A Holly Jolly Ever After (Christmas Notch #2) by Julie Murphy
Product details
Web ID: 17302178Santa, baby
I’m a little shook by how much of a rollercoaster this book turned out to be. What starts out as a former boy band crooner slash recent seggs tape starrer and fallen angel slash former wholesome movie star working together on a Hallmark (umm hope) after dark movie wherein said boy band member provides seggs lessons to said o-deprived actress soon turns into a steamy, emotional story of 2 people getting over their hang ups while hurtling towards a Holly jolly ever after. Sounds like a lot? That’s because this book has a lot going on, from smvtty movie shenanigans to setting purity culture on fire to seggs education to an oopsie plot twist I should’ve seen coming as soon as we heard the movie title. But apparently I’m slow. That plot twist however took nothing away from my enjoyment of the book (shockingly) and that doesn’t happen often. Winnie is the innocent little ingenue getting over years of conditioning through therapy and late life rebellion. Kallum is the most golden retriever of pizza daddies. He may be known as the pizza slinger and bridesmaid banger with a dad bod, but the man is a steaming cinnamon roll come to life. He must be protected at all costs. But is he so pure it makes him immature? That’s the question Winnie is out to answer. It broke my heart to see Winnie question his utter devotion, even as I knew she was asking the right questions for someone who’d been disappointed too often in her life. But again, the man’s l patience and love for her is so endless he never takes it personally and lets her have all the space while still catering to her every need. The Christmas notch fam is zany as ever, the side romances heating up and as swoony as the main ones, the cast queer and outrageous and as welcoming as a warm hug, and we finally get some clues to sad boi Isaac’s story, and we know I’ve been feening for that one since day one. SS and JM are a force on their own, but they’re an absolute riot together, and will have you rolling with laughter, feeling hot and bothered, swooning, and wiping tears and snot all at the same time.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Hallmark + Pregnancy Trope
I cringed every other page. I really wanted to like it, but the writing was mediocre at best and I had to take multiple breaks from second-hand embarrassment.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
4.5 stars
If you’re looking for chemistry, this book has it. Winnie and Kallum are scorching, even before anything even happens! Their first intimate scene is so filthy yet so innocent. Once you read this book you’ll see exactly what I mean. Whew! Winnie grew up the poster child for the purity movement. From the television shows she was on to the movie where she met her now ex-husband, it was all about her “pure” image. She did not just live that lifestyle on-screen. Her parents and later her husband had her living the life of a “pure” woman. She’s finally free of that life, but she’s also 32 and has no idea what to do with this freedom. She only has one friend left and the studios that used to love making movies with her want nothing to do with her. It was so inspiring to watch Winnie learn to stand up for herself in both her personal and professional life. There were times she almost gave into the pull of those toxic thoughts she was barraged with her whole life, but she just got stronger and stronger. I felt Kallum was a bit misunderstood. Sure, he’s the clown. He makes stupid mistakes when he is too old to be making those mistakes. Yet he’s got a huge heart and just wants to do right by those around him. Quite frankly, some of the mistakes he makes along the way had other people involved and I often felt his family was quite harsh with him. They are loving and supportive, but they still seem to treat him as a child. It’s no wonder he often still acts that way. There is a lot I’d love to say about this story that would end up spoiling things, so I won’t. I will say that if you think you dislike Winnie’s parents and ex from her recollections of her life, just wait until later in the book when they are on the page. Ugh! They are all terrible people. Also, there is a lot of sex-positivity in this story that I appreciate and have come to expect from this series. When Winnie made a somewhat brutal decision that I didn’t agree with, her inner dialogue had me coming around to her side and understanding her motivation. Then, Kallum’s reaction to that decision was so perfect and wonderful and showed the growth his character made when faced with love and possibly losing that love. I know I’m being vague, but again I’m trying not to spoil things. As with the other books in this series so far, don’t let the cover fool you. While there are laughs and a lot of positive aspects of this story, it also tackles many serious issues and it definitely bangs!
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Stereotyping Anyone?
Enjoyed the first in the series. But the second one unfortunately fell into the old Penthouse Letters trope of a woman with limited experience/sexual issues due to her upbringing suddenly becoming up for pretty much anything after her first organism thanks to our hero. Uh no on that. Otherwise a good read
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A spicy holiday romcom to heat up your winter!
