A Merry Little Meet Cute - Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone

I went into this book blind without reading any synopsis so was quite surprised by the content, as the cover looked really festive and romantic, but I was confronted by a rather smutty style Hallmark movie. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it because I did, it was just not what I was expecting, but that was my fault. I thought the narrators did a very good job. This is a good book for you if you like a celebrity crush trope, but not the festive read I was hoping for. Thank you very much Netgalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for allowing me access to the e-book in return for my honest opinion.

I didn’t read any reviews or the synopsis of this book before getting into it, so the surprise was quite big. A Merry Little Meet Cute sounds like the cutest, most innocent Christmas story: the cute part yes, the innocent not so much.

This book is really spicy and perfect for anyone who wants to read some smut in a Christmassy setting. The audiobook is narrated well, easy to follow everywhere you might find yourself. It’s also quite funny and I would describe it as a light read in terms of plot.

This was very much a case of this is not you, this is me and the two of us not working together. I think many people will enjoy this smutty Christmas romance set on what is very much the fictional intersection between a Netflix and a Hallmark Christmas movie. The setting and cast of characters were undeniably charming, but the connection between our two protagonists felt very sudden and stagnant to me and relied too much on the sexual attraction aspect for my wee ace self to be able to fully believe or commit to it. Have to commend the positive representation of sex work and the celebration of fat women and fat bodies in romance, though. MORE OF THIS PLEASE! However, I'm sure that many, particularly fans of Tessa Bailey would enjoy this.

Bee is a curvy woman who works as a pornstar. When her own boss informs her that she has to cover for another actress for the main role in a Christmas movie in Vermont, she accepts immediately: although she loves her job as it is, this could be a great opportunity to move to cinema the way she has always dreamed of as a little girl. It also means that she will be working with her teenage crush, ex boy band-member Nolan. Nolan is also using this film as his opportunity to build his reputation anew, after the failure of the boy band. In order for things to work, though, both of them have one rule: never to have a relationship with other members of the cast. The issue will be to respect these boundaries once they realise how much they are attracted to one another.

I quite enjoyed this audiobook, it was very well read and it flew by very quickly. I have some perplexities about the plot itself, since it required quite a lot of suspension of disbelief on the reader’s part. Nevertheless, it’s a cute read for Christmas and it’s also very funny in parts.

•thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for the #ALC in exchange for an honest review•

A spicy rom-com that was much more explicit than first assumed; however, this is not bad! Some readers may not be into this for that reason, but for me - I loved it! Both leading characters played their part well; I enjoyed the concept of a fuller-figure leading lady. I found this made it easier to relate to. The cover could be misleading, as it's not much of a festive read but still entertaining!

The narration was excellent - having two voices instead of the usual one worked well, and the writing style flowed well. I listened to this audio format as part of a buddy read, and I am aware that not everyone has shared the same views as me, but I would recommend this for rom-com lovers and those who do not easily blush!

This is a ridiculous book, in the best sense. Right from the beginning, the story starts out ridiculously fun, it almost seems like a fan fiction AU.

For about half of the book, it kept on being ridiculous in a fun way, but then it sort of turned ridiculous in a “it’s getting hard to suspend my disbelief” way.

I liked the main characters on their own, but do not understand their dynamic together as much. Nolan and Bee are interesting characters (even if incredibly based on fan fiction) and they have nice chemistry, but their whole relationship is very insta-love. There is no actual meet cute, they both know about the other before meeting, and there is no connection between them except for the physical one for a big percentage of the book.

I appreciated the dual POV, I think that is what made the book appealing for me. Like I said, both Nolan and Bee on their own were very captivating characters for me. I liked the bi and plus size rep, and thought the discussion about porn was interesting and somewhat thought-provoking.

All in all, this was a fun, entertaining read for when you want something sweet and that makes time pass quickly.

Unfortunately for me, the spice in this book didnt make the story feel cute or merry. Though the description does hint at it, I still was not prepared and it impacted on my enjoyment of the book. The audio narrators are really good!

I had some very high hopes for this book. I'm a fan of the Dumplin' series by Julie Murphy, but had never read anything by Sierra Simone.

This book is incredibly spicy, it felt practically like all sex all the time. There's a lot of really great scenes (the wedding dress one, for one) but I did miss some emotional connection between Nolan and Bee. It really would have added to this book for me.

While I'm very glad to have seen a character with bipolar disorder in this book, I'm not entirely delighted by the representation. It very much made them seem they would fall apart completely with no one there for them, and for the majority of people I know with bipolar disorder can live a perfectly normal life.

I really enjoyed the audiobook narrators, it was engaging, and the dual narrative kept me entertained throughout.

