In Mistletoe and Mischief, Debbie Macomber delivers two heartwarming holiday stories set in the charming town of Cedar Cove, where the Christmas spirit comes alive with love, family, and festive surprises.

In the first story, A Cedar Cove Christmas, Mary Jo Wyse finds herself stranded and alone on Christmas Eve, pregnant and without a place to stay. Enter Grace Harding, who brings Mary Jo to her home and offers warmth and support, even as the situation becomes more urgent. When Mary Jo unexpectedly goes into labor, Mack McAfee, a local paramedic, steps in to help. This heartwarming tale of community, faith, and the joy of new beginnings shows how love can emerge from unexpected places, making it a perfect read for the holiday season.

In the second story, 1225 Christmas Tree Lane, Beth Morehouse is gearing up for a wonderful Christmas when a basket of puppies is left on her doorstep, complicating her plans but also filling her heart. As she embarks on the mission of finding homes for the pups, she’s also faced with the unexpected arrival of her ex-husband, invited by their daughters to join the holiday festivities. Amid the chaos, surprises, and a few mishaps, romance blooms and families find unexpected healing.

Macomber’s signature warmth and charm shine through in both stories, each filled with tender moments, relatable characters, and the undeniable magic of the holiday season. The two tales remind readers of the importance of love, family, and finding joy in even the most unexpected of situations.

The Mistletoe and Mischief collection is a delightful addition to the holiday reading list, perfect for those seeking a cozy, feel-good escape into the world of Cedar Cove.

Debbie Macomber's last book is just what you need for the holiday season. She has a wonderful storyline where she leaves the reader wanting more. This book will fill your heart with joy and wish that the story hadn't come to an end.

I read both of these stories years ago when I read the series that they are a part of. I enjoyed this book and being able to refresh my memory of these books, the characters and the setting.

A Cedar Cove Christmas is 8.5 in the series. This is a present day nativity birth. Mary Jo Wyse shows up in Cedar Cove, pregnant looking for the father of her baby. He is not to be found and she has nowhere to go. She is taken in by Grace Harding and offered a room over the stable, where the animals from the upcoming nativity are staying. She goes into labour and her baby is delivered by Mack McAfee, a local paramedic. This Christmas miracle is celebrated by all the residents of Cedar Cove and Mack gets back his faith and hope. This was a sweet, Christmas romance novella, with a Christmas miracle in the person of Noelle Wyse. Although this is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone story.

1225 Christmas Tree Lane is the final book in the Cedar Cove series. Everyone in Cedar Cove is looking forward to their best Christmas ever. Beth Morehouse's small Christmas tree farm is prospering, her daughters and her dogs are happy and well, and her new relationship with local vet Ted Reynolds is moving forward with promise. Suddenly she has two things to deal with. Someone leaves a basket of puppies on her porch, and her daughters have invited their dad, her ex-husband for Christmas. Like many children, they have dreams of a reunion, but Beth's interests lie elsewhere. With this being the final book, there were a lot of previous characters brought into the story. The ten puppies all found homes with these characters and it was nice to see them all again. There was a cute romance nestled in among the recaps of all the previous stories, but it wasn't the best ending to this series. If you have not read the previous books, it would be a nice story getting to know all the residents of Cedar Cove.

This book is the reprint of two previously published novellas in the Cedar Cove Series: A Cedar Cove Christmas and 1225 Christmas Tree Lane. I haven't read the series but I didn't have any trouble with these stories.

A Cedar Cove Christmas was definitely easy to read as a stand-alone as the main character Mary Jo Wyse isn't a resident of Cedar Cove but goes there looking for the family of the man who fathered her unborn child. This story was first published in 2007 and it has aged well. I didn't like her oldest brother's attitude. He was a bit of a caveman. He treated Mary Jo like she was just the "little woman" and needed a man to protect her and make decisions for her. The other two brothers weren't much better but were overshadowed by Linc. I really enjoyed the parts of the story where the brothers weren't in.

