I loved the three clean contemporary romances presented in this Christmas anthology by two of my favorite authors, Pepper Basham and Kathleen Fuller, and one new-to-me great new find author, Sheila Roberts. Each novelette is a complete story but is just the right length for reading during a busy holiday season when there isn’t as much downtime to relax. Each one is full of heartwarming content that will put you in the Christmas spirit.

Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller has a best friend’s big brother trope and features a small town woman and a rugged hero with a delicious Irish accent.

A Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham gives us an opposites-attract story featuring a heartbroken prince gone wild who has left his country of Skymar for NC in hopes of regaining his footing and mending his reputation by working with his brother-in-law doing artisan carpentry, construction, and masonry. One of his co-workers, Charlotte aka Charlie, is like no one he has ever met before and he is fascinated. Oooo-oooo this is a good one—straight out of a believable fairy tale.

Say No To Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts is about a young woman who was a wallflower in high school but now has blossomed into a successful, published romance author who lives in NYC. After a number of years she finally is coming home to Washington state for a family visit and meets up with her crush, the boy next door who is now the high school principal. She also deals with her mean girl nemesis who is dating her brother. It’s a triumphant story of growing up and moving forward.

Highly recommend! I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher vis NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I enjoyed reading Mistletoe Season by Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller and Pepper Basham. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

I find that novellas are perfect holiday reads because they give you a bite-sized story during a time when leisure reading often falls by the wayside. This Mistletoe-themed collection was sweet and happy and nice.

I will say that Pepper Basham’s story definitely carried the collection, and was the initial reason I picked up the book. I loved revisiting beloved characters from her Skymar series (this time back in the Blue Ridge) and that was the only story that felt too short for the format for me. The other two stories fell flat for me, but I didn’t mind so much because I had Pepper’s.


Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for the complimentary e-ARC to review. All opinions are my own and I was not required to publish a positive review.

I really wanted to like these and I'm so sad that I didn't. I love what these authors set out to do, I just didn't find the execution to be well done and this ultimately fell flat for my taste. I read the first story, Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller, and then about 2 chapters of the second one, The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham, I decided to DNF.

Story 1 - Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller

Return to Mistletoe had the potential to be a heartwarming second-chance romance, but unfortunately, it fell a bit short for me. I love reading novellas, and I understand that with a limited page count, certain details or developments may be glossed over. However, even with that understanding, this novella struggled to find its footing.

The premise was definitely sweet—there’s something inherently charming about a second-chance love story, and I think it was a good choice to give the characters some shared history. I didn’t dislike either of the protagonists, and I definitely found myself rooting for them to get together. However, despite their backstory, the relationship still felt rushed. The author could have incorporated more from their past without eating up too much space in the novella. That would have added depth, making their current feelings more believable and their chemistry more palpable.

Another issue was the passage of time in the story. The events supposedly unfold over multiple weeks, but the way it was written made it feel like mere days. A more condensed timeline—like everything happening over a long weekend—would have felt more natural and allowed for deeper, more immersive character development. Instead of telling us that they had feelings, we could have seen those emotions evolve in a more organic way.

The writing itself also had its rough spots. There was a moment when a character’s mom picks up the phone and says something like, “How are things in Kansas City?” to a friend. It felt forced, like dialogue you’d hear in a sitcom to clue the audience in on where a character is, rather than something you’d expect in real life. These clunky moments pulled me out of the story and made it hard to get fully invested in the characters or their journey.

Ultimately, Return to Mistletoe had a cute premise, but the execution left me wanting more. It didn’t quite capture my interest or deliver the emotional payoff I’d hoped for.

Story 2 - The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham

I almost stopped after the first book but decided to give the second story a chance. Initially, I wasn’t excited about a contemporary royal romance, which should’ve been my first clue to stop, but I pushed on. Within the first two chapters, the FMC repeatedly said or thought things like 'I dreamed of being a princess once, but those dreams are over' or 'Trust me, I’m over my infatuation with princes.' While I’m too lazy to go check my Kindle, I’d guess some variation of that line was used 5-6 times in just two chapters. She’s also supposed to be a tomboy, which is great, but with those elements combined, the story felt predictable and cliché. I knew it wasn’t for me, so I decided not to continue.

Overall thoughts:

Generally, I don’t rate DNFs, but 1) NetGalley requires a rating and 2) I feel like I identified some objective issues with the writing, beyond my personal preferences. That’s why I went with a 2-star rating. I understand novellas aren’t typically as complex, but I’ve read many that were more developed than these. If you can’t make a novella feel fully formed and satisfying, maybe short stories aren’t the right format. I’m sure plenty of people will enjoy these stories for what they are, but they just weren’t for me.

