⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝘼 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙡𝙪𝙨-𝙨𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙧𝙤𝙢-𝙘𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙢 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙢𝙞-𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮-𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙖𝙙-𝙗𝙤𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙥 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝.

📍 Read if you like:
• Plus Size Representation
• Steamy Romcoms
• Lovable Characters
• Festive Reads

I’ve heard everyone talking about this book and I knew I immediately wanted to pick it up for the Christmas season. I can’t believe how much I loved it… and man were they right when they said this book was spicy!

Honestly, I usually have a hit-or-miss with holiday romances, but this one was such a successful read. I loved our characters and their banter.

I also loved the premise of this adult film star acting in a family-friendly Christmas movie with a former bad-boy pop star… who also happens to be a big fan of her “content”.

Bee and Nolan were both so freaking perfect. I loved their chemistry throughout the book and how they grew toward each other. I wasn’t expecting to care for them as much as I did.

I loved that they were both bisexual characters and how the authors tackled some serious topics throughout the book.

This cover throws you off. If you didn’t read the synopsis I’m sure you’ll think it’s this super lighthearted friendly Christmas read, but man there are some super steamy scenes. I love it when books are co-written and done perfectly!

This book was so talked about when it came out and I think it’s the perfect Christmas romance read… if you’re okay with steam. It’s so unique and interesting - and these characters are just so wholesome around each other. I loved this book!

Hallmark after dark -- that's basically what this book is. Which is convenient, because that's also the *premise* of the book.

It's hard to find a book that captures the way that a Hallmark movie makes you feel, and this did that! The characters were loveable, the side characters were *amazing* and I'm really hoping for a spinoff/sequel.

This book is simultaneously a cute Christmas rom com as well as a steamy open door romance. It has all your favorite hallmark-esque tropes while at the same time giving you scenes so steamy you’ll wonder if it’s the raunchy dialogue or the winter snow causing your cheeks to turn red. If you love a good love story, I recommend giving this book a try!

The premise of this story sounded fun. I loved the confident heroine, Bee Hobbes. I had a little bit harder time loving our ex-boy band Hero, Nolan Shaw. Both of them try to keep their inner child under control and professional when they meet their respective crushes. I didn't feel this couple's chemistry since I wasn't sure if they were "falling for" the dream version of their crush or the actual person, especially since the movie shoot takes place over a 2 week period. There was a little too much going with the supporting cast (Angel, Luca, Pearl) which I felt detracted from their romance, but added LOL moments. This is a really long book that kind of dragged in the middle a bit. I'm glad I stuck it out to the end because that was my favorite part. 3.5 stars

O M G. The steamy scenes! Wow what a fantastic Christmas yy book for any romance lover like myself. The characters are so damn likeable. This for sure will be one of my favorite Christmas books ever.

I made it to 35% before finally admitting it. I'm bored. Nolan thinks he might be a douchebag because his ring tone is his own song. Yep, ya are. Bea is a wee little bit more interesting and charming but it's not enough.

First of all, I am so glad that I got this arc from Sierra, because otherwise, I likely wouldn't have read it as soon as I did. I don't typically read holiday themed books, but this one was well worth it. It was for sure a change of pace for both Sierra (who normally writes much darker books) and Julie (who normally writes YA). This was a fun, sexy, holiday gift that just kept on giving. What happens when an adult film star decides to do Christmas film opposite a former boy band member? It's well worth the read to find out. I'm very much looking forward to seeing where J&S go from here with this Christmas town.

This just wasn't cute enough for me 🙃
I'd read this earlier in January as I was still in the mood for a holiday romance. I'd seen all the buzz and the ARC had been sitting on my shelves for a long time, so I figured I'd give it a try. It was very steamy with witty banter and quirky characters just as my friends said it would be, but I just couldn't feel the emotional connection between the leads - Bee and Nolan. These two felt like they were just horny for each other and hey, I'll be the last person to complain about insta-lust/insta-love because I don't mind it in my books, but what I do want is relationship development on the emotional front after they start lusting for each other - and this one didn't have that. :/

The premise is that Bianca/Bee Hobbes, a plus size adult film star gets a chance to act in a Christmas movie for a family channel (so it has to be PG-13) and she decides to take it but she'll have to keep her other career under wraps. Her co-star is Nolan Shaw, a former boy band member who desperately needs an image makeover and some money. This movie is the chance for him to turn things around and he has been advised to keep his image squeaky clean. So no onset shenanigans! But what neither of them expected is that Nolan has been a long time 'fan' of Bianca Von Honey and there's an uncontrollable attraction between them.

