Another fun holiday romance, this time between Santa’s youngest son and the rightful heir of St. Patrick’s Day. Loch and Kris meet at university by gate or luck, and instantly get under each other’s skin. Kris ends up on a diplomatic mission to investigate Loch’s holiday and they connect over art and family and base attraction for each other and their dedication to their holidays.
The idea was fun and definitely a spicy romp. It easily could have been a 4 star read for me, but I did find the pacing to be quite slow at times. Still, a fun book that I would recommend.

Trouble is brewing when Christmas discovers that someone has been stealing their joy. The only clue is a single shamrock left at the scene, and since Coal is busy running Christmas, its up to Kris to investigate. Unfortunately, the Prince of St. Patrick's Day also happens to be the same person Kris has been battling for a study room at college. Now, they are forced to play nice for the cameras, but they keep driving each other crazy.

I absolutely devoured this book. It gave me SO many feelings! Kris and Loch were perfection together. The enemies to lovers trope was so well done and the vulnerabilities that they both had made their romance so much sweeter. They also had fantastic tension and chemistry that was swoon-worthy! It wasn't all holidays and fun though. Both Kris and Loch both had experiences with family trauma and Kris struggled with his mental health as a result. I thought that this part was handled with care, and we saw boundary setting as well as support from other characters occur. I really loved the sibling relationship between Coal and Kris too. Coal was so supportive of Kris and encouraged him in so many ways. I'm so excited for the next book in this incredible series!

I read and listened to the audio. The narrator, Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick was amazing and gave Kris and Loch their own unique voices. Loch's voice in particular was incredible. He really brought the characters and their emotions to life.

Thank you to Bramble Romance and Macmillan Audio for the advance copies!

Sara Raasch brings yet another amazing romance novel that keeps you captivated from the first page. The banter, the chemistry, and the depth to the characters is astounding. I wish there had been more because I loved the characters so much.

When the publisher reached out to me with a copy of this, I went back and forth on whether to accept.* I was still making my way through the first in the series and it was a bit of a slog, but as I neared the end I found myself really enjoying that one and wanted to know what happened so I grabbed a digital copy of it—but for real go look at the physical copy . . . I mean those green edges are GORGEOUS!

Picking up immediately after The Nightmare Before Kissmass, we find ourselves with Kris, the Christmas spare, as he's woefully moping around having confessed his feelings to the Princess of Easter. He's back at university and looking for an outlet. Unfortunately, that outlet ends up being a massive prank involving a ton of tinsel in a room occupied by Loch, who unbeknownst to Kris is the Prince of St. Patrick's Day. And it goes from there.

Raasch got to the chemistry between Kris and Loch a lot faster than she did with Coal and Hex, and that's understandable because she had to build the world around Holidays and royalty and what not, but for me it worked better this time—even with all the family drama.

The library I was in with Lock, where he gave me those books. I should've known then. It was like a scene from a queer Beauty and the Beast. (Ch. 10)

It also didn't hurt that you had Kris, who wanted to be a writer and is obsessed with literature, and Loch, an artist who loves his people and his holiday, so there was more for me to identify with right away. There were so many mentions of famous authors and books that I couldn't help but be giddy throughout.

They're books I loved when I was younger. Books I read when I was at the peak of my writing obsession, when I was so certain all these happy endings could be mine if I . . . if I was more. And yeah, this is what started me off on my-fucked up belief system, but at the time, I was so innocent in my joy, and that's what I miss more than anything. To be happy and not analyze why. (Ch. 13)

Similar to the last novel, this could be classed in multiple ways. It is absolutely a MM Romance and Raasch did a great job writing them, but there was also familial drama and political intrigue. The difference this time is that both of those took a backseat to the romance. We weren't spending pages and pages on the drama between Loch and his uncle Malachy or the whodunnit of siphoning off Christmas joy or the on-going evolution of the winter holidays, we were spending time with Kris and Loch as they annoyed the crap out of each other.

