They were so right when they said this book has Red White and Royal Blue vibes. For a book about the Princes of Christmas and Halloween, it wasn’t SUPER magical. Magic is there but in smaller ways. It was more about the setting than overtly using magic all the time, which I actually liked. It gave the book a more magical realism feel, which I loved.

This book was so sweet. It had some really endearing moments that I just really loved. It also surprised me pleasantly with the level of spice, something I’m always happy is given as I feel it gives the connections so much more depth!

If you enjoyed Red White and Royal Blue, and were a fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas growing up (again this is more vibe not a retelling or anything) definitely give this book a read! I loved it!

3.5 stars rounded up to four.

The concept of this book was super fun: Halloween prince X Christmas prince and I was expecting a jolly little romcom romp. What I actually got was a book steeped in anti-capitalism with plenty of swoon-worthy romance and general Christmassy silliness. I did enjoy myself but I would have preferred if it had leant into the romcom elements a little more as it felt a touch insta-love and lacked any kind of yearning or will they/won't they.

I really liked Coal as a character, he felt very well developed and flawed in a way that felt natural. I would have liked to see a little more of Halloween and where Hex came from. In a way, I think this story could have benefitted from being dual POV.

Overall, a fun, festive read that will have you giggling and kicking your feet.

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE KISSMAS is a queer holiday romantasy and probably the most fun i've ever had reading a holiday romance. it follows coal, the prince of christmas, as he competes with hex, the handsome and mysterious prince of halloween, to win a betrothal to iris, the princess of easter. except... it's all a PR stunt coordinated by his dad, the reigning santa, coal doesn't have feeling for iris, and oh, yeah, he's falling for hex.

if that sounds wild, it's because it absolutely is but in the best way ever and i had such a good time reading the book. the concept of holidays as magical kingdoms with alliances, betrayals, and revolutions is so creative!! i would read a thousand more books in this universe about the chaotic shenanigans of the heirs to the holidays (and good thing too because book 2 is coming out in march!).

read if you like:
- rwrb but magical
- christmas puns
- campy holiday fun

thanks to netgalley and bramble for the advanced copy!

3.5⭐️

This is a cute holiday centered romance. Perfect for fall/winter as our leads are part of the Halloween/Christmas “courts”. I was pleasantly surprised too with the way that this book dealt with themes of grief from losing a loved one to a parent leaving with no explanation - the author did a good job in exploring how this manifests differently for everyone and the ripple effects those behaviors can have on everyone around you.

Our two MMCs and their chemistry was well done. There was a lot of consent and conversation on page between them which is always great to see. I like too that the romance though there was an instant connection the characters moved more slowly and it felt more natural. Similarly the main conflict between the two felt natural - the push/pull of family and a sense of duty alongside a romance that seems that it will be impossible to overcome the roadblocks for.

I liked how much Coal grew throughout the book, we see a lot of changes from when we initially meet him at what might be his worst and all that he learns and gains from that experience and wanting to do better. I think overall there’s a lot of good character growth overall.

I’m giving this one a 3.5⭐️ because there was something about the writing that just at times felt clunky and not super well developed. I have a hard time articulating what the issues were but it just wasn’t right (for me) at times.

This did feel very reminiscent of Red, White, and Royal Blue so I think if you liked that you’ll enjoy this one as well. Overall, I enjoyed this one and would recommend if you’re looking for a cute romance novel as we enter into the autumn/winter holidays!

Thank you to Bramble and the author for an ARC of the book. All of the above thoughts are my own!

nicholas “coal” claus loved christmas until his father, the reigning santa, turned it into a PR façade. now, he’ll do anything to escape the spectacle, even if that means drunkenly making out with a stranger behind a bar. as the heir of christmas, though, he has certain responsibilities…such as being told he will marry his best friend/his brother’s crush, the easter princess iris. even worse, a rival challenges coal for iris’s hand…and coal finally gets to put a name to the face he made out with: hex, the prince of halloween. although both of them want each other more than they want the marriage of convenience with iris, they have to keep up the fake competition for appearances.

as a lifelong fan of the nightmare before christmas, i had to add this book to my tbr as soon as i heard its title. i do think it was a fair comparison due to different holidays playing an integral part in this book. i also loved coal and hex. this is told through coal’s pov, so we got to know him more, but i still loved getting to know hex through coal’s viewpoint. they were both interesting, complex characters, and i liked seeing their character growth and relationship development throughout the story.

overall, this was a fun (though serious at times) romance novel with fantastical elements. i would highly recommend it, and i can’t wait for book two!

