This trio of historical romance brings the cheers of the Christmas miracles.

Each of the short novel has its own merit. They all revolve around the festive season. What appear to be unattainable situations are successfully resolved.

They are well portrayed and end on a satisfying note. I am quite partial to the McTaggart family, but that is not to say that I enjoyed reading the rest any less. A very good combination.

These three stories were well-written and entertaining. Sweet and charming, they were hard to put down and included the magic of the holiday. I enjoyed all three and look forward to reading more books by these authors.

In this fun, new Christmas anthology readers are treated to three wonderful new novellas by some of the brightest stars in the Historical Romance genre!

GREAT SCOT by Suzanne Enoch, 5 stars: Fans of the Wild Wicked Highlanders series will be thrilled to revisit the MacTaggerts! While visiting the highlands for the holidays, Lady Aldriss’ companion, Jane Bansil finds the love of her life in the MacTaggerts widower cousin Brennan Andrews. This was a sweet love story with just a dash of spice, lots of MacTaggerts, and ending with a HEA!

CHRISTMAS AT DEWBERRY HOLLOW by Amelia Grey, 4 stars: Isabelle Reed and John “Gate” Gatestone meet in the forest surrounding the Inn at Dewberry Hollow when Isabelle accidentally mistakes a member of his party for deer and shoot his guard. Thankfully, the man was only grazed and Isabelle treats his wound the best she can, causing Gate to assume she is a servant at the Inn. Gate is attracted, but won’t dally with maids, he sets his mind to his task – helping his grandfather, the Duke of Notsgrove, find a tree with the heart he carved for his wife many years ago. He is surprised and delighted to learn that Isabelle is not a servant, she is the owner’s daughter and the great-granddaughter of the Viscount Pailsworth. But Isabelle has been hurt before and refuses to let down her guard with Gate, luckily for her Gate isn’t willing to give up easily! This was a sweet story with warmish/vague love scenes and a HEA.

MY MISTLETOE BEAU by Anna Bennett, 4.5 stars: When her father loses the pocket watch her mother gifted him in a card game to Jack Hardwick, Earl of Frotstbrough, and heir to the Duke of Northcott and her letters to him go unanswered, Miss Eva Tiding breaks into the bachelor rooms to retrieve it, thinking she will sneak in, find it and escape unnoticed. But her plans are foiled by Jack and he proposes another way she can reclaim the watch – pretend to be the woman he is courting, a woman he made up to please his grandmother. At first, she refuses as she never plans to marry, but when her father suggests a match, she tells him she has already lost her heart to Jack. What starts as a ruse, quickly turns to more, but past hurts may prevent these two from ever finding their HEA. This was a delightful tale with a lot of witty banter and a dash of steam.

This was a great collection, each story is standalone, and the novellas are not connected, so it is a very quick and easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed each story and highly recommend the collection!

I do enjoy a nice anthology. Thw stories are short, but full featured and satisfying. These 3 stories dealt with the older heroine. 2 of them were close to 30 and the last was 24. The heroes were all very close in age to the heroines. I enjoyed this because most men go for the 'sweet, young things' and picking them based on lust. When there is an older heroine, I know that the hero is a mature adult, and not a man-child. I feel like a man of the world would want to discuss what he has experienced and an older woman would have been exposed to the good and the bad in life and have a varied opinion to share. The younger ladies are mostly concerned with fashion, gossip and prestige.
The stories were very romantic yet, the endings were a little abrupt. In anthologies, there is usually a concluding chapter about their wedding or future life on something, to conclude the story. These stories were, 'I love you' and 'me, too' and ended. I did deduct half a star for this so the overall rating was 4.5 stars. But the stories were satisfying and something I would like to read on a cool night in front of my fireplace. The stories were a smooth read, with interesting characters and settings. One of them might have been part of a series, but they were all definitely stand alone. I recommend reading them.

3.75 stars averaged out across the stories. This was an enjoyable collection of historical romance short stories with a Christmas/New Year theme. Great Scot by Suzanne Enoch (4 stars) provides a nice little epilogue to her latest Highlander series, and gives a glimpse of the couples featured in those stories. I'll admit I had forgotten about Jane Basil, who takes the lead role here, but was happy to see her get her own HEA. The romance is sweet, if slightly subdued based on the personalities and (relatively) older age of the characters involved, but it was still enjoyable.

