The Christmas Notch series has consistently been fun holiday steam, and this conclusion is no different. I really love the way that grief is woven into this book, and the chosen family friendships are still charming. Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone have done such a great job balancing light and spicy with emotional and sincere, I really enjoy it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed the third and last book in the Christmas Notch series. Just as much holiday magic, a great group of characters and SPICE as the first two books.

I’m sad to see the Christmas Notch story end and would love to hear from them again in the future.

In A Jingle Bell Mingle, Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone bring holiday magic to life with an unconventional and hilarious romance that’s as heartwarming as it is spicy. This story follows Sunny Palmer, a spirited adult film actress turned screenwriter, who heads to Christmas Notch, Vermont, to finish a holiday movie for the ultra-wholesome Hope Channel. Her creative spark has dimmed, but after a one-night fling with Isaac Kelly—a moody, reclusive ex-boy band star with his own artistic struggles—things get a whole lot more interesting. Its the perfect spicey holiday romance that I have read in a while. It has the signature style of these two amazing writers. I love them together and I will read everything and anything they will write.

Tropes:
Small town
Celebrity Romance

READ OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES FIRST SO YOU GET ALL THE CHARACTERS.


Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Murphy and Simone have done it again! A Jingle Bell Mingle was a great way to finish off the series. The plot flowed well, characterization was great and despite their flaws, the characters were very lovable and easy to root for. I would recommend this book/series to anyone looking for a little holiday romance with a side of SPICE. This book was a great way to get me into the holiday spirit. I think this would be a great addition to library shelves, as it has just the right balance of fluff and smut - which seems to be what people look for in their holiday romances!

This gave me all the Christmas vibes in the most fun, spicey way and I am obsessed. Love the spice, love the plot, love the FMC's cat. This is my favorite of this series.

I’ve been reading the whole series, and this is my favorite of the three I think. For me, the first half was forgettable and, at times, made me cringe, but the second half was sweet and drew me right back in. I love a good second chance/redemption story, and I did enjoy the lively cast of characters. However, I think the beginning was a bit much with listing so many characters and throwing them in. Even with having read the previous ones, it was too confusing, and I wished I had a synopsis/guide to all the characters.

Getting a Christmas book from Julia Murphy and Sierra Simone every year might be better than Christmas itself. I hope this continues until the end of time. This book was absolutely amazing!

I have enjoyed this series and this one was no exception. It still had the fun and humor of the first books but it definitely also had some heavy stuff, and was well done.

Isaac and Sunny. They are a grumpy sunshine. Or more a recluse and a sunshine. They had a one night stand at a wedding (a wedding we all know!). Her living conditions are abysmal and he convinces her to move into his mansion. And things get interesting!

I loved that they truly become friends in the process. And love kind of sneaks up on them. I loved all the cast of characters that we've grown to love in the prior books. And how could you not love the old cat lady group chat that Isaac is in.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Books for an ARC.

Decided to DNF- seemed liek a hallmark movie and nothing too original. Couldn't connect with the characters either

Back in Christmas Notch with Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone! This third installment had me laughing and tearing up – such a perfect mix of humor and heart. Revisiting this series was like coming home for the holidays. If you’re in the mood for festive fun and feels, this is the perfect cozy read! #JingleBellMingle #ChristmasNotchSeries #HolidayReads 🎄

I read this book in one sitting. It was quick and easy. I was looking for a light Christmas book with spice added in. I liked the characters chemistry.

✅ Book 3 in a set of 🌶️ Christmassy/wintery books. You don’t need to read them in order necessarily but probably more fun if you do. Also probably easier to figure out who all the characters are in the prologue
✅ Sunny (blocked writer) & Issac (widower, retired boy band member)
✅ dual POV
✅ second chance romance
✅ cozy mystery quest
🌶️: yes. As with all the books in the series, this one is very sex positive

overview:
in the heart of Christmas Notch, we follow the story of Isaac and Sunny, who’ve both been memorable side characters along the way. Isaac, a former boy band member, has secluded himself in a mansion here, mourning his wife’s passing for the last five years. meanwhile, Sunny has returned to celebrate her best friend’s wedding and work on her screenplay, a project she’s determined to bring to life. when her motel room becomes uninhabitable, she and her cat move in with Isaac, igniting a holiday romance that neither saw coming!

