A Merry Little Meet Cute (Christmas Notch #1)

by Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Every story has two sides. So why not two authors? Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone bring a lil’ sweet and a lil’ spicy to your holidays this year.

Cowritten 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.

“The charming holiday romp you absolutely need in your life!” —Tessa Bailey

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063266209
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/20/2022
Series:	Christmas Notch Series , #1
Edition description:	Large Print
Pages:	512
Sales rank:	637,599
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.70(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Julie Murphy splits her time between North Texas and Kansas with her husband, who loves her, and her cats, who tolerate her. When Julie isn't writing, she can be found watching movies so bad they're good, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, or planning her next great travel adventure. She is the author of the middle grade novels Dear Sweet Pea and Camp Sylvania as well as the young adult novels Ramona Blue, Side Effects May Vary, the Faith series, Pumpkin, Puddin', and Dumplin' (now a Netflix original film).

Sierra Simone is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and former library employee (who spent too much time reading romance novels at the information desk). Her notable works include Priest, American Queen, and Salt Kiss. She lives with her husband, teens, and two giant dogs in the Kansas City area.

Editorial Reviews

"The audacity of this magical author duo to sneak in and steal Christmas in the sexiest way possible. A Merry Little Meet Cute is the charming holiday romp you absolutely need in your life!" — #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey

“The holiday romcom of my dreams! Sexy, progressive, hilarious, and full of good cheer. I know what I’m gifting to all my romance-loving friends this year.”

— New York Times bestselling author Helen Hoang

“A holiday rom-com full of quirky and fun characters, witty dialogue, and over-the-top Christmas cheer. An engaging, unputdownable holiday romance that will resonate with readers.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“With plenty of cheeky charm and a cast of superbly nuanced characters, this brilliantly executed rom-com both cleverly skewers and unabashedly celebrates the appeal of squeaky-clean holiday romances, while also championing body positivity in life and love." — Booklist (starred review)

“Murphy and Simone’s holiday romance is laugh-out-loud funny and so deliciously hot that readers will be glad it’s made for chilly weather. A sexy holiday romp that's the perfect combination of naughty and nice.” — Kirkus Reviews

"Witty and entertaining from first page to last, A Merry Little Meet Cute will delight readers looking for a fresh, funny, fat- and sex-positive romcom. Bee and Nolan, both immensely likeable characters, anchor the sweetly raunchy story, but Murphy and Simone have also created memorable families and communities surrounding the two leads. This book is a joy to read, and readers will be clamoring for more stories set in the same world." — Olivia Dade, national bestselling author of Ship Wrecked

“Murphy and Simone are a dream team, delivering a deliciously spicy romance perfect for any season.”  — Zoraida Córdova, Nationally Bestselling author of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina

"A Merry Little Meet Cute is a diamond-tier rom-com filled with laugh-out-loud hilarity, and sizzling spice. Two talented queens have created a masterpiece that readers will be laughing about for years to come. This is what a holiday romance should be!"  — Nisha Sharma author of Dating Dr. Dil

From the Publisher

"The audacity of this magical author duo to sneak in and steal Christmas in the sexiest way possible. A Merry Little Meet Cute is the charming holiday romp you absolutely need in your life!"

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey

"A Merry Little Meet Cute is a diamond-tier rom-com filled with laugh-out-loud hilarity, and sizzling spice. Two talented queens have created a masterpiece that readers will be laughing about for years to come. This is what a holiday romance should be!" 

Nisha Sharma author of Dating Dr. Dil

"Witty and entertaining from first page to last, A Merry Little Meet Cute will delight readers looking for a fresh, funny, fat- and sex-positive romcom. Bee and Nolan, both immensely likeable characters, anchor the sweetly raunchy story, but Murphy and Simone have also created memorable families and communities surrounding the two leads. This book is a joy to read, and readers will be clamoring for more stories set in the same world."

Olivia Dade

A delicious fantasy, a filthy fairytale, rich in texture, intensely emotional, and highly erotic with a perfect hint of magic.

Meredith Wild

In Murphy’s breezy and fun rom-com, there’s enough of Cinderella in the story to be charming, yet overall it sparkles like an exciting new tale. Cindy is immensely lovable, and readers will root for all her dreams to come true. Murphy brings the wit, sensitivity, and imagination that has made her a YA star to the start of her adult romance Meant to Be series.

Booklist on If the Shoe Fits

08/29/2022

Bestseller Murphy (If the Shoe Fits) and Simone (A Lesson in Thorns) take readers on a bumpy but enjoyable ride in this playful holiday romp. Notorious former boy band star Nolan Shaw is on a mission to rehabilitate his playboy image by starring in a wholesome family Christmas movie. Though he’s determined to remain as “pure as driven snow” throughout production, this proves difficult when the producer unknowingly casts Nolan’s favorite porn star, Bianca von Honey (real name Bee Hobbes), as the leading lady. Hardly anyone else on set knows of Bee’s other profession, and though she’s proud of her career as a plus-sized sex worker, Bee knows it would be catastrophic if her secret leaked to the conservative streaming service producing the movie. As chemistry ignites between Bee and Nolan both on- and off-screen, however, it becomes impossible for them to resist each other. There’s a lot of promise to this amusing premise and the authors admirably touch on many feminist themes, but Bee and Nolan’s narrative voices are virtually indistinguishable, and the romance itself remains disappointingly surface level. Readers wanting romance with substance should look elsewhere, but for cheery holiday fluff this works just fine. Agent: John Cusick, Folio Literary Management. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Murphy and Simone are a dream team, delivering a deliciously spicy romance perfect for any season.” 

