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Royals and Romance #1
The Nightmare Before Kissmas
Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas in a sexy, quirky romcom where the golden-hearted Prince of Christmas falls for the totally off-limits Prince of Halloween.
Nicholas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. Coal will do anything to escape the spectacle, including getting tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make-out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night.
But the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to do his duty: he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess and his brother’s not-so-secret crush. A situation that has disaster written all over it.
Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess’s hand…and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar hottie: Hex, the Prince of Halloween.
It’s a fake competition between two holiday princes who can’t keep their hands off each other over a marriage of convenience that no one wants. And it all leads to one of the sweetest, sexiest, messiest, most delightfully unforgettable love stories of the year.
Nicholas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. Coal will do anything to escape the spectacle, including getting tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make-out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night.
But the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to do his duty: he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess and his brother’s not-so-secret crush. A situation that has disaster written all over it.
Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess’s hand…and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar hottie: Hex, the Prince of Halloween.
It’s a fake competition between two holiday princes who can’t keep their hands off each other over a marriage of convenience that no one wants. And it all leads to one of the sweetest, sexiest, messiest, most delightfully unforgettable love stories of the year.
366 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2024
3696 people are currently reading
43310 people want to read
About the author
Sara Raasch
26 books7,710 followersSara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, the first in a trilogy, came out October 14, 2014 from Balzer + Bray. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures.
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January 6, 2025this looks silly and gay im in
update: this was in fact silly and gay and a whole lot of fun!
update: this was in fact silly and gay and a whole lot of fun!
August 7, 2025
You know that feeling, when you go into a book just so excited, and you don't overanalyze things, and the audio rocks, and you are just smiling and enjoying the whole way through?
Yeah, this gave me that feeling. Loved it.
Yeah, this gave me that feeling. Loved it.
November 14, 2024
This was cute.
August 2, 2024
Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!
This book desperately needed to go back to the drawing board.
It’s frustrating, because the basic premise of this was great, and there are elements that really work. Although this has been comped to Red, White and Royal Blue, for me, it gave off more Boyfriend Material vibes. Coal is a bit of a mess, and his status as the Prince of Christmas means there’s the ever-present threat of paparazzi blowing up his failures. His memorable voice was brought to life by an outstanding audio performance from Ellis Evans. I also really enjoyed his relationships with his brother, Kris, and his best friend, Iris. Although, I do think the snarky banter walked a razor-thin line between “funny and endearing” and “cringey,” and sometimes it tipped too much into “cringey.”
But the entire trajectory of the plot was a complete mess. The summary promises a fun rivals-to-lovers romance, but this book is NOT that. Coal and Hex never wanted to be rivals, don’t even bother to fake a rivalry, and are pretty much in love with each other from the get-go. There is basically no conflict in their relationship until the third-act breakup. In fact, there is a severe lack of agency for all of the main characters until a little after the halfway point. They’re all being forced to do things they don’t want to because of Coal’s father, instead of actively controlling the plot, and that makes the story feel like it’s moving through molasses in the first half. The romance would have been much more exciting if Coal and Hex acted as legitimate rivals (like Hex legitimately wants to win Iris’s hand, and maybe Coal doesn’t think Hex is good enough for his best friend), only to find they have more chemistry with each other than with Iris. Also, both the third-act breakup and the resolution of the Christmas conflict at the climax were some of the silliest things I have read in a while, and I really do not say that lightly.
The other part that really fell short for me was the holiday politics. Normally, I enjoy angst and drama, but for this book, I wish it had stuck to being just a lighthearted, magical, fluffy romcom. The attempt to add high stakes via the holiday politics felt silly and melodramatic. Oh, Coal’s screw-ups are bad for Christmas’s reputation because Santa wants to expand the global reach of the holiday? I mean…that sounds kind of colonialist/imperialist, no? Considering that non-Western countries have their own major, important holidays? (It would have been actually interesting if Christmas was duking it out with Lunar New Year, Eid, and Diwali, but I guess the author didn’t want to tackle that angle.) Oh, Coal is upset that Santa wants to mass-produce cheap toys instead of giving real gifts because he wants to save his magic to turn more of a profit? Oh, Iris needs to go through with the arranged marriage because her family is unpopular with the Easter Court (and yet it's not like they can be removed from power)? Oh, Santa wants to check the power of Halloween ??? I’m sorry, but I found these “stakes” laughably ridiculous and nonsensical. I wish this book had been written more like a contemporary romance in the sense that the stakes are usually more personal and emotional, instead of attempting and failing to have grand, world-changing stakes.
Also, the whole message that “one day of joy doesn’t accomplish much compared to improving people’s lives” just felt like a misunderstanding of what holidays are. For as much as the book tries to critique the capitalist approach to holidays, it ultimately does the same thing by treating holidays as only “one day of joy.” Holidays are not just about buying and receiving presents; they’re about tradition, community, and culture (and, yes, religion, in some cases, even though the book attempts to brush that part off). And again, none of this would have been a problem if the book had just stuck to a fluffy, lighthearted, whimsical fantasy world, like Rise of the Guardians. It’s by clumsily trying to make “deeper” points that the book utterly falls flat on its face.
Other things that bothered me: some of Coal’s internal struggles were repetitive and brought up too many times, and the book was way too melodramatic at some points. Also, the make-out and sex scenes were actually torture to read. It's like the author took a thesaurus and went to town during these scenes. The prose was flowery to the point of making me laugh out loud, and not in a good way.
It’s a shame, because a Rise of the Guardians-style holiday story with a Boyfriend Material-esque queer romance could have ended up being a brilliant book. Unfortunately, the execution of this story was a miss on so many levels. Alas.
This book desperately needed to go back to the drawing board.
It’s frustrating, because the basic premise of this was great, and there are elements that really work. Although this has been comped to Red, White and Royal Blue, for me, it gave off more Boyfriend Material vibes. Coal is a bit of a mess, and his status as the Prince of Christmas means there’s the ever-present threat of paparazzi blowing up his failures. His memorable voice was brought to life by an outstanding audio performance from Ellis Evans. I also really enjoyed his relationships with his brother, Kris, and his best friend, Iris. Although, I do think the snarky banter walked a razor-thin line between “funny and endearing” and “cringey,” and sometimes it tipped too much into “cringey.”
But the entire trajectory of the plot was a complete mess. The summary promises a fun rivals-to-lovers romance, but this book is NOT that. Coal and Hex never wanted to be rivals, don’t even bother to fake a rivalry, and are pretty much in love with each other from the get-go. There is basically no conflict in their relationship until the third-act breakup. In fact, there is a severe lack of agency for all of the main characters until a little after the halfway point. They’re all being forced to do things they don’t want to because of Coal’s father, instead of actively controlling the plot, and that makes the story feel like it’s moving through molasses in the first half. The romance would have been much more exciting if Coal and Hex acted as legitimate rivals (like Hex legitimately wants to win Iris’s hand, and maybe Coal doesn’t think Hex is good enough for his best friend), only to find they have more chemistry with each other than with Iris. Also, both the third-act breakup and the resolution of the Christmas conflict at the climax were some of the silliest things I have read in a while, and I really do not say that lightly.