Christmas at Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey (3 stars) was cute, but read a bit more like YA. The main characters just felt so young, and their actions and thoughts felt immature much of the time, so I had a harder time getting into this one. I would liked a bit more nuance to it, but it was still enjoyable overall.

I had heard of Anna Bennett before but never read any of her works. However, if My Mistletoe Beau (4 stars) is any indication, I can't wait to read more by her. Despite a few plot and character similarities to the soon to be released Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath (which I also loved), this was a refreshing take on the fake engagement and enemies-to-lovers themes. There was amazing chemistry and banter between Eva and Frostbough, and you could really feel the angst as they try to reconcile their feelings with their original perceptions of each other and themselves.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

I've read some books by Suzanne Enoch before, this story, although connected, you don't need to read her highlander series beforehand. The other 2 authors, although I've heard of them, I'd not read but will consider doing so in future. All 3 novellas, while not page turners do make for enjoyable reading and relaxing breaks during your own holiday rush. All three stories give us a lady who has no expectation to ever marry, much less fall in love, but with the holidays approaching each meet a gentleman who may surprise their plans. Each of the stories provide a nice depth of character and plot development for the novella length and its own twist of events.

Great Scot! By Suzanne Enoch

This is the story of Jane, an older lady and paid companion of Lady Aldriss, and Brennan Andrews, a cousin of the  MacTaggerts. They meet when Brennan is invited to the Aldriss House to discuss a new home for Lord Glendarill and his new bride. Both Jane and Brennan are in their 30's and recognize a kindred spirit in each other. In a matter of days, the meet and fall in love and pursue their HEA ending.
This is a nice story but it lacks any real weight to the plot. I just wanted "more".
3 1/2 stars

Christmas at Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey

This is the story of Isabelle, a 22 year old single lady living with her mother in a rural area of England where they run an Inn. When an aging Duke and Gatestone,his grandson, arrive at the inn, it is to fulfill a promise the Duke made to his late wife: to return to the inn and locate a tree where they carved their initial many years ago.
The grandson and Isabelle draw close while they endeavor to locate this tree, their feelings grow stronger. What happens when the tree is located and the Duke and Gatestone return to London? (Hint: yes, there is an HEA ending!)
Enjoyable story, but not one I'll read again. 3 1/2 stars


My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett

This is the story of Jack and Eva. Eva breaks into Jack's house in search of a watch her father lost to Jack in a card game. Eva believes Jack should return the watch because of its sentimental value. However, Jack catches her while she plunders his apartment and strikes a bargain with her. If she pretends to be in love with him and attends 3 functions, Jack will return the watch to her.
This book is an historical rom-com. I loved the batter between Eva and Jack as they trade insults and interact. The plot culminates in a week long house party where their true feelings surface. My Mistletoe Beau was a very entertaining story and I will be looking for other books by this author.
4 stars

A wonderful anthology of three romantic Christmas novellas! Each story was sweet and heartfelt as being filled with passion and heat! All three couples were enchanting and delightful! Get this book and read by the light of your Christmas tree, or the warmth of your fire!

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press for my NetGalley copy of Kissing under the Mistletoe.

This book has EVERYTHING: Wallflowers, Enemies to Lovers, Christmas joy, and of course enough steam to melt any winter storm.

To date, this is one of my most favorite Christmas anthologies, and I feel the need to run out and buy every book published by these three amazing ladies.

Overall Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I look forward to Christmas collections every year, and this one did not disappoint! The group is a myriad of festive cheer, sure to make you smile and warm your heart.



Great Scot! by Suzanne Enoch
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Great Scot is a heartwarming tale of two mature adults finding love in an unlikely place. Jane Bansil has felt meek and out of place her entire life. Brennan Andrews is scarred physically from an accident and emotionally from the death of his wife. In this story, Brennan gets a second chance at love, and Jane finds the freedom and empowerment to embrace love. This unlikely couple heats the page and leaves the reader with a smile. This was such a bright, happy story of self-discovery and love.

