Chapter 19: The Nightmare Before Kissmas pt. 2

Join us in this week's episode to discuss The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch. In this episode we talk about everything from the sexiest Christmas song to questionable romantics trysts. Please send us book recs and follow us on our socials @theRPHpodcast https://linktr.ee/raunchypowerhour

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to Raunchy Power Hour, a book club for discussing romance from the erotic to

(00:05):
the erroneous.
As always, this is an explicit podcast and contains strong language, adult themes, and
sexual content.
If you are sensitive to these things, we urge you calmly but sincerely to turn off your
radio now.
This month, we are reading The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sarah Rash.
This is part two of The Nightmare Before Kissmas.
This podcast will contain spoilers of the entire book.

(00:28):
If you want to read along with us, stop listening now.
It's okay.
We'll wait for you to come back.
This book contains themes of emotional abuse, abandonment, death, grief, and alcohol abuse.
You have been warned.
I'm your producer Ashlyn.
I'm one of Santa's helpers, Sydney.

(00:50):
I'm one of Santa's anti-helpers, Christina.
Now get ready to overthrow capitalism.
Okay.
Christina.
I have a question for you.

(01:12):
What's that Sydney?
There are a lot of Christmas songs out there.
Songs that are wholesome, ones are about like what kids want for Christmas.
But what's your favorite sexy Christmas song?
There's a couple options.

(01:37):
Does Last Christmas Count?
Wham.
Honestly, I'll count that.
Okay, then that's definitely my favorite.
Okay, okay.
Ashlyn?
I have a weirdly specific answer.
Okay.
My sexy Christmas song is from the hit sitcom Community, where the entire cast gets taken

(02:01):
over by the spirit of Christmas.
And one of the characters who is Jewish has a full breakdown and like is speaking in a
baby voice to the tune of Santa Baby, where she's doing like, teach a little baby about
Christmas.
It's so good.
That's a good choice.
It's so funny every time.

(02:24):
Good about that.
Okay, I will say Baby It's Cold Outside is my personal favorite sexy Christmas tune,
personally.
Can I shake it up?
I have a question for you, Sydney.
Yes, ask me a question.

(02:45):
Why is it so cold on Christmas?
So I don't know much about the weather patterns.
No, I'm cutting you off because it's December.
I walked right into that one, didn't I?

(03:05):
Yeah, I did.
I did.
Uh huh.
Uh huh.
I'm having a lot of cold times and needing to warm up by the fire with someone you love.
It's Nightmare Before Christmas.
So this is part two.
We are getting back into the book with our girl Sarah Ra'Hash.

(03:25):
Ra'ash.
I'm hoping saying her name right.
Ra'ash.
I feel like I say every author's name wrong.
Rash.
Rash.
Thank you.
Sarah Rash.
I am, you know what, I apologize to majority of the authors who say their names wrong.
Except for E.L.
James.

(03:46):
Fuck you, E.L.
James.
Anyway, you're getting cold and you're stocking this year.
So jumping back in, we get right hot and steamy yet again.
And it's because Cole has decided that after this, his whole thing with Hex got broken

(04:08):
up because of his dad, he's like, I need to go like talk to him about the collective thing
because I think maybe that could work better for the winter holidays as well.
So he's-
Talk to him alone.
How scandalous.
There's not even a chaperone around.

(04:28):
How dare they?
I do feel like we need to read a Victorian romance at some point.
I'm just putting that out there.
So he goes into his room and he knocks and he's like, hey, Hex, I want to talk to you
about the Autumn Collective and all of that.

(04:52):
And Hex is like, okay.
So they sit and talk about it and they talk about how the Autumn Collective, it's just
all of them pooling the joy together and how they pool.
Like I said, they pool it and then they use that to then build up their own holidays and
expand all of their influences and none of them go away.

(05:14):
And Cole is like, I really think this is a good idea for how the winter holiday should
go and Hex is like, yeah, I think that's really great.
But they're flirting the whole time.
They flirt the whole time, but then they start doing more than flirting and we get another
holiday.
There's a specific line that I did hate.

(05:40):
I don't know, Sydney, if you maybe you liked this.
They're talking about it.
Yeah.
And like at some point it's like, oh yeah, like Halloween.
You're right, Halloween is better than Christmas.
Hex says, do you want me to adopt you?

(06:03):
And what does Cole say?
He says, oh yes, daddy.
And then you keep going.
No, I thought that was awkward and kind of funny.
And then the finger guns.
He just finger guns at Hex.
It's like, oh Cole, I can't help you here.
Yeah, you're fumbling hard, my guy.

(06:24):
The second hand embarrassment I felt in that moment was rough.
I was going to make up for it when they start making out and they're getting a little bit
hot and heavy, a little touchy and Cole decides to like step back and Hex is like, but why?

(06:45):
And he's like, no, sweetheart, I want to take my time taking you apart.
I tell you, I'm like, hell.
There's a spice meter.
It was kind of at like a one, two, and it was like slowly creeping up and then all of
a sudden that dial just all the way full blast.

(07:07):
I was like, I'm sweating like a sinner in church.
I need to fan myself off and clutch my pearls.
Like who?
The yearning off the charts, we are truly yearning for each other.
And so Cole decides to take a step back and be like, I want to take my time taking you

(07:28):
apart.
And Hex is like, okay.
So Cole then says good night.
And that's just like, dear God, you're giving this man blue balls, but okay, that's fine.
He's like, I know Hex's hand on his mouth, the barest touch of his fingertips to his
lips.

(07:48):
I was like, you're God.
He's like, whoa, okay.
But then next morning, I love that Cole's like, I have to step out and like not get
too hot and heavy with him.
Next morning, Cole decides to bring Hex breakfast again.
Very cute.
But do they eat any of it?

(08:09):
No, because they start making out again.
And start getting again hot and heavy with more touching and stuff.
And the line, the moment when I'm fluent in your shivers, I couldn't, I can't, I can't
do it.
I can't.
That is, that is the fanfic writing that speaks to my soul.

(08:33):
And it just scratches that primordial itch where I'm like, that's the type of fanfic
writing I want.
I don't want it bad.
I just want it.
I want this.
It did.
It felt a lot like reading like fan fiction levels of like, you're finally actually getting
what the characters have been like hinting at the whole time.

(08:55):
Yes.
I was like, oh.
See I do, I do want to know if the author was a fanfic writer.
And if so, girl, what fandom were you a part of?
And what were you writing?
You have to tell me.
I was like, please just like, just tell me.

(09:19):
I just want to know.
If she ever wants to come onto our podcast, I will ask her.
Anyway, so a lot more touching and like fondling, a lot of fondling.
And then another line, this time Hex says it and it's more like Cole's like very high

(09:42):
strung and everything.
And Hex just goes, maybe you could do with a little with being pulled apart.
Again.
Like damn.
Back and forth is really good, like very good writing here.
I will say I think what Sarah does really great in this book is a lot of just the back

(10:06):
and forth banter between characters, which is very prevalent, I think with like mid millennial
writers who have come off of like writing fan fiction.
Like I'm thinking a lot of like Casey McQuiston here.
Like this is I can see a lot of red, white and royal blue influence in this specific

(10:28):
part of the book, which I'm not hating.
I'm not saying that as an insult.
I see the inspiration and I like it.
Thank you.
It's good.
Like it's really nice to have these scenes that are very like getting hot and heavy steamy.
But like they're not just like descripting what is physically happening.

