𝓷𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓻(𝓼): Ellis Evans
𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓽𝓱: 12h 23m
𝓽𝓪𝓰𝓼: lgbtq+, romcom, forbidden
𝓻𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓽𝓮: October 8, 2024
𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
𝓶𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼:

Nicholas “Coal” Claus is next in line to be in charge…and he doesn’t want it.
He feels that Christmas has become nothing but cheap gifts and when his dad forces him to pursue his best friend in marriage, the Halloween prince shows up to challenge him for her hand and it’s someone he knows, the hot guy he kissed in an alley behind a bar.
Bar guy is Prince Hex!

Both of these guys were pawns being used by their parents.
Alliances and profit and global reach was the game for all the holidays.
But despite being “rivals” from two completely opposite holidays, Coal and Hex just couldn’t deny their chemistry.

We have a sloooow burn that builds until we get a couple of steamy scenes.
Yes, y’all.
We also get a bit of heartache, BUT it worked with the story.
I was okay with it and y’all know I don’t like those 3rd act youknowwhats.

I adored Chris and Iris.
The plot was SO fun.
Ellis Evans was a fantastic narrator that brought every single character to life.
His performance was so good!
I was immersed in the story the entire time and I’m definitely a fan now.

𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.

This title was given as an Advanced Listening Copy obtained through NetGalley and all thoughts are my own. Thank you to Sara Raasch, Bramble, MacMillan audio, and NetGalley for this opportunity.

If you are looking for a slow burn holiday romance this holiday season The Nightmare Before Kissmas should be a consideration. I had requested this based solely on the cover and a brief hook that I had seen the author give on Instagram. What I expected was a light and fluffy rom-com, but this delightful book packed a punch with the tough subject of trying to live up to a parents expectations and it's not going well.

I had an absolutely wonderful time.

❤️ This is a slow burning romance with lots of steam before any spice actually takes root. Though Coal and Hex have a very short time to get to know each other they still develop a very sweet relationship. Using the traditional pepper system this would get a quantitative earning of 3🌶, but I will not comment on the quality (though I enjoyed and got a good giggle out of the nursing side effects).

I can’t stop thinking about this book. I love every character. I would have loved more of Hex but I know it’s not his story. There was so much to relate to from the family dynamics queer experiences even the little bit of politics.
I relate so much to the MMC! Feeling like a black spot on your family. I look forward to seeing how the rest of the holidays come into the story

What a fun romcom! The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch is Red, White and Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas. I wasn’t sold by the cover or blurb, but I kept hearing rave reviews from early readers so I gave it a try. And I’m so glad I did!

It’s a silly set up: In a world where each holiday acts as a sort of royal court, the prince of Christmas and the prince of Halloween compete for an arranged marriage that neither of them wants. Sparks fly and they might just fall in love along the way.

This was a romance with depth and character growth – my favorite kind. Each character had their own complicated backstory and traumas, but they went on a healing journey together as they fell in love. It was sweet (but also spicy!) and heartwarming and just what I was wanting in a rom com. Highly recommend this for the fall-to-Christmas season!

Huge thanks to mac.audio for the free audiobook – I really recommend this one with your ears. The narrator injects such a rich dynamic into the character of Coal – I can’t imagine reading it without his narration.

I'm so happy that this book is getting a sequel! I loved this world so so much. If you liked the Rise of the Guardians movie you'll absolutely love this.

It was so cool to see different holidays/the magic they each had. In this book we get to see magic from Christmas, Halloween, and Easter. The Halloween magic was definitely my fav especially the "curses".

The romance was so sweet and tender with just a splash of spice. These two Princes balanced eachother out so well. The mutual pining was EVERYTHING. <spoiler>Especiallywith teasing eachother in public.</spoiler>

I thought it was interesting that we had an <spoiler>evil Santa, which im glad he did better in the end because that tithe stuff was horrible.</spoiler> Cole really came into his own with being the Heir of Christmas!

Something I definitely related to was the mother wound/abandonment. I liked that the author showed grief manifesting in different ways for Cole, his brother, and his father.

Also shout out to the staff! They were so caring and truly so loyal throughout this story. All the decorations were gorgeous and the food sounded incredible.

I can't wait to see more in the sequel Go Luck Yourself ,which releases March 2025.

This was a sweet M/M fantasy/holiday romance. There is so much longing in these books, they are reminiscent of the Twilight series in terms of extreme love and longing. Fans of Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On series would love this book.

