Can a book be both absolutely so cute and adorable as well as spicy as hell? If so, this book is it. As the authors very well put it, this is a Christmas raunch-com! This is the final book in the Christmas Notch series, following Teddy Ray Fletcher's "half-feral porn family" (authors' words 🫣🤣). First, I want to say how much I love that Teddy got his happily ever after in this book. He isn't the main character, but you follow parts of his life throughout each book and can't help but root for him. This book follows two characters who become "roommates with benefits" who don't believe love is for them and, of course, end up falling for each other. There is amazing bi rep, multiple Taylor Swift references, and complete adoration/a simp of man. This whole series is incredibly sex/sex worker positive, that they will single handedly break the stigma surrounding these topics one book at a time.

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon Books, for the opportunity to read this book in advance in exchange for my honest review.

I'm sorry to see this series end! If only we could visit Christmas Notch with all its festive stories and miracles. Isaac has been wallowing in his grief for so long that he doesn't even come close to seeing the possibility of happiness...of a future. Sunny...well she is on her own course. Living up to her name can be exhausting and loss has marked her as well. A lonely night-a one time only deal-changes the course of their acquaintance and turns into a friendship that both so badly needed. The return of many of our favorite characters from previous stories highlights the holidays as well as one (or two) Happily Ever Afters. Laughter and lots of passion (one handed passion, if you know what I mean) rounds out our final story in Christmas Notch.

I’m still giggling.

I totally have a lady boner for a sad guy.

Isaac Kelly is so very, very sad. I’ve come across people like him who are so determined to be sad about the loss of a loved one, that they stop living. The more they stop living, the sadder they get and so it perpetuates and they can’t find a way to see the sunshine again.

Then along comes Sunshine, because Sunny really is the perfect, capri sun addicted, happy girl to help Isaac to see the light.

One of the things I have loved most about this series (and actually much of Sierra’s other work) is the positive messages about loving your body. Love your curves and your love handles, your muffin tops and your juicy booty.

The sex is steamy hot. Not sure whether or not I like the capri sun addiction, but I would definitely want to mingle with Isaac, or indeed any of those lovely boys of INK.

Great series. Top notch!

It was only suppose to be a one night stand... but now he's asking you to move in and become his muse/roommate??? This is bound to be one jingle bell rock. Sunny Palmer is a part time adult film actress/one time adult film director/makeup artist who has accidentally sold her first screenplay to the Hope Channel.... and after 6 months she needs a new idea. Cue Isaac Kelly, former boy band heart throb turned the saddest boy in the music industry after his wife's death. Isaac is a bit of a recluse and has bought the town's historic mansion... and he has to write new music but he has no inspiration.... except for Sunny. Sunny and Isaac hooked upped a while back by when they attend their best friends' wedding.... one thing leads to the next and they're sharing a hotel room and much more... and then Isaac asks Sunny to move in with him in his giant mansion. It's a huge mansion he won't even notice she's there... yet when they both realize their creativity's blocked they come to a new agreement: Isaac will help Sunny solve a local lore and she'll find him his new muse (since she refuses to be his muse)... yet the more time they spend together under one roof the harder it is to just be "roommates with benefits"... but can Isaac ever love again and can Sunny be with someone who isn't ready to open up his heart yet? This was such a cute and HOT christmas romance read. I adored Sunny and Isaac, they love each other so much and were so supportive of one another. They were so in love with one another from the first moment and everyone around them could tell except them. This series has been such a fun one to read and the spice in it is top notch. I love this series so much and would absolutely recommend it for anyone who is looking for a hot holiday romance!

Release Date: September 24,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Two singles return head up to Vermont after they are down on their luck with careers and lives hoping to spark new ideas for a fresh start. Issac and Sunny meet and really enjoy each other’s company but swear to keep its strictly platonic. As they seem to gain traction with their jobs the more they meet up, can they keep the “friends with benefits” under the friends category? Or does the benefit spark something else inside both of them?

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone have returned with the 3rd and final full-length installment in their Christmas Notch series.

While this is technically an interconnected standalone, if you haven’t read the other books and novellas, you will be lost. The book starts with a Teddy Ray Fletcher prologue and lots of character name drops. As someone who has read all 3 books and both novellas, I was able to follow, but if you pick this up as a standalone you will not be able to.

A Jingle Bell Mingle follows Sunny Palmer, Bee’s (FMC from book 1) bestie and Isaac Kelly, widowed and former INK boy band member. Isaac has moved to Christmas Notch, Vermont for a change of scenery from his lonely house in Cali to finish the last album he owes his record label. Sunny is in Christmas Notch to work on a script that she accidentally and impulsively sold to the Hope Channel.