Zoraida Córdova

Forget the animated Cinderella! If the Shoe Fits brings a fresh, charming, and deeply empowering perspective to the classic fairy tale.”

Katharine McGee

If The Shoe Fits encompasses everything I love about rom-coms. I laughed, I swooned, I smiled. Another hit for Julie Murphy!

Colleen Hoover

Simone consistently turns sex into sacrament.

Entertainment Weekly

12/01/2022

Bee Hobbs is a successful plus-sized adult film star who works under the sexy stage name Bianca Von Honey. When her favorite producer needs someone to star in a wholesome Hope Channel Christmas movie alongside former boy band member Nolan Shaw, she's all in. Bee must keep her real career under wraps while filming in quaint Christmas Notch, VT, but when Nolan recognizes his coworker, things suddenly get a lot hotter. Narrators Joy Nash and Sebastian York provide lively performances, poking fun at the tropes that Christmas romances are known for while also giving listeners a romance they will love. Both narrators provide plenty of laugh-aloud moments but are sexy enough that listeners may reach for the volume button so the neighbors won't wonder what is going on. VERDICT Murphy (Dumplin') and Simone (Misadventures of a Curvy Girl) have written a steamy Christmas romance that perfectly pairs the chasteness of the Hallmark Channel movies with the steaminess of erotica. This is a must-add romance that will be enjoyed beyond the holiday season.—Elyssa Everling

Library Journal - Audio

★ 07/01/2022

Librarian-turned-novelist Simone (Misadventures of a Curvy Girl) and YA crossover novelist Murphy (Dumplin'; If the Shoe Fits) collaborate on a holiday rom-com full of quirky and fun characters, witty dialogue, and over-the-top Christmas cheer. In the town of Christmas Notch, VT, where every day is Christmas, filming has started on the Hope Channel's newest family-friendly, incredibly chaste holiday romance, Duke the Halls. Unbeknownst to the Hope Channel executives, the female lead is adult film star Bee Hobbes (aka Bianca Von Honey), who has always wanted to break into mainstream media. This is her big chance—as long as her identity stays secret. The show is also co-star Nolan Shaw's last chance to shake his bad boy image, earned during his boy band days. So when Nolan realizes that his new co-star is also his favorite adult film star, he keeps the secret, and soon Bee and Nolan are hooking up behind the scenes. Murphy and Simone have written a spicy, hilarious contemporary romance whose protagonists have immediate chemistry—Bee and Nolan's sex scenes are hot enough to melt all the snow in Vermont. Bee's adult film career is treated with refreshing respect throughout the novel, as is Nolan's mother, who has bipolar disorder. VERDICT An engaging, unputdownable holiday romance that will resonate with readers.—Heather Miller Cover

Library Journal

2022-07-08
An adult film actress and a bad-boy pop star are cast in a wholesome, made-for-TV Christmas movie. What could go wrong?

Teddy Ray Fletcher is a bit of an anomaly in the film business. On one hand, he’s the producer of Fletcher Productions’ holiday films, which run on the Hope Channel; on the other, he’s the owner of Uncle Ray-Ray’s porn studio. When Teddy’s golden starlet falls ill, he's hard-pressed to find a new Felicity before the filming of Duke the Halls starts in Christmas Notch, Vermont. When the Duke director spots a nude headshot Teddy accidentally placed in the wrong folder, she’s convinced they’ve found their new, edgier star. Against Teddy’s better judgment, they hire Bee Hobbes, aka plus-size porn star Bianca von Honey, who's “gorgeous and filthy and great for business.” While Bee loves the freedom and power of sex work, she hopes this movie will finally be her big break…even if she has to follow Teddy’s rule about staying "above reproach" while filming and pray that “chaste-as-hell” Hope Channel fans and Uncle Ray-Ray viewers don’t align. Added to the mix is former boy band member Nolan Shaw, the actor playing the duke, who’s in need of major image rehab after photos of him at an orgy during the Duluth Olympics spread around the world. Following his career downfall, Nolan will do anything to support his bipolar mother and teenage sister, like be contractually bound to good behavior for the two weeks of shooting. It turns out, however, that a fortnight of celibacy will be easier said than done for Bee and Nolan, especially when Nolan recognizes Bee as Bianca and they have mouthwatering chemistry on a set with heaving corsets and tight breeches. Murphy and Simone’s holiday romance is laugh-out-loud funny and so deliciously hot—“She smelled so sweet, like a warm sugar cookie, and the corseted dip of her waist under my hand felt like sin itself”—that readers will be glad it’s made for chilly weather.

A sexy holiday romp that's the perfect combination of naughty and nice.

Kirkus Reviews