Thank you to Harpercollins for providing me with an arc.

DNF Chapter 2.

I adore Sierra Simone's books so when I saw this one I had to request it but this one didn't work for me. I wasn't vibing with the writing style as it felt really cheesy at points and it might just be a thing with this series but I haven't read the previous books. I may give this one another chance if I end up reading and liking book 1 but currently I wasn't enjoying it and felt like I was forcing myself through it. I do see why others may love this one but it wasn't for me.

That was fun! This is the first time I’ve read any of the books from A Christmas Notch series but, A Jingle Bell Mingle by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy was a great fun read! Yes, I’m sure I would have picked up more of the characters if I’d read the first 2 books in the series but, that didn’t diminish my enjoyment of this fun, spicy, Christmas romance!

From the start this book was honest, irreverent, funny, spicy and filled with great characters that I just wanted to get to know more, especially Mr Tumnus! Isaac is a sad, depressed widower who has become stuck in his world of widowdom and Sunny is a ball of sexy sunshine, fronting confidence to the world and keeping her struggles and insecurities tucked inside.

The chemistry between them is hotter than steaming hot chocolate and despite their best efforts, everyone can see it but them! There are of course bumps in the road, shower, and Photo Booth along the way and of course a cold-case mystery to investigate with some help from Isaac’s online old lady group but, this doesn’t stop the journey to a truly happy Christmas for one and all.

I really enjoyed this as a fun read and if you’re looking to spice up your Christmas, picking up A Christmas Notch book or 3 will definitely add the spice to your mulled wine!

Thank you HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest and sincere review.

I was lucky to be asked by NetGalley to review this frestive delight- luckily I had read book 1 and 2 as this was book 3. There is a lot of characters - so read these in order.

Lovely read

Issac was in a boy band and also getting over the death of his wife. Along comes Sierra a one night stand and Sierra needing a place to stay, moves into one of Issacs room, what will happen next in the festive fun and games-- well it is Christmas.

Recommended and NEVER too early for Christmas.

I laughed, I cried. Sunny and Isaac stole my heart and I loved being back with the whole gang. I don't want to spoil it for anyone but if you liked the other books then you will love this! The sub-plot of solving the Christmas mystery about the postman meant this felt like the most festive of the series while staying true to the hot and spicy action! It had friends with benefits, grumpy x sunshine, bisexual romance, and a gorgeous glimpse into the lives of some of our favorite characters from the previous books. Oh and BONUS there is also another couple who get their HEA! I am devastated in the acknowledgements the authors say this is going to be the last book in the Christmas Notch series! My heart is broken! I will be re-reading at Christmas for sure!!!

I simply adore Christmas Notch. In this book we see all of our favourite couples thriving, and get a peek into what they're up to now, as well as, of course, getting to watch a whole new romance unfold.
The dreamy Christmas setting, the perfect amount of spice and a bit of historical romance made for the perfect book to curl up with.
Sunny and Isaac both have their own issues to deal with, and whilst I did get frustrated with Isaac at times, I loved seeing their story progress.

I have been thoroughly enjoying this series from this hilarious duo! It’s like a spicy cinnamon latte- romantic, humorous, and sexy all at once! This was another great bell to add to the holiday trio! Just in time to keep you warm this winter season!

I'm a big fan of Sierra Simone, though I've never read any Julie Murphy before, and was excited to read A Jingle Bell Mingle. It has all the ingredients for a fun, spicy, Christmas book - and it does its job - but it's not a stand-out favourite for me.

I suspect it might just not be ideal to read as a standalone. The prologue had me entirely confused by the sheer number of characters mentioned with the expectation the reader understood who they were. I had no idea what was going on. Luckily it soon moved on to mostly just the two main characters the majority of the time. Other things which got me a little frustrated were Sunny's inability to recognise that Isaac just didn't want to be set up with other people, and her seeming tendency to pant after every single person she met (except one very old lady). Have some discernment girl!

