Member Reviews
Slimy fabulous. These stories are so different from one another and yet in the same age. Strong heroines getting into trouble...not too much. Fun to be had.
This is a set of three novellas. The first is a sequel to the Wild Wild Highlanders series. I've read and liked the series and it was neat seeing what happened to Jane, and also seeing the couples from the previous series as they start their new lives. Jane really likes being TOTALLY out of the limelight, and reading. But there is something about the architect that makes her feel brave. This story was sweet and had some humor as well.
The story by Amelia Grey has an unconventional heroine and a hero who is trying to find a specific tree in a forest to help his ill grandfather. Well, the book description is much better than that! But I liked Isabelle's attitude - she was certainly not a typical member of the ton.
Anna Bennett's story does the fake relationship trope, but the man in it was just so sweet and vulnerable that I really liked it (and I don't hate the trope anyway).
Thanks to netgalley for the ARC!
My favorite was the first story by, Suzanne Enoch. I read the whole MacTaggert family series and this was a short story about a cousin at Christmas time. I enjoyed the other two stories also. A great historical romance Christmas time anthology.
Who knew that Christmas in August could be so much fun! I am here for all things Anna Bennett and knew I would hate to miss this novella. It was a fun fake relationship that still had the right amount of steam in a little book. I am not ready for winter, but this definitely helped me get in the mood for Christmas. If you like witty banter, fake relationships and a series of side characters that add light and good entertainment, this is for you!
I am familiar with only one of the three authors in this Christmas compilation, but enjoyed the stories from all three.. Suzanne Enoch has again lived up to my high expectations of her writing--I thoroughly enjoyed her contribution! While the other two authors are new to me, their stories were also good holiday reading and I look forward to enjoying more of their work. Highly recommended. #net galley.
This book contains 3 Christmas short stories that are all fun, fast paced, romantic and exceedingly entertaining.
Great Scot! by Suzenne Enoch
If you have read the Wild Wicked Highlanders series by the author, you are familiar with Jane Bansil, the former shy companion to Amelia-Rose, the younger MacTaggert’s wife. While visiting Scotland for the season, she’ll meet and have an immediate attraction to Brennan Andrews, the widowed cousin of the brothers.
With the couples finally settling, Jane will find herself at crossroads and must make a decision for her future, but when Brennan comes along, she might have to review her options.
Christmas at Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey
Isabelle Reed lives in the small community of Dewberry Hollow when she helps her mother run an infamous inn that’s been in her family for generations when the Duke of Notsgrove and one of his grandsons come right before Christmas.
This is a rather sweet story of a couple thrown together by circumstance and held together by an intense attraction. She’s self-sufficient and he is a man of leisure desperate to find a purpose in life and I have to say their story might be short, but gave me all the feels.
My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett
Jack Hardwick, the Earl of Frostbough has something Miss Eva Tiding desperately wants and she’ll do about anything to get it. But the bitter and resentful man will make it hard for her when he proposes an arrangement she’s not willing to fulfill until her father hints he’s getting her a prospective husband.
This was my first read by this author and it was fast, entertaining and very funny. I’ll be looking for more from her.
This book is a solid good kick to get in the spirit of the season and I enjoyed it very much.
Kissing Under the Mistletoe is a delightful Christmas anthology from 3 historical romance authors: Suzanne Enoch, Amelia Gray, and Anna Bennett. I had such a great time with this read and just adored each romance. Each is a feel-good, sweet romance with totally different tropes and stories, but centered around Christmas time.
Great Scot! by Suzanne Enoch — Jane is a 33-year-old spinster and lady’s companion stuck in Scotland over Christmas with her cousins’ new family. Jane has pretty much given up on love for herself and is just trying to find her place now. She bumps into Brennan, a cousin of the family she’s staying with and is immediately drawn to the widowed, eye-patch-wearing architect. I loved this fast romance that includes a late night Christmas rendezvous in her bedchambers, a Christmas proposal, and a scarred hero who can build the book-loving heroine her dream library!
Christmas at Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey — Isabelle (the great granddaughter of a viscount) would rather not be working at the inn over Christmas, but when an old Duke (who’s frequented the inn throughout the years) requests to stay and pay extra…well that money would definitely help her family’s rapidly dwindling finances. Gate is the Duke’s grandson and joining the stay to help his ailing grandfather find a tree he & his late wife (Gate’s grandmother) once carved their initials in. Gate & Isabelle’s meet cute moment involves her accidentally shooting one of his guards in the forest while trying to take down a deer for the inn’s dinner. 😅 This was such a sweet romance with fade-to-black and a little feel of Christmas magic.
My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett — this was my favorite in the anthology and the story opens with Eva picking the locks on the doorstep of London’s most disreputable rogue, Jack Hardwick, Earl of Frostbough. Eva is there to get back her Papa’s gold-plated timepiece (a wedding gift from her late mother) that he lost in a bet to Jack. Jack catches Eva and has a proposition of his own…he’ll give her the watch back, if she pretends to court him for the sake of his grandmother who’s hoping Jack will be engaged by Christmas. This read was steamy, such a delight and just so fun! A striptease moment, fake relationship, house party, getting snowed in, and a mistletoe to save the day!
