Seas and Greetings

Christmas Notch #2.5

by Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone

The Rules:

No roaming off alone.
No secrets.
No bodyguard/client fraternization.
No olives.

This is Krysta Morton’s last job. She’s done with being a bodyguard and is ready for a real nine to five where work stays at work. But when Addison Hayes’s manager offers Krysta a ridiculous amount of money to keep the high-maintenance singer-turned-influencer safe on a cruise, Krysta can’t make herself say no. Not when the money means that she’ll be able to set her grandma up at the nicest senior living community in town. (It has a brand new pickleball court! And a juice bar!)

Addison Hayes is at the top of her game. After a long and healthy career as a B-list celebrity, she’s successfully made the transition to lifestyle brands and her dream of expanding her empire into hotels and cruises is within reach. With her first branded cruise about to disembark, she’s in dire need of hired security while she curates the passenger experience and oversees the debut run of The Lion and the Lamb, her first attempt at producing a musical (and her ode to all things Twilight).

With Krysta’s no-nonsense attitude, Addison is certain her newly hired bodyguard loathes her. Then a steamy shore excursion reveals that Krysta’s icy shell is hiding a simmering hunger. And if this bodyguard isn’t careful, she might start breaking her own rules…

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Audiobook, Novella, LGBT, Holiday, Contemporary

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 9, 2024

About the author

Julie Murphy lives in North Texas with her husband who loves her and her cats who tolerate her. After several wonderful years in the library world, Julie now writes full-time.

When she’s not writing or reliving her reference desk glory days, she can be found watching made-for-TV movies, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, and planning her next great travel adventure.

She is also the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels Dumplin’ (now a film on Netflix), Puddin’, Pumpkin, Ramona Blue, and Side Effects May Vary. Her middle grade novels include Dear Sweat Pea and a forthcoming 2023 title. She is also Disney's If The Shoe Fits, a modern day romcom retelling of Cinderella. Her writing partner is Sierra Simone and their romance debut is A Merry Little Meet Cute.

Julie has been featured in places liek Good Morning America, The New York Times, and Teen Vogue. Dumplin' was also named one of the best young adult books of all time by Time Magazine.

Reviews

[blank ⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine. Nothing mind-blowing, but a quick read that scratched the itch I had for contemporary romance.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Am I the only person who did NOT remember who the fuck Addison Hayes was when starting this? It was such a departure from the Christmas Notch crew that I was honestly so thrown. Novellas are tough as it is, but when the character didn't make a big enough impression prior to, it's even more difficult to establish any care for them in 150 pages.

There was also a lot of foreshadowing that felt unnecessary. If I never see the word August again it'll be too soon. Between that and the exposed allergic reaction video... a whole lot of build up for things that didn't matter? This whole thing read like first-world-problems but worse... rich-people-problems? IDK man just... nah.

I did like Krysta and would've rather the story been from her POV. The spice was spicing.. and I wasn't mad about it.

This would've been just a mid-book if it wasn't for the stiff clit. In which I promptly wanted to vom and now have a new trigger. IDK why that description icked me so much but the ick was ICKing majorly. Immediately no. Minus one star for that description alone.

Can't say I'd recommend this one. Even if you're a fan of the series, it's just not necessary.

[Suz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oooh not for me. I didn’t care that it was smutty, sexy, full of horny characters, it was just kind of.. silly.

The storyline was boring and unlikely, and the characters just seemed cardboard cutout.

It was kind of spunky I suppose, but I can’t say anything overly positive.

Maybe I missed the train on this one.

I listened to this on the Libby platform and my public library. Narration FUN and ROWDY. There. There’s my positive.

Probably more 1.5⭐️

[Eva ✧ ࣪ ⋆ ⁺₊ ⋆ evathedreamer ₊˚.⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊ ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and hot love story 😁
Short and sweet 👍

Around 3.75 ⭐️’s

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶️

[Grace Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

the main books in this series are so strong i’m always confused how the novellas end up faltering

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

You really have to read the synopsis to know anything that's happening in this novella.

