Spicy, emotional, and really funny at times. Another fun read by these authors full of great characters and that romcom holiday feel! Not my favourite in the series but still a good read!

I’ve reviewed this at 3 stars, as I did DNF. However I think this book just wasn’t for me. I tried to pick it up a couple of times and just couldn’t get into it.

I hadn’t read others in the series which may have helped, as going in it felt like there was a lot of information and characters.

Thank you for the chance to read this 💕

I always trust Sierra Simone to deliver something hot that doesn't feel formulaic and gets some real emotional depth. This series takes a cliche setting - Christmas notch - and adds in body positive, sexually confident characters with unusual backstories. I loved Isaac the 'sad boy' pop star and couldn't wait for his story - it didn't disappoint.

A wonderful final entry in the Christmas Notch series, this one following budding writer Sunny and lonely young widower Isaac, as they fall in love amongst the dramatic background of yet another Hope Channel film set, full of the charismatic and entertainingly silly background characters we've come to adore.

Like the other books in this series it manages to be wholesome and sexy at the same time, truly a feat of genius!

This is a sweet and steamy Christmas romance! This was fun and cozy and has made me want to check out other books by these authors

A wonderful festive romance. Full of cheer and spice, this was a good read for the December period. It took me a couple of chapters to really get into, but enjoyed how their bond grew the more I read.

I requested this book in the hopes that it would be a fun, flirty festive romance, but unfortunately I could not finish it. I found the plot to be overly reliant on romantic cliches. While I understand that Sunny was supposed to be bubbly and excitable, her speech was overly dramatic, and where the authors tried to insert sardonic contemporary references (“#writercore”, for example), it felt very forced. I didn’t believe in Isaac’s longing for Sunny.

I’m very grateful to have been given access to the ARC for this novel. Unfortunately, I won’t be recommending it.

I’m just not sure this series is for me, although that being said this was probably my favourite of the three books so far!

I absolutely love a spicy romance but I find this series a little too cringe with the dialogue which spoils the romance for me.

I enjoyed how this instalment highlights grief and navigating that however it just felt a little too long.

I also don’t enjoy how the books starts and ends with someone else’s POV! It always feels really jarring and unnecessary.

⭐️⭐️.5 stars

Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone wrap up their festive Christmas Notch series with sizzling flair in A Jingle Bell Mingle, featuring the last remaining INK boyband member, Isaac Kelly. I had high hopes (and a bit of trepidation) going in, but this book delivered a delightful holiday romance full of charm and heart.

Isaac’s chemistry with Sunny sparks instantly—think forced proximity in a sprawling mansion, creative blocks, and undeniable tension. Sunny, temporarily in town to pen her screenplay, is determined to keep things casual, while Isaac, a young widower, hesitates to take a leap of faith. Their journey of love and vulnerability, set against the cozy Vermont holiday backdrop, will make you swoon.

While the screenplay mystery felt like an extra flourish I could have done without, Isaac’s protectiveness and Sunny’s emotional growth kept me hooked. If you love humor, steam, and holiday magic, this series is a perfect winter treat!

Missed the mark on the spicy here. Sure there’s heat but there didn’t seem to be much attraction beyond this. All felt forced and it jarred the story for me.

The third instalment of the Christmas Notch series finds lonely boy Isaac and ex-pornstar Sunny living together trying to find some inspiration for their overdue projects. Isaac has one more album to finish under his contract but since his wife Brooklyn died he’s has no inspiration or desire to make music, whereas Sunny needs to write a script; which she’s never done before, after accidentally selling an idea to cover her boss’ back.

I do enjoy this series, I like how it unapologetically steamy with characters all linked to a porn background. They aren’t the most dramatic books or particularly thought provoking, but the perfect festive reads.

I have absolutely loved all of the books in the Christmas Notch series, but this is definitely my favourite. The perfect wintery read around Christmas time, a nice bit of spice and a lovely romance overall. There are some triggering topics in this book around death of a spouse and parents, but I felt both were handled sensitively.
I just adored Sunny and Issac’s friends to lovers journey and it was lovely to see other characters from the first 2 interconnected books again as well!
Laugh out loud funny in parts, it was the perfect romance read for me over Christmas!

Isaac has bought the mansion in Christmas Notch hoping to get some inspiration for his Christmas album.

But when he suggests for his one-night stand, Sunny, move in with him as her hotel is not up to scratch, she reluctantly agrees. But while Sunny is in Christmas notch for research for her screenplay and Isacc needs a muse, the sparks will soon fly between them and what they both were looking for was in front of them all along.

We're back in Christmas notch and again looking for love for the final boy band member of INK.

I loved Isaac's back story and how he needed to heal on his journey before he could move on. The denial of love and something new when he loved so deeply before.

Sunny was a loveable character always so happy and out going but having her own trauma and past to heal from.

It was also great to come back to our old characters and see where they are in their relationships. Gutted to be leaving Christmas Notch, but will be putting these two authors on my go to reads.

I liked A Holly Jolly Ever After a lot and I enjoyed this return to Christmas Notch too. Fun, funny and filthy and with depth - Isaac and Sunny are both dealing with grief (as well as having incredible sex). I love the extended cast of characters too and I’m hoping we might hear more from them in future books.

This was a fun and festive read full of heart, drama, romance and smut! I enjoyed reading this one and liked both Isaac and Sunny - the exploration of the grief they both had for their respective loved ones was really powerful and well done. It was fun seeing the characters from the previous books pop up as well!

I don’t know why, but this just didn’t have the same charm as the first book for me, maybe I needed to read the direct sequel, and then things would make more sense.

A great spicy festive read by Julie and Sierra. The third book in the series and it was great to see the characters further develop.

Thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for a fair and full review.

Thankyou NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this, I loved it, a spicy magical Christmas book, I would definitely recommend

This book took me so long to read but I was determined! I think I struggled because it’s the third in a series and you miss a lot from the other books so I would say it’s not an interconnected standalone. The plot seemed light but took a long time to get there, I think this book could have been a novella instead of 400 pages. I did like it in the end - the spice scenes are spicy!
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone can do no wrong. Their characters are well rounded and delightful, there's always a surprise emotional punch, and the romance! The swoony, steamy romance! I loved getting to catch up with characters from the previous books but also see development of new characters, I loved all the loop-backs and how hilarious and wonderful all the characters were without being unrealistic. I will continue to make this series my Christmas #1 read for years to come!