The Nightmare Before Kissmas: A Royals and Romance Novel
Ratings6
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings6
Average rating3.8
Featuring beautiful ruby sprayed edges! 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. 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.
Featured Series
1 primary bookRoyals and Romance is a 1-book series first released in 2024 with contributions by Sara Raasch. The next book is scheduled for release on 3/11/2025.
Reviews with the most likes.
The Nightmare before Kissmas by Sara Raasch
The Christmas Prince is being forced by his father to marry the princess of Easter... But Halloween isn't happy about the arrangement and sends in the prince of halloween to vie for her hand. Trouble is, both princes have met before and shared a steamy kiss. Can they keep their growing attraction at bay to keep the peace in the lands?
This book was funny! I loved all the banter. I loved every loaded second. The group chats were my very favorite parts!!!
I loved all the holiday politics. It was awesome. It was a lot of fun and watching the book blend two of my favorite holidays in this cute read made my day! Could have done with some more backstory though on the brothers and Cole's engagement to Iris.
-Holiday Romance CHECK
-Forbidden Love CHECK
-Mixing genres CHECKKKKK
4 stars and the audiobook was phenomenal!!
"The Nightmare Before Kissmas" promises an enchanting holiday romance that blends the magic of Christmas with queer representation but, unfortunately, falls short of delivering on its potential. This YA/New Adult novel, which follows Nicholas "Coal" Claus, the reluctant heir to Christmas, attempts to merge holiday whimsy with political intrigue but ultimately creates a messy, overlong narrative that loses sight of its core romantic elements.
The premise is appealing: a Christmas prince who falls for the Halloween prince while navigating family expectations and an arranged marriage—however, the execution has much room for improvement. At over 350 pages, the story feels bloated and meandering, with repetitive internal monologues and political subplots that detract from rather than enhance the central romance.
The world-building, while creative in concept - with different holiday courts each having their own royal families - never quite coheres into a satisfying whole. The attempt to critique capitalism and commercialization through Santa's empire-building ambitions feels heavy-handed and at odds with the lighter romantic elements the book aims for.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment is the romantic relationship itself. Despite being marketed as a rivals-to-lovers story, Coal and Hex's relationship lacks genuine conflict or tension. Their attraction is immediate and largely surface-level (they 'bump' into each other, and immediately start making out), with their interactions often devolving into cringeworthy dialogue and purple prose, particularly in the intimate scenes. The promised rivalry never materializes, leaving readers with an underdeveloped romance and lacking emotional depth.
The book does have some bright spots. Some of the familial relationships, particularly between Coal and his brother Kris, are well-drawn. There are moments of genuine humor, and the representation of queer characters in a holiday setting is refreshing. Afterall, that is what drew me to this book in the first place.
However, these positive elements can't overcome the fundamental pacing, plot structure, and character development issues. The third-act conflict feels contrived, and the resolution could have been more complex. The book's attempt to tackle serious themes about tradition, family expectations, and the meaning of holidays never quite lands, instead feeling superficial and disconnected from the story's romantic core.
While "The Nightmare Before Kissmas" might appeal to readers seeking holiday-themed LGBTQ+ representation and those who enjoy elaborate fantasy world-building, it ultimately fails to deliver a compelling romance or a satisfying fantasy narrative. The book would have benefited from tighter editing, more focused storytelling, and a clearer sense of its identity - whether as a light romantic comedy or a more serious exploration of holiday politics and family dynamics.