You're dropped smack dab in the middle of the maiden voyage of a cruise, organized by an influencer/socialite who is trying to make a name for herself in the hospitality industry and for some reason she has a bodyguard?

The plot was too far-reaching for me. There's a Twilight inspired play that's being sabotaged by a jealous assistant who wasn't allowed to audition, and she thinks that blackmailing Addison is her ticket to fame. Honestly, it was all quite overdramatized.

Add in the subpar spice and lack of chemistry between Krysta and Addison, and this really did nothing for me.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new, super STEAMY, Sapphic romantic suspense novella set in the Christmas Notch universe that sees Addison, an influencer trying to launch a Cruise experience falling for her hot female bodyguard, Krysta.

While things heat up between the off limits Krysta, a stalker comes for Addison threatening to blackmail her in exchange for a "favor." This was fun, flirty and great on audio narrated by one of my favs, Joy Nash. Highly recommended for a quick beach read experience!

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok this was fun! I’m always down for a quick novella and this one delivered! Sapphic, bodyguard, set at sea on a cruise ship! This series has been so fun on audio in particular and this one was no different.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun romp! Love the sapphics!

[Michela · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

NOT THIS being my ONLY American 5-star romance of the year!!!! FREAKING FINALLY.

I’ll never take any popular recs ever again and will just do my own thing cause AMAZING things are out there if you go beyond Elsie Silver, Emily Henry and the likes.

OMG what can’t Sierra Simone do? I’ve honestly always really liked her, but wow I didn’t know she could write these types of books too??? And FF??? And I’ll have to read Julie Murphy now too cause this was just too good.

First of all, for some reason I am obsessed with romance books about over-the-top influencers (anything that reminds me of Piper Bellinger is enough to make me like a book), so I obviously adored Addison. And Krysta was freaking amazing!!! What a spin on the classic alpha hero!! And the audiobook????? Helloooooooooo? Give them an award.

I also adored everything else about this book: the setting, the side characters, THE WRITING, THE HUMOR (it was actually funny like can you believe it?) !!!!!!!!!!!! The sex, the ending, EVERYTHING.

BEST GENRE BEST FEELING EVER I LOVE EVERYTHING GIVE ME MORE OF THIS AAAAAAAH ❤️❤️❤️

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. It came together fine, I just am not invested in these characters like the others in the series.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yikes! Never have I read a book that was this painfully hetero whilst being a Sapphic Romance.
This is so cringeingly a hetero author writing a hetero romance but changing the male character to a butch, and I tried my very best not to take offense, but the spice scenes balance so precariously on the edge of consent, and are nothing like wlw intimacy that it turned my stomach more than a bit. Bleugh!

[lauraღ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted Krysta to see right through me. I liked the feeling of it.

3.5 stars. I'm kind of baffled by the relatively low rating this has; perhaps it just hasn't found its right audience. (I'm guessing that the authors' main readership isn't made up of people who read a lot of sapphic romance.) But EYE really liked this. Don't get me wrong: it's too short, pretty simple, and the writing isn't amazing or anything. But it excelled at what it set out to do: be a cute, slightly unhinged sapphic bodyguard novella with some humour and some smut. I ate this up. Addie, the main character, is an influencer and mini celebrity, trying her hand at her first branded cruise. Krysta, her love interest, is her new bodyguard, hired specifically for the occasion. At first, Addie thinks Krysta hates her, but things soon start heating up on the open seas. There's a little suspense, a little peril, a lot of those little bodyguarding moments that I live for in romances like this. I don't really care about Twilight, and when I heard there were going to be Twilight references, I was prepared to cringe. But it ended up being pretty lowkey, and kinda fun. (Especially for the dance scene near the end!) I loved both characters and their opposites attract vibe, with Addie being all perky and efficient and fun, and Krysta being a little broody and scary. All of the humour worked for me, even when it got silly. And the smut REALLY worked for me, even when it got OTT with the dirty talk. Krysta is a dream. I'm pretty sure I was literally, physically twirling my hair around a finger at one point.