(10:48):
There's a whole lot of like dialogue and I appreciate it.
And it's not like besides the daddy line I read, the dialogue is usually pretty good.
Like Sydney's been getting me a better sampling.
Okay.
But the daddy line was accidentally said it wasn't serious.
Except Cole.
Except Hex does ask, he goes, what did he say?

(11:11):
He goes, oh, do you want me to call you daddy?
And Cole's like, no.
And he goes, mm hmm.
I was like, okay, we're getting at daddy issues again.
Daddy issues and then all the time back to daddy issues.
Back to daddy issues.
And also we're just having a very serious conversation about blackmail.
Then they just like start getting grabby.

(11:36):
Anyway, as they're like doing all of this, Wren, who we haven't mentioned up to this
point, but this is kind of when she really starts being a part of the story.
Wren is the main assistant, like think right hand man to Santa.
So like he, she is his personal assistant and she's knocking on Hex's door being like,

(11:58):
hey, I have your schedule for today.
And Hex is like, go hide in the fucking bathroom, Cole.
And Cole's like, okay.
So scramble into there and then Hex opens the door and there's a little bit of tension
just because what's going to happen after all of this?

(12:18):
They're just kind of fooling around, but.
And Cindy, do you think Wren knows?
Like.
Oh, a hundred percent.
At this point.
A hundred percent.
The fact that the kitchen knows because it's hinted that the kitchen knows because he's
grabbing breakfast and they're like, oh, you're up early.

(12:41):
And he goes, yeah, I'm just grabbing stuff for Iris.
And they're like, grab the tea, which Iris doesn't drink tea.
Iris drinks coffee.
So that was the truth.
This whole time is like kind of goofy because they're like sneaking around for no reason.
For no reason.
Well, they're hiding from Santa.
So I guess.

(13:02):
You better not make out.
You better not cry.
You better not pout.
I'm telling you why.
You better not make out.
I'm telling you why.
And so I will say in this moment, I am annoyed with Cole because he's like being a pain in

(13:24):
the butt and not hiding and Ren is outside the door and then he's like, wait, can you
curse someone?
Blah, blah, blah.
And like, yeah.
So things are hinted at that do get like kind of fun later with the way that the holiday
magic works.
I think the holiday magic was fun.
I see the romance.
Does she write romantic or just fantasy?

(13:45):
Romantic as well.
Romantic.
I see it here.
Yeah, you see it.
You see the influence.
I was a little annoyed with that, too, but I did love that basically whenever Hex curses
some sort of Halloween party thing just like appears and just like a full jack-o-lantern

(14:06):
appears out of thin air.
It's like, OK.
Cool.
That's a little silly.
Yeah, exactly.
So, yeah, they're just like making out and they're talking about all of.

(14:27):
I'm trying to read my handwriting and genuinely, I cannot read it.
Well, it's kind of like they kind of get what do you say that?
Like, I don't know if this actually counts.
Was Ren like cock blocking because then then Cole leaves the bathroom.
I don't think she did it on purpose, but I think she definitely was like, hmm.
Yeah, someone's in there.

(14:48):
I think initially when she knocked, she was just trying to deliver the thing and then
she's like, oh, Cole, damn it.
So this chapter two also, it's really important because while all of this making out and all
this other stuff is happening, Hex reveals a bit about his family and it's revealed that
Hex has three younger brothers who are all triplets and he also did have an older sister

(15:16):
named Raven.
And I say it in the past tense because unfortunately, Raven did pass away in a car accident or something
like that.
It was very tragic for Hex and he originally wasn't supposed to be the heir to Halloween.
So like in the middle of a lot of smut, we just get like this somberness.

(15:41):
Was this a little odd at times where we would like go full steam ahead and then it would
go sad again?
But this is a very important plot point to know, which is about Raven being the original
heir and not Hex.
And Cole does say something sweet because I really wish I could have met her.

(16:02):
And Cole's like, yeah, I think she would have really liked you.
And I was like, oh, okay, that's really sweet.
It's so sad.
Again, this has been like, Raven's really present with all the characters.
There really is like a through line.
But I think what Hex brings up specifically in this is the reason he loves Halloween so
much and also Dia de los Muertos.

(16:24):
Oh, I remember now the context of him bringing her up.
They were sitting and talking about their favorite things about their holidays.
And Hex brought up that he specifically likes Dia de los Muertos so then he can set up her.
Oh, what is it called?
Ofrenda is the thing.

(16:45):
Oferetta is an offering.
It is the ofrenda.
Thank you.
So yeah, he sets it up to like.
He feels closer to Raven.
And I was like, oh, my God, that is so sweet.
And Cole's like, yeah, I don't really have a favorite Christmas tradition because, you
know, it's been feeling very forced for a long time.

(17:06):
And it's like, damn, Cole.
So yeah, a lot of grief.
And honestly, now that I think about it, the through line of grief theme is actually pretty
poignant, especially around the holidays, because it is hard to not have someone there
when they previously have been, especially if they're like a big pinnacle in like your

(17:28):
life, you know, like losing a mother or father or sister, you know.
Yeah.
And those moments like it's nice that they're also finding each other, that they both have
these moments of like feeling the loss during their own holidays and other like like holidays
kind of mixing it all together of being like, yeah, and I miss them all the time and especially

(17:52):
now.
And then they get back to being sexy.
Yeah, but they like they reminisce about how the fact that like either miss they miss how
the person was or was when they were there.
But then they are fine again when they get sexy.
Sexiness helps everything helps you pass sadness.

(18:16):
So as the day's going on, there's another event that Cole has initially opted out of
because he and Chris were working on rough letters to send to the different holidays
which had been blackmailed by Santa.
If you just know coming into the podcast, you're hearing me say that I'm so sorry.

(18:39):
But Santa blackmails people.
Evil Santa.
Evil Santa.
And how they plan to do this is that they are going to get into the oh, I had it.
I said it earlier.
The root planner, the planner root room, they're going to the place where all the addresses

(19:02):
are of the good boys and girls who get joy.
So to do that, Cole kind of brings Hex and Iris along after the event and then Chris
and Cole, Chris and Cole?
No, God no.
Cole and Hex.
Sarah, I love you so much.
Keep doing it.
Sarah, I love you so much.

(19:28):
Do not name your characters with similar beginnings of names or else you're dyslexic podcasting
host which is going to be reviewing the book that you've written will accidentally say
two brothers names at the same time and that's not good for you or for me.
They are kind of similar.
They give similar vibes.
Chris and Cole?
They both start with the kaka.

(19:48):
It's not good for me.
It's too much.
It's too much.
I can't do it.
I'm dyslexic and I can't read.
So they decide to go in and they get in.
Basically, Cole just asked nicely, he's like, can I come in?

