You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
texashippie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Fatphobia, Sexism, and Sexual content
sydapel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Fatphobia, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
fanboyriot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
āYou can take the girl out of the sex work, but you canāt take the sex work out of the girl.ā - (Chapter 18, Page 249)
Graphic: Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Chronic illness, Death, Homophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
cozycritiques's review against another edition
5.0
- A Merry Little Meet Cute
Thank you, NetGalley and Avon, for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tropes: Holiday Romance, Celebrities (Porn Star, Actors, Former Musician), Forced Proximity, Secret Identity, Hidden Relationship, Image Rehab, Small Town, Childhood Crush
Representation: Plus Size, LGBTQ+ (Bisexual)
Spice Scale: š¶š¶š¶š¶
CW: Mental Illness (Bipolar Disorder), Fatphobia, Body Shaming, Sexism, Medical Content
I requested this ARC because I loved Julie Murphyās If the Shoe Fits last year. Iāve never read anything by Sierra Simone before, but I know from BookTok that her writing is āØspicyāØ so I had to see how their two styles worked together. It did not disappoint.
I absolutely loved the Christmas town setting and holiday references. You would think a holiday-themed strip club or gingerbread line would be a little over the top, but it worked so well. I also loved how positive this book was about body and sex. Bee was completely comfortable with her size and career choice. Her size was just one aspect of who she was, not her entire person, and although she kept her job secret for the majority of the book, she never felt shame for working in adult film. More importantly, her love interest never made her feel shame for either of these things either, which was a major green flag.
Bee and Nolanās relationship was the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. The fact that they were both each otherās celebrity crushes was adorable, and their chemistry and banter were off the charts. Also, they were both bisexual disasters, which I am a total sucker for.
If youāre looking for something that captures the spirit of a Hallmark Christmas movie but is smutty as hell, A Merry Little Meet Cute is a must-read. Simone and Murphyās writing flowed so seamlessly that I honestly couldnāt tell it was written by two people. I loved the world they created and canāt wait for more in this series.
Graphic: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Mental illness and Medical content
kloughlin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Biphobia, Fatphobia, Sexism, and Death of parent
flyingryndeer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Fatphobia, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Vomit
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Outing, and Sexual harassment
mels_reading_log's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Drug use
littleflowerfairy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Fatphobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Biphobia, Mental illness, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Vomit, Grief, and Death of parent
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
ā½ A Merry Little Meet Cute is a fun, steamy Christmas Romance! I loved the premise of a Hallmark-type Christmas movie being secretly produced by the owner of a porn studio who accidentally casts one of his clients in the lead role! The potential for chaos was there from the beginning, especially as part of the cast and crew gets in an accident and has to be replaced with his own people who have never worked in a traditional movie before. The setting of Christmas Notch was also nice, it's a festive small town that is often the set for Christmas movies and consists of appropriately themed stores and streets! š The writing was witty and fun, so I had a good time reading this!
ā½ Bee is an adult film star under the name of Bianca Von Honey, but now she wants to branch out! She's proud of her work and ClosedDoors Account (something like OnlyFans), but dreams of acting in a mainstream movie. Her producer Teddy gives her the chance to do so, but no one can know that she does porn, as the Hope Channel is known for its squeaky-clean image. I really liked Bee as I felt her passion for expanding into acting, but also her sex positivity and pride for her job. As a plus-size performer, she knows the fatphobia of the industry too well, especially coupled with the misogyny that's also present.
ā½ Nolan is a former boy band idol ... but now he's broke! He has a reputation as the bad boy, but he's trying to clean up his image. Despite his rough edges, I liked the love he has for his family and how he's doing his best to use the Christmas movie in order to be able to support them better. It was nice to see the close bond with his family and how he tried to be there for his little sister Maddie and his mother, who is struggling with bipolar disorder. He loves Bee, but knows that dating a porn star could very well be the end of the revival of his career!
ā½ I really liked the romance, Bee and Nolan had some great chemistry! I liked that it wasn't only Nolan who was a secret fan, but also Bee who used to moon over him when he was in the boy band. The fact that they were both hiding a parasocial crush that turned into real attraction made their dynamic feel more even! I personally liked the balance between their more steamy scenes and also them getting to know each other. There was some slight miscommunication at times, but having a dual POV really helped it not get too frustrating!
ā½ The book felt slightly too long though! With over 400 pages it's on the longer side for a Romance and at times the pace slowed down, so shortening the book slightly would have helped. It was also a bit disappointing that there was so much talk about Bianca's toys and the lube she specifically brought in her suitcase ... yet it never gets used in any of the sex scenes.
Graphic: Body shaming, Mental illness, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Medical content and Grief