC and an OW prior to the MC's meeting/starting anything. The MMC's past sexual activity it also mentioned quite a few times throughout the novel.
*I voluntarily read a review copy of this book. I listened to the audio via my local library/Libby*
As much as I loved Winnie and Kallum, the misunderstandings and drama in the second half weren't my favorite. I was annoyed by Winnie's reaction, but ultimately I appreciated that they both were given time to come into their own and get to know each other outside of the Christmas Notch bubble. I'm honestly surprised that I enjoyed Kallum and Winnie's story as much as I did, since it features one of my very least favorite tropes. I thought it was handled pretty well though and ended up enjoying the novel a lot. The prologue and epilogue from Teddy Ray Fletcher's POV was equally fun and I loved how readers got that little HEA too. I'm hoping that Isaac, the last member of INK, will get a book as well ;)
The narration by Joy Nash and Chris Brinkley was wonderful! Chris Brinkley was especially perfect as Kallum. I mainly listened to this one and it's all because of this fantastic narrating duo!
Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars
CW (possible spoilers): cheating ex, divorce, emotionally abusive ex, purity culture, controlling parents, strained relationship with parents, narcolepsy, fire and destruction of property, unplanned pregnancy and miscarriage scare
OW/OM notes: there is an on page sex scene between the MMC and an OW prior to the MC's meeting/starting anything. The MMC's past sexual activity it also mentioned quite a few times throughout the novel.
*I voluntarily read a review copy of this book. I listened to the audio via my local library/Libby*
November 2, 2023
A Holly Jolly Ever After is the next installment in A Christmas Notch series. I have been enjoying this series a ton and they’re perfect holiday reads! If you want hallmark Christmas movie vibes but with loads of spice, check this series out.
Winnie Baker was a faith-based child star, “good girl”, who married her former costar and childhood sweetheart at 18. She always did everything right…but now she’s divorced and ready to take charge of her own life, the way she wants. What better way than to star in a hot, smutty, Christmas movie with a former boy-band bad boy who always crushed on her!? This was so fun! I loved seeing Winnie take charge of her sexuality and ask Kallum for lessons so she wouldn’t be awkward on screen.
The first half of this story was so so good and I was immediately pulled in. We do see Winnie figure out what she wants from her life and how she wants to live it, while dealing with her purity-culture upbringing and past. The second half of the story does take a turn, which I wasn’t as invested in but I didn’t hate it either. The audiobook in particular was a lot of fun!
Winnie Baker was a faith-based child star, “good girl”, who married her former costar and childhood sweetheart at 18. She always did everything right…but now she’s divorced and ready to take charge of her own life, the way she wants. What better way than to star in a hot, smutty, Christmas movie with a former boy-band bad boy who always crushed on her!? This was so fun! I loved seeing Winnie take charge of her sexuality and ask Kallum for lessons so she wouldn’t be awkward on screen.
The first half of this story was so so good and I was immediately pulled in. We do see Winnie figure out what she wants from her life and how she wants to live it, while dealing with her purity-culture upbringing and past. The second half of the story does take a turn, which I wasn’t as invested in but I didn’t hate it either. The audiobook in particular was a lot of fun!
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