The other part that really fell short for me was the holiday politics. Normally, I enjoy angst and drama, but for this book, I wish it had stuck to being just a lighthearted, magical, fluffy romcom. The attempt to add high stakes via the holiday politics felt silly and melodramatic. Oh, Coal’s screw-ups are bad for Christmas’s reputation because Santa wants to expand the global reach of the holiday? I mean…that sounds kind of colonialist/imperialist, no? Considering that non-Western countries have their own major, important holidays? (It would have been actually interesting if Christmas was duking it out with Lunar New Year, Eid, and Diwali, but I guess the author didn’t want to tackle that angle.) Oh, Coal is upset that Santa wants to mass-produce cheap toys instead of giving real gifts because he wants to save his magic to turn more of a profit? Oh, Iris needs to go through with the arranged marriage because her family is unpopular with the Easter Court (and yet it's not like they can be removed from power)? Oh, Santa wants to check the power of Halloween ??? I’m sorry, but I found these “stakes” laughably ridiculous and nonsensical. I wish this book had been written more like a contemporary romance in the sense that the stakes are usually more personal and emotional, instead of attempting and failing to have grand, world-changing stakes.
Also, the whole message that “one day of joy doesn’t accomplish much compared to improving people’s lives” just felt like a misunderstanding of what holidays are. For as much as the book tries to critique the capitalist approach to holidays, it ultimately does the same thing by treating holidays as only “one day of joy.” Holidays are not just about buying and receiving presents; they’re about tradition, community, and culture (and, yes, religion, in some cases, even though the book attempts to brush that part off). And again, none of this would have been a problem if the book had just stuck to a fluffy, lighthearted, whimsical fantasy world, like Rise of the Guardians. It’s by clumsily trying to make “deeper” points that the book utterly falls flat on its face.
Other things that bothered me: some of Coal’s internal struggles were repetitive and brought up too many times, and the book was way too melodramatic at some points. Also, the make-out and sex scenes were actually torture to read. It's like the author took a thesaurus and went to town during these scenes. The prose was flowery to the point of making me laugh out loud, and not in a good way.
It’s a shame, because a Rise of the Guardians-style holiday story with a Boyfriend Material-esque queer romance could have ended up being a brilliant book. Unfortunately, the execution of this story was a miss on so many levels. Alas.
December 4, 2024
hex should've had a pov
February 16, 2025
Hey-oh, I wanna pretend we're at the North Pole / Turning the heat into an ice-cold holiday / Made just for me and my baby (Winter Things – Ariana Grande).
Ugh. Let me just get this out of the way, I think this book is totally fine and that a lot of people will love it and blah blah blah. Unfortunately, it seems that I was just never going to be one of those people, and honestly? I’m kind of in a bad mood due to the fact that this is the third "kind of bad" read in a row and I’m totally going to be a Sensitive Sally all throughout this entire review. I'm just saying, my Plumbob totally turned red every time my looming library due date forced me to pick this back up. I'll just set the scene, after finally reaching the end of this book and blissfully reading the "afterwords" section where the author said that she'd stopped writing super detailed and expansive fantasy to pivot into whatever this book's genre is, I can't lie that it made me a little forlorn for what could have been. Like, I would like to read this author's more serious fantasy please, because of all the issues I had with this book, the writing wasn't one of them. The thing is, I’ve always had a lot of little nitpicks in general about certain tropes in books where I won't like this bit or I won't like that bit, but it just so happened that all of them coalesced into a book called The Nightmare Before Kissmas. Something something perfect storm or whatever. Firstly, the pun title… not really my thing and that’s fine, but the word “kissmas?” Really not my thing. I don’t know, I just think it’s corny. Secondly, I’m not big into holiday reads. I know, we've got a real Scrooge over here (Ebenezer or McDuck), but don't worry, at least I’m not that guy who's always like, “Hey guys, did you know that Die Hard is a Christmas movie!? Isn’t that craa~aazy!?” I mean, I do like stories that take place during Christmas, just maybe not stories about Christmas. You know, with the messages and the meanings. Bleh. But more than that, I’m not interested at all in “takes” on Christmas stories. For example, it's like whenever an author looks at something that’s in the public conscience, the zeitgeist, if you will, and is all like, “ah, but here’s my interpretation on this well-known thing!” This happened most recently with that movie Red Notice... no... Red One, starring The Rock (who’s a weirdo) and Chris Evans (who might have the worst filmography known to man) about how the North Pole is run like the C.I.A. or something? I don’t know because I haven’t seen it, and I never will. Hopefully I don’t sound too harsh here… but it literally looks like the biggest steaming pile of… okay, you get it. It looks awful. Classics are classic for a reason.
This is all my roundabout way of saying that I didn’t like how The Nightmare Before Kissmas was literally about, like, the son of Santa Claus? I’m sorry, but I’m not sure if I can even properly articulate how uninteresting that concept sounds to me. “Okay, we’ve got all a bunch of characters representing all the different holidays like a Halloween Prince and someone who represents Easter! Isn’t that FUN?” Sorry, but no… that doesn’t sound fun. Also, someone representing Easter? Wouldn’t that just be Jesus? Well, I’m not getting into that particular theological discussion. Oh wait! The Easter Bunny!! I totally forgot the Easter Bunny existed!!!! I'm so quirky! Pretend I didn’t say anything. I know that this is mostly my fault because I just saw the adorable cover and clicked "borrow" on my library website before doing any kind of research into what exactly this book was... but you know, I figured it'd be a cute contemporary fantasy like Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens rather than being about homophobic Santa and the corrupt system he's got going on a the North Pole. Which leads me to my next problem with this book; the fact that the main question behind this book is all like, “Hey, weren’t you wondering what would happen if Santa was a shitty father?” and I can’t honestly say that I was. Never crossed my mind, to be honest. And look, I know that whenever someone says “I’m not offended,” they’re the most offended they've ever been in their life, but I mean, it’s not like I’m offended at the thought that somebody would find the morality of Santa Claus to be a good premise for a book. I'm not going to clutch my pearls and I don't need the sanctity of Christmas to be upheld by keeping portrayals of Santa strictly on the line or whatever. How he only gives presents to rich kids or just the fact that he gives out coal to "bad" kids... he sucks, I get it, this isn't a hill I'd die on, I just think it's a pretty funny concept to try to explore in any depth. It feels like a "shower thought," you know? "Oh my God! Don't you guys think Santa is shitty, actually?" Besides, it’s not like turning beloved characters who are supposed to be beacons of hope into terrible fathers is a new thing with writers, just look at Avatar: Legend of Korra, where everybody’s favorite happy-go-lucky protagonist, Aang, turned out to be a jaded, overly serious, and neglectful father in his adult life. It’s whatever, but I always think it’s interesting how it seems like authors are never interested in writing a "good" dad character, like it’s unfathomable to them.