What a cute book!!
At first it started off a little slow for me but once I got more into It I ate it up 🤭🤍

I loved the main characters Coal & Hex they were both so lovable and just the sweetest. The banter was perfect and I found myself laughing during many parts of this story.

I highly recommend this one!! It’s a light read perfect for the holidays ❤️🖤

I can’t wait to read book 2 ~

Thank you for the ARC!

A 3.5 star read downgraded to a 3 star read for me.

So here's the good: this book gave definite Red, White & Royal Blue vibes with two feuding Princes- the Prince of Christmas and The Prince of Halloween- who end up falling in love. The chemistry between the Princes was electric and there were a lot of seriously steamy scenes. One of my favourite parts of the book was a group text thread that had very funny and pun-y inappropriate holiday related titles. There was definitely a lot of humour in this book as well.

What didn't quite work for me was the premise of Holiday Families and them forming alliances and all the Holiday Politics and what this exactly meant- this book is a little outside of my regular wheelhouse and it's possible I didn't fully understand it. Further, it felt like this book was marketed as YA but the spice scenes are definitely meant for an older audience.

Overall, it was a fun queer romance, and the good news is that if you enjoyed it there is going to be a sequel! Thank you Netgalley and Tor for the opportunity to review an earc of this holiday mashup romance.

The synopsis of this intrigued me a while ago and I’m so glad I was able to get a copy of this before release day to post about it! This book has some of the best humor (puns) and some really hilarious wordplay. The romcom side of this story is so heartfelt and joyful and I love every second of it.

This story is a lot of things. It is like a tootsie pop. If you keep licking you eventually find something else underneath. (I feel like Coal would appreciate this type of humor). Hidden under that romcom is a deeper story about the meaning of Christmas and how it has become very much commercialized and all about things, instead of family and love. Raasch is able to weave into all of this a tale of overcoming grief that will punch you in the gut while your guard is down laughing at one of of Coal’s jokes.

“Joy can come from grief. From pain. From fear.”

This concept is ever present in the story and I felt this hard seeing how some characters were coping (or not) with the loss of someone in their lives. This is possibly the best romcom I have ever read (okay, okay, I’ve only read two but still). You’ll love this if you love the holidays at all, love a good romcom good (bad) humor and if you aren’t a total grinch.

Also, if you can, listen to the brilliantly narrated audiobook for this. Evans does a fantastic job voice this cast of characters, making it easy to distinguish between the voices.

Thank you to @brambleromance for my copy of the book. Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the ALC. All thoughts are my own.

This book was absolutely adorable!! I was sold from the tagline RWARB meets Nightmare Before Christmas and it did not disappoint. Are they the same, no. However they have the same vibe: optimism, hope, spice, fun, figuring out who your true self is and being braver than you think you are.

It is fun, addictive and perfect for the spooky/holidays seasons. The group texts were so fun. All characters have depth, emotions and dang if the romance well written! The romance was a huge aspect for both mains and the spicy scenes reflected that including lots of talk about communicated and consent. Lots of growth in the characters as well but especially both our MMCs. I liked learning about the seasons politics and how some of their individual magic works.

Overall this book brought exactly what its magic runs on: joy!

Thank you to Tor Publishing and the author for an advanced copy of The Nightmare Before Kissmas.

I selected this book because of the cover so I had no real expectations going in. Halloween and Christmas are my two favourite holidays so how could I not read this book. This book is so much more than a romance book, as I kept reading it I kept cheering on Coal, Hex, Kris and Iris. This was such an interesting spin on classic holidays that I never thought I needed but clearly I did.

