This was a fun book, and I really enjoyed Winnie and Kallum (perfect spelling, no notes), as characters and as a couple. I also appreciated that because the action takes place over a longer time period than the previous title in the series did, both of them could grow and change as individuals, and their relationship had more space to evolve and deepen. Also, even though they only meet in passing years before the story opens, their history was significant and made for a more interesting backstory in the execution than the "these characters are secretly superfans of each other before they meet" setup of the previous book. Finally, I loved how the depiction of purity culture here doesn't gloss over how messed up it really is! A solid four stars, and I will now be buying the Luca and Angel novella to tide me over until book 3.

Kallum is a former boy-band star who now runs a pizza shop in his hometown. He’s ready to get back in the limelight when his old sex tape gets leaked. He has secretly crushed on Winnie. But she is a straight and narrow girl - living her life as a sort of Promise Keeper-like child star.
Neither of them have had anything approaching a normal or healthy childhood

WInnie has done everything by the book except, well, except for having an orgasm-- a bit of a drawback since she and Kallum are making a sex-filled Christmas movie. So she approaches Kallum for orgasm lessons. As you do. And then….

The side characters are quirky but we sure do recognize them: the aura lady screen writer; the guy who earnestly keeps watch over his dog on a nanny cam while on a shoot, the innkeeper who loves her job, but people/guests? Not so much. The MCs are complicated, funny and hot- and their scenes, hotter. The dialogue is sometimes laugh out loud funny. And the sexy bits are earthy and unrestrained. It is a fun but very erotic read.

But it isn’t all farce.There are some heavy issues that Kallum and Winnie are dealing with. Both of them growing up as child stars scarred them each in different ways. What resonated most for me was Winnie working though the shame she internalized by her fundamentalist religious background and the parents who inculcated her in that mindset. Her breaking out into a sexy movie and all that follows is an act of defiance and self discovery, self recovery.

This book is part of a series but it can easily be read as a standalone. But if you like this, do check out other titles by the duo Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I don’t think there’s anything to say other than mind blowing, show stopping, glorious, spectacular, ingenious etc etc. This book is such a beautiful and hilarious takedown of purity culture in the most anti purity culture way. It’s cutting and tender, with some of the most dynamic leads and secondary cast of characters I’ve read. Winnie and Kallum are so funny and so adorable together. Their dynamic goes from awkwardly attracted but cordial to supportive and loving in such a wonderful way. Loved it!

This was a fun continuation of the series by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. Both characters were very likable and had interesting journeys to get them to the place in life where the book begins. I'm looking forward to more books in this series.

I for one am so glad we get to come back to Christmas Notch this holiday season. My standards were pretty high following the Meet Cute but, boy was I thrilled that A Holly Jolly Ever After exceeded my expectations!
I didn't expect a Christmas romance that is...mostly smut fest to unpack purity culture and to truly teach me a thing about letting love into our lives but!! Boy did it!
This read has second chance love, pure unadulterated fluff and enough steam to start a sauna. This read is sweet, wholesome and will warm you up come Christmas time.

Christmas Notch is back! We meet Winnie an innocent 32 year old who just recently became divorced after 15 years. We also become acquainted with Kallum one of the other bad boys from INK.

Winnie and Kallum are cast to film a naughty Christmas movie for the Hope channels new endeavor, Hope After Dark. However, Winnie runs into some issues with her performance and asks the ever willing Kallum for "research" help.

Julie and Sierra know how to write the best dirty rom-coms. It's the perfect book to keep you warm on a cold winter night as well as laugh out loud. I hope there are more books in the future!

This was a great second book in this series. I know it won't win any awards but if you take it for what it is, a fun and comical holiday story, you won't be disappointed.

I was so looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint. I love Julie Murphy’s writing style, and I think this series with Sierra Simone is really fun and unique. The books get a little intense in terms of the more romantic scenes- anyone looking to read this should know that ahead of time. If you are looking for a mild, closed door romance, this is NOT it. I had fun revisiting the cast of characters from Meet Cute, and I thought Kallum and Winnie were maybe even more likable than Nolan and Bee. Winnie’s storyline with her religious upbringing is unique to the genre and I found it very relatable. I especially love the little vignettes with Teddy and Steph, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the series (hopefully!) goes next.

July Murphy and Sierra Simone did it again. This was so cute and such a fun read - even if I was reading it in July. The religious guilt was such a good way to handle the trope of the girl not knowing her body. I didn't find myself rolling my eyes at the male lead having to teach her everything. However, the main conflict near the end did make me roll my eyes a little so I can't say this book was a masterpiece.

After reading Merry Little Meet Cute, this one definitely falls into the same vein. There are lots of laugh out loud moments, and tender moments, as well as a fair amount of spice. Anyone who enjoyed the first book will certainly enjoy this one from this co-author duo.

