A Holly Jolly Mess

by C.M. Nascosta

It's Yuletide season and mayhem is in the air!This Love Actually–style holiday romp through Cambric Creek focuses on characters you already know and ones you've only seen glimpses of — together in a madcap collection of misunderstandings and chance encounters, with a sprinkle of holiday wholesomeness and a dollop of holiday horny, and a big holly jolly HEA for all.

Genres: Romance, Monster Romance, Christmas, Holiday, Novella, Fantasy, Monsters

115 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 12, 2023

About the author

C.M. Nascosta is an author and professional procrastinator from Cleveland, Ohio. As a child, she thought that living on Lake Erie meant one was eerie by nature, and her corresponding love of all things strange and unusual started young. She’s always preferred beasts to boys, the macabre to the milquetoast, the unknown darkness in the shadows to the Chad next door. She lives in a crumbling old Victorian with a scaredy-cat dachshund, where she writes nontraditional romances featuring beastly boys with equal parts heart and heat, and is waiting for the Hallmark Channel to get with the program and start a paranormal lovers series.

Reviews

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please, I need more Tris and Charlie

[Meagan (FranticVampireReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Cambric Creek universe so much and getting to see it in all its festive winter holiday glory? Absolutely fantastic. I loved that we got to meet some of the side characters from the main storylines! I also loved that the stories in this are just starting to intertwine and that we’ll (hopefully) get to see more of them in later books. This was so sweet and it makes me excited to dive back into the world of Cambric Creek. A Holly Jolly Mess is getting four out of five stars!

[Justine · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was nice but it felt like there was too many cooks in the book
would have been better if it focused on one couple

[Victoria Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't her best, but at least it was a quick read. It was cool seeing other residents and couples of Cambric Creek, and I’m hoping they’ll pop up in other books too. It was sometimes confusing to keep track of who’s who.

I didn’t love the Charlie / Tris arc, and was surprised at how coerced that relationship felt, especially since I feel like her couples are usually so good about very clear consent.

[☾⋆⁺ Nurse After Dark · Rating 2 out of 5]

She needed to finish her shopping and get the fuck out of dodge. Straightening her shoulders, she turned towards the baking supplies. The final frontier of holiday shopping. Kill or be killed. What horrors will you commit in the name of butterscotch?

Toted as 'Love Actually' meets Cambric Creek, the stories didn't give me quite the same vibes as anything else has from the Cambric Creek series. I think the only storyline I was truly semi-interested in was Ava and her ogre...

There were a few moments that felt witty or well written but overall, I probably won't include this in my mental 'Cambric Creek' book lineup!

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wayyyy too many characters to keep straight. Not horrible but not really worth the read.

[Biblio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Actually meets Cambric Creek in the sweetest way ever. Each characters little segments were so sweet and raw. Charlie and Tris are my favorite though. This was such a sweet and fun read with some spice! CM Nascosta makes sure every character gets the attention they deserve and I love that!

[Courtney Slatton · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNFd book 13% the way in. I couldn’t keep up with the story. Seemed like a lot going on and I was getting confused. Just was not for me

[Juliette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating : 1,5 ⭐

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

CM has a way with words that's entirely unique. It's like reading Jane Austen but for monster lovers, which I feel like is such a vibe and if you get it, you get it.

Holly Jolly Mess is similar. It's like coming home to snuggle up next to the fireplace. Reading the intertwined stories just had my heart melting over and over again, in a way only CM can accomplish.

If you're looking for a nice, easy and cozy story for the holidays, might I suggest spending some time in Cambric Creek with A Holly Jolly Mess.

[China Brinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happy Holiday

Happy Holiday indeed lol. At first I was very confused, I thought this book ony had two main female characters but there was different POV's throughout the book. It made it interesting but yet confusing cause like I said I wasn't sure what was happening at first. The ended could have been better. Just to end it like the author did felt rushed or better yet not thought out much. I did not like how it ended.

