Jill Shalvis never disappoints with her ability to bring characters to life. This set of 3 holiday novellas includes some of my favorite characters from her Heartbreaker Bay and Wildstone series. I really enjoyed reading each of these!

One Snowy Night features an enemies to lovers situation where Rory and Max were never an item but something happened that caused a major rift in their lives and one of them blames the other. For added fun, there was some forced proximity and an adorable dog as well. I was genuinely touched to read this redemption story and how they found a way to move past themselves and see how special the other person was to them.

Holiday Wishes features the ultimate player Sean as he tries to prove himself to his friends and family as a responsible adult when he sees Lottie his first love at the B&B they are all staying in. This second chance romance was so emotional because Lottie was not only wronged by Sean but she's also had some other issues with love. Their story really pulled at my heart strings and made me want to go back and re-read the entire Heartbreaker Bay series.

Mistletoe in Paradise is set on a yacht in a beautiful setting with two former lovers who didn't expect to see each other again. I enjoyed their dynamic and the way their families played a role in getting them together. I was also impressed with how Jill Shalvis managed to get so many emotions and so much story into a short novella.

Jill Shalvis is one of my authors that I read anything that is written.

Holiday Ever After is no exception. I always try to read the "mini-stories," because so much of the time they fill in holes to the storyline and answer questions.

One Snowy Night is the story of Max and Rory. Rory, who is trying to get to her family for Christmas in Lake Tahoe. When they finally admit their attraction to each other, after distractions and some time derailed, they are finally able to have a relationship together.

Holiday Wishes is Lottie and Sean's story. Lottie runs her family's bed and breakfast and Sean is in charge of his brother's bachelor party for the weekend. They used to have a relationship, but Lottie's heart was shattered. Lottie is determined that, because of it only being a weekend, she can handle being around Sean again. A storm comes through and forces plans to be changed, and Sean and Lottie realize their feelings for each other.

Mistletoe in Paradise takes place in the Caribbean. Hannah and James had an affair many years ago, and although not fond of being together again, they realize they still have feelings for each other.

Romance is my go-to, and this doesn't disappoint. In some cases, these short stories just tell more of the story, and in some cases, they complete the the story of the couple.

Absolutely didn't disappoint, and will continue to read this series as well as anything else that is written.

“One Snowy Night” by Jill Shalvis is book # 2.5 in the Heartbreaker series. It can be read as a stand-alone, however, it should be noted that this story is about characters who have been featured in the previous books in the series.

I have been following the Heartbreaker series from the start, so I was happy to know that Rory and Max would be getting their story. When I realised that this would be a novella, I was a bit wary. Why? Well with novellas the stories are generally short and at times you may find that events are not satisfactorily wrapped up. That being said, I decided to take my chances, after all, it’s Max and Rory’s story.

From reading the previous books in the series, I recognized that these two were attracted to each other, but never once did they act on it. The reason for this became clear in “One Snowy Night” Not only did these two have chemistry they also had a history which dated back to their high school years. Rory had no clue that Max blamed her for ruining his life back then. Now with a little interference from well-intentioned friends, these two find themselves travelling together as they return home for the Christmas. They now have the opportunity to confront the past and in the process heal old wounds.

I enjoyed the intense interaction between the characters. It was great learning about their pasts which assisted me in getting to know and understand them better. It was fun watching them coming to terms with the issues of the past and starting a new chapter in their lives.

Despite the length, I enjoyed the story. It was fun, sweet and entertaining. All in all, it was a great addition to the series. That being said, just as I feared the ending was not satisfactorily wrapped up. I wished that more details were provided as it relates to Rory’ relationship with her family and Max. It ended rather quickly for my liking.


If you are looking for a quick, funny and entertaining read “One Snowy Night” will do the trick.


Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis is book #4.5 in the Heartbreaker Bay series. Like the other books in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone. However, if you want to get the full benefit of this fun and adorable series, I would recommend you start at the beginning.

Holiday Wishes features one of my favourite tropes, a second chance romance. Combined with my favourite holiday and a weekend wedding and I knew I would be in for a treat.

The Story
A short and sweet Christmas read that allowed me to hang out with the Heartbreaker gang while enjoying the development of the romance between the protagonists. A well-written story with relatable characters and steady pacing made this a worthwhile read.

The Characters
Sean is a character with whom I am familiar. When I met him in the first book in the series, I found him to be immature and irresponsible. However, in this installment he demonstrated that he was not the irresponsible and immature young man persons perceived him to be. I loved this side of him.

I could not fault Lotti for her initial reaction to seeing Sean again after all these years. It could not have been easy for her to face the one person who had the power to break her heart into tiny pieces. However, in spite of her fears the one thing she could not deny was the explosive attraction between them, which was as strong as ever.