Having said that, I enjoyed the irreverent humour, the free and open approach to sex (and some pretty fun sexy times) and that both characters were openly/actively bi, the relationship between 'sad boy' Isaac and Sunny's cat Mr Tumnus and Isaacs's online cold-case group of old lady friends - as well as the WWII love story they help uncover.

This is a 3.5* read for me. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC.

I adore this book series and I genuinely think this might be my favourite of the books so far. Sunny is such a great character and it was brilliant to see her be given a lot more depth than in previous books where she's the fun friend and not a lot more. Getting to understand more of what she's been through and how that has shaped her made me fall in love with her as a character even more.

I also thought that Isaac's journey through grief and trying to realise that he's allowed to be happy was really well done. Getting his POV as well as Sunny's helped to draw a lot of parallels between them and show that he is more than just a sad boy.

On top of the great characters, this book is hella spicy. It's probably the spiciest in the series so far (I say so far because I want more) and things kick off right at the beginning of the book.

What I think is really important though is how healthy the attitudes to sex are, which is so refreshing to see. This is the same throughout all the books and really helps to showcase that sex isn't a bad word and should be fun - especially while in a town named after Christmas.

I will happily read these books until my physical copies are falling apart because they are fun, wholesome and positive while still dealing with a lot of serious and fairly complex issues.

A Romp worthy five-star read. This wasn’t my favourite Christmas Notch story, but it was a close run thing, the underlying story made this so good for me. Sunny and Isaac were good, but they didn’t sparkle like the others did. I would say to read the other stories first, even one of them, as you may get lost if you jump straight into this one, there is a large assembled cast and other stories running in the background that may confuse you if this was the first story you pick up. Christmas Notch sounds like so much fun to visit, but I don’t think I would have the stamina to stay too long.

Read if you like: opposites attract, second chance, widow MMC, close proximity, grief and loss, roommates to lovers, friends with benefits

I couldn’t get into this one 😬
My warning is that you DEFINITELY need to read the other books in the series before this. I was thrown into the middle of a story with a bunch of random names and I had zero background story, so I was so lost. That was 100% my fault, I just thought it could be read as a standalone 😭😭

I thought this book was too long and I was meh on Sunny and Isaac being together. The romance wasn’t really romancing at all?? I wasn’t convinced on their stagnant relationship and needed MORE from them.

It was a heavier book than the romcom cover lets on, I think both characters needed major ~ I mean MAJOR ~ therapy. People are saying this book is grumpy x sunshine, but I would say that it’s depression x sunshine. Which is absolutely fine, but when 80% of the book sad boy who can’t betray his wife, I wasn’t convinced on him moving on at all and he had zero sympathy from me tbh

You would probably enjoy this book if you’ve read the other two beforehand. This was a miss for me.

Sweet and spicy - perfect for a Christmas romance. The book looks at various things including difficult families and bereavement, so it is so much more than just a fluffy Christmas book. Would recommend giving it a go!

This was a sweet, spicy Christmas tale. Isaac and Sunny are two people lost in different stages of grief, for different reasons and find themselves using each other to help them with creative issues. Sunny is researching a Christmas story and Isaac hasn't written music in 5 years and has taken himself away from everyone else to be a 'sad boy hermit'.
They embark on a roommates with benefits arrangement with Sunny looking for Isaac's new muse, but feeling's start to mess with both of their heads.
The spice is both sweet and the chemistry is off the charts, I'll never pass a photobooth again without smiling ;-)
Several characters from the previous books make appearances, and the introduction of the Cat Advisory Text Thread introduces a few new characters that play a part moving the story forward.
The story is cozy, entertaining, heartfelt and at points I wanted to bang their heads together as at one point the HEA was in jeopardy, but they, and others, got their HEA.
It did tie up a few loose ends and overall it's a good place to leave the Christmas Notch series.

