A Jingle Bell Mingle (Christmas Notch #3)

By: Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone
Published Year: 2024
Publisher: Avon
Pages: 400

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): What happens when there’s no room at the inn and you and your potentially demonic cat become roommates with your grumpy one-night stand?

Part-time adult film actress/one-time adult film director/makeup artist Sunny Palmer has accidentally sold her very first screenplay to the Hope Channel. That was six months ago. Fast forward to a looming deadline, an uninspired Sunny has returned to the source of her inspiration in Christmas Notch, Vermont, to immerse herself in the local Christmas miracle on which her fever dream of a movie pitch was based.

Isaac Kelly, former boy band heartthrob and the saddest boy in the music biz, is the latest owner of the town’s historic mansion. After his years of heartbreak following his young wife’s death, Isaac’s record label is done waiting for new music. What better place to attempt his first holiday album than a snow-covered mansion where he can become a hermit in peace?

But after their best friends’ wedding leads to them waking up together in a freezing motel room with questionable wiring and a broken shower, Isaac takes a chance and asks Sunny to stay with him at his home. Surely the place is big enough that he’ll hardly see her or her unhinged cat. But when the two discover they’re both creatively blocked, they make a handshake deal: Isaac will help Sunny hunt down the truth behind the local lore, and Sunny will find Isaac a new muse.

And with these two opposites under one roof, there’s no way this jingle bell mingle could go off script…right?

First Impressions

Last year we read the second book in this series for Book Club. Before starting that one, I made sure to read the first book in the series. I did like the first one slightly better than the second, but I was curious to read the third book in this series following the sad third boyband member, Isaac. All of these covers are deceptively cute and I enjoy them all.

What I thought

This was hands down my favorite book of the series!

Sunny and Isaac reconnect at Bee and Nolan’s wedding in Christmas Notch. Sunny has been hired to write a Christmas screenplay for the Hope Channel and Isaac has moved to Christmas Notch to continue to hide from the public eye and grieve in private. When they meet up again, they realize they can’t keep their hands off of each other and come to a mutual roommates with benefits agreement where Sunny is Isaac’s muse for new music in exchange for Isaac helping Sunny research a town legend that she’s using as inspiration for her screenplay.

In the first few books, you learn that Isaac is a widower. He lost the love of his life unexpectedly and has been in a dark hole of grief ever since. For some reason, Sunny is the only one who can semi get him out of it. I loved Sunny in the first few books as well. She’s Bee’s best friend and fellow porn story and she was always just spunky and funny. Now, I will warn this book might be the raunchiest of them all. I was a bit shocked by some of the scenes to be honest. So, this book is not for the faint of heart.

However, the way that these authors dealt with telling a story of grief and love and connection was done so beautifully. I was surprised by how well a romance novel dealt with these heavier topics and felt very seen by some of the scenes.

Sunny and Isaac have immediate chemistry and while it did sometimes get annoying to see how in denial Isaac was being, I was able to overlook it. I liked Sunny’s side story as well, looking into a legend of Christmas Notch. Plus all of the characters from the previous books made an appearance.

This book was a fun Christmas read. It really felt very festive and I loved the unexpected depth of this story. I do wish it was slightly less raunchy so I could recommend it to more people, but it was well done and definitely ended the series with a bang!

Favorite Books for Each Month of 2024

I used to do a variety of end of year reading posts. Sometimes I did surveys and sometimes I did a top 10 for the year. I saw someone on TikTok doing a favorite book from each month and I loved this because I felt like it would help me to make easier decisions rather than just picking books from the year as a whole. I will still do my comparison of diverse reads in January, so you can still look forward to that.

January

I started off 2024 strong. I had 3 5 star reads in January. However, of those 3, the one I think about the most and have recommended the most is Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. I loved this book. Immediately told my mom to read it and she loved it too Highly recommend.

February

The Women by Kristin Hannah was hands down my favorite read for February. It might even be my top of the year. It was so good and yet another one that I have recommended to multiple people.

March

I did not have any 5 star reads this month. The highest ranked book was 4.5 stars and that was The Dead Guy Next by Lucy Score. It’s kind of interesting because I did really enjoy this book but it has become more forgettable for me as the year went on. I don’t know if this is because I didn’t enjoy the second one as much or what, but definitely not a top of the year for me.

