A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy set in the small Vermont town of Christmas Notch. But don’t get it twisted, this is not your typical holiday rom-com on the Hallmark Channel. It has porn stars and brooding, grieving pop singers. It has references to threesomes and a strip club called the North Pole. It is filled with the spirit of Christmas, but a raw, real version with toe-curling spice.
Issac Kelly used to be a pop star, well known for his role in INK, a world-famous boyband. But when his wife Brookyln died, he retreated from the world to a historic mansion in Christmas Notch. He’s happy to live the rest of his life wallowing as a recluse, but according to his contract, he still owes the studio one more album. The problem is, without his muse, he can’t write a single song.
Rudderless since the death of her parents, Sunny Palmer has done a little bit of everything. She’s been a porn star, a makeup artist, and now she’s sold a screenplay to the Hope Channel for a Christmas movie. But now that she actually has to write the script, she doesn’t know where to start, so she goes to Christmas Notch looking for inspiration.
At their best friend’s wedding, Isaac and Sunny fall together for a one-night-stand to quell some of their loneliness, a repeat of a night they shared two years before with Sunny’s arch nemesis, Jack. When Isaac wakes up in Sunny’s awful hotel room, he invites her to come stay with him instead. She can help him find his muse again, and he will help her track down the local legend that Sunny is using to inspire her screenplay.
What starts as a simple, mutually beneficial roommate relationship spirals into something much more complicated as they reckon with their grief and growing chemistry.
I like a bit of Christmas smut but generally keep it to one Christmas romance a year because there’s only so much Christmas cheer I can take. I’m not exactly a Hallmark holiday kind of girl, but that makes this book the perfect choice. It has just enough spice to cut through the sweetness and makes for a well-rounded reading experience.
I was super confused by the prologue, which I quickly discovered was due to the fact that there are two prior books in this series that I hadn’t read, but beyond the prologue, the story is a complete standalone and can be read out of order with the rest of the series.
A Jingle Bell Mingle is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, with steamy scenes that will make you blush and an emotional plot that will tug on even the frostiest of heartstrings. It is perfectly on brand for Sierra Simone, who somehow always manages to strike that perfect balance whether it’s in a Christmas rom-com or a sex club mired in political intrigue. The local legend that Sunny is investigating adds such a wonderful layer to the romantic comedy framework, with a tragic love story that breaks tradition and ends with a reclaiming of love. It is a sheer delight to read.
The chemistry between Isaac and Sunny felt so genuine and built on real character development. They are perfect opposites, and their relationship masterfully shows bisexual representation in an outwardly facing hetero relationship.
This book does have a third-act breakup, but it’s a third-act breakup that actually made perfect sense and felt natural for the characters and their experiences. These two have to fight for their relationship and for themselves, and it very much works for this story.
A Jingle Bell Mingle is a comforting, cozy romance but one that doesn’t shy away from the heavier aspects of life, love, and loss. It hit me in all the feels. My heart broke for Issac and Sunny which made their happily ever after all the better. Anyone looking for a festive read will love Christmas Notch.
Writing: 5
Spice: 4
Kindle: $12.99
Hardback: $17.48.
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