4.5 stars. A very merry return to the world of Christmas Notch. This time our costars are Winnie and Kallum. She's a buttoned-up good girl trying to rehab the image her ex-boyfriend has besmirched in the press. He's the former boy band member who owns a popular local pizza chain. Together they're about to make a very NSFW holiday movie in a charming little town. Hijinks ensue.

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

I really liked the previous installment in this series but this one fell a little flat. You can tell two authors wrote it and not in a good way. The first half of the book is great, it definitely started out as a 5 star for me but around the 60% mark it all went downhill very quickly and for very little apparent reason. It's also incredibly long for also very little reason? Overall it was just fine as a reading experience but frustrating because everything wrong with it seemed to be an easy fix (just cut out the last 150 pages).

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this read a lot. Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone have written another fun romance! I liked how this one featured someone exploring themselves and sexuality later in life, as I feel this is something that happens to more people than we think. My biggest criticism of the novel is the surprise pregnancy. I was wary when I first read it, thinking it could just be used as a plot device to draw the characters apart and then back together. I didn't really appreciate that part of the story, but I did like that the authors did include some nuance to this plot line, but discussing options and exploring the reactions of more than just the main characters. Overall, a recommended read and purchase.

Christmas Notch is the place to be once again! I love this place, the movies they make there, and, of course, the peeps in the movies. Which this time is Kallum, former member of a boy band (and Nolan’s bestie) and Winnie, former virtuous family-friendly star. They are on two different levels (life experience-wise) but it’s so much fun reading their journey together. Sexy, spark-y, and tons of chemistry. Not to mention the humor & fun that’s always comes from Sierra & Julie. A must read & an add on to the re-read list!

Pros: The main characters, Winnie and Kallum were interesting and I appreciated how they each had their own unique backstories. I really liked that Kallum was a bigger guy (it’s still rare to see a fat male romance character) but that his body wasn’t a focal point of the story. Winnie’s purity past was fascinating and I think Simone and Murphy did a great job in showing the effects of religious trauma and how hard it is to unlearn things from your past. Like the previous book in the series, the town of Christmas Notch was adorable and for the most part, the supporting characters were great. I also believed the attraction between Winnie and Kallum and appreciated that the second half of the book focused on how to make a relationship work between two people who are very different.

Cons: Where to begin? The writing was kind of a mess, with characters popping in and out as if we, the reader, were supposed to know their backstories. The first half of this book was GREAT and then the second half went completely off the rails. I didn’t mind the surprise (not so surprising) twist half-way through, it was the other stuff that I didn’t like. The rewrites and different ending for the movie out of nowhere? Winnie’s parents just coming back into her life all of a sudden? Her ex-husband showing up? None of it felt cohesive. And don’t get me started on Winnie’s narcolepsy which is mentioned a few times but has no bearing or significance to the story whatsoever. What was the point?

Another fun, very sexy Hope Channel book!! I loved bring in this world, the small town where they film, and with some returning characters! I hope there's a third!

I always have the absolute best time reading a Sierra Simone or Julie Murphy book and this did not disappoint! It's the perfect story to pick up around the holidays if you're looking for a fun and spicy story!

read if you like:
- Sex Lessons
- Forced Proximity
- Disability rep
- former boyband member
- actors in love
- accidental pregnancy

Pack your bags this holiday season, it's time to head up to Christmas Notch, Vermont.

The holidays are not complete without a book from this dynamic duo. A cast of characters that will melt your heart, leave your heart fluttering, and craving pizza for days.

A romance full of inferno level heat, angst, tension, and a ton of emotional baggage that needs to be addressed before Kallum and Winnie can finally find a happy-ever-after.

There is nothing better than a story that tugs at your heart as characters navigate through their family shenanigans, deal with unrealistic expectations, and unexpected desire that could change lives.

Get ready for a steamy treat this winter season. I can't wait to read more from these amazing authors.

Holy moly, I did not read the synopsis well enough to expect this book! It was a lot hotter and a lot steamier than I was prepared for, but it was excellent! I really, really enjoyed this book, and will be looking for the first book in the series right away. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

While this book does have one of my least favorite tropes, it does a marvelous job of keeping the reader engaged. I was excited to return back to the small town and the film making process with a little forced proximity. The characters are endearing and it makes one want to root for them. The will they, won't they was well played out in this title!

I really enjoyed this book up until about 70%. There are spoilers in this review, so proceed with caution.

This book includes the dreaded accidental pregnancy trope which usually drives me crazy. However I found myself unbothered by it this time around because it wasn't too soon after that our couple recovers from their previous conflict and decides to be together and have the baby. Then not too long after there is ANOTHER conflict that I found widely unnecessary for several reasons. This conflict centered around Kallum being too drunk and immature in the moment and Winnie having a near miscarriage that felt like it could be very triggering for some. (The baby ended up fine!)

