Coal and Hex are adorable! The Christmas pubs in this book were so funny! I loved the blend the author did with this story! It was thrilling and fun!!!

It took a bit longer than expected for the romance plot to kick in but once it did, it is so positive and uplifting. I loved every minute of it and Coal and Hex are adorable together. Yay for just a happy, enjoyable read.

This book is a completely delightful mm romance set at Christmas time. Two princes of holidays, Coal Klaus and Hex Hallows vie for the princess of Easter's hand in a fake marriage competition set up by Santa. I really enjoyed the protagonists and the side characters in this book. The author has a writing style which is clever and made me laugh out loud at some points. The romance was exactly as I like it, full of emotion and spice! I cannot recommend this book more.

This was sooo good! The perfect book to cure my Red, White & Royal Blue hangover. I loved the incorporation and politics between the different holidays. It was such an enjoy able read. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Thanks you to bramble, and netgalley for an arc.

Will most definitely make this a yearly seasonal re-read!

This book was so fun and fresh from start to finish. Super unique and interesting plot with all the holiday princes and princesses. If you need a slow burn, this might not be for you, but I was personally OBSESSED with how quickly Coal and Hex, (don't you just love the name choices), realized they had feelings for each other. The main struggle throughout isn't this push-and-pull of "are we enemies?" and/or "do we hate each other?" it is more focused on the forbidden aspect and the need to fulfill duties over everything else.

I felt for Coal in having so many insecurities. I just wanted to give him a big hug! But I really appreciated how he grew as a person throughout the book and learned how to stand up for what HE wants rather than just letting his dad push him around. HE IS A PRINCE AFTER ALL.

Would highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for both the eARC and the audioARC in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I was a little hesitate to read this book during October because of the Christmas elements but I am so glad I didn't wait. It was a lot of fun, hilarious, and actually a lot deeper than I expected it be.

The family drama and political elements in this book was so interesting! Even though I loved the romance, I was very invested in the political aspects. I can't wait to read more in this world because I want all of the side characters to have their happily ever after!

Christmas used to be Coal Claus's favorite time of year. As a prince of Christmas you wouldn't expect anything less. But Christmas hasn't been the same since Coal's mom left Santa Clause and his father used his grief to become a raging tyrannical monster. There's no real genuine joy to be found in the holiday, at least not for those who seem to be in charge of it and not for any of the other holiday courts involved. The only thing keeping Coal afloat is the idea of a dark handsome stranger met in the back alley of a bar and the kissed that they shared. It's the first moment of true joy Coal has had in years and he's terrified that it might not actually have been real.

That is until Santa announces his arranged marriage to his best friend, the princess of Easter, and the Halloween Prince himself shows up to fight for her hand...sort of. As Coal takes in the dark image of the man in front of him, he must come to terms with a new reality he hadn't planned for. Hot guy is real. They shared a kiss. And Coal isn't going to ever feel joy again until he can kiss him again. But the two holiday courts are at odds and one misstep can ruin everything for all the holidays involved. This fragile peace and stolen kisses can't be the only kind of joy the holiday have to offer. Not when it feels like everything could come crashing down at any moment. All he wants is for his brother Kris and all of his friends and loved ones to be happy. But how can one man change Christmas all on his own? Maybe he doesn't have to. Or at least not by himself.

I loved EVERY second of this book. My only complaint would be that I feel like it ended very abruptly. I know this is because of the sequel...but it felt more like a discombobulated cut off rather than a cliff hanger. Still, I feel like we left Hex and Coal off at a pretty good point. Nothing completely determined but together and working on a better brighter future. I just wish the closing was a little smoother. Still, 10/10 would highly recommend. It's cute and the right mixes of fluffy/spicy and Halloween/Christmas that you can read it from October through December for holidays feels. (Honestly you can read it all year, but if felt cozy to read it this time of year).

This was such a fun book! It is perfect for the holiday season, both fall/Halloween and winter/Christmas. I have loved recommending this book to my customers at work and I have sold so many copies to all different demographics. Thank you so much for the chance to read and enjoy this advanced copy!

📣 a new spin on holiday magic

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what would a silly nightmare of yours be? Mine would be not having coffee in the morning 😱.

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch ended up being an adorable story where a fake dating situation implodes & some *real* holiday magic happens.

Prince Nicholas “Coal” of Christmas thinks of himself as a family screw-up. It’s true that he’s a charmer who gets in a bit of trouble now & again, but he also has a lot to deal with when it comes to his dad Santa’s expectations.

This Santa is controlling, & arranges a betrothal between Coal & Coal’s bestie. Things are more fraught when Coal realizes a third player is the man he kissed over a year ago: a mysterious man who turns out to be a prince of Halloween.