Anyway, all in all, the real lesson here is that I really need to stop reading books that proudly compare themselves to Red, White, and Royal Blue, not only because I have to add the Oxford Comma in there every time I talk about it, but also because I did not like that book. Gasp! I know and I'm sorry!! I think that sometimes there are a few books out there that are so popular and beloved (in the public zeitgeist, if you will) that I trick my brain into thinking that somehow I liked them as well, even when I know damn well I didn’t. It's kind of weird, I know. I've literally never talked about this book before, but I think the worst book I've ever read was called Playing the Palace, and the truth is that if I ever come across anything with royals in a contemporary setting, my opinion will always range from indifference to pure unadulterated hatred. Hey, at least The Nightmare Before Kissmas had the benefit of having fictional royalty, so the disgust was tempered to the point where I could focus on other things I didn't like. Yay! I had this dream a couple days ago (this is my dream journal now) where I met Ryan Reynolds (a man who is known for quite possibly having the worst filmography ever known to man), and instead of geeking out, I simply asked him how Deadpool 5 was coming along, and proceeded to laugh so hard that it woke me up. Man, dream me sure knows how to put together a devastating burn, so much so that I immediately had to write it down to save it for later! Just kidding, instead I spent the next couple minutes scratching my head as to why I found that so funny? I think it’s because he’s such a limited actor that every role he’s played since the first Deadpool has just been… Deadpool. And my point is that I feel like a lot of these contemporary romance books are all starting to feel this way; the same quirky, Tom Holland ass “Um… oh! Erm... ack! What even was that” ass dialogue with the same easily digestible themes that are factory-made to go down easy. Maybe that’s too mean, and I know that the best way for me to escape the vaguely generic direction every one of these books is going down is just for me to stop reading them altogether, and I might! But it’s still a sad thought, though. This stuff used to be my bread and butter, my peanut butter and jelly! Oh well. So, why did I even give The Nightmare Before Kissmas a shot despite everything about it being something I inherently dislike in a book? Um well, other than the fact that it was available at my library, I guess I’m just too much of a Curious Casey and just needed to see for myself. And I saw, oh, I saw!
“I wanted you to be better. Now, I’ll just be better for you.”
Ugh. Let me just get this out of the way, I think this book is totally fine and that a lot of people will love it and blah blah blah. Unfortunately, it seems that I was just never going to be one of those people, and honestly? I’m kind of in a bad mood due to the fact that this is the third "kind of bad" read in a row and I’m totally going to be a Sensitive Sally all throughout this entire review. I'm just saying, my Plumbob totally turned red every time my looming library due date forced me to pick this back up. I'll just set the scene, after finally reaching the end of this book and blissfully reading the "afterwords" section where the author said that she'd stopped writing super detailed and expansive fantasy to pivot into whatever this book's genre is, I can't lie that it made me a little forlorn for what could have been. Like, I would like to read this author's more serious fantasy please, because of all the issues I had with this book, the writing wasn't one of them. The thing is, I’ve always had a lot of little nitpicks in general about certain tropes in books where I won't like this bit or I won't like that bit, but it just so happened that all of them coalesced into a book called The Nightmare Before Kissmas. Something something perfect storm or whatever. Firstly, the pun title… not really my thing and that’s fine, but the word “kissmas?” Really not my thing. I don’t know, I just think it’s corny. Secondly, I’m not big into holiday reads. I know, we've got a real Scrooge over here (Ebenezer or McDuck), but don't worry, at least I’m not that guy who's always like, “Hey guys, did you know that Die Hard is a Christmas movie!? Isn’t that craa~aazy!?” I mean, I do like stories that take place during Christmas, just maybe not stories about Christmas. You know, with the messages and the meanings. Bleh. But more than that, I’m not interested at all in “takes” on Christmas stories. For example, it's like whenever an author looks at something that’s in the public conscience, the zeitgeist, if you will, and is all like, “ah, but here’s my interpretation on this well-known thing!” This happened most recently with that movie Red Notice... no... Red One, starring The Rock (who’s a weirdo) and Chris Evans (who might have the worst filmography known to man) about how the North Pole is run like the C.I.A. or something? I don’t know because I haven’t seen it, and I never will. Hopefully I don’t sound too harsh here… but it literally looks like the biggest steaming pile of… okay, you get it. It looks awful. Classics are classic for a reason.
This is all my roundabout way of saying that I didn’t like how The Nightmare Before Kissmas was literally about, like, the son of Santa Claus? I’m sorry, but I’m not sure if I can even properly articulate how uninteresting that concept sounds to me. “Okay, we’ve got all a bunch of characters representing all the different holidays like a Halloween Prince and someone who represents Easter! Isn’t that FUN?” Sorry, but no… that doesn’t sound fun. Also, someone representing Easter? Wouldn’t that just be Jesus? Well, I’m not getting into that particular theological discussion. Oh wait! The Easter Bunny!! I totally forgot the Easter Bunny existed!!!! I'm so quirky! Pretend I didn’t say anything. I know that this is mostly my fault because I just saw the adorable cover and clicked "borrow" on my library website before doing any kind of research into what exactly this book was... but you know, I figured it'd be a cute contemporary fantasy like Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens rather than being about homophobic Santa and the corrupt system he's got going on a the North Pole. Which leads me to my next problem with this book; the fact that the main question behind this book is all like, “Hey, weren’t you wondering what would happen if Santa was a shitty father?” and I can’t honestly say that I was. Never crossed my mind, to be honest. And look, I know that whenever someone says “I’m not offended,” they’re the most offended they've ever been in their life, but I mean, it’s not like I’m offended at the thought that somebody would find the morality of Santa Claus to be a good premise for a book. I'm not going to clutch my pearls and I don't need the sanctity of Christmas to be upheld by keeping portrayals of Santa strictly on the line or whatever. How he only gives presents to rich kids or just the fact that he gives out coal to "bad" kids... he sucks, I get it, this isn't a hill I'd die on, I just think it's a pretty funny concept to try to explore in any depth. It feels like a "shower thought," you know? "Oh my God! Don't you guys think Santa is shitty, actually?" Besides, it’s not like turning beloved characters who are supposed to be beacons of hope into terrible fathers is a new thing with writers, just look at Avatar: Legend of Korra, where everybody’s favorite happy-go-lucky protagonist, Aang, turned out to be a jaded, overly serious, and neglectful father in his adult life. It’s whatever, but I always think it’s interesting how it seems like authors are never interested in writing a "good" dad character, like it’s unfathomable to them.
Anyway, all in all, the real lesson here is that I really need to stop reading books that proudly compare themselves to Red, White, and Royal Blue, not only because I have to add the Oxford Comma in there every time I talk about it, but also because I did not like that book. Gasp! I know and I'm sorry!! I think that sometimes there are a few books out there that are so popular and beloved (in the public zeitgeist, if you will) that I trick my brain into thinking that somehow I liked them as well, even when I know damn well I didn’t. It's kind of weird, I know. I've literally never talked about this book before, but I think the worst book I've ever read was called Playing the Palace, and the truth is that if I ever come across anything with royals in a contemporary setting, my opinion will always range from indifference to pure unadulterated hatred. Hey, at least The Nightmare Before Kissmas had the benefit of having fictional royalty, so the disgust was tempered to the point where I could focus on other things I didn't like. Yay! I had this dream a couple days ago (this is my dream journal now) where I met Ryan Reynolds (a man who is known for quite possibly having the worst filmography ever known to man), and instead of geeking out, I simply asked him how Deadpool 5 was coming along, and proceeded to laugh so hard that it woke me up. Man, dream me sure knows how to put together a devastating burn, so much so that I immediately had to write it down to save it for later! Just kidding, instead I spent the next couple minutes scratching my head as to why I found that so funny? I think it’s because he’s such a limited actor that every role he’s played since the first Deadpool has just been… Deadpool. And my point is that I feel like a lot of these contemporary romance books are all starting to feel this way; the same quirky, Tom Holland ass “Um… oh! Erm... ack! What even was that” ass dialogue with the same easily digestible themes that are factory-made to go down easy. Maybe that’s too mean, and I know that the best way for me to escape the vaguely generic direction every one of these books is going down is just for me to stop reading them altogether, and I might! But it’s still a sad thought, though. This stuff used to be my bread and butter, my peanut butter and jelly! Oh well. So, why did I even give The Nightmare Before Kissmas a shot despite everything about it being something I inherently dislike in a book? Um well, other than the fact that it was available at my library, I guess I’m just too much of a Curious Casey and just needed to see for myself. And I saw, oh, I saw!
