a little holiday in the spring is just what I needed. this was so cute and such a nice reading break. I actually didn't read many holiday books this past year so it was fun to get into one in may.

This is the fat, queer, sex-positive Christmas romcom of my dreams. Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone writing together is an absolute DREAM! I want more from this duo so badly. I’m going to have to find more words but HORNY CHRISTMAS PINING DELICIOUSNESS will have to do for now. But seriously. I’m at a loss for words. Bee and Nolan were too good 😭 Everyone is gay and chaos and horny.

I wanted to read this book for three reasons,duo of authors: Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone Simone, synopsis adult film star accidentally cast in family friendly Christmas movie and cover is so pretty. But do not cover fool you Bee and Nolan get steamy. Overall a sweet, holiday romance with lots of steamy chemistry.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

The perfect blend of sweet and spicy! This book was so perfect. I loved all the characters. Filming a Christmas movie in Vermont!? With a rag tag group of people!? Where everything is Christmas themed!? I'm hooked. I want to know everything about everyone and I SO look forward to Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone teaming up again!

I've been in a reading slump lately and this lovely little Christmas package pulled me right out of it!
Sexy, curvy adult performer Bianca Von Honey (using an alternate name) gets cast in a sweet little (ahem ULTRA CLEAN) holiday movie opposite her boy band crush Nolan Shaw. Turns out, he's a big fan of Bianca.
Both of them are trying to turnover new leaves and are depending on this movie to help. What could possibly go wrong?!?

I'd give this one four peppers on the steam factor (it gets steamy), perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Alice Clayton.

I loved this book. It's a romance but it's not your typical romance story. I loved the chemistry between Bee and Nolan. I liked how open Bee was with herself and that added more to her character. I always hope for a happy ending in a book and this one didn't disappoint. I would definitely recommend this book.

I am sure I don't need to tell any readers that a book by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone is amazing. This story features all the classic tropes (secret identity, “reformed” bad boy, and quirky supporting casts to name a few) melded with a sex-positive romance centering a plus-sized heroine. The story manages to be hilarious, heartfelt, a little angsty and very, very, sexy all at once. The super-meta aspect regarding “cheesy romances” played out in a spicy contemporary against a manufactured historical romance…this was solid gold! Add this one to your holiday reading list as soon as possible.

This book was fantastic! I loved the banter between Nolan and Bree. You could literally feel the tension between them on the pages. Also, the side characters were wonderful, and enjoyed their close bonds and hilarious dialogue. Usually, I do not enjoy stories where one character falls fast, but I loved the way this one was written. I adored Nolan for being such a sweetheart. I did feel like the book was a bit long but I did still really enjoy it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

One one hand, this was really enjoyable and a must read for someone who’s not looking for something sickly sweet to read during the holidays. On the other hand, this didn’t quite live up to the blurb expectations or the expectations I have of the writers.

The concept is really great and refreshing. I laughed a lot and think the story was just what a spice lover would want. Now, the spice? A bit disappointing. Maybe a 3/3.5 on the spice scale with the real shocker being some fade to black.

That being said, I adored Bee the female character. She was great. Nolan was a bit bland. I liked his backstory and the idea of him more than him. This book was also about 100 pages too long and would’ve been better just with Bee as the sole POV.

The POVs with our side characters like Teddy the producer made it seemed jumbled. Like, one too many things going on.

Overall, I did enjoy it and would read it again just with different expectations.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this one ready to be charmed by the story and I was. Assless chaps are not mentioned frequently enough in what I’m reading. Slice Slice Baby needs to be a thing in real life.

I loved Nolan and Bee. I really adored Teddy and the fact that he was a good guy in a mostly shitty business. I loved that Nolan had known and been best friends with his, since early childhood. I loved that Bee’s moms were so encouraging and supportive and loving.

I loved that Bee was an adult film star and I really liked that Bee’s sexual past was brought up without fanfare; I really believe that women are still being casually or aggressively shamed far too often for having the gall to have sex with as many partners of her choosing. Growing up I remember learning that sex was something that must be shameful and bad since no one ever talked to me about it. Ever. All I was actually told was not to get pregnant because if I did, I’d be forced into undergoing a termination. (thankfully I discovered Pamela Des Barres’ awesomely fun memoir, I’m With the Band in 1988 and am as sex positive as I am today thanks to Des Barres’ joy in sharing her past with readers.).

A Merry Little Meet Cute is an extremely enjoyable Christmas-themed mug of spicy hot chocolate on a cold day. Or whenever you enjoy reading Christmassy fiction 🙂

I adored this novel and plan on reading more of the authors’ solo works.