Am I the only one that somehow missed A Merry Little Meet Cute & Snow Place Like LA by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone?! This fantastic writing team is coming in hot (and I do mean HOT!) with their next book in A Christmas Notch series, A Holly Jolly Ever After. This is the story of two young entertainers whose reputations have taken a hit. The big difference in how they’re treated, in what’s asked of them to redeem themselves? One is a man…Kallum, a former boy band member. The other a woman…Winnie, former teen actress. While Kallum works his way through bridesmaids, and opens a pizza shop, a sex tape becomes public. Winnie married her childhood sweetheart, but now finds herself divorced and shunned by her fan base. The answer for both…Hope After Dark’s upcoming holiday film, a new venture for steamy movies by a traditional tv network (think Hallmark). When Winnie is bombing the intimate scenes she reveals to Kallum sex with her ex had not included a happy ending for her…ever. Thus begins the offscreen sex tutorial portion of our story. 🥵🌶️ The first half of this story flies. I loved the chemistry between Winnie and Kallum. Murphy and Simone do an excellent job balancing the steam with the inclusion of Winnie’s disability (narcolepsy). I loved how they touched on the unrealistic and damaging nature of purity culture that continued to plague Winnie into adulthood. The second half shifts into a different feel, but it still worked well for me. I’m now excited to go back and read the first two books in the Christmas Notch series! Thank you to my friends at Avon Harper @avonbooks for the early copy via Netgalley.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Hallmark with a twist
Unlike the first book in this series, I was not as surprised (shocked) by some of the graphic sex content - which is not really graphic but touches on some things that I have never heard about and have to look up (cue the interesting search history on my devices) - compared to the first book in this series where I went in expecting something very different. Like the first book, I really truly enjoyed the story and the characters. Because there are some really interesting characters, and the development of our main POV characters was well done. You get a feel for who they are right from the start, and also what their hangups are that the will have to overcome to mature and develop as people. I was rooting for Kallum from the outset even though he did have a bit of a little boy maturity thing going on. It seemed a shame that he didn't see himself in a positive way despite everything that he had done and the fact that the people around him truly adore him. Winnie was also a wonderful person, but I did find I took longer to warm up to her. Probably because I felt like she was using Kallum at the beginning. Sure, he was enjoying himself, but .... The story moves well. The characters are well done. All in all well written too. And the love story did not feel too contrived, although no surprises for me. We get some more of the other minor folks from Bee and Nolan's story and a hint of what may be covered in book 3. My one complaint is that I feel like Kallum could have made his pizza parlour success happen within the whole (no spoilers!) Winnie relationship, and that he was the one who made a lot more sacrifices in the end to make their relationship work. If you liked the first book in the series, then you'll definitely enjoy this one. I liked it a tad better than book 1. If this is the first one in the series you're reading, while it can be a stand alone, be prepared for some of the character connections and the Teddy-Steph plot to be a bit confusing. Sidebar: This is VERY different from Murphy's other books. It is very much MA. Second sidebar: I really kind of want Hallmark to take a page from these books and step into a mature romance like these books have with the movies within the books. That would be kind of fun.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Passionate Romance
She’s a former child star fallen from grace. He’s a former boy band member who now owns a small chain of pizzerias. They both sign on to be the leads in a soft core Christmas film. She’s so awkward with it, that he agrees to be her tutor. This is a hot romance story about learning to trust and being a dependable and responsible adult. The characters are very likable. They’ve got their problems, but lots of redeeming qualities too. You can’t help, but root for them to work things out. And, let’s just say that things get very steamy between them. Christmas is a minor character in this story. It’s really just a backdrop, so don’t look for it to play a big role in the plot. I’d call it an adult coming-of-age love story. Definitely for those who like their romance novels on the more passionate side. 4 stars
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Loved It! HEA, Pizza, Christmas, and Smut!
I absolutely adored this book. Everybody who likes a little bit of contemporary and happily ever after is going to love this book. It’s a little bit cute. It’s a lot bit raunchy. I laughed. I had some tears. It was just the perfect break into holiday fun. Two people who need a break back into the biz make a soft core Santa 🎅 🤶 movie with help from adult entertainment stars, a town that is literally Xmas all year, and pizza? Yup it has it all! These two main characters were so well written and I can’t wait to go back and read the first book of the series written by these two authors and continue on the Christmas Notch debauchery that is this ongoing series! Highly recommend. Thank you NetGallery, Candi Kane PR, Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy, and Avon and Harper Voyager Publisher so I can sing its praises all holiday season!
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com