“I wanted you to be better. Now, I’ll just be better for you.”
April 18, 2025
(i'm so sorry to lovers of this book in advance, please scroll on hahaha)
I have been trying to read this for over a week. He made finger guns in an attempt to be a quirky mc kinda guy and I can't handle one more page of this shit. It’s time to let this one die - time of death: 53%
I simply do not care about Christmas capitalism & politics or evil Santa's with a side of overwhelmingly lacklustre romance.
They like each other and kiss after one weird drunken bar convo about the 'foundation of happiness'. Time skip 18 months, meet and have 1 more random ass convo before kissing again. Why? There is no vibes here.
I also like reasonings in my books for things to be more substantial than “because magic” or “because ancestry”.
Babe, ice skating isn’t a skill you obtain because your nan was good at it, it’s not genetic. 🙄🙄
Dead Jellyfish washed up on an Australian shores in the middle of summer has more spine than this MC. This book could have been 75% shorter if the MC just said "oh, no thanks dad".
And the first 52% is him being all "woe is me, I'm suuuuuuch a disaster, I fuck everything up, i'm such a jokester, such a clown, never serious, always make mistake, tehe, such jokester, always jokes, never take life serious, cry about life, because I'm so silly and goofy and never serious"
Uhhhhhhhhh, WHO ASKED? SHUT THE FUCK UP?
Like, is there a term for... Mansplaining, but it's like... Personality-splaining???????
Okay bro, you're so edgy and not an ideal son, we get it. stfu.
There's so much i hated about this, but ultimately, I was so fucking bored the whole time.
December 16, 2025
── 4.00 stars .ᐟ ₊˚⊹ ❆
「 ❛ I almost promise I will. I almost promise him everything. ❜ 」
⤿ read: december 08 • december 12 • 2025
⤿ age rating: 16+
⤿ spice level: 2/5
⤿ content warnings: sexual content (2x scenes), strong language, violence
┈┈・୨ ✦ ୧・┈┈
✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ ⛸️ ꒰ main tropes: ꒱
⤿ holiday romance
⤿ pathetic yearning men²
⤿ rival princes
⤿ queer romance
✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ 🎄 ꒰ review: ꒱
i’m an absolute mess. consider this my formal apology to amy for not reading this sooner. this was so…everything. i mean that literally, because there were elements of romance, politics, fun, angst, sadness, spice… my cheeks ache. my spine is now disfigured from the amount of times i folded. i love it. the way coal and hex had the unwavering ability to turn each other into whimpering fools at one single touch? that is the level of whipped i aspire to. please, i’m on the floor.
✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ 🎃 ꒰ writing style: ꒱
where does one begin? i am a spice snob—if it is not written well, i cannot consume it, and it will be viscerally judged. many of the books i have read involving spice have had stars taken off due to the unholy amount of cringe i experienced. the spice in this book? top tier. i mean, seriously, there’s a difference between smut and sex, and this was the latter. calling it freaky would be a criminal injustice. it was beautiful.
✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ ❄️ ꒰ characters: ꒱
➪ nicholas ‘coal’ claus .ᐟ
what an absolute cutie. golden retriever-ed to the absolute max. and the yearn? please, the way he talks about hex — ‘It’s so easy to create gods or monuments of importance or cruxes of joy, and I’ve done that for him now, I am his most fervent steward.’ — i mean, come on??? what?? if your man doesn’t worship you like coal worships hex, he is not worth your time.
➪ hex hallow .ᐟ
i mean, shit, if my man walked in wearing a corset vest, i’d fold too. other than the skinny jeans at the start—*shudder*—this man was such a fashionista. he matched coal’s yearn perfectly. i love this spooky little baby so much it pains me.
➪ others .ᐟ
iris lentora ; coal may not want to marry her, but rest assured, i do. she spends almost the whole book being a wingwoman for the two men she’s supposedly courting like the complete icon that she is.
kris claus ; my under-appreciated diva, never let it be said that he didn’t serve. i love this guy. i love his stupid ahh man bun too.
✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ 👻 ꒰ quotes & annotations: ꒱
‘The great sexuality equalizer: Cate Blanchett in leather.’
⤿ real as fuck
‘“Oh my god, I’m so sorry—I’m—” I drop to my knees.’
⤿ i love pathetic yearning men
‘“I want to make you feel good.” Do I sound begging? God, I am, I am begging.’
⤿ this shit got my toes wiggling
┈┈・୨ ✦ ୧・┈┈
✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ pre-read:
i don’t even know what i’m getting myself into but the nightmare before christmas is one of my all-time favourite films—i literally say this as i am drinking hot chocolate from a jack skellington mug. my lovely amy recommended this to me (…over a month ago, sorry for the delay, diva) and seemed to love it so i’m super excited!! also the first book of this month that is even remotely seasonal for me. — ( prediction ; 3.50 ☆ )
જ⁀➴ ₊˚⊹ ᰔ
「 ❛ I almost promise I will. I almost promise him everything. ❜ 」
⤿ read: december 08 • december 12 • 2025
⤿ age rating: 16+
⤿ spice level: 2/5
⤿ content warnings: sexual content (2x scenes), strong language, violence
┈┈・୨ ✦ ୧・┈┈
✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ ⛸️ ꒰ main tropes: ꒱
⤿ holiday romance
⤿ pathetic yearning men²
⤿ rival princes
⤿ queer romance
✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ 🎄 ꒰ review: ꒱
i’m an absolute mess. consider this my formal apology to amy for not reading this sooner. this was so…everything. i mean that literally, because there were elements of romance, politics, fun, angst, sadness, spice… my cheeks ache. my spine is now disfigured from the amount of times i folded. i love it. the way coal and hex had the unwavering ability to turn each other into whimpering fools at one single touch? that is the level of whipped i aspire to. please, i’m on the floor.
✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ 🎃 ꒰ writing style: ꒱
where does one begin? i am a spice snob—if it is not written well, i cannot consume it, and it will be viscerally judged. many of the books i have read involving spice have had stars taken off due to the unholy amount of cringe i experienced. the spice in this book? top tier. i mean, seriously, there’s a difference between smut and sex, and this was the latter. calling it freaky would be a criminal injustice. it was beautiful.
✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ ❄️ ꒰ characters: ꒱
➪ nicholas ‘coal’ claus .ᐟ
what an absolute cutie. golden retriever-ed to the absolute max. and the yearn? please, the way he talks about hex — ‘It’s so easy to create gods or monuments of importance or cruxes of joy, and I’ve done that for him now, I am his most fervent steward.’ — i mean, come on??? what?? if your man doesn’t worship you like coal worships hex, he is not worth your time.
➪ hex hallow .ᐟ
i mean, shit, if my man walked in wearing a corset vest, i’d fold too. other than the skinny jeans at the start—*shudder*—this man was such a fashionista. he matched coal’s yearn perfectly. i love this spooky little baby so much it pains me.
➪ others .ᐟ
iris lentora ; coal may not want to marry her, but rest assured, i do. she spends almost the whole book being a wingwoman for the two men she’s supposedly courting like the complete icon that she is.
kris claus ; my under-appreciated diva, never let it be said that he didn’t serve. i love this guy. i love his stupid ahh man bun too.
✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ 👻 ꒰ quotes & annotations: ꒱
‘The great sexuality equalizer: Cate Blanchett in leather.’
⤿ real as fuck
‘“Oh my god, I’m so sorry—I’m—” I drop to my knees.’
⤿ i love pathetic yearning men
‘“I want to make you feel good.” Do I sound begging? God, I am, I am begging.’