Listened to the audiobook as read by Joy Nash, and I really liked it! She put so much heart and personality and humour into Addie's narration. I also mostly liked her voice for Krysta, though I will say, I think she pitched her register just a teeeeeensy bit too low for Krysta. Instead of sounding butch (which I'm assuming was the target) she just sounded like... 'woman putting on a dude voice'. Which, you know, leapt right over 'sexy' and landed straight on 'a little silly'. To me. But like, only a little! I really enjoyed the audiobook for the most part, and I'm really glad I gave this a try. It would have been even better as a full length novel, so I'm a little sad for what could have been. But I still appreciate this for the sexy, fun time it was.

“Is that a promise?”
“Even better,” Krysta murmured. “It’s a rule.”

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super cute continuation of Addison's story. The spicy scenes were hot 🔥 🥵 😍 wish it was a full length novel! I want blue glasses and a Twilight musical!

[tane'a · Rating 4 out of 5]

ate it up like i knew i would !!

[Maxine Springer]

I loved the first in this series, but as it’s gone on, I’m less and less into it. Overdone bodyguard trope and a few too many “mommy” references for me. Just couldn’t keep going.

[Ruxandra Grrr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back to the world that mixes sex workers and former boy band members with hilarious results! Sadly, this didn't have a sex worker or a former boy band member. I had fun with the audiobook while cleaning up my house, and I did find it quite hot.

Cause Krysta was performed by the narrator in a way where she sounded like Rosa Diaz from Brooklyn 99 (hot! and Rosa is a bisexual icon imo) and I did really like her character - former stuntwoman, current bodyguard and very sexy masc energy! Unfortunately, even though Addison's narrative first person voice was pretty fun and funny, I didn't really connect with her as a character, an influencer who is launching her own cruise and has a million businesses, blechh. And her Twilight obsession didn't connect with me, cause I never connected with that phenomenon. But I did find some of the references funny, like when Krysta applies some sunscreen and it turns out that it's glittering sunscreen.

I was annoyed that apparently Addison proposed a month after the cruise?! Gosh, that's just so meh, especially combined with casually mentioning knowing a lot of queer people who aren't interested in marriage - I want to read a novella about those queer people, please!

All in all, it was fun, excited for the next (final?!) book in the series, which I'll be reading very soon.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. Cute! This was lighthearted, humorous, sexy, and just a lot of fun. I’ve read better (sapphic) from Sierra Simone but this was so entertaining. It’s 2.5 in a series but the other books are M/F and I have no interest in those but I think this works just fine as a standalone.

I will say that Addison is a dumbass. Girl, you have a (smoking hot) bodyguard following you around to protect you so why the fuck would you not tell her about the stalker that you have? Just dumb. And then Krysta had to find out about it from seeing a note instead of Addison being honest from the jump. I couldn’t stand that. Don’t get me wrong though, I really liked Addison. She’s fun and likable but that one thing annoyed me. She was great though.

Krysta…whew! I love her. She’s mysterious and hot as hell and kinda toppy and I love her. Did I say that already? She was awesome and badass and I loved that once she found out about Addison’s stalker she was so protective. It was so swoony. She and Addison were great together. I liked their chemistry a lot and the sex scenes were hot.

As likable as our leads are they are underdeveloped and feel a bit one dimensional but to be fair this is less than 150 pages. I think this would’ve benefitted greatly from being just a bit longer but for what it is it’s a good time.

[Megan ~The Never Ending Book Basket · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough, good things about this series. I’m not sure what Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy infused into their words, but it is practically like drugs. Because I am addicted. And I can’t get enough. Their words together are magic and creates such a dynamic and memorable and vibrant and just Unforgettable feeling. I truly cannot say enough how much I’ve enjoyed their stories and this series is truly one of my all-time favorites. I am in love with this world, I am so in love with all of these characters and their antics and their personalities, and every jump back into this series makes my heart happy.

When I say that I love this world, I truly mean that with my whole heart. I just love all of these characters. And this story was no different. I love that these authors. Write these novellas because it’s the perfect in between of the full length novels that brings me back to this world, that gives me the crazy fun antics of all these characters and all of the heat, while also just reminding me why I love this entire series in the first place.