At first I was so excited for this one - I mean how many books are out there with a plus size adult film star as the main character? And I really liked Bee's confidence, humor and optimism so it was no surprise that I fell in love with her. But, Nolan? I didn't really like him. I couldn't even connect with him at first but what turned me off mainly was how he was constantly objectifying Bee in his head. Like I get it he's been a long time subscriber and has jerked off to her videos for many nights, so this is like a wet dream come true(🤣🤣🤣) but come on just stop talking about how you want to bang her all the time.

Okay so I'll analyze why this irritated me here in this particular book, though I might have let it slide in some other book(I doubt it 'cause I wouldn't but idk). There's nothing wrong in seeing the male lead be sexually attracted to the heroine - like duh it needs to be there for a good romance to work - but when it's 'shown' there must be a fine balance between sexual attraction and emotional attraction to get a good romantic relationship and that was missing here. And this was more important for me in this particular book because of her profession - so many men lust after her everyday so what's setting Nolan apart from them? Putting herself out there is freeing and scary at the same time, so it'd be better if her partner appreciated her for more than her body. I didn't see him appreciating her character traits or anything else beyond a few words. I've read many other books with a porn star/escort as the main character and the romance was handled very well in that, so this one disappointed me in that aspect.

Also, I just found Nolan too immature and somewhat similar to a horny teenager though he's way beyond that. Like I get it, he had a wild period and did many things when he was in the boy band, but now that those days are over there should be some change right? He keeps saying that he's not that person anymore but I didn't see any difference lol😂 He's still impulsive, thinks with his d**k and doesn't take up much responsibility for his actions. And yeah the true story about his previous scandal was good but why did he keep it a secret for so long when it only ruined his image and that figure skater's? A very convenient plot point.

And don't get me started on how unrealistic it was that the characters thought that Bee's identity wouldn't be exposed?😂 Like wth, you don't need to be a data analyst to know that there are high chances of viewer demographic overlapping and in today's age with the internet, it's very easy to find all the details especially when she has a ClosedDoors account or whatever. She wasn't even wearing a disguise or anything so obviously it'll be exposed lol. They had zero preparations for that.
The third act conflict was more annoying(the press finds out that she's a porn star) with Nolan's reaction - he's all like it'll blow over, none of it matters🙄, even though he knows how bad a scandal would be - especially when he experienced one too. And Bee was apologetic about it at first - like as if it's her fault that she ruined the movie for everyone - even though Nolan knew about it and his reputation wasn't any better either. And there's only one character Jack who finally states the truth - the thing would never have been a secret anyway. And I was like 'Exactly'!🤣

On the positive side, I did love Bianca and the other side characters - especially her moms, her best friend and Teddy. The witty banter and the steamy scenes added a lot to the book but it just wasn't enough to make me like this one.
But, you might enjoy it if you're just looking for a steamy rom-com and are ready to suspend some disbelief. On the other hand if you're like me and are searching for a romance with an adult film star, I'd recommend Lingus by Mariana Zapata as it's a slow burn romance with a well developed relationship(and the male lead is the one who is in the profession). I loved the romance and it was laugh out loud funny too. And you'll definitely find many similar books on this list here.

Don't let the cutesy cover and title fool you, as this gets pretty spicy in places (says the tame romance reader). It's a holiday romance with that added bit of sexy fun times that seems to be lacking in all those Hallmark films.

In the end, I found this to be just... OK. Nolan and B are fine, their romance is fine and the storyline about B being a plus-sized porn star was good at first but got (shock horror) quite boring quickly as it's more alluded to than shown. This also felt like it was too long, especially in the middle section when nothing really happens in terms of plot movement.

Not bad, with some hot and heavy scenes, but overall this felt pretty average.

I am not one to trash an author’s work. It’s not who I am as a reader. So I’m going to review “A Merry Little Meet Cute” as nicely as possible, but still honestly. Here it goes…

I love representation in books. Give me diverse characters. Sign me up for cheering on the underdog. Plus size female leads? YES PLEASE! But when you have every single sort of representation in one single book (a very wordy one at that), it sort of takes the power out of being seen. It gets lost in the shuffle. Does that make sense?