April

Another month with no 5 star reads! However, I adored my 4.5 star read and am kind of surprised looking baking on it that I didn’t give it 5 stars. My favorite book for April is Starter Villain by John Scalzi. I found this book to be so funny and so unique to everything else that I have read. This was a book club pick and I loved it.

May

Oof, this one is tough. I had two 5 star reads that would probably make a top 10 for the year for me. I think I will have to choose The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston because it was the first book I read by her and made me an immediate fan. I was so hesitant to read this one because I had seen so many mixed reviews but I ended up loving it!

June

My favorite book this month was Business Casual by B.K. Borison. This is the final book in the Lovelight Farms series and I adored it. I love the whole series and this one was the perfect ending.

July

I was super sick the entire month of July so I didn’t read a single book. I am going to put an honorable mention from a different month here just because I can. One of my favorite books this year was Funny Story by Emily Henry. It took me a little while to get on the Emily Henry bandwagon, but I did love this one and enjoyed reading it a lot.

August

My favorite book this month was Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon. This is the sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow which I loved. This book is so unique and real that I feel like I want all college kids in a relationship to read it. Something about it has just stayed really vivid in my memory.

September

Love you a Latke by Amanda Elliot was my favorite this month. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book and I devoured it. I was raised Jewish so I always have a soft spot in my heart for Jewish stories. Elliot always writes ones I can relate to and this was the perfect Hallmark Hanukkah story.

October

Another book from a series! This is book 3 of the Witchlore series which I picked up the first two books for last year. It’s Truly Madly Magically and I just love this world. I want to live in it and I want to be a part of this friend group. It always gets me into the Halloween spirit and was so fun.

November

Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz was such a while ride. I did listen to this one so it’s my first audiobook to make the list. While I didn’t give it 5 stars (I gave it 4.5), I feel like I’ve thought about it so much more than my 5 star read from November. It’s bananas what this woman went through and I’m excited for my friends to read it so we can discuss it.

December

Honestly ending this year on a bit of a reading fizzle. I listened to two books I didn’t really love, read one romance that was a lot of fun but feels not quite good enough to put as a favorite, and read All This and More. This book was very unique and I liked the philosophical questions that it raised. I think it’s one that will stay in my mind because of how unique it was, but honestly, it was only a 4 star read for me.

The beginning of my year for reading was much stronger than the end of the year which I find really interesting. I also think it’s interesting that I didn’t rank a lot of my audiobooks super high. I would’ve thought that more of them would’ve come out as favorites since I had a lot of favorite audiobooks last year. This was a fun way to look back on my reading this year! It was fun to see that some months didn’t have any 5 star reads where as some had multiple. I also find it fun that I was able to mention books that might not have made a favorites list otherwise.

I do want to throw in an honorably mention of Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez. It was a top read for me in September and I really loved it. She is one of my favorite authors and if you haven’t hopped on the Jimenez trade, you need to!

Book Club December 2024- The Christmas Fix

By: Lucy Score
Published Year: 2017
Publisher: That’s What She Said
Pages: 390

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): When a late season hurricane hits Merry, Connecticut, city manager and single dad Noah Yates has to inform the already devastated residents that there won't be a Christmas Festival this year. No festival means no tourism dollars. A disaster of epic proportions for his hometown.

But when home renovation expert slash smoking hot reality TV star Catalina King shows up with a camera crew and a budget big enough to put the town back together again, Noah balks. Hard. The last time Cat was in town she stirred up trouble everywhere she went. (Residents are still talking about the town's first and only bar fight.) Noah doesn't need a TV diva capitalizing on his town's tragedy or filling his daughter's head with glitz and glam.

Cat is ready and willing to put Merry back in Christmas mode with a holiday special that will leave everyone believing in miracles and get her friends back in the home they love. But there's one big problem standing in her way. And his name is Noah Yates. He's wrong about her and she can't wait to prove it. Ring those jingle bells because it's on.

What I thought

I am 50/50 on Lucy Score so I was a little hesitant to read this one. I loved Rock Bottom Girl and enjoyed the first book in the Riley Thorn series but then I really didn’t love the second book in the series. I also am sometimes hesitant about Christmas Romance books because I need them to have Christmas magic and not just be a romance set at Christmas time.