Return to Mistletoe (Kathleen Fuller) - Emmy loves Mistletoe and has no plans to ever leave. Kieran left as soon as he could. When Kieran returns briefly to celebrate his mother's 70th birthday, sparks fly between them - but can two people with such different plans make things work?

The Mistletoe Prince (Pepper Basham) - Charlotte always wished for a prince as a child, until she realised how unrealistic the idea was. And her first meeting with her cousin's brother-in-law would put her off if she hadn't already abandoned the idea. But as she sees more of the man, her question shifts from whether the disgraced prince is good enough for her to whether she's good enough for the real man...

Say No to Mistletoe (Sheila Roberts) - After several bad experiences, Hailey is convinced that any mistletoe kiss she engages in is doomed. When she returns to her hometown for Christmas and meets her first mistletoe kiss again, the attraction is stronger than ever - but can she look past her fears to see the truth?

The first and third stories felt fairly run-of=the-mill to me: nothing bad, just forgettable - but the second was delightful, and very well worthwhile. So, this is going to be a review of 'The Mistletoe Prince'. Having read previous books in the series (not necessary to enjoy this story, but very worth doing!), I had high expectations - and wasn't disappointed. It's on the shorter side, but none the less well developed or paced. I was grabbed from the first page and thereafter sighed when they made bad decisions, rejoiced when things went well, and felt for them when things were hard. And when it came to the end, I was torn between appreciating their well-deserved happy ending and being sorry to say goodbye. I particularly empathised with their feelings of inadequacy, and appreciated seeing them each work to convince the other of their worth - in Arran's case, a worth not related to his royal position. A real redemption story on Arran's part, and of acceptance on Charlotte's part. All in all, highly recommended.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

A collection of three brand new holiday kissing only romance novellas set in small towns. My favorite by far was the second story by Pepper Basham that's set in the Skymar universe and sees a tomboy carpenter falling for a royal prince. Lots of content about learning to love oneself and being worthy of love just as you are. The final story also follows those themes as an introverted NYC romance writer returns home for Christmas and falls for her high school crush. Recommended for fans of authors like Susan Mallory or Debbie Macomber. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading these 3 Christmas Novellas, really gets you in the cosy loving Christmas spirit! Although all the stories are separate and written by different people I really enjoyed the nice link of Mistletoe throughout them all!
Look forward to cosying up and reading these again next Christmas.

Antiques and Irish castles, a rebel prince, and Mistletoe kryptonite sum up the themes of the three sweet holiday romances found in Mistletoe Season. Perfect, quick, curl-up-and-read-with-cocoa stories that will get your holiday season off to a merry start!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received this sweet collection of three Christian romance stories from Thomas Nelson Publishers through NetGalley. This is my own unsolicited reaction to the book. It is nice to have short stories or novellas to enjoy during the busy holiday time. They are great to sit down and relax for a few minutes of reading time.
Return to Mistletoe - Kathleen Fuller
Emmy Banks owns an antique store in Mistletoe, Missouri. She runs her dream business with the help of her daughter, Carina. As she prepares the shop for Christmas, she happens to meet her best friend Sheryl's brother Kieran while on an errand. He has been away for years and has come home to surprise his family. The two spend time together during this busy season and admit to growing feelings. What will he decide to do?
This story was a good opening to the other two in the book.
A Mistletoe Prince - Pepper Basham
Okay, I was surprised and very pleased to realize that this is a Skymar royal family story. Prince Arran St. Clare arrives at Mt. Airy to stay with his sister Ellie and husband Luke (Loyally Luke). He is in an embarrassed state after degrading his reputation at home. He is to help Luke and take part in the Mistletoe Wish Program. Charlotte "Charlie" Edgewood is Luke's carpenter cousin who has been asked to take over the Mistletoe Wish festivities for the Christmas season. She is way out of her element. Can a small-town tomboy put up with a rogue prince while trying to give the children a good Christmas?
I loved this story! Pepper always inserts great humor, realities of life and sweet romance in her stories.
Say No to Mistletoe - Sheila Roberts
"Do I want to write about life, or do I want to experience it?"
Hailey Fairchild is a romance writer who readily admits that mistletoe is her kryptonite. She isn't allergic, she just goes off the deep end when kissing beneath it. Holiday kisses just lead to heartbreak. During a trip home for the Christmas season, she runs into her brother's best friend, her high school crush and first mistletoe mistake. Carwyn Davis is an attractive man. No way will she get near mistletoe with him again. Then there's the problem of her old high school bully, Gwendolyn. She is now her brother Sam's girlfriend. Will this holiday season be a disaster?
This is a sweet and sometimes comical story.
Carwyn is a good guy, Gwendolyn her same self. Some things change, some don't when you go back home.

