So delightfully satisfying — the perfect blend of spice, seasonal festiveness, and jilted-ex-revenge. I thought the pacing was perfect, with no real slow parts. The interstitial chapters throughout were the perfect length so as not to take you out of the main plot, and I found myself wanting to follow those just as much as I did the main storyline. The chemistry between the two FMCs was there, and while the MMC was almost a caricature with his over-the-top douchiness (is that a word?), it worked well for me. I loved the setting of small-town Chilliwack, the familial reconciliation, the peek behind the curtain into the film industry… this queer romance was the perfect summer read.

Thank you to the author & netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own & honest.

What a Holly Jolly good time!

Holly Jolly July is a cute rom com with both f/f & m/f open door spice, lots of quirky Christmas humor, realistic flawed characters and buckets of charm. I really enjoyed the snippets of the movie script and the internal struggles of the main characters about their self confidence, sexuality and self worth. It was nice to see those struggles handled so realistically on page and to see the other main help the other overcome the loud voice of doubt in their heads. The pranks were funny and charming, even if the mmc was a giant douche. Unfortunately the man gave me the ick from the get go so I was more than happy for the fall out between him and the main characters. The f/f smut was amazing and I love that Lindsay didn't shy away from the open door portion of their relationship.

This book was overall just a really cute read. I enjoyed it so much & if you love Christmas time, behind the scenes movie making, longing looks, bisexual rep, open door spice of f/f & m/f variety & friends to lovers, you're going to eat this up.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Lindsay Maple providing me with the eARC of “Holly Jolly July”!
Publication date: June 17th, 2025.
Reviewed on Goodreads.

5 star read!
I must say that I absolutely ADORED this book.
This was an interesting, fun, attention-grabbing story that kept me excited to read more. Sapphic romance? Summer AND Christmas moods? Body positivity? Count me in.
I love both female main characters, Ellie and Mariah, and I love them even more together! They really are a perfect match in my book.
We start out with a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, and we get to see it grow and evolve into a truly happy and loving relationship.

This story also has a home alone theme, in which the characters are inspired by the movie to play pranks on another character for revenge. I thought this was such a fun premise.
Another aspect I loved was the dual POV writing style. It was great to get insight into the minds of both women.

I really appreciated hearing Mariah’s story about her challenge with having non-supportive parents and how they did not always accept her identity or her dreams, and how she pulled through and created a new life and a new name for herself after meeting like-minded friends. This is a powerful note that I think tons of readers can relate to and find not only endearing, but also beneficial.
I also found it valuable to read about her experience and trauma of being another woman’s “experiment” and how that impacted her and the way she views love and relationships.

Overall I will say: Bravo Lindsay Maple! This is truly an amazing read! I am very hopeful to read more great work from this author in the future.

Oh my what a cute fun, quirky little read this was. The pranks had be dying I love Elle and Mariah so much they are the friend every girls needs they are so wonderful together from striking a friendship to getting revenge on a two timing man to falling in love nothing could be more perfect. I felt so many things reading this books with tears of happiness and sadness, laughter and joy.


“ it turns out lube is really hard to clean off hardwood” I laughed because I know it’s true

Elle and Mariah find themselves in a small town. After a comedy of errors they realize they are dating the same man. As life moves forward, they find the love they always needed.

Lindsay Maple delivers a delightful blend of humor, heat, and holiday hijinks in her latest romantic comedy, Holly Jolly July. This festive summer romp is equal parts spicy and smart, centered around a delicious revenge plot that keeps the pages turning and the laughs coming.

The story thrives on its bold, creative schemes and well-timed comedic beats, but what truly sets it apart is how relatable the characters feel in today’s world. They’re witty, flawed, and navigating love and life in ways that are refreshingly real. Maple captures the modern dating landscape with authenticity, wrapped in the cheer of an off-season holiday theme that adds charm without being cliché.

This book doesn’t just entertain—it invites readers to root for revenge, redemption, and a whole lot of romance. Holly Jolly July is a breezy, sizzling read perfect for readers looking for fun, feisty fiction with heart. Highly recommended for fans of sharp rom-coms with a spirited twist.