Thank you to the publisher (St. Martin’s Press, SMP Romance) for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts & review. Kissing Under the Mistletoe will be published September 28, 2021.
This was a great anthology and gets you so into romance and the Christmas spirit. Readers will not be disappointed with any of these short stories!
Great Scot!
This is a novella by Suzanne Enoch. It is an amazing story about Jane and Brennan. These two are meant to be.
Christmas at Dewberry Hall
is the story of Isabelle and Gate . Also meant to be this couple finds their way to a Happily Ever After.
My Mistletoe Beau
Eva and Jack are a quarrelsome couple who are destined for a Happily ever after.
These three unrelated titles are so good. The storylines are very good.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
Kissing Under the Mistletoe is an anthology and as the three stores are not connected to one another it’s probably best that I review them individually.
Great Scot by Suzanne Enoch – Of the three books in the anthology, I believe this is the only one that is part of a series. I have read the previous book in the series but I didn’t really remember any of the characters enough to care when they appeared in this story. Of the three in the anthology this was my least favorite. I did appreciate that the main couple had occupations and weren’t typical gentry but they just didn’t do a whole lot for me.
Christmas at Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey – I did not like the last Amelia Grey book I read, but I enjoyed this one well enough. I think that a short story was the best way to tell Isabelle and Gate’s story. I loved their meet cute and loved that Gate is a romantic.
My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett – This was my first Anna Bennett story / book and I adored it. This was by far my favorite in the anthology. I loved everything from the meet cute to the fake relationship to the grand gesture. I would have happily read a full length book with their story. I will have to check out Anna’s books in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.
Bookstagram post coming August 16, 2021
Kissing Under the Mistletoe is a Christmas themed book consisting of three
Novellas by three popular authors. Since these are all short stories the romances move along quickly, but the characters are still developed so you feel you know who they are as people. All were enjoyable, easy to read tales.
Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin's for allowing me to read and review this ARC for my honest opinion.
I love reading historical romance novellas! All of the stories in this book were written very well.. If I wasn't already a fan of these authors I would definitely be picking up all there books after reading these novellas.
In this book we have three authors, Suzannne Enoch is a favorite of mine already and her novella set after her newest trilogy so not only did we get a new story but we get to see what is happening with our favorite highlanders and their wives.. This was a really cute story following a woman who doesn't love crowds, loves to read, and the only thing she would really want in her own home would be a floor to ceiling library... Its a good thing her love interest cousin to our favorite highlanders is an architect..
A christmas in Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey was a super cute story set at an inn in the middle of a forest.. One of grandsons of an elderly duke has promised to help him find something, and while out looking he meets our heroine who accidentally shoots one of his guards.. to be fair though he was dressed all in colors that made him look like a deer.. They fall in love over the small moments. Listening to one of the residents play the piano after dinner, wandering through the forest together, keeping the secret of the accidental shooting from the Duke, and her mother.. Hopefully he will also fall in love with Dewberry Hollow, because she isn't leaving.
My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennet follows a woman who will do anything to help her father have a wonderful christmas.. Including breaking into a frosty dukes house to ransake his underwear drawer looking something very specific. When he catches her... because they always do.. He proposes that he will give her what shes looking for if she will play along and pretend to be courting... I mean there is absolutley no way they would end up with feelings for each other right?
I love a good Christmas anthology and this is one of the best I've read. I absolutely adored all three stories.
Great Scot - This was probably my favorite (even though I had not read the series some of the characters had introduced in). I loved Jane as a leading character and was so happy for her in finding her love story with Brennan (who was also a wonderful lead). Their romance is understated and simple. No big drama, no big misunderstandings. Just a lovely story.
Christmas at Dewberry Hollow - This may have had my favorite start to a story in quite some time. It definitely set the tone for the story and set a pretty unique meeting for the two lead characters. The search for the tree as well as the events surrounding Mrs. Boothe showed how caring each of the characters were and why they were so perfect for one another. It was also a nice twist that it was the man giving up his usual way of life for the woman he loves rather than the other way around.
My Mistletoe Beau - I'm not usually a big fan of the "fake fiancé" plot, but it worked here. I liked how Eva and Jack met partly because it showed Eva was someone who was willing to do anything for someone she loved. It also established the conflict of the story with very little effort. There were also hints of two other romances that I wish we could get other short stories for (love was blooming everywhere).
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a little holiday romance!
3.5 stars - I love these authors. I always gobble up their latest reads the moment they’re available. That’s probably why I’m a little disappointed with most of these reads. Excluding the last story, by Anna Bennett, which was significantly more fleshed out, they’re just okay for novellas. I expected more for these very talented authors. The stories felt truncated like they ended a scene or two short of where they should. The addition of epilogues might improve them. As is, they’re a bit of a letdown.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Fun and sweet Christmas anthology!
