Winnie was a child actor known for her roles in God-praising TV shows and movies but after she divorced her husband of 10+ years due to him cheating she had fallen on hard times. But the very network who dropped her were moving towards a more risqué kind of movie and wanted her to be the lead in their new Christmas movie, alongside ex-boy band member Kallum.

Kallum and Winnie are so cute together! Kallum definitely has a golden retriever energy about him and his love for Winnie is obvious from the outset - though Winnie isn't completely sold on him after a picture he took of her when she was asleep in the back seat of a car at a party when she was 18. It made the papers and ruined her good-girl image for awhile.

However, after trying to film their first fake-sex scene together it was obvious Winnie had no idea what she was doing and she turned to Kallum for assistance when he didn't judge her. Having grown up in a world that instilled purity into it's congregation it was really no wonder Winnie had no idea about sex.

I enjoyed the story a lot and I liked seeing both characters grow but I think Winnie grew more than Kallum in this one after all the shame and guilt she had lived in until recently. The main thing I found annoying was the constant reference to Kallum's "dad bod" and hairiness - and I'm all for body positivity (particularly being a curvy person myself) but I don't feel it's something I need to be reminded of every time the characters get naked. I feel this is common in books that have curvy characters but not in books that have thinner characters. His "rounded stomach" seems to be a common phrase in the book which I didn't really like.

Anyway, this dual POV was a fun little kind-of-Christmas story and both characters were very likeable. I enjoyed being on their journey with them.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

✨holiday movie set
✨ex band member mmc
✨accidental pregnancy
✨spicy
✨dual pov
✨he falls first
✨appearances of characters from a merry little meet cute

I absolutely loved and flew through this book! I really loved both Winnie and Kallum and having a dual pov is always my preference in any romance. The movie set setting was a really fun beginning and I enjoyed seeing Winnie and kallum getting to know each other and see what started out as ‘research’ for Winnie blossom into something much more real for both of them. Part 2 was where we saw the couple have to deal with their feelings out of the bubble of the movie set and decide if they can become the family they both want to be.

Overall I really enjoyed this spicy, romantic and at times emotional Christmas book!

This is a heartwarming smutty Christmas book in all the best ways! It feels like what a hope after dark movie would be.

This is dual pov (my favorite) with the two main character knowing each other in there past and are now co-starring in a spicy Hallmark movie.

This is split into to halves with the first half being really funny and full of spice and the second half has a twist that will annoy/ turn some readers of. But I loved it and sort of saw it coming a little.

If you love a smutty Christmas book pick this one up!

Read this for:
- Sex Lessons
- Forced Proximity
- Disability rep (narcolepsy)
- Dad Bod

I do think part 2 of this book went in a direction that some people might not like - I actually really enjoyed it since the second part really needed more of a plot than the first part had.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5
Spice: 4 out of 5

Part of a series, but can be read as a standalone (I did).

A Holly Jolly Ever After features retired boy band member turned pizza entrepreneur with a sex tape and dadbod Kallum Lieberman who is starring in a new Hope Channel movie filmed in Christmas Notch. Together with recently divorced ‘fallen from grace’ Winnie Baker who suffers from narcolepsy.

This book just has everything I want in a romance novel. It’s got a golden retriever MMC who is never taken seriously and never seen as the ‘guy you end up with’, a FMC that is trying to cut loose from growing up as a childstar in purity culture and for this movie, she needs sex lessons.
Winnie has never had an orgasm in her life and she desperately needs help for the sex scenes in the movie. Kallum therefore suggests she needs to do some ‘research’ and she is struggling. She ends up deciding to watch Kallum’s sex tape because where else better to begin the research. Since googling how to get an orgasm didn’t do her much good. Unfortunately even with the tape it doesn’t seem to work and she’s getting more desperate by the hour.
Thankfully Kallum shows up at the right time and she boldly asks him if he can help her out. Kallum having had a crush on her would be crazy to deny her that right? Right?

This was so much fun. I laughed, I cried, I swooned. Kallum is the epitome of a DILF. The steam is out of this world amazing. I should’ve known that with Sierra Simone partly writing it that it would. It even has some elements in the steam that surprised me, especially when considering Winnie is trying to break free of purity culture.
I didn’t know about the surprise pregnancy trope before I dove in and the minute I read it I had the feeling of impending doom. It’s my least favorite trope next to amnesia and I was really worried for the third act for a minute. Fortunately though this book surprised me in a great way!
I wouldn’t necessarily call this a christmas book, but it really does invoke the feelings you get when you watch a christmas movie. And ofcourse they are recording a christmas movie including a malfunctioning snow machine.
It has the great found family vibes and this book was just such a breath of fresh air, it really gave me all the great feels. I am definitely going to read A Merry Little Meet Cute now since I am curious about Nolan and Bee’s story. And when are we getting Isaac’s story? Because.. I want it now. I so love me a great widow trope.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for providing an ARC.