[Jennifer Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stepped away from Cambric Creek a bit and I loved this storyline of Love Actually in their world. I read this in nearly one sitting and loved following the cast of characters I already knew and got introduced to new ones as well. I’ll be diving back into Cambric Creek to get up to date on all the books.

[jennifer | offmyredcarpet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A holiday themed novella with characters from the Cambric Creek world in a Love Actually style collection of encounters.

This is not unfamiliar territory for Patreon supporters but it will be new for those who aren’t. It was a delight to read my favorite short again featuring Tris Tatterswain, a satyr and gossip columnist in Cambric Creek, and a down on her luck cookie baker pining over the loss of her dream business at the hands of her unscrupulous ex. It’s fun to watch stories collide and strings get pulled to the benefit of all.

Nascosta never fails to delight with her particular brand of wholesome, romantic spice and academic smut.

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

beyond fun

This was so wonderful. I really wish I could live in Cambric Creek with all of these fun characters. Nascosta gives us so much (as usual) packed into a perfectly sized holiday romance very reminiscent of Love Actually. Seriously, everything she writes is just gold.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun little morsel of interlocking stories set in the familiar Cambric Creek universe. I would like a little more time with a few couples, but I was remarkably satisfied with so little page time for each of them.

[T Rojo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I got into the multiple POVs this was really adorable.

[regencyromances · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Holly Jolly Mess by C. M. Nascosta is a combination of short stories that take place in Cambric Creek around Yule/Christmas. Most of these characters are from short stories Nascosta has on her Patr30n.

I really enjoyed the shorts! They’re like a slice of life of the characters during Yule/Christmas and it was fun to see what they were up to. Most of the book was about the couples Ava & Kenta from Setsubun and Charlie and Tris. We also get to see Lucas and Talia from Community Service and the Hemmings, specifically Sandi and Owen. My favorite couple is Charlie and Tris and I would love to read a full length novel about their story!

You don’t really need to have read the shorts Nascosta wrote before to enjoy this book, although if you wanted to, the ones you should read are Setsubun and Community Service.

If you enjoy short stories, slice of life stories, and monster romances, then this book is for you! Thanks C. M. Nascosta for the ARC!

[Kianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dude. The way C. M. Nascosta and Cambric Creek have nestled their way into my heart is unreal. I love everything about this series. It is monster romance and cozy and sweet and sexy and loving and lovely. I love it. I love it. It brings me light and joy to my life. I love it.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Cambric Creek so it’s no surprise I just adored this wee book.

[Samantha (rain.books.and.tea) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

Love Actually meets Cambric Creek!

This was a quick and cute read but it was a bit of a miss for me. I think this is a me problem but there were too many characters for me. The large cast combined with the shorter length meant it was hard for me to keep track of who everyone was.

I do enjoy CM’s story telling but this one just wasn’t for me.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay read from characters from Cambric Creek celebrating the tradition the season calls for, nothing spectacular though. Just ok.

[Arianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

So this reminded me of those Netflix holiday movies that introduces 10 different characters and they’re all connected in some way that’s revealed at the end, but the plot really only focuses on two of them.

Actually, that’s exactly what this was.

I was confused for a bit because why do I care about Sandi (please give me her crazy Didi backstory), Lucas (how pray tell does one start dating their heat helper and also that anatomy lineup math is not mathing and also why did we need a sex scene from someone we don’t know who we never see again?), and Owen (why are you forgotten by your father??)❓

This was obviously a story about Ava and Charlie.

I loved Ava’s story, and the life she’s built as a widow. I want to know if Zoe is a werebear‼️ I can’t wait to see her business continue to expand (hopefully into a commercial building 👀) and I love seeing her find happiness. I’m glad we get to see her working up to ask Kenta to be a bigger part in their lives, and I’m even more glad that he took the step first!