It was a treat watching them navigate their un-resolved feelings and off the chart chemistry. I loved them together, and I silently hoped that they would get it right this time around.

Conclusion and Recommendation
Fans of the series will enjoy this Christmas themed novella. If you have not started the series, then I recommend that you do so as soon as you can as you are missing out on some fun and awesome stories.

Another hit from one of my favourite authors and a great addition to the Heartbreaker Bay series.

I have been a fan of Jill Shalvis ever since I read her Heartbreaker series. Since then, I jump at every opportunity to read her books. Therefore, when the offer to read and review Mistletoe in Paradise appeared in my email, my response was an automatic yes. A point to note, despite this being a part of the Wildstone series, it can stand on its own.

Set on a boat, sailing the Caribbean Sea, Mistletoe in Paradise provided me with a sweet, second chance, friends to lover’s romance. In this story the reader met Hannah, her step-father Harry and James.

Now Hannah and James have been friends since childhood and as the years went by their feelings for each other developed beyond friendship. However, losing someone close to them both coupled with their thirst for different things in life led to them drifting apart. A few years later, Hannah is a workaholic with no social life and no time for relationships. She lives for her work, and so she was far from amused when her mother’s actions placed her in a position of delivering bad news to Harry, while spending time with him on his boat for the holidays. To make the situation worse, James would also be on the trip, not what she had signed up for.

I had a wonderful time with this novella. I laughed, and I teared up watching James and Hannah trying to deny their feelings and realising that it was an exercise in futility. Time and distance in no way dimmed the spark which existed between them.

I admired Hannah for her dedication to her job, but she needed to find some balance. I loved the fact that they communicated with each other and in the process managed to resolve the issues that initially tore them apart. The question is though despite coming to terms with their past, will their relationship survive the current situation given their different lifestyles?

Suitable for fans of the author and for readers who enjoy short and sweet romances

Collection of three second chance romances set around the Christmas holidays. All the stories are by Jill Shalvis. Sweet.

This is a collection of 3 short stories by Jill Shalvis. They are all about that second chance. They have some really likable characters (and pets) that make you cheer for the happy ending. Cute read

Three novellas all revolving around the holidays. Each short story stems from one of Shalvis’ series. They are heartwarming and just the right dose of sappiness. Each Includes people who had the hots for each other years before but didn’t pursue it for a variety of reasons. My favorite was the first one. Shalvis writes such likable characters and the reading goes so quickly. Dip into these stories to find the magic of the holiday season.

This book had three short Christmas stories that were very fun to read. They all were 2nd chance romances that happened to resolve over the holiday. The characters were very realistic, and Jill Shavlvis never disappoints. If you want 3 fun stories, I recommend these.

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

When I started reading this anthology, it all came back to me that I had read these books a while back.

Snowy Night, is a cute novella, but way short. Rory is trying to get home to Tahoe on Christmas Eve for the first time since she left home at 17. Her life is complicated and she doesn’t have time for dating or romance. Enter, Max, the guy she’s had a crush on for years. He’s not taking no for an answer, so Rory goes along for the ride. During the ride they encounter a massive snow storm, where his dog is temporarily lost, help an elderly couple, and get stranded themselves. The story was cute but too short.

Holiday Wishes. Sean and Lotti have a history that goes way back. Not a good one. Lotti has a hard time committing and she sees Sean as a player. Where as Sean, wants to get to know grown up Lotti, if she gives him the time of day. Sean is attending his brother’s bachelor/bachelorette party weekend, and he’s hoping to prove to Lotti he is interested in rekindling their romance. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed reading this story.

Mistletoe in Paradise. I think this is my favorite of the three novellas. I love second chance romances and this one has all the trimmings.
Hannah’s upbringing wasn’t easy. She loves her parents, but they were so involved in their own drama, that they never had time for her. Since she was little, her family and James family celebrated Christmas together in her father’s yacht. These days her job takes everything out of her, fighting for children that don’t have a voice. James has become very successful in his business, while trying to run the lumber business his father owns. He decided to come on this trip to tell his father he won’t be running his company anymore. Due to a snow storm, his parents won’t be joining them til they reach San Juan. Hannah on the other hand, only came on this trip to hand her father divorce papers, since she wouldn’t allow her mother to mail it to him. Since they are out to sea, James and Hannah have only time to get to know each other again, and hopefully Hannah won’t fight her attraction to James anymore. I loved this novella.

What an endearing and charming collection of Christmas romances! Each of the three stories featured a second chance romance; three couples who knew each other as teenagers and reunite and reignite their long-buried feelings. The chemistry between the couples lit up the page, each novella filled with a multitude of emotions.