I have to give a shout out to Raasch and an Aran sweater appearance and how they can take someone from meh to super sexy super fast. This was actually the second mention and I love that it was a blue (the first was the traditional beige/off-white):

Loch is off to the side of the hall's entrance, arms folded, a bag hooked around one wrist. He's in another Aran sweater, this one a deep blue that sets off coppery undertones in his hair and beard.
Goddamn those sweaters. Like he's a sexy, mysterious lighthouse fisherman. (Ch. 14)

As for the romance of this novel it was pretty good. It was definitely a grower not a shower (see what I did there :-D), as most enemies to lovers tropes are. From that fateful prank that the Holiday press got hold of to the coronation this is a slow burn with moments of spark that definitely make you fan yourself and say 'oh my' like George Takei. That being said, there were some totally cheesy moments that I rolled my eyes at (see the fifth quote in the additional quotes), but there were also moments that at first pass were cheesy AF, and were actually incredibly beautiful in the broader context.

'You aren't an awakening,' I whisper. 'You're the whole dawn. And I can't believe I ever thought I'd seen the sun before you.' (Ch.15)

There were two things I was disappointed in. The first is that I think these would be really interesting if we got split narrative, I mean I would've loved to hear more from Hex's perspective in the first novel and from Loch's in this novel. Sure we get a lot, but we don't get their side of the story. The second, and by FAR the biggest was that the sneak-peak at the end wasn't Iris's story. Instead it was a preview of her upcoming novel The Entanglement of Rival Wizards (so I can't really hold that against Raasch).

Recommendation: Worth the read! I very much enjoyed this one and it didn't have to do as much world building as the first novel in the series. Kris and Loch were both believable characters and their chemistry from enemies to lovers kept me engaged. I'm not going to fully unpack the daddy/boyo thing because you do you boo, but there were moments of levity and hilarity and definite sexiness. I hope Raasch revisits this world and gives Iris the due she deserves, because I want to read that story, maybe a pun about Green Eggs and Ma'am or Somebunny to Love.

*I received a copy of Go Luck Yourself via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.

Go Luck Yourself invites readers back into the holiday chaos, this time with a heartwarming story centered around familiar themes: the trouble with family, emotional healing, and the pursuit of joy —both in relationships with others and oneself. Much like its predecessor, The Nightmare Before Kissmas, this book delves into the importance of finding balance, facing personal struggles, and giving yourself the space and opportunity to heal, all set against the backdrop of holiday magic – with an Irish twist.

In this installment, we follow Kristopher Clause as he begins to rebuild his joy after the painful and chaotic fallout surrounding his father’s schemes. When holiday magic goes missing in the land of St. Patrick’s Day, Kris is drawn into a mystery that might just offer him the escape he desperately needs. Along the way, he encounters the St. Patrick’s Day prince, a figure who initially seems like an adversary (especially considering this isn’t the first time they met at odds) but ultimately becomes everything Kris could have hoped for in his quest for a happy ending.

If you haven’t yet read The Nightmare Before Kissmas, I’d highly recommend doing so before diving into this one. While Go Luck Yourself stands on its own, having the context of book one will enrich the experience and deepen your understanding of certain familial relationships. After what happened in the first book, Kris’s brother Coal is busy picking up the pieces left by their father, who, now living his best life in the Caribbean, hands over the holiday empire to his son in the midst of a midlife crisis. Meanwhile, Kris investigates the St. Patrick’s Day mystery, eager to distract himself from the emotional turmoil of a recent rejection from Iris – which we all were kind of rooting for in the first book, let’s be real. Disguised as an ambassador from Christmas, Kris now works to rebuild trust in the wake of his father’s actions.

One of the highlights of Go Luck Yourself is the enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Kris and the St. Patrick’s Day prince, Loch (though we will not speak about this name because it haunts me—Loch means hole in German, in case you were wondering. You can guess the kind of jokes I have become very familiar with from prepubescent boys from an early age on). Although the tension is resolved fairly quickly, it’s still an enjoyable ride watching these two attempt to one-up each other, with Kris’s magical abilities adding a nice layer of fun. While Loch, the prince, could have used more depth in terms of characterisation, his more understated presence worked well in the context of Kris’s family drama and the book’s overall focus on mental health. The exploration of self-imposed pressure and its consequences is particularly poignant and relatable.