Christmas At Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Christmas At Dewberry Hollow is a new, unique, romantic Christmas story. Miss Isabelle Reed runs the inn with her mother. She expects people to come into her life, then disappear. Gate, the Duke of Notsgrave’s grandson, has lived a life of privilege without purpose. The two must face distrust and distance to find their happily-ever-after. The backdrop of the inn is festive and descriptive. The secondary characters were bright and added to the story. Isabelle and Gate are lively, likable characters. The plot moved well and was romantic. All in all, an excellent Christmas read!

My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Miss Eva Tiding breaks into Jack Hardwick’s, the Duke of Frostbough home, to retrieve her father’s pocket watch, which Jack swindled in a card game. Through an odd turn of events, the couple agrees to a fake relationship for the Christmas season. This is a beautiful Christmas tale of enemies-to-lovers. Jack and Eva’s connection snaps off the page. It is so electric. The cutting, witty banter throughout is invigorating and entertaining. The house party is a perfect backdrop, and the secondary characters are enchanting. I adored this clever, festive, romantic read!

All three novellas were vastly different and kept my attention throughout all the stories. Each entry was unique and eye-catching. The writing was excellent, and the contrasting backdrops kept each tale interesting. I advise saving space on your Christmas to-be-read list this year!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable anthology overall, though the three included novellas varied wildly in quality.

First up: Great Scot! by Suzanne Enoch - This was truly excellent. I was a bit confused at first because I didn't recognize any of the characters and it seemed as if I should have -- which made more sense once I realized this was actually part of a series. Oops. Once I accepted that, however, I had no issues. And it really didn't seem to matter once the romance got going; the other characters faded into the background. As they should. The characters were lovely, the romance sweet and believable, and really it was just delightful. I'm rather shocked I haven't read Suzanne Enoch's work before and I'll definitely be seeking it out in future. 5 stars

Next: Christmas at Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey - This was a severe disappointment compared to the other two novellas. The writing was definitely not of the same caliber, and I found myself having to read around the words and skimming just to get to the end. The story itself was lackluster though I did appreciate the characters. 2 stars

Finally: My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett - I really enjoyed this one. It was a lovely fake relationship antagonistic relationship with two strong-willed people and plenty of sparks. Aside from a few questionable name choices -- Frostbough? Rufflebum??? -- it was great fun to read. I'll be reading more by Anna Bennett for sure. 4.5 stars

So, like I said, a bit of a mixed bag, but there's more than enough here to make reading this worthwhile, especially if you enjoy a wintry Christmas romance.

*Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an e-arc for review.

“Great Scot!” (The Wild Wicked Highlanders, Book 3.5) by Suzanne Enoch
The MacTaggert family has returned home to Scotland for the holidays and Jane Bansil, cousin and former companion to the first MacTaggert bride, is along for the ride. Jane is at a crossroads in her life. She was tossed out of her family home for helping her cousin elope and the MacTaggerts have taken her in even though they don’t really need her services as a companion. Jane is over thirty and has never had a suitor so it surprises her when a handsome MacTaggert cousin, Brennan Andrews, takes her breath away. The one time Jane chose risk over safety it burned her, so should she really take a risk again and open her heart to the handsome Scottish architect?

“Great Scot!” sees a quiet, bookish spinster find love. Jane has been out of place among the boisterous MacTaggert family since taking shelter with them. There’s a melancholy about Jane that broke my heart and made her feel relatable. She doesn’t think fairytales are for people like her and she would rather curl up with a book than be social. I really wanted to see Jane find love and she does with a man who truly sees her. I loved that Brennan was instantly taken with Jane, that he didn’t want her to be anything other than who she was. He’s a widower who lives a quiet life and though he loves his cousins he’s definitely tamer than them. He and Jane fall in love so quickly that even for a Christmastime novella (which usually speeds things up) it felt a bit too rushed.

If you’re a fan of The Wild Wicked Highlanders you’ll delight in seeing Jane find her happily ever after. It was nice to revisit the MacTaggerts and see how they’re doing after they’re all wed. If you haven’t read the trilogy, you can jump in with “Great Scot!” but be warned that there are major spoilers for the full-length books. All in all, I found the love story to be rushed but sweet and I enjoy any time spent with Suzanne Enoch’s MacTaggert family.



