When I read A Merry Little Meet Cute in 2022, I was thoroughly delighted by this hilarious, spicy, holiday romp. I was eager to get my hands on the novella, Snow Place Like LA, and book two in the series, A Holly Jolly Ever After as soon as possible. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait on either, thanks to Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy. They are great people, and not just because they gave me a copy of their work early, however, that does help the ratings in their favor. 😉

A Holly Jolly Ever After [buy Bookshop Amazon LibroFM] gives us another ex-boybander to dream about. Kallum was in INK with Nolan from A Merry Little Meet Cute [buy Bookshop Amazon LibroFM], and he’s basically been screwing his way through every wedding in Kansas City since his sex tape leaked. But that buzz turned into a role in the Hope Channel’s new “After Dark” Christmas movie venture.

He’s cast opposite Winnie Baker, who’s been going through a rough patch. Not only does Winnie hold a grudge against Kallum for some issues in the past, she’s getting a divorce and shamed for it from the people who used to cheer for her squeaky clean reputation… including her parents, who think she should forgive her ex’s cheating, quit the movie, and return home. Fat chance. In shooting the movie “Santa, Baby”, she realizes she can’t act a good sex scene because she’s never experienced it. So naturally, she turns to Kallum for help figuring it all out.

Let’s just say peppermint is the new gingerbread. IYKYK.

I love how theses two write together. It’s defnitely spicy (and with Julie doing her own scenes this time, there is more than book one). This one will get you in a way you might not expect. It’s funny, but not as over the top as the first book. It’s got some great depth to it, especially for the girlies who were raised in purity culture.

However, there is one thing I’m not so fond of. It’s something many readers aren’t super stoked about. Without spoiling things, part two of this book turns to an extremely unpopular trope. It’s one of my least favorite. While I see why they used that trope, it still made me groan when it first came up. They handled it well, but it still takes a smidge of joy away from reading it. I’ve had people who saw I read it DM me to ask if that trope was really there, and they get so sad after I confirm it.

Overall, I loved A Holly Jolly Ever After and cannot wait for the next novella and the final book of the triolgy.

Note: I can receive compensation for qualifying purchases through links on this site at no additional cost to you.