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A review by natashaleighton_
A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
A Merry Little Meet Cute is an utterly charming and decidedly steamy holiday rom-com that I found refreshingly funny & thoroughly entertaining! With nuanced characters and an emphasis double standards, sex and body positivity—set against the backdrop of a squeaky clean, Hallmark-esque Holiday movie, Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy have crafted a heartwarming, inclusive and sizzlingly spectacular rom-com that steamy romance fans are bound to enjoy!
It’s set in Christmas Notch, a holiday themed town in Vermont where the Hope Channel are filming their newest (family friendly) Holiday romance, Duke The Halls. But thanks to festival mishap which takes out half the cast and crew, the female lead is replaced with adult film star Bee Hobbs (aka Bianca Von Honey), who has dreamed of the change to work in mainstream media. This is her big chance—so long as her identity remains a secret.
Now she gets to work alongside her teen crush, ex-boy band member and reformed bad boy, Nolan Shaw. But her new co-star is already aware of her x-rated alter ego, as he’s secretly one of her biggest fans.
When things start to heat up on set Bee and Nolan must keep their steamy affair a under wraps or risk ruining everything…
This was such an entertaining, heartwarming and swelteringly spicy read that I really enjoyed. The characters were all really we written, I really enjoyed exploring the POVs of both MCs and loved that Simone and Murphy subvert the outdated standards of beauty and the misogynistic scrutiny that female celebrities must endure in comparison to their male co-workers.
I really loved Bee who was so incredibly confident, unashamed of her body or her profession and knows her self worth. She’s sure to be a role model in self confidence for many, including myself. And her character’s championing of body and sex positivity was something I’d love to see more of in fiction. I also liked the humanisation of sex workers—especially in seeing Bee’s adult film career treated just as much respect mainstream to and film actors. The sensitive way mental health is explored was also really good, particularly the way Nolan’s mother, who has bipolar disorder is portrayed.
The chemistry between Bee and Nolan was snow meltingly spectacular though the romance is explicitly open door so if that’s not your thing you might want to give this a miss.
The supporting cast equally as endearing and I would love to see more of Angel, Luca and Sunny in future. The LGBTQ+ rep was great particularly the Bi representation, with both Nolan and Bee self identifying as Bisexual.
Overall, a fun and sizzlingly good read that steamy romance fans and holiday rom-com lovers should definitely check out.
Also, thanks to HarperFiction and Netgalley for the e-arc.
It’s set in Christmas Notch, a holiday themed town in Vermont where the Hope Channel are filming their newest (family friendly) Holiday romance, Duke The Halls. But thanks to festival mishap which takes out half the cast and crew, the female lead is replaced with adult film star Bee Hobbs (aka Bianca Von Honey), who has dreamed of the change to work in mainstream media. This is her big chance—so long as her identity remains a secret.
Now she gets to work alongside her teen crush, ex-boy band member and reformed bad boy, Nolan Shaw. But her new co-star is already aware of her x-rated alter ego, as he’s secretly one of her biggest fans.
When things start to heat up on set Bee and Nolan must keep their steamy affair a under wraps or risk ruining everything…
This was such an entertaining, heartwarming and swelteringly spicy read that I really enjoyed. The characters were all really we written, I really enjoyed exploring the POVs of both MCs and loved that Simone and Murphy subvert the outdated standards of beauty and the misogynistic scrutiny that female celebrities must endure in comparison to their male co-workers.
I really loved Bee who was so incredibly confident, unashamed of her body or her profession and knows her self worth. She’s sure to be a role model in self confidence for many, including myself. And her character’s championing of body and sex positivity was something I’d love to see more of in fiction. I also liked the humanisation of sex workers—especially in seeing Bee’s adult film career treated just as much respect mainstream to and film actors. The sensitive way mental health is explored was also really good, particularly the way Nolan’s mother, who has bipolar disorder is portrayed.
The chemistry between Bee and Nolan was snow meltingly spectacular though the romance is explicitly open door so if that’s not your thing you might want to give this a miss.
The supporting cast equally as endearing and I would love to see more of Angel, Luca and Sunny in future. The LGBTQ+ rep was great particularly the Bi representation, with both Nolan and Bee self identifying as Bisexual.
Overall, a fun and sizzlingly good read that steamy romance fans and holiday rom-com lovers should definitely check out.
Also, thanks to HarperFiction and Netgalley for the e-arc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Mental illness, Bullying, and Biphobia