Anyway, after that conflict I kinda lost interest in the book. While I did enjoy the way things wrapped back up at the end, I would personally have loved this book if it wrapped up after the first conflict instead.

The second book in this series is once again a wonderful read. It is such a fascinating concept of combining the sweet earnestness of a typical Hallmark movie with the raunchy, ribald smuttiness of romance novels. I had the privilege to meet the authors at OLC and learn of these novels. I read both of them as soon as I could, and I really think they are a great addition to the Romance genre!

I loved the first book in this series, but A HOLLY JOLLY EVER AFTER is all sex and no relationship. I could go on and on about all the ways these characters didn't have a relationship outside of hot sex, but I can probably sum it all up by telling you this: these two exchange "I love yous" and get pregnant and the hero doesn't even know the heroine has narcolepsy. In fact, as far as the reader knows HE NEVER FINDS OUT, epilogue be damned!

This also had no Holiday Romance charm or story-lines besides that Kallum and Winnie are actors in a holiday movie so they are sometimes in costume. Otherwise, no holiday magic.

A HOLLY JOLLY EVER AFTER has a lot (read: A LOT) of seriously steam sex scenes and it also has a really good exploration of religious trauma and purity culture. But this book has almost no other storyline.

If you didn't read the first book you will be seriously lost. A HOLLY JOLLY EVER AFTER does not succeed as a standalone.

Overall, I was stupidly disappointed by this book.

2 1/2 stars rounded up to 3.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

I liked this book a little bit better than the first book in the series. I’m a sucker for anything boybandish so I loved that they continued the series with another INK member in the lead. I also really liked Kallum and Winnie’s relationship and that we got to see more of its progression than we did for Nolan and Bee.

Not super heavy on the Christmas vibes though. I think you could easily read this anytime of the year.

Good spice level.

If I don’t get an Issac/Addison book out of this series I’m going to be heavily annoyed.

I have been so enamored with the whole concept of Christmas Notch and the amazing writing combination of Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. This series always gets me feeling wintery-festive and delivers lots of hearts and laughs. A Holly Jolly Ever After delivers plenty of heat, tons of heart, and a surprisingly complicated and unexpected story.


It was so great to be back in Christmas Notch, a Hallmark movie lovers Christmas town wet dream….the filming home of wholesome style movies and also of the network’s more naughty movies…those with ACTUAL wet dreams…the “after dark” sexy type. The focus of this Christmas Notch adventure is the love story of the unexpected pairing of Winnie Baker, wholesome good girl, and burly Kallum Lieberman, pizza-man and also self-published amateur adult film star. Quite a combination indeed. Winnie is recovering from both a divorce from a cheating ex and also trying to overcome the lingering phantom of her super conservative upbringing. How better to rebuke all the trappings of her life than ditching nice movies for naughty? Kallum is full of his own contrasts. Forber boy band star, blossoming pizza titan (with a delightfully punnyily named pizza chain), AND now unexpected sex-tape star. His dad-bod and new smutty stardom make him the perfect smexy Santa…and makes him Winnie’s co-star in her big adventure.


This book had a lot I liked. I loved the carefully and thoughtfully done depiction of a character unpacking the impact of Christian purity culture. This had both moments of levity but also moments of depth and impact as Winnie explores her sexuality, struggles to embrace parts of herself, and to find her true identity after so long she was told by others (her parents, her religion, her network) who and what she should be. But after so much repression and denial this isn’t easy, especially when paired with the misogynistic obsession with purity and her family’s blame of her for her marriage failing. This was gently done, realistic, and really compelling.


Like others have pointed out, the two parts of this book felt disjointed, and at times even thematically contradictory. I actually take no issue with the trope that shows up in the second half of the book. I enjoy it. But I do think that in conjunction with the powerful (and important) themes of sexual empowerment and sexuality that the plot device in the second half almost reinforces the exact culture the first half of the book seems to rebuke. Of course I enjoyed seeing Winnie navigate this season of her life…and learning too that the impacts of sex, even here they are literally the very warning flag of purity culture, aren’t as they seem. BUT, it definitely has a big impact, especially on her and Kallum, and I found myself disappointed with the character arc after the beauty of the first half. It felt like two different stories thematically and in terms of character, even if each part was interesting to me. I liked both elements, I really did, it just felt like two different stories versus a cohesive one.


But I love this world- it’s fun, it’s sexy, its crazy, and I do love these characters, and I love starting Christmas each year with a smutty, sensational, and salacious visit to Christmas Notch.

My Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶.5/🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

I have now read all 3 (1 is a novella) of the books out in the A Christmas Notch series and I loved A Holly Jolly Ever After just as much as book 1. Julie Murphy's writing style is one of my favorites, and I love the way she blends humor and spice to create the perfect romance for any time of the year, not just Christmas! While the story revolves around a naughty holiday movie and a town obsessed with Christmas, it isn't actually the heaviest of themes and you could easily read this at any point in the year. It is like a Hallmark movie with spice, and I loved being able to absorb myself in Kallum and Winnie's characters who I already knew from A Merry Little Meet Cute.

