While this book was fine, I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read other books in the series. There are A LOT of characters and it was just kind of hard to keep everyone straight. Not a horrible book by any means, just I needed to read the other ones in the series to really enjoy it more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mix together one former adult entertainer, turned script writer, a former boy band member, turned sad widower, an overindulged cat, a collection of quirky secondary characters, and a town that is the epicenter of Holiday movie making and you get the third installment of the Christmas Notch series.

Sunny and Issac have a previous history (of the sexy kind) . Will that be the stepping stone to a HEA? Thrown together due to impending deadlines they do try and stay professional, but seem to fail miserably. With increasing pressure, to complete their projects, they end up in a number of situations that make it impossible to ignore their feelings (no matter how much they try)

This book was okay, but not my favorite. Unfortunately if you're not binging the series, it's difficult to remember the myriad of characters and backstories.

A Jingle Bell Mingle is the third and last installment of the A Christmas Notch series. This story follows Isaac, a former boy band member and young widower, and Sunny, an adult film star and screenplay writer.

This is your classic roommates to lovers tale but with 🌶️🌶️🌶️. In the acknowledgements, the authors refer to this book as a “raunch-com” which is very fitting! You have been warned 🤣 this one seemed even more over the top than the previous book in the series, in my opinion.

There’s a fun little side story of solving an old small town legend/mystery which I enjoyed, but there were so many other side stories that made the book feel chaotic.

As a note, you wouldn’t have to read all of the books in the series or in order to enjoy this, but former characters are referred to and do make plenty of cameos.

If you like raunchy romances set at Christmastime, you’ll love this one!

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Pick up your copy on September 24th!

This was a really fun story to read. This was my first Christmas Notch story, so once I sorted out how everyone was connected I really enjoyed getting to know them more, and am excited to go back and read the earlier books!

I enjoyed seeing Isaac and Sunny grow individually and together, and how they both helped bring out each other’s strengths and creativity. I think that both of their journeys with grief, especially Isaac’s was really well portrayed.

The on-going Christmas Notch miracle mystery was also fun to follow along and see what was coming next. Overall this was a fun, cute, and steamy holiday read that I really enjoyed.

“I loved him. Not in the casual, uncomplicated way that I loved everyone else in my life. But in a tangled, hard-to-let-yourself-feel-all-at-once-because-it-might-hurt kind of way.”

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager as well as NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

Holy Hotness!! Is my face still red… because this holiday romance packs a spicy punch!!

Jingle Bell Mingle is such a fun book that absolutely got me in the Christmas spirit! Having not read the others in the series yet, I definitely felt a little lost at the start but I caught up quickly and ultimately didn’t mind reading out of order. The roommates with benefits storyline is steamy and the banter between Isaac and Sunny is both hilarious and perfect! This book also has a ton of small town charm and found family which are two of my favorite tropes. I should also note that there is a focus on loss as both characters are working through grief. Sunny lost her parents in high school and Issaac lost his wife. Although their deaths happen off page, they are still very much a part of their story.

If you are looking for a cute holiday read that is filled with spice and lots of sweetness then you should for sure add this one to your holiday reading list!!!

At this point, I feel like this series just gets more and more far fetched with every installment. Within the first few pages of the book the main characters have thrown away everything they said about the opposite sex and relationships and have what is definitely not a one night stand. I was excited to read Isaac's story, but I felt like he character strayed too far just for the shock factor of the sexual encounters the two characters have. I enjoy a good sex scene when it is warranted and has plot, this one had so many different plots and side stories I didn't know what to keep up with. My least favorite of the series, but what's a holiday season without a Julie Murphy/Sierra Simone combo these days?

If anyone has read the first two "Christmas Notch" novels, they certainly will know what to expect from this one - more hot, sexy scenes, and a few cute storylines to go along! This book returns us to Christmas Notch where Sunny, the former porn-star is holed up in a hotel room trying to write the next Christmas movie script for the Hope Network, and Isaac Kelly, the former boy-band heart-throb widower still mourning is dead wife is trying to write a Christmas album.

Of course, Sunny and Isaac fall into bed, but will they fall in love? I enjoyed reading this latest installment in the Christmas Notch series, and wish that there was more to come! Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy of this steamy rom-com novel. "A Jingle Bell Mingle" is scheduled for publication on September 24, 2024.

Review posted to Goodreads 9/3/24

A standalone spicy holiday romance novel in the Christmas Notch world, but I definitely feel like it should be read after reading the first two (or at least the first one). This follows Sunny, who is on a deadline to write her first screenplay, and Isaac, a former boy band heartthrob that has been unable to write music since the death of his wife 5 years prior. They both hope to gain inspiration for their works in Christmas Notch, but when they end up becoming roommates, maybe they end up finding inspiration with each other.

This series has always been extremely body and sex positive, which I do appreciate. There is bisexual representation and definitely no shyness around the spicy scenes. The character development completely lost me in this book. I liked Sunny's character, but the way Isaac handled his emotional baggage as a grown man... he may have become my least favorite male main character in a romance book. I did not find myself rooting for them and wanted Sunny to run far far away.

For a holiday book, the charm is not quite there (I think the first book felt more holiday-like). The best part was the story they were investigating for Sunny's script that kept me interested enough to keep reading.

My rating: 2.75⭐️

Thanks for the ARC!