My thoughts
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I’ve read the entire series and overall, it has been kind of a disappointment. For some reason, I felt committed to finishing the series even if I wasn’t always enjoying it. I think this is the strongest book in the series and it really provided a lot of closure for all the characters.

I enjoy the one-night stand trope, but I went into this one skeptical when I found out the romance starts with a threesome one-night stand. I wasn’t sure how Murphy and Simone were going to pivot and make a stronger connection with 2/3 of the participating members. But it ended up working out. 2-years later, Isaac and Sunny end up having a 2nd one night stand with just the 2 of them after Bee and Nolan’s wedding. When Isaac discovers the condition of the inn where Sunny is staying, he insists she and her demonic cat, Mr. Tumnus, stay at the mansion with him.

This book had a lot of moving parts; Isaac’s grief, Sunny’s grief, Sunny’s estrangement with her brother, Issac looking for a muse and working on his album, Sunny trying to write her screenplay and find out the truth about the Christmas Notch legend she included. We have Nolan working with his “Cat Advisory Committee” to help with Mr. Tumnus and look into the legend for Bee. We have reappearances from Teddy, Steph, Bee, Winnie, Nolan and Kallum. It is A LOT.

This series is a little bit bonkers with vulgar humor and lots of spice. I still found myself rooting for this quirky group of sex workers and retired boy band members.

I loved the roommate component of this book and watching Isaac fall hard for Sunny and Mr. Tumnus (even if he wasn’t aware). I do really think he could have benefited from some therapy because he has been sitting with his grief alone for so many years. The ending and epilogue tied this series up in a neat little bow!

Highlights
• Found family
• A good intervention
• Reappearances from previous characters
• Mr. Tumnus- he really grew on me

I would rate this book 3.5 stars, but rounding up because I really enjoyed the closure we got for all the characters.

The final book in the Christmas Notch Series and it’s clear Julie and Sierra saved the best for last. This cozy Christmas town and the unhinged hilarious writing of these two is perfect. Definitely a 5 star read and one you’ll want to add to your list. It was hot and spicy 🌶️

A Jingle Bell Mingle is book three of the A Christmas Notch series and is even steamier than the first two books. If you're looking for a Christmas Romance with a lot of sex this of the book for you.

I loved the cameos from our favorite characters throughout A Jingle Bell Mingle and the Christmas Angel mystery that Sunny was writing her script for The Hope Channel. It was fun to see Sunny and Isaac fall in love and struggle with their real feelings for each other. There were so many funny aspects including the Capri Suns! I thought this was a great way to wrap up this fun and different Christmas series!

Thanks to Avon Books for my advanced copy of A Jingle Bell Mingle! It came out yesterday - September 24th

I am so sad to read the end of this outrageously sexy holiday series. But Murphy and Simone made the best decision when they decided to leave Sunny and Isaac for last. Love overall everything about this book. Especially the focus on grief and fatphobia.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Hot hot hot hot hot, omg . Can we said that so far I love every single book of this series . Once again loved this one fun and hot. Perfect for a spicy christmas and some fun coming your way.

As we’ve been reading this series, I’ve anxiously been awaiting Isaac’s story. I love the fact that it’s Isaac and Sunny together.. both Sunny and Isaac are trying to find their creativity. Isaac is trying to find a new muse for his music while sunny is trying to finish her script. I really enjoyed the interactions between both of them and I felt like this book was a lot emotional than the others. it’s funny and sexy while still being a perfect holiday read.

This is the final installment of the Christmas Notch series and Julie and Sierra have knocked it out of the park again. This book has everything from hookup to friends to lovers, queer representation, some forced proximity, solving a Christmas miracle mystery, and a judgmental cat to boot. I officially feel like I’m a part of the Uncle Ray Ray’s family

Overall: ⭐️ 5/5
Audiobook 🎧 5/5. ❤️ Zachary Webber
Spice 🌶️ 5 of 5, Explicit & Plentiful
Slow burn 🕯️ < insta-lust
Humor: 🤣 Hysterical!
Season: Christmas! 🎄
Setting: Small town, Vermont
Trigger warnings: No. Sensitive topics handled deftly.
Standalone: No. OK to skip novellas, but book 1 is essential.

FMC Sunny, 30, obese, bi, bestie of Bee, the FMC of book 1. Make up artist, porn star, and now writing a screenplay. ADHD, orphaned when she was 16.