Catalina King is the host of a popular renovation reality show. When she finds out that the town of a family whose home she renovated is hit by a hurricane and destroyed, she decides that as a Christmas special she needs to go to this own and help them. She loved the town when she was there the first time around and feels like she needs to help the people get back on their feet. However, Noah, the city manager, is not about it. He is worried she wants to take advantage of her town for views and that she is a fake, attention seeking celebrity. Cat decides she’s going to prove Noah wrong and enjoy every minute of it.

I did love that this was an enemies to lovers trope. Their banter is good and Cat is such a strong female character. I love how she takes charge and is proving to the world that women can do it better. This is the second book in this series and I’m assuming the first follows her twin brother Gannon. I would be curious to go back and read it.

If you’re looking for a romance that has Christmas at its center, this is a good choice. The town of Merry is all about Christmas. I do wish that we had gotten a little bit more at Christmas time and at the Christmas festival, but all of the lead up to Christmas was still sufficiently cheery.

Noah did get a little bit insufferable at times at the beginning of the story. Once he chilled out and stopped with his overly judginess I was cool with him. I liked how supportive he became of Cat. He also had a bit of a dramatic backstory, but it helped to make sense of some of his behavior.

In regards to spiciness, this book is very spicy. So much so that it did make me a little uncomfortable at times. But if you like books with a lot of spice, you will enjoy this one.

What Book Club Thought

Not In My Book

By: Katie Holt
Published Year: 2024
Publisher: Alcove Press
Pages: 320

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Rosie, an idealistic and passionate Peruvian-American who has grown up without strong ties to her culture, leaves her Tennessee hometown to pursue her dream of making it in New York as a writer. But her plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her arch-nemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington—an obnoxious, surly, and gorgeous literary fiction writer who doesn’t have much patience for the romance genre, or for Rosie.

Rosie and Aiden regularly go to verbal battle in workshop until their professor reaches her breaking point. She allows them to stay in her class on one condition: they must co-write a novel that blends their genres.

The reluctant writing duo can’t help but put pieces of themselves into their accidentally steamy novel, and as they slowly get to know each other, they try to put their differences aside. Meanwhile, their manuscript-in-progress provides an outlet for them to confess their feelings—and explore their attraction toward each other.

When Rosie and Aiden find themselves competing against each other for a potentially career-changing opportunity, the flames of old rivalry reignite, and their once-in-a-lifetime love story is once again at risk of being shelved—unless they can find a way to end the book on their own terms.

First Impressions

I saw this book on Netgalley and the title and cover immediately caught my eye. When I read the summary I knew immediately this book would be right up my ally. I love the color and how you can immediately tell it’s enemies to lovers.

What I thought

This book was so fun! It felt a little long at the end but I did really enjoy it.

Rosalinda is in her MFA program at NYU for writing. He nemesis Aiden is in the same class as her. When one day their bickering becomes too much, their professor, Ida, forces them to write a book together for the class. Rosie is a romance novel writer and lover where Aiden hates romance. Now they have to figure out how to write a romance without a Happily Ever After.

Aiden and Rosie’s banter is great. It was fun to see how their banter was interwoven into their novel. Each chapter ended with a snippet of their fictional novel which I loved. I also liked how they didn’t pretend that their characters weren’t them. I also loved learning more about Peruvian culture. Rosie is half Peruvian, as is the author, and her culture plays a lot into the story which was interesting.

The other neat part of the writing was the insight into how to write a novel. I liked how Rosie talked about romance novel tropes and different parts she felt needed to be included in their novel. It was also fun hearing them critique each others works.

The one thing I didn’t love towards the end was it felt very Nora Ephron cheesy rom-com inspired. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a cheesy rom-com, but this felt like she was quoting a 90’s movie that I had already seen. I also got a little annoyed with Rosie at the end.

The entire book centers on Rosie being a romantic and seeing the world through rose colored glasses, but towards the end of the book it comes off more immature and annoying than it did at the beginning. I don’t know why, but it just started to grate on a nerve.

If you are a romance novel love and someone who loves enemies to lovers you will enjoy this book. It’s a really cute storyline and the characters have great banter. I loved watching them grow and basically having two books in one!

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

By: Sangu Mandanna
Published Year: 2022
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 318

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don't mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and...Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he's concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn't know she was looking for....

First Impressions

I saw this book a lot on TikTok and Instagram. I don’t know why but the cover didn’t appeal to me and everyone raving about it made me want to read it less. So not the best first impression. I didn’t end up even considering reading it until a year later when I was really wanting a witchy book after loving the Witchlore series.

What I thought

Ok. I get the hype now.

