This book was unfortunately not my cup of tea. It was a bit goofy and I just didn't quite connect with the characters. I really wanted to love it, but in the end it was more of a 'just ok.' I will certainly try more from Burton as I have read other books by her and enjoyed them, this one just didn't quote connect for me.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I DNF this book as it did not keep my interest.

Holiday stories season is officially around the corner and I just had to read this one because Jaci Burton is one of my all time favorite authors at writing Christmas books. Seriously, if you haven’t read her holiday romances you are missing out. But here’s your chance to pick one up.

THE MATCHMAKER’S MISTLETOE MISSION is about Alice who works as a professional matchmaker in LA. She comes to Oklahoma for her best friend’s wedding and she’s here a little early to make sure everything is in order before her friend arrives at the vineyard where the wedding will be held. But the weather takes a turn for the worst unexpectedly and she ends up stranded at said vineyard during a snowstorm along with their hot cowboy neighbor.

Even though this is only a novella is packs all the feels that I needed from a holiday story. The weather and decorating all while getting to know someone that on paper seems to be all wrong for you. This may have an easy solution in the end but it still didn’t take away from how sweet of a story it was and how much I enjoyed it. There’s plenty of chemistry between Alice and Clay to melt the snow around them 😉

And then we have the side characters. I may even go as far as saying I was just as excited about that then this romance. I even did something I don’t usually do and read the excerpt from the next book at the end of this novella. I don’t know why because it’s only left me even more anxious to get to read it. This will be such a cute series and I literally can’t wait.

If you’re looking to get the holiday season started off on the right note, pick this novella up. It’ll leave you with a smile on your face.

I started and stopped reading this novella multiple times. I didn't feel any connection to the characters and worse, I didn't feel any connection between the hero and heroine. I am going to give this one a pass but I will try to read Jaci Burton again in the future.

DNF
This was really boring, in my opinion. I really wanted to enjoy it but had a hard time feeling the connection between the couple.

Attempts at witty repartee are forced and full of cliched lines. Didn't work for me unfortunately. As short as it is, I felt no desire to finish.

This was just okay for me. I don’t love novellas before series starting and this was no exception. I think I would have preferred to start the series with a full length book. I didn’t feel invested in these characters at all and found their romance to be missing something. I’m looking forward to reading the first book in this series but I wouldn’t recommend this novella.

The Matchmaker's Mistletoe Mission is the start of the new Boots and Bouquets series from Jaci Burton. This is a novella-length story and is super fast-paced.

When Alice is snowed in at the Red Moss Vineyard before her best friend's wedding, she knows she will go crazy without anything to do. After meeting sexy cowboy neighbor Clay Henry, she sets her sights on putting her matchmaking skills to work for find him the perfect mate. The fact that Clay has already set his sights on Alice only made this story even more fun.

I loved the banter and chemistry from the beginning between Clay and Alice and loved seeing the fall so quickly the more time they spent together. Yes there was a bit of insta-love in this story, and it completely worked for me. I already want to read more stories that will take place at Red Moss Vineyard. Ms. Burton completely charmed me with The Matchmaker's Mistletoe Mission.

Rating: 4 Stars (B)

Stranded in a vineyard - not that bad if you ask me. Jaci Burton uses a novella, The Matchmaker's Mistletoe Mission, to kick off her Boots and Bouquets series. I am pleased that this novella is so very balanced. She didnt sacrifice story for series setup. There is a sexy romance at the heart of this book. The heroine and hero are quite complex as novella characters , and I hope to see them pop up at times during the series. The secondary characters are engaging, and the setting beautifully drawn. Im looking forward to the first full length story.
3.5
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Can you believe this is my first Jaci Burton book? I'm almost embarrassed to admit it. It was a total hit. This Christmas novella was fun, festive and smoking hot. It also did a great job kicking off a new series I'm super excited to read more of. I'm a sucker for cowboys, y'all. Also, opposites attract. Add in some forced proximity and instalove, which isn't always my preference but totally worked here, and I was all in. Alice and Clay were great together and I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read.

I requested this mainly for the cover, I love all these cute illustrated covers. Sadly the story didn’t live up to my expectations. Alice and Clay relationship didn’t seem believable. I liked the snowy atmosphere but that wasn’t enough.

The Matchmaker’s Mistletoe Mission (Boots and Bouquets 0.5). By Jaci Burton. 2019. InterMix/Berkely Publishing Group (ARC eBook).

Alice Weatherford is a L.A.-based matchmaker who loves her job and believes strongly in her approach, which doesn’t put much stock in chemistry being an important precursor for a lasting-commitment. Acting as Maid of Honor for her best friend, Alice arrives at the Bellini’s Red Moss Winery in Oklahoma one week ahead of the wedding in order to help oversee the final preparations. What she hadn’t planned on however was the blizzard that strands her with the Bellini family and their sexy neighbor, Clay Henry.

Needing a project to keep her occupied she decides to put her professional skills to use and find the perfect woman for the single rancher. She just has to ignore the chemistry sparking between her and her new client. Clay, however, is more interested in seeing where the chemistry take him and Alice and sets out to win her heart.

A fun, engaging novella with a charming hero and a promising start to a new series by Burton.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
This reminded me of a Hallmark movie. I say that with pure joy as I always love a good Christmas Hallmark cheesiness.