I absolutely loved this book! I really enjoyed being back at Christmas Notch and seeing characters I’m familiar with again. I felt happy to revisit this magical place, but also sad to leave it at the end.

Reading Sunny and Isaac’s story made me feel a range of emotions and I was rooting for them throughout! This story deals with a lot of different things, such as love after loss, death of a spouse, death of parents, difficult familial relationships.

I really like the forced proximity trope, and that is basically what happens to Sunny and Isaac, and don’t forget the cat! Loved the cat. I liked how Sunny and Isaac were both creatively stuck and agreed to help eachother, which led both being put into various situations that they otherwise probably wouldn’t have found themselves in.

A spicy winter romcom with a plus size fmc - lots of body positivity here!


I am sad to likely not return to Christmas Notch next year with new book s as I have greatly enjoyed this series, but I would definitely reread!

A Jingle Bell Mingle is a five star read for me.

If you fancy something to spice up the Christmas Season then this is the book for you. Brilliant characters in a wonderfully Christmassy setting. I love the back stories and the way they support each other.
A great Christmas novel to warm the cold nights.

This book is a heartwarming and festive romance, perfect for cozy winter reading by the fire. It's a delightful romcom with well-developed characters that draw you into the story quickly, making it an enjoyable and easy read. The book's cover is eye-catching and would easily capture the interest of anyone browsing in a bookstore. The plot, revolving around the last member of the INK boyband, Issac, and the lively Sunny, is engaging and well-suited to the holiday season. Their journey from creative collaboration to romantic involvement adds a charming dynamic to the story, making it a feel-good experience that readers will likely want to revisit each winter.

Even though it's the last in a series, the book stands well on its own, allowing new readers to follow the story without any prior knowledge of the previous books. However, longtime fans will appreciate the return of familiar characters. The story is spicier than its predecessors, offering a blend of Christmas romance with a bit of extra heat. The inclusion of a secondary storyline adds depth to the narrative, leaving readers wishing for more. Overall, it's a satisfying conclusion to a fun and festive series, highly recommended for those looking for a seasonal romantic escape.

Thanks NetGalley and Harper Collins for letting me read and review this book x

This is the perfect Romcom for the winter months! I loved the characters and you’re getting into the story rather quick. There’s some witty banter and I love love love the character development. You get to see a bit of their past what explains their current struggles and I really enjoy that!

I cannot come to terms with the end of one of the BEST Christmas romcom series I've ever read.

I absolutely loved these characters, they're all a little unhinged, they're all a little imperfect, and they're all hilarious. Christmas Notch is one of my favourite fictional towns, and I'm not ready to leave!

The end of the series aside, Sunny and Isaac's story was perfection - Isaac learning how to love again after his first wife passed away, and Sunny learning that commitment doesn't mean failure. There was the perfect amount of overlap from the other characters and boy band members, and the humour that Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone have incorporated through the previous books was still very much present, despite this being a slightly more emotional read.

A Jingle Bell Mingle is festive, fun, and wraps up the stories of all the characters before it concludes. Big thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for alllowing me to read and review an earc of this one!

The last in a series, although I’m sorry to say I hadn’t read any of the others. However, I could perfectly follow the story without the prior knowledge from previous books. This was a feel good festive feast that I will probably revisit in the winter months. I loved Sarah and Issac and felt they were well suited without being sickeningly sweet. A great read.

This is the perfect pre-Christmas read with a spice element and I think Jingle Bell Mingle was the perfect conclusion to the Christmas Notch series..

Although we see other of the Christmas Notch characters come into the series, this final story follows Isaac and Sunny in a roommates to lovers plot that was adorable and funny. Overall, I loved their storyline which sees both of them trying to feel inspired to create a new album and a screenplay by a deadline.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a perfect, feel-good, cosy up with the fire and Christmas tree lit behind you kind of book. Perfect Christmas read, simple and easy! This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.