A Jingle Bell Mingle
Authors: Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyager
Pages: 400
Stars:🌟🌟🌟.5
Scoville Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Take a dash of Sad Boy Widower, Former Boy Band Star Isaac who is searching for a muse, any muse to gt him inspired to just write music to complete a contract with his record label. Add in a splash of Sultry, Sexy, Curvy Sunny who has determined she'll write a screenplay about an urban legend whispering around the hills and dales of the town of Christmas Notch. Toss in a finicky cat named Mr. Tumnus* (frankly, my favorite fish stealing character besides the Three Ladies Detective Thread), and you get a melancholic but full of fun and happliy ever after in A Christmas Bell Mingle.

I loved that Sunny was so comfortable in her curves, that she is so forward with her wants and needs. She calls Isaac out on his "Sad Boy" status as someone who is perpetually grieving his wife's sudden death (talked about in the book, occured before the book).

Isaac is under some strange delusion that he can never find room in his heart to love. And Sunny is too scared to stay in one place or job to make any lasting connections beyond those of the adult film group that is the garnish of this book.

This is the 3rd book in a series (that also has 2 novellas) and I didn't know that going in. However, I felt I could follow it pretty well. Readers should know going in this is a high spice book. This also isn't a particularly lighthearted Christmas RomCom. It deals with death, loss of parents and loss of a spouse. It does have an element of mystery as Sunny is trying to find out more about a Christmas Legend to use as a base for her screenplay. So, if you like:

🍭 Spicy Scenes (maybe public!)
🔎 Solving an Urban Legend
❄️ A Snow Rescue
🎄 A Christmas Eve Miracle
📚 Sexy Librarians
👫 Friends to Lovers
👨‍👩‍👦👨‍👩‍👧 Found Family
🐈‍⬛️ A cat who steals the show

Than this book is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

*Whenever my cat tries to go into the closet, I tell him that Mr. Tumnus isn't accepting visitors for tea. So having the cat named Mr. Tumnus made me giggle.😹

I have not read the first two books in the Christmas Notch series, so I was a little bit confused at the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed it though! This book was a great mix of light hearted and serious. I will go back and read the first two haha

Definitely my favorite book of the series. I just loved the relationship that developed between Sunny and Isaac. Similar to another book that I finished, this one dove into grief, trauma, neurodiversity, and more. The Christmas time setting was perfect, and I love how the book used Christmas to celebrate big life events. This makes me want to find a town like Christmas Notch to visit this winter!

I laughed quite a few times in this book which is sometimes hard for me to find.

This book had some heavy moments and light moments. Overall, this book was really enjoyable and I think a lot of people is going to be able to relate.

Wooowee this one was spicy. I liked the friendship between Isaac and sunny as well as the fun little side quests they went on throughout the stories. I think it just dragged a bit at certain points.

This was a great additi9n to the series. Very witty. “I swear to God, if you kill me, I will haunt the shit out of you!”. I really liked Isaac. Do not get me started on the cat. Too funny and loveable.

Book 3 in the Christmas Notch series! I love this series so much! They’re all so funny and spicy, and this book was no exception! This is the perfect kick off for your holiday season!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! This book releases TOMORROW!! Go pick it up!! 🤩🤩🤩

I appreciate NetGalley for granting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book series has captivated me, and I believe this latest entry might just be my favorite yet. Sunny's character experiences a profound evolution, revealing depths beyond her previous role as the ever-joyful sidekick. Learning about her backstory and the pivotal moments that shaped her has strengthened my bond with her. Isaac's exploration of grief and his journey toward rediscovering joy are portrayed with remarkable sensitivity, and experiencing his perspective alongside Sunny's unveils the complexities of their characters, showing that he embodies much more than mere sorrow.

This installment is undeniably steamy, possibly the most intense in the series, with excitement igniting from the very first pages. What stands out to me is the positive portrayal of attitudes toward sex, which feels invigorating. This theme resonates throughout the series, emphasizing that sex is a natural and enjoyable part of life, especially in a town named after Christmas. I will cherish these books until my physical copies are worn out, as they effortlessly combine fun, warmth, and positivity while tackling serious and intricate issues.

The third book in the Christmas Notch series, this follows driven Sunny and forlorn Isaac as they try to focus on the next stages of their careers, discovering how much they need love and support along the way.

Throw in a Christmas movie dream town, a hilarious cast of characters, and some mishaps, and this is a fun read not for the faint of heart (very open door romance)!

