How I'd have loved to have attended Emily's "12 Days of Christmas" party!! It sounded like so much fun and at times I laughed out loud at the situations she'd find herself with the various birds. This was such a wonderful story and I loved Emily and Cav's characters.

My heart did go out to Cav, though, imagine being in love with someone for almost 10 years but not being able to do anything about it. Emily was married to his best friend and after she became a widow, he was determined to be there for her as a good friend and nothing else. When she asks for his help at her party, emotions run high and when he finally kisses her, she's surprised at how much she wants him. They are two friends who are afraid of changing things in case it ruins their friendship.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

Both sweet and sexy, this author just keeps getting better and better! Looking forward to the next one

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Mismatched Under the Mistletoe is a second chance at love novella by Jess Michaels. When his best friend Andrew Rutledge told John Cavendish (Cav) that he’d fallen in love and was going to get married Cav had his doubts as he felt they had wild oats to sow and adventures to explore before settling down. Meeting Lady Emily made him understand completely why his friend had fallen under her spell because for him too it was love at first sight. Nine years later and five years after the sudden death of Andrew Cav is under pressure from his grandfather to marry and he realizes that the Twelve Days of Christmas themed house party Emily is holding with the idea of matching up some rakes and wallflowers may be his last chance to tell her how he feels and to see if there is any hope for them as a couple with out ending their close friendship. This was one of the best novellas I’ve read this year, Jess Michaels excels at the form, and I highly recommend it. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date: November 10, 2020. #MismatchedUnderTheMistletoe #JessMichaels #HistoricalRomance #HistoricalRomanceNovella #SecondChanceAtLove #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #NetGalley

John Cavendish has been in love with Emily for nine years. He never said anything because she was the wife of his best friend. Now that his friend is dead he is determined to make Emily his own.
A poignant story of misbegotten love. It has good character development and an interesting storyline.
Jess Michaels at her best.

Such a fun story. With lively characters and a mix of romance and humor, that creates a fast paced story.
The main characters have incredible chemistry and they make one of the most fun couples that I've read in the last month.
It is a novella length book so it is so easy and entertaining to read.

I received an Arc from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Nine years of unrequited....friendship?

John "Cav" Cavendish meets his best friends' intended and falls in love with her. He's an unrepentant rake (this part was kind of icky and honestly, unnecessary as we were hit over the head with it repeatedly as was quite frankly, distracting). Nine years, later, Lady Emily Rutledge has been widowed for five years and is joust moving on. So, she's throwing a 12 Days of Christmas party (this was clever and entertaining). Cav is her best friend and confidant, always there for her after Andrew died.

Emily is confused and just reawakening from a limbo as a widow. She's seeing Cav in a whole new light.
Cav is very well developed and understands Emily better than she knows herself (this was awesome).
What I liked was their communication and understanding. How close their friendship truly is and what's better than friends to lovers? Of course the path isn't easy, but I really enjoyed both Cav and Emily taking a chance and evolving their relationship.
Recommend.

Andrew and Cav are best friends and the towns most eligible rakes!
Andrew has found the love of his life Emily and has decided to marry. Cav can’t believe it, but once he meets Emily he falls in love with her also.
I don’t want to give to much away, it makes the story grander! I loved the book, never a dull or slow moment. The book flowed well, and it had some hilarious parts, I was in stitches!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and light Christmas novella, which I heartily enjoyed. Jess Michaels is one of my favorite romance authors and she never fails to deliver a fully thought out plot with a great cast of characters.

John Cavendish fell in love at first sight with his best friend's fiancée, Emily. Emily is now widowed and the two have remained close friends. Emily is hosting a 12 Days of Christmas themed house party and is attempting to play matchmaker to her unsuspecting houseguests.

It's an easy, fun read and perfect a mental break during the holiday season. I would recommend it for anyone who loves the friends to lover trope, or secret love trope. * I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #MismatchedUndertheMistletoe #NetGalley

John Cavendish has been in love with his best friend's wife, Emily for years, but has never told her even when she became a widow. He wants to tell her how he feels, but will he lose her friendship if he does?

This was a sweet friends to lovers story. I really like John. He was so noble always thinking about Emily's family to the detriment to his own sometimes. I was surprised Emily took so long to come to her decision about John. This is a quick read to a satisfying ending.