In this book, we have bi main characters, a sex worker (that’s a porn star, not a prostitute), a parent whose life is falling apart due to mental health issues, a set of lesbian moms, and a plus size love interest.

Going in, I was hoping for a fun meet cute (thanks to the title), which we don’t get. And if you thought this was cute holiday rom-com, you’re going to be disappointed. There wasn’t a ton of comedy here. Just a lot of WTH moments.

If we move past the overabundance of representation, there’s the Christmas themed town, that has a North Pole themed strip club, with a dancer named Prancer. The male lead was cringey 99.9% of the time. And while I wanted to love the female lead, I found myself rolling my eyes at most of her antics (for example, she thought it was safe/smart to eat CBD gummies like traditional gummy bears).

If you read this rambling review, kudos 🤣 I personally think you can skip this one and spend time reading far better holiday novels. But of course, this is just my opinion. There’s plenty of love for this one out there, just not from me 😐

Received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

I love anything by Julie Murphy. This is her second adult novel I have read. It was way more spicy than I thought it was going to be based on the cover and title.

Frothy and fun, the perfect little holiday diversion when you're feeling chilly and need a little steam!

I liked the supporting cast more than the main characters in this one...the main characters felt a bit overdone somehow, yet not real enough at the same time. The setting was interesting, the story was fun, but overall for me it was just a bit...blah.

This book is just as the title describes merry and cute! it was a quick read with an adorable storyline. The writing was good and engaging and the characters were like old friends. Highly recommend!

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Definitely a unique holiday rom-com! I loved the writing, as I always do with these authors. That being said, this one was maybe trying a bit too hard for me? It was like, let's celebrate sex workers and people with mental health struggles, and fat people, etc etc etc. Like, maybe stick to just one or two things? It just all got to be a bit jumbled at times.
That being said, I adored the insta-love, the setting, and so many of the side characters. It was a great cast, for the most part. I could have done with more banging, TBH, given how many times that gingerbread lotion and toys were brought up. But, overall, I enjoyed the book.

- fun, holiday romance
- spice 3/5
- LGBTQIA+
The romance was fun, the spice ranks at a 3/5, and my favorite parts were the commentary and struggles with human nature vs. what is expected of females (and males) according to societal norms. I really loved Bee's character. She was honest and open about her career and had support from friends and family. Such a different take to see someone in the sex industry that has support in all areas. Even with that support though, she still struggles with society as a whole and with being able to act in roles that she wants due to that aspect of her career. My favorite parts of the story were the ending when the media outcries and later support were so well encompassed. Gretchen and Pearl's reactions to Bee and Ray's backgrounds were everything you want in honest, good characters, and Nolan's final understanding of how his social perceptions were ruining the good things in his life were done thoughtfully and believably.

I did not enjoy this book at all. It was just trying way too hard to be shocking and edgy. I found the constant vulgarity to be too much. I am not a prude by any means, but there wasn't time for a story to develop with all of the pornography, sex toys, etc. being constantly dropped into the conversation. The plot was underdeveloped.

Chef’s Kiss 💋 I first started this in September when the book came out but I was just not in the holiday vibes yet so I’m so glad I restarted it and got to appreciate it for the amazing book it is. I’m so glad that this is going to be a series. We need more sex positive but sweet rom coms. Sierra and Julie killed it!!

This book definitely took me by surprise in terms of the level of spice!! This book is certainly spicy and also did not disappoint in the cutesy romancey, innocent crush department as well. Anyway, Nolan & Bee's chemistry was spot-on and kept ME wanting more. I love love love that Bee is 1) an adult-film star that tackles a fru fru Christmas movie, and 2) that she is plus-sized! Yas to representation! I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted (and did I mention SPICY) read and would give it a 4/5 star rating!

2 Disappointing Stars

This had such an amazing concept but the execution didn’t do it for me 😭

I adored all of the different dynamics of the characters + the inclusivity. i also loved having a plus sized porn star as the mc. ✨

I just got so bored throughout the book. Maybe if it was shorter I would’ve liked it more. I felt like it was so long for no reason. I loved the idea of the plot but I couldn’t feel the connection between bee & nolan. I wanted more romance tbh.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!