Thank you to Netgalley and to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

I adore the Christmas Notch books, so I was thrilled to read this one early. I did love it and I like both main characters, but it just didn’t have the same magic that the others had. I think partly because it wasn’t taking place on a movie set, and partly because most of the time it was just the two main characters. It didn’t have all of the incredible and hilarious side characters that the other books had until the very end. I still loved it though and am glad they got their happy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

**Tropes**
- Friends with benefits-to-lovers
- Celebrity/rockstar romance
- Grumpy sunshine
- Forced proximity

**Representation**
- Plus-size
- ADHD
- Both MCs identify as bisexual!

Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone are back with the final raunchy rom-com of *The Christmas Notch* series, and it does not disappoint! In fact, I feel this was not only a perfect conclusion to the series but also the best of the trilogy.

Sad Boy Isaac™ and Sunny seem like complete opposites, but their shared "nepo baby" backgrounds and individual experiences with grief create a solid foundation for their relationship.

The authors did a fantastic job balancing the grief Isaac and Sunny were experiencing with laugh-out-loud comedy. Even the characters’ narrations of their day-to-day, mundane activities managed to make me chuckle at times.

I also feel the authors did an excellent job tying up all the loose ends from the series. I will deeply miss Teddy Ray Fletcher and the *Christmas Notch* gang.

Murphy and Simone work so well together, and I truly hope this isn’t the last we see of them!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun winter read! Pick it up, cozy in with a blanket, and read straight through!

Welcome back to Christmas Notch, Vermont! Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone have done it again with this steamy romance novel.

Isaac a broody, former boy band member and Sunny a part time porn star/make-up artist. Both need a creative push, Isaac to write his next album and Sunny to write her screenplay. Will they end up being each other’s inspiration?

I loved the banter and chemistry! Isaac’s icy heart melts for Sunny and her demon cat, Mr. Tumnus. Both are dealing with grief alone but being together in the mansion makes them learn to rely on each other.

If you read Bee/Nolan and Winnie/Kallum’s story, don’t miss out on Sunny and Isaac’s story! I have loved the Christmas Notch series and O’m so sad that it’s over.

Read if you like:
- banter
- grumpy/sunshine
- opposites attract
- one bed
- friends w/ benefits

I cried and I laughed which to me is always a sign of a good book. I want all the feels with also all the steamy scenes. I loved the friends to lovers while also dealing with grief. Also throw in found family. A wonderful read.

A Jingle Bell Mingle concludes the series and our time in Christmas Notch. Like the others in the series, this book is laugh out loud funny, sex positive and sexy, and a fun time featuring a large cast of characters. I’ve seen other reviews say that the number of characters introduced was overwhelming and I can definitely see that. Even though I’ve read the entire series, there were many characters I didn’t remember but it didn’t take too much away from the story for me.

I really loved Sunny and Isaac both individually and together. I wanted them to communicate a bit more and more maturely which is largely why I docked a star from my review. The pacing of the story and the third act conflict felt a little off to me but overall I enjoyed seeing these two grow and come together.

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Not having read the previous books in this series made the prologue confusing with an overwhelming number of characters that are introduced right away, making it challenging to keep up initially. But once Chapter 1 starts, things clear up when it becomes just Isaac and Sunny. Isaac is a depressed widower lost to his grief, while Sunny loud and vibrant but with hidden insecurities. It's not your typical rom-com christmas story, being there was very little christmas involved but it keeps you on your toes and turning the pages to find out more about their love story.

A Jingle Bell Mingle is quite the fab way to say goodbye to the raunch-com crew of Christmas Notch. The wonderful writing duo of Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone gives us the kind of finale that made me laugh, swoon and smile broadly as we finally get Isaac Kelly's story, the 3rd member of the former boy band known as INK. As he tries to find his muse in order to complete a record contract, the self-proclaimed loner/hermit discovers her in the perpetually positive woman who is Sunny Palmer. This spitfire is exactly the person to bring Isaac out of his 5-year bout of loneliness since his beloved wife Brooklyn died. As they find themselves as sudden and albeit hesitant roommates in Christmas Notch after Bee and Nolan's wedding, let's just say the charm of a crotchety cat along with his delightful owner may just bring Isaac out of his lonely mood once and for all.

