A plus size adult film star + an ex boyband “bad boy” trying to relaunch his career and improve his reputation + filming a Christmas “Hallmark” film = A Merry Little Meet Cute
This was such a fun read; sweet and sexy in equal measure. There are a few different dynamics at play here that it almost feels like it shouldn’t work but it does. It’s progressive and sex positive but it honestly just feels like a reflection of real life.
I loved Bee and Nolan separately, working towards their goals, overcoming pressures and adversity while trying to stay true to themselves. Together they were sensational; their chemistry was palpable and the way they cared for each other was lovely.

3.5 rounded up
Thanks for my earc of this.
This was a fun and easy read with lots of sex positivity, body positivity and themes of fresh starts, setting the record straight and family love.
The romance itself was predictable and cute, if a little cheesy and Insta-lovey at times.
I loved the secondary characters and families of the main characters also.

This was really refreshing to read, the concept was unique and well developed, the writing was easy and it was difficult to put the book down with how lively and real the characters were. I really admired the inclusivity of the book, and the constant positivity regarding body image and autonomy. The christmas vibes were immaculate, and the general humour was really well done.

I definitely didn't expect this level of spice when I picked this up, but Julie Murphy has definitely levelled up from YA! Of course with Sierra Simone, I should not have been surprised.
This is a surprisingly cute and sweet romance even with the level of spice, and oddly enough the second book I've read this year with a scene as such in a church!

I was constantly smiling, adoring the banter between the cast of characters. The porn crew joining a thinly veiled Hallmark film was the perfect setting for hijinks. I adored the romance between the two main characters, and the fully sex-positive message of the book.

This is such an adorable book version of a spicy hallmark christmas movie and I really enjoyed it.

A plus sized pornstar and a bad boy ex boy band member trying to get away with an innocent wholesome image and trying to fight their attraction to each other makes for a nice romance with good tension.

I loved the body positivity in this book as well as the positivity surrounding sex workers it was done really well.

Tropes include -

Christmas romance
Dual point of view
LGBTQ representation
Plus size fmc
Steam and spice
Forced proximity

It did feel a little drawn out in some areas. It's quite a long book for what actually transpires within, I would have liked just a little more tension but other than that it was great and I did love the situations they found themselves in.

I'm really hoping there are going to be sequels for the other band members because I feel like I really need this.

I totally fell in love with this book! It was so refreshing to read a book where pretty much every single character are so sex-positive and it really made me think about how I view things in society. The two leads are brilliant and have great chemistry.

If hallmark featured any kind of diversity in it's movies, they might go a little something like this book. It's cheesy in a wholesome kind of way and it shows people who actually exist (fat people, queer people, etc) What's not to like here?

This was such a cute book!! It felt like a very steamy Hallmark movie. I loved the dynamics between the main character and the love interest, and I really loved that the main character is a plus-sized adult actress. Plot-wise, it wasn't anything special and the relationship was definitely the highlight of the book for me. The sex scenes were also nice — they didn't come off as cringey at all, which is a pet peeve of mine. Overall, this was a good, solid book and if you're looking for a quick romance, I definitely recommend you pick this one up!

I absolutely throughly enjoyed this book, it is so well written and Christmas Notch just sounds like the perfect town to spend Christmas in. I’m all for the snow, ice skating and romance when it comes to christmas movies and books and this book not only gives you that but throws in some extra spice too.

I loved the two main characters Bee and Nolan, they were so well written and I enjoyed seeing their forbidden romance blossom whilst they were on set filming the Duke of Halls christmas movie.

Nolan is an ex-boyband star that began his music career in a reality show, he comes across in the media as a bad boy and has a very tarnished rep with the ladies. However things haven’t turned out so well for Nolan, the money for the band is all gone, he is working at a local community theatre to help pay the bills to support his mum who has a mental illness and also his sister who lives at home with him.

Bee is a well known porn actress who was considered “too fat” to be a proper actress which was her original dream, so she decided to to take her skills and made herself a full time career within the adult film industry. When she is offered the role to play the leading lady in a Christmas movie she has her doubts about being able to conceal her true identity but she is excited to be co-starring with Nolan who she has had a crush on since her teenage years.

