Hello, everyone! I’m finally reviewing another book… It has been almost a month since my last review. I couldn’t be happier to break that dry spell with The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch. Read on below to find out what I thought about this holiday fantasy romance.

Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas in a sexy, quirky romcom where the golden-hearted Prince of Christmas falls for the totally off-limits Prince of Halloween.

Featuring beautiful ruby sprayed edges!

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. And it all leads to one of the sweetest, sexiest, messiest, most delightfully unforgettable love stories of the year.

***Thank you to Bramble for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley! My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

Have you ever wondered what Santa would be like as a manipulative despot and a pretty terrible father? Then look no further than The Nightmare Before Kissmas. I was honestly a bit shocked by how awful Santa was in this story, but it also really worked. His scheming and its impacts on his sons and the other holiday courts added a lot of weight to story. I’ll be honest. The heaviness of it all kind of turned me off at first, but I’m glad I gave the story time to find its legs.

The first third of The Nightmare Before Kissmas was super focused on the strained relationship between Santa and his sons and laying the groundwork for the world-building of how the holiday courts relate to one another. It was all really interesting and allowed for the exploration of some great themes. I liked how the topic of consumerism was approached. The story emphasized the importance of centering joy and connection during the holidays rather than cheap trinkets. The messages in the story were good ones. They just overshadowed the romance quite a bit at points, especially in the beginning.

Once the romance in The Nightmare Before Kissmas got going, though, I had a great time. Coal was the definition of a disaster bisexual. His chaotic energy paired perfectly with Hex’s more reserved demeanor. I loved getting to see them rile each other up and tear down each other’s walls. Their relationship was so full of humor and fun. This book made me laugh so much. I can honestly say that I enjoyed every minute that Coal and Hex were on the page together.

I really liked Coal as a character, too. The poor guy definitely had some issues. He had to deal with his father attempting to control everything about his life. He also had some serious self-worth issues due to his mom leaving their family at an early age and his history of screwing up everything he touches. His internal monologue was really heavy at times, but I loved how Hex brought out the best in him. He learned to stick up for himself and believe in his worth and abilities.

All in all, The Nightmare Before Kissmas had plenty of things to like. The humor often made me laugh out loud, and the characters experienced a lot of growth. It didn’t hurt that the romance had a great balance of adorable and steamy moments. The world-building and themes were really interesting, too, even if they did get a bit overbearing at times. Therefore, I rate The Nightmare Before Kissmas 4 out of 5 stars and definitely recommend it as a read for this holiday season.

There you have it! My thoughts on The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch. Have you read it? Let me know your thoughts down below in the comments. The book is available now everywhere and has the cutest cover and vibrant red edges.