One thing really bothered me about the way this book ended. Although the main hero characters do get their HEA (which is satisfying), the two main secondary characters (the brother and best friend) are left completely hanging. There is mention of some event between them that has left them both shaken and the story abruptly ends before we learn what happened and I find that unsettling and unsatisfying. I understand wanting to set up a second book, but that could have easily been done without throwing in the specific mention of something happening between them and then abruptly ending the book.

The mythology is a little silly but a fun premise for a holiday story anyway.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for providing me a free advanced review copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

First of all, Ellis Evans, was a fantastic narrator for this audiobook. He did a wonderful job delivering both sarcasm and emotion, and everything in between.

As for the book itself, I’m afraid I was definitely underwhelmed.

I was so excited to listen to this audiobook, as the premise seemed so fun, and there were such great advanced reviews, but unfortunately I just didn’t vibe with the material.

Coal is the Christmas Prince. Hex is the Halloween Prince. And they are both fake vying for the hand of the Easter Princess…for political reasons that I don’t care to get into.

The relationship is billed as rivals to lovers, but…they weren’t ever really rivals?

Also, the politics between the holiday courts was a large emphasis of the plot, and I just found I didn’t really care about any of it. 🤷‍♀️

What I did enjoy were the side characters of Coal’s brother, Kris, and their best friend Iris (the aforementioned Princess of Easter). I was enjoying them so much, that I was actually thinking of reading the next book after all the heavy hinting at what they might have been up to at the end of this one, but then I went and looked at the synopsis for book 2, and yeah, that is not at ALL what was hinted at? Ah well. 😔

Overall, it was a cute enough story, but not something I will be highly recommending.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5
🌶️🌶️ / 5

3.5 stars - rounded up bc of Christmas magic

I really loved the concept of this book. I have been putting off reading it because the weather has been so hot in my area and a Halloween/Christmas book just didn't really feel right yet. This week, the weather started to cool down and I knew it was time.

This book was so delightful!!! The Prince of Christmas, Coal, and the Prince of Halloween, Hex, were both so damn charismatic. They were both complex leads with well rounded intentions and traits. The entire book is from Coal's POV and he is absolutely self deprecating yet so deviously funny. It is definitely Red, White, and Royal Blue meets Nightmare Before Christmas. It gave me all of the cold weather, Christmas vibes that I have been wanting to jump into with really likeable characters. There were also some spicy scenes that had me blushingggggg! I just really enjoyed the way the book was written and how much humor played a part, truly a romcom.

I recommend this book for anyone wanting to get into the cozy, cold weather feeling. Even though it leans more towards Christmas, there is just enough Halloween sprinkled in that I think it's perfect for fall. Overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook and the narrator. Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for this arc!

The cover drew me in because of how cute it was, and it didn’t disappoint! In fact, I ended up getting even more than I had expected out of this 5 star read.

The world was fantastical enough to be fun and magical, but not so ridiculous that the power structures and political ploys weren’t genuinely engaging. There aren’t going to be any dissertations written on the politics or magic system, but for what the story is about, I think it’s worth suspending the critical eye. The characters had great chemistry: in family, in friendship, and in romance.

I was rooting for Coal from the beginning, loving his wit and humor and good intentions. And boy, was Hex worth crushing on! But beyond the cute couple, there was a great story about serious family dynamics, grief, and building joy one small thing at a time.

Ellis Evans was delightful in narrating the audio version! The characters were distinct and personable, without being distracting. He handled the somber, the silly, and the erotic with a feel of authenticity and immersion.

Wow!! Wow wow wow!! I laughed out loud a lot, I swooned, and I cried. Literally weeping. I probably looked like such a weirdo on my morning walks listening to this.

This was such a funny and touching and magical story!! Coal & Hex are relationship goals!!

I loved the magic, I loved the personal growth and the problems, personally and professionally, the characters had to work through.

At its core this is a story about coming of age, learning about yourself, being a kid of divorce, uncertainty, mistakes, sibling love and of course Falling in Love.

This book takes a hard look at what makes a holiday a holiday and what’s truly important too. And how we deal with grief.

This was such a warm hug of read. I was able to listen to the Audiobook through NetGalley as an ARC and oh my gods it was wonderful. The Narrator did an amazing job of bringing this story to life.

The spice was delicious and also wow the tension created without ever saying the words c*ck or d*ck. Very impressive. I was totally swooning over these two.

I also very much loved the side characters, Chris and Iris. They were so funny and such amazing people too!

I cannot wait for Chris’s story in book two!!

This is the perfect read for your Fall and Winter TBR!

