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.

Thank you so much to Lindsay Maple and Harlequin/ Canary Street Press for this E-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own! 🥰

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Find more on my IG @kayreads_romance

⚠️ !! Please be sure to check any TWs before diving in !! ⚠️

What to expect:
* Sapphic
* Workplace romance
* Dislike to love
* MF and FF scenes (separately)
* Makeup artist x actress
* Revenge


My thoughts while reading:
🚨ALERT POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD🚨


I liked the narrators and I thought they did a good job of bringing the characters to our ears, but the story fella bit flat for me.

I am all for queer stereotypes (when they’re done well) and I know I fell in love with my own girlfriend rather quickly, but it felt really out of place for Mariah to think “I know for sure, I love her” after knowing Ellie for less than a week I think?

Both of our FMCs seemed a bit immature to me, honestly. I enjoyed the “Home Alone”-esque revenge situation but again it just felt out of place and clunky. I think I would have enjoyed it more had they realized what was going on, said forget him, and moved on with their lives happily.

But the twist in the movie that Ellie was acting in really saved it at the end!!!

Listening to this book made me feel particularly old…and served as a reminder that I am not the target audience for a lot of current romantic comedies. I found the fact that the plot essentially revolves around a scheme akin to Home Alone and not much else, that the love story felt quite superficial and juvenile. The comedy was a bit too slapstick for me. I wish there had been more of a plot between Mariah and Ellie with a bit more depth. There are two narrators which I think really helps in a sapphic romance with dual POV. That being said I found the narrator for Ellie to add to the childish factor a bit and it really took me out of the story. Overall I think Mariah had a stronger backstory and a bit more depth so was a stronger character overall. Overall this just didn’t work for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

thank you Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook for an honest review.

This holiday in July book was cute and fun story following unique characters who go through the unbelievable heartbreak of loss and finding love again in their own ways. following multiple character's POV, you see each growth and change.

I was honored to love these characters.

Oh wow—this book was such a delightful surprise! It’s the perfect blend of cozy romance, personal growth, and just the right dash of revenge. The storyline cleverly mixes a sweet first love with a heroine who’s trying to rediscover who she is—all while being smack in the middle of filming a cheesy Christmas movie. But what really set this book apart for me was how the author brilliantly wove together the plot of the movie being filmed and the actual story of the characters. It’s like watching the magic unfold on screen and behind the scenes at the same time.

This was my first time reading anything by this author, and I’m honestly so excited to dive into more of their work. The tone is charming and comforting—like a warm blanket and hot cocoa—but there’s also this unexpected little edge thanks to the revenge subplot that keeps things extra fun. It’s cute, it’s heartfelt, and it has just enough sass to keep you flipping pages. If you love holiday rom-coms but wish they had a little more bite, this is one to add to your list.

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. The audio added a very wonderful addition to the story.

Insta-love fans only.

This whole book was ruined by the fact that it takes place over two weeks. Both Ellie and Mariah fall for guys hard enough to plan futures, end things, then fall for each other. All within two weeks. I cannot. The rest of the book doesn't even matter because I could not get past this.

Lauren Sweet and Angelina Rocca narrate the audiobook. I do not know who is who, but I didn't care for whomever narrated Mariah's chapters.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

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.
The audio book was great! Very well done with Lauren Sweet and ANgelina Rocca this was done in dual narration and I thought the producation was seamless. I would definitely listen to it again!
Thank you to Harelequin for the complimentary copies. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advanced listening copy of Holly Jolly July by Lindsay Maple, in exchange for my honest review.
This festive rom-com follows Ellie and Mariah, two women brought together to work on a holiday film. Things take a surprising turn when they discover they’re both romantically involved with the same man—and team up to get revenge in a delightfully mischievous, Home Alone-style fashion.
The premise had great potential for humor, especially with the contrast of filming a Christmas movie in the middle of summer. While the storyline was light and playful, I found it hard to fully connect with the characters and their journey. The plot felt somewhat predictable, which made it difficult to stay fully engaged or eager to find out what would happen next.
That said, the audiobook production was excellent. The narrators brought strong energy and personality to the characters, which added life to the story and made the experience more enjoyable.

This was a fun twist on the whole "Are we dating the same guy?" thing.
The author really had me thinking these poor women were dating different guys at first! Their revenge plot was funny and lighthearted, certainly very reminiscent of Home Alone!

It took me a while to warm up to Ellie's character due to her overly peppy personality, but maybe that's a me problem? Mariah's character was way more likable off the bat. Though both women's experiences with their bisexuality were very relatable and really made me feel connected to them.

The narrators certainly got both of these characters' personalities nailed in this performance. Their chemistry was great!

A fun sexy read set in the heart of Canada. Guaranteed to make you laugh out loud and swoon, this Christmas in July romance brings fun to the film set!

This was a fun, spicy Christmas in July romance! I loved the premise and enjoyed the bi representation. The narration was great and really brought Mariah and Ellie to life! There is a lot of spice at the beginning of the story!

One of my main issues with the story was the inclusion of the movie scenes. I felt like they distracted from the main story and didn’t really add anything. Every time I heard an excerpt from the movie it took me out of the budding romance between Mariah and Ellie! My other issue was the at times cringy and juvenile dialogue. Plus the scene with the lube on the ground just wasn’t funny to me.

Overall, it’s a cute holiday romance, but a bit more spicy and juvenile than I typically like. I think a lot of readers will really enjoy it though!

Vibes: John Tucker Must Die meets Hallmark Christmas, but the girls are bi and get up to a lot more than revenge!

Whether you love to hate Hallmark Christmas movies, or hate to love them, this story scratches the holiday itch. It was sweet and fun and spicy - can’t recommend more! If you’ve ever been the person that tried too hard to fit in but didn’t quite get it right and didn’t quite get the payoff you were working for, then Ellie’s story is for you.

Read if you like: Opposites attract, lots of spice, cheesy holiday movies, revenge plots,

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for providing me with a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I DNF’d this one. I just found it hard to connect with the story and characters. I didn’t feel excited to listen to it and see where the story would go because I already knew what was probably going to happen. The audiobook was so well done and the narrators did so good! I didn’t have any problems with it!

Really enjoyed Mariah and Ellie as individual characters and their dynamic together! The beginning was heavier on the sex than I typically enjoy, but it worked for me and I continued because I cared to see how Mariah and Ellie's relationship would develop!

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

I loved the romance in this book, both the male /female but especially the female/ female. I little bit of everything and so much fun to listen to. Some very HOT scenes included. One of the best ends ever.

This was the perfect Pride month read, or a great read for any time of year. I found the character of Ellie to be so much fun, and I related to her spunky personality. Mariah's brooding personally was the perfect counter to Ellie's spirit. I had so much fun watching their relationship unfold. I felt that the story was John Tucker Must Die meets a romantic Hallmark Movie. I was a unique storyline. I thought that I was going to hate the ending, but it surprised me and I couldn't be happier with where Ellie and Mariah end up. The narrators also did a great job of bringing Ellie and Mariah's opposite personalities to life. I highly recommend this book and the audiobook.