Mika Moon is a 31 year old witch living in London. The witch who raised her, Primrose, insists that witches need to stay separate so as not to attract attention and raise suspicion. Apparently, magic is attracted to more magic. When Mika receives an email asking if she would be willing to come to a house of three young witches and be their tutor, she is immediately intrigued as to how these girls have gotten away with living together for so long. Once there, she meets the adults who are raising the girls and falls for one of them. She will have to decide whether to new feeling of home is more important than the rules she was raised with.

This book gave me the feelings of a middle grade novel that I would have loved as a kid. Like I need to read this story from the perspective of the three little girls to fulfill that childhood joy this book brought back to life. Even though this is a romance, it’s not overly spicy or in your face. I feel like that helped to keep the magic the focal point of the story which is what made it so fun.

Jamie is perfectly grumpy but with a soft spot for the girls. I couldn’t put this book down, not because of the mystery or the romance, but because I wanted to see what Mika would teach the girls next, or how Jamie would interact with the girls. Ian, Lucie, and Ken were also fabulous side characters. I feel like this book wrapped up in a way that doesn’t need a sequel but I would kill for a sequel.

Mika was complex and broken in a way that was relatable but not annoying. She wasn’t grumpy because of what she went through, but she was hurt. It made sense why she was hurt and why she would react in certain ways. But it didn’t define her. I also loved how understanding all of the other adults were around her. Even though there was a small miscommunication trope towards the end, it wasn’t because someone got mad about her defense mechanisms.

If you have been hesitant like me to read this book, just do it. The magic was magical and the romance was fun and sweet. I enjoyed every minute of reading this book and cannot wait to read more by Mandanna in the future.

The Unmaking of June Farrow

By: Adrienne Young
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Delecorte Press
Pages: 320

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A woman risks everything to end her family’s centuries-old curse, solve her mother’s disappearance, and find love in this mesmerizing novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Spells for Forgetting.

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.

It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.

After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

First Impressions

I first saw this book on Instagram and immediately fell in love with the cover. When I read the summary I was a little bit on the fence but I was intrigued by a curse that spread across generations.

What I thought

This book was a little more confusing than I thought it was going to be but I did enjoy it overall.

June Farrow comes from a line of cursed women. Every woman in her family has gone mad. Her mother left her with her grandma as a baby and then disappeared. When the madness starts to come for June, all she wants to do is figure out a way to beat it.

This book was a bit of a slow burn for me. I found the story slow to start, especially since I was trying to figure out what the curse was and how it was working. I didn’t find the mystery element of the book unpredictable, which may also be why it moved a little slower for me. I think if I was unsure, it would’ve been more unputdownable.

I don’t want to give too much away because I do think it’s more enjoyable when you’re trying to unravel the mystery with June. I will say that there was some time travel involved and it did confuse me towards the end. Overall though, the rules for the time travel made sense, so I think if you’re someone who tends to be hesitant towards those kinds of novels this will be ok for you.

I would also say that if you find this to be slow, give it a little time. Once you get past June admitting that she is falling into the curse, it becomes much more interesting. I can’t put my finger exactly on what didn’t work for me in this book or what I wish was different. It was well written and I liked June. I think maybe the fact that she didn’t know what was going on most of the time made me feel like I didn’t know what was going on most of the time and therefore left me some disconnect with the story overall.

I still feel like this is a unique story that I enjoyed reading. One unlike anything I’ve read before. It is a bit more of a 3.5 star read for me but one that I would round up to a 4. If you like magical realism and time travel, I would recommend this book for sure.

Guilt and Ginataan

By: Mia P Manansala
Published Year: 2024
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 304

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I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Autumn is in full swing for the town of Shady Palms—the perfect time for warm drinks, cozy cardigans, and…dead bodies?

The annual Shady Palms Corn Festival is one of the town’s biggest moneymakers, drawing crowds from all over the Midwest looking to partake in delicious treats, local crafts, and of course, the second largest corn maze in Illinois. Lila Macapagal and her Brew-ha Cafe crew, Adeena Awan and Elena Torres, are all too happy to participate in the event and even make a little wager on who can make it through the corn maze the fastest—but their fun is suddenly cut short when a dead body is found in the middle of the maze…and an unconscious Adeena lies next to it, clutching a bloody knife.

