Title: A Merry Little Meet Cute
Author: Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Harper Fiction / Harper Collins UK
Pages: 432
Release Date: 10 November 2022
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Hello fellow book lovers,
today I'm sharing my review of A Merry Little Meet Cute by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy. A charming and decidedly steamy holiday rom-com that I found both refreshingly funny & thoroughly entertaining.
With nuanced characters and an emphasis on double standards, sex and body positivity.— set against the backdrop of a squeaky clean, Hallmark-esque Holiday movie, Simone and Murphy have crafted a heartwarming, inclusive and sizzlingly spectacular rom-com that steamy romance fans are bound to enjoy!
Synopsis
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.
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.
Review
This was such an entertaining, heartwarmingly romantic 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.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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