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press as well as Harlequin Audio for providing this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙＊

⚝ Rating ⚝: 2.75✩ / 5✩’s (rounded up)

⚝ Review ⚝: Home Alone meets John Tucker Must Die??? Weird combo, but okay. I can maybe see the vision. Unfortunately, I was somewhat lost in execution. I feel like SUCH an outlier on this one.

Mariah and Ellie have both taken jobs on the same movie set, a Christmas movie being filmed in small town Canada in July, preparing for a holiday release--Mariah as a makeup artist and Ellie as an actress. Neither are entirely where they want to be career wise though. While Mariah thinks that these small town Christmas movies are a cheap step backwards, and takes that frustration out on basically everyone, and Ellie is disappointed that she has yet again been passed over by a lead but refuses to let the world see her as upset or sad. On their first day on the job, they both meet men who they determine are good distractions from their workplace disappointments. For Mariah, it's the bartender who also happens to be an old high school crush, and for Ellie, it's the sweet maintenance worker who is employed at the cabins she is staying at.

But after a few weeks, it comes to light that both these men are lying to them and cheating on them, so Mariah and Ellie team up to compile a series of 'home alone'-esque pranks on the unfaithful men in an effort to get them to admit to what they are doing. But as pranks ensue, an attraction between the two seems to be growing.

The hijinks and mayhem are told through a dual POV between Mariah and Ellie, and I just didn't really find myself connecting to either of them.

I *really* wanted to enjoy this one, even with Christmas not being my favorite holiday, this sounded cute and fun. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. I'm all for bubbly sunshiney characters, but Ellie was just too much and I found I liked her chapters the absolute least. The forced merriment and cheer and bending everyone to love Christmas as much as she does (Spoiler: It's an almost concerning amount of love for Christmas) was honestly, kind of annoying. Personally, I don't think I could spend any time around someone who's entire personality is just 'Christmas'.

As for Mariah, I felt like I could have loved her, but so much about her felt glossed over, her past, her trauma, why she is the way she is, why she is so eager to move on. Things are mentioned, but never really revealed. For me, it simply felt like there was a lot lacking in Mariah's character.

On top of that, the relationship between Ellie and Mariah...wasn't that believable. They went from being furious and angry about being cheated on and lied to to being extremely attracted to each other in a matter of like...minutes? No real build up, no real connection.

I will give the book this though, the pranks were a lot of fun and Ellie was indeed an evil genius. I just wish I liked her more.

⚝ Audio/Narrator⚝: The narration wasn't terrible, but unfortunately, it also wasn't my favorite. Narrated by Lauren Sweet and Angelina Rocca, I felt that the narration was a bit...unbalanced. The narrations for Ellie were extremely dynamic and energetic, while for Mariah, I felt they were almost...bored. And while yes, I do understand this was a grumpy x sunshine storyline, grumpy doesn't have to mean monotone or boring.

⚝ Representation ⚝: Bisexual and Bi-Awakening

⚝ TWs ⚝: Drug use, alcoholism, bullying

My monthly reading breakdown for May will be posted to TikTok, IG, and Threads the first week of June.

Holly Jolly July is a spicy and hot Christmas in July time that will leave you wanting more. Mariah is a makeup artist working towards her goal. Working on higher budget projects that test her makeup skills. Ellie is a small time actress that has been around for a while and works on Christmas movies a lot. She has only been in smaller rolls and now they are working together. When they end up finding out that the local bartender and the cottage-rental host they have been hooking up with have been cheating they band together for revenge.
I loved this! Not only the revenge plot to get back at the dude but it was funny! I loved the self discovery of the characters, the growth they showed. It was a fast and fun read that I can see you easily reading in the summer or even the winter, though it takes place in July it is based around Christmas… I did like the pop culture references that were played here and there throughout the book. It was a win in my book. Also that dedication! The credits in the back were the acknowledgments and it read like a movie since they are in the movie. I thought that was also very cute and well thought out.


Thank you to Harelequin for the complimentary copies. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

A Christmas-themed Sapphic rom-com where two women play ridiculous pranks during shooting for an eye-roll inducing Hallmark movie.