“Christmas at Dewberry Hollow” by Amelia Grey
Isabelle Reed is quite happy running the Dewberry Hollow Inn with her mother and has no need to act like a highborn lady. She’d much rather focus on making the inn sustainable rather than find a husband. But sparks fly when a man on a mission crosses her path and sweeps her off her feet.

“Christmas at Dewberry Hollow” is a story of finding love when you aren’t expecting it. Isabelle is afraid to love because as a child her heart was broken by the man she thought would be her stepfather leaving. She’s put all her energy into making the family inn a success and sometimes clashes with her mother who wants her to be more ladylike. I enjoyed seeing Isabelle’s life at the inn and how she takes care of her guests. The romance, however, left me wanting a bit more.

Gate is the grandson of the Duke of Notsgrave. He’s wealthy but aimless as he’s not the heir. His grandfather is determined to find a particular tree he had carved his and his late wife’s initials in when staying at the Dewberry Hollow Inn years ago. Gate is equally determined to help him but finding a lone tree in a forest isn’t exactly easy. He needs Isabelle’s help and the two of them are instantly drawn to one another. Gate fits in at the inn and I can see why he and Isabelle would be a good match, but there’s something about Amelia Grey’s writing that never captured my attention. The story felt flat and the romance was not believable. The characters fell in love so fast I got whiplash and I just couldn’t find it in me to become invested in this tale.



“My Mistletoe Beau” by Anna Bennett
Eva Tiding is determined to recover her father’s pocket watch, even if she has to break into a rake’s dwelling to do so. Except when she’s caught by the scandalous Earl of Frostbough, he offers her an interesting proposition: pretend to be his fiancée in exchange for the watch. But what happens when a fake relationship starts to feel all-too-real?

“My Mistletoe Beau” was my favorite story of this anthology. Anna Bennett’s writing carried me away in this delightful Christmastime romance. Eva and Jack have instant chemistry and their banter made me grin. Jack wants to appease his grandmother by pretending to be ready to settle down and the would-be-thief in his bedroom is the perfect woman to pose as his fiancée. She wants the pocket watch and will do whatever it takes to get it back. It should be a simple arrangement, except as it turns out, Eva and Jack are truly perfect for one another. I loved watching their romance grow as Jack made peace with his ghosts and Eva decided to take a chance on love. Flirty and fun, filled with endearing characters and sprightly banter, “My Mistletoe Beau” is perfect for anyone looking for a charming and warm romance.



Kissing Under the Mistletoe is a bit of a mixed bag. I adored Anna Bennett’s installment and think this book is worth it just for Eva and Jack’s story. I liked Suzanne Enoch’s contribution, mostly because Jane’s quiet sadness and bookishness called to me. I haven’t read Amelia Grey’s writing before so I can’t say if this is her usual style but it simply wasn’t my cup of tea. If you enjoy fast-paced love stories with Christmas cheer, or if you’re a fan of any of these authors, there’s something for you to enjoy in this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the oportunity to read this book.
"Kissing Under the Mistletoe" is an anthology of three novellas of sweet romance, perfect for the season.
If you are looking for some good stories of historical romance, this is a good one, with stories by authors Suzanne Enoch, Amelia Grey and Anna Bennett.
Three young girls who will have to decide if they are willing to take a chance and find the love of their lives.

Three absolutely lovely Christmas based love stories by three wonderful historical authors.
I thoroughly enjoyed each one of them and loved the characters in each story. This is an anthology that is best read in a comfortable chair with a fluffy blanket and a cup of hot chocolate!!!

This trio of novellas was nice. I wish I’d read Suzanne Enoch’s Scottish Highlander series related to her story because it would have been nice to fill in some characters backstories. I admit I’m not an Amelia Grey fan, and I found her story to be rather juvenile. Anna Bennett’s story, however, I found delightful! The classic enemies-to-lovers trope, but her characters felt more well-rounded and fleshed out. Or maybe I just prefer her writing style.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Great Scot! by Suzanne Enoch

Miss Jane Bansil knows she will never have a fairy-tale moment. Well past the marriageable age, she’s taken a position as a companion and is now stuck in Scotland for Christmas, alone even in the middle of the boisterous MacTaggert family. But when Brennan Andrews, an architect and cousin to the MacTaggerts, arrives to draw up plans for a new family home, Jane must decide if she will take a chance at a happily-ever-after, or settle into her small, safe life for good.