(20:10):
And the guy's like, yeah, come on in.
And Cole's like, oh, I guess the reason they're just letting me do this is because dad didn't
tell everyone about the whole NUKOA incident and didn't let that spread.
And just to recap for listeners, NUKOA is back at the beginning of the book, Cole accidentally

(20:34):
caused a whole economic issue with a small city in a small country because he was trying
to fulfill wishes, Christmas wishes.
A meltdown and which is apparently hidden well despite the huge news.
Yeah, and the fact that with the holiday press wasn't able to get a hold of that, I thought

(21:00):
that was very odd.
You know?
Santa, Santa's powers.
Because like, he was waltzing in, he's like, hi, like route planning and they're like,
hello.
And he's like, you used to work in the stables?
And he's like, yup.
And I guess the stables didn't hear about it.
I don't know.

(21:21):
But yeah, apparently dad kept a really, really iron clad grip on it.
And through this experience, Cole's like, huh, so yeah, I guess he didn't really tell
other people what happened with that whole incident.
So I guess they are have all just been waiting for me to start training again to be Santa
someday or something.
I don't know.

(21:42):
But he has a little panic about not knowing if he's doing the right thing because the
last time he tried to do something right, it didn't go well.
And Hex is able to calm down and he's like, hey, you're learning.
You're trying.

(22:02):
Just take a breath.
You got this.
And Cole also then begins to realize, he's like, so if our own staff and people don't
know what happened with the new co incident, what do our actual people think of us?
Like, that's actually really good to know.
I was like, yeah, Cole, it is good.

(22:23):
Isn't this kind of the basis of like being royalty is like that's why his dad's cared
so much about their image.
And Cole has not thought about this.
He thinks about himself, but he hasn't thought about like, like thinking like, okay, but
what does this actually mean?
Yeah, he's learning.
He's learning.

(22:43):
He's getting there.
Which fair enough, I don't know how well I would deal with the stress of having the public
eye on me, especially on like very personal things.
And so we're thinking a lot about dad's manipulation and everything we've put out.
So they're able to get the addresses of all the different holiday kingdoms and getting

(23:08):
them.
So, but when they're about to go mail them out, they finally let Iris into the fold,
tell her everything about what's going on.
And Iris is obviously pissed because she's like, holy shit, Santa is evil, bad Santa.
And he's really causing a lot of problems.

(23:29):
And she goes, so how are you guys going to make sure Santa doesn't know that that these
like find these letters and Cole and Chris are like, oh, there's like a pause.
It's so good that they didn't think this through.
And Iris is like, are you going to use magic?

(23:50):
Because like if you use magic, then he may be able to feel that.
And they're like, oh yeah, no shit, we didn't think of that.
Or like, how are we going to mail these out?
And he's like, well, why don't we go to New Earthpole city?
So one, you can mail out your letters and two, so you can see what the opinion of the
people are on the royal family.

(24:12):
And Cole's like, oh, he's hot and he's smart.
Damn.
I can believe that.
He's really using up the whole like mischief night, which is fun because it's like Hex
has been kind of just like you get moments of like who Hex is, but I feel like right
here he starts joining the group.

(24:34):
Yeah, truly.
He's like, he's like, oh, OK, I'm ready to I'm ready to fuck around and find out, you
know, like I'm ready to throw in some tomfoolery.
So a night on the town.
Yeah.
And Hex is able to create just a portal out of blackness and like darkness and just fun
in general, because, you know, that's where his powers derive from.

(24:57):
And they all disguise themselves and go into the city.
And Cole asks a little bit about the image and everyone's like, we love Santa and Cole's
like, fuck.
Santa, what did you expect, my dude?
He literally keeps like pestering people and like he was a little too strong, like going

(25:18):
up a little bit.
He's not very good at this.
No, he's terrible.
He's awful.
And he like comes to the conclusion, he goes, fuck, it's going to ruin these people if they
like find out that Santa is not a good Santa.
And Hex is like, look at me.
Look at me.
It's one step at a time.

(25:39):
You can't do everything at once, my boy.
One step at a time.
He's like, he's really having to come to terms with the fact that he's royalty and that the
way his dad has like played them up is like they literally are just figureheads.
Yeah.
Kind of vibes is what they're like, what everyone in North Pole City thinks.
They're like.

(25:59):
Yeah, exactly.
I could see that being hard to come around.
And the chant was kind of goofy.
Christmas, Christmas, Christmas.
Christmas.
Yeah, they keep chanting Christmas because they're like pretty sure the Christmas prince
will win.
Yeah.
It's so stupid.
But yeah, Cole's like, okay.

(26:22):
And then this is when Cole then tells Hex about the Nukuwa incident and tells him about
what happens and Hex just again comforts him and is like, you tried to do something good.
You were naive.
You were misguided.
Yes, you caused a problem, but you did out of like a good heart.

(26:45):
And the fact that you're trying to learn and try to do better and try again, that's like
very brave of you.
And Cole's like, aw, I think I like this guy.
I think he's kind of sweet.
We're like, yeah, no shit, dumbass.
Good try.
I like right here where it's really cute when they're chatting back and forth and Hex is

(27:09):
being all like, but you tried.
You did bring joy, Cole.
It brought us together.
I know.
So sweet.
So cute.
I loved it so much.
Because Hex's whole thing is like, well, even if we only bring like a day of happiness,

(27:31):
like that's worth more than nothing at all, you know?
And I don't know.
I like, I like his viewpoint on that, you know?
But I loved it.
I loved it so much.
I was like, oh, also, can we do an honorable mention to the Zombie

(27:53):
Gingerbread Man that Hexicides to make for Cole?
Which was very cute.
It was fun.
The fact that like, they're all just like sitting there making cookies.
And I this directly must influence Cole later on when they do the cookie decorating.
Like, oh, 100% revisiting this, this he's getting these ideas of like, hey, how do we

(28:18):
bring people together with something a little bit more fun and less staged?
Crazy concept.
Which I think also then talk is commentary on like how we treat Christmas now, you know,
like all of the fanfare and everything instead of focusing on what the thing that's actually
important, which is spending time with family, loving people, spreading joy and cheer in

(28:41):
that way and creating memories, not all of the the plastic trinkets and the photo ops
and everything, you know?
Which was very cute.
Capitalism.
Capitalism.
There is again, there's that theme again.
God damn it.
We love it.
We love it.
We love it.
We love it.
Um.
So after this happens, we get, we get.

(29:06):
Sorry.
This is just such a funny segue in the book.
It's such a funny and weird segue because this is when we really have.
So we've had a couple smutty scenes, but this is our first like full on smut like sex scene.
I mean, actually, no, I take that back.

(29:27):
This is like our second.
But there are some weird points within the smut.
Like.
So let me go back before we jump, before we get to where I was just about to jump in.
We're at another event.
We've got, it's like some birthday for some person in the court and Cole is bored.