The narrators for the audiobook did a wonderful job, and I am now a huge fan of both Joy Nash & Chris Brinkley. Nash also narrated book 1, and she fully embodies the female characters in both books. Brinkley was a good fit for Kallum as well and these two made the characters and chemistry really shine! There is plenty of banter and I laughed out loud multiple times, but I also loved that there was some gravity to the story as well. Winnie has some sh!t going on with her family, and frankly, it pissed me off. I thought Murphy did an exceptional job with all facets of the storyline, and if you are looking for a steamy, funny romance I would recommend this series as a whole! They can definitely be read as standalones since they focus on different characters, but I would still read them in order if you want even more characterization.

I meannnn did you see how much I LOVED the first one? There was no way I was going to miss this one! I knew I was going to love this one too. I was a little taken aback at some parts because I wasn’t expecting where this was going at all. But it wasn’t bad. I guess I just wanted more of the vibe of any and everywhere like the first one lol

Ok so if you’ve seen my list of TWs, you’ll know there is a………. look away if you don’t want to know………. baby. Yes this is what threw me off. Babies complicate things and I really just wanted the vibes of the first one. They’re getting to know each other and can’t keep their hands off each other, but still have secrets! AND like, sometimes it makes me wonder if they’d feel the same if the baby wasn’t there. And that just makes me nervous for the couple and I spend a lot of time wondering what if. This couple didn’t make me feel the what ifs, but I did get frustrated because it was like why just make the decision for him? It was like Oh I know he won’t want to do xyz, when in fact, none of that was the case. She just didn’t give him the chance.

When they finally got it together, I loved their relationship. I also loved that Kallum isn’t the traditional hero too. Actually I think that’s my favorite part. I HATE always reading about the same person, because it’s just not realistic. And it’s not my brand of a hero either lol My husband is mostly built like Kallum, but he’s not as tall from what I remember lol So seeing someone like my husband on page was hella refreshing. Winnie is also described as having bigger thighs and being fat and that was refreshing too. I love seeing characters that just seem more real.

As for the two of them together, I thought they were cute, but I think it could have been more. Like I liked the first and the novella so much because of the way they felt obsessed with each other. Like Nolan was obsessed with Bee and Luca was obsessed with Angel as much as they tried to deny it. I just didn’t feel that in this one. And that was disappointing. I’m not saying they weren’t cute, because they were, but they just didn’t have what the others did. Idk, I’m not making sense lol

The plot was so realistic tho. I unfortunately really understood where she was coming from when she worried that he was too childish. I had to have the same conversation with my husband when we discussed whether or not we wanted kids. It just felt really real to me and I felt so validated. Because people said I was mean and didn’t need to tell him that. I just felt really seen.

This was a surprise considering how much I loved the first one. But it wasn’t bad, I just had some personal issues with it. If you read it and think different than me, let me know in the comments! I want to know if I’m just making up problems lol

I'm the biggest Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone fan since their first novel, A Merry Little Meet Cute. And A Holly Jolly Ever After is no exception. With dual POV, if you love those stories about two characters who are drawn together by a spark and they have a "teach me" vibe? Then go pick this one up now. From the beginning, I loved Winnie. The ways she feels she's done everything right and made so many choices that were never hers. And all the ways she's been put into this box of sexuality and objectification by society.

En bref, j'ai beaucoup aimé Kallum et Winnie mais il m'a manqué un petit quelque chose que je ne sais pas vraiment expliquer pour adorer leur histoire. Ils sont mignons tous les deux, à un tournant de leurs vies quand ils se rencontrent et ils vont devoir apprendre à vivre pour eux et non pas au travers du regard des autres. J'ai parfois trouvé que c'était un peu long alors que d'autres passages vont trop vite et j'ai aimé les personnages secondaires et ce qu'ils apportent à nos deux héros même si parfois il y en a un peu trop. Les mots des autrices nous font ressentir leurs questionnements et j'ai aimé les choix qui sont faits et la manière dont ils s'y tiennent et vont de l'avant. Ils doivent apprendre à réfléchir par et pour eux-mêmes et ils y arrivent très bien, le final est vraiment chouette et on les quitte avec un grand sourire !

Spectacular is all I have to say about this one. I love this series so much. I love the boyband aspect, and the spicy parts are spicing the way they should.

10/10 - 100% Recommend

Kallum is a good guy, although not a big think before you do or speak type of person. Winnie is out of a bad marriage and now able to spread her wings from her overbearing family and church guilt

Kallum is the person to step into the world with on the set of their after-dark Christmas movie.

I had a blast reading this one, and ill reread it. The little surprise at the end was the chef's kiss - if you know, you know.

Loved