This was super cute and short! I read this during the Christmas holiday, even when my family was over! I would sneak away and read a chapter but I was that addicted! I really love Jaci Burton’s writing, it’s so to fall into and it’s so much fun to read. I will say that since this is a novella the romance develops quickly and I wish I got to enjoy this couple longer. I felt like it all wrapped up so fast and the conflict had a really easy solution I really liked the Oklahoma setting and throw in the snowed in Christmasy feel and this is the perfect winter escape! Plus Clay was super hot! I really liked all the side characters, in fact that was a highlight of the story. I loved the family aspect! I can’t wait for Erin and Jason’s story! I’m looking forward to more of this world Jaci has created!

Loved this novella so much! It definitely wet my appetite for the first full book of the series AND introduced me to a new (to me) author. Highly recommend this read if you’re looking for a cozy/sexy romance.

Story

I was excited when I got approved for this holiday novella and first “book” in the Boots and Bouquets series. It seems like these books will center around the Bellini family’s winery (Red Moss Vineyard), where the entire family hosts weddings and – obviously – makes some wine! There are a number of siblings and parents who work there, so this novella did a good job of setting the stage for the series and introducing the characters. Aside from that, Alice meets Clay (the rancher next door) when they’re forced to sleep over the vineyard. They have some instant chemistry but she still pushes the idea of utilizing her matchmaking service on him.

They end up spending more time together and boy did this get steamy for such a short little book! I love when I can FEEL the chemistry between the characters in such a short book. Very strong instalove here but it is what it is. Some things were too convenient, like how his house was EXACTLY like the house she’d always wanted??

Wintery Setting & Holiday Feels

The main reason that Alice is stuck at the Bellini vineyard is because of a major unexpected snowstorm, which certainly added to the winter vibes of this one. It takes place in December because her friends’ wedding is an OUTDOOR ceremony then (yikes). Being snowed in with a potential romantic partner is one of my favorite holiday book tropes! There were some good Christmas decor moments and the snowiness was nice, but nothing crazy from a holiday perspective because it was before Christmas.

Overall

I really enjoyed this steamy lil novella! Frankly, my plan to read this before Thanksgiving would have been perfect – it has just a touch of the holidays through decorating for Christmas and being snowed in, but nothing majorly holiday-ish. This would be the perfect quick read to get into right before December. I’ll also say that this book makes me REALLY excited for the rest of the series, which is an excellent sign.

Summary
Alice, an LA native and matchmaker, is in rural Oklahoma to help prepare for her best friend's upcoming wedding. Unexpectedly, there is a massive snow storm that traps Alice at the venue, a beautiful vineyard ran by the Bellini family. Also unexpectedly, ruggedly handsome Clay is stranded at the vineyard with her.
Clay is a rancher and happily single. And he wants no part of Alice's plan to find him his perfect match. Especially since the only person he wants is Alice.

Overview
➸ POV - 3rd Person, alternating between Alice and Clay's POV

➸ Alice Weatherford - LA native, Matchmaker, Maid of honor in her best friends wedding

➸ Clay Henry - Oklahoma, Rancher

➸ Content Warnings: None

My Thoughts
This just didn't do it for me unfortunately. This had some really cute moments! But overall I didn't jive with the writing or the overall plot.

I thought the chemistry and "relationship" between the two main characters was actually really sweet. I felt the connection between them and really liked the glimpses into their slice of life moments. But this was way, way too insta-lovey for my taste. I'm also for insta-attraction but when characters are dropping the L word after a couple of days and minimal contact I can't get on board.

I also found the dialogue to be really awkward and unnatural feeling. I was also so aware of these being words on a page rather than getting pulled into a story. There were so many repeated unnatural conversations - honestly the first 20-30 pages of this is just a new character being introduced and them making the same comment on the weather. Character names were overused in dialogue, and overall this story just felt never flowed or felt real to me.

Also, the main conflicts were completely self-imposed which was so frustrating as a reader. I wanted to shake the heroine at times.

Unfortunately I don't think this series is for me, and I don't plan on continuing on. I do think this had some great Christmas-y vibes if you're looking for something to quick this holiday season. But overall I didn't love or jive with this.

This review is live on Goodreads and will be posted to my blog on 12/28/19

I didn't like this one as much as I wanted to, unfortunately. It was a quick read, since it's a novella, which I liked — but it all happened way too quickly for me. I felt like the story ended just as I was getting into it. I loved the characters and the setting, though — I'd definitely read more about these characters!

I love everything Jaci Burton! She writes interesting, well thought-out characters with strong storylines. That being said, I was a little disappointed by The Matchmaker's Mistletoe Mission. And to explain, I'm disappointed that I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. I didn't realize this was a novella when I requested it from Net Galley.

With a romance novella, relationships and love happen in a lightning fast amount of time, and oftentimes it's not believable. I liked Alice and Clay but their whirlwind romance didn't sell me. I absolutely believe we'll be seeing more of this couple in future books of the series. I actually liked the secondary characters more than the main couple! The Bellini Sisters are fun and interesting and I hope we see more of them as well!

I've been in a Christmasy reading mood and I love this cover, so I thought I'd give Jaci Burton a try. This is my first book by her and I enjoyed it. The Matchmaker's Misteltoe Mission follows a matchmaker named Alice and a rancher named Clay. It was sweet, steamy, and cute. It was also very insta-lovey, but it was a nice Christmas romance.