Despite filming in July, Ellie goes all-out for her small role in a Christmas rom-com. She tries to get along with her grumpy make-up artist Mariah, only to find out they're seeing the same man. Instead of turning on each other, the women decide to pull silly pranks on the two-timer and find that they have real feelings for each other.

This was kind of a slog to get through. Firstly, the Christmas movie script is so ridiculously cliche I was groaning every time I had to read it. Between EVERY chapter there is part of this script; the most boring, typical, predictable Christmas movie that at this point, Hallmark would probably make fun of in its modern movies. And the whole time, the characters are singing the praises of the movie, I just felt like I was being talked down to. There is an attempt at a "surprise" to make the script unique, but I was unimpressed. It's made worse by the pranks the two characters pull, things like fart machines and elaborate costumes to disguise themselves - all which actually work. It felt like a third grader came up with all the prank ideas.

The characters themselves are just fine. I didn't feel strongly about either of them, but Mariah is especially bland. At least Ellie is so happy all the time it's annoying, even though it's clear that she has some repressed issues. There were occasional scenes where I felt their growing chemistry, but it wasn't anything unique.

This is definitely a serious "turn off your brain" romance if you want a chance at enjoying it.

3 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Ellie loves Christmas. So much so that she's made a career out of being a side character in various Hallmark style Christmas movies. Mariah hates Christmas and loathes the fact that she's stuck in her hometown being the makeup artist for this bubbly, talkative weirdo. When they each find out the man they've been seeing is cheating on them with the other (I know, it's weird), they take matters into their own hands and get revenge and become friends. And something a little more...

Starting with what I liked: I really loved Ellie and Mariah as separate characters. I felt like they each had their own personalities and they had motivations that made sense. I just wish that we were told a little bit about Mariah's background and why she was so deadset on ignoring her parents. We're given barely any information other than Mariah is uncomfortable and doesn't want to see them. Even in her narrative chapters, we could have gotten tidbits, but we got nothing. It made it hard to root for her in that. Not impossible, don't get me wrong.

I had high hopes for this one, but it was just a bit of a let down. This is my first by Maple, so it could just be a fluke.
Three points:
A. It did not need to be that long. I liked the inclusion of the script for the made-for-tv movie that was being filmed, but god that was so boring and did nothing to add to the plot. If the story actually had something to do with the A plot, I would think different.

B. If I had to read about a character kissing someone else's "mound" covered in "shimmery black satin underwear" one more time, I would have screamed.

C. These are grown adult women playing Home Alone style pranks on a grown adult man instead of just using their fucking words. I found it extremely hard to think of these people as 30 or 30+. These are the actions of someone at the cusp of adulthood. And even at the end when it's all found out, god it's like it wasn't even worth it. Matt or Jax or whoever the fuck he is just went about his day, sent off to continue being a terrible person, not learning any kind of lesson. He's not our main character, but he's the impetus for the A plot for the entire book, isn't that part of the Christmas Movie Plot? The villain changes his evil ways?

This was such a delight of a book that had me itching to know how it ended and wanting it made into an IRL movie at the end as I had so much fun!

This workplace romance takes place on a movie set where a hopeful actress for a side character and her makeup artist find out that they are both seeing the same man. I loved how instead of instantly hating each other that they bonded over revenge and making a fool out of him. Naturally, all that time together plotting revenge helps them bond and they soon find themselves falling for each other while Ellie goes through her bisexual awakening. Throughout the story, the movie being filmed has scenes from it spaced between the main story's chapters and it was actually such a cool and fun idea and made for a kind of 2 in 1 story where I was hooked on both stories. I loved the little twist in the screenplay at the end and both the main story could hold their own in IRL screen adaptations, let alone a single movie with both (someone please make this book into a movie!).

While Ellie and Mariah may have been complete opposites, they ended up complimenting each other really well and I loved how Ellie was such a ray of sunshine and was just what Mariah needed. The Christmas in July theme was done really well and this could easily be a summer read or holiday read depending on your outlook of it. The progression of the relationship was really well done and while both ladies were hesitant to put it all on the table, they were able to work things out well.