Thank you netgalley! I am a fan of Jill Shalvis and this did not disappoint. It contains 3 holiday novellas that are equally heartwarming and cozy! I read them in one afternoon with my Christmas candles burning and a yule log and that is bound to put you in the holiday spirit. Each story follows a second chance romance trope. I loved the characters and the settings of each! They feature previous characters but can be read as standalones!

Holiday Ever After
by Jill Shalvis
Pub Date: October 26, 2021
Avon Publishers

Three fan-favorite Jill Shalvis novellas are together for the first time in this holiday anthology!
I have just started to read Jill Shalvis and she has become one of my favorites!
They are fun, easy reads that all center around the Christmas holiday and all of the main players will eventually find their happily ever after.

If you are not familiar with or read any of the books in either of these series - these are a great introduction to them and a peek into what type of stories you should expect if you choose to continue with the other books available - which I highly recommend. Thanks to Avon Publishers and Netgalley for a chance to read this ARC.
5stars

This is a collection of three Christmas novellas from Jill Shalvis. Each of them are second chance romance which I find works the best for novellas so we don’t get too much insta love. It’s tough to get the pacing right with novellas and I thought the first one (One Snowy Night) was too slow, the second one (Holiday Wishes) was too fast and the third one (Mistletoe in Paradise) to be just right. Still these a nice quick reads that would be perfect curled up next to a fireplace.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the early copy. All opinions are my own.

Three short stories that reunite the reader with characters from past stories.

One Snowy Night
Rory and Eve get snowed in together and must come to terms with the attraction they have for each other despite their rocky past.

Holiday Wishes
Sean and Lotti have a chance meeting after having a one night stand in High School ten years ago. Can they rekindle their feelings for each other?

Mistletoe in Paradise
Hannah and James haven’t seen each other in years, not since Hannah refused to give up her lifelong ambitions to follow James on adventures around the world. They both must compromise to be with each other.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for my honest review.

One Snowy Night ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Max and Rory, a long denied attraction since high school and many misconceptions, kept these two apart for many years, until Max, along with his adorable Dobie, Carl, moved into the same office/retail building where Rory worked in S.F. a year ago. He was her ride back to their hometown, so there was plenty of time to get their pasts and animosity out of the way. Hate is akin to love so it's said. Would've loved an HEA instead of an implication of it. Still a good read.
Holiday Wishes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sean gets his world rocked after booking a B & B for his big brother's bachelor/bachlorette party, to find out the one that got away in high school is none other than the owner, along with her absent mother. He was a jerk back then, and Lotti let's him know she's not interested in a relationship with him. He hurt her and she's closed off part of her heart, or so she thought. A gully-washing rainstorm strands them all at the B & B, and Sean gets a chance to show Lotti how he's matured and does truly love her. Sweet ending for sure.
Mistletoe in Paradise ⭐⭐⭐
Hanna and James had two very different upbringings, and valued very opposite views of happiness and success, born mostly of tragedy six years ago. Very sad throughout for me, to be a good Christmas read. Too much negativity, and ignoring the issues. A lot of pot/kettle. I couldn't comprehend a twenty-two year old Jason having all the regrets of his life at that young age. Just drawn out so much, and then a rushed no definitive HEA I felt.

Holiday Ever After is an anthology of three Christmas novellas by Jill Shalvis. I’ve read previous books by Jill Shalvis and enjoyed them but I did not enjoy this collection of stories. The first novella is “One Snowy Night” and it was just too rushed. (1 star) Second novella is “Holiday Wishes” was the best of the bunch (3 stars). Lastly is “Mistletoe in Paradise” which felt too rushed but had better details (2 stars).

Thanks to Avon Books for providing the e-ARC via NetGalley.

Three heartwarming holiday stories wrapped up in a lovely package! Each story follows a couple who are getting a second chance at love. They’re set in books from Shalvis’s other stories but can read as stand aloneness. I loved the characters and the settings of each! There’s plenty of steam to go along with the Christmas spirit.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for providing me this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is compilation of three short stories; two from Jill Shalvis' "Heartbreak Bay" series and one from her "Wildstone" series. As a big Shalvis fan, I've already read these stories before but it was (as always) a pleasure to re-read them again. All three can be read as standalones but, in my opinion, it adds a lot to the reader's enjoyment to read them as part of the whole series.

From the "HB" series, “One Snowy Night” (3 stars) is a nice little addition to "The Trouble with Mistletoe". “Holiday Wishes” (2.5 stars) is also a fun story which includes one of the supporting characters from the HB series and a second chance romance. From the Wildstone series, “Mistletoe in Paradise” (2 stars) was OK, not great but that makes sense as it's not really one of my favorite series.

