Book Smart Kate

Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Audiobook: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

by Sara Raasch (Oct 8, 2024) Thank you @macmillian.audio for a #gifted advanced listening copy of this absolutely adorable holiday read! #macaudio2024

Coal, the Prince of Christmas, has lost his love for the holiday, frustrated by his father’s push to make it more commercialized each year. Disenchanted and reckless, he earns a reputation as the prince of poor decisions—one of which involves a steamy make-out session with a mysterious guy in an alley behind a bar. He can’t get that kiss out of his mind, even when he’s called back to the Christmas Kingdom and informed that his father has arranged his marriage to his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess. Both Coal and Iris are horrified, but they’re at a loss for how to avoid this nightmare—especially when Hex, the Prince of Halloween, arrives to court Iris as well. Hex, it turns out, is none other than the guy from the alley whose kiss Coal can’t forget. As they both attempt to fake date Iris toward a marriage of convenience none of them want, Coal and Hex fall deeply for each other. But as their Kingdoms’ politics and parents actions are seemingly all wrong, can Coal and Hex do what’s right for their happiness and the people of their Kingdoms?

If you’re a fan of Red, White & Royal Blue, this book will feel like a whimsical, holiday version you never knew you needed. Coal’s chaotic energy channels Alex, while Hex’s thoughtful demeanor mirrors Henry, and much like in RWRB, their love story beautifully navigates the tension between desire and duty. I adored the critique of holiday commercialization, reminding us how easy it is to lose sight of the true spirit of the seasons amid the rush for presents, candy, and costumes. It’s a fun, heartwarming, and sweet & spicy LGBTQ romance that kicks off a new series. I’m already looking forward to more, especially since secondary characters like Iris and Coal’s brother, Chris, were such vibrant parts of the story.

The audiobook was a solo narration by Ellis Evans, a new-to-me narrator whom I really enjoyed. It is 12h 23m at 1x speed.