Under The Mistletoe by Sue Moorcroft. A NetGalley read. I haven’t read anything by this author before and I simply choose it because it was about Christmas and i am one of those people love this time of year when these kinds of books come out. Laurel returns to the village she grew up in, she’s recently divorced and she is returning to the village to help her sister and niece. However moving back isn’t plane sailing, with a past there to face, that wasn’t all happy memories. Like with a lot of these Christmas novels, you get what it’s says in the tin and I’ve said that before and it’s certainly true for this book. There’s no major shocks or plot twists but it’s a feel good, heart warming story, with many layers and topics that perhaps you wouldn’t at first expect. The story handled tough and current subjects such as depression and anxiety and the safety of woman walking home alone. These subjects are written with ease, realism and sensitivity, they aren’t explored in any great detail and perhaps to some of those issues it’s perhaps dealt with far to easily, however in the context of this story it works and gives you an insight; and as it reader you can forgive that because you know what your reading which is a light and fluffy Christmas read. This is a cozy winter read with loveable characters and a picturesque setting, it will give you the Christmas feels, with it ending with a white Christmas. It’s predictable however again this can be forgiven because it’s about Christmas and you know where the stories heading right from the time you choose to read this book. If your a fan of this time of year when all the Christmas books hit the shelf’s then this one won’t disappoint. 🎄🎄🎄

A poignant, heartwarming and well written story, festive but also darker than the usual Christmas rom-com.
The author delivers a cast of fleshed out and interesting characters, an excellent plot that flows, and lot of emotions.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Christmas can sometimes bring back bad memories, and that is certainly the case for Laurel when she has to return to her childhood home village to care for her sister and niece.
Bumping into her first love, Grady, was exactly what she didn't want.
Unable to recover from trauma of the past, how can Laurel move forward with Grady now?
A page turner of a story with plenty of Christmas feels.

Although this is a Christmas book, it's not all snowflakes & sparkles. The book does feature subjects that make for slightly uncomfortable reading but are tackled & written about very well, these include agraphobia, fertility issues and assault. It's not all gloomy though, this book has so much more to offer, love, secrets, friendships, forgiveness, beautifully described artwork. It's definitely worth reading.

Sue Moorcroft has come up with another Christmas Cracker of a read, including an always welcome return to Middledip.

I'll admit at times it can be rather uncomfortable reading as we get the details as to just why Laurel has rarely returned to Middledip until now. Equally there is another strong but equally sensitively written storyline involving Rea, her sister, which is interesting to see develop.

But that is just a small part of the book and adds to the depth and reality of these characters who were really well written that I felt as though I knew them.

And Laurel's niece Daisy is lovely too, and also has a tricky storyline at one point. The rest of the time we are treated to the village at Christmas, with loads of fabulous crafts, and a romance that has the potential to go very awry and definitely isn't smooth sailing at all. To the extent that I really wasn't positive about the final outcome until I read it with my own eyes!

From Laurel who is a professional fine artist, to Daisy with her Christmas wreath enterprise, to Grady who is both talented at spray painting artistic designs onto cars, as well as decorating gourds, to all manner of other crafty wares, this all helps to give the book a creative but also cosy feel .

The theme of forgiveness is strong throughout, and whether it is better to forgive, why people may apologise and some various barbs while a character is thinking revenge may make them feel better than forgiving!

I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful new book from an always talented and compelling to read author. I was incredibly happy to be between these pages while I was reading it, and I was left with a smile, and a feeling that I wish I was craftier as some of the things being made sounded so so good!