Can Smut be wholesome? This felt so wholesome and real (probably because I was brought up a lot like her with the same expectations of life and marriage at a young age).

Kallum: bit of a bad boy turned good for love.
Winnie: wholesome good girl steered by fear her entire life who is now learning to explore sex and true love.

This felt authentic in the steps of which they grew as a couple.
It was fun and funny yet hit serious matter about life, true love and self love.

I do wish the ending had a bit more back and fourth with Kallum and Winnie. It felt a bit rushed and just story telling.

A Holly Jolly Ever After - Julie Murphy; Sierra Simone

I flew through this book and read it all in just one day! Having read the previous book set in Christmas Notch it was great to revisit some old friends in Bee and Nolan, but also lovely to be introduced to new characters. As per the previous book this one also has plenty of SPICE! I am really hoping for a third book in this series - Fingers crossed! Great to be read at anytime of the year.

Thanks so much Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the e-arc in return for my honest thoughts and opinions.

Whisk yourself away to a winter wonderland that fills you full of treats. This is number two in a Christmas Notch, but they each focus on different people, but do pop up as recurring characters, so you could read them as stand-alone, but you will want to know everyone more, so it’s best to grab both, as you won’t be disappointed. I like the premise of the Hope channel deciding to go to the dark side and not be shamed by it, it was just showing us that we can all enjoy it without being ashamed, like we do our Christmas in July. Kallum, was the one I rooted for, he seemed like he always felt like the funny one, the background character, and I was so glad he got his time to shine, as it felt like he was always the bridesmaid and never the bride, maybe that’s why he attracted them so much. Winnie did feel like a whiner at times, but then she pulled me round and I loved her so fully, and I was so glad with the way the story ended, but I cant tell you why, you need to read it yourself.

I really enjoyed reading this book, so much I read it in one day. A brilliant sequel with amazing spice and a brilliant story.
I can’t wait for more books in this world, I spent most of my time reading thinking up different pairings I’d like to see next!

*MASSIVE thank you to Harper Collins for the ARC of this beautiful book*

I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to read this book early, I have been eagerly waiting for the release. I’ve been so excited as I loved a merry little meet cute!

Side note - I am desperate for Isaac’s book!!! I have broken down my 4 star review below:

⭐️ One thing that these authors do well is set the scene and write beautifully!!! I have just read this in August and I felt wintery which I loved (I would say you can read this book all year round and it not feel like just a Christmas book).

⭐️ I LOVED Kallum’s character so much, I feel that he was always honest with himself and with his feelings. Although he was meant to be a reckless character, I felt that he dealt with most things maturely (he definitely had his moments but it wasn’t stressful to read!)

⭐️ The reason I am giving the book 4 stars and not 5 is something that happens about 3 quarters of the way in - no spoilers but it’s not one of my favourite tropes. I also felt that the way it was written was quite rushed. This is purely my personal taste and opinion!

⭐️ Winnie was so pure with good intentions always and I really loved her character. I think having patience from Kallum really helped her character development. Overall I think their relationship was SO entertaining and lovely to read!

Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone have done it again! A spicy Christmas book, with swoony book boyfriends, and a great cast throughout the book!

I was really happy to be back in Christmas Notch, this time following different characters; Winnie - an actress with a reputation she didn’t create and a pending divorce, and Kallum who owns a pizza store (Slice, Slice Baby - how great is that name!??) as well as being a part of INK.

If you read the previous Christmas Notch book, you will have seen some familiar names in this book and it was great to see where Bee and Nolan are now!

This book had the perfect amount of spice and it was SPICY! I also really enjoyed all the tropes, including the “oops I’m pregnant” trope, which sometimes does not suit well but A Holly Jolly Ever After did it really well and I was actually hoping it would happen because it just seemed like the best peogression for the characters story.

I really hope that there will be another Christmas Notch book, after all there are three letters in INK, and I think towards the end when we learnt more about Isaac it really opened up a bigger possibility for book 3.

I really really enjoyed this book and I am giving A Holly Jolly Ever After 5 stars.

This makes both books in the series 5 star reads for me so definitely check them out!

I have to say that I was slightly disappointed when I read A Merry Meet Cute my expectations were extremely high, and I just expected more. A Holly Jolly Ever After met all my expectations and it was the book a wished for the first time around.

Winnie is known for her purity and is someone who does everything right: she married her childhood sweetheart, stars in the Hope Channels movies, as the sweet leading lady, and is the perfect daughter. Until her reputation is destroyed by vicious lies from her ex-husband. When the Hope Channel cut ties with her, she agrees to star in the Hope After Dark Movie (their first steamy Christmas movie). But when her inexperience shows, she asks Kallum Lieberman former INK boyband member and leading man for guidance.