(29:52):
Being Cole, he's like, okay, I'm bored.
Hey everyone, we have like a special thing.
And everyone's like, okay.
Except the guy who's like, move out my birthday cake.
Which I was like.
I love that guy.
I'm like, where's my birthday cake?
I just want my birthday cake.
That's me too.
He gave us the same energy as the guy in Lilo and Stitch that always draw.
Yes, a hundred percent.

(30:16):
Oh my God.
And so they just, so Cole decides to kind of revamp everything and bring some of this
joy in to do like a movie marathon.
So he invites all the coiteers in and they're trying to figure out what Christmas movie

(30:36):
to watch.
And Hex is actually the one who chooses the movie, which is called the Christmas Prince.
And he loves Christmas movies.
He loves Christmas movies.
And everyone like tears up and is joyful.
And then Chris is like, come into my room.

(30:57):
And Hex is like, okay.
Which is so funny because it's like, you have such a really cute moment of Cole being like
a good Santa kind of where he's like, guys, Christmas joy.
And they're all loving the movie.
And he brought popcorn.
He remembered the cake cause he felt bad.
He did.
Yeah.
And then he's like, Hey, you want to go have some sex?

(31:26):
And then they do.
They do.
They do bone.
So I don't really know.
Okay.
So Christina, you have been around for a book that included some sex scenes, but this one,
I feel like is a step up for you.
We're going up in the spice meter for you, Christina.

(31:49):
How'd you feel?
How are we doing here?
What do you, what do you think?
We have gone up.
I would say, I think we didn't go up in like necessarily an amount, but we went up in quality.
Okay.
Okay.
I would say the quality went up where I'm like, okay, these are scenes.

(32:10):
Like they're not just like tossed in there.
I feel like these were like planned.
This one I will say was long.
It was, it was long smut.
We got long smut.
It was long.
Um, it was cute.
Um, I was a little confused sometimes.

(32:32):
I was really confused.
I was like, what body parts where?
Um, I did have to like think for a second.
I was like, Oh, I don't know where, where we're going with what, but it's okay.
We did figure it out.
It was my imagination.
It was.
I will say too, for anyone coming into this book, the smut is, is more vague than what

(32:53):
you expect it to be.
It's still, it's still explicit.
It was way more vague than I imagined based off of like, if you've heard about this book
on like book talk or bookstagram, people are over hyping the scenes in my opinion, as someone
who like casually dabbles into romance, I would not call this like high on the spicy

(33:16):
tier.
Say, so it is still explicit.
Let's just say that real quick though.
Like there's definitely, it's still explicit.
Like this is definitely not something for an underage.
Well it says the same.

(33:38):
This is not for the YA crowd.
Thank you.
That's what I was looking for.
I couldn't figure out the right way to say that.
Thank you for Ashlyn for saving my ass.
It's not a fade to black, but it is more vague than like, if you're a, if you're a fan fiction
reader and you're on AO3, it's more vague than, than that.

(34:03):
But from that, I will say there was one weird point in just the middle of the smut, which
just like drove it to a halt, which is when Hex reveals that the only time in which he's
been with someone, which was a one off like blowjob, it was with his dead sister's boyfriend.

(34:27):
Which after the funeral.
After the funeral.
I felt like that was a very weird point to make.
It was, it was a little weird.
Don't know why we had to put that in there.
I feel like we could have put it somewhere else.

(34:48):
And then cause like Cole is like, yeah, let me show you how you should be treated.
Cause that's not how you should be treated.
But I'm like, but wait, wait, wait, I don't know.
I had, I had some weird, it's not how he's supposed to be treated.
But at the same time, it's really weird that we like brought up trauma in the middle of

(35:09):
the pond.
And then they kept going.
And then they finished, they were fine.
They got through it.
So it was a little silly.
It was a little silly to include that there.
I will say that.
That's, that's a gripe I have.

(35:29):
So if you're planning on being like a skimmer, it is difficult in this book to be a skimmer.
I will say.
Don't skim.
Don't skim.
I'm not going to lie.
I got bogged down with how long this was.

(35:50):
And I originally started skimming through because it was so much, and I was on the bus.
I was on the bus and I needed, I needed to keep reading.
And so I started skimming because I was like, well, I'm confused with the body parts.
And then I like saw something and I was like, wait, that seemed like important information.
So I had to go back.

(36:13):
So I've been outed as a skimmer sometimes.
Sorry guys.
Horrifying information to learn.
Shame on me, but I went back.
I saw the fault in my ways.
I went back.
Shame.
And they went back to shame all around.

(36:34):
Yeah, they did.
Covered.
What?
Did you edit the joke you just said?
They went through the back?
They went, then they went back?
Yeah, I thought I made it on purpose.
I read it.

(36:55):
Just the way you said it like so casually and then did not react.
No, no, I got confused.
Sorry, my video feed keeps like pausing awkwardly.
So sometimes if I'm pausing, it's like scattered.
But you guys don't react, which means it's definitely on my part.
It was just so funny because Ash and I just went, whoa.

(37:22):
Yeah, no, on purpose.
That was a genuine Christina sex joke.
Good job, Christina.
Thanks guys.
I read it.
That was really good.
That was really good.
I'm bowing.
I was about to say you should.
That was a good one.

(37:42):
That was a good one.
Better than a lot of the ones I make.
So we get a little bit of a time skip after this.
It's a couple of days.
I don't know.
I think it was like a week or two, if I remember, which is quite a big of a jump.
I understand that we had to probably for like page count.
Yeah, and I think it's kind of vague on the time skip because he says like, because every

(38:05):
morning now my pillow smells like citrus and spice.
And he's like through these days.
And I'm like, OK, so about like, yeah, all right.
I do kind of wish maybe this is when Hex did the little trauma dump about his dead sister
and him having sex.
Yeah.
But it's a little more sense like bringing it up later in like a smaller scene, not the

(38:29):
really long scene.
Anyways, I'll sell party on it.
Yeah, it was just a little.
Hey, Sarah, if I can just call you that by your first name.
It was a little odd.
I will say that I loved I liked your book.
Otherwise, I liked it a lot.
Please don't hate me.
Anyway.

(38:51):
They do more so called us some more spontaneous plans, like including the other houses in
like the decorations and doing some cookie decorating in the kitchens with other people
to kind of like where he got the idea.
Interesting.
And he does more of this stuff to kind of like maybe bring some more joy to people,

(39:14):
but also to kind of combat the polished look his father had put around Christmas.
And after one of these days, Cole and Hex are in the empty hallway and Cole's like,
Hey, you want to come to my room later?
And Hex is like, Yeah, I do.

(39:34):
And as he says that, Iris comes to Cole telling him that his dad has found the letters that
he sent to the other holidays and he is pissed.
With like evil Santa rifling through.
Yeah, that's like damn evil Santa.

(39:55):
How dare you rifle through your son's things.
And Cole's like, I'll come find you Hex after this.
We'll talk and Hex is like, okay.
And Cole goes to his room and it's honestly it's a pretty intense it's it's an intense
scene where evil Santa is not happy with Cole.

