Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

A Holly Jolly Ever After by Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy

11 reviews

sdupont's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.0

This one is for the Hallmark Christmas girlies who also like a side of smut! While this one was not as strong as Merry Little Meet Cute, I did enjoy reading this sequel. I like Kallum and Winnie, definitely two characters you root for. The spice delivered but I felt like I needed a little more for the characters when it came to talking about themselves and their feelings. The two conflicts in the timeline detracted from the growth arc in my opinion. If the book was a little shorter and had stronger communication I think it would have been a home run. I still recommend this for a festive read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry and Pregnancy

Moderate: Blood, Medical content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Infidelity, Infertility, and Miscarriage

purplepenning's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.25

There are no good variables to work with when the answer to the equation is other peoples' idea of perfection.

Another one where I liked the previous book in the series, liked the main and side characters, liked much of what was being addressed, but still didn't love the story or execution. Le sigh.

There's no age when people stop learning about their bodies.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Religious bigotry, Chronic illness, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Vomit

Minor: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Sexism

A note about the sexual content: features a sexual awakening and admirably frank language and scenes of exploration as a character deprograms from the learned shame and inhibitions of purity culture Other content notes: in addition to the unplanned pregnancy trope, there's a

miscarriage scare

that opens the door for

toxic religious parents

to try to regain a foothold in a main characters life

sariereads'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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Pregnancy and Fatphobia

Minor: Medical content, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

annahamburger's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Blood, Cursing, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Gaslighting, Xenophobia, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Ableism, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Biphobia, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Eating disorder

kcbatts's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

Moderate: Infidelity

10tlgibs's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry

kaykaysbookshelf's review

3.5

What to expect: forced proximity, workplace romance, movie/porn industry, holiday romance, curvy main characters

This one was fine. I enjoyed the first book more

Spice: 3

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry and Pregnancy

kaseybereading's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Vomit

etidorpha's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring slow-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

4.0

Please see my content warnings.

Winnie Baker is a childhood star of religiously bent television and movies. She married young and stayed in her marriage because that’s what was expected of her.

Kallum is the K of the INK boyband turned midwestern pizza mogul. What he’s most famous for in his 30s though? A Sex tape.

Passion is ignited when they get reacquainted on the set of Hope After Dark’s first film Santa, Baby. Winnie needs instruction in the more sensual aspects of her role and Kallum is all too happy to oblige.

This book was ultimately fun to read, though I felt a little hoodwinked by the big plot twist in the middle (see content warnings if you want more info). Winnie’s story of deconstruction and realizing her self worth was more than in being a pure and virtuous woman was one worth telling and was an enjoyable read.

I do wish that Winnie’s narcolepsy had been dealt with. She’s just falling asleep in bars and I don’t think she ever told Kallum - even though it explains several parts of their pre-Hope After Dark meetups.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥🔥🔥

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Minor: Religious bigotry and Miscarriage

This book deals heavily with evangelical religious deconstruction.

While a miscarriage does not actually occur, there is a chapter where it is believed to be happening.”

emmas_bookshelf's review against another edition

funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Thank you so much to Avon for the copy of this book! I loved the first Christmas Notch book, A Merry Little Meet Cute, and was so excited to read this! Kallum is a former boy band member turned Kansas City pizza king. Winnie is a wholesome Hallmark actress who needs to rehab her image after getting divorced while also trying to shed the purity culture she grew up in and trying to figure out how to do things for herself. When they are cast in a steamy Santa movie, things heat up fast! I thought the first half of the book was great, and it was very steamy. Also, as a Topekan and wanna-be-Kansas Citian, I loved all the KC and Royals love in this book! 💙

🚨SPOILERS AHEAD🚨

🚨SPOILERS AHEAD🚨

🚨SPOILERS AHEAD🚨

🚨SPOILERS AHEAD🚨

This book has a surprise baby. My absolute least favorite. 🙅🏻‍♀️ The book has a part 1 and part 2 and part 2 is a major tonal shift from part 1. It’s all oriented around the surprise baby. It also kinda dragged. Really disappointed tbh, although it was better than most surprise baby romances I’ve read. BUT WHY.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Sexual content

Moderate: Fatphobia and Body shaming

Minor: Vomit and Miscarriage