SPICY and STEAMY. This was a good book I liked the quirky aspect to this book. I really enjoyed the idea of two bisexuals coming together and pranking a jerk of a guy who strung them both along. However, I felt that it was a little rushed between all of the characters. I felt as if I was only into an hour of the audio when all the spicy scenes were starting. Some of them seemed forced. All in all, it was a solid 3 star.

The audiobook was done by Lauren Sweet and Angelina Rocca. Both of these narrators did a good job. Solid work from both of them.

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I want to start off by saying I read all different romances and the queer ones I read I typically MMC. This was refreshing and different and unique. I read a lot of holiday romances in December and loved the idea of this being in July I was feeling the Holly jolly spirit.
The writing was well done and the loved the idea of home aloning Matt.
All in all a solid read.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio for this ARC.
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Story follows two female leads, Ellie and Mariah. Ellie is the bubbly actress and Mariah is the doom and gloom make-up artist. Both of them find themselves sleeping with a guy, but when they find out they’re sleeping with the SAME guy, they set out to seek revenge. And, while they’re at it, they fall for each other.
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I love sapphic romances, but this one just wasn’t it. It was incredibly immature and childish. There wasn’t a connection between the two female leads. Not enough of one. I don’t usually mind instant love, but it felt rushed and forced. I struggled with the voice of Mariah’s character, too. It just really fell flat for me. and there was WAY too much of the script included in the book. The script was cheesy and awful, honestly. I really wanted to love this.

Okay, I did not have a sapphic rom-com mixed with John Tucker Must Die on my mind when I went into this read, but I absolutely loved it. I love a revenge plot. Even better if it also happens to be a love story. Ellie and Mariah were both so cute, and they truly should have gone harder to ruin the two-timing POS. I loved the ray of sunshine vs the raincloud. I loved the friends to lovers.

As someone who doesn't really even care for Christmas, this was a very cute, humorous and fun read.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequinn Audio for the access to the advance copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

The premise was cute, but multiple instances of insta-love between the mains, a very poor handling of substance abuse disorder and the mains committing a literal crime which is acknowledged on page and then they're just thanked for by their victim and go on to become famous meant this one really wasn't a win for me and I can't recommend it.

I. Am. Obsessed. Grumpy/sunshine bi+ for bi+ sapphic romance??? So good.
I've read quite a few books where one or both of the MCs was a lead actor, but I really liked that Ellie was a supporting character, both in terms of what it meant for her character arc and because it opened up a lot of page time for off-set shenanigans. And shenanigans there were. Adults pranking people is such a hard tightrope to walk, because it can often feel a bit too immature, but it really really worked here.
I also liked that Ellie was actually kind of annoying (not in a bad way, though)—like, I fully agreed with Mariah that she came on too strong, but it worked well.
I loved the narration, too. Ellie was done beautifully, and Mariah's narration, on top of also being amazing, had a timbre I'm unused to in audiobooks but really liked a LOT (and would definitely like to hear more of). Both narrators did a phenomenal job.
I got so excited at the author's note at the beginning that promised both m/f and f/f spice, and it absolutely delivered. Relatedly, I LOVED the sex and talks about it between Ellie and Mariah. SO well done.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for early copy for review*

This was okay. It felt like there was to much forced comedy in my romance. Normally I enjoy Grumpy/Sunshine pairings, but I didn't really enjoy the motivations and the outcomes for the characters. If you enjoy open door spice and workplace romances like The Hating Game maybe yo should give it a try.

I listened to the audio for this book and did not feel the production added anything to the reading experience. Both narrators did an okay job, but I preferred Mariah's chapters because of the deeper voice she gave her.