A Holly Jolly Ever After is the second book in the Christmas Notch series. This book is about the next former member of INK, Kallum.
Kallum Lieberman has been cast as Santa in the Hope Channel's new steamy venture Hope After Dark. Kallum's family are not impressed with this new job especially since after Kallum's sex tape leaked, he chose to license it. Winnie Baker was raised to be a proper subservient woman which lead her to be a Hope Channel favorite. However, her image has changed significantly since getting divorced and the paparazzi speculating on her drinking and drug use. Now she's cast as a young Mrs. Claus opposite of Kallum.
This was such a good book. The chemistry between Kallum and Winnie was amazing and I love that we got to see a lot of the characters from the previous book.

Sweet and wholesome Winnie Baker has been the star of family friendly entertainment and even her 15 year marriage to the handsome and sensible Michael has helped her maintain a faithful following. Her world came crashing down when she divorced Michael and was accused of being unfaithful to him. With nothing left to lose she decides to co-star in an adult themed film with Kallum, who is the opposite of wholesome family friendly content.

Kallum Lieberman is a former member of the INK and good friend and bandmate of Nolan, who recently had his own scandal with an adult film star. Kallum has released his own sex tape with a bridesmaid that has been going viral.

Kallum screams sexuality and Winnie has no real clue what that means and she needs a lot of it for her new film. She turns to Kallum the one person who could safely help her find her sexuality. What starts out as a teaching and research time may turn into something more. It gets so hot that a snow machine catches fire and so do Winnie and Kallum’s feelings. Will the two be able to stay together after the film or is this just a movie set fling.

I was so excited when I saw this book was available as an ARC. I just finished reading “A Merry Little Meet Cute” last week and wanted to read Winnie and Kallum’s story. I loved that Winnie’s character was so open about how purity culture and beliefs were like for her. So many women go into marriage and that somehow magically they will enjoy sex and all will be right with the world. I also loved that Kallum was patient and didn’t make Winnie feel belittled or stupid for not knowing her own body, even after 15 years of marriage (and possible sex). This is an open door romance with real people. There were a scene at the beginning, specifically involving a pinky finger, that some women are squeamish about so I wonder if Winnie would be that open to that experience so soon. We need more Kallum’s in the world with emotionally safe sex and maple syrup & bacon pizza.

#NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager provided an advanced readers copy.

Another Julie and Sierra collaboration. I was iffy on how I'd feel about this one since I wasn't a huge fan of Bee and Nolan's novel but this one hit all the feels.

Winnie and Kallum are one of my favorite book couples ever.

So many troupes, so much spice. A Christian woman fallen into disgrace and takes charge of her future. What more do we need now.

Well written and so much to love.

Julie Murphy always gives a great story and "A Holly Jolly Ever After" was another great one, especially at Christmastime.

This book is just as great as the last book in the series! You don't need to know the previous book in order to read this book. The characters know each other, but they do not intersect that much.

If you enjoyed "Merry Little Meet Cute," you'll enjoy this. I stopped at 7% but I can tell it's very consistent to the brand they've created.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

It's Christmas time in Christmas Notch again, and the Hope Channel has decided to branch out with a new holiday movie that appeals to more mature audiences. "Santa Baby" will star Kallum Lieberman, former pop star, pizza entrepreneur, and the guy rocking a dad bod in his recently leaked sex tape -- and even though this new role as a hot Santa embarrasses his family, he is ready for the camera to roll! Especially since he's learned that his co-star will be Winnie Baker, the golden good-girl actress from other Hope Channel movies and his longtime crush.

Winnie, who grew up in a religious family and was held up as a darling of purity culture, knows her star is tarnished after her recent divorce. Work had dried up until this offer to star in "Santa Baby," and she does want to overcome her prudish background -- she's just not sure how. She's never even had an orgasm, and the idea of doing "research" just makes her cringe. The only thing that seems to be helpful is... Kallum's sex tape. And when he surprises her in her hotel room, watching said tape, he offers to help with... research.

You can see where this is going, right? Kallum is a warm and friendly character, if a bit impulsive, and his honest delight in sex and his absolute attention to his partner makes him a great confidant and safe space for Winnie. Winnie is a sweetheart, too, and as she learns to trust Kallum and to move beyond the mindset of her upbringing, she finds tremendous joy and pleasure in giving in to her physical desires. It's not often you find two characters who simply have sheer fun with sex, but these two make the most of their time together on set. Of course, the path to true love has many bumps along the way, but it also gives both characters time to learn more about themselves and about what they want.

It's a whirlwind romp that features many of the same characters (crew, director, and past stars and lovers Bee and Nolan) from A Merry Little Meet Cute, so if you enjoyed the cozy, hilarious, fun, and sexy times from that book, you won't be disappointed. 4 stars.

Thank you, Avon/HarperCollins and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.