The allure is still as addictive as ever as this last book in the series gives us not only the love story of Isaac and Sunny but the continual odd pairing that is Teddy and Steph as well as an update on all the characters we've all come to know and love these past two years. Everything flows beautifully as usual from this writing team as the use of a town myth becomes not only the basis of Sunny's script she can't seem to create but the spark that keeps her and Isaac from leaving each other's sides. Isaac takes his time in coming around to the idea of love again but doesn't hesitate to want to be more than friends with his housemate. His mansion sets the stage for both of them finally being able to find their muses in the other as Isaac's gift of creating music starts to flow again and Sunny's excitement over finally finding some words truly brings them joy. I loved Mr. Tumnus, the cat, who also acted like a bridge of sorts as Isaac fell just as hard for the persnickety creature as he did for Sunny. Their days are full of exploration in the cold, snowy Vermont as they keep trying to find out if the Christmas miracle of long ago was real in order for Sunny to continue writing her own naughty version but the nights are full of the kind of lust, longing and uninhibited moments they cannot get enough of. Of course, there are the requisite public trysts that this entire cast of characters can't help but fall prey to, adding joyful scenes that are both passionate and laugh-out- loud funny.

Overall, I was very glad Isaac finally put his grief in the past and would want to be with Sunny as more than just friends with bennies. There are plenty of ups and downs as they get to know each other and find a comfort with one another they didn't expect. Sunny is such a great person, her excitement for the seemingly mundane absolutely adorable. Isaac becomes her anchor of sorts as she navigates her new career as a writer and also as a more hands-on owner of her family's business. I loved watching her bloom into the person she always had within her. She just needed someone to simply get her.

Both characters struggle with past grief and the authors did a great job in not making it too maudlin as those wistful moments take over from time to time. Again, past couples along with newer confidantes offer support and comical situations when things seem too heavy. This entire group is crazy in the very best way with how they navigate the world around them, never giving a damn who might be watching.

Mayhem is a long-standing theme with this bunch as Murphy and Simone impeccably combine the world of porn with the world of sweet within the town of Christmas Notch. They have offered up the true meaning of acceptance as we hear about other residents and the struggles they had with simply loving someone. With witty one-liners, references to odd desires for food and drink along with erotic and downright naughty moments of intimacy, this book and series has something for everyone.

You'll come away from reading A Jingle Bell Mingle with a true satisfaction that everyone we've claimed as our own is fully content and that in the end, they will continue to be the same wild crew no matter what is thrown at them. That, yes, a little town tucked away in the wilds of Vermont is truly magical and that no one who is fortunate enough to be a visitor can be untouched by its enchantment, including this reader.

4 big stars!

While I *have* read the other books in the series, the onslaught of mentions in the first couple chapters made me want to go back and read the other two again because I didn't remember what had happened. This is a series that definitely need to be read with all installments together.

I love the found family in this book, it truly is one of the best parts of the story, because otherwise Isaac and Sunny's story fell pretty flat. A grumpy/sunshine forced proximity set at Christmas with some very heavy plot lines (he's a widower, she lost both her parents) that weren't really handled appropriately (the authors took a more light hearted approach rather than leaning into their feelings. Despite the amount of spice (which I don't mind) I didn't feel like there was chemistry between the two MCs.

All in all the story was fine. It was fun to revisit christmas notch but ultimately wanted more depth and resolution for Sunny and Isaac.


Thank you Netgalley, and Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my review!

These two have done it again! I loved the book. I’m happy that all the INK guys are getting their HEA, but I’m sad to see this series end. Issac and Sunny’s story, while not my favorite romance trope, was funny, sassy, and full of all the filthy high jinks that I was expecting from this writing duo. Mr. Tumnus is likely my favorite character…well and the Cat Advisory Thread. lol

Issac is a former boy band member who is still getting over the death of his wife. But, after a one night stand, he can't get Sierra out of his head. When he realizes she needs a place to stay, he offers to let her move into one of the rooms at his place. Can they help each other out, or are they just too different?
I loved the first few books in this series, and A Jingle Bell Mingle proved to be just as fun, sexy, and hilarious! Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy truly have an unmatched cadence and rhythm to their writing, and the way they develop characters and relationships are *chef's kiss*. I love how Sunny and Isaac bonded over their shared traumas but found new light and happiness in each other despite all they've been through.

The spicy scenes made me blush and kick my feet giggling. I loved the chemistry between the two (emotional and physical), and how sex-positive everyone in this universe is. The cameos from previous characters were so sweet, and the emphasis on friendships and familial relationships as well as romantic added even more emotional depth to this book.

Such a fun holiday romp!