Three wonderful stories with different tropes to satisfy any reader. With forced proximity, a pretend relationship, and a sweet Christmas time romance, readers will be swooning and in the Christmas spirit.
You’ll be cheering for these three heroines, and their handsome beaus in no time.
I have only read one of these authors previously, and I can honestly say that you can read these quick reads as standalones.
KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE is a trio of lovely holiday stories by my favorite authors, Suzanne Enoch, Amelia Grey, and Anna Bennett.
The first story, Great Scot!, stars beautiful Jane Bansil who realistically knows that a romantic fairy-tale life is just that, a fairy-tale. She is a companion to Lady Aldriss in the rambunctious MacTaggert family. She's stuck in Scotland for Christmas, hoping she will have a wonderful holiday. She meets Brennan Andrews, a rugged, handsome man who is an architect and a cousin to the MacTaggerts. He is there to design plans for a new home. They are extremely attracted to one another. Shy, timid Jane decides whether to take a chance on romance or to live a life as a companion. Wonderfully romantic!
The second story, Christmas At Dewberry Hollow, stars Isabelle Reed a pretty lady who wants to remain at the inn with her mother and helping out others. So,no marriage plans for her. However, Isabelle accidentally shoots a guard of a prominent Duke. The Duke's grandson, Gate, is traveling with the Duke and is there to help find a beloved carving on a tree. When Gate and Isabelle meet, zing goes the strings of their heart! Isabelle is charmed by his constant attention and wonders about taking a chance at love again. This is a mischievous and lovably romantic tale.
The last story, My Mistletoe Beau, stars lovely Eva Tiding who wants only one thing, to retrieve her father's favorite pocket watch that was given to him by her deceased mother. He lost it in a gambling match to a rakish rogue, the Earl of Frostbough. She breaks into his home, only to get caught in the act! Jack strikes a deal with her, pose as his fiance to please his grandmother that he is finally settling down, in exchange for the watch. Only, Jack and Eva outwardly oppose each other but Cupid has other ideas. Will they fall in love in spite of their antagonism towards each other?
KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE is a lovely novella collection of handsome, macho men falling in love with smart, confident and beautiful women is a must read for the holidays! There is instantaneous attraction, magical settings, teasing and bickering galore, forgiveness, and characters risking everything for love. Each author puts their trademark spin on their story, flavoring the whole collection with oomph and charm. Absolutely adored this holiday collection! Put this holiday novella on your list. KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE is a treasure trove of titillating tales.
Great Scott-A whirlwind very sweet romance. I loved how loving Brennen gave Jane her courage and thrill for life back.
Christmas at Drewberry-Heartfelt story. I cried a few times reading this. The atmosphere of the inn and the characters were great.
My mistletoe Beau-Now this story is great. The bickering and mischief between these two is fun. When they thought there plot would be quick and over in no time, I laughed and laughed. Wonderful romance.
Altogether this is a great book.
I love all of these authors but these novella's just didn't do it for me, maybe its because its august, i kept trying to get into it, but couldn't so I would read another book and would come back and then start another book but I finally decided I had to finish it, so i did. As the previous Last Enoch books I have not been happy with, which makes me extremely sad since I have loooooved her so, Jane was dishwater to me and the guys were annoying to me I was kind of happy the story was rushed..
The second one was ok, better - Isabelle is working at her mom's inn and trying to make ends meet and It was cute, ridiculously but somewhat cute, made me laugh a time or two
Last but not least we have Eva, who is trying to steak a watch from and Earl who won it from her Father in a bet.
also cute and fun and something that wouldn't happen but also hadn't me chuckling a time or two but glad it is over.
First Story Jane Bansil came to Scotland to help her pregnant cousin Amy in her confinement, planning to become a companion. She became immersed in the family and met a young widowed architect with his own difficulties. Their interests meshed as she helped him with the house plan for Amy and her husband. The pair, unable to fight their attraction became engaged on Christmas.
Second Isabelle Reed and her mother struggled to run an inn in Dewberry Hollow. When one of her hunting trips went terribly wrong, she tried hard to make amends. Not only did she succeed, she gained a suitor.
Third Eva Tiding set out to steal her poppa’s watch from Earl Jack Hardwick. It had been lost in a poker game. Caught in the act of breaking into his house, they barter and come to an agreement. A fake engagement to appease hid grandmother in exchange for the watch, that turns into a real one.
A trio of sweet holiday historicals written by three of the foremost romance writers to start your season right.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC to peruse and offer my opinion gratis.
3.5 stars actually.
This was a fun anthology.
It was nice to revisit the MacTaggerts.
And the story with the Inn was sweet too.
And I did enjoy the enemies to lovers, fake boyfriend trope in the 3rd book.
Happy sigh. Christmas is still far away but there’s no reason to not enjoy these stories now.
Thanks NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this fun arc.