I loved everything about Addison and Krista‘s story. Those two definitely had an enemies to lovers vibe going on, that quickly becomes something super spicy and something so so real. I lived for their dynamic and back-and-forth. Getting to watch it all play out over the course of this book was truly the best. Those two definitely have a fiery connection that I was obsessed with from the very first moment I met them and I loved getting to see them find their way together.

What I love about every book in this entire entire series is that there’s such a good story and a fantastic romance, completely woven into a story of humor and laughs and just a little bit of craziness and the best way. I mean this book had a twilight parody mixed in with , a woman discovering who she was, and who she wanted her life to be, while also having a little bit of a mystery thrown in, and experiencing a serious connection with another woman (for the first time!) that she had just met.

I loved getting to see all of that play out. These authors just mix everything together in the absolute best way and it makes for a phenomenal story from start to finish. You just can’t help but enjoy what you’re reading. It’s fun and spicy and vibrant and full of so much life and personality and it’s truly the best getting to experience, all of that.

I also just have to say that the narration of the series in audiobook is perfection. It is what made me fall in love with the first book in this world, and I have listened to every other book. The narrators these authors have chosen are truly these characters. I have loved getting to listen to these books because it is truly an experience in the best way. It’s just another thing pulling me in fiercely to what I’m reading and it just has me smiling and loving everything with these characters. That was no different listening to this novella and I just loved it. I loved it so much!

I highly recommend this novella and this entire series because it’s so good. It’s well written, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever read, and it just makes my heart happy. These characters are truly my happy place and I cannot wait to get more with them in the next story. I love that each new book brings them all closer together and connect into the others because it just makes me love this world with my whole heart. There’s just something truly special about characters that keep going back to a small town obsessed with Christmas And getting to see them all find their way and they’re happily ever after has truly been the best.

[Ella · Rating 1 out of 5]

No, this feels like it was written by a straight man???

[Marielli (lellireads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. The whole Twilight musical and all the references throughout the story were fun, but I’m still confused about what Addison is famous for. Like… is she just famous? Is she a singer, an actress, a nepo baby? I feel like I missed something here 😂

The blackmail plot didn’t work for me. I mean, it’s a bodyguard romance, something was bound to happen—but it just took me out of the story. And the way it all unfolded was super corny. It felt like I was watching a low-budget daytime TV movie.

The spice was really good, I’ll give it that, but the romance itself fell flat. I just didn’t buy it.

[Jen's Quick & Dirty Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-Star Sapphic Cruise Ship Shenanigans

✔️ Single POV (Addison)
✔️ Set on a cruise ship
✔️ Open-door contemporary romance (4/5🌶️)
✔️ Tropes: Small-town romance; sapphic romance; bodyguard/client romance

Sierra Simone can write a bodyguard romance any time. This series is more like a rom-com and a small-town romance with quirky characters brought in from other stories in the series.

The stakes are low, and the romance is hot. It’s hard in a novella to have the characters develop feelings that don’t feel like instalust, but this “came” close.

[Kyra Bookdragonmom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was spicy!! I swear that woman gave a command and I was about ready to do as told. I had so much fun listening to this audiobook, I giggled, I squealed, I blushed... you get the picture.
As a book, like plot wise, romance and character development is more like a 2.75 - 3, but the banter, the pace, and the heat made up for it.
Much needed palate cleanser with all the fantasy I've been reading lately

[Liz | lizzuplans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, it was cute enough and fun to tide me over, but it is not the real deal.

Special shoutout to Addison being a total type A for awesome girlie with her planners and Notion and brand-new coordinating highlighters and pens, obvs!! I felt seen!

[Lynn Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smutty sapphic deliciousness. 🌸😚💓👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

[shannon✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable novella to listen to, the setting was fun too.

[Emily | sipsandshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute & hot sapphic novella! Absolutely don’t need to read any in the series to enjoy this.

[Johana · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved this! it was hot

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ebook. Library. One of the more enjoyable ones in this series.