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This book was not just the old lovers to new lovers with baggage trope, and it was clear that a large amount of research was undertaken before assigning real topics to characteristics of our main and sub-characters. With issues such as Sexual assault PTSD and Agoraphobia a fine line can be trampled all over into making it seem like these are only a characters identity, but this misjudgement has not been made and it makes the story the better for it.
These characters seem real and this is brilliant, to take infertility as a issue that can anchor a couple together instead of tear them apart is an amazing thing to do and for me Sue Moorcroft is a true artist to her trade. There were points that I felt like laughing and points that I felt like crying and this rollercoaster of emotions was felt by myself and the characters. This is a perfect read for Christmas which is still cosy and passionate whilst taking a stand for serious issues that can affect an everyday person.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from #netgalley , thank you. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I've come to expect extra depth from Sue Moorcroft's romantic novels - she doesn't shy away from challenging issues. Despite its light-hearted title, Under the Mistletoe is no exception, dealing as it does with emotional problems like teenage bullying, agoraphobia and infertility as well as an issue that's been highlighted by the #metoo movement - historic sexual assault.
An incident in her teen years has affected heroine Laurel Hill's whole life. When she returns to Middledip village to look after her agoraphobic sister and her teenage niece, she finds she must not only help them with their daily challenges, but confront her own demons if she is to move on and find lasting love and happiness.
There's plenty Christmas content here, with snowy scenes, and carol singing, the making of Christmas wreaths and festive fayres, but don't expect too much superficial glitter and tinsel.
This story really brings into focus the true meaning of Christmas - it's a time for peace, joy, hope and reconciliation. But can Laurel find any of these things if she can't find it in her heart to forgive, if not forget?
With heroes Laurel and her love interest Grady taking central stage, a strong supporting cast of characters in their friends and family, and a thought-provoking plot, Under The Mistletoe made my return to Sue Moorcroft's Middledip even more enjoyable than usual this year.

Know in advance that this is a more serious novel than you might expect from the cheery cover- but it's also a better one for it. Laurel, an artist has reluctantly come back to Middledip because her sister Rae's agoraphobia is raging and her teenage niece Daisy is running wild. She left the village after a horrible incident years ago, leaving behind a good guy in Grady, who didn't understand it. Now, she's learned Grady's older brother Mac, the source of her pain, is the fattier of Daisy's friend and the Head of Year at her school. This group needs to resolve lingering bad things and move forward. Know that this never gets too heavy. that it's leavened with humor, and that there's lots of love. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A. good read.

Under the Mistletoe by Sue Moorcroft is a contemporary romance that takes place in the quaint little town of Middledip. The story focuses on Laurel, a former resident of Middledip who is who is returning to help care for her sister with agoraphobia and her niece. Laurel left the town right after high school because of an assault she suffered at the hands of Grady’s (her boyfriend) brother and hasn’t been back since. While in town she has to face her attackers and the love she left behind.

I love a cute love story set at Christmas time! I like how the connection between Laurel and Grady feels genuine and like it progresses organically. And while the romance aspect of the story is important, it deals with a lot of big issues as well. Assault, agoraphobia, bullying and abuse are all issues that characters face in the story. And the question of how to forgive someone who has genuinely hurt you really makes you think about how you would be in the same situation.

The story did drag at times and there was a lot of emphasis placed on the technical aspects of the art that each character was creating. I think some of that could have been cut out and it would not have taken away from the story.

Overall I liked it and I would read another book by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon UK for providing an ARC for me to read and review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Best time of year for redemption? Of course, it’s at Christmas time and that becomes the premise of this book. New chances and new beginnings. Although by title and cover, you would think this is a cozy holiday book, it is not so light as you would expect.

Laurel returns to her small hometown, Middledip, to help her sister Rea who’s agoraphobic and her niece who’s being bullied at school. Laurel, newly divorced and an artist, agrees to help out at the December Art show with her niece. However, Laurel must confront her past in the form of Grady, her high school crush, and his brother Mac whom she despises. Laurel can’t seem to move on from a traumatic encounter that drove her to flee 19 years ago. Laurel finds Grady to be still charming and her soulmate and is close friend of her niece. Can Laurel let go of the past, forgive, and move on to a future with Grady as they kiss under the mistletoe?

While this is a Christmasy story, and has all the lovely descriptions and delights of the holiday season, there is a lot of focus on the emotional hang-ups and problems of the two main characters, Laurel and Grady. The author sprinkles in tough issues like infertility, sexual assault, and bullying. I found that it was like adding too much spice to the recipe so that it seemed to overpower the storyline and took away from the sweetness of the story. If I were looking for a feel-good holiday book, I think that I would bypass this one and look for something that was a bit more cozy.