Sunny Palmer is in Christmas Notch for her best friends wedding. Since Sunny has sold a script to the Hope Channel Network she has to now deliver on that promise. Isaac Kelly was in a popular boy band years ago and is still grieving his wife's death five years ago. He has moved to Chiristmas Notch to try to make the pain hurt less. Sunny and Isaac had a one time hook up along with Jack and neither of them has forgotten. Now Isaac and Sunny are living under the same roof along with Sunny's cat. Isaac has decided to help Sunny with solving the Christmas Angel story while Sunny is trying to find a new muse for Isaac so he can finish his last required record. This is a cute stroy. Besides being steamy it was quite funny. I haven't read the other books in this series and felt that I could follow along with the story. Now I want to go back and read the other ones! Thank you both to NetGalley and Avon Books for letting have an advanced copy of this book.

Visiting Christmas Notch again was so much fun and I didn't realize how much I missed these characters. Isaac and Sunny might be my favorite now. This was such a fun, quick Christmas read!

Both Isaac and Sunny are struggling creatively and decide to come together to help each other. He gives her a place to stay and she agrees to help him find a muse so he can write music again. He continues to struggle with his grief from losing his wife, but slowly Sunny starts to bring him out of the darkness. It takes him some time but he eventually welcomes her sunny dispositions and lets himself enjoy what they are building together.

I really enjoyed how they leaned on each other for support, even if at first Isaac can't accept his true feelings for Sunny because he feels like he's betraying his late wife. They both had their own emotional struggles and together found their way through it all which was so heartwarming. The side characters in this story were as funny as always and I love the banter between them all. If you want a spicier, more humorous take on a small town Christmas story this book is for you!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!!

They should have stopped after the first one. Sorry note sorry. The first in this series was perfection. The first novella was enjoyable and tied up a few things. The second book started well enough and then committed unforgivable acts that plummeted it to two-stars. The second novella was a labor to get through. And this one was a DNF from me. They just kept getting worse.

Ultimately, if you've LOVED the two that came before you would probably give this a try. I can't see anyone loving it though. ISWIS.

There is too much happening, I felt no connection to the characters, and it all just felt so forced. Not to mention it's just too long.

The only part of this series that is worth the read is Teddy's prologue and epilogue love journey and should have been an actual book itself.

It's gonna be a no from me dawg.

This was my favorite installment to the series. All of their books were great in their celebration of size, gender and types of love. There's always something to learn with these books. These books will be missed every holiday but I feel like it's the perfect ending with the last INK member and the patriarch having their own happy ending.

The forced proximity trope was perfect for Isaac since he has been described since book 1 as a grieving recluse. There was so much growth throughout his grief process. Their growth together was amazing to watch happen. Them as a couple, to me seem so genuine and great. It was just a great couple to end the series with.

Thanks to Net Galley and Avon for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review, as always all words are my own.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was looking forward to this one. Although A Jingle Bell Mingle had some cute and very funny moments, I did not enjoy it as much as I expected to. Sunny and Isaac are both pretty relatable characters, but their romance felt SO repetitive. I did not care AT ALL about the "muse" situation. Forcing Isaac to go on dates with other people was only good for some comedy. The will they/won't they didn't have enough tension, especially with them constantly hooking up.

It was great to be back in Christmas Notch! I think this one was my favorite book in the series. Besides all the smut (and there is A LOT) there was a cute Christmas/holiday story. I enjoyed going on the journey with Sunny & Isaac to discover the answers to the Christmas Notch Christmas miracle.

I really enjoyed this book, I’m a huge fan of Sierras writing so it was lovely to read a collaboration of hers with Julie Murphy! Wonderfully spicy, perfect winter holiday read. Thank you netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

This series is funny, sexy, heartfelt, loving, and full of Christmas cheer--I'm sorry to see it go, but loved how it ended.

There is a lot happening in this book! I enjoyed Sunny and Issac and their story but it was a little chaotic in the beginning.

If Julie and Sierra have no fans, I have taken to the woods to Thoreau myself and can't be reached.

FUN FEISTY CHRISTMAS EXCELLENCE jingled all my bells. And somehow there is still plot and character development. I want to be where these people are. A rip roaring good time. Sunny's cat deserves an oscar. Sunny and Isaac have cracklin Christmas chemistry.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for. an honest review.

2.5 Stars, rounded to 3 for the sake of the NetGalley rating system.

I’m finding it hard to review this book because I found it quite uneven, both in terms of tone and writing quality. It makes me wonder what the writing process looks like between these two authors.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when a book is part of a series, but that isn't mentioned in the synopsis. The ARC copy I received did not mention this very vital information. I have no issue with non-stand-alone books, but only if the author does the expositional work of acquainting the reader with the world and characters within it. This book does the opposite - drops you straight into the action and lists a couple of dozen characters within the first two chapters. It’s hard to determine who is important to the plot and who is being mentioned for the sake of fan service.

I was about ready to DNF when I read the sentence “I watched his Grammy-winning mouth as he put the straw back between his lips”, but I decided to stick with it. It’s confusing when an author can write a sentence so clunky then turn around and write something incredibly poignant like “happiness was an impossibly far away thing, a thin scrap of cloud whispering under the stars”. And then use the word “Stygian”. Real mixed bag. Just when I thought things were improving, I read: "It was my favorite place in the house to sit and think about death and loneliness" Well, so much for subtlety.

In the end, I did finish this book and found myself liking Isaac and Sunny despite myself. There were some beautifully composed sentences and sentiments. But also a ton of content I felt to be unnecessary to the plot, overly cheesy, etc. It’s hard to review the third in a series without having read the other two, but I get the feeling that the entire thing would have benefitted from the editing and honing of ideas.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the advanced reader copy of this book, provided in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Isaac and Sunny were very cute… I did feel like I missed some of the story not having read any of the previous books in the series before this one. I appreciated the humor and wit with these two. The steamy scenes were great and the story was adorable. This was my first read of Julie but I have been a longtime fan of Sierra. I will go back and check out the rest of the series now though!