my thoughts:
if Hallmark movies had a spicy, laugh-out-loud twist, A Jingle Bell Mingle would be it! Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone team up to bring us a holiday adventure packed with festive flirtation, swoony moments, and enough holiday cheer to make even the Grinch blush. this isn’t your typical small-town holiday romance though—the humor is spot-on, the characters are lovable, and the chemistry? Let’s just say it’s holiday heat at its finest🔥

the small-town setting and quirky cast are as delightful as ever, with ex-boy band members, adult industry professionals, wholesome TV movie cast and crew, and true crime fanatics all colliding in a way that feels like found family dialed to the max. and for fans of the series, we even get Teddy and Steph’s HEA as part of this story! it’s the perfect farewell to Christmas Notch and all its charming, unforgettable characters.

if you’re craving a spicy, feel-good holiday romance, A Jingle Bell Mingle will not disappoint!

read if you like:
spicy holiday romances, found family, forced proximity, second-night stands, and roommates-with-benefits

Kate’s rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I wasn't sure how to feel about this book within the first few pages. I have not read the other book(s) in this world so I think some of my initial confusion with characters was simply from the fact that this was my first introduction to them. Once I got more into the story, though, it was hard to put down! There was a LOT going on with the various backgrounds of the characters but there was such a seamless connection of the FMC and MMC that made the banter, spice and emotional development read as authentic and, ultimately, fun!
This may not be a book I gift to my mom, but it was a really fun jump into the holiday season.

I love this series - Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone truly have my heart with these holiday themed romances! Book three is just as steamy and light-hearted. I can't recommend these romances enough if you're looking for a non-traditional plot with lots of steam. Thanks to Netgally for the eARC :)

I had a great time with this book! I have read both of these authors before so knowing they teamed up for a Christmas series was really exciting.

This is the third book in the series, and I will admit it was a little slow for me in the beginning and I was overwhelmed with all the side characters and references to past books. I did not read the first two in the series so that’s on me and not the authors.

However, once the mystery and sleuthing began and Isaac and Sunny were teaming up and working together while simultaneously being roommates with benefits- I was all in. Sunny is a fantastic FMC- funny and strong and unapologetic about her wants and needs. Isaac’s nickname of “Sad Boy” was very fitting, but he’s just an introvert with a an old soul. I liked that both characters had baggage that they needed to deal with and both had a little maturing to do. The big fight near the end was heartbreaking, but I loved how Isaac realized he had really loved Sunny all along!

My heart also wanted to explode at the cuteness of them finding their way to the cabin on Christmas Eve, just like in the story they had been researching! Just a great full circle moment.

I definitely will go back and read the first two books in this Christmas series and will recommend to friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Yet again we head to the fictional town of Christmas Notch, VT, where all the Hope Channel Christmas movies are filmed, This time we get Isaac's story. I was intrigued with sad Isaac since book 1, and was so glad he finally received his HEA. The path to get there was filled with sexy banter and and snow melting steamy scenes. Perfect series for a hot toddy of holiday cheer.

Welcome back to Christmas Notch . . . One last time 🥲

I fell in love with the first book in this series 2 years ago after picking up A Merry Little Meet Cute on a whim. All three books are hilarious, super spicy, and emotionally rich. I especially loved how the first two books critique purity culture and “wholesome” media. As someone who was immersed in that life as a young adult and is now out, they nailed it so well and it’s incredibly cathartic.

In a Jingle Bell Mingle the themes still include bodyand sex positivity and still bring us back to the magical faux Christmas movie town, but this time the central struggle for both characters is grief. NOT that the book is a downer in any way, it is absolutely hysterical throughout, but I invest in Issac and Sunny as a couple because they have real flaws and insecurities. Watching them find their way to each other is exactly the kind of cozy pick me up I need.

In addition we get lovely cameos from characters in the previous books. I think the thing I love most about interconnected series is that by the end the family dynamic is widened and you forget how many old friends you have made along the way.

We all have different levels of 🌶️ we are comfortable with. Jingle Bell Mingle is a stretch for me. But what is 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ for me may be less ( or more) for you. I’m happy I didn’t know the first book was as spicy as it was ahead of time or I may not have read it. For me, I would have missed out on a great reading experience. Even so, there is more of it than I am used to and the scenes are more “creative” for sure. But they don’t take away from the pacing of the story (which is my usual critique when I think it’s too much).

Sex positivity was not a value I was used to embracing for a long time, but Murphy and Simone can write some smut! Sometimes embarrassing and silly? Sure. But also healing ❤️‍🩹

What a great way to start the season!

Thanks to @avon and @netgalley for an eARC of this book.

10/10 I loved how spicy this book was! We love a good Christmas story that involved threesomes, strippers, and pornstars! If you are looking for a little bit of holiday spice, this is definitely for you!

Another cute and steamy Christmas romcom. If you enjoyed the first two books in the series, you will enjoy this one. The themes are a little bit darker, but it still has a lot of comedy sprinkled in, and a little bit of mystery.

Thanks, NetGalley for the eARC.