Kris and Loch’s romance, though filled with ups and downs, ultimately shows how their bond helps each of them grow. Their support for one another is a key theme, offering space for personal growth throughout the story. Additionally, there are plenty of cameos from characters in the first book, sure to delight fans who couldn’t put it down.

That said, I did encounter some of the same issues I had with The Nightmare Before Kissmas. The fluctuating tone of the narrative was jarring at times, especially when combined with the characters’ shifting emotional states. While I understand that anxiety and emotional turmoil can cause such shifts, the tone didn’t always match the characters’ inner thoughts or were so interchangeable that it was hard to remember whose head we were stuck in, which made it harder to follow at certain points. There’s also a tendency to summarise scenes or reiterate information from the same point of view, which occasionally made the pacing drag. Moreover, some abrupt tonal shifts—particularly from light-hearted fun to heavy, almost war-like drama followed up by intimate scenes—felt out of place.

While the intimate scenes in the story may not be for everyone, and the dominant/submissive dynamics could be polarising depending on your preferences (especially if you’re only exposed to traditionally published romance), they add an element of tension to the romance that might appeal to some readers. For me, I couldn’t help but notice the influence of Raasch’s previous YA works blending with her attempt to create a more mature, adult-themed narrative.

Another point of critique is the characters’ lack of agency. While this isn’t as glaring as in Coal’s story, it’s still noticeable that these are grown adults who often take a passive approach to their own lives. This gives the story a certain YA feel, despite the more mature content.

However, if these issues didn’t bother you in the first book, they’re likely to be less of a concern here, as the subtlety of the second book’s execution makes them easier to overlook. Ultimately, Go Luck Yourself retains the fun, witty dialogue, holiday-themed antics, and irresistible chemistry between the protagonists that made the first book a hit.

Personally, I’m still hoping for a Netflix adaptation—or something similar—that can bring Raasch’s delightful world to life in a Hallmark-esque holiday movie.

So cuddle up, get yourself a nice hot ale (if you’re into that) and count your lucky stars while falling head over heels for this enemies-to-lovers holiday romcom!

Go Luck Yourself is the second book I've read by Sara Raasch, and I cannot get enough! I loved how all the characters from Nightmare Before Kissmas are also in this book. We get to know them even better. I'm a sucker for an emeies-to-lovers romance and this one between Kris and Loch did not disappoint!

A continuation of the Royals and Romance series starring Coal’s brother, Kris. After Coal becomes the king of Christmas they decide to start repaying the joy Christmas has stolen from the other holidays but Kris notices a small clover device that has been stealing a bit of joy from them. Although it’s understandable someone could do this to them after what their father has done Kris goes on behalf of Christmas as an ambassador to St Patrick’s day. Unfortunately or maybe it’s better to say luckily Kris has encountered the St Patrick’s day prince before. Lochlann Patrick did know who his luck was pushing him towards every time he got into a fight for the study room at the library with Kris. But when Christmas sends their ambassador to apologize for a tinsel prank he ends up meeting his dream guy.
I loved this addition to the series, it was very emotional and heartfelt. I hope there are more to come I am loving getting to know more and more about all these characters and watching all of their relationships grow.

Much like the first book in the series, this book was such a stupid fun time! I absolutely adore this series and think that Go Luck Yourself does a really good job of sidestepping some of issues I had with the first installment. Where I found the plot of the first book to be a tad underwhelming, I was fully enraptured by the narrative of Go Luck Yourself. I also think that the characterization has definitely improved and all of the main, or strong supporting, characters feel as though they've been fully fleshed out.

I would still love for the series to include other holidays (like Eid, Diwali, Holi, Rosh Hashanah, etc) in a more meaningful way. There was a few mentions of some holidays in this book, but I would like to interact with a character that comes from those holidays.

Outside of these small adjustments of mine, this series is such a strong showing from Sara Raasch that I selfishly hope we get several more books in the series. While I haven't found any information about a third book in the series, there were enough hints in Go Luck Yourself that I can hold out hope for at least one more book.

I loved this so much!!! It's such a cute idea for a romance and I'm so excited for Kris to end up with someone who loves him!

4 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!

I was really happy to hear that we were getting Kris's story in the series, especially now after finishing the book. It's hard to fully capture anxiety and panic attacks like Kris has in book format, but god Raasch does it well.

