a Holly jolly ever after
A christmas notch Novel
an instant usa today bestseller, an indie next pick, and a Barnes and noble best book of 2023!
“Another superbly written, splendidly witty holiday romance featuring another pair of expertly nuanced protagonists and a plot that flawlessly balances sizzling sensual heat and sweet romantic affection while joyfully celebrating body positivity.”
Kallum Lieberman is the funny one™. As the arguably lesser of the three former members of the boy band INK, he enjoyed his fifteen minutes of fame and then moved home where he opened a regional pizza chain called Slice, Slice, Baby! He’s living his best dad bod life, hooking up with bridesmaids at all his friends’ weddings. But after an old one-off sex tape is leaked and quickly goes viral, Kallum decides he’s ready to step into the spotlight again, starring in a sexy Santa biopic for the Hope Channel.
Winnie Baker did everything right. She married her childhood sweetheart, avoided the downfalls of adolescent stardom, and transitioned into a stable adult acting career. Hell, she even waited until marriage to have sex. But after her perfect life falls apart, Winnie is ready to redefine herself—and what better way than a steamier-than-a-steaming-hot-mug-of-cider Christmas movie?
With decade old Hollywood history between them, Winnie and Kallum are both feeling hesitant about their new situation as costars…especially Winnie who can’t seem to fake on screen pleasure she’s never experienced in real life. She’s willing to do the pleasure research—for science and artistic authenticity, of course. And there’s no better research partner than her bridesmaid sex tape hall of fame costar, Kallum. But suddenly, Kallum’s teenage crush on Winnie is bubbling to the surface and Winnie might be catching feelings herself.
They say opposites attract, but is this holly jolly ever after really ready for its close-up?
Read A Holly Jolly Ever After!
Ebook:
AUDIOBOOK (narrated by Joy nash and Chris Brinkley):
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Praise for A Holly Jolly Ever After:
★ Booklist
“Murphy and Simone (A Merry Little Meet Cute, 2022) present another superbly written, splendidly witty holiday romance featuring another pair of expertly nuanced protagonists and a plot that flawlessly balances sizzling sensual heat and sweet romantic affection while joyfully celebrating body positivity.”
★ Library Journal
“Well-developed protagonists with immediate chemistry and witty dialogue balance the emotional story as characters process big life changes and family trauma. Skillful, sympathetic writing weaves the conflict seamlessly into the storyline, creating a novel that will make readers laugh, cry, and cheer.
VERDICT: This sexy, joyful romantic comedy from Murphy and Simone (A Merry Little Meet Cute) is a delightful read.”
Indie Next Recommendation:
“A gloriously spicy holiday romance that is hilarious and heart wrenching — celebrating holiday joy while tackling topics like religion and purity culture. Holly Jolly is a trademark balance of laughter, spice, and everything nice!”
— Jenni Marchisotto, Mysterious Galaxy Books, San Diego, CA
BOOKPAGE:
“An unlikely pairing enjoys a scorching Christmas romance in A Holly Jolly Ever After. The love scenes smoke, the characters and their sidekicks are funny and sweet, and readers will root for Winnie to get all she deserves.”
Oprah Daily
“What do Jewish ex-rocker Kallum and former Christian movie good girl Winnie have in common? They both hope to revive their careers by filming a Hope After Dark (think Hallmark Christmas Channel meets Skinimax) biopic of young Santa in the town of Christmas Notch. If that description sounds like a lot going on, well, there is, and that’s part of the fun of this chaotic Christmas stocking of tropes. While there are plenty of laughs and a delightful cast of secondary characters, the authors also tackle more serious subjects such as the damage caused by purity culture, tabloid exploitation of child stars, and the most important question of our times: Is it even possible to make Santa sexy?”