Mariah and Ellie couldn’t be more different—Ellie’s a cheerful small-time actress excited to film a cozy holiday movie, while Mariah is a no-nonsense makeup artist just trying to get through the shoot in her sweltering Canadian hometown. They clash right away, but things start to shift as they bond over bad hookups, shared heartbreak, and a hilarious plan for revenge when they discover their summer flings are cheating on them. As they scheme Home Alone–style pranks and grow closer, the sparks between them turn into something real—but with the shoot wrapping soon, they have to figure out if this is just a fling or the start of something more. This was such a cute and joyful read! I loved the fun premise, the slow-burn romance, and the cozy holiday vibes in the middle of summer. It had the perfect balance of humor, heart, and heat—I was smiling the whole way through.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lindsay & the Publisher for an alc of Holly Jolly July!
Audio Review: I really loved the narrators on this. I think they both brought a ton of personality and warmth to the characters. They narrated in a way that was more like a live action performance of the script than a reading of the book and that really brought my rating up from the 4stars that I gave the earc. I think their performances really sparked some extra joy in my brain. You could hear the mischief and humor in their voices.

Content Review:
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.

Narrators: I thought the dual narrators did a great job here. It was very clear who was speaking when, even when each person had dialogue in the other person's chapters. The narrator doing Mariah's low and almost raspy voice definitely fit her character well, and I thought the narrator who did Ellie had a great handle on her upbeat, perky personality without making her seem one dimensional.

Contents:
This was a mixed experience for me. It is very spicy, with both M/F and F/F spice, which was fairly unique even in a bi4bi romance novel, so that was fun. I generally like how the book handled identity, even if it sometimes belabored Ellie's bisexual awakening in a way that almost crossed over into feeling uncomfy for me re: references to her "experimenting" but ultimately pulled back in a more respectful way. I also enjoyed the little interludes to the very hallmark channel Christmas movie script, complete with its own twist ending! Finally, I liked Ellie a lot. She was ultra-sunshine-y but in a way that was clearly a choice for her in the face of negativity, a hard worker, professional, funny, and unapologetically herself even in the face of almost every other character acting like she is at least slightly less cool for being so enthusiastic.

The downside was, I simply did not like Mariah. I did not like her initially. I didn't like that she wanted a job so badly she lied about being a local to get it, and then acted like she was too good for the job. I didn't like how she was judgmental towards Ellie at first. I didn't like how she didn't want to put in the time and hard work that Ellie put into her career and didn't seem to respect Ellie for having done it. For someone who wants to do film makeup, even if it is monster makeup, to be so disrespectful and rude about a job doing makeup for a film crew, completely dismissing the idea of building her resume with anything that isn't exactly what she wants, and then to be handed everything she wants without that work and to have the ending be like, oh, Ellie finally moved over to "real" film work like indie monster films that Mariah liked instead of the cheesy romance films that Mariah was too good for sort of left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm surprised that a romance author, who surely has heard people talk down to romance books in the same way that they talk down about romance movies, would buy into the idea that moving to LA to do non-romance work instead of working locally on sweet films that she loves is the happy ending. I think, for the majority of readers, that will not really be an issue, but it did bother me.

Finally, I think the slapstick, romcom, home-alone style pranking of the cheating sort-of boyfriend was very funny at first but also went on way too long, and for what purpose? A little revenge made sense and was funny, but he was never going to learn a lesson about lying to people by being tricked into falling into a puddle of lube. I wish that the set up and conclusion of that storyline ended much earlier in the book, maybe even at the halfway point, and the rest of the book just focused on Ellie and Mariah.

ALC Review
Holly Jolly July by Lindsay Maple
Narrated by Lauren Sweet & Angelina Rocca

This was a super fun story about two women working on a movie set together. They find out that they have been seeing the same guy. Their friendship begins while they decide to get back at him.
I think the most interesting part was the plot of the movie they were working on was interspersed with the rest of the story. It was like getting two stories in one.

Pick this one up if you enjoy:
* Sapphic romance
* Workplace
* Opposites attract
* Friends to lovers
* Grumpy x sunshine
* Actress FMC x Make-Up artist FMC
* Bisexual awakening
* Revenge shenanigans

4⭐️ 3🌶️ 5🎧 This was Holiday Rom-Com delight! This is my first book that had both MF and FF in the story line and it was delicious, a new form of why choose, lol. The Home Alone inspired revenge had me cracking up.

Both these characters were relatable in so many ways! Both had pasts that held each other back and watching them grow trust and breaking down their walls with one another was so sweet. Matt the Jack Jerk was something else, cringy and just... *barf face*.

This was my first time listening to Lauren Sweet and Angelia Rocca and I really enjoyed their story telling. Their voices fit the characters perfectly!