(40:16):
I mean, and I think if I was in his point of view, if for a good reason, I would be
pissed not to the level in which he is at though, but like to be undermined and like
trusting even though.
Yeah, he literally says like he so King Claus says, did you honestly believe in the fact

(40:39):
that you could conspire behind my back and Cole just says, yes, yeah, I would be fuming.
Yeah, yeah, I would be fuming too.
But dad basically tells Cole that he is a disappointment and that he shouldn't have
trusted him and that he's going to go through with everything.

(41:01):
And Cole's like, well, why?
And evil Santa's like, well, I'm going to tell the Halloween collection, like collective,
not the Halloween collective, the autumn collective that all the blackmail because like you say
you care for this Halloween prince and Cole's like, no, don't hurt him.

(41:21):
Like you can't hurt him and all that.
And he then like basically says, well, did Hacks like co-conspire to do this?
Like how bad would that look?
And then says that Hacks has to leave and that he's no longer welcome in the castle.
And Chris kind of steps in to try and defend Cole and be like, hey, dad, like you're really

(41:44):
out of line with all this.
And Santa nearly hits one of his children.
Like and he like pulls his hand back, like almost to strike Chris.
Cole pushes him out of the way to take the blow.
I kind of shocked.
I had to go back and reread what happened.
So I was like, did he actually like hit his child?

(42:09):
And like he doesn't.
He they go and he like says, because Cole thinks he's going to.
But what he's doing is just an exaggerated gesture with his hand up.
And this is when Santa gets a little like even like he has a mood shift because he realizes
what Cole thought was happening.
Cole thought that Santa was going to hit Chris.

(42:33):
But Santa was just gesturing and Santa realizes that.
And he he just kind of like changes the mood in the situation.
And it says, I watched the connection sizzle across him.
His gaze going to his hand to my lifted arms, my thumb with Hex's skull ring to Chris on
the ground.
Dad's glare goes blank.

(42:54):
Yeah, that was it was really heavy.
And basically, evil Santa's like, you will dissolve whatever winter winter collective
you'll unsend everything.
You will marry Iris and Hex is leaving.
And Cole feeling defeated.
Just goes, yes, I'll do it to protect Hex.

(43:17):
And then here comes the third app break up, which I knew was coming.
I was wondering how we were going to get here.
And then we did get here.
I was wondering your thoughts on this.
If you expected one.
Here's the thing.
I expect one with every romance chap and with every.
It's very formulaic.
Oh, one minute.

(43:38):
Do I sound weird?
No, I don't.
I thought I sounded weird for a second.
Sorry.
Third app breakups are kind of like just a thing in romance books.
We actually talked about this with.

(43:59):
We talked about this a bit in our interview with Junyi actually.
She had read a book, which I want to go back to the episode and find out what books she
was talking about again.
But she talked about the formulaic, like the points in which you're going to hit in a romance
book.
And in almost within every single romance book, you're going to get a third app break
up.

(44:20):
Do I like this trope?
No.
Do I expect it every time?
Yes.
Was this the worst one I've ever read?
No.
This was actually made sense like this.
So this is an instance when an actual third app break up actually makes sense.
And it's not just to do that.
And everyone lives happily ever after.

(44:41):
Like seen.
Or like they get back together.
They kiss kiss, and then they have a sex scene like this one actually made sense because
there was actual conflict.
It's like, OK, well, evil dad is literally blackmailing my the guy I'm kind of seeing
on the side in his family.

(45:01):
And it could ruin like this holiday and everything.
And on top of it, my guy I'm seeing on the side also told me to not.
Like put myself in danger or or like protect my own holiday because he could protect his
own.
And I also don't know if there's a future, especially all this.

(45:21):
Like that's a lot of like actual conflict building up into the breakup.
It made sense.
But I was still disappointed.
Were you?
OK.
Ashlyn, were you going to say something?
Yeah.
The title of the book is called Romancing the Beat by Gwyn Hayes.

(45:43):
I'm writing that down.
I actually might read that.
It is the story structure for romance novels.
Good to know.
Romancing the Beat.
That seems like a I'm sorry.
For some reason, the title kind of sounds like a bad title for Justin Bieber song for
some reason.
And I can't I don't understand why.

(46:04):
Beauty and the Beat.
Yeah, you're thinking of the hit song featuring Nicki Minaj called Beauty and the Beat.
Oh, yeah.
I got to keep an eye out for Selena.
Exactly.
Yeah, you're right.
You're right.
So.
Cole has gone to Hex and Hex is like, what's happened?

(46:28):
Cole basically tells him what happens and Hex is not happy with how Cole handled it because
Hex is like, well, you kind of just folded immediately.
Like you say you have like all this trust in yourself and all of that.
But then like you immediately crumbled.
And also, I told you to like protect yourself and your holiday.

(46:48):
Like don't give up stuff for me.
And he reveals that it's personal.
Yeah.
But then Cole's like, but I really I know you're fine.
I can we can hear you just fine.
I'm fine.
I can't hear you guys.
You guys keep going in and out.
Really?
Yeah.

(47:08):
Like that's sorry if I'm like interrupting a bunch of because I'm like, oh, and that
was in the middle of a conversation.
Sorry.
No, you're good.
Okay, I'll go in.
And yeah, and then this is when Cole drops the L bomb, which is the I love you bomb.
And Hex is like, you can't say that.

(47:31):
And fair enough.
Honestly, Hex being like, whoa, we haven't even talked about what we are.
And on top of it, you're like doing all these things for me and which I did not ask you
to do.
There's a kind of thing he wants.
Yeah, yeah.
And but Cole does also bring up he's like, yeah, but I wanted to I want to know what

(47:57):
we're going to do after this.
And this is when Hex breaks Cole's heart, because he's like, I didn't expect anything
to happen afterwards.
And Cole's like, hmm.
I really wanted to do something like have something after this.
It was so sad.
It was sad.
And I see Cole's point of view, because he probably was like, well, I don't see why not.

(48:19):
And it's sad that they didn't have a conversation.
But it really proves of how short of a time that this has been that they didn't have big
conversations like, where is this going?
Yeah, they like they didn't just have the time.
And because of that, it just blew up in their face.
Because Cole was like, I know you love me.
I know you like have these strong feelings for me.

(48:41):
And Hex is like, well, then go through with the collective.
And they're at this like this stalemate.
Because Hex is like, I don't want you to protect me.
I can protect myself.
And like, I have all this pressure and I could do it myself.
And then there's Cole going like, but I love you.
I want to protect you because I love you.
And I want to help you if I can.

(49:03):
And it's heartbreaking.
This one this one was a hard third act breakup.
I was like, aw, so sad.
It was sad, especially like reading it.
Like I kind of felt like they were arguing the same point.
Yes.
And I think that's what actually makes it a good third act breakup is the fact that
they were basically arguing the exact same thing, but they were misunderstanding what

(49:29):
the other was saying.
A misunderstanding trope?
Well, misunderstanding in like the good way and like misunderstanding in the sense where
they both want the other to be happy.
But they also want to be selfishly happy themselves, but neither of them want to like, they don't
know how to say that to each other.