Also can we have huge high fives for disaster bisexuals everywhere!!!! 💕💕

Prince Nicholas "Coal" Claus is trapped in his duty to Christmas, which has become a corporate spectacle, and a marriage of convenience to Easter Princess Iris, while his heart belongs to Hex, the Prince of Halloween. As Coal navigates this love triangle and a battle for control, the romance between him and Hex flourishes amidst the chaos of holiday politics.
The world-building in this book is creative and fun, mixing holiday traditions with deeper themes like the commercialization of Christmas and family pressure. While some parts were predictable, the romance was heartfelt, and the blend of humor and serious undertones made it more impactful than expected.
The narrator also did a good job of highlighting each character and didn’t distract from the story.
Recommend to those who enjoy festive rom-coms with a twist or anyone who loves holiday-themed stories with depth and humor.

This book is a warm Christmas hug full of new but familiar characters and beautiful relationships. The love that is shared by the leads is so beautiful, and this book emphasises the importance of standing up not just for who you love but also for the things that matter to you. A great holiday romance read.

It took itself too seriously while not being serious at all. I wanted it to lean into the silly because at the end of the day it is a romcom. But I think it focuses too much on not well fleshed out politics and the romance suffered and felt insta lovey. I still think people could enjoy this though!

I made it about 10% into this one and just couldn’t get into it. I just wasn’t a fan of the writing style. I love the cover though and the audiobook was well done!

UGH—this one had me hooked until about 60% in, and then... well, things took a turn.

The first half? I absolutely loved it. The world-building was rich, the characters were wonderfully developed, and their relationships felt deep and meaningful. I especially loved the creative take on the holidays, with Santa as this mob-boss figure—so unique and fun!

But after that, the story really started to drag. It felt like not much was happening, and I found myself losing interest. I'm honestly disappointed because this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024, and I had already preordered the next book in the series. Now, I'm not sure if I want to continue.

The concept was fantastic, but the plot just didn’t deliver in the end. Still, I'm grateful to NetGalley for the ARC.

Coal is the heir to the Christmas kingdom who is being forced into an arranged marriage with his best friend Iris from Easter. But when Prince Hex of Halloween shows up to court Iris too, Coal realizes he’s met him before – when they made out at a bar a year ago.

Determined to get to the bottom of what is going on between the Holiday Courts, Coal tries to avoid Hex and keep up the ruse of the arrangement. Except these princes can’t seem to stay away from each other for long…

Why Kirsten loves it
This was filled with chaotic energy, a fun new fantasy world, and all kinds of holiday lore. It was billed as Red, White, and Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas. Seems like an odd pairing, but I went in with a totally open mind and was rewarded with a unique, charming holiday story.

The audio is splendid! The story is so fun, I truly can't wait to receive my copy of the book and listen to the audio while reading the book. I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did! Everything about this story was very fun, from the cover, to the story, to the audio! Even the title is so eye catching, I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

I laughed out loud and had so many feels while listening to this book! What originally attracted me was the silliness of it. The Prince of Christmas and the Prince of Halloween falling for each other amidst questionable politics in countries which are actually holidays told as a mashup between Red, White, and Royal Blue and The Nightmare Before Kissmas? Yes, absolutely yes.

Coal and Hex (bet you can guess to which holiday each of them hails from) go on hilarious, heartwarming, and spicy journey to find themselves and save Christmas. The audiobook is read masterfully by Ellis Evans who does all the characters justice through both the sweet and steamy moments.

My only criticism is the lack of diversity. In the many mentions of "other winter holidays" it's never clarified what's meant by that. There's also a mention of Coal's Frost cousins. I'm assuming that means Jack Frost, but what about the other winter holidays not based on European tradition? I wanted a little more out of the worldbuilding..

However, The Nightmare Before Kissmas is a top tier diversion from real life that pulled me into its wonderful world and made me care about its characters. Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review it.

This book was so freaking cute! The mashup of comp titles definitely fits. I liked the larger plot and Hex was just… I LOVE HIM. This was such a cool book and I would definitely continue to read in this world.

I loved this book so much, easily 5 stars and immediately going on my go-to rereads list. The holiday kingdoms are done so well and in such a fun way. I already can’t wait to read more books in this universe and hopefully see many more of the different holiday kingdoms/lands. While yes it is a very funny and charming book, it also covers some tougher topics with poignant perspective.

The audiobook narration was wonderful and made it so easy to feel immersed in the story right away.

The characters are interesting and multifaceted. I really loved both main characters, but the supporting characters were great as well! Hopefully we will get to know some of the supporting characters even better in future books.

I have already recommended this book to multiple friends and will most likely continue to recommend it to pretty much anyone who will listen to me for the next several months.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.