4 stars

Did you watch John Tucker Must Die and wish the girls ended up together instead? Than boy is this book for you. Plus we have opposites attract! Filming a holiday movie! An actor and makeup artist! Overall this was incredibly fun. I do think some of the pranks on the guy didn’t make the most sense in context (Home Alone style felt wrong) and the movie scenes between chapters was too much, I think having just a few would’ve been much more interesting than how many there were. Otherwise I had a blast. This was meant for the bi girlies!

Both narrators were fantastic and I think their voices matched the character personalities perfectly!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC!

This sapphic rom-com comes in hot—literally and figuratively. The heat kicks in early, with some very spicy scenes just a few chapters in, and the Canadian summer sun doesn’t let up from there. If you’re looking for steamy chemistry set against twinkle lights and fake snow in July, this book absolutely delivers.

I really liked the concept: a holiday movie being filmed in the dead of summer, with the story flipping between the real-life romance and the movie scenes being filmed. In theory, it should’ve been the perfect meta mix—but in practice, the jumps between “film” and “reality” sometimes pulled me out of the story. I found myself wanting to stay in the actual narrative between Ellie and Mariah rather than bouncing into the on-screen holiday drama.

That said, the character dynamic between Ellie (sunshine and Santa sweaters) and Mariah (grinchy and guarded) was fun to watch unfold. Their grudging alliance after being duped by their respective love interests turned into something much deeper and sweeter—complete with Home Alone-style revenge and lots of unexpected feels. It was funny, sexy, and full of Christmas spirit… just maybe a bit uneven in execution.

The audio version? It brought so much to the story with just the perfect narrators for each main character. I love when there is more than one narrator as it helps me delve into the story more thoroughly and the narrators for this story matched their characters perfectly in pace and tone. A perfect way to enjoy this story!

If you like your rom-coms spicy, festive, and a little chaotic, Holly Jolly July might just be your kind of holiday treat—even if it’s wrapped in palm trees instead of pine.

🎄𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
🎄𝐒𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
🎄𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧
🎄𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭

✨𝒯𝒽ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈✨
I was pleasantly surprised by "𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐉𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲." The story follows Mariah and Ellie, who form an unlikely bond on the set of a Christmas movie. Together, they plot a Home Alone-style revenge on the guy who deceived them.

𝐈 found the dynamic between Ellie and Mariah fun. They’re complete opposites; Ellie is all sunshine and positivity while Mariah is guarded and a bit on the grumpy side. Their friendship was a strong aspect of the story, with hints of romance sprinkled throughout. The alternating chapters between the Christmas movie being filmed and the main storyline added a very unique touch.

🎧I also had the chance to listen to the audiobook narrated by 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭. Their performances truly brought Ellie and Mariah to life. Their voices were perfect for the characters they portrayed. If you enjoy a sapphic and steamy romance set against the backdrop of a Hallmark Christmas movie, then you’ll love this story!

Special thanks to 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐟or the physical copy and 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 for the audio copy. All opinions expressed here are my own.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟒.𝟓⭐️ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟑🔥 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝟒.𝟓🎧

Snagged this as a quick fluffy read and because I was looking for more saphhic romances and it did not disappoint.

You have the classic setup of, 'Oh he's dating you? I thought he was dating me!' Followed by funny antics as the two girls get their revenge on the man cheating on both of them with the other.

You have the classic setup of, 'Oh we're going to work together on this thing... but maybe there is more here.'

And the classic tropes of

grumpy + sunshine
workplace romance
'revenge' plot
friends to lovers
holiday

It's an overall cute story with a cute plot and surprisingly well rounded characters for the most part. I'd suggest it for holiday reads and anyone looking for a cute comtemp romance.

I did feel like the focus was a little heavier on their relationship with their ex vs eachother once that got going, and that their relationship was a little fast. Not that I'm against the insta love setup but I just would have liked more background information/buildup all around.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s Christmas in July! This book has all the vibes of your favorite cozy holiday rom-com…with a summer heatwave, some sizzling hookups, and a revenge plot worthy of Home Alone.