I really liked this story, probably a little better than the first one. It had the same "I hate him but oh no he's hot" as Nightmare, but without the stupid forced marriage plotline.

I loved Loch and how the two of them had so much in common, once they just stopped being so mean to each other.

Raasch, I'm adding my voice to the many who hope for Iris' happily every after soon. Don't do the thing a lot of writers do where their success comes from stories about queer men and fully ignore the queer women with a story to tell.

Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasch is an utterly joyful, sexy romance with a mix of lighthearted fun and dealing with heavy emotions and trauma. I loved The Nightmare Before Kissmas, and this sequel not only lives up to the original book but might even surpass it. Raasch's writing is quick, witty, and fun, and she creates characters wonderful characters that are well-rounded and easy to love. Go Luck Yourself created a brilliant tension between the two lead characters and an engaging plot that left me eager to discover what would happen next and sad when the book ended. I highly recommend checking out this fun, spicy romance that will fill you with joy and eagerness to return to the world of the Royals and Romance series!

Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasch
Rating: 4.5 stars
Steam: 2 chilis
Pub date: 3/11

Thank you so much to Bramble for my advanced copy and Libro.fm for my complimentary audiobook. I loved The Nightmare Before Kissmas and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this one!

The story kicks off with Kris heading to St. Patrick’s Day to investigate who’s stealing Christmas’s joy. Of course, the prime suspect ends up being none other than Lochlann, the same guy Kris has been butting heads with at Cambridge. Their rivalry is super entertaining, and their banter had me laughing out loud.

What really made this book shine was the mix of lighthearted fun and deeper emotional moments. While The Nightmare Before Kissmas leaned into the campy vibes, Go Luck Yourself digs a bit deeper. Kris’s journey toward self-discovery and dealing with family baggage felt surprisingly real. I loved seeing a character wrestle with his issues in a way that was both relatable and honest.

And I just love Lochlann. He’s got that grumpy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside vibe that I absolutely love. He’s protective, artistic, and the perfect match for Kris. Their chemistry is off the charts, and every scene with them together had me hooked.

Overall, Go Luck Yourself strikes a great balance between sweet, steamy, and heartfelt. If you love holiday romances with a little more depth, you’ll want to add this one to your TBR!

I loved The Nightmare Before Kissmas so I was super excited to read another book in the series. While I loved Kris and Loch and their whole enemies to lovers vibe, this felt like the exact same story as TNBK- just change up some names and no one will know. Which is fine! Just saying, same vibes. It was still a cute read, didn’t love it as much as the first book 🤷🏻‍♀️

💚 After reading and loving Nightmare Before Kissmas last year, I knew I needed the follow up book ASAP! Sara has created such an incredible world with this series! I feel like I’m friends with the main characters and I truly dread when the end comes! This book had me in my feels, had me rolling, laughing, had me swooning and blushing at some scenes 🤭 It is such a fun reading experience and I look forward to more books with these characters! And as if the books aren’t enough, they come with gorgeous sprayed edges! 😍

Such an amazing sequel. Plenty of humor and lighthearted fun, combined with emotional and fulfilling scenes. The perfect early spring rom com read!

REVIEW: Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasch 4.5 stars

I read the first book, The Nightmare Before Kissmas, last year and loved it. This world Sara Raasch built with holidays and royalty is fun and fantastical. When I saw she was releasing a second book, Go Luck Yourself, but about the brother of the main character in the previous book, I was so excited.

Go Luck Yourself is about Kris, the Prince of Christmas, helping his brother Coal, the King of Christmas, figure out who is stealing Christmas joy. Joy in this holiday world powers magic through the kingdoms. The only hint left was a tiny shamrock, so Kris decides to investigate in Ireland to visit the Prince of St. Patrick’s Day, Loch.

This book was full of joy! One area where Sara shines is her character development, and Go Luck Yourself is no exception. There are strong friend and family bonds even when toxic parents are involved. The relationships between Iris, Coal, and Kris, as well as Loch, Finn, and Siobahn, were full of so much heart, teasing, and love. I loved not only revisiting old characters but also getting to know many of the new ones.