This was such a fun (and sexy) read! What started out as a Hallmark-like traditional Christmas flick starring a Harry Styles-like former boy band member quickly turned into a quasi-porn set when things went awry at a Coachella-like festival. The entire premise of this book is absurd, yet somehow it really does work! I enjoyed the body positivity and inclusivity of this book. I especially enjoyed how all the main players are working on personal transformations— our heroine Bee is a happy plus sized sex worker trying to break into mainstream acting; our hero Nolan needs to redeem his image in order to care of his family; the director is a former child actor looking for a career change; the producer runs a porn studio while trying to expand his projects to help fund one child’s venture and another’s schooling. Everyone is in transition and it makes for a great set-up. Plus, you can’t beat the setting in a small Christmas town in Vermont! I don’t usually re-read books but, depending on who is selected to narrate this book, I am looking forward to how this will sound in audio format!
Thanks to the authors, HarperCollins and NetGalley for this advance copy for review.

This was a fun, holiday read. It reminded me of Meet Cute by Helena Hunting for the childhood celebrity crush part and The Roommate by Rosie Danan for the sex positive/ porn industry representation. This book also has a plus sized MC which was great.

The book follows Bee Hobbes, a plus size adult film star, and Nolan Shaw, a washed up boy band performer who is trying to revive his career, as they try to film a Hallmark style Christmas movie in Vermont.

The costars have been secretly pining for each other for years; Nolan subscribes to Bee’s only fans account and Bee idolized Nolan as a teen. When they meet to film the movie, Nolan recognizes Bee immediately and their chemistry is intense. However, Nolan is trying to separate himself from scandal and the last thing he needs is to be caught dating Bee. And Bee, is trying to make a name for herself outside of the adult industry.

A Merry Little Meet Cute was fun and spicy but I wanted more. Nolan is wrapped up in some family issues and even though they are on set, they don’t seem to spend that much time getting to know each other. I just wanted more cute moments with them connecting and building their relationship.

Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

**Thank you Avon, (An imprint of HarperCollins publishers) for providing this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change.**

When a plus-size adult film star, Bee Hobbes gets accidentally cast for a wholesome Christmas movie and her co-star is none other than her long time crush. Nolan Shaw, an ex boy band member who is trying to clean up his bad boy image. As they get close on set, sparks fly and tensions are running high!

It's getting HOT in here! So take off ALL YOUR CLOTHES!!

“She smelled like utter sweetness and innocence, but she felt like sin incarnate.”

Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone, the author duo I did not know I NEEDED!! A Merry Little Meet Cute is not your typical Christmas themed romance novel.This book is more HBO than Hallmark. DO NOT let the cute cartoon cover fool you, this book is SINFULLY DIRTY!
It's a fresh new take on your typical holiday read and I’m here for it!

“I love you, Bee Hobbes. I Love you in front of the whole world.”

This book is your reminder that plus size women are sexy, desirable and are more than capable of finding a man that worships their bodies and the ground they walk on. Although this was a quick an enjoyable read, I felt like it was missing something; which is why I’m rating it 3.5/5

Special thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC of A Merry Little Meet Cute!

I absolutely was caught by the super cute cover! And why not read a "holiday" themed book in May.

TW: Parent with bipolar disorder, loss of a parent, fatphobia, explicit sexual scenes, and discrimination/harassment/hate towards sex workers [not by the authors or main characters its discrimination the characters face by the media/strangers within the book]

This book was So fun! the banter was epic, lots of LOL moments, super steamy love scenes! It centers around the xmas holiday season with a romance between Bee and Nolan. I mean - why not hire a plus sized porn star actress to star in a hallmark-type film? then pair her with a former hunk? I Mean this book kept me smiling the whole time!

I will absolutely be re-reading around xmas again!
I hope there’s more books in this world because this book was sensational!!!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with a collaboration between YA queen of adorableness Julie Murphy and the spicier Sierra Simone. Somehow they make this rather unusual story work! Bee is an adult film star who takes a last-minute job in the Hope Channel's (read: Hallmark) PG Christmas movie, Duke the Halls. Her costar, Nolan, is a former boy band star trying to rehab his image. Everything about this production needs to be above reproach, and no one can find out about Bee's other career.

But of course things immediately start to go wrong. Not the least problem is the undeniable attraction between Bee and Nolan, who have both promised to be on their best (celibate) behavior for the shoot in the year-round Christmas town. There are threats on all sides, from nosy tabloid journalists to clueless crew members. But maybe there's hope for a merry Christmas after all.