⤿ this shit got my toes wiggling
┈┈・୨ ✦ ୧・┈┈
✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ pre-read:
i don’t even know what i’m getting myself into but the nightmare before christmas is one of my all-time favourite films—i literally say this as i am drinking hot chocolate from a jack skellington mug. my lovely amy recommended this to me (…over a month ago, sorry for the delay, diva) and seemed to love it so i’m super excited!! also the first book of this month that is even remotely seasonal for me. — ( prediction ; 3.50 ☆ )
જ⁀➴ ₊˚⊹ ᰔ
November 20, 2024
If I wanted to read 200 pages of a self-deprecating, whining ginger bitch, I'd read my diary from when I was 14
December 2, 2024
When I started this book I knew I would like it at least somewhat. I didn’t expect to absolutely LOVE IT!!! It’s always the holiday books, I swear they just get to me.
The world this story revolves around is full of different holidays but make it political. Each holiday is built like a monarchy which I thought was a really interesting concept and I enjoyed it. I also thought the crafting behind the little details of each holiday was good, the author really managed to uphold the spirit. I liked all the characters and the writing was well done. Coal is the main character we follow and he’s trying his best to live up to the Christmas name while figuring out that his holiday isn't all what it seems. I really fell for him, he has such a big heart, striving to make people happy even if it’s just for a moment 🥲. His relationship with Hex (the second main character and also the Halloween Prince) was the sweetest!! It wasn’t instant-lust but it wasn’t a slow-burn either, it just sat in the middle and it was perfect. They share a lot of moments of understanding and heartfelt words. They also share a lot of steamy moments and flirt with one another 😂. I really couldn’t get enough of this book, I laughed out loud and smiled stupidly at almost every page. I might just have to re-read this one next year.
The world this story revolves around is full of different holidays but make it political. Each holiday is built like a monarchy which I thought was a really interesting concept and I enjoyed it. I also thought the crafting behind the little details of each holiday was good, the author really managed to uphold the spirit. I liked all the characters and the writing was well done. Coal is the main character we follow and he’s trying his best to live up to the Christmas name while figuring out that his holiday isn't all what it seems. I really fell for him, he has such a big heart, striving to make people happy even if it’s just for a moment 🥲. His relationship with Hex (the second main character and also the Halloween Prince) was the sweetest!! It wasn’t instant-lust but it wasn’t a slow-burn either, it just sat in the middle and it was perfect. They share a lot of moments of understanding and heartfelt words. They also share a lot of steamy moments and flirt with one another 😂. I really couldn’t get enough of this book, I laughed out loud and smiled stupidly at almost every page. I might just have to re-read this one next year.
October 23, 2024
This book is sort of about a walking disaster tornado falling in love with a cute little goth man but it’s more about odd political holiday-royalty intrigue. There are doe eyes and romantic murmurs and passionate make outs on couches, but there’s more… discussion of joy as a commodity and the ethical ramifications of hoarding it? There’s also a Marvel villain Santa, a creepy arranged engagement between friends, and two brothers with an extremely codependent relationship born out of parental trauma. You know, holiday rom-com stuff. It’s a fun enough story, if you can get behind adults who act like they’re sixteen trying to commit treason, but for, like, a good cause. Brings a whole new meaning to “spread the joy” (not a euphemism, unfortunately).
December 19, 2024
B O R I N G 🥱👎🏻
~
okay, i lied. one last christmas book
~
okay, i lied. one last christmas book
July 31, 2024
SOOOOOO FUCKING CUTEEEEEEEEE
March 29, 2026
"I am an insatiable sap. A greedy romantic, and I will never get enough of hearing you talk..."Nicholas "Coal" Claus is the Prince of Christmas, heir apparent to the vast wealth, holiday cheer, and adoration of humans everywhere...and he hates it.
He remembers Christmases of the past, before his father focused more in the presents and monopolizing all of the other holidays (haven't you noticed the Christmas decorations in September this year?).
After a particularly disastrous situation, Coal finds himself courting his (completely platonic) friend, Iris (Princess of Easter)...but then Hex rolls into town.
Hex is the Prince of
Soooooooo...this one was poised to win me over - A cheery Christmas Prince and his dark Halloween lover? Argh! It's too perfect!!
“So go ahead,” I dare him. “How badly do you want this? Because I know how badly I want this. I know how far I’ll go now.”
And I do admit that some of the interactions were exactly like I dreamed - that push-pull from the two characters as they figured out themselves and each other...and yet...and yet, I really don't think I'll be continuing the series because quite frankly:
The World Building was a Complete Mess
Ohmygawd...where do I even begin?
As far as I can tell, there's a bunch of royals who are people with magic who represent various holidays and live in specific "Holiday Realms" which aren't real places but also kind of are (Christmas realm is in Greenland). Which totally makes sense...because "reasons".
It's never specified how many of these magic people live in the Holiday Realms but somewhere between "enough to prevent inbreeding" and "large enough to have completing trashy gossip press companies." If their holiday is doing well and being celebrated by the "real world people", then the royals are doing good...and if it isn't, their magic weakens. Because "reasons."
There's a lot (and I mean a LOT) of that fake-book-holiday-politics about Christmas expanding (hello Santa decorations in September) which is supposedly all done cloak-and-dagger-like because we can't have the 'normies' know about the Holiday Realms. Because "reasons."
But every time I tried to really understand the world building, it was kept frustratingly foggy.
Some people can do magic (the royals) but the rest just seem...like regular people? Why are they stuck in a Holiday Realm rather than being out there in the real world?
Also, surely there aren't THAT many holiday royals going through scandals that there's enough to for paparazzi/gossip columns?
Oh, I forgot, it's because "reasons."
The Plotless Plot
Look, I'm really not into books based on fake politics made up for a story...and weird holiday politics seem to take over this book.
And Coal spends much of his time trying to outmaneuver his father, worrying about his impending marriage to Iris, and desperately convince the world that Christmas isn't a capitalist holiday.
From the very beginning, it felt obvious to me that his father's power comes from the secretive deals and underhanded bargaining...and if Coal would bring it to light, yes it might tank a bit of Christmas's power but also it would prevent the King of Christmas from further sullying Christmas's reputation.
The whole time, Coal kept worrying and circling and worrying some more...and the whole time I wanted to shake him because at the end of the day, he's an adult.
He's the heir apparent to the entire Greenland Christmas Realm...and he can say "no" to being in a forced marriage? He can just say "no" to his dad's politics?
Maybe if he was 15/16, I could understand this uncertainty and hesitation and circling...but not at his current age.
Overall Thoughts
This is one of those rare situations where I rather liked the concept, and the love interest...but the world building really brought it down along with the Main Character's whinyness.
October 9, 2024
I was lucky enough to be able to read an early draft of this book and you guys, it is amazing.
This book is like a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day. It’s adorable, funny, and addictive. I never wanted it to end!
I can’t wait for everyone to see how incredible this book is!!
This book is like a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day. It’s adorable, funny, and addictive. I never wanted it to end!
I can’t wait for everyone to see how incredible this book is!!
December 12, 2024
I can’t believe this silly little romance book made me want to choose violence against Santa Claus
December 11, 2024
This somehow wasn't as bad as I thought, but also not great at the same time.
The Nightmare Before Kissmas follows the romance between Coal, the Prince of Christmas and Hex, the Prince of Halloween. Coal is set to marry Iris, the Princess of Easter in an arranged marriage, but after a surprise hookup with Hex, Coal finds himself re-evaluating things.