Poor Charlie 😭 having her dream and life’s work STOLEN gosh I hate criminals like that, taking advantage of people. And she’s just resolved to accept her fate 😭 I didn’t like Tris, I hate cocky (maybe cocksure is more accurate) little pricks like that lol and I was glad she wasn’t just giving in to him. Until she was 🙄 Tris is in Sweet Berries and he rubbed me wrong then, but if this is love then this is love, and she definitely deserves to be happy. I can’t wait to hopefully see her go into business with Ava 😭 and can Charlie shift?? These are questions I need answers to!

All this to say, I love being introduced to more characters in CC, even if it’s brief. I love seeing how vibrant the town is. I hope we get to keep seeing more, but also continue to see characters-past.

Next book is Sweet Berries, which I’ve read, then Run, Run Rabbit

[bookbaefae · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She had a lap to sit in and a Christmas to save."

I've read a few Cambric Creek books, but not all of the ones that represent characters featured here. Still, I followed along easily and loved how the timeline kept moving even as we switched between multiple characters, Love, Actually style.

This book is for you if:
- You love paranormal romance x holiday swoon
- Sweet AND Spicy (3.5-4 spice)
- Actual plot and deep character growth somehow despite it being a novella.
- Getting to know new characters or revisiting already beloved characters from a shared universe.
- Realistic, complex characters dealing with anxiety, life after the death of a spouse, and typical and atypical small town issues

fave quotes
- "...just because she doesn’t need it doesn’t mean she doesn’t want it. It’s nice to have someone else pick up the pieces once in a while."

- "Good relationships aren’t about things being fifty-fifty, you know. Sometimes it’s sixty-forty. Sometimes it’s eighty-twenty. Sometimes you need your partner to carry you, and you need to know that they will."

- "He leaned forward on his elbow, giving her a prime view of his forearms, exposed by his rolled-back shirtsleeves. She didn’t understand why something as unsexy as an arm managed to be so fucking hot, but forearms had always been her weakness."

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to visit Cambric Creek for the holidays ! 🎁

This is one of my favorites, seeing so many characters in Cambric Creek! An elusive (or is he?) Owen POV, Sandi planning a party, Charlie and Tris hate fucking, Ava and Kenta settling into domestic bliss, Cambric Creek community party 🎄 ☃️

This was the perfect holly jolly read and the right amount of messy 🍬 for this holiday season

Where can I get an invite to next year's party?

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth be told, this book is only fully enjoyable if you're familiar with the characters as they're mentioned/featured in Patreon short stories. I have that listed below, and I suggest you support her on Patreon!

As far as the book, I hadn't read Ava/Kenta's backstory, but I had read the others. So I found the book really enjoyable and fun. There was just enough spice to get me through, and Tris is always a little shit whenever he's mentioned! I only want good things from the residents of Cambric Creek, and this book does not disappoint! I personally love its addition

Characters:
- Ava and Kenta, from the short story: Setsubun
- Charlie and Tris, from the short story: December Ghosts (Cambric Creek Lore)
- Lucas, from the short story: Community Service
- Sandi Hemming, the matron of the Hemming pack... Which is a family that pops up in almost every single book/story... but her core short story is called a Game Called Nothing.
- Owen Hemming, son of Sandi, least mentioned of them all and as such you basically know as much as we know going into this book. He's a twin, so if that helps. But there are 6 brothers in total.

[Wandering Seal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like the Love Actually of Cambric Creek only no-one is Alan Rickmaning it up cheating on their spouses. The side characters of the Cambric Creek universe get their chance to shine - Tris and Kenta in particular stood out to me and I loved Tris and Charlie's interactions. Like all Nascosta stories this isn't just a hot short montser read (it is a hot short monster read!), there's also a lot of reflection on family and grief and allowing yourself chances again. Like I said, think Love Actually but with a cervitaur in rut and lots of baked goods.

My one quibble is that I would have loved another chapter from Sandi - Christmas is her thing after all and it would have been nice to have her reflect on what she had achieved. But in general I always want more Hemmings and am delighted to get what we do!