Many thanks to #netgalley #underthemistletoe #avonbooks for the opportunity to read and review this book.

You can't go wrong with any novel written by Sue Moorcroft, there is always a great read awaiting you. This is worth far more than the 5 stars that I am giving this book. Settle down and get into this story, you will be glad you did. I highly recommend this.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

Another enjoyable book featuring characters and locations from previous books, but with new main characters. Will share full review on the blog tour

This is my first visit to Middledip, and I loved it as a setting. It epitomises everything a reader wants – a good sense of community, a great and memorable cast of characters and was delightful to visualise especially coated in snow and Christmas decorations. It provided the ideal backdrop for this story.
Laurel was an easy character to relate to as she comes back to help her sister who has agoraphobia. This isn’t the only heavy topic covered. It also dealt with sexual assault and bullying. All of these were dealt with sensitively and with compassion. It is the consequences of the sexual assault that is focussed on throughout and how it not only affected the person involved but those around them despite years past. This may be triggering for some and I did find it harder to relax into this book as much as I usually do with festive novels for this reason but I adored Sue Moorcroft’s style, depth of character and warmth so I will be reading some more of her work especially the festive ones.
Laurel is an artist and the descriptions of her working alongside the villagers and Grady, her love interest was magical and their relationship and chemistry was authentic.

Another lovely book by Sue Moorcroft!
Set in the village Middledip it follows the story of Laurel who has returned after a divorce to help her sister Rea.
It covers sibling relationships along with bullying which Laurel was the victim of during her youth. She has to face up to reality on her return to the village and deal with this aspect if she wants to keep her relationship strong with Grady…… her first love!

A lovely Christmas romantic read to snuggle down with and enjoy every page.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC!

I did not enjoy this book. It did not pull me in from the beginning, and never did. Laurel was unlikable and it was too serious for a Christmas story.

I love Sue Moorcroft's books for their pure escapism and interesting characters. Although essentially a romance this story deals with many issues including bullying, body image, agoraphobia and sibling relationships. Once again we are in the fictional village of Middledip, with its population of community minded individuals who love good causes and get together, especially in the run up to Christmas. Snuggle down under the duvet or in front of the fire and enjoy.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

Another fantastic book by Sue Moorcroft. Set in the village of Middledip the story follows Laurel as she returns to the village to help her sister and niece. She is confronted by an incident that happened in the past by the brother of her first love but can she forgive him so she can resume her relationship with Grady. You’ll have to read this to find out. A great Christmas romance which will get you festive as well as stirring other emotions. A hard read in places but sensitively done. Thanks to Sue Moorcroft her publishers and NetGalley.

Under the Mistletoe is Sue Moorcroft’s festive novel. We join Laurel as she returns to her childhood home in the quaint village of Middledip. Recently divorced, she’s looking for a quiet life helping out her sister, Rea and niece. However her path soon crossed with old flame Grady Cassidy and it seems her new adventure in Middledip will be less quiet than she hoped. It feels as if Laurel and Grady can pick up where they left off but Laurel can’t shake off what happened nineteen years ago and the reason she chose to leave the village.

This novel deals with many subjects, sexual assault, agoraphobia and bullying alongside family, friendships and new starts. There are some truly wonderful characters and they all add to the plot line. A fabulous festive read that you will find truly heartwarming.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and the author for the chance to review.

What a lovely Christmas read. Really enjoyed it. Not what I was expecting, not a usual Christmas romance in my eyes, but such a good read. Great characters and storyline.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me an Arc in exchange for an honest review

Christmas. I love Christmas and all things related to Christmas and that includes books and reading. And this was an Christmas romance with a difference, had a good story line and good characters.

I love the quaint village of Middledip I love that it isn't an airy fairy romance but dealt with problems in the real world and I love that it also has some fun, humour and light-heartened moments.

Laurel is a strong woman, coping with what life has thrown at her and in the end she is able to let go. She is talented (love the description of her artwork) and she strong.

A great read for someone who is not a huge lover of the romance genre as it has so much more and is a complete story about life more than love.