Unfortunately I didn’t love this one, however this may be a nice festive read for some
Thank you for the chance to read

This is a nice cheesy romance read with some added smut but it didnt give the christmas vibes I would have hoped for. There is a lot of smut in there and I wish it was more of a slow burn but I guess I cant expect too much when the main character is literally a p*rn star.

I enjoyed the writing style as it was simple to follow although I'm not a big fan of dual POV. The narrator was great for making it easy to distinguish which character she was reading for. It was an easy audiobook to listen to.

There was a few moments I cringed at which is what has put my rating down and I think the cover miss sells what it is actually about which means I worry someone will pick this up by accident and may get a shock inside.

The door is open for a book 2.

Well, this was not what I expected. I’ll be completely honest, I didn’t read the book description. I saw the cover and the title and expected exactly that, a merry little meet cute in a snowy, idyllic scene and it was not that! It felt like sex scenes all the way through to around chapter 29, then I felt some storyline coming in.

This was my first Christmas read and I was wanting a typical cute book for the season. I felt the title and cover did not portray what this book was actually about. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the book, the writing is fine, if it’s what you’re looking for or expecting, but it’s just not for me and not what I expected. I didn’t expect a Christmas book to be like this, so I guess it makes it original. Lots of spice for the season.

Thank you to NetGalley and all who made it possible for me to read this book.

Loved this cute holiday book, with smut included, the story concept felt fresh and new but also comfortable like the Hallmark movie. The miscommunication trope is a little overused in here, but only really in the ending, and the story end felt rushed and also too long at the same time. The audiobook was perfect, with male and female voicings, and it made the story read nice and fast!

A Merry Little Meet Cute made it onto my festive reading list as soon as I read the description and learnt it has an ex-boy band celebrity crush trope!

The story follows Bee (a porn star) and Nolan (ex boyband member), both with their own secrets and reasons why they need to keep low profile during production of the HopeFlix (think - Hallmark movies) Christmas romance.

Sparks *fly* at first opportunity to get closer and the series of secret hook-ups starts! 🔥 If you’ve previously read romance stories that weren’t spicy enough, I have a feeling this one may be able to scratch that itch!

I really enjoyed Bee and Nolan, the story sends an empowering, body and sex positive message while also tacking more difficult topics of family relations and juggling personal and professional life all at once.
I most definitely would be on a lookout for more from this duo of amazing writers!

Wow! This is the sexiest romance book I've read – a large porn star and an ex-boyband member fall in love while filming a cheesy Hallmark-style Christmas movie (and have a lot of sex). Definitely had to listen on headphones because it's not family friendly, but it is a good smutty story with plenty of feel good romance, too.

Merry Little Meet Cute is a steamy romance perfect for reading with a cup of hot chocolate and a cosy blanket. MLMC follows Bee and Nolan as they attempt to film a family-friendly PG Christmas movie, all whilst trying to resist the tension building between them on and off the screen.
This book was really enjoyable, I loved the tension and chemistry between the two main characters. Bee was really likeable; she was so unapologetically herself and confident. Nolan was the misunderstood bad boy who was doing his best to support his ill mother and family. The relationship was insta-lust, which isn’t usually my thing, but it was okay. There was definitely spice, but not as much as I would have thought considering Bee’s job and Nolan’s background in debauchery. I also would have expected it to be kinkier, they literally mentioned several times she had a suitcase full of sex toys, yet none of them were used!
Overall, I really enjoyed the friendships between the characters, the strong women and the casual representation. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were spot on. I just wished there had been more build up and more experimenting with the sex.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the audio review copy.

This review is pretty late coming because I couldn’t get through this audiobook. The book itself wasn’t so much the problem and I couldn’t get past the voices and that’s a me problem but even on to the story line I felt like the writing was a little bit immature at times. If you enjoy a cute romance with a lot of spice then you will love this. It’s very Christmasy and cute but wasn’t for me.

Bee Hobbs, known as Porn ⭐️, Bianca Bon Honey, is hired to do a PG 13 Christmas movie with her co-star, Nolan Shaw, bad boy reputation from his washed up boy band years turned actor, who is trying to fix his reputation. Bee has been a huge fan of Nolan’s since his boy band debut but little does she know Nolan also has a little crush on her by being a dedicated subscriber to her closed doors account. Now, I would usually say this is a recipe for a disaster but Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy made it fun, hilarious and super super steamy. I mean, It’s expected, especially from a porn ⭐️ on set.

Even at Christmas we deserve a little spice and this book brought it all. It gave all the hilarious vibes and I was hooked from the first moment. The narrators were absolutely fab and really bought out the characters. The filthy mouth on these characters and the things they got up to was insane. I was sweating listening to it.

I had an absolute blast listening to this book and quite honestly I prefer the audio over reading the physical book! Go grab yourself this book and get yourself into the Christmas mood!

Well, yes Siree Bob, I read a Christmas Rom-com!