(49:50):
They don't know where the compromise is going to be and it's a hard conversation to have
just out loud when you hadn't figured that out yourself clearly.
Cole didn't think about this.
A lot.
Also, there's a lot in the air.
So fair enough.
So they break up.
A marriage is about to happen.
Yeah, I know.
Yeah, because Hex leaves the next is meant to leave the next day.

(50:17):
And it's the next morning and Cole has woken up in his suite after he went back to his
room the night before where Chris and Iris were comforting him and he wakes up to Chris
next to him making sure he's okay.
And this is when it is announced that well, it's not announced, but Iris tells Cole that

(50:40):
everyone now knows that she quote unquote, did not choose Halloween and chose Cole, which
is not true.
Obviously, we all know that.
And yeah, an engagement is announced between Iris and Cole and there's going to be a wedding
in a couple days because the whole thing was that they're going to do like a really quick

(51:05):
ceremony so they're gonna get literally married within like two days.
It's insane.
It's like kind of insane.
It's like how would nobody see through this but okay.
You can't just put together a wedding two days but anyways, it's revealed that what's

(51:29):
the theme of the wedding.
But as they're lying there and as Cole is reminiscing about kind of everything that
they were talking about, he kind of has like an epiphany, especially like considering like
the blackmail stuff and dad saying that he was going to tell everyone about the Halloween
Prince like co-conspiring.

(51:50):
He just went, wait, he's bluffing.
He's never actually done anything.
It's just his words like he's all bark, no bite.
And that's when Cole's like, oh shit, we just have to call him out.
Like call his bluff.
And that might work because he doesn't want the backlash of all the stuff getting back

(52:15):
to him because then that would completely crumble his whole facade around him, which
honestly, I was like, go Cole.
Okay, there you go.
So that's that brain cell working.
And honestly, that makes Santa even a little bit more evil.
Yeah, a little bit.
A little bit.
The fact he hasn't done anything and it's just him yapping like, oh, okay.

(52:38):
He's literally just yapper.
He is in a bad way.
Bad way.
They decide then to go through with the winter holiday collective.
And when Iris asks if Cole wants to include Hex in this, he goes, no, he broke my heart,

(52:59):
Iris.
Dramatic.
You're being a little dramatic, but okay.
I get it.
Spoiler, Iris does not listen.
Iris does not listen and neither does Chris, which fair enough.
So it's the day before Christmas and all through the house, Chris and Cole were stirring to

(53:21):
cause a coup.
Wow, what a good rhyme.
Thank you.
I tried my best.
I tried so well.
And they go in and they're meant to present the uninviting of the winter collective to
dad and they don't bring it because this is when they're actually wanting to plan to do

(53:46):
the whole bluff thing.
And then Wren, who we said was important, has come back into this mix.
She rushes into the room saying, no, sir, I actually already read over these uninvitations
in which the prince wrote and I already sent them out.
See?
And she shows him some fake uninvitations and Santa's like, yeah, I guess that makes

(54:09):
sense because you know, it's really close to Christmas and I'm really busy.
And Wren's like, yeah.
Need anything else?
Santa?
She's the queen of trying to do what everyone else is doing and doing it better.
She's bluffing better than anyone is bluffed.
True, true.

(54:30):
And when Chris and Cole leave the office, they're like, what the fuck?
How did she know?
And Wren just like tells them, she goes, hey, look, the staff is on your side.
We've seen what has been going on with Santa and obviously things aren't going well and
we would like to see some change.

(54:51):
And she posits that the whole reason that Santa's been acting out this way is because
he misses his ex-wife who also abandoned him.
So there's the abandonment issues coming back full circle.
So she posits that he wants to make Christmas better and reach so far because it's almost

(55:14):
like he's proving himself to his ex-wife.
Very baby come back vibes.
Like maybe come back to me.
Yeah.
Really thinks that he's going to catch her attention when she's like on a beach with
the beach detector guy.
Like that's very different vibes.

(55:35):
But Santa's trying.
Very, very different.
Santa is trying.
I feel like Santa, if you just move to a warmer place, she might've been fine, but she also
seems like a narcissist.
So who knows?
Who knows?
Different problem.
Different problem, different time.

(55:55):
And then it's the next day and it's Christmas Eve.
Things are going as planned and Chris gets ready.
No, not Chris.
Cole, I've done it again.
Cole gets ready for his quote unquote wedding.
And when he steps out, he and Chris are wearing similar outfits.
And then they realize that his whole wedding is themed around what?

(56:18):
The Nutcracker.
It's so dramatic.
Like they're dressed as toy soldiers.
And I'm like, you know what?
Get it?
You know what?
I kind of get it.
I was like, I risk this whole thing with wearing like multicolored dresses, like throughout
the, the book.
I was like, okay, wait, that actually would fit.
That'd be a good fit.

(56:40):
But as Cole is entering the ballroom, he realizes like how many like non friends are there because
of how Christmas has been treating other people.
And then this is when Santa intercepts Cole because he obviously sees the new, the people
who were invited in which he didn't invite in which Cole invited for the winter collective

(57:00):
and Santa is pissed.
And again, Santa's like berated, like literally drags him into the area where Cole had taken
Iris after the whole engagement announcement, like literally two weeks before.
And he's like, I trusted you.
Like how are you doing this?
Like I really thought you actually cared about the Halloween prints.

(57:21):
And Cole's just like, bet.
Do it.
And she was like, it's very father son because I, I really do like how like it's mentioned
here that Cole says I've never seen him this furious with me.
And you've got a Santa facing back and forth and he, he mentions here that he says you

(57:45):
get out there, marry that Easter princess and then you are done.
Do you hear me?
He doesn't even mention Iris by name.
At this point, these are the things and people to play her with.
And he's kind of lost, he's kind of lost his humanity at this point and he's definitely
lost his grip and is going off the rails, Santa off the rails a little bit.

(58:05):
Santa off the rails.
Be careful.
Be careful, grandmas.
He may come and hit you just because he can.
And then Cole hits Santa with a line and says that he, he mentions them all.
Oh yeah.
No amount of professional bring her back.
Y'all like damn.

(58:29):
What a slab in the face.
Like ouch.
Yeah, it did shut him up though, which is what was needed because right then is when
those holidays are brought into the room by Chris and Cole has this big speech of being,
like, hey, I really think we should actually work together and not actually, you know,

(58:54):
take your joy from the different holidays and being like, I'm sorry, like this has happened
and this is how Christmas has been acting.
I really want to do this better.
And they're like, yeah, and how can we trust you?
He goes, you just have to, like, I want things to be better for all of us in the future and
I don't want like holidays to go away and bring joy to the world.

(59:18):
Yada yada yada.
And everyone, then everyone claps.
Yay.
And Santa is stunned into silence.
I think he kind of leaves because he like, he just kind of departs the party.
Santa's like, before he does though, he does look to Cole and he goes, I wasn't going to

(59:38):
hate your brother.
Which he goes, but what stopped me is realizing what you thought of me.
And I'm like, I just kind of sat there and I went, you know, maybe that is a moment in
which he didn't realize how far off the rails he was because this man really needs.
He needs help.