Could you read this without reading the rest of the Cambric Creek stories? Yes I guess so, but you'd be missing out on a lot of important context, particularly around the Hemmings and Tris.

[Kylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute, somewhat spicy Love Actually reminiscent novella that expands on the lore of CM Nascosta's Cambric Creek. A Holly Jolly Mess has several different snapshots of couples and creatures living in Cambric Creek celebrating the winter holidays, but the stand out couples are Ava and Kenta (ogre) and Charlie and Tris (satyr). Ava and Kenta's story wraps up neatly, but I'd be interested in seeing a more in-depth exploration of Charlie and Tris.

I've read about 3 CC novels, a few short stories, and both of the GW novels. I'm also a Patreon patron, but I will admit that I had a hard time imagining the characters because there are very few descriptions (especially of the women). I'm not sure if they're described more clearly in the books I've missed reading (which are Blue Ribbon Romance, Two for Tea, and Moon Blooded), but I really wish the author had described the characters a little more clearly for the sake of us readers who have read out of order - even mentioning a hair color.

Overall a fun little read

3.5 stars

[Nastia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I don’t need to ask,” he growled in a strangled voice. “I already know you’re not a good girl. You’re a very bad girl.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
What a wonderful book i’ve just devoured.
This story is a great mixture of small novellas with one main event. Every little part follows characters from the past and it was so nice to read continuation of the stories for Tris, Kenta and others, we learn more about our beloved Cambric Creek and its residents. But don’t fret, we are getting enough information to not be confused with who is who and what’s going on.

As you might have guessed the main theme and event of this book is Christmas and community event, but due to the work of fate additional help is required and known characters need to step up and save the day. But we are not simply stopping at the event, we are reading how chain of events started and new adventures are coming out way especially in a baking area.

My favourite character in this book was Tris, he is a sassy flirty and smug satire. And I’m so happy we’ve got a chance to meet him again and see his machinations.

[BookishMya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another mix of fun-packed quickies to fill your holiday plate. Nascosta brings us a collection of relationships, new and long-running, to add a little holiday spice. We are given Ava & Kenta, widowed mom and her weekend ogre boyfriend. Will Santa help them into a more permanent situation? Charlie, single and guarded when she meets smooth talker satyr Tris. He speaks a good game, but can he help her with more than just a good time? Lucas & Talia, fun loving and in for the long haul? With additional characters tossed in to make a delicious little treat. Some characters I’ve met before and it was fun to see them pop up, but I am relatively new to Cambric Creek so this was a nice little introduction. Charlie & Tris were my fav this round, and my holiday wish is for more of their story in 2024. Their delightful enemies to lovers banter was pure combustible gold.Naturally, plenty of heat (and characters ‘in heat’) so you’re in for a good time.

[Tara | Mangoes and Mayhem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cambric Creek’s side characters get their time in the spotlight this holiday season in this collection of interconnected short stories.

📖 Multi POV, third limited, past tense

🕰️ Middle-aged characters
🍪 Holiday Baking
😠❤️ Enemies to Lovers
🏘️ Community
🎄Holiday Gatherings
🎅🏻 Is that a candy cane in your pocket?

Every time I read a CM Nascosta book, I want to pack my bags and move to Cambric Creek.

A Holly Jolly Mess is filled to the brim with feel-good holiday cheer and spice. Bring on the holiday baking as well as creative candy cane use, sitting in Santa’s lap to make him squirm, and semi-public encounters.

I especially loved Ava and ogre Kenta, navigating the next steps in their relationship despite separate holiday plans, and the love-hate relationship between cookie girl Charlie and charming satyr Tris. Likening the smug and charming satyr with the curl in the middle of his forehead to an angler fish luring in prey had me chuckling.

I loved all of these characters so much, and the entire book was a joy to read.

Overall Rating: 🥭🥭🥭🥭.5
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

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