Nolan is one of Bee’s biggest super fans and when they first meet on set he immediately recognises her but doesn’t let on to her that he knows her true identity.

This book is deliciously funny and the extra added spice really makes this an alternative christmas read. I couldn’t wait to finish it and I loved how the story pans out in the end, a true happily ever after romance.

If you are a fan of christmas themed books with added spice then this book is for you. However if explicit sexual scenes aren’t for you then I would definitely give this one a miss.

I would like to say a big thank you to Harpercollins UK and Harper Collins fiction and Netgalleyuk for free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A hilarious Christmas read, with characters that are charming, sexy, and interesting. I couldn’t put this book down, despite reading it in August!

This book is the perfect adult Christmas read which champions inclusivity and diversity in just about every area of life. The queer representation in this book was done wonderfully, and the body positivity was a refreshing change from the hundreds of romance novels that centre on a conventionally attractive straight couple.

This book manages to be a light-hearted, humorous Christmas read, while simultaneously addressing some serious issues in our society, from fatphobia to slut shaming. Bee is immediately likeable, and I love the representation of a sex worker who is in her line of work for no other reasons than enjoying the industry. I found it incredibly interesting that the main male character, Noah, was portrayed as the one who was putting his attractive face and body (back) on display because he had to, while Bee is doing so just because she wants to.

The romance in this book was so well written. Despite both characters being immediately attracted to each other, and the duration of the book spanning only 2 weeks, Bee and Noah’s relationship didn’t feel rushed. I loved that they both had prior interest in each other on a surface level, being physically attracted to the other, which was shown beautifully to become a deeper and more meaningful interest in each other as people. Their humour felt natural together, and they had me laughing alongside them.

The side characters in this book were well rounded and multi-dimensional, and I found myself heavily invested in their stories and relationships. Teddy in particular was a favourite of mine, as I loved his brand of clueless nature and sweet paternal motivation behind his career decisions. My only qualm is that I would have loved to have got more background on Isaac and Bethany, as I constantly found myself wanting more information whenever these characters were mentioned; could make an excellent spin-off novel.

A little additional thing I loved about this book was the illustrative locations at the start of the chapters, and the map of Christmas Notch provided at the start of the novel. Such a lovely touch!

Thank you to Avon/Harper Collins and NetGalley for this ARC.

"Porn is a business where women should hold all the power..."
*
Bee Hobbes has a built up a very successful career as adult entertainer, Bianca Von Honey. But when her producer asks her to fill in as the lead in a mainstream Christmas movie for the family friendly Hope Channel, she needs to keep her alter ego under wraps and act like a nun. But that's easier said than done when she lands in Christmas Notch to find her co-star is none other than her childhood crush and ex-boyband bad boy Nolan Show. Not only that but he recognises her straight away - it just so happens he's her number one fan! But he's promised his manager that he'd play nice. Will they be able to resist eachother to save their careers? Can secrets stay hidden for long in the public eye? And what really is the meaning of Christmas, eh Pearl?
*
"You can tell me anything right now, but don’t tell me to stop..."
*
This was the perfect mix of Hallmark chessiness and sexiness mashed together for the perfect Christmas romance read! I loved Bee! What a woman! Successful, sexy and hilarious - an icon! It's no wonder everyone who meets her loves her, either as Bee or Bianca. I liked Nolan, I did, especially when he let himself get carried away. I didn't overly love him and I think it's because it took him a while to catch on, but I forgive him. The side characters in this book are perfection!! Sunny, Luca, Angel, Teddy, Steoh Gretchen, Pearl and Bee's Moms. The easy comedy between them all kept me laughing throughout! Especially the innuendos! I love the insights into the porn industry, especially about women's body size, treatment from producers and what it can be like on set. I think a part of me wanted to see Nolan join Bianca's Closed Doors account in the epilogue similar to what Logan and Devi had in Sierra's other book, Porn Star, written with Laurelin Paige. Overall, this book is perfect for Christmas lovers who enjoy some festive spice.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.
*
"Salt of the earth. Strippers are. Salt. Of. The. Earth..."

