I wanted more!

I was excited to read Holly Jolly Ever After as I enjoy both authors, but I fear this novel suffered for the same reason the first one in this series did: there are two authors. 

Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy are best friends, co-podcasters, and fantastic romance authors. However, they both have their niche in the romance world and while I love the idea of these women coming together to write a book, it really emphasizes the things they’re great at writing and the things that are lacking. 

I mostly have an issue with the fact that there is always a ~spicy~ theme for these co-authored romance novels, yet they never reach the spice heights I yearn for. Julie Murphy writes a lot of teen fiction and less sexual romances, whereas Sierra Simone is one of the best smut/erotica authors in the country. What happened here is the spicy parts of this book feel not as exciting as I’d like them to be, and the rest of the novel feels almost immature at times. 

Kallum Liebermanis is an ex-boy band member, pizza chain owner, and a bit of a player. He’s not the average size of a romance novel lead, as he’s described as being heavier, which I really liked. Suddenly, a sex tape of his is leaked, and in order to improve his image, he signs up for a Hallmark-style movie as Sexy Santa. Winnie is an actress who has always tried to make the right choices in life but finds her own life crashing down around her. The two have chemistry, good banter, and some sexy moments, and their relationship seems like a fun one to follow. 

Then, part two of the book happens. I hated the second half of the book. Accidental pregnancy is one of my most hated tropes in all of romance novels, so much so that I actively avoid romances with pregnancy in them. I do not want to get pregnant, I will never be pregnant, and I have no interest in trying to read a romance to relate to a character that does or wants to someday. If other readers like that, that’s fine! It’s a me thing, and I stand by it. So when that trope shows up in this book out of nowhere, I nearly DNF’d, but I like the authors enough to give it a chance. 

Wasn’t worth it. Love the writers, but the second half of this novel was a huge disappointment. 

Title: A Holly Jolly Ever After
Author:  Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9780063222649

Three Descriptors: Witty, Smutty, Amusing

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