3 delightful Christmas novellas all centered on something to do with mistletoe.
Emmy and Kieran are featured in the first story. Emmy owns and runs an antique store in Mistletoe. Kieran is back for his mother's birthday after years abroad. We also meet Carina and Sheryl as well as a few others. Love the theme of a town called mistletoe and living up to it's name for the holiday season.
Arran and Charlie are featured in the 2nd story and it was very nice to see another Skymar story. Arran has come to the states and bungles things up real good for his first impression with Charlie, whom he learns also works for his sister Ellie's husband Luke. Arran and Charlie are heading up the Mistletoe wish fundraiser and charity event for needy families in the area.
Hailey and Carwyn head up the 3rd story set in Cascade Washington. Mistletoe has always got Hailey in trouble and home reminds her of her more insecure days. She's an author, who also has writers block after another failed relationship. She meets up with Carwyn, her old crush and one of her nemesis's from school.
All 3 stories are well told and wrapped up nicely without feeling the story was rushed. Great addition to the Christmas Holiday reads.
A complimentary copy was provided by Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. A review was not required and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The only problem with a novella collection is that each book ends too soon! I was loving these characters and their love stories, which made me ready for Christmas - in September ha!

I know some of the characters in Pepper Basham's "A Mistletoe Prince" are mentioned in her Edgewood family trilogy. Now I am curious if we learn more about any characters in "Return to Mistletoe" by Kathleen Fuller or "Say No to Mistletoe" by Sheila Roberts in their other novels?!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley. Opinions are my own.

What a delight!
"Mistletoe Season" includes three very sweet, funny, festive and warm novellas that will definitely bring Christmas spirit into everyone's life.

My favorite novella was the 2nd one called "A mistletoe prince" by Pepper Basham. I need a full book with these characters!!! I haven't read anything by this author before, and I need to asap! If this was the only novella in the book, my rating for "Mistletoe Season" would've been higher.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing / Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC.

I loved each of these three novellas. Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham was my favorite of the three. Especially since it gave us a glimpse of Charlie and Prince Arran! I've been following the Edgewood Siblings' series so it was really fun to get to read Arran's story. If you haven't read that series, no worries, you'll enjoy this novella!

The other two authors are new to me authors. I enjoyed reading their contributions to this adorable mistletoe collection! They were all very clever, sweet and full of charming characters whom you can't help but cheer for and hope they get their sweet mistletoe kiss! I loved the settings of each novella and the secondary characters.

This is a collection that is sure to get you in the holiday spirit. Or, you can just enjoy reading the sweet and clean love stories anytime of the year!

Content: All three are clean with kisses only.

I received a copy from the publisher, Harper Collins Christian Publishing. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

This anthology was absolutely delightful! Two authors were new to me and my love runs deep for Pepper Basham and the second I saw her name on the title I knew I would be reading this one. #noregrets!!

Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller

'When he left Mistletoe, he didn't vie the town, or Emmy Branch, more than a second thought. He sure was thinking about her now.'

Little sister's best friend, second chance connection all set in a beautiful Hallmark-esque town. This is perfect for any Christmas reading!! This book had real heart and soul put into it and I loved the escape this provided!

A Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham

"When I prayed for a prince as a little girl, Lord, this is not what I had in mind."

I cannot get enough of the characters from this series. If you've been reading Authentically, Izzy, Positively, Persephone and Loyally, Luke you're already more than in love with these characters... to add in Charlie's story with a rogue prince was chef's kiss perfection! Royalty, meet-cute gone wrong, second chances and learning to trust; all with Pepper's wit and pop culture references made for an unforgettable Christmas romance!!!

Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts

'Mistletoe is my kryptonite. One kiss under it, and I go weak in the head. My last three mistletoe kisses resulted in relationship disaster. Which is why I, Hailey Fairchild, am swearing off it.'

This book gave me major 90's romcom vibes and made me laugh out loud so many times. This is boy next door, unrequited crush, second chance kisses (is that a thing? let's make it a thing lol) and really a fun read from start to finish!

Overall, you cannot go wrong with any of these! If you're looking for some fun, contemporary Christmas romances-this would be a great place to start!! Anthologies are always perfect for the busiest time of the year to pick-up and put down with short, quick stories!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Content/Triggers: minimal innuendo, off-page cancer mention, partying regrets, parent abandonment, secondary character under the influence of alcohol, romance-kisses only.

While waiting for the Christmas season, it is always a good time to read stories set in those dates. And here we have three stories that make this wait more enjoyable.

Here we have mistletoe as an important element to make way for romantic stories with lovable characters that make you wish for a Christmas romance.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for providing me with this ARC to start my holiday season.

This book is filled with three stories of Christmas romance.

The first novella is called Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller. We follow Emmy and Kieran as they have a second chance at love. This is a best friend’s brother trope. The story is sweet and doesn’t lag. I could picture the town, and I liked all of the characters.

