Highlights
~amazing group chat names
~don’t trust Santa
~PEEP
~what happens when a Hex curses
~this book sparks SO MUCH joy!

It has been a WHILE since reading a book made me this freaking happy!

The Nightmare Before Kissmass is what I’m delighted to call a squee-book: one that makes you grin, makes you sparkle, that fills you up with fizzy, vivid delight. The kind of book you want to hug to your chest and kiss in the rain and gift to absolutely everyone. I have not read anything of Raasch’s before, but I will be preordering the next book in the Royals and Romance series and COUNTING THE DAYS until it gets here!

This book, though. This book is silly, and knows it, and owns it. I approve immensely.

what’s a Halloween drink? Apple cider? Goat blood?

In a world that is almost ours, the holidays are magical kingdoms ruled by magic-wielding royals. The normal world does not realise that there is a real kingdom of Christmas, or Halloween, or Easter. That’s a secret. But the Holidays wield real power, which is partly why it matters so much that out main character Coal – aka, Prince Nicholas of Christmas – is a well-intentioned fuck-up. His one attempt at Being A Prince backfired massively and got so many people hurt, so he’s primed to do whatever his dad – the reigning Santa – tells him to, for fear of making another terrible mistake.

Except Santa announces that Coal and his best friend Iris – princess of Easter – are to be married. Without consulting either Coal or Iris about it. Inter-Holiday politicking drags the crown prince of Halloween, Hex, into the mess, and events spiral from there.

I have just two sort-of-critiques, and I say ‘sort of’ because neither of them actually bothered me; the romance is kind of insta-love-y, and the worldbuilding is bonkers and nonsensical. I have no problem with insta-love – it’s only lust masquerading as insta-love that annoys me – and as for the worldbuilding?

Yes, it’s ridiculous. It makes no real sense. I could poke endless holes in it.

And folx, I did not care.

If you’ve followed my reviews a while, you might get how big a deal that is: I am unhealthily obsessed with worldbuilding. The tiniest detail can jolt me completely out of a book if it doesn’t fit into the worldbuilding; and worldbuilding that doesn’t make sense to me is often a quick DNF. I’ve put aside books after TWO PAGES because of worldbuilding that immediately doesn’t work for me!

But I was having so much fun with Kissmass that I couldn’t care less. Raasch made me laugh so much that I was able to embrace this adorable, cheeky, absolutely ridiculous premise. I was full of so much fizzy delightedness that I forgot to nitpick. I fell so hard for these characters that it didn’t bother me that their powers were nonsensical.

I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

So no, Raasch does not address the fact that these holidays are all religious ones, nor how Christmas’ influence going global is tied to and has echoes of Christian colonialism. Nor is there any explanation for how exactly these kingdoms came to be or if they came before or after humans started celebrating these holidays. (Did the kingdom of Christmas use to be called Yule and changed as the celebration did? Or did they come into existence only when Christmas in its Christian form was invented? Who knows! Who cares? Not me, for once!)

It’s just not that kind of book, folx. If you’re taking it seriously, you’re doing it wrong. You’re not meant to think about the set-up very hard. It’s utterly escapist, sugar-plum-fairy-sweet nonsense, and it’s excellent.

Now I’ve told you a bit about what the book ISN’T, let’s get on to what it IS.

Back to the Point!
I realise that it’s wildly overused as a comp, but Nightmare Before Kissmass gave me fantasy!Red, White and Royal Blue vibes throughout. I can make a good argument for the similarities between the two stories, but what really matters is that they have the same FEEL to them; the same sort of wish-fulfilment, the same kind of giggly heart-eyes, the same undercurrent of hope and optimism and joy.

In both books, that’s in big part down to the characters, and I have to say, I LOVED the cast here. Coal is Just Trying His Best – he has such a huge heart, but doesn’t believe in himself at all; not to the degree that it becomes annoying, but definitely enough to make you want to hug him. He’s much braver than he thinks, and you can feel how badly he wants to do right by everyone. It doesn’t hurt that he is well aware of how ridiculous his own existence is, and is willing to laugh at it – but he also genuinely loves Christmas, both the kingdom and the holiday as you and I understand it, and somehow Raasch managed to capture a lot of the childhood wonder and delight in the holiday without making the grown-up part of me cringe. I think that was partly due to Coal’s unselfconsciousness about his own love for Christmas, and making him the first-person narrator meant that came through to the reader as well.

And while I adored the romance – more on that in a bit – it made me SO HAPPY that Coal’s relationship with his younger brother, Kris, and his best friend (and Kris’s secret crush) Iris, was so foundational to the story. The in-jokes and whatsapp groupchats and how they had each other’s backs 500%… It was a rollercoaster ride between laughing my head off at their antics and snark, and feeling my heart ache for how much they loved each other and were ready to fight for each other. Coal and Kris, especially, have the kind of relationship that people without siblings DREAM of (with very good reason!)

