I actually didn’t intend to post about this book until closer to release day (9/24!) but I cried for a good chunk of this book and felt very seen. So. Let’s get into it.

Yes this book is hysterical at times. And yes there’s a perfect amount of levity to break up the heavy topics. But mostly, this book is about learning to love after tremendous loss and opening up to the possibility of there being more than enough room for someone else. Isaac and Sunny are professionals at running away. Isaac with his reclusiveness and Sunny with her big, loud sunshine personality. So if you squish them into a snowy Gilded Age mansion during the holidays after a wedding one night stand, it’s probably going to get messy very quick.

And it does. They’re friends first and foremost (which I loved!) and the fall into love kind of happens before they even know it. (Although I argue we as the audience see it happening first in real time which is phenom writing). The sex? Hot! The old lady group chat? A delight! Teddy Ray finally proposing to his shark of a girlfriend? Obsessed.

But jfc the grief is done so beautifully. I won’t spoil the resolution of the Christmas Notch Miracle legend our MCs are looking into. But it made me cry stupid tears so. Do with that what you will heh.

But while these two are falling in love, they’re also realizing that grief doesn’t stop for anybody. But….neither does life. Or love. Or second chances. Or friendship. Isaac and Sunny have to learn to let each other in, but it’s more about them taking the risk and the bravery involved in taking a chance.

Lois Tonkins talked about “Growing Around Grief” in her 1996 article. Where grief doesn’t go away or shrink but life grows around it. Sunny and Isaac amidst capri sun binge sessions and sustainably caught lobster cat food grow around it. And I want to hug Julie and Simone for this book and these characters.

So sad this series is over. But what a way for it to go out.

Also the found p*rn family in this continues to be delightful and heart warming. 10/10.

Thank you to Avon and HCP for an arc copy! All thoughts are my own!

4.5 Stars. At the wedding of Bee and Nolan, pornstar Sunny is reunited with Isaac, the widowed reclusive former boy band member, whom she slept with two years prior. The pair still share a connection and after waking up in the rundown horror that is Sunny’s motel room, he insists she move in with him to the mansion he purchased in Christmas Notch, VT. While there, Sunny must work on the Hope Channel script she accidentally pitched while Isaac must write the final album he owes his label, but both have writer’s block. The two still can’t keep their hands off each other but Sunny doesn’t want to be Isaac’s muse and Isaac is scared of commitment after losing his wife, but the two can’t deny they have fallen for each other despite their best efforts.

After three books and two novellas, it is time to say goodbye to Christmas Notch and that fact makes me sad. I still find this series to be the best mix of humor and steam. Sunny and Isaac were absolutely delightful leads. I loved having both of their perspectives throughout the book. The two are opposites in the best way possible and I found their romance to be charming but also realistic (at least as much as a romance between a porn star and former pop star can be). I also enjoyed the subplot with the town’s historical Christmas mystery. As always the humor was top notch. I loved Isaac’s circle of true crime retirees and the pair’s love of Capri Sun. I am hoping that we get more books written by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone as a pair.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Jingle Bell Mingle is a steamy and clever holiday “raunch-com” that gives us two very complex characters. Along with the heat and humor, Sunny and Isaac are dealing with feelings of deep grief and sadness that keep them from exploring would they could truly be to each other. There’s a lot to unpack, with a lot of naughtiness and fun to keep things from getting depressing. It was fun catching up with characters from the other two books, and I highly recommend that you read all three books in order.

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.