Christmas at Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey
Miss Isabelle Reed has no plans to ever fall in love. She has a perfectly acceptable life with her mother at the Dewberry Hollow Inn, thank you very much. But when Gate, the Duke of Notsgrave’s grandson, appears at Dewberry Hollow searching for a carving on a tree, Isabelle cannot help but get involved. But Gate’s charm and their instant attraction makes Isabelle question if she’s willing to take her chance at love once again.

My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett
Miss Eva Tiding is determined to cheer her widowed father with the perfect Christmas gift. Even if it means breaking into the home of the rakish Earl of Frostbough who swindled Papa out of his pocket watch. But when the earl, Jack Hardwick, catches her in the act, they strike a deal: she’ll pose as his fiancée in exchange for the watch. Falling in love is not part of the plan—but with a little Christmas magic, anything is possible…

All these stories are fast-paced, sweet and romantic. It's hard but all the authors did a very good job of developing the stories... Cute and smart characters....... My favorite is the last one by Anna Bennett because I am a sucker for enemies to lovers stories. I love the smart banter between Eva and Jack especially. Great time reading it!

3 short stories, 3 wonderful couples who found their HEA. I loved everything about this anthology.

Great Scot! by Suzanne Enoch - was an amazing extension to her Wild Wicked Highlanders series, where also the cousins fall madly in instant love and find their HEA.

Christmas at Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey - while Isabelle Reed has sworn of never loving again, after meeting John Gatestone, who wants to help his grandfather fulfil his dying wish, she tries hard not to fall in love. Is there a chance she will believe in love ever again?

My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett - this book was brilliantly done enemies to lovers although you could feel the instant attraction between both main characters from the very beginning. I would say the Christmas magic worked for more than one couple, therefore it was special at some point.

Anyway I loved the whole anthology with its 3 short stories and why not having Christmas magic in the autumn, right? Fabulously done!

Kissing Under the Mistletoe
Book 3.5 for the Wild Wicked Highlanders (Book series of Suzanne Enoch)
Rating: 4 Stars
Thank you the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

Kissing Under the Mistletoe is a collection of three novellas written by three authors that take place around Christmas.
--The first novella is "Great Scot" by Suzanne Enoch. This novella is part of her series that follows the MacTaggert family. This one was really sweet and cute. Both leads are very shy and love to read. This was my second favorite of the three.
--The second novella is "Christmas at Dewberry Hollow" by Amelia Grey. This one was my least favorite. I really did not like the male lead. He gave off very unlikable impression for me. I think he rushed things with Isabelle when he knew that she had been hurt in the past.
--The third novella, and my favorite one, is "My Mistletoe Beau" by Anna Bennett. This is one is a fake-engagement trope and I truly enjoyed it! I loved the bantering between the leads and how they enjoyed pushing each other's buttons. They were attracted to each other which took them by surprise since from the first time they meet they can't stand each other. They both agree to enter a fake courtship in order to help each other out.
All the pretend moments become real.

4.25/5⭐️

Somewhat surprisingly (I’m not a huge fan of novellas) I enjoyed all 3 of these Christmas-themed stories.

They were all really sweet and while yes, they obviously took place at a fast pace which sometimes leaves little room for much development, the characters were well-defined and the stories were well-written. Enoch’s features a shy spinster and a lonely widower; Grey’s, an independent country lass and a city-bred man looking for a more meaningful life; and Bennett’s, an adventurous woman and a rake with an offer she can’t refuse. Enoch’s and Grey’s stories were my favorites, but I honestly loved them all.

My sincere thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartins for providing me the free early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Three of the best historical romance authors together in this Christmas anthology. Get out the hot cider and cookies and enjoy these stories. As with most anthologies, it leaves you wanting more. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.