I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to the sequel.

This is definitely those two mixed. I loved the son of Santa and prince of Halloween as a forbidden romance especially when Santa wanted his son to marry into Easter.
Loved the power politics in usurping joy and how Coal came into his own after being the black sheep for so long. Loved Hex and the description of his outfits, those corset vests are hot, so I get it.
Lots of conflict and expectations and it did get steamy. They didn’t have much alone time. Santa was a bit scary in this one in his grief and heartache. Luckily I think his boys reached him before it was too late. Can’t wait for the next one!

This was a cute and fun holiday read!

In this world, holidays are run by individual families with Christmas reigning supreme. Nicholas’s (aka Coal) family is in charge of Christmas and he is next in line to be Santa. Unfortunately, his life has been plagued with bad decisions and scandal. In order to save the holiday, his father has arranged his marriage to his best friend and heir to Easter, Iris. However, he has some competition for Iris’s hand from Hex, the heir to Halloween, who it turns out is the guy that Coal kissed and never quite forgot about.

Coal and Hex were adorable together. They were so sweet and I loved their banter. It was so fun to see Iris intervene in their relationship when they were both supposed to be competing for her.

I really loved the world building and how the different families are in charge of the holidays. I liked the tumultuous relationships between them because it sets up a lot of possibilities for future stories. I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for Coal’s brother.

Gods, I enjoyed this book so much, and it 100% met my expectations. I was silly, fun, and completely ridiculous and I loved every second of it, so much that I couldn´t put it down, and I mean it literally. I was on a family weekend when I received my copy so I had to dive right in and then spend every second I could get away with reading it.

As I said, this is absolutely ridiculous, I mean we are talking about royal families for the holidays. Does it make a lot of sense? No! Was it absolutely entertaining?? Yes! 100% I think you just have to accept it and enjoy it!

That being said, some of the themes hit pretty close to home and I didn't expect to see stuff like parent's expectations and grief play a huge role in a funny holiday romance, but it was very well done and handled with care adding a deeper layer to the story.

Coal and Hex and so stinking cute, I love every second of their flirting and sneaking around. Coal is so funny and his relationship with his brother is a perfect portrayal of siblings, in my opinion. I loved Iris, the Easter princess, and I wish we get a book soon about her happily ever after!

This book is the perfect mix of fun and serious, doesn't take itself too seriously, and manages to be the perfect holiday romance!

If you want one more reason to love the fall and winter holidays, then this is the book for you. Achingly romantic and festive, Coal and Hex is the gift that keeps on giving in the opening chapter to this exciting new series.

This was a cutesy, cozy holiday romance full of family drama and the weight of responsibilities.

I'll have to say, I started this book in the middle of a heat wave and I was not feeling the holiday vibes. I was melting, but the deadline for review was looming 🫠 that, plus the first two chapters being quite long made this a rough start for me, though I found the premise to be cute and intriguing.

I finally switched to audiobook on publication day and that helped me get over the longer, slower beginning. While we got a lot of backstory for Coal and Nick, I wish we had gotten more from Hex and Iris. There are certainly backstories for each character, but I would've like to see more of their personalities.

Overall, I enjoyed the romance and the idea of holidays being ruling courts out of everyday human eyesight. The was a fun filler read!

Thanks to Bramble for the eARC and I think the eventual finished copy as well!

🎃The Nightmare Before Kissmas🎄 by @sara_raasch
Genre: romance novel/ romance fantasy

This book has fun idea to make whole word of different Holiday’s kingdoms! It felt so unique, refreshing and fun! You have Christmas Kingdom, it’s two princes and a king, Easter, Halloween Kingdom and others. The characters, banter and humor is just great!

This book has:
🎃LGBTQ (m/m) romance
🎄 found family
🎃opposites attract

If you need help to get into Holliday mood, this book will definitely help you!!

