A Jingle Bell Mingle is a charming holiday romance that brings all the cozy feels of the season, wrapped up in witty banter, holiday spirit, and a sweet, slow-burning romance.

Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone are such powerhouse writers on their own and together they are a force to be reckoned with. Their Christmas Notch series is not only fun and sexy, but well written and extremenly witty and smart.

Okay, when the first page already has you confusedly sifting through multiple mentions of 7 different characters, then the book is off to a just a WAY too messy start (5 more characters thrown in on the second page- YIKES!!). This book started the action above the speed limit and never slowed down. It kept throwing situations at you a mile a minute, adding to the character count with each chapter. Going through it so breathlessly, there was no subtlety to be found and no time to savor the story or connect with the characters. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. Giving it 2 stars because it was written well enough that it might find favour with someone else; it absolutely didn’t work for me. I need more finesse in my stories and a lot less sledgehammer.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC. Opinions here are wholly my own.

Reading a Christmas book before Christmas is not the vibe, in my honest opinion. But alas, I liked this book about as much as the others in the series. My BIGGEST COMPLAINT though, is the fact that the MC’s are dumb and so emotionally immature that I kept getting mad at them. Sunny is so cute, but is afraid to let anyone get close enough to love her bc of her irrational fear that everyone she loves will die? And Isaac refuses to admit he’s in anything more than like with Sunny bc then it would be that the love he has for his dead wife is somewhat less meaningful?

All that being said, this book is here for a good time not a long time. I love all the references to characters we’ve met along the way in previous books in the series. And the storyline was fun, if not a bit irritating and repetitive at times.

A JINGLE BELL MINGLE by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone is the third book in their holiday themed romantic comedy series, CHRISTMAS NOTCH. The series is set in Christmas Notch, Vermont, where the wholesome Hope Channel had hired a pornographer to file wholesome Christmas movies. In this novel, former boy band musician and Best Man, Issac Kelly, hooked up with the Maid of Honor, part time adult film actress, director, and make-up artist Sunny Palmer. Sunny had accidentally sold her first screenplay to the Hope Channel, and remained in Christmas Notch after the wedding. However, there was a problem with the Inn, and she accepted Issac’s invitation to stay with him instead. Issac, a reclusive widower, was trying to write the Christmas album that was five years overdue so that he could get out of his contract with his record label and be left alone. But having Sunny in his home brought Issac back to life, and nothing would make him happier than if Sunny would become his muse. But Sunny was convinced that she wasn’t capable of being someone to rely on. This was a steamy, delightfully funny holiday romcom that had me laughing from beginning to end. I loved Sunny’s energy. she was the sunshine to Issac’s grumpy, broody personality. Both characters learned a great deal from each other and needed the support of their friends to truly realize what they had in one another. I definitely recommend this book for readers who enjoy a spicy, grumpy sunshine romcom.

I am voluntarily writing this honest review after reading a complementary ARC via Netgalley.

I love this series! This one was a little slower paced than her others, but I really enjoyed it. The entire series is very fun, sex positive, and romantic!

🎄💋 Book Review: A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone 💋🎄

Naughty, nice, and oh so swoony—A Jingle Bell Mingle is the steamy holiday rom-com you didn’t know you needed. Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone bring together their signature charm and spice in a romance full of festive flair and irresistible chemistry.

What it’s about:
Bee Hobbes (aka Bianca Von Honey, adult film icon turned small-town sweetheart) agrees to help revamp a failing Christmas festival alongside the town’s cinnamon roll mayor, Nolan. Sparks fly under the mistletoe, but when pasts collide with small-town gossip, they’ll have to decide what’s worth fighting for: their reputations or their happily ever after.

Tropes You’ll Love:
🎅 Opposites attract
🔥 Small-town romance
💞 Single dad / sunshine hero
💋 Found family
🎄 Holiday hijinks + steamy scenes

It’s heartfelt, hilarious, and unapologetically sexy—a Christmas romance with a whole lot of heart (and heat). Perfect for fans of Merry Little Meet Cute and spicy holiday love stories with substance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#AJingleBellMingle #JulieMurphy #SierraSimone #HolidayRomance #SmallTownRomCom #SpicyReads #ChristmasRomance #Bookstagram #OppositesAttract #RomanceReaders #BookReview

Funny holiday read, a lot of spice. I think I was not the best audience for this read, but I know a lot of people in my circle who would love this!

This book was...fun with amount of spice, so I definitely wouldn't recommend this one to someone wanted a wholesome Christmas story. With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

I got a day, I am not one for cozy romances OR holiday romances. But this series absolutely makes me ignore that, lol. I've loved all the books and novellas in this series and I hope this duo keeps it going til the world ends! 4.5 rounded down

These books are always fun for the holidays! I love the spice level and they really bring out the holiday spirit. I will read as many of these as they come out with!

This is probably my favorite one out of the three main books so far. I haven't read the novellas.

I thought Bee & Nolan's story would be hard to top but I am totally in love with Isaac and Sunny. Their chemistry is out of this world. I related to both of them and their grief jouneys.

The idea of researching a Christmas miracle story was a cute way to get them to grow together.

I just loved it.

Such a cute holiday read! I just had to buy a physical copy for my shelf!! I’m excited to read the second book.

I really enjoyed this one! Extra steamy and I thought Julie and Sierra did a good job of balancing the heat with the emotion. I think any annoyance with the third-act break up for me was saved by it being short and the muse-dates by it being clear that the dates weren't into it either. Brooklyn seems like she was a cool chick and I'm sad we never got to know her, I'm sure Sunny has her full seal of approval.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Funny as heck! These girlies do not disappoint with their books and I eat them up every single time!

A wonderfully steamy holiday read! I really love the universe Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone have created for this cast of characters. It’s almost utopic. How are so many humans this open minded and not battling anyyyyy shame after being in the spotlight? I want their therapists number.

Sunny and Isaac may be the hottest couple yet in this series. They had a lot to unpack from their pasts but I was fully along for their journey to get there. This was a really nice ending to wrap up the series.

This was a great continuation of the series. Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone work really well together and I just love the cozy, winter vibes of this book series. I can’t wait to read the next one.

This book was good and had numerous realistic/descriptive intimate scenes. I struggled a little with the male main character's hesitations and reasoning for the 'third act breakup.' I loved Winnie's personal story and growth with her family.

I also have a hard time following Teddy's storyline that runs throughout the whole series since I haven't read the first 3 books back to back.

Overall an enjoyable read but won't compel to me continue reading the series.

Cliche yet cozy holiday read

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

This was great. But I definitely felt like I wasmkssing a lot. That's probably because I didn't read the first 2 in the series so I wasn't used to these 2 authors writing styles 😅 that's definitely my bad because I assumed I could go in blind with it. But the former porn star turned actress got a bit redundant and annoying after being mentioned so many times. Overall I think I'll have to read the first 2 and give this one another shot.