This was such a gem of a book that I really enjoyed and I can't wait for everyone to read it!

A holiday movie actress and her hair and makeup artist form a friendship and then team up to get revenge on their cheating guys. A silly, spicy, sapphic romcom perfect or Christmas in July!

What’s to love…
- strangers to friends to lovers
- grumpy/sunshine (Christmas Grinch & Holiday lover)
- bisexual FMCs & a sapphic HEA
- Both MF and FF spice
- hijinks and revenge
- Hallmark style movie setting

What’s not to love…
- pacing - this moved much slower than I would have liked. There was a lot of time spent on the non-endgame relationships.
- I didn’t need the movie script/scenes and really felt taken out of the story bc of them.

Overall this was a bit of a miss for me. Still a silly fun time but I felt like it lacked the tension and angst I really love in a romance. Definitely not a bad book, just not the right book for me!

Audio Narration: 4.5 Solid performance

🌶️ - Ch 4, 6, 7, 17, 23 (Sorry if I missed any I read via audio and I’m not always great at bookmarking the spice when I do! 😉)
**It should be noted that Ch 4 contains (imo) dubious consent. The FMC has had at least 6 drinks. It is not mentioned in the content warnings so I want to be sure to note it for those who need to avoid. The scene is NOT between the two FMCs.**

Super cute and fun. As a BC girl who lives in a town that is frequently used for filming TV/Hallmarky movies, this was a fun setting for the story. I thought the relationships were interesting and there were some great awkward moments to go along with the swoony romance. I actually read and listened to this book and really enjoyed the story.

Holly Jolly July was a unique take on holiday romance movies/books. I loved the film script scenes to bring that side of the story to life between the romance plot chapters. The timeline being only two weeks was a bit jarring. The two MCs going through a situationship then falling for each other that quickly made it hard to lean all the way into the story. That said, the character growth throughout was well done, and I kept rooting for the two women.

There’s petty. There’s messy. And then there’s "Holly Jolly July", which kicks off like a Hallmark movie got drunk on Aperol spritzes and decided to serve its revenge cold, in the form of passive-aggressive glitter and bisexual chaos. This book is Christmas in July, yes, but it’s also justified rage, theatre kid vengeance, and enemies-to-lovers energy with jingle bells duct-taped to it.

We’ve got Ellie, a holiday-obsessed actress who lives for tinsel, peppermint mocha, and her big break. She’s dramatic in that “I bring my own Christmas decorations with me in July” kind of way. Enter Mariah, the makeup artist with a low tolerance for nonsense and a personality like smoky eyeliner: precise, intimidating, and potentially flammable. They’re both working on the same television Christmas movie in a sweaty Canadian town, and — SURPRISE! — they’ve been dating the same guy. Who is now very, very exed.

Most books would slow-burn that drama. Not this one. Ellie and Mariah find out fast, choose chaos faster, and what follows is a dizzy little detour into prank territory... fart machines, glitter bombs, lingerie left where it’ll hurt the most. It’s juvenile. It’s petty. It’s also delightfully cathartic. Like if you gave Regina George emotional depth and a push towards her lesbian awakening.

But here’s the twist that saves this from being just another revenge rom-com: the chemistry between Ellie and Mariah actually works. At first it’s all barbs and side-eyes, but slowly... painfully, sweetly... they start to see each other not just as victims of the same mistake, but as women who’ve been performing so hard for everyone else they forgot how to be honest with themselves. And that, my friend, is the secret ingredient, not just fire, but warmth.

The dual POV helps (mostly, sometimes Ellie’s inner monologue slips into romcom autopilot), but it’s Mariah who steals the emotional spotlight. She’s guarded in a way that feels earned, like she’s survived something sharp and hasn’t fully let herself unpack it yet. Watching her unravel under Ellie’s ridiculous optimism and chaotic sparkle is oddly romantic. Like glitter stuck in the seams of your grief.

