Book Review: The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

Official Synopsis: Nicholas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. Coal will do anything to escape the spectacle, including getting tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make- out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night.

But the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to do his duty: he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess and his brother’s not-so-secret crush. A situation that has disaster written all over it.

Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess’s hand…and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar hottie: Hex, the Prince of Halloween.

It’s a fake competition between two holiday princes who can’t keep their hands off each other over a marriage of convenience that no one wants.

I absolutely loved the concept of this book. It had a fun Red, White and Royal Blue, vibe along with having a really unique magic system. The magic the characters have is connected with their specific holiday, which means each magic has quirks. For example, the prince of Halloween can't curse, because 'curses' have a negative connotation for that holiday. So when he swears, random Halloween décor shows up around him, which I found hilarious.

Overall, I really liked the plot as well, with some really adorable amounts, but also plenty of spicy ones. I had an ARC of the audiobook, and the narrator was really great.

There is a really great banter throughout the story, between Coal, his brother and their best friend Iris. When Hex enter the picture the banter gets even better, and it was fun having to watch Hex and Coal try to not show everyone else how they feel.

The background plot, of learning more about Coal's dad, is also really well done and I think it is pretty unique. I saw there is going to be another book with Coal's brother and I'm excited to read that in the future!

I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars!

It is scheduled to be published October 8, 2024

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