This was a wonderful Christmas novella. Cavandish has been in love with Emily since he first laid eyes on her 9 years ago. But she was engaged and in love with his best friend. When his friend unexpectedly dies, Cav and Emily bond over their shared grief and build a true friendship. But it's been 18 months since Emily reentered society, and Cav faces the fact that it's now or never. Emily plans a matchmaking house party, inviting rakes and wallflowers in the hope of inspiring a love match or two. But is she ready to face the truth right in front of her? The party (and story) is based around the theme of the 12 days of Christmas, which is fun and works well for the story. Cav is the perfect pining hero. The story between him and Emily is a perfect and sweet friends to lovers trope. The love scenes are signature Jess Michaels', but on the sweeter side for her. Plus, you know I love a good house party setting! So many opportunities for illicit liaisons. If you love a good Christmas novella and steamy Regency stories, then this one will not disappoint!

John Cavendish has carried a secret for most a decade: he has been in love with the wife of his best friend Andrew, Lady Emily Rutledge, since the first time he laid eyes on her. Unfortunately Andrew died of a fever five years ago & Cav & Emily have become the closest of friends. However now the holidays have arrived and she has invited him to a country party with a Twelve Days of Christmas theme. A party where she intends to matchmake all her guests. Emily has leaned on Cavendish during the lonely years since her husband’s death and she will lean on him once more at her party. Only nothing is going to plan. The couples don’t like each other, the birds are going wild and who knew drummers drumming would get so repetitive and LOUD? Plus, there is the fact that she and Cav are getting closer by the moment, igniting a desire in her that she never saw coming.
I just loved this story of unrequited love & adored Cav who although still madly in love with Emily was the rock she could depend on. He’s one of the most endearing heroes I’ve read in a long timeI also really liked Emily who couldn’t see what was right in front of her. I loved the house party, which added so much humour to the book & I found myself laughing at uncooperative geese to crying for Cav. A beautifully written romantic book
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

John Cavendish fell in love at first sight...with his best friend's fiancée. Cav spent years hiding his feelings for Lady Emily Rutledge. Even after Emily has been a widow for years, Cav still hasn't made a move, fearing the loss of her friendship. But he's getting older, and his family is reminding him he needs to marry and have an heir. His one last shot with Emily might be at her country house party.

There's a lot to like about this stand alone story. Emily is floundering...her husband's heir is marrying and she's about to be "replaced" as Lady Rutledge. She decides to hold a 12 Days of Christmas themed house party as a last hurrah and play matchmaker to unsuspecting guests, hoping they'll find love like she had and lost. Cav is by her side, as always, but this time seems a little different. He notices her attraction and dares to hope he has a chance as more than a friend.

I really liked both characters, but I loved Cav. He was just so sweet and wonderful! They had great chemistry and I thought the story was fun, well developed, and had good pacing.

Tropes: Secret Crush, Friends to Lovers, Widow

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #MismatchedUndertheMistletoe #NetGalley

In love with his best friend’s wife, John has stayed friends with Emily even years after his best friend has died. Emily has a holiday house party in order to try and match up couples that she thinks are perfect. Most matches do not occur, and the only match that reveals itself to Emily is the one John has been longing to make with her! I received an ARC from NetGalley and The Passionate Pen for my honest review.

A feel-good holiday read! I do like how the pining plot was set up at the start, a bit similar to another favorite, When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn. The book is short but well told, there is a lot of resolution and closure with how Emily deals with her growing feelings for Cav, and touches on her new reality as a widow and soon to be dowager. Cav is wonderfully patient as he waits for Emily to figure out the feelings, he knows she will over analyze because he knows her and has been a true friend for years.. I really liked this and will be reading this again nearer to Christmas!

I loved it! This historical romance is beautifully written and has excellent historical details. A friends to lovers theme, set after Christmas 1813. Great chemistry between Emily and Cav with many steamy and tasteful sex scenes after a slow burn romance. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in return for my opinion. I recommend this book for lovers of romance. 4.5 stars.

Jess outdid herself with Cav. He is the sweetest, kindest, most wonderful friend you could ever hope to have. He is lovely! The longing can be felt down deep. Can Emily love him as much as he loves her? I love the Twelve Days of Christmas theme. Everything in this story is beautiful.

I just loved it . An unrequited love between two friends . Cav is the perfect man , one of the best heroes i have ever read . Emily is so sweet and the way she is declaring her love is amazing .
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

This is such a sweet story that really tugs on the heartstrings. I fell in love with Cav, he was just the perfect hero. He loved Emily but was always putting her thoughts and feelings first, and doing all he could to make her life better, despite the unrequited love between them. I also appreciated the slow change in thoughts and feelings, it wasn't an instant change like some authors write, instead it was more realistic. The sex scenes are quite explicit, but some will likely appreciate that. SPOILER ALERT The only thing I'd change is an epilogue as I'd love to see them have a baby together or settle into married life etc. I hope there's a follow on to this book so we can see what happened to the additional characters

Emily's match making scheme takes a turn that she didn't see coming. I see a lot of potential for future books in this series.