I really had started to think I’d made him up, a fever dream brought on by vodka and regret.

But he’s here, he’s real, and he’s disastrously hot, wearing a goddamn corset vest.

Which brings us to Hex, crown prince of Halloween and Coal’s not-so-eventual love interest. My perfectly poised, contemptuous goth child who looks illegally good in corset vests (it is a CRIME that they didn’t put him in one for the cover, imo!) and brings a dash of socialism to all this monarchy stuff. *Chef’s kiss* So much appreciation for Raasch refusing to utilise BORING bad-boy tropes and cliches for Hex, that would have been too easy and predictable; instead Hex gets to be someone much more complicated than he would have been in the hands of a lesser writer, with a lot of guilt and grief and a heart easily as big as Coal’s. It was fascinating how what he brought from the Autumn Holidays was so different from the political (and kinda-financial?) set-up of the Winter Holidays, and introducing Coal to Other Ways Of Doing Things was both plot-critical and necessary for growth for both boys. Yes yes yes, APPROVED!

every second of a life spent being the comedic relief has been saving up sincerity for him.

The romance? Delicious. Sweet, spiky, hilarious, both Coal and Hex inspiring each other (possibly my favourite element of a good romance) in a bunch of different ways, complicated by political shenanigans (some of which I saw coming, some of which I REALLY DID NOT: THE FUCK, SANTA?!) and the need to Be A Secret (because Coal’s meant to be marrying Iris, remember?) Also, plenty sexy, for readers who like that sort of thing. Me, I just flailed a lot because SO MANY FEEEEELS!


I SHIP IT
Draw me that map again. Take me beyond the edges. And then, and then, and then–

Like all the best romances (in my extremely limited experience) Kissmass delves into some surprisingly deep topics alongside its love story. I’ve already mentioned that Hex is dealing with guilt and grief, and Coal too, for that time he Massively Fucked Up. But Coal and Kris’ MIA mom – who left the family when they were kids and hasn’t been part of their lives since – is another brick in the foundation of this story, and the entire book revolves around their dad’s increasing and insidious awfulness. Santa’s not a moustache-twirling villain, but he’s the kind of parent who’ll make most of us feel cold and sick, especially if you have any experience with psychologically/verbally abusive authority figures – and that’s without even starting in on who he’s become as a monarch. How do you stand up to a parent like that? To a king like that? Can he be reasoned with? If he can’t, what other options are there? Coal and Hex are both crown princes, heirs to their respective thrones; what kind of monarchs do they want to be? What’s the role of the media in politics, how does it work as a filter between the ruling class and the public, how do the former use it to manipulate the latter?

It was thorny and crunchy and I was Most Extremely Pleased with it all.

I always joke that I’m going to dedicate my books to you, the reader.

But this one? I mean it. This book is for you.

I just want it to make you smile.

Raasch’s dedication at the beginning of the book is Kissmass in a nutshell: this one is going to make you grin. I cannot over-emphasise how much sheer FUN it is, how much it made some very grey days SPARKLE. This is the book I’m going to reread when I’m feeling low, and I WILL be giving it as Yule gift to all the readers in my life. For the pure enjoyment factor, it’s going on my Best of the Year list, and it is definitely a new favourite.

I can’t wait for book two, featuring Kris and *checks notes* the prince of Saint Patrick’s Day. I’m already crying with laughter just thinking about it!

If you have even the SLIGHTEST interest in ridiculous, escapist, just-a-little-magical romance, you need to read Nightmare Before Kissmass.

Then hit me up, and we’ll squee together about it!

Everything I’ve ever wanted in a Christmas book! This was so cute and fun and I loved every moment. The pacing was perfect and the character development was exactly what I was looking for in a romance.

This was so cute and heartwarming, it’s the perfect cozy read! I loved the banter between the characters so much and there so many scenes where I genuinely laughed out loud. Would definitely recommend this, especially during this time of year!

Fun, flirty, and great banter!

I love holiday-inspired romances and this one did not disappoint. I also enjoyed the twist on the holidays and it was surprisingly emotional.

Thank you Bramble for the arc!

I knew from the moment I saw Sara posting about this book that I would love it. It's described as The Nightmare Before Christmas meets Red, White & Royal Blue and I think that's an accurate description! I loved our two main characters, Hex and Coal. I love rom coms with complex characters and both of them are very complex. I did wish we had more confirmation as to how the "holiday" worlds and the "real" worlds were connected. Sometimes I felt like the boundaries were a little unclear. I also wish it was dual POV!
I loved the royal families and the way the kids bonded over the pressure of familial obligations. The little found family moment we have with Coal, Hex, Iris, and Kris is very cute and reminds me a lot of the found family vibes in RW&RB!
Overall, I highly recommend! This is the perfect book for both your fall and Christmas TBR!