Now, it’s not all sleigh bells and serotonin. The pacing stutters in the middle, and there’s a moment or two where the dialogue feels like it’s trying too hard to be clever instead of just being. There’s also a Christmas movie within the book that adds some flair but eats page time that might’ve been better spent deepening the romantic tension. Still, the third-act payoff? Worth it. Earned.

This isn’t your classic cozy rom-com. It’s not even trying to be. "Holly Jolly July" is for the girls with a messy ex, a revenge fantasy, and one foot on the gas pedal of healing. It’s for the Christmas movie haters who secretly love a happy ending if it’s a little sweaty and covered in fake snow.

Not perfect, but perfectly chaotic — a solid 3.5 stars of festive nonsense, awkward tension, and secondhand embarrassment wrapped in tinsel. I would absolutely read a follow-up where they write their own sapphic holiday movie and cast themselves as the leads.

Merry Mayhem Prize: For Turning a Cheating Scandal Into a Two-Woman Revenge Rom-Com Wrapped in Tinsel and Sexual Tension

Huge thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC and for giving me front-row seats to a bisexual revenge plot wrapped in tinsel, chaos, and just enough glitter to emotionally maim an "ex."

Ellie is helping make a Christmas film in July, during a heatwave. She meets her costars, handsome Oscar Fizak and gorgeous Julia Miles. A aspiring actress, she's disappointed that her part is smaller than expected.

Mariah, makeup artist, is not having a good day. She's late for work, not totally prepared, and stuck with miss perky, Ellie. This is also her home town, before she took off to the big city, Vancouver.

(In between chapters there's script segments based on the film they're doing.)

Both women have guys they're interested, Mariah having a fling with a old classmate and Ellie with the dude she's renting a cabin from.

Whoops, they're the same dude. Ouch.

They get revenge on him, then Mariah ends up crashing at Ellies as she wants to avoid her family. Mariah and Ellie admit to being attracted, and end up im bed together. But they only have a week before filming ends and they go their separate ways.

3.5 stars out of five. Good plot, good story, but the film script bits felt like a waste of page count.

Okay, I'm a sucker for a holiday romance, so a bi-for-bi sapphic one set in July on a film set is like catnip to me.

While at first Ellie fubbed me the wrong way with the almost forced positivity, I like that that got to be both a genuine part of her personality as well as a coping mechanism that she worked through. The same to a lesser extent with Mariah's cynicism with being back home, though I do wish we got to see a little more of her coming to terms with her family after such an abrupt shift and avoiding them for so long.

I do also wish there were a few more pranks on Jax/Matt, but there's already a lot going on in this book between the romance and the film - it's more that they were so fun and I loved seeing Mariah and Ellie work together on them.

I also didn't expect to like the interstitial plot as much as I did! The beginning again feels very forced almost to a point of "no I'm on James' side here", but the ending had me all but tearing up. I did enjoy that parts of it reflected Ellie and Mariah's relationship and progress as well.

Ellie and Mariah's relationship is so sweet - I loved that they got to talk about past relationships and the future, as well as something I don't see at all, which is Ellie much rather pleasuring her partner than receiving it (and the subsequent pressure to orgasm when she isn't sure if she can). It was all handled really well and in a way that built their relationship. Overall very cute and I'll be keeping an eye on Maple!

3.5⭐️
this one started out a little slow for me because of the M/F “relationships” and because of ellie’s character at first. as the book progressed, i learned that most of her character traits i didn’t like were due to her insecurities and i grew to enjoy her character. mariah and ellie were very cute together and the ending was super cute as well. overall a fun and quick read!
thank you so much to the publisher and the author for the arc!!

1/5 stars: This is Maple's 2SLGBTQIA+ Holiday Romance stand-alone that's set in Canada and features complete opposites, a small-time actress and a makeup artist, who're working on a holiday film wind up teaming up to get revenge on the guys cheating on them only to realize they're actually falling for each other. Written in dual POV, Maple's writing and character work are well done. This is a Christmas in July / Hallmark movie-esque romance with plenty steamy, kinky OPS scenes. Unfortunately, this just wasn't a book for me; leading me to DNF it at 19%.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Amazing christmas in july romance, lots of lesbian romance. i'm not normally into lesbian romance but this one was very good.