“I love you in the dark. I love you in the light. I love you everywhere.”

A steamy plus-size holiday rom-com about an adult film star who is semi-accidentally cast as a lead in a family-friendly Christmas movie, and the former bad-boy pop star she falls in love with.

Well this was a fun and highly entertaining little audiobook. Heads up, do not listen to this on an open speaker, I wasn’t expecting the hot steamy scenes 🥵🔥😂 For my novice rom-com journey, they were hot as hell! Not that I’m complaining mind.

I loved this seamlessly co-written book - both authors did a wonderful job giving this story a unique and cohesive voice. I listened to it on audio, the narrators Joy Nash and Sebastian York gave a wonderful performance, bringing it to life for me. They captured the character’s voices brilliantly and had me fully engaged (and hot under the collar) throughout. A very talented narrating duo.

Aside from a cute, funny and spicy story, what I loved was the diverse representation. We have plus size women, sex workers, a bipolar parent, lesbian and bisexual characters, all colourful and larger than life. I laughed out loud so often at the hilarious banter between them all. “Disaster bisexuals” - Bee or her stage name Bianca Von Honey embraces her body and career, giving a us a confident woman who know what she wants - both in the bedroom and out - and glowing body positivity. Nolan, our former bad boy, has a sensitivity and maturity, having learnt from his past blunders. I adored them both - especially the relationship Nolan has with his mother who has bipolar.

Overall, a cutsie, not so christmassy, highly entertaining read.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK Harpercollins for my ALC.

Audiobook Review

A Merry Little Meet Cute was my first Julie Murphy book and also my first “non-intense” Sierra Simone book. It was refreshing and funny, adorable and stigma breaking.
Bee and Nolan are two complex characters living in a complex world where who they truly are is not widely acceptable and they have been fighting against what is considered normal. After years of anonymously crushing on each other they finally meet when they are both filming a wholesome Christmas movie. Their sizzling chemistry is palpable through the entire book and when they finally succumbed to their attraction I swear my phone caught fire.

Sebastian York lent his voice to Nolan and he could not have been any less perfect. The way he portrayed Nolan’s character really brought “The Duke” to life. Joy Nash was a new to me narrator but I absolutely loved her as Bee. Bee was sassy and sweet and I felt Joy did her character justice.

I also need to mention all the side characters like Sunny, Teddy & Steph, the two other INK members Kallum (with a K) & Isaac, Angel & Luca, amongst all others as they helped make the book all the more enjoyable.

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for the AudioARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I made a bit of a boo-b00 with this one. You see, when I was wading through the mountains of Christmas titles, looking for something that actually looked readable, I spotted a familiar name. I knew that Julie Murphy was a YA author, best known for Dumplin' - a book I haven't read but thoroughly enjoyed the movie adaptation of. I reckoned this was a pretty safe bet for a cosy Christmas romance. What I did not do before requesting this book, was read the blurb.

Despite the very cutesy cover, this is spicy. Three-alarm spice, I'd say - very sexy, but not in any out-there kind of way. The premise is fun - an adult film producer is working on his first mainstream film, a fluffy Hallmark Christmas movie, when the female lead is rendered incapable of performing. Casting about for someone to take over the role, the only person he can think of is Bee Hobbes, a plus-sized porn star with a heart of gold. Despite strict instructions to keep schtum about her secret sexy identity, Bee is immediately clocked by her co-star, former boyband bad-boy Nolan Shaw, who is a fully paid up subscriber to her Closed Doors (think OnlyFans) account.

What follows is a fairly run-of-the-mill holiday romance with plenty of heart. Despite the fact that the book does very little to surprise you with its plot, the characters feel fully fleshed out and persuasively motivated. The book is very sex work-positive, which is refreshing in a genre with an ordinarily Christian bent to it, though I was concerned it leaned a little too far into the whitewash of the porn industry - there's nothing critical there beyond a 'sure, the industry has its creeps, but doesn't every business?' However, the book wasn't trying to lean too hard into any particularly serious issues, so I can forgive it this to an extent. It was really delightful to read a romance with a fat protagonist that feels realistically handled. Fatphobia is present in the world of the novel, and you can see the way it takes its toll on Bee, but you never get the sense that she's anything but absolutely gorgeous from any of the the other characters in a way that encompasses her fatness, rather than being in spite of it.

Joy Nash's interpretation of Bee is absolutely delightful - sassy, confident and full of warmth, her narration is really a highlight of this audiobook. Sebastian York also does very well as Nolan, but I couldn't help but feel that he sounded much older than Nolan's character is supposed to be - I think we were supposed to get more of a sense of a former One Direction member than a former N-Sync member.

Overall, a really fun Christmas romance for anyone looking for something a bit less safe for work, but that you can definitely read on the train without anyone suspecting a thing.