The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (October 8, 2024)

A queer romance full of vibes and good intentions.

You won't know which is sweeter, the mexican hot chocolate you're drinking or the love story between our two holiday princes. Words that come to mind with this book are adorable, earnest and cozy.

This book is Red, White and Royal Blue wearing a toque and drinking a pumpkin spice latte. So if you resonated with RWRB, this book is definitely for you!

I agreed with the connection between this story and The Nightmare Before Christmas, however, when I think of the 90s film, there is some bite there. A little bit of horror behind the good intentions. I was hoping for a little more edge with our Halloween prince.

I loved bringing in other holidays and having our Halloween prince represent his heritage through his patronage of dia de los muertos.

Tropes you'll love
🎃 MM queer love
🎃 Rivals to lovers
🎃 Royal balls (innuendo intended)
🎃 Great side characters
🎃 Cozy/low stakes
🎃 Sleigh racing
🎃 Great audiobook

Let's take moment to recognize the amazing narration of Ellis Evans. He did a great job alternating between our two male main characters without confusing me between who was speaking. His comedic and sarcastic timing was spot on. This is my first time hearing his narration, but he's on my 100% automatic listen list now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced listener copy.

This book is best listened to while racing in a sleigh. Hold on tight to your rival, you wouldn't want to fall (in love).