Coal is so gone for Hex, said Halloween Prince, & it gave me such good feelings. So did the way Hex builds Coal up, showing him all of the good things about him & how he adds to peoples lives.

The text message exchanges between the group of friends is so funny & cute, & the overall message of this anti-consumerism, joy & celebration & empathy-driven story is great.

4.5 ⭐️, out now.

Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.

[ID: Jess holds the book in front of a group of orange & pink flowers.]

This was such a fun twist on holiday magic and structure. As a Prince of a Christmas, Coal has messed up, massively. As he tries to fix it we follow him through some pretty important moments of his life.

I didn't really connect with any of the characters. The conflicts were paper thin. The description also definitely makes this seem like it's going to be enemies to lovers but it is very much not. The supernatural world aspect of this seemed to be barely thought out.

"The Nightmare Before Kissmas" by Sara Raasch is a delightful and imaginative twist on the beloved classic, blending the spirit of the holidays with a dash of dark whimsy. Raasch captures the essence of the original characters while introducing fresh perspectives and new adventures that keep readers engaged. The writing is both playful and evocative, beautifully balancing humor and heartfelt moments. Themes of love, acceptance, and the magic of the season resonate throughout, making it a perfect holiday read. Overall, this book is a charming tribute to the original that offers both nostalgia and new enchantment for fans of all ages.

Where do I start with this one??

Oh my god, this book is the cozy queer holiday read that I was needing. This book is billed as Red, White and Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas and it doesn’t disappoint. This is a very cute story of Coal and Hex (princes of Christmas and Halloween) and figuring out what’s wrong with Christmas. I both read this with my eyes and then also listened to the audiobook and fell even more in love with Coal and Hex.

I really enjoyed reading this book and am excited to read the next book in the series, Go Luck Yourself, slated to come out in March of 2025 and features Coal’s younger brother Kris and the Prince of St. Patrick’s Day.

Tropes:
- dating competition
- faking it for sake of publicity
- kiss and ghosting
- magic of holidays
- lots of Christmas food and sweets
- rivals to lovers

If you loved Red, White And Royal Blue, then please give this a try!!

I enjoyed this cute little story of rival princes falling for each other. This was a cute way to see Christmas and a Halloween come together. I would have liked a bit more Halloween and a bit less rambling from Nicholas while he was “with” Hex but overall the story was good. I know we are left hanging at the end so we’ll want to read the next story but it was way too abrupt for me.

Oh this was such a lovely story. Couldn’t recommend it enough especially for the upcoming holiday season. Really great characters very well written funny fast paced

I am always very nervous about romance books, but there was no need for me to worry with this one. Despite a few one off cringey lines, this one was perfect. Each character was crafted so beautifully and carefully that they all felt like real people. Our main characters internal monologue was so real and relatable that it made me care immensely about him and everything happening around him. The plot itself was also extremely well constructed and compelling, I truly couldn't put it down. Was not expecting such a cliff hanger ending, I can't wait for the next one!

This book is everything I needed in a romantic comedy novel. Incredibly funny with great banter and romance. Love the whole thing!

Overthrowing Santa has never been so sexy.

Coal, the Christmas Prince, more like the Chaos Prince, grants every Christmas wish for a small country and causes an economic collapse. He runs to a local bar to drown his sorrows.

Cue his meet cute with a brooding stranger in a dark alley, complete with intense making out. His brother and best friend think that he is drunk and imagining things since the stranger disappeared without anyone else seeing him.

…Christmas, One and half years later

The darkly, mysterious stranger is none other than the Halloween Prince. The two princes are reunited when the holiday representatives are gathered to celebrate Christmas and the holiday festivities are about to heat up.

With Christmas Eve quickly approaching, Coal and his friends have to find a way to balance the distribution of winter joy to save Christmas and stop his father's manipulative plans for their holiday.

Recommended for: fans of opposites attract romances & Christmas romance readers

Content warning: profanity; sexy times; one bad Santa

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking for more of a “fluffy” light title like Disney Channel level of drama but this was more Lifetime. Not bad by any means just not what I was looking for/my cup of tea. The love interests definitely hit it off immediately and there is a lot of politics with a slower plot. Give it a try! You will know instantly if it’s for you or not.

This was the delightful chaotic bisexual energy that I needed. This book had me laughing, crying, and feeling all of the emotions. The friendship group was fantastic, and I could see the growth that Coal went through during the book, and how he kind of noticed he wasn't being the best friend or brother, but that he did have his heart in the right place.

I can't wait for Kris's story next.