Well, well, well. This book is spicy. It has all the elements that you come to love and expect from a great Christmas book, with a sexy, hot and spicy chemistry and moments running throughout.

Rating: 5/5 stars ⭐️
🌶🌶

If you love your cheesy hallmark movies mixed with more spice than a tasty Christmas cake, then A Merry Little Meet Cute needs to go on your Christmas wish list this year.

The story follows Bee and Nolan. It's dual perspective (lets be honest, the best way to write a romance. This girl wants to know what's going on in the mans head too!).

Meet Bee, a successful, plus size (no room for interpretation here, our girl is plus size), sex worker. Performing not only for a production company, but also working for herself on "ClosedDoors", think OnlyFans. She's beautiful and hilarious and she's passionate about her work. But she wants to do more; having loved theatre as a child, she wants to expand her horizons and branch out into tv and film. Only problem is, how many producers want to work with a sex worker? It's a good job the producer she works under for her adult content, Teddy, is also a producer for the cutesy Hope Channel and is in dire need of a new female lead for a Christmas movie. Here's her opportunity, but can she keep her online identity a secret? Discovery could land both herself and Teddy in hot water.

Then we have Nolan, ex-boyband member and pure problem child. Having been caught several years prior, with a America's sweetheart figure skater and two naked Dutch speed skaters, in a bedroom littered with condoms and booze, he's setting out to rebuild his reputation. With the money from his boyband days all dried up and work at the local theatre not cutting it, he lands a job as the lead male role of Hope Channel's new Christmas movie. He desperately needs this to work out, his Mom's medical expenses are racking up, so he needs to be on his best behaviour. No sex, certainly no orgys. everything needs to stay squeaky clean. Until he meets his new co-star and recognises her instantly. Bianca Von Honey. Bee. Nolan is a big fan of her ClosedDoors account and has fantasised about her for years. The challenge to keep his hands to himself just got a whole lot more challenging.

The representation in this book was simply fantastic. LGBTQ+, mental health awareness, plus size and normalising sex work. Bee has two amazing, supportive Moms who I just loved, they have a shrine dedicated to her work in their home (they don't watch, of course. but they show their support). Could it get any cuter? Both Bee and Nolan are bisexual, we also have multiple other queer characters.
The plus size reputation was fantastic. Having previously found that authors like to tiptoe around the matter of plus size with words such as "curvy" and "voluptuous", this book left nothing to interpretation. Bee is very much plus size. We read about the fatphobia she has faced within her profession and how she overcame the obstacle and built her audience. Nolan, being one of her biggest fans after all, practically puts her on a pedestal and worships every last inch of her. It was refreshing. I adored how supportive he was of her career (sex work too) and took no issue, as long as she was happy. It was simply fantastic to read and such a step forward in normalising sex work.

I loved this story so much. It was everything I expected and more. I am familiar with Simone's work so I knew to expect some fantastic spice and that's definitely what was served. Murphy is a new author to me but now I feel compelled to pick up more of her work. But honestly, the combination of these two authors was fantastic and I sincerely hope we get more juicy romcoms in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. A pure joy to read!

A merry little five-star read. This has all of the sugar and spice you want in a Christmas story; it did lack some of the more delicate details about the contents of a couple of suitcases, but there was enough heat to make you come over all warm and fuzzy like laying in front of a log fire with Christmas music playing in the background. Bee was so much fun, and I simply adored Sunny and Teddy, he was such a kook. This was such a well written story, and it had so much depth to it, you could understand why Bee and Nolan felt the need to get this done, and I liked how Nolan’s mum has Bi-Polar, but its not overly dramatic, and its just life. A great story from these two and I am so excited to hear more from them both. Especially more people like Bee, as not everyone writes big women so beautifully, they try but it never feels real, the insecurities are always things people expect you feel and not what you actually feel, it made Bee so much more than the character she portrayed.

The story has everything you need for a cosy romantic classic with a hell of a lot of spice! It has main characters to fall in love with and root for until the end, a multitude of diverse side characters that are genuinely there to drive the plot (and fall in love with), not just to hit inclusion numbers.

I for one would definitely watch the movie they’re filming too.