MMC Isaac, 35ish, widowed when he was 30, former member of boy band INK. Bi, loner/recluse, intense grief and depression. Moved from Malibu to Christmas Notch, contractually obligated to write one more album. Zachary Webber narrates this book; he’s done nearly all of Abby Jimenez’s audiobooks. I automatically associate his voice with Cinnamon Roll MMCs.

I was SO excited to be approved for the eARC by Avon & Net Galley. I had already listened to the first two full length novels in the series and 5 star LOVED them a few weeks ago. Everything was still fairly fresh in my mind and I saw it as my own special birthday treat to start reading it a week before it came out. Life, of course, got in the way and I couldn’t finish reading it before the release. I prefer audiobooks anyway and I happily bought my own copy, especially since Zachary Webber was one of the narrators. Joy Nash had done an excellent job with the previous audiobooks in this series, and this book was no different.

I was mildly confused at the start of this book referring to the threesome One Night Stand between Sunny, Isaac, and Jack Hart. Initially I was wondering if it was in one of the novellas I skipped. I now think it was briefly mentioned in book 1; Murphy & Simone are such great writers that they give the reader various sprinkles of info about that ONS that resolved my questions.

As an older millennial, obese, and with a recent diagnosis of ADHD (3 years ago) I felt really seen. Some authors really hit the reader over the head with things about ADHD or fat phobia. Murphy & Simone have a light touch and it comes across as neurodivergence acceptance and body positivity without being preachy.

This is likely the end of this series. 😭 If Murphy & Simone team up again how about an Autumnal/Halloween series? But only after Sierra Simone finishes her Lyonesse trilogy because waiting a full year just might kill me.

Happy belated pub day to @thesierrasimone & @andimjulie - my fav writing duo ever (and the cutest besties the bookish community could ask for)! A Jingle Bell Mingle released yesterday and here are all the reasons you need to add it to your holiday TBR!

❤️ Christmasy Small town setting
💕 Ex Boyband Love Interest and 🌽⭐️ FMC
❤️ Grumpy x Sunshine (her name is literally Sunny but she’s not over the top annoying about the sunshine I promise!)
💕 Impactful discussions and reflections on grief (we have a sad boi on our hands)
❤️ Spice & depth like only this duo can write!

Y’all have to check this book out asap - I promise you won’t regret it!

All of the books so far in this series are so cute and spicy. This is Isaac and Sunny's story. They have a one night stand after a friend's wedding and then agree to be roommates for the holiday. This story is roommates to lovers, second chance, only one bed tropes. Isaac is hurting emotionally because of some past traumas and Sunny tries to help him overcome that. And of course being roommates with only one bed, they fall for each other! If you want to read a fun Christmastime story with spice, I recommend this book.

I love this series!
This book is probably one of my favorites in this series! Sierra Simone is one of my favorite authors, and I love her writing with Julie Murphy!

This is such a fun holiday book that is perfect for anyone wanting some steamy holiday reads! It’s an opposites attract STEAMY romance!

There’s so much I want to say about this but I’m terrified of spoiling this book!

A Jingle Bell Mingle, by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone, is a steamy, holiday,  rom-com novel. Questionable choices, steamy sex, and hilarious moments keep your interest throughout this one! Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

📖 𝑨 𝑱𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝑱𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒆 𝑴𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒉𝒚 & 𝑺𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒂 𝑺𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒆

This story was such a delight to read. Isaac is still dealing with the loss of his wife 4 years prior and at professional road block when he finds himself lacking a muse and unable to write new music.

Sunny is completely uninspired for her first screenplay so she travels back to Christmas Notch where she first found that spark of Christmas joy. Now she’s living with her one night stand and they both begin to navigate what is keeping them artistically blocked.

I love a forced proximity romance and this was really delivered!

If you love roommate to lovers stories for of Christmas fun, go add 𝑨 𝑱𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝑱𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒆 𝑴𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒉𝒚 & 𝑺𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒂 𝑺𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒆, to your TBR today!

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
🎄 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘺 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
🏡 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
🤭 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘊𝘰𝘮
🫶🏼 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘴
🔥 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥
💞 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺
❤️‍🔥 𝘚𝘦𝘹 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺

Thank you for letting me read as an ARC! I really enjoyed this book- While Sunny and Isaac's friendship (with some grumpy sunshine) turned relationship kept me eagerly engaged, I really loved how the authors threw in the side story details. They created depth in the story that I felt was necessary. The smut was top tier but this book also had very adult situations which made the book that much more relatable to. All in all I would highly recommend especially if you've read the others in the series but it also can be read as a standalone!!

Issac hasn't been able to write since losing his wife. Sunny has a deadline they see each again at a weeding and end up as roommates. Truth be told they had more physical connection than anything to me. It was entertaining though.