Winnie suffers with the condition, Narcolepsy. It’s a condition that I hadn’t come across before, so I spent a bit of time researching the condition before continuing reading. One of my favourite parts of both books is the diversity of the characters and Winnie’s character was a tremendous way to highlight and bring attention to this condition.

Murphy and Simone have really found their flow this time around. I really enjoyed the plot, the character development was strong and there are definitely a few hints of a third book in the series, which I am very excited for. Please, can we have more Steph and Teddy too.

•Steamy Christmas Read
•Opposites Attract
•Surprise Pregnancy
•Intimacy lessons

It was so great to be back in Christmas Notch and I adored Kallum and Winnie.

Kallum is an ex-boyband member turned pizza mogul who is making the most of his rebooted career thanks a leaked sex tape. Winnie is a good girl whose reputation is in ruins and is determined to show the world she isn’t who they think she is. Set in the backdrop of Christmas Notch the two film the first Hope After Dark, a sexy Santa story.

I loved how Kallum just automatically cared for Winnie, no judgement just support. That in itself is sexy, but then the ways he does look after her - well, let’s just say you might not want to read some scenes in public.

I could not get enough of the first book of this book. It was fun, sexy and made you feel like you were in a warm, sexy Christmas bubble. The second half has a trope which I’m not a fan of, but was still expertly written and stayed true to the wonderful characters Murphy and Simone had created.

Although set around Christmas, this raunchy, romantic book will have you feeling all the emotions any time of year.

Praying there’s going to be a third!

Thanks NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.

Wow, I knew I loved my first trip to Christmas Notch, but omg I think this one is even better.

This is the sort of book to read when you are alone in bed able to have some adult time, if you catch my drift. The sexual chemistry is off the charts, and the sex scenes - omg, I was sizzling. This book is hot hot hot!!

Which is not what I tend to say about a Christmas themed book. Prudes should stay away, this is a book for open minded people! It's wonderful, I couldn't get enough of Winnie and Kallum. They are complete and utter opposites, with wildly different upbringings.

In fact I don't think I've ever encountered a character such as Winnie before, who was brought up to believe most things are sins, especially when it comes to desire, love and sex. She was originally the Hope Channel's darling with her husband for their clean living - until things went wrong and she ends up divorced and her parents no longer speaking to her.

So the fact that she agrees to be in the Hope Channel's new enterprise - Hope After Dark film is a bit of a surprise to everyone. I mean this is a film about a young santa sowing his wild oats. But he is a very sexy santa!

And Kallum is the one of the members of boyband INK, of which Noah from the first book is also a member. So I'm really looking forward to hopefully getting to know Isaac better in a future book, as given our brief snippets of him, I know I will love him too.

Kallum is nowadays infamous for his sex tape, he has had a crush on Winnie since he was younger and has a habit of hooking up with bridesmaids, and is the pizza king of Kansas. But he was offered the lead in this movie and thus he and Winnie are now acting opposite each other in this film.

And wow it's fab to be back in Christmas Notch, I love seeing so many recurring characters from the previous book, and the whole main location is just perfect!

There are many layers to this book, and I loved discovering all of them.

This was an incredibly pleasurable story that is bound to get the heart (if not more of your body) racing, while you read. Once again hidden behind that is a relatively innocent looking cover. Just fabulous!

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

What a fab return to the world of Christmas Notch and all the (mulled) spice it has to offer! Loved both our main characters and the nuances of their lives - of course tears were shed at the end as well! Loved the reappearance of some familiar faces from AMLMC and fingers are crossed for a third story featuring Issac! A cute Christmas rompcom!

This book is great if you enjoy erotic romance. A little spicy for my taste. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Overall I would rate this book 3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the first 1/3 of the book, I feel that the storyline tapered off and the spice definitely decreased dramatically as soon as (SPOILER) Winnie learned she was pregnant.

Based on the synopsis, I wasn’t expecting the direction of this book and think it would benefit from being marketed slightly differently. The spice scenes that were included were great overall but lacking towards the end.

I feel like the characters suddenly got together extremely quickly and it spoilt the realism for me personally. A good spicy, Christmas themed read that can be read at any time of the year

Very excited for this one! I can’t wait to read and share Winnie & Kallum love story with our readers. I love the idea of a sort of ladies man being turned into a romantic and a so called rule follower opening herself up. I also love the film aspect as well. I definitely think this is going to be a huge hit with readers for the upcoming holiday season!

This was a great holiday romance. The writing was good and I enjoyed the reading experience. Do not assume because the cover is cute that this is not open door. This is very open door.