The body is discovered to be a local politician’s wife, and all signs—murder weapon included—point to Adeena as the culprit. But Lila knows her best friend couldn’t have done this, so she and her crew put on their sleuthing caps yet again to find the killer who framed Adeena and show them what happens when they mess with a Brew-ha…

First Impressions

This is the 5th book in this series. I have read 2 of the other ones, so I was excited to get the opportunity to read another one. Admittedly, it’s probably my least favorite cover of the series. I definitely would pick up the other books before I would pick this one up.

What I thought

This series is just so much fun. It’s exactly what I want in a lighter mystery.

Lila and her friends/business partners are attending the annual Corn Festival when Adeena, Lila’s best friend, comes across a dead body in the corn maze. Unfortunately, she passes out and when everyone finds Adeena, she is on the ground with the murder weapon in her hands.

First of all, I need a Corn Festival to be a real thing. All of the different corn themed foods and activities they described sounded amazing. Maybe it’s the Midwesterner in me, but it sounded like so much fun. Lila is her usual charming self in this book. I always appreciate that she puts effort into her investigating and it isn’t like she just stumbles into things and solving mysteries. I also love the cast of characters. Adeena, Elena (Adeena’s girlfriend) and Jae (Lila’s boyfriend) are fun and sweet. The one thing I did get annoyed with in this story was the Elena/Adeena dynamic.

When Adeena is accused of murder, you would think that Lila and Elena would work together. Instead, Elena gets weird and starts to do things without telling Lila and I don’t feel like we ever god a good enough reason as to why. Lila on the other hand gets super possessive of Adeena, frequently telling Elena how she knows Adeena best because she’s her best friend and she doesn’t know her at all. I mean, if someone had said that to me about my partner I would be ticked.

I did sort of figure out the mystery, but it was fun to see how Lila would figure it out and the true motive. The only complaint I have about the mystery itself is that it felt like it resolved very quickly. I would’ve preferred a slower reveal/wrap up, but I understand not wanting to drag it out.

This is another solid book in this series. Lila is up to her usual shenanigans and baking creations. Her aunties aren’t in this book as much, so it’s a little less goofy than the last one was which I appreciate. I always enjoy these mysteries and can’t wait for the next one!

Book Club November 2024- The Third Gilmore Girl

By: Kelly Bishop
Published Year: 2024
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 256

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Kelly Bishop’s long, storied career has been defined by landmark achievements, from winning a Tony Award for her turn in the original Broadway cast of A Chorus Line to her memorable performance as Jennifer Grey’s mother in Dirty Dancing. But it is probably her iconic role as matriarch Emily in the modern classic Gilmore Girls that cemented her legacy.

Now, Bishop reflects on her remarkable life and looks towards the future with The Third Gilmore Girl. She shares some of her greatest stories and the life lessons she’s learned on her journey. From her early transition from dance to drama, to marrying young to a compulsive gambler, to the losses and achievements she experienced—among them marching for women’s rights and losing her second husband to cancer—Bishop offers a rich, genuine celebration of her life.

Full of witty insights, The Third Gilmore Girl is a warm, unapologetic, and spirited memoir from a woman who has left indelible impressions on her audiences for decades and has no plans on slowing down.

This book was my pick this month. My friends and I are all big Gilmore Girls fans as well as big Broadway/musical fans so this was a very easy choice.

This memoir was fabulous. Bishop started her career as a ballerina, moved to Broadway, and finally to television. I knew that she originated a role in A Chorus Line before she came into our hearts as Emily Gilmore, but didn’t know much else about her life.

As much as I loved reading about her experience on Gilmore Girls, I think I might’ve enjoyed reading about her childhood and her life as a dancer even more. It was so interesting and unbelievable in the way that Old Hollywood is.

I don’t really have much to say because I don’t want to give away all of her secrets. This book is short and sweet and well written. If you are a Kelly Bishop fan, you won’t be disappointed. I think she has the perfect balance of dirt and insight with nostalgia. It was a fun and quick read and I can’t wait to listen to it on audiobook one day!

What Book Club Thought

We actually had a lot of good discussion about this book! I was a little worried that since it was a memoir, and a short one at that, that we wouldn’t have much to talk about. However, we ended up having a fun discussion about the title of he book and whether that would’ve been what we chose as well as different parts of her life we would’ve like to have heard more about. We also talked a lot about things that surprised us in her life and career. If your book club is a fan of Gilmore Girls, I would highly recommend picking this one.