I never knew what people meant when they said they were "giggling and kicking their little feet while reading a book". Now I 1000% understand since that was my whole time listening to this book! There was a lot more of a plot that I anticipated and I really thought it was a wonderful story. We get to watch Coal figure out what he wants in life. And Hex is the sweetest most supportive boy. I seriously loved this book and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book! The narrator was so good! He didn't change his voice a lot for different characters but he was so passionate. He was acting more than just reading off a page and that was defiantly a bonus! If you want a fun holiday romance about the holiday's royal families I HIGHLY recommend!

The Nightmare Before Kissmass is a book that I was immediately drawn to both from the beautiful cover and the fantastic title and I was telling people about it long before I got to read it. I so wanted it to be an incredible story, and I was not disappointed. The world was creative and fun, the romance was cute, and the puns were everything I could have wanted. Where this book really and truly shined, however, was its exploration of what Christmas is in both its idealized and current form, as well as how you can love something and still be disappointed by it. Something to note is that religion is very much absent in this book. There is a line where its addressed that they rule over the holiday as it evolves throughout the years and as such religion is a separate matter. For me, this was a plus in the story, however I could see this being frustrating to others for whom the religious aspect is crucial to the holiday. Also, while one of the main leads is the Prince of Halloween, this is very firmly a Christmas story - a fantastic Christmas story with some spooky vibes - but if you're a seasonal reader, maybe hold onto it until December to give it a read.

An enjoyable read. More for fans of American Royals than heavy fantasy. A very cute romance with a holiday overlay.

This was a really cute, but also surprisingly emotional read. Nick aka Coal (the Prince of Christmas) meets Hex (the Prince of Halloween) one drunken night at the bar, and then that’s all he can think about for the next year and a half. Coal and Hex reunite unexpectedly when their “courts” meet to arrange a marriage (not between he and Hex) and work some other things out. I loved getting to see Coal and Hex fight their attraction and really get to know each-other through talks about their lives and spending time together sleigh riding and other things. Although this is a romance read, there is quite a bit of conversation between Coal and his brother Kris about the damage their mother leaving caused and it really got me all in my feels. Kris is such a sweetheart and it’s heartbreaking at times to hear how desperate he still is for his mom to want to come back to them and actually be a caring mom. The further the book progressed the more meaningful and eye opening Coal and Hex’s interactions were and the narrator (I did audio and e-ARC) did a wonderful job of portraying both men’s emotions and hesitations to give in to their feelings.

Thank you so much Tor and Netgalley for the E-Arc.

This book was a very cute read, speacilly for a lover of Halloween AND Christmas such as myself! The writing is on point and I left the book with a huge smile in my face. I'll definitely be reccomending it to my colleagues (:

Super charming and fun book! It does what it sets out to do for sure, and the characters are incredibly likable. I had a lot of fun reading this and am interested in the sequel!

Ah this book. Okay so if you aren’t quite on board with Christmas yet, can I interest you in this fun mashup between Halloween and Christmas? Coal is the prince of Christmas and Hex is the prince of Halloween. Coal reminded me of Alex in Red White and Royal Blue (which if you loved that book, you would love this book). This book was hilarious and had me in stitches at times. I was besides myself with laughter and had so much fun. I truly think that this author must moonlight as a comedian because the one-liners are just that good. There was a little miscommunication, but it was handled nicely, and I enjoyed how it was handled (like adults). I also loved that the characters were whole people, and we got to see a whole wide variety of emotions in them. For example, Coal had anxiety, stress, excitement, and glee all throughout the book. He was just great. The author made me feel connected to the characters so my empathy kicked in along the way and I was also rooting for them. Truly a great reading experience.

So, this one lives up to the marketing. If you loved RWRB or the Nightmare before Christmas, you would want to read this one ASAP. Don’t sleep on it, get it now.

Genre: contemporary holiday rom-com with a little magic

Coal is the heir to Christmas, and while he's known for being jolly, he's also known for his pranks going just a little too far. He finds himself in a bind when his father (the reigning Santa Claus) arranges a marriage for him to his best friend, Iris, daughter of the ruling family of Easter. Iris is great, but Coal isn't in love with her and he thinks his younger brother Kris is. But Coal can't get the stranger he made out with in the alley a couple years ago out of his head... until one day that stranger walks into the Christmas palace and Coal discovers he's the heir of Halloween. Hex is mysterious and dark and everything Coal wants in a guy, but Hex is also supposed to be there to woo Iris. (It's a love quadrilateral when you explain it, but don't worry all the emotion goes between Coal and Hex.)