I'm assuming Murphy was in charge of making the characters, especially Bee, endearing and adorable. And Simone took the hot scenes between Bee and Nolan. But either way, the whole mix makes for a fun and surprisingly steamy holiday read.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the banter between Nolan and Bree so much. I loved the tension between them and you could literally feel it coming off the pages. The side characters were wonderful and enjoyed their close bonds and hilarious dialogue. I usually don't love when one person falls fast, but the way this one was written I loved it. Nolan was such a softie and I as all about it. I do think the book felt a bit long and there were moments when I was hoping for some more Christmas cheer and steam. Overall, I cannot wait to reread this one when we get closer to the holidays and relive that church scene- IYKYK.

The plot set-up was super fun and I liked Bee, and the representation felt super natural and just really nice to read about. The part where she was sucking in and his response to it was superb. I also really liked this quote: “I never knew my body could feel like it was made for someone else.”

However, it just lost major steam for me even before 50%. The Christmas town and those puns were funny, but it didn’t even really make me want Christmas. The ending and the drama was just lackluster, since it was expected and foolish especially for two people TRYING TO BE SECRETIVE. Like the root cause of it was just so unnecessary and illogical. The writing style also wasn’t really for me but I could’ve ignored that for layered characters and maybe a different break-up catalyst.

I think eliminating his POV would’ve done wonders for the plot. I simply did not enjoy anything about his POV sections. Also not knowing he subscribed to her until the end would’ve been balls to the wall better than the premature <s>ejaculation</s> revelation we got. I also just didn’t like him very much. He seemed kinda like a cardboard cutout. I think I would’ve been way more into the mystery of him than him him.

✨

They forgot to use any of the lube and toys—mentioned SO MANY TIMES—together??? And it barely even teased ass play. I’m so confused. It had more fade to black situations than I would’ve thought and idk it wasn’t that steamy. It was steamy but I truly didn’t know who the two people having sex were—he went deep, but the connection was shallow and the book was majorly surface-level.

There wasn’t any tension as they’d both been horny for each other for the past several years. The only real tension was him finding out it was her he’d been subscribing too, but that was over so fast.

✨

This book is 384 pages (hardcover edition) and it’s about 150 too long. They had like zero meaningful, memorable conversations. A lot of the book was inner monologue—Inner monologue that didn’t really differ from POV to POV. Without the chapter indicators, they could’ve been the same person thinking.

I will say, I’d sell my soul for the movie they were shooting PLUS sex with modern toys. Like fuck his 1800s ducal world up with the Hitachi girl. Like if the book was the time travel plot of that movie plus raunchy sex, then we’d be talking. Also the cover is super ducking cute I’d totally jingle its bells. I’ll probably end up buying this purely for the cover.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶.5*/5

*It was steamy but I didn’t really feel their connection nor did I really care that they were having sex. There were maybe four full scenes? I’m really not sure. It’s probably a 3.75🌶 but again I just didn’t care. Him watching her videos online in a separate room was way hotter than them together.

Hi, I LOVED this book. It's laugh-out-loud funny, unabashedly sex-positive, really thoughtful about sex work, has two bisexual love interests, and is just a freaking delight. If you were like, "huh, I wonder if the famously steamy Sierra Simone will write a similarly steamy book for publication at Avon," YEP.

I am begging for more books in this universe; I'd read about literally any side characters. Nolan's former bandmates seem tee'd up, but Sunny, Angel and Luca, and please god I am begging you Teddy and Steph all deserve stories. Everyone I know has heard me talk about this book, because it is that fun, and I cannot wait to make more people read it this fall.

Bee is a plus sized leading porn lady. She yearns to make it in the mainstream film industry. Nolan is a former bad boy boy-band star who needs to find success in film to support his mother and sister, having been swindled by his former business manager. Bee has had a crush on him since his boy-band era and Nolan has long been a card carrying subscriber to and fan of Bee’s porn streaming service. Both are trying to reach their goal with a schmaltzy Christmas movie produced by the Hallmark-ish Hope Channel. They each have to appear straight-laced for the Hope channel. Nothing could go wrong with that, right? Well…

The secondary cast of characters are just that- characters, often laugh out loud characters. You see, the actual producer does mainstream and porn films. When half the regular film crew get incapacitated (funny story there as well) he brings in his porn film workers to fill in the gaps. They all need to keep their origins a secret as well. Again, what could go wrong with that?

There is a hint (and a hope?) that this will be the beginning of a series and it would be wonderful to devote another book to any one of these people.

I like that the book smoothly added some diversity issues- it covered fat shaming, slut shaming, mental health issues, bi- and homosexuality. But it isn’t a heavy or preachy treatment. It all just flows. And makes for a hilarious steamy romcom.

The last Julie Murphy book I read was a miss, but this is a hit. It's funny, but serious. I was really cheering for the main characters and the side characters were also really fun. It seems like there will be more books in this series, which is great.