(59:58):
And no one was like talking to him though.
That's like, and I get it.
Like Santa was kind of to the point where like he's hard to help in this situation,
but like he wasn't he wasn't getting any help either.
He has mommy issues.
Mommy issues for you.
Mommy issues for you.
Mommy issues for you.
Everyone gets mommy issues.

(01:00:19):
Everyone.
And so also Iris's dad is in please.
He's kind of like stunned in the corner.
And when everything like everyone cheers and they're like, yeah, this is going to be new.
So then of course, evil Santa then agrees to kind of step back and allow things to happen.

(01:00:42):
Basically in this he's just silently agreeing that this is what's going to happen moving
forward because there's nothing he can do to stop it now, especially since you know,
the blackmail and stuff is, is a little out there.
Not everything is out yet, but there's hints of it being like, oh, so we were doing some
shady stuff behind the scenes.
Okay.

(01:01:03):
He definitely like sprinkled like it's kind of like, it's like it's in the air and it's
like all throughout all of us, you're like, but where's hex?
Yeah.
And Cole is being drug out like to the dance floor by Iris and he's like, I don't want
to dance Iris.
I'm so tired.
And she goes, I understand babes.

(01:01:23):
I do.
But we have a little surprise for you.
And that's when the Halloween princess arrived once again, back into the ballroom.
And he's decked out and some color this time.
That's right folks.
He's wearing red underneath that black outfit.
Whoa.
Cause he's only been working.

(01:01:46):
I know he's basically been wearing black and this is like the whole thing that Cole needs
to like re-energize him and he like, he like pushes through the crowd.
He's like, hex, I'm so sorry.
And he's like, I need to tell you something Cole.
I love you.
Very sweet moment.
And they're pretending to like dance.

(01:02:11):
And then hex decides to use his magic again.
Yep.
Well, they do say before that, they're like, they're, they're like, oh, I've missed you.
And like, we have all this love confession scenes and hex does mouth to Cole.

(01:02:32):
He goes, kiss me.
And Cole's like, are you sure?
Cause then like, that's going to be out everywhere.
And Cole and hex is like, I don't care.
I just want to be with you.
And then that's when they make out and then everyone's like, what if the press finds out?
And they're like, I don't care.
I want to go bone my sexy boyfriend.

(01:02:53):
And then that happens because that is when, as Christina mentions, hex decides to open
a portal into Cole's room.
Which is honestly like, yeah.
You know what?
Honestly, I couldn't expect it to go any other way.
Those two were horned up for each other and yeah, they bone.

(01:03:17):
Yeah.
And I think specifically it's mentioned, um, hex says, can we go slow later?
So they're clearly not going slow now.
You know what?
Fair enough.
Fair enough.
Cause it was very, I did kind of like the line where he goes, I, it was the, yeah, I
want to go slow later.
He goes, I don't want to, I don't want to go onto the bed because I knew you'll worship

(01:03:37):
me, but I don't want to be worshiped by you right now.
I want to be ravaged.
I was like, oh,
So me is living for these lines.
I do live.
Well, here's the thing.
I have been trudging through so much mediocre or bad romance that I just need these little
kernels of goodness that get me through.

(01:04:00):
Well, there is a little bit of goofy sprinkled in here with like, I think a ghost decoration
pops up.
And the drilling happens multiple times.
Yeah.
Cause hex does cuss while they're having sex.
And that's what happens when, you know, he cusses.

(01:04:21):
And that's very cute.
I do, there is another line, but this one's actually cute.
It's not sexy.
I promise guys.
I promise.
I'm not horned up.
I promise.
This is the line.
It's at the end of chapter 21, but it reads, joy creates magic and I've never believed

(01:04:42):
more than with him.
And I was like, oh,
And then we get to our last chapter of the book, which I'll be kind of real Christina.
I didn't think this was the last chapter of the book.
And then when it happened, I was like,

(01:05:07):
And I want to discuss this after.
Okay.
I want to discuss this after we just talk about it real quick.
So they are, they're awake and they decide hex has told cold to meet him in Iris's room.
So they go to Iris's room for breakfast.
Chris gifts, um, hex a sweater that says all I got for coal.

(01:05:36):
All I got for Christmas was coal or something like that.
No, my stocking is there's coal in my stocking.
Um, and those two are being like cutesy and all that while Chris and Iris are like kind
of acting a little off and a little strange.
It's I deserve coal in my stocking.

(01:05:56):
And I have a guess on this where Chris is getting all of these sweatshirts and stuff.
I think Chris is using his Christmas magic.
Oh, 100%.
100%.
Right.
Cause he's just coming up with these really funny ones and I'm like, I think it's Christmas
magic.
So after all this kind of cutesiness slash awkwardness, Chris kind of like runs out of

(01:06:20):
the room and it's revealed that Cole has a lot of meetings and like some ceremonial things
with his dad and the other winter holidays stay.
And there's going to be a lot of meetings, like talking about the collective in the future.
And it's also hinted at that Chris has told Iris's feelings, but it may not have gone
well and yeah.

(01:06:42):
And then Hex pushes Cole to go like talk to his brother and they're like, can't stop
kissing and Cole is coming up with silly little like headlines in his head about like what
the papers slash press will say.
And it ends on a note of just like Chris, I think it's Christmas.
Prince falls in love with Prince of Halloween.

(01:07:03):
I think is what.
Prince Cole of Christmas is inexhaustibly in love with Prince Hex of Halloween.
Yeah, I think that fits best of all.
Yep.
And that's it.
We don't get any confirmation whether or not like Chris and Iris actually like talked and

(01:07:27):
I don't know.
Hints of like Santa's just kind of vibing like in a mouth.
I don't know.
I'll be real.
I didn't love this ending.
I kind of thought it was not quite done.
I thought we had at least one more chapter.
No, with the book being so heavy on all of the like actual goings on of the palace and

(01:07:54):
Christmas and then all of a sudden it's like and we're not going to like resolve that,
which obviously is probably going to be like a next book thing, but I'm like, it's weird
not to resolve the problems that you presented the whole book about.
Yeah, because like maybe instead of maybe the whole thing is like Chris is just like,

(01:08:16):
hey, yeah, I told her I don't want to talk about it, but just like be my brother.
And then that could be the ending of like that chapter.
And then the last last one is like Cole going to Santa and like doing all these things and
Santa is not is not like actively like being upset with him and it's like.
You did what you needed to do.

(01:08:38):
And like, I'm not going to stand in your way or something like that.
Like that would have been like little bow.
That would have been my little Christmas present, my little bow.
And then we could have had like the little headliner thing.
And yeah, yeah, instead we got more of like a montage like flash, not flashback, like
a fast forward where it's like a little hint of things are happening.

(01:09:02):
Yeah, but that was that Mike.
Yeah.
And then we got a little acknowledgement for like what's going to happen in the next book,
which is go luck yourself, which it comes up shortly.
But yeah, I don't know.
I I didn't love the ending.
I'll be real.
I'll be real and brutally honest with that.