This was a lot of fun to read. The MCs (and their behavior) skew a little younger than I prefer, but it fits so well with the overall tone of the narrative. Nightmare Before Kissmas was a near perfect surface level read where I suspended a lot for "romance reasons" and let myself enjoy the spicy holiday book. I giggled quite a bit over the friend groups’ antics and group texts, and love that they’re all looking out for one another.

Such a great book. Perfect this this time of year when you can’t decide if you want Halloween or Christmas vibes because it’s a great mixture of both. The banter and give and take between the characters was hilarious and top notch and I really enjoyed it.

I loved this book and completely devoured it. I thought I knew what this story would be going into it, but I was pleasantly surprised by how refreshing and unique it was. I also really loved that it didn't bring religion into the holidays at all. As for the banter and text messages not only between Coal and his friends, but with Hex, I completely ate that shit up. They had me laughing, squealing, kicking my legs, and fainting. I loved every single second of this book and was so happy that my expectations were not only met but surpassed. I will be eagerly awaiting book two.

When I saw this pitched as Red White and Royal Blue meets Nightmare Before Christmas, I was all in. I pre-ordered the print version. And then this came up on Netgalley and I have never requested a book so fast.

And it. Is. everything.

Cole is a Prince of Christmas who has cast off his duties to become the next Santa. Then his dad (Santa!) arranges for him to marry the Easter princess, Iris. But they are best friends and neither wants the marriage. And then the Prince of Halloween, Hex, shows up at the North Pole to “vie for Iris’ hand” to help make nice with the Fall Holidays.

But all too soon, Cole and Hex are making excuses to spend time together, and they can’t stop the passion growing between them.

Soon they uncover secrets about how ruthlessly the holidays collect joy, and together they must work to save them all.

My thoughts:

Oh my gosh. This book. Sara Raasch!

This book is so dang witty, clever, funny, sweet, and passionate. Hex is everything a Halloween prince should be. (The bit with the cursing repercussions is pure genius).

Cole, Chris, and Iris are a fantastic friend trifecta, and I adore every single thing about how they want to save, protect, and care for each other.

The romance. The ROMANCE. I can’t. It’s so sweet and passionate and sexy and I just love them so much.

The holiday references are pure gold. The way that the courts feed on the joy of the world reminded me of Monsters Inc and it was perfect.

Honesetly, this book is perfect. Just get it already.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an advanced readers copy of this book.

Will the Prince of Christmas finds his own "ho ho ho" in the Prince of Halloween...?
Yes and so much more!

While this holiday-themed romcom might seem like all sugar plums and candy corn on the outside, there's a darkness at the center of the story. A tale of devious politics and manipulative parenting under the cloak of cute holidays.

The current Santa is determined to strongarm the other holidays to fit his agenda, co-opting all the joy, all while maintaining his title of controlling father. The eldest Prince of Christmas, Coal, is the self-proclaimed family failure, hellbent on being the disappointment everyone expects him to be. Followed with younger brother, and Spare Santa, Kris bringing up the rear (always so dependable!)

Enter Hex, the Prince of Halloween. The instant connection between Hex and Coal is enough to make anyone feel all tingly inside... and turn everything Coal knows about himself - and Christmas - on it's end. With the declaration of the arranged marriage between Coal and the Princess of Easter (his BFF and brother's love), Christmas will never be the same.

Major points for the fluidity of the sexuality among the characters (Hooray for Bi-representation!) and eventual acceptance and processing of parental trauma. We love to see supporting friends and family along with people getting to be their true selves.

Also, I'd love to see someone fashion sketch all of Hex's ensembles. *swoon* (I'm a little jealous of all the corset vests, TBH.)

Overall, 8/10 - cute, deep, spicy, and now I'm ready for Halloween!

📚Trope(s): He falls first, Secret relationship, MM, HOLIDAYS!
What you get: 🎅🏻🎃🐰🍆✨
⭐️Plot: 4/5
🔥Chemistry: 4/5
🌶️Spice: 4/5

Such a fun cute book! Love all of the Christmas vibes mixed with the Halloween vibes. Loved the banter between the characters. Also had great characters growth.

This book was so much fun! I loved all the holiday puns. What was even more lovely was that there was a heartwarming story of growth and love and finding yourself. I’ll absolutely be recommending this to friends and family and it’’s definitely made my holiday shopping list for a few folks. It ended on a cliffhanger around the brother, but I see that’s what the second book will be about. Of course I’m going to be clamoring for it as soon as it’s ready. So much fun!

3.5ish rounded up to 4!

This book was just a super sweet, easy to read story. It was exactly what I wanted, which was something fun and light, but this also had surprising depth at times!

It's a cute story, which I will definitely be recommending to people who want a nice Christmas romance.

Thanks for the eARC!