The more I think about this book, the more I love it. We follow two adorable (to me) bi main character, both of which have secrets the want to keep hidden.

Bee, porn star/cam girl, wants to act in mainstream movies and finally gets a break in this (may as well be) Hallmark Christmas movie, produced by her current boss (also porn producer wanting to go into mainstream). The moment I was introduced to Bee I fell in love! She is the sunshine woman of my dreams. Confident in her plus size body, head-strong and knows what she wants! Then we meet Nolan! Ex-boy band bad boy wanting to turn a squeaky-clean leaf, and what's a more perfect way to do that than star in a sweet, wholesome Christmas movie!? He was another character I fell in love with almost immediately. Although he could come across as a jerk at times, I couldn't help but think of him as a sweet, misunderstood boy... who just also happened to be a bad boy, but still misunderstood lol

Trust me when I say antics ensured as they get closer and closer! Their romance (and smut) was believable. I could feeling their pull towards each other and the tension!

But it wasn't just the two mains I loved. The side characters were interesting and had depth - I'd love to follow a few of their romances!

The audiobook was well done. Joy Nash and Sebastian York made Bew and Nolan believable and gave then the depth and personality you want from a smutty RomCom.

I really could gush for hours about this one right now! I was worried that I had fallen into a Holiday book slump, but this is what I've been waiting for! If you love Hallmark Christmas movies and Christmas book, but wanting to up the anti-so-to-speak, then you will love this one!

I'm waiting for my physical copy and I will be tempted to immediately reread it!

Fun and steamy story- I would love to watch the movie being made! This wasn't so much a Christmas book- more of a book set during Christmas time.

I have some ambiguous thoughts after reading this.

It had a total wholesome Hallmark movie meets Fans Only vine and I surprisingly loved the juxtaposition! The spice level of this one was off the charts but I must say I didn’t think it was too much and worked well with the overall theme!

I loved Murphy’s focus on body positivity in If the Shoe Fits and this one is no different! I applaud her & Simone for taking it even further in writing such a sex positive plot as well.

Now what didn’t work for me. While it’s not a long list, it was mostly just because of the length. I prefer my RomComs short and sweet and this one being over 400 pages started to feel pretty dragged out and unnecessary.

Overall it was still a fun and entertaining holiday romance!

3.5 stars rounded to 4

✨ ARC Review ✨
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Thank you to Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone and Netgalley for the ARC to review.
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A Merry Little Meet Cute was so good. The storyline took my by surprise (I never read the blurbs) but it was so good. This book was a little spicy, sweet, and a whole bunch of fun. I loved Nolan and Bee. Their chemistry was off the charts and their story was so cute. I loved their mutual obsession for each other. I loved the body positivity and acceptance in this book. All the characters were unique and I loved them all. The ending was so sweet and definitely left me with a smile.
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I think this book was going to be a little bit too spicy for me and I wasn't sure if I would be able to get into it. I also am a mood reader and will get back to this at Christmas time next year.

DNF - I tried a few times to read this and I just couldn't get into the story. I think that the cover sucked me in even when I had doubts because my reading preferences have changed so much. I just adore Sierra Simone and really wanted to read and love this, so I'm actually sad.

*2 Star because I have to give a rating and the cover itself is worthy of 2 stars

“I don’t need you to love me in private. I need you to love me in public for the whole world to see.”

Bee and Nolan. He’s a former boy-band bad boy that’s trying to fix his reputation after a scandal. She’s an adult film star that’s accidentally been cast to replace the lead role in a family holiday film and must hide who she really is. The only problem is that Nolan is familiar with Bee’s work and they’re both not allowed to get involved with anyone.

❄️READ IF YOU LIKE❄️:
- dual POV
- childhood crush to co-stars
- forbidden romance
- Christmas movie
- friends with benefits (secretly)
- adult film star x former boy-band bad boy
- LGBTQ+, body positivity & mental health rep
- Vermont setting
- gingerbread lotion

cw: death of loved one, fatphobia, slut shaming,

Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks for the advanced copy! A Merry Little Meet Cute is now available!

This book was an interesting combination of sweet and steamy. There was a lot of interesting commentary to me - with the narrative around overweight heroines, both a bisexual hero and heroine, celebrities and the scandals that surround them, and also on sex workers - and specifically sex workers as a hero or heroine in a romance. It was a cute holiday read too and was really centered around Christmas since it was about them making essentially a Hallmark Christmas movie right before the holidays. I liked it and it was definitely super steamy but I can't say anything about it really stood out to me as outstanding.

A Merry Little Meet Cute was a wonderful book. I loved the characters and the plot. Would highly recommend.