This book had a few quirky and fun moments which is why I didn't give up on it early on. While this book is technically a romance for adults, they are in their early twenties and very much read like young adult characters. There was also a lot of world-building, but somehow not enough? And I felt the plot actually took away from the romance to the point that when we got to spicy parts I was like, oh yeah this is a romance!
I think this is a fun book if you don't take it seriously and just read along for the ride. For me, it was solidly okay and just not something I can even say I liked but I can see why it would appeal to other readers.
The Nightmare Before Kissmas follows the romance between Coal, the Prince of Christmas and Hex, the Prince of Halloween. Coal is set to marry Iris, the Princess of Easter in an arranged marriage, but after a surprise hookup with Hex, Coal finds himself re-evaluating things.
This book had a few quirky and fun moments which is why I didn't give up on it early on. While this book is technically a romance for adults, they are in their early twenties and very much read like young adult characters. There was also a lot of world-building, but somehow not enough? And I felt the plot actually took away from the romance to the point that when we got to spicy parts I was like, oh yeah this is a romance!
I think this is a fun book if you don't take it seriously and just read along for the ride. For me, it was solidly okay and just not something I can even say I liked but I can see why it would appeal to other readers.
December 30, 2024
Sigh 😮💨 . (This contains spoilers, I don’t know how else to review it.)
This was a disappointment, all right. I feel like I was gaslit into believing this book was a mashup of Red, White & Royal Blue and The Rise of the Guardians, but in reality, it’s everything but.
There are so many things I didn’t like that it’s hard to remember what I actually enjoyed. Though I’ll admit the cover is pretty good, and Hex’s corset-vests were a highlight. Beyond that? Not much.
Let’s start with the world-building. It’s weird. I get that this is a fantasy book (believe me, I’ve read my fair share of them), but the logic here didn’t make much sense. There are “Holiday Realms” that are representative of specific holidays. They supposedly exist in people’s minds but are also physical locations—like Christmas being somehow located in Greenland. But then there are so many pop-culture references that it seems like all of this is happening in a reality where Taylor Swift and Marvel also exist. It’s disjointed, to say the least.
Now, the characters. Coal (a.k.a. Nicholas, for reasons never made clear) is the most annoyingly repetitive, boring MC I’ve read in a while. He’s surrounded by “friends” who don’t even feel like real friends. One of them is his younger brother, and the other is Iris, the “Easter Princess” (and the sister of Coal’s ex). The three of them are together a lot throughout the book, but their interactions feel forced and lifeless. There’s no real friendship chemistry, just judgmental looks and awkward vibes.
And then there’s the central plot. Coal’s evil dad (who also happens to be Santa but reads more like a wannabe mafia boss) is trying to force him into an arranged marriage with Iris. Coal obviously says no, but Iris proceeds to guilt-trip him by saying her father will basically be dethroned if she doesn’t marry him. Not a very “best-friend” move, is it?
Enter Hex, who is supposedly the other suitor for Iris’s hand but is actually just into Coal (and vice versa). Their romance had potential but was buried under endless, nonsensical holiday politics. For instance, Christmas is supposedly allied with other winter holidays, yet at one point, Coal mentions that half the planet celebrates Christmas in the summer. That idea is promptly dropped and never mentioned again. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to align Christmas with the December/January holidays?
Evil Santa, meanwhile, is hellbent on making all the other holidays less relevant so Christmas can reign supreme. (Make Christmas great again, I guess?) The stakes felt contrived, the drama was dull, and Coal had absolutely no backbone for 95% of the book. He finally decides to stand up for himself near the end, but by then, it’s too little, too late.
Of course, there’s a third-act breakup because why not, and the ending is so rushed and inconclusive that we don’t even get to see if things worked out.
This book is really 2 stars and that's been generous, I had originally given it 3 for the cover only but I just hated it too much..
This was a disappointment, all right. I feel like I was gaslit into believing this book was a mashup of Red, White & Royal Blue and The Rise of the Guardians, but in reality, it’s everything but.
There are so many things I didn’t like that it’s hard to remember what I actually enjoyed. Though I’ll admit the cover is pretty good, and Hex’s corset-vests were a highlight. Beyond that? Not much.
Let’s start with the world-building. It’s weird. I get that this is a fantasy book (believe me, I’ve read my fair share of them), but the logic here didn’t make much sense. There are “Holiday Realms” that are representative of specific holidays. They supposedly exist in people’s minds but are also physical locations—like Christmas being somehow located in Greenland. But then there are so many pop-culture references that it seems like all of this is happening in a reality where Taylor Swift and Marvel also exist. It’s disjointed, to say the least.
Now, the characters. Coal (a.k.a. Nicholas, for reasons never made clear) is the most annoyingly repetitive, boring MC I’ve read in a while. He’s surrounded by “friends” who don’t even feel like real friends. One of them is his younger brother, and the other is Iris, the “Easter Princess” (and the sister of Coal’s ex). The three of them are together a lot throughout the book, but their interactions feel forced and lifeless. There’s no real friendship chemistry, just judgmental looks and awkward vibes.
And then there’s the central plot. Coal’s evil dad (who also happens to be Santa but reads more like a wannabe mafia boss) is trying to force him into an arranged marriage with Iris. Coal obviously says no, but Iris proceeds to guilt-trip him by saying her father will basically be dethroned if she doesn’t marry him. Not a very “best-friend” move, is it?
Enter Hex, who is supposedly the other suitor for Iris’s hand but is actually just into Coal (and vice versa). Their romance had potential but was buried under endless, nonsensical holiday politics. For instance, Christmas is supposedly allied with other winter holidays, yet at one point, Coal mentions that half the planet celebrates Christmas in the summer. That idea is promptly dropped and never mentioned again. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to align Christmas with the December/January holidays?
Evil Santa, meanwhile, is hellbent on making all the other holidays less relevant so Christmas can reign supreme. (Make Christmas great again, I guess?) The stakes felt contrived, the drama was dull, and Coal had absolutely no backbone for 95% of the book. He finally decides to stand up for himself near the end, but by then, it’s too little, too late.
Of course, there’s a third-act breakup because why not, and the ending is so rushed and inconclusive that we don’t even get to see if things worked out.
This book is really 2 stars and that's been generous, I had originally given it 3 for the cover only but I just hated it too much..
December 4, 2024
I had such a fun time with this, not to say that this is a perfect book, but I think that this is a great book to get into the Christmas mood.
This book so obviously takes inspiration heavily from the idea of the holiday worlds in a “Nightmare before Christmas” but fleshes it out to a world of interconnected royal families and the politics that go into running a global holiday. Given that an NBC has always been one of my favourite Christmas movies I feel like anything existing alongside it conceptually was always going to be a winner to me.
Its so interesting that I feel like every time I see this book come up on my feed its either from people giving it 5 stars and raving about it, or people DNFing it and whilst I was interested in it before the reviews started coming in, I must admit that a polarising book always adds to my interest!
I think that in this case it comes down to expectations of the reader going into the book and the story trying to straddle the line between a fun, campy hallmark holiday romance story and a more serious political court corruption storyline. For me ultimately, the balance worked, and I enjoyed it, but I can also appreciate that people just wanting a fun and light contemporary romance might not enjoy the politicking story line and people who want the court manoeuvring storyline might not enjoy the Hallmark movie cheesiness.
I really enjoyed the way that this book framed its critique on the commodification of Christmas though. Probably largely because watching how much the holiday has become about amassing piles of plastic crap has been one of my own personal gripes for some time.