Sooo, if you've never read any of Jill Shalvis' books before, this is a nice little taste of her style.

Holiday Ever After by Jill Shalvis is a holiday bonanza with three novellas (from Heartbreaker and Wildstone series).

One Snowy Night
We meet our heroine, Rory Andrews, as she needs a ride home for the holidays, and is surprised when her friend asked Max Stranton to give her a ride home, since he doesn’t live far from Lake Tahoe. She reluctantly accepts the ride, and Rory gets a kick out of Max’s dog, Carl; since she is a dog groomer and she knows Carl loves her. Cute. Rory did see Max lately, as he worked in the same building as her, and she usually groomed, Carl.

Rory and Max were friends in high school, but though she had a crush on him, nothing ever developed, and she left home at the age of 17, rarely coming back. Along the way home, they run into a blizzard, which will allow them to get to rekindle their friendship, and get know each other more. In a very short time, the chemistry between them heats up. I found it nice that Max stood up for Rory when they arrived at her home, especially since she hasn’t been home for a long time. This was a fun cute story, and a couple we rooted hard for to stay together.

Holiday Wishes
Sean O’Riley had planned his brother’s bachelor/bachelorette weekend, and the entire group of friends (boys and girls) arrive at the Bed and Breakfast to enjoy the weekend before the wedding. Sean is surprised to recognize the person in charge of the Inn. Lotti Hanfield runs her family’s B&B, and is shocked to meet the boy (now man), who broke her heart, and has never seen him since then. When she ignores him, his brother and friends tease him that this woman wants nothing to do with him. Sean has always been a playboy, but lately when seeing all his friends begin to settle down, he feels the change in wanting to find someone to spend forever with.

Lotti has been hurt before, and is not interested in Sean’s attempts to show her that he is a changed man. Lotti has made plans to close the B&B for two weeks for a vacation, but the nasty blizzard will change things. Everyone is very pleased with how Lotti has arranged everything for the group (events and food). But now that no one can leave, Sean convinces Lotti to help him set up an impromptu wedding at the B&B; but with a food shortage, she was able get some stuff from local neighbors, and they all worked together to decorate the wedding. Being stuck at the inn for a couple of more days, was just perfect for them to fall for each other, as they had great chemistry. This story was lots of fun and enjoyable, and also great to see so many of our favorites from previous books.


Mistletoe in Paridise
Hannah Banfield, our heroine, is a workaholic as a health care advocate, with little time to spare. But with Christmas close, she agrees to join her father on their annual Caribbean yacht trip; but she also knows her mother is not coming, and Hannah needs to give her father her mother’s divorce papers. To her surprise, her father also invited James, who was Hannah’s love years ago.

James Webber, our hero, was happy to see Hannah, but both are surprised when the yacht starts moving with only the two of them (James’s family also used to attend the annual trip), as well as her father and another person. While stuck together for a few days, James and Hannah talk about their lives, and how both are buried in their work. They talk about the death of James’s brother, and how it changed their lives. James sees Hannah constantly interrupted on her cell for work, and learns how she is now working in health care, especially since the death of Jason. James also explains he needs to change his life, as he has his own business (expedition company), but also works overtime to handle his father’s company. He plans to tell his father that he is quitting and work only on his business.

When Hannah’s father leaves them at a stop for a day or two to spend time alone, both James and Hannah realize that they still love each other. It was sweet and wonderful to see them work past the issues that have kept their lives at a standstill, and needed to open themselves to being happy. I really loved James and Hannah together, and their eventual happy ever after.

Holiday Ever After was fun to read, as all three novellas were great. No surprise here, as Jill Shalvis is one of the best at writing wonderful sweet romances. If you have not read her books, you are missing a gem of an author.

Jill Shalvis has written a wonderful anthology of three holiday novellas. Each novella is its own sweet, fun, sexy winter holiday story. Each had its own well developed plot and we'll developed characters.

The three novellas involved a holiday timed romance: the second chance theme is one of my favorite and these did not disappoint.

When I first began reading romance novels, 15+ years ago, Jill Shalvis was one of the first authors I read. In those 15 years, I’ve read tried and true romance writers like Nora Roberts and edgy paranormal geniuses like Christine Feehan. Yet, coming back to a Jill Shalvis romance feels like home. Her writing feels fresh and relatable all the while giving me the character development, intimacy, and heartfelt emotion (even in novella format) that I crave. The Holiday Ever After anthology, in particular, is so special. I especially like that they’re not heavy on the Christmas elements. Yes, you can read these during the holiday season and they fit, but these are gems in any season. It’s an easy offering to recommend. Well done!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.