A Merry Little Meet Cute is this holiday season’s spiciest read! A perfect happenstance of hidden identities and celebrity crushing, I thought this was a fun escapist read that had me laughing and swooning! This is right up the alley for lovers of Hallmark holiday movies (most specifically the new Netflix ones!) and would be perfect for lovers of The Shameless Series by Rosie Danan!

This was a fun romp! I really enjoy dual POV stories written by author duos, and this is a duo I'd love to read from again. I adore romance where a fat heroine is allowed to know she's hot and be desired by a partner who feels 0 shame for thinking she's hot too.

This is the holiday romance I never knew I needed. Sexy, funny and inclusive, it hit all the right points and made for a delightful holiday read.

Wow! just wow. I did not finish keep pushing trough but could not due it. I am not a prude or but this is one that wins the smut award. I was looking for a Christmas romance which this did have all the makings with the perfect "halmark" story line but just went a bit. off for me.

I...pretty much hated this one. It was a mix of very surface level and flaky characters, their very shallow, decidedly <i>not</i> meet-cute, and the very cringey way that fat character activism was continually shoved down the reader's throat...Why can't a character just be fat and we don't have to rehash every interaction through a social justice and combative lens?

In any case, I am also personally not a fan of Hallmark-y, Christmas movies. And even though it's pretty light on that part of it, I just couldn't get my brain past the unlikability of the MCs. There are moments of humor, a sex scene or two (though, as a huge fan of Simone, it was pretty tame compared to other moments she can write), and sex positivity in spades, but the characters... *shudder*. Kind of disappointed, TBH.

Mostly, watching this made me want to watch a Hallmark Christmas movie. It sure did seem like a really poor subterfuge - if one is trying to hide their other life, perhaps bringing in all the people the know from that life to work on their new project isn't the best choice? Although the premise was unbelievable, the love story was 100% reminiscent of a Hallmark movie plot line.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I was really excited by the premise of this book as I've read many a fanfiction with this plot structure and I think that it panned out alright. I don't think that the story was properly cushioned by character development -- it really was just a lot of Bee and Nolan being unable to control their lust which I just don't think is a good romance plot.

However, the shenanigans on set were enjoyable and the side characters were great fun,

3 stars.

I am so guilty of requesting this book without paying enough attention to the storyline. I saw Julie Murphy’s name, I saw that she was writing a non YA book and it was set at Christmas time. Then of course I saw Julie Murphy actually posting and making sure people understood that this book was super steamy, open door romance about an adult film star. Oops! I completely own up to my mistake here. If I’d have read the actual description rather than clicking because I’ve enjoyed all of Julie Murphy’s books then I just wouldn’t have requested it since the storyline isn’t a fit for me. I hadn’t ever heard of Sierra Simone and it sounds like most people who know her writing had a more clear idea of what to expect (again, I could have read the cover for goodness sakes! I’m embarrassed, I never just click without thinking about it first.]

This book is about a plus sized adult film star who gets cast in a squeaky clean movie. Picture her in a Hallmark Christmas movie. And nobody knows the truth but her costar who actually recognizes her from her work.

There’s always body positivity in Julie Murphy’s books and I always appreciate that.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you!

One of the best books I've read this year!

Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone weave a wonderful story of two people who shouldn't fall in love, but do anyway. There is so much to like about this book. Plus size main character. Former pop star. Current porn star. Sex positive. LGBTQ+. Funny. Adorable. I could go on and on.

One of the best things about A Merry Little Meet Cute is that both characters are bisexual, and while it plays a part in the story (near the end), it really is just a fact about who they are. (Read: It's normalized in the book.)

Highly recommend.

I've been all about the holiday reads this year and this was the perfect choice to kick off the winter break. I loved the mix of typical rom-com vibes blended in with some less traditional characters - not just in background and appearance, but also in their self-confidence. The backstage peek into the surprising normality of the lives of pop stars and those in the sex industry was a fun addition, and I enjoyed the dynamics between the various side characters. I would have found a little bit of a chase fun, but the instant attraction and self-imposed swearing off of any type of physical interaction added a bit of tension.

I will say that the spice level was a bit above my typical comfort-level, but that's personal preference - it was very well done. I also had the chance to listen to some of the audio version and I would also highly recommend. Just make sure to listen without the kids in the car. :)

Although the premise took me somewhat by surprise, I really enjoyed this contemporary holiday romance. Both Nolan and Bee were very like-able characters. I also enjoyed the various side characters - especially Sunny and Luca. Overall, a very cute read that tackled themes surrounding mental health, sexuality, and celebrity culture very well. Thank you to both the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!