Hex and Coal’s chemistry worked for me, and whilst a little insta-lovey their enthusiasm with each other was enjoyable to read (there was potentially a little more shaking and breathiness than I normally care for, but I still had a good time).
I must admit, the biggest issue I had with this is how easily the book was resolved lol but like I understand that bloody revolution and civil war probably thematically doesn’t fit in with the Hallmark Holiday movie vibes (honestly though, this book in that gritty world would be like crack cocaine to my brain).
I’m excited to see the next book with the enemies to lovers that’s set up for Kris. That poor boy deserves his HEA too.
This book so obviously takes inspiration heavily from the idea of the holiday worlds in a “Nightmare before Christmas” but fleshes it out to a world of interconnected royal families and the politics that go into running a global holiday. Given that an NBC has always been one of my favourite Christmas movies I feel like anything existing alongside it conceptually was always going to be a winner to me.
Its so interesting that I feel like every time I see this book come up on my feed its either from people giving it 5 stars and raving about it, or people DNFing it and whilst I was interested in it before the reviews started coming in, I must admit that a polarising book always adds to my interest!
I think that in this case it comes down to expectations of the reader going into the book and the story trying to straddle the line between a fun, campy hallmark holiday romance story and a more serious political court corruption storyline. For me ultimately, the balance worked, and I enjoyed it, but I can also appreciate that people just wanting a fun and light contemporary romance might not enjoy the politicking story line and people who want the court manoeuvring storyline might not enjoy the Hallmark movie cheesiness.
I really enjoyed the way that this book framed its critique on the commodification of Christmas though. Probably largely because watching how much the holiday has become about amassing piles of plastic crap has been one of my own personal gripes for some time.
Hex and Coal’s chemistry worked for me, and whilst a little insta-lovey their enthusiasm with each other was enjoyable to read (there was potentially a little more shaking and breathiness than I normally care for, but I still had a good time).
I must admit, the biggest issue I had with this is how easily the book was resolved lol but like I understand that bloody revolution and civil war probably thematically doesn’t fit in with the Hallmark Holiday movie vibes (honestly though, this book in that gritty world would be like crack cocaine to my brain).
I’m excited to see the next book with the enemies to lovers that’s set up for Kris. That poor boy deserves his HEA too.
October 30, 2024
Well.... this was a bit of a let down, tbh. I was SO excited to start this book!! It had SO much potential, but unfortunately, it lacked in execution.
So much so that it didn't really reach me emotionally. The words were pretty, but they felt empty, uselessly pompous. A legitimately beautiful, almost "poetic" prose wasted on scenes that didn't call for it, which resulted in creating distance between the reader and the characters, imo. I simply couldn't relate to them. They were not tangible to me 🤷♀️
Reminds me a bit of how I felt about The Pairing. I had a similar experience with that book...
I feel a little sad because I really wanted to like this. And while I did like some things about it, there wasn't enough there to leave me fully satisfied 😕
A plot that could have been intriguing, was rendered banal and lackluster. And the romance had no chemistry, no substance. Insta-love/insta-lust-ish with no real foundation. I still don't really understand why Coal and Hex are so into one another. They don't even know each other... 😪
Nevertheless, I don't regret reading this. It was kinda cute, in its own way. I'll be looking forward to Kris' story next year 💚💚💚
On a positive note, the 🎧audiobook🎧 narration was 5 ⭐️ worthy. I definitely recommend doing the audio for this book.
***
My favorite quote (so romantic in its simplicity 🥰):
“Dance with me?” I taste his grin.
“You’re going to have to set me down for that, I think.”
“Under duress, let it be noted.”
“Noted.”
So much so that it didn't really reach me emotionally. The words were pretty, but they felt empty, uselessly pompous. A legitimately beautiful, almost "poetic" prose wasted on scenes that didn't call for it, which resulted in creating distance between the reader and the characters, imo. I simply couldn't relate to them. They were not tangible to me 🤷♀️
Reminds me a bit of how I felt about The Pairing. I had a similar experience with that book...
I feel a little sad because I really wanted to like this. And while I did like some things about it, there wasn't enough there to leave me fully satisfied 😕
A plot that could have been intriguing, was rendered banal and lackluster. And the romance had no chemistry, no substance. Insta-love/insta-lust-ish with no real foundation. I still don't really understand why Coal and Hex are so into one another. They don't even know each other... 😪
Nevertheless, I don't regret reading this. It was kinda cute, in its own way. I'll be looking forward to Kris' story next year 💚💚💚
On a positive note, the 🎧audiobook🎧 narration was 5 ⭐️ worthy. I definitely recommend doing the audio for this book.
***
My favorite quote (so romantic in its simplicity 🥰):
“Dance with me?” I taste his grin.
“You’re going to have to set me down for that, I think.”
“Under duress, let it be noted.”
“Noted.”
April 1, 2025
This was like if RWRB and the Simon Snow series had a baby. A damn cute baby. I need more, that is all. 4.5 STARS!
October 31, 2024
1🌟 only for the idea how author bring all the festivals into characters but the rest of it was a waste of time.
Wrong marketing. The book description mentioned it as an enemies to lovers comedy romance...... when it's actually a political drama.
It's plot heavily bent towards political angst, Power hungry manipulation. Romance was completely neglected. The chemistry between the leads was weak and boring.
They totally made 🎅 a villain. 😫
Wrong marketing. The book description mentioned it as an enemies to lovers comedy romance...... when it's actually a political drama.
It's plot heavily bent towards political angst, Power hungry manipulation. Romance was completely neglected. The chemistry between the leads was weak and boring.
They totally made 🎅 a villain. 😫
July 14, 2025
Whoa! I expected cute, but not cute + geopolitical holiday politics! In this world, holidays are like full countries and being the Prince to Christmas includes a lot of pressure. When Santa arranges his heir to wed the Princess of Easter to shore up an important alliance, tensions grow even higher. Especially since Coal, the Christmas Prince, can't stop thinking about a Gothic-looking boy he kissed in an alley. Might this boy be the Prince of Halloween?!??!
The world building is spectacularly better than expected for an otherwise predictably cute romance, and I loved every page. Though it takes place in a fantasy world, it doesn't require much imagination to see similarities to American and British politics. The good guys have a lot they're up against, but maybe, just maybe, they can make a change. The comparison to Red, White & Royal Blue is very accurate, but it is different enough that it doesn't feel like a clone.
I'm officially obsessed and will definitely be reading book two. The library has a 17-week waitlist, but it'll get to me soon enough.
If you're even remotely interested in The Nightmare Before Kissmas, check it out! It's 1000x better than it looks and I came in thinking it looked really good.
The world building is spectacularly better than expected for an otherwise predictably cute romance, and I loved every page. Though it takes place in a fantasy world, it doesn't require much imagination to see similarities to American and British politics. The good guys have a lot they're up against, but maybe, just maybe, they can make a change. The comparison to Red, White & Royal Blue is very accurate, but it is different enough that it doesn't feel like a clone.
I'm officially obsessed and will definitely be reading book two. The library has a 17-week waitlist, but it'll get to me soon enough.
If you're even remotely interested in The Nightmare Before Kissmas, check it out! It's 1000x better than it looks and I came in thinking it looked really good.
August 4, 2024
This is a political fantasy with a minor romance subplot.
On paper, it was everything I like, but in practice it’s surprisingly brutal. Hex is more of a side character than a main character — we don’t even know his name or who he is until page 70. 1/5 of the book goes by before they’ve officially met, and that first 1/5 is all intense political content. They don’t interact as themselves until after page 100.