Also, look at this cover and red sprayed edges!! This book so cute, fun, and sexy all around!

Thank you so much @brambleromance and @torbooks for this gifted copy!! ❤️🎄🥰🎃❤️

I was really hoping to love this book, but it just didn't really come together for me.
When you compare a book to Red, White and Royal Blue and The Nightmare Before Christmas, you set really high expectations. I thought we were getting a paranormal romcom between the Christmas and Halloween princes. However, this wasn't as funny or cute as I wished it to be.

First, I found the dialogue very all over the place, like the main character couldn't keep to one track of thought. I felt that this could have been better with an auditory medium. Or even if this wasn't a book, but a movie. I had a hard time following the banter. Then, it leaned more into cringy than funny. I had many moments where I just wanted to face palm about how Coal was speaking to everyone.

This book is very political as well. I knew that we were going to have some sort of holiday hierarchy and system, since so many Christmas movies set in the North Pole have them. However, this was darker and more political than I actually thought it was going to be. Some characters that are supposed to be the good guys are horrible. So much so that there were no redeeming qualities and none of these plot points were in the synopsis.

I did like some of the romance here, but I felt that it took too long to get started, took a backseat to the political plot, and then proceeded too quickly for me wanting to actually see and experience the romantic build up.

Overall, I didn't necessarily hate this book. I just think that the writing style was not for me, and the synopsis did not completely let you know what you were getting into.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I really enjoyed this book! Personally, give me a silly premise (the Prince of Christmas falling in love with the Prince of Halloween) but a genuine, heartfelt romance between the two main characters and I’m going to be in heaven. The reason it’s getting 4 stars is just I felt there were some things left unresolved. I know there’s going to be a sequel, so maybe those resolutions are forthcoming. But overall, this was a fun book that actually had a lot to say about where we find joy and the ways in which love can change us.

4.5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

"He said joy creates a foundation, and we do create that foundation, every kiss and caress sets up a reality where the sun will rise tomorrow and I'll make him tea and we'll leisurely figure out what want to do with our day, no schedule, no events. We'll go down to North Pole City and buy ornaments and then come back and turn this bed inside out again. And in that reality, we don't worry about days passing. We don't worry about losing everything, because our everything is impenetrable, and we create and create with every shake and beg and heartbeat.
I love him.
I love him, and I can't put it into words with how big it is, so I keep talking, and showing, and creating with him."

What I expected: A fun rom-com about a prince of Christmas falling for a prince of Halloween.

What I got: That but also Family Trauma.

Nicholas, the oldest Prince of Christmas and next in line to be Santa, is struggling with his duties and responsibilities after losing the trust of his father, the reigning Santa. To make up for his past mistakes, Nicholas (Coal) is told he is to marry the Princess of Easter, one of his closest friends, despite neither of them wanting this. To make matters worse, ~For Press Reasons~ he has to fake-compete for his fake-marriage against Hex, the Prince of Halloween. A man he's only met once...in the back alley of a bar years prior.

This plot is so cheesy and stupid and I loved every minute of this fucking book. Coal and Hex are fantastic together and I loved their chemistry. I'm a little tired of third act breakups, but I see the appeal for a lot of romance writers.

I do think this could have done with a little bit more editing, a little bit of tightening up in some parts. But the prose can be beautiful at times, as evidenced by the excerpt above.

I enjoyed the concept of this book, and I loved the connection and inspiration to Nightmare Before Christmas. There were several good moments, and I appreciated the author’s attention to detail and world building. So, lots of positives! However, I found the central romantic relationship to be so incredibly repetitive and inner monologue heavy that I found myself speed reading my way through large sections of the book. I liked the romantic connection, but it felt was though it was shoved down the reader’s throat just a little to vehemently- and I’m speaking of the romantic bedroom scenes here in particular. Constant inner monologuing about the same, sappy infatuation sentiments made it difficult to completely invest in the love story.
However! I do think there’s good room to grow with this series and I may just be reading the sequel when it arrives next year! Thank you NetGalley & Publishers!