A Jingle Bell Mingle

From bestselling duo Murphy and Simone comes the hilarious and sexy third installment of the Christmas Notch series (after A Holly Jolly Ever After). Porn star Sunny Palmer stumbled into a meeting with executives at the über-conservative Hope Channel and accidentally sold them on her idea for a holiday romance screenplay. Now she and her grumpy cat, Mr. Tumnus, settle into the winter wonderland of Christmas Notch, Vt., the self-proclaimed home to Christmas miracles, hoping for some inspiration. That’s also what drives former boy band member Isaac Kelly to Christmas Notch. Five years ago, Isaac’s life turned upside down when his wife died. Now he must complete a final album for his record label without his muse. A hot one-night stand between Sunny and Isaac ignites passions neither is prepared to handle, leading Issac to invite Sunny to be his “roommate with benefits” as they both search for creative motivation. But how long can they keep feelings from entering their arrangement? Though the pace drags at the end, Murphy and Simone continue to mine gold from juxtaposing the expectations set by Hallmark movies with the messiness of real life. Series fans—and anyone looking for Christmas romance with an edgier twist—will find plenty to enjoy. (Oct.)