We’ve got:
🎄 Bisexual awakening
🎄 Grumpy x sunshine 
🎄 Friends-to-lovers
🎄 Workplace romance
🎄 Small town drama

Mariah (makeup artist) and Ellie (holiday romance actress) could not be more different. But when they realized they’re being played by the same guy offscreen, these two team up for a little petty payback, and end up finding something real between them.

Mariah and Ellie’s story was *so cute*, and I loved the way their romance mirrored the holiday film they were working on. The structure was such a clever choice—it added an extra layer of coziness and charm to an already feel-good read.

Who says Christmas magic is only for December? Holly Jolly July delivers a wonderful dose of holiday cheer right in the middle of summer. Lindsay Maple’s rom-com is equal parts cozy and spicy, with a dash of revenge and a whole lot of heart.

Set on the set of a low-budget holiday film, the story follows Ellie, a sunshiney actress, and Mariah, a no-nonsense makeup artist, as they navigate small-town quirks, steamy hookups, and unexpected feelings. What began as a frosty working relationship thaws into something much warmer—especially after a shared betrayal leads them to team up for some Home Alone–style shenanigans.

Maple’s writing is witty, heartfelt, and chaotic in the best way. If you love enemies-to-lovers, found family, and a little mischief with your mistletoe, this one’s for you. 🎄🔥🎄

🎬✨ Verdict: A Christmas-in-July miracle with all the feels. Add it to your summer TBR!

[Holly Jolly July]

Holiday movie set in July and a Home Alone style revenge plot line? Say Less! As soon as I read the blurb for this book, I added it to my TBR and it met all my expectations. It also completely surprised me with how deep, thoughtful, and romantic this book was.

Ellie and Mariah are both working on the set of a holiday movie in the middle of the summer. They meet and form a friendship as Mariah does Ellie's makeup for her supporting role in the movie. They are both seeing a man that they met while in town for filming and then both find out that they are being cheated on. They decide to teach him a lesson by teaming up and putting together elaborate and hilarious Home Alone style pranks. The pranks had me absolutely rolling laughing! But as they work together for revenge, they find that their friendship could actually be so much more. This book also has the script of the holiday movie woven throughout which was a really fun structure.

Beyond all the laugh out loud moments, this book took a deep dive into each woman's dreams, insecurities, family trauma, and past relationships. It was so beautiful to read how they navigated the hurt of being cheated on and found a perfect match in each other.

Expect lots of laugh out loud moments, MF and FF spice, a sprinkle of holiday fun, swoon worthy romance, a deep friendship that turns into more, navigating hard family relationships, and two women coming to terms with what they really want from life.

Grab this one if you love:
✨ Friends to Lovers
✨ Holiday Movie Set Romance
✨ Revenge Plot
✨ Grumpy x Sunshine
✨ Opposites Attract
✨ Sapphic Romance

📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🎧 Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥Spice Rating: ❤️

🎧 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼...
Lauren Sweet and Angelina Rocca narrated this book in dual narration and I absolutely adored every single second. They were the most perfect voices for this opposites attract romance. Lauren was sweet and bubbly and completely nailed Ellie's adorable rambling. Angelina has the most smooth and sultry voice that was the perfect match for Mariah. I loved this audiobook so much!

Thank you to Lindsay Maple and Harlequin Audio for this gifted advanced reader copy and ALC.

Spice Rating
🤍 clean romance
💗 closed door/ fade to black
❤️ spicy content (a few detailed scenes)
❤️‍🔥 explicit, play-by-play (major part of the plot)
🖤 graphic, more than vanilla

This was so CUTE! This delightful Sapphic romance was full of charm and heart. I love a good Grumpy/Sunshine story, Mariah and Ellie are so cute together and how they come together had me kicking my feet.

I also felt in home with the fact that this book is set in Chilliwack, BC and that the story centres around a Christmas movie being filmed in July. Growing up in the Fraser Valley it’s something I’m all to familiar with. I think this book is also perfect for Pride month, especially with the rise of Biphobia I’ve been seeing lately. I loved the fact that the Bi Girls get their love story too and just because Mariah and Ellie end up in a Sapphic relationship, doesn’t make their Bisexuality less valid. Sometimes it’s more about find your person.

I highly recommend this, especially if you are from BC, or more specifically Chilliwack, all the little references were delightful. Especially a certain local bookstore.