(01:09:24):
But that's the end of the nightmare before Christmas.
Ashlyn, have you got any more questions for us before we conclude this one?
What can I say?
I'm a questioning girl.
So as you said, the next book, go luck yourself comes out in March.

(01:09:48):
What other holidays would you most like to see in this series?
Hmm.
So New Year's was mentioned and but no details were given.
And I'm very curious about what their vibe is.
Mm hmm.
I agree.

(01:10:10):
I do.
Valentine's was also mentioned quite a bit and I would like to see if there's like something
to do with like competing things between.
Like where does where does Valentine's Day fall?
Is it like a spring holiday or is it a more winter holiday?
Like that's interesting, you know, wintery winter ask.

(01:10:34):
Do we need to talk about our what our solstices are?
Maybe.
So the the spring equinox is March 21st.
OK, which would make February and Valentine's Day solidly winter.

(01:10:57):
OK.
Good to know.
And the winter the winter solstice is December 21st.
Which makes me an autumn baby.
Yeah, December is mostly autumn.
Interesting.
We I do have a point with the holidays.

(01:11:18):
Another funny one would be kind of like Fourth of July or like any kind of independence day.
Oh, independence days would be fun.
Yeah, is it like the court has all the independence days and there's like the American person?
Yes.
What do you think about the bank holidays, though?

(01:11:39):
What about just like one singular financial dude who's just like in his palace and he's
like.
So I've run the numbers and it's tax day today.
It's tax day.
Do you think religions are like one court and then they have a holiday for each like
person?
Because like, well, they use a lot of holidays.

(01:12:03):
Oh, true.
They didn't even mention.
Yeah, wild.
I feel like because Hanukkah is like maybe a little more be like more based in actual
religion.
Christmas has become its own beast.
That's true.
Yeah.
That wasn't so because I was thinking of that too.

(01:12:24):
Yeah.
Commercialism commercialism.
Damn.
So the book is told entirely from Cole's perspective, if you could get a single POV chapter from
a different character, who would it be?
What chapter?

(01:12:44):
Oh.
Oh, OK, I know I want Chris in the sleigh ride.
That's funny.
I like that one.
I would like.
Honestly, I would love Iris's POV actually from this ice.

(01:13:14):
Like the ice skating rink, because she's like put through a lot of shit and I think she
deserves a POV.
That's true.
She does.
Yeah.
Like we obviously know Cole's feelings, but she's a little more guarded and I kind of
would have loved to get in her brain and like see what that's all about.

(01:13:42):
OK, my last question before I ask for your rating out of five is if you could spend the
day with Hex in Halloween, what would you want to see and do?
Oh, I would want to see.

(01:14:02):
First of all, if the city area in which his people live is like Halloween town, because
Halloween town seems like the funnest place on earth.
I would love to meet up with like one of their makeup and costume artists and like just get
dressed to the nines in whatever outfit I want, you know, just like have fun there.

(01:14:26):
And then I would love to go to like a masquerade or like a spooky thing and just like have
fun and do stuff like that and maybe go to an actual haunted house and actually be scared.
Actually be scared.
I actually take that back.
I'm actually very terrified of haunted houses, especially the fake ones.

(01:14:47):
So I'm.
I think I would want to try the hot chocolate.
He mentioned that that is really, really good.
And I believe him.
And I was really focused on the food this whole book.
So yeah, I want to try the hot chocolate.
I want hot chocolate bar.

(01:15:07):
Just sit with his family and sit with his little brothers and then have a bunch of the
world's like different like popular candies.
Yeah, that's fun.
The brothers also I want to hang out with his little brothers.
They seem really funny.
Yeah.
Very chaotic.
I love that.
I love that.
You'll fit right in.
All right.
No, you have to ask us what our what our what our rating is.

(01:15:38):
You guys, what's your cute little reading out of five for this book?
Thank you.
I rated this personally a four out of five zombie gingerbread men.

(01:16:02):
I thought it was cute.
I liked it.
There are a couple of things that I didn't love, but overall, I would I would suggest
this book to someone if they were looking for something like cutesy and Halloween Christmasy
esque.
I think I'm like I'm thinking this because I haven't gotten to that yet or I thought
about what I would rate it.

(01:16:23):
But I'm thinking three point seven five.
I really wanted to like it, but I definitely stalled out right before the third act break
up.
I don't know why my attention just I lost it and it was bad, but it just didn't hold
up.
And I think it's because I held it to the standard of red, white and raw blue.

(01:16:45):
And that's so unfair to the book because it's not red, white and raw blue.
And that's like my fave.
But there like Sydney said, there were some moments where I was like taken out and I was
like, why?
So three point seven five.
Yeah.
But overall, would recommend I thought it was cutesy.
It's cute.
I don't normally jump in.

(01:17:07):
I don't normally jump in on the ratings things, but I do have to say I rated this like a four
point eight on my own spreadsheet and then a five on Goodreads.
Wow.
And a lot of that had to do with the fact that I have actually gotten to meet Sarah
Rash, like listen to her talk about her books, interact with her.
And I cannot be a hater of an author that I get to like hear them passionately speak

(01:17:30):
about their books.
Sarah, if by any chance you're listening to the end of the second episode of this book
and you haven't already blocked us, I love getting to talk to you.
Love getting to hear about your books and honestly, a banger loved it.
Fantastic.
Honestly, I would love to chat with you too.
And I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings.
I didn't mean to.

(01:17:50):
We have some questions and I meant like in this is the acknowledgments and I read them
because I love reading acknowledgments from the author.
And I would like to say that there was something mentioned about little candy, peppermint candies
as pet companions.
And I want to say why did you not keep that here?

(01:18:17):
But to all our listeners and hopefully Sarah again, please don't hate us.
Please don't block us.
We actually like you.
Please please.
Thank you for listening.
Please please.
Thank you for listening to our reviews of The Nightmare Hunter.
Before Kissmas by Sarah Rosh.

(01:18:41):
If you I know I said it wrong again, didn't I?
Rash.
He was introduced as Sarah Rash.
OK, I just feel like I feel I sound too Midwestern when I go rash.
Yeah, it's it.
It sounds off to me, but that's how she was introduced.
That's what I use.
OK.

(01:19:01):
Thank you, listeners, and hopefully Sarah for listening in to our episodes on The Nightmare
Before Kissmas by Sarah Rash.
If you enjoyed listening to us chat about this little Christmas book, well, you're in
luck.
We had another one that we did last year, which we actually didn't enjoy as much.

(01:19:23):
So if you want to see what an actually negative review of a Christmas book is for us, go check
out that episode.
And if you like to just listening to us, you've got so many other episodes to go listen to.
If you want to find us and interact with us, please, please, please go on to Instagram,
TikTok X and to Twitch and YouTube.

(01:19:49):
Go check us out there.
So go listen to us on wherever you listen to podcasts, which is I don't know.
You figure it out.
You're listening to one right now anyway.
And good night to all you gorgeous Grinches.
Toodaloo!
Toodaloo!