The second novella is called the Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham. We follow Prince Arran and Charlotte. Arran has a bad reputation and is forced to live through Christmas with his sister and her American commoner husband. Charlotte is Arran’s sister’s cousin in law and therefore also a commoner. I’m a sucker for a good holiday royalty story, so this one got me. I enjoyed it and getting to know the characters. Arran and Charlotte’s characters developed so much, and I couldn’t help but root for them.

Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts follows Hailey and Carwyn. Hailey was the school nerd who was bullied by the popular girls with Gwendolyn leading the pack. Carwyn was her neighbor and her brother’s best friend. She’s an author now and is home for the holidays. She finds out her brother is dating her high school nemesis, in true “You, Again” fashion. But Gwendolyn still seems awful. (Side note: shouldn’t stylists tell you that you have to wash your hair a few times to get a desired color BEFORE dying anyone’s hair?) The writing is descriptive and lovely. The characters got through their story too fast. I would have liked to have learned more about Carwyn.

This is a great holiday set. It’s cute and fun. I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

#BookRevew : MISTLETOE SEASON by Sheila Roberts; Kathleen Fuller; Pepper Basham

Three Christmas Stories in one book was a delightful treat. I'm so glad I read these novellas. They were concise and enjoyable. While I wished they could have been longer to savor each story more, each ended on a positive note with a mistletoe theme connecting them all. I also enjoyed the small town romance and festivities.

Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller - This was another sweet story by the author. I enjoyed the carriage ride.

The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham - I just love the Edgewood family from the Skymar series so no doubt this was my favorite. I got to revisit Luke and Ellie which was fun.

Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts - This was my first book by the author and it won’t be my last.


Rating: 5 ⭐
Pub date: Oct 08 2024

Thank you Thomas Nelson Fiction and #netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

When you sign up to preview new releases, Christmas comes early! And so I read this three-in-one Christmas set while camping a couple of weeks ago. I’m not sure camping and Christmas stories go together, but there I was…

I don’t recall reading anything by Kathleen Fuller or Sheila Roberts before. This collection had me at the connection of Pepper Basham’s story to her Skymar series.

But first, Fuller’s story. It was interesting. Although Keiran grew up in Missouri, he’s lived in Ireland for years now, where he’s been renovating a castle. Honestly, I struggled with his over-the-top Irish accent. I know people who can pick up accents quickly, but they also revert quickly, and Kieran stuck to it. It’s maybe a silly thing to get hung up about, but I kept being distracted when he’d call Emmy ‘lass’ and things like that. The story was sweet, though, and so was the single mom heroine, Emmy.

Basham’s story started off on the wrong foot for me, with Prince Arran puking drunk all over the heroine, Charlie. I’m an author, so I get that characters need to grow from somewhere, but if I’d been new to this author, I might well have put the book down at this point. Never fear; redemption is nigh, and Arran turns into a likeable hero you can root for. Add Charlie’s distaste for femininity, and you have an interesting mix that makes you wonder how this fairy tale will end! Hint: happily.

I loved Roberts’ story the most. It was lilting and refreshing as the heroine, Hailey, vows to stay away from mistletoe forever after a few disasters in her past. She was planning to come home in triumph as a successful romance author, engaged to a wonderful man… who ditched her just before her trip home. Enter an old neighbor who’d once kissed her under the mistletoe on a dare, and you have the recipe for a lot of romantic fun.

So, do I recommend this set? Yes, I’d give it a solid 4/5, and chalk up some of that lost point to reading Christmas stories while camping! If you’re looking for shorter, cute, romantic Christmas reads, give Mistletoe Season a try. It releases October 8, so not long to wait now! And maybe now that it’s fall (can I get a hurrah for pumpkin season?!?!) you might be in the mood for it!

I was conflicted about how to rate this book because I know it’s a few novellas, but I settled on three stars because there were some things I enjoyed and some things I didn’t enjoy about this book.

Overall, these novellas definitely hit the “holiday cute” vibe if that’s what you’re looking for. They were quick, mindless, and not terribly deep. I’d say the best word to describe this book was “cute.” And sometimes we all need cute (especially around the holidays) so I’m not knocking that at all!

I really liked that all the stories were connected over mistletoe! That specific holiday tie was really sweet. I do, however, wish the stories connected to each other in some way. I was waiting for the connecting piece that never came.

The overall themes were enjoyable and honestly I wish I could’ve read three different books for each of these stories. I think that’s part of my issue with the novellas. I felt like I got so little information about the characters it was impossible for me to connect to them. They moved so quickly some of the major plot points felt unbelievable.

Overall, this was cute but not quite memorable.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing- Thomas Nelson for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A cute selection of 3 Christmas short stories.
I love Christmas books generally and I found this book to be ok. The 3 Christmas stories hit differently, so it’s something for everyone.
If you enjoy all different kinds of Christmas movies this will be a good book for you to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.