Go Luck Yourself features the enemies-to-lovers trope, which brings in so much fun banter between Kris and Loch. The two have so many funny moments, and tension is building. This was also an outstanding balance of sweet, romantic, and spicy. Go Luck Yourself checks so many boxes off for a great rom-com.

I absolutely enjoyed Go Luck Yourself. I love revisiting well-loved characters from the last book and meeting new ones. This book greatly represents mental health and a resounding theme about finding yourself. I really hope Sara Raasch continues this series to feature other characters and holidays!

Thank you, Tor Publishing Group | Bramble and Netgalley, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

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The spare prince of Christmas finds himself needing to make nice with the crown prince of St. Patrick's day after a prank gone wrong (and very public) but soon finds himself investigating whether or not said crown prince is stealing magic from Christmas and if his feelings for him are worth risking it all for? Kris is the spare prince of Christmas, he's always been the one to take care of everyone else, and after realizing that he is actually not in love with his best friend but rather in love with the idea of having the perfect fantasy romance... he definitely needs some time off to focus on writing and his studies at Cambridge. Yet the only thing getting in his way is a hot but annoying guy who keeps trying to steal his study room... so when he unleashes some Christmas magic to get back, it hits every magic news outlet and it turns out the very guy he did that two is the crown prince of St, Patrick's Day, Lochlann Patrick. Now there's a holiday relations crisis and Kris needs to apologize and make nice for the media... and that means spending a week with Lochlan in St. Patrick's kingdom and doing PR work. There also happens to be the teeny tiny issue that Kris finds out that someone from St. Patrick's is stealing Christmas joy magic and he has to figure it out. Kris knows he has to make nice but also investigate, but its hard to do that when Lochlann constantly gets under his skin while also awakening feelings that are either deep hatred or a very big crush. Lochlann forces Kris to re-evaluate things about himself... but also to think about what he wants. But if Kris finds out the truth about Lochlann can he forgive him and can a romance work between two different people? I adored the first book so much and I guess this one just felt, a bit less fun and less believable in the romance for me. I wish I could have enjoyed the romance more but it just didn't really feel believable, it just kind of felt like Kris constantly throwing himself at Lochlann and then when it come to the whole big make up gesture, it just didn't feel enough and that it was once again Kris doing so much more. I just kind of wish Lochlann did more, the romance just didn't work for me that much compared to the first book's romance. I do adore Sara's writing and this paranormal universe is fun to read and I absolutely need a third book featuring Finn and Iris, please let the sapphic girlies eat Sara!!!

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

Release Date: March 11, 2025

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group | Bramble for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Okay I liked the first one but this was PERFECT. Sara Raasch wrote this book for me. It’s got everything, romance, angst, layered characters and keeps the bond between brothers Kris and Coal. The romance was balanced well with actual plot and angst. Loch and Kris are such compelling leads together and separately. Most of the book takes place in Ireland, which is possibly my favorite place on earth, and the detail and care into showing St. Patrick’s Day relevance and importance to Ireland as more than “the drinking holiday” was a nice touch. A new favorite definitely!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the first book, but this definitely felt like it was a very similar plot just with different character names. I think Sara writes in such a fun way and it makes me giggle and kick my feet. This just wasn't different enough for me.

Enemies-to-lovers mixed with holiday magic is exactly why I picked up this sequel!

Someone has been stealing Christmas’s joy, and there’s only one clue to the culprit—a single shamrock. With Coal busy with Christmas, Kris volunteers to investigate. Surprisingly, he already knows the Crown Prince of St. Patrick's Day, Lochlann Patrick, because of a small war on their student campus that may or may not have already set the tone for their first official meeting as holiday representatives. Despite being nice for the cameras, each of them can barely get through one conversation without argument. Unfortunately for Kris, Loch is hot, which makes everything that much more difficult. Nothing is as it seems and a romance surprisingly blooms as the investigation unfolds.

This was, without a doubt, one of my favorite romances from the past twelve months, and probably beyond. I enjoyed reading Hex and Coal's story enough that I knew one with Kris would be worth reading, and it absolutely was more than I expected. Not only was the romance spicy, the story itself had a few unexpected twists that made me keep reading just to find out the truth. If you enjoyed the first book of the Royals and Romance series, this should definitely be next on your reading list.