Scan barcode
gwenswoons's review
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was ok, I feel like it was nice to finish off the Christmas Notch series but oof did it feel like it went on too long for me. I actually oddly loved these main characters and enjoyed the setting and their backstories and the way the novel deals with grief, but it felt too long and both so ordinary and so exasperating in the conflicts. So much total lack of self-awareness, such consistently bad communication! Maybe I am aging out of this genre or maybe I need to just wait for Annabel Monaghan’s books to satisfy conflict and obstacles that are adult and not just like “well, too bad these people are both way too self-absorbed and not in therapy so the book has to go on for another 200 pages.” Oddly I liked the MCs maybe even more than the other CN books but it just felt endless. I love Julie Murphy’s/Sierra Simone’s sex writing and the returns of lots of familiar characters and story lines, but I guess I’m hoping this (plus the tiny digital bonus they published after it) is the end of the road for this universe, because I am clearly in that terrible completionist mindset for this story world and I NEED TO STOP bc I’m done. Finally, I would like to catalog yet another objection to these random bookends with totally separate characters/love stories — I complained in my last review about this I’m almost sure — I can only hope it means there’s one fewer book coming but jfc you can’t just have a first and last chapter with randos who we know but whose story it is NOT?? What is going on??? Scrolling back up to lower my star rating rn after this rant, thank you very much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
claireafterall's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Fatphobia, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
sunshinekmp's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Car accident, and Alcohol
Minor: Cursing, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, and Classism
librarianeno's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book is spicy but I loved every second of it! A romp of a read from start to finish.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Alcohol
corrieroe's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Car accident, and Alcohol
annahamburger's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Chronic illness, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
lex_is_bookish's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
best of the christmas notch series so far!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer and Car accident
Minor: Pregnancy and Alcohol
spaghettireads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Fatphobia, and Pregnancy
emrosenq's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
I love all of the Christmas Notch books, and this was a perfect wrap up to the series. 🥹 It was incredibly sweet, and wove difficult themes of grief and connection throughout a hilarious romcom. How did Julie and Sierra do it?!?! I don’t know but I loved every second.
We come out of the gate with some immediate smut, and that was incredible. All of the appearances of characters from the rest of the series felt so genuine and brought me so much joy as a reader. Nolan and Kallum’s speech about how it’s selfish not to need others? That will be brought up in therapy, thank you very much! I also didn’t know how we were going to make an angel/mailman threesome cold case flow with a journey of grief and learning to be vulnerable, but somehow they made it work ✨perfectly✨.
It was exactly what I wanted from the finale of this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Alcohol
torilovesheas's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I actually didn’t intend to post about this book until closer to release day (9/24!) but I cried for a good chunk of this book and felt very seen. So. Let’s get into it.
Yes this book is hysterical at times. And yes there’s a perfect amount of levity to break up the heavy topics. But mostly, this book is about learning to love after tremendous loss and opening up to the possibility of there being more than enough room for someone else. Isaac and Sunny are professionals at running away. Isaac with his reclusiveness and Sunny with her big, loud sunshine personality. So if you squish them into a snowy Gilded Age mansion during the holidays after a wedding one night stand, it’s probably going to get messy very quick.
And it does. They’re friends first and foremost (which I loved!) and the fall into love kind of happens before they even know it. (Although I argue we as the audience see it happening first in real time which is phenom writing). The sex? Hot! The old lady group chat? A delight! Teddy Ray finally proposing to his shark of a girlfriend? Obsessed.
But jfc the grief is done so beautifully. I won’t spoil the resolution of the Christmas Notch Miracle legend our MCs are looking into. But it made me cry stupid tears so. Do with that what you will heh.
But while these two are falling in love, they’re also realizing that grief doesn’t stop for anybody. But….neither does life. Or love. Or second chances. Or friendship. Isaac and Sunny have to learn to let each other in, but it’s more about them taking the risk and the bravery involved in taking a chance.
Lois Tonkins talked about “Growing Around Grief” in her 1996 article. Where grief doesn’t go away or shrink but life grows around it. Sunny and Isaac amidst capri sun binge sessions and sustainably caught lobster cat food grow around it. And I want to hug Julie and Simone for this book and these characters.
So sad this series is over. But what a way for it to go out.
Also the found p*rn family in this continues to be delightful and heart warming. 10/10.
Thank you to Avon and HCP for an arc copy! All thoughts are my own!
Yes this book is hysterical at times. And yes there’s a perfect amount of levity to break up the heavy topics. But mostly, this book is about learning to love after tremendous loss and opening up to the possibility of there being more than enough room for someone else. Isaac and Sunny are professionals at running away. Isaac with his reclusiveness and Sunny with her big, loud sunshine personality. So if you squish them into a snowy Gilded Age mansion during the holidays after a wedding one night stand, it’s probably going to get messy very quick.
And it does. They’re friends first and foremost (which I loved!) and the fall into love kind of happens before they even know it. (Although I argue we as the audience see it happening first in real time which is phenom writing). The sex? Hot! The old lady group chat? A delight! Teddy Ray finally proposing to his shark of a girlfriend? Obsessed.
But jfc the grief is done so beautifully. I won’t spoil the resolution of the Christmas Notch Miracle legend our MCs are looking into. But it made me cry stupid tears so. Do with that what you will heh.
But while these two are falling in love, they’re also realizing that grief doesn’t stop for anybody. But….neither does life. Or love. Or second chances. Or friendship. Isaac and Sunny have to learn to let each other in, but it’s more about them taking the risk and the bravery involved in taking a chance.
Lois Tonkins talked about “Growing Around Grief” in her 1996 article. Where grief doesn’t go away or shrink but life grows around it. Sunny and Isaac amidst capri sun binge sessions and sustainably caught lobster cat food grow around it. And I want to hug Julie and Simone for this book and these characters.
So sad this series is over. But what a way for it to go out.
Also the found p*rn family in this continues to be delightful and heart warming. 10/10.
Thank you to Avon and HCP for an arc copy! All thoughts are my own!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death and Death of parent