You can definitely feel each authors unique writing style come through, from the sweet and sharp points to the hot and heavy scenes.

If you’re looking for a cosy PG Christmas book, this might not be the one for you! But if you’re looking for a fantastic romance full of loveable characters with fantastic representation and storytelling (plus a lot of spice) then this is for you.

Thank you so much NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

4.75 Stars

Bee + Nolan

Bee is happily living her life in Los Angeles as a professional plus size porn star.
And former boy band bad boy Nolan is not-so-happily working a local theater job to keep his sister fed and to afford the expensive medication for their mom. And now here's his chance to star in a Christmas movie, make some good money and to finally stop being in the tabloids with whatever idiot thing he did last!
Bee always wanted to be a real actress but Hollywood doesn't like big girls. Not even highschools liked her for important parts. But now the original star of the movie got hurt and Bee gets the job - because her friend and porn producer boss is also producing this wholesome Christmas Romance. LOL!
Nobody can know anything about any porn related things on set!
Only problem is... Nolan is porn-Bee's biggest fan!

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN...

══════════════════

I love a good Christmas Romance - be it in book or movie form.
August 3rd is a tiny bit early in the season to start to read one, but pfft - who cares!
I really enjoyed this book and I can already see it on Netflix!
The Christmas town and the snowy weather and the whole atmosphere. And all the porn people behind the scenes - hilarious!
Poor Nolan is half in love with Bee already - has been ever since he discovered her porn channel years ago. And Bee has been in love with Nolan since she saw him on that casting show as a teenager!
Those two would be perfect for each other - but of course it takes us a while to get to that happy end - especially because it is strictly verboten to get any kinds of happy endings of the sexual variety with anyone in town - says the movie contract! LOL!
This was such a cute - I was about to say movie! - see - it's already a movie in my head. I really loved reading this. It's so sweet and adorable and funny and sexy and christmassy and crazy and a bit sad and heartbreaking!
And all the co-stars! There are so many more stories in this world! I can't wait!

Side note - just to let you know what an amazingly smart reading person I am - I understood the meaning of the name of Nolan's former band at the 94% mark in the book. ROFL!!!

There were some tiny things that might/should be edited before the book releases. I had some problems with some timelines. Ages. Events. As in they're not really mentioned. It's all a bit complicated to follow - but if you just don't think about such things while reading you won't care/notice at all.

What else can I say?
► From the amazingly beautiful cover to the last word: PERFECT CHRISTMAS ROMANCE!

I’ve enjoyed these authors before and this story has added to that. This romance is very very open door. I Loved the map at the beginning. This is a great spicy romance perfect for the holiday period.

A fun, sexy and festive book... What's not to love!
Bee Hobbes only has 3 rules to follow when she accepts the lead in a squeaky-clean romantic Christmas movie.
But when things heat up with he co-star Nolan, they have to keep things hidden.
A sneaky affair and a bunch of secrets to keep wrapped up can only stay wrapped for so long.
Definitely worth the read, and I can't wait to read more by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone

Thankyou Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC

Full review to follow both here and on the blog. I love fiction that centers around the entertainment industry and I am so excited to dive into this one. I can’t wait to see what secrets Bee and Nolan are hiding.

The audacity of this magical author duo to sneak in and steal Christmas in the sexiest way possible . . . the charming holiday romp you absolutely need in your life!’ TESSA BAILEY

‘The holiday romcom of my dreams! Sexy, progressive, hilarious, and full of good cheer’ HELEN HOANG

When Bee Hobbes takes the lead in a squeaky-clean romantic Christmas movie, there are only three rules:

1. Don’t get involved with anyone on set.
2. Don’t tell anyone what you do for a living.
3. Definitely don’t get involved with anyone on set.
3b. Seriously.

Now, she’s filming in Christmas Notch, a small town with Christmas trees and festive tunes all year round.

But Bee’s got a secret identity to hide, and it’s not family-friendly. And her co-star, Nolan Shaw, an ex-boyband member infamous for his own x-rated antics, not only knows it, but is secretly her biggest fan.

When things start to heat up on set, Bee and Nolan must keep this steamy affair under wraps, or risk ruining everything . . .