e-Audio, 11:05:54
Narrated by: Joy Nash & Sebastian Yotk
Release Date: September 20, 2022
Published by: HarperAudio
Read from: September 20-22, 2022
Series?
Source: Netgalley (I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
TW: Fatphobia, Slut Shaming, Sex Work Shaming
For Readers Interested In: Contemporary Romance, Realistic Fiction, Holidaze, AdultCowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy and USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone—a steamy plus-size holiday rom-com about an adult film star who is semi-accidentally cast as a lead in a family-friendly Christmas movie, and the former bad-boy pop star she falls in love with.
Bee Hobbes (aka Bianca Von Honey) has a successful career as a plus-size adult film star. With a huge following and two supportive moms, Bee couldn’t ask for more. But when Bee’s favorite producer casts her to star in a Christmas movie he’s making for the squeaky-clean Hope Channel, Bee’s career is about to take a more family-friendly direction.
Forced to keep her work as Bianca under wraps, Bee quickly learns this is a task a lot easier said than done. Though it all becomes worthwhile when she discovers her co-star is none other than childhood crush Nolan Shaw, an ex-boy band member in desperate need of career rehab. Nolan’s promised his bulldog manager to keep it zipped up on set, and he will if it means he’ll be able to provide a more stable living situation for his sister and mom.
But things heat up quickly in Christmas Notch, Vermont, when Nolan recognizes his new co-star from her ClosedDoors account (oh yeah, he’s a member). Now Bee and Nolan are sneaking off for quickies on set, keeping their new relationship a secret from the Hope Channel’s execs. Things only get trickier when the reporter who torpedoed Nolan’s singing career comes snooping around—and takes an instant interest in mysterious newcomer Bee.
And if Bee and Nolan can’t keep their off-camera romance behind the scenes, then this merry little meet cute might end up on the cutting room floor.
*MY THOUGHTS*
Is it almost October? Yes. Am I always talking about the awesome paranormal/horror books I want to read during this season? Also yes. So why the hell am I here to talk about a holiday romance? Because it was written by THE Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone lol There’s really no other reason I needed.
Ok so first of all, I thought this entire premise was batshit crazy, but it was THE BEST! A p0rn star finds a fan (who is also famous in his own way) in the middle of nowhere while they’re both trying to clean up their images lol I don’t know how they got started on this plot, but damn it, THANK YOU. I don’t think I ever thought I’d read something like this, but y’all, it was so good! So different than anything else I’ve ever read and I loved that. It gets tiring reading the same thing all the time. And because this one is so different, it put me in a reading slump. I’ve been trying to find something to read ever since and NOTHING is sticking. Looks like I need a re-read lol
The characters were just ughhhhh so cute!!!! I loved them both. ESPECIALLY Nolan. I don’t know I have a THING for love interests who have been pining for the MCs since the beginning. And Nolan was pining from BEFORE Day 1 and she didn’t even know it. I LOVED seeing the moment he realized who she was too. LOL Man Bee had this man going through it. I felt bad for him being bombarded like that, but it turned out so good! And then finding out that they both were pining after the other just made it even better. It just makes it so much cuter!
Nolan did have some growing up to do tho. And I’m talking right up until the end. I was really upset at him for a minute. He was the sweetest, but the way he was at the end made me question if I had made that up. I couldn’t believe he had just done that like that. But he was really sweet and I can’t say enough that I loved that he wasn’t worried about the fact that she was stick thin. That one scene where he tells her he wants to feel all of her?! I think I read that like 3 times. As a fellow fat girl, I definitely felt some type of way about that. Because I have been there before. I really hope there’s more to this series and we see more of Nolan and Bee together!
I also love a good holiday romance. And this one was so kitchy and so cute. It really was everything I could ask for. The entire town was named off of something to do with Christmas. Even the things in the hotel room were Christmasy. Even the coffee was Christmasy. The cold and the ice skating and all that made a great backdrop for the book. It was super cute!
The weather where this book was set was cold, but man, the romance in this was HOT. This is another holidaze book that has a cutesy cover, but the inside is not cutesy at all. In fact, if that’s what you’re expecting from just the cover, don’t read this lol Not only will you get some real good scenes between the two of them, but they are also not afraid to do individual activities either……….. Basically this book made me use it as a fan in some places. It was a lot spicier than I was expecting. But I effing loved it.
The narrators were also really amazing. I didn’t realize that I had listened to these two narrators before. Which meant they weren’t like something I would go and run and talk about, but I did enjoy listening to them. And I know it’s basic, but I loved that they made it into a dual narrated book. It’s not exactly a full cast production, but it’s the next best thing and it was so good.
I love Julie Murphy, so I knew this was going to be good. I can’t wait to see if there is more where this came from. They need to write all the books together. Because not only did I want to reread this book, but I also immediately added Sierra Simone books to my TBR as well. So please, someone give me another book as good as this one because this one has me in a chokehold lol
Overall, I give this