All the marketing indicates that this should be a lighthearted, brain candy book, but that’s not at all what I came to find. It was also marketed as “steamy” when there isn’t any steam until over 200 pages have gone by, and even then, I didn’t find it to be particularly steamy by any means.
Mechanically, the writing is good, and a couple lines made me laugh out loud. I think, had this been marketed for what it really is (politically charged fantasy), I would have liked it more. Unfortunately, I was looking for some romance, holiday cheer, and magical realism. The pitch of being a combination of Red, White & Royal Blue and Nightmare Before Christmas drew me right in.
I just wasn’t looking for an intense political read, and whether we’re calling things votes or money or lobbying or “joy” doesn’t change the fact that this book is heavy plot first and romance second.
1.5/5 stars rounded down.
Thank you to Net Galley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
On paper, it was everything I like, but in practice it’s surprisingly brutal. Hex is more of a side character than a main character — we don’t even know his name or who he is until page 70. 1/5 of the book goes by before they’ve officially met, and that first 1/5 is all intense political content. They don’t interact as themselves until after page 100.
All the marketing indicates that this should be a lighthearted, brain candy book, but that’s not at all what I came to find. It was also marketed as “steamy” when there isn’t any steam until over 200 pages have gone by, and even then, I didn’t find it to be particularly steamy by any means.
Mechanically, the writing is good, and a couple lines made me laugh out loud. I think, had this been marketed for what it really is (politically charged fantasy), I would have liked it more. Unfortunately, I was looking for some romance, holiday cheer, and magical realism. The pitch of being a combination of Red, White & Royal Blue and Nightmare Before Christmas drew me right in.
I just wasn’t looking for an intense political read, and whether we’re calling things votes or money or lobbying or “joy” doesn’t change the fact that this book is heavy plot first and romance second.
1.5/5 stars rounded down.
Thank you to Net Galley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 17, 2025
Post-read review
this was kinda slow but i really liked the alt twink with the eyeliner
Pre-read review
holigays
this was kinda slow but i really liked the alt twink with the eyeliner
Pre-read review
holigays
September 14, 2024
This was delightful and quite literally had me laughing out loud!! The Nightmare Before Kissmas is the first book in a new fantasy romance series and I am really looking forward to getting more books.
Nicholas "Coal" Claus in the heir and prince of Christmas. He's also the definition of a disaster bisexual who can never seem to please his dad. One night he drunkenly kisses a mysterious and very hot guy, only to find out he is the forbidden prince of Halloween! Oh, and they are being forced to compete for the unwanted affections of a princess of Easter in a political marriage. Holiday hijinks and secret hookups ensue. It's hilarious, steamy, and has a lot of heart. I will absolutely read on in the series! This was a really lovely escape and the audio narration is excellent as well. They really get the characters. I received an audio review copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Nicholas "Coal" Claus in the heir and prince of Christmas. He's also the definition of a disaster bisexual who can never seem to please his dad. One night he drunkenly kisses a mysterious and very hot guy, only to find out he is the forbidden prince of Halloween! Oh, and they are being forced to compete for the unwanted affections of a princess of Easter in a political marriage. Holiday hijinks and secret hookups ensue. It's hilarious, steamy, and has a lot of heart. I will absolutely read on in the series! This was a really lovely escape and the audio narration is excellent as well. They really get the characters. I received an audio review copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
December 11, 2024
4 stars. Somehow perfectly melding a campy, absurdly whimsical premise with grounded fantasy political intrigue and a heartwarming romance, The Nightmare Before Kissmas is holiday romance magic at its most charming.
January 8, 2025
boooo tomato tomato booooo
i may be a grinch!! i may be a hater!!! but this book is terrible!!!!!!
i may be a grinch!! i may be a hater!!! but this book is terrible!!!!!!
Read
February 7, 2025I’m on BookTube now! =)
I have two things to say:
1.) I understand the hype now & this was exactly what I needed!
2.) This was so damn good! Coal and Hex were adorable af and perfect for each other and all the politics and the world building totally did it for me!
This was exactly my kinda jam and I gobbled it up like nobody’s business!
Full RTC soon! Stay tuned! ;-)
___________________________________
Since I’m such a mood reader lately and since it’s the holidays I couldn’t help but give into the hype around “The Nightmare Before Kissmas”!
I mean this book has been everywhere and the story about the Prince of Christmas who falls in love with the Prince of Halloween even though he’s supposed to marry the Princess of Easter just sounds perfect right now. *lol*
I heard that this book has a lot of politics and a fun world building too, so I’m very curious already.
Let’s have some Christmas fun! =)
Find me on:
My Blog
Instagram
I have two things to say:
1.) I understand the hype now & this was exactly what I needed!
2.) This was so damn good! Coal and Hex were adorable af and perfect for each other and all the politics and the world building totally did it for me!
This was exactly my kinda jam and I gobbled it up like nobody’s business!
Full RTC soon! Stay tuned! ;-)
___________________________________
Since I’m such a mood reader lately and since it’s the holidays I couldn’t help but give into the hype around “The Nightmare Before Kissmas”!
I mean this book has been everywhere and the story about the Prince of Christmas who falls in love with the Prince of Halloween even though he’s supposed to marry the Princess of Easter just sounds perfect right now. *lol*
I heard that this book has a lot of politics and a fun world building too, so I’m very curious already.
Let’s have some Christmas fun! =)
Find me on:
My Blog
October 5, 2024
The Nightmare Before KissMas by Sara Raasch
Royals and Romance series #1. Paranormal, fantasy magic M-M romance.
Nicholas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. It’s his heritage. Being forced to marry Iris, the Easter Princess, to cover up getting caught making out with a beautiful man has made Cole unsettled. Neither Cole nor Iris want the marriage and now Hex, the Prince of Halloween, challenges Coal in the fake marriage contract. Poor Iris. Hex doesn’t really want her either. He wants Cole. It’s a public relations nightmare. But Santa is holding the reins and it’s going to be up to the next generation to figure out the holiday mixing.
🎧 I listened to an audiobook version of this story narrated by Ellis Evans. The performance was fantastic with the two main characters having their own specific voices as well as several of the secondary like the sister being different. Emotions were clear as I heard hope, sorrow, lust and anger among others. The recording is paced well so there are no dragging spots or sound level variances. The audiobook held my attention although I did increase the speed to 1.5 which more closely matches my reading and conversational speed.
Holidays, hopeful, happy and honorable wins the hero. And the hearts.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.
Royals and Romance series #1. Paranormal, fantasy magic M-M romance.
Nicholas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. It’s his heritage. Being forced to marry Iris, the Easter Princess, to cover up getting caught making out with a beautiful man has made Cole unsettled. Neither Cole nor Iris want the marriage and now Hex, the Prince of Halloween, challenges Coal in the fake marriage contract. Poor Iris. Hex doesn’t really want her either. He wants Cole. It’s a public relations nightmare. But Santa is holding the reins and it’s going to be up to the next generation to figure out the holiday mixing.
🎧 I listened to an audiobook version of this story narrated by Ellis Evans. The performance was fantastic with the two main characters having their own specific voices as well as several of the secondary like the sister being different. Emotions were clear as I heard hope, sorrow, lust and anger among others. The recording is paced well so there are no dragging spots or sound level variances. The audiobook held my attention although I did increase the speed to 1.5 which more closely matches my reading and conversational speed.
Holidays, hopeful, happy and honorable wins the hero. And the hearts.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.
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