1225 Christmas Tree Lane was first published in 2011 and there were more references to people and events that were probably covered in other books. The main storyline involving Beth and Kent's adult daughters trying to get them back together was easy to follow as a newcomer to the series. But there were also plenty of little pieces that were probably more of a gift to fans of the series, particularly towards the end as we "visit" Christmas day with other people in Cedar Cove who weren't really featured in the rest of the story.

I love reading Debbie Macomber's Christmas books and have started to read some of her older stories (I listened to The Christmas Basket while on Christmas vacation this year). This was a nice way to read some of those older Christmas stories if you haven't already.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Thursday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/01/review-round-up-5-books-from-my-review.html

I loved this book so much! I haven’t shut up about it since finishing it. A real joy to read during the holiday season.

Squealing…a basket of puppies!! In true Debbie MacComber fashion, this story is everything your heart loves for Christmas. Nobody does a Christmas story better than she does and this was a heartwarming way to start the today season.

2 Debbie Macomber Christmas stories taking place in Cedar Cove. I haven"t read any books about Cedar Cove in quite a few years. So sweet to revisit the characters. Both stories were predictable, but again the characters made me feel like coming home again.

3.5 stars.

When I first picked this one up, I didn't realize this was actually two shorter stories. It didn't bother me, because it felt like a bonus! The first story was a modern retelling of the famous Christmas story. Young woman, pregnant, stranded and no room at any of the local inns. She ends up being taken in by a local and having her baby on Christmas, and she even meets a handsome man in the process. A story we all know, told in a cute way. The second story involved a basket of puppies left on a door step and some kids who didn't like their Dad's new girlfriend.

Both stories were cute, though predictable. I felt like they both seemed a little rushed and didn't really have anything exciting about them. Enjoyable to read, but won't be super memorable.

I've read a lot of Debbie Macomber that I have loved, but Mistletoe and Mischief fell short. I struggled to finish this, but it did have a lovely holiday cheer to it.. This would be good to read on a plane, but I struggled so stay engrossed. I'll give a try another day and see if my feelings change. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the complimentary advanced readers copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to MIRA for my copy of Mistletoe and Mischief by Debbie Macomber. This is a re-release of two of her holiday books in one book - A Cedar Cove Christmas and 1225 Christmas Tree Lane. 

It's been a while since I read the Cedar Cove Series but it was fun to go back to this sweet town and its characters. If you're a Debbie Macomber fan and haven't read these books yet you need to!

There are two stories which are loosely connected in this one, both of which are stories that were released previously. I had not read them prior to reading this collection, though.

<i>‘A Cedar Cove Christmas’</i> shares the story of Mary Jo, a young woman who
is the only girl in a family of brothers who are more than a bit overly protective, especially after she becomes pregnant. Her brothers insist they will force the father to marry her, which is not what she wants. On Christmas Eve, she drives to Cedar Cove, in the hopes of contacting the father, but when she arrives, she finds out that he is apparently still on a cruise with his family. She meets a woman who offers her a room over the stable, so she has a place to stay, but it isn’t long before she goes into labor, which is when paramedic Mack McAfee enters the picture.

The story that follows, <i>’1225 Christmas Tree Lane’</i> involves a woman who finds a basket full of puppies at her door. Fortunately for the puppies, the woman takes them in, hoping that she can find them all good homes, hopefully by Christmas. When her ex-husband arrives with a woman she wasn’t expecting, and one who clearly isn’t a fan of dogs, their daughters take an instant dislike to her - and no one would blame them. There is, of course, more to this story, with the perfect ending.


Pub Date: 01 Oct 2024


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing / MIRA

A Cedar Cove Christmas

Alone, stranded and pregnant Mary Jo Wyse travelled to Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve. She finds herself with no rooms at any of the local inns. Grace Harding took Mary Jo in and gave her the spare room over her stable to stay in. Luckily there is Mack McAfee a paramedic that comes to her rescue when she goes into labor that night. The people of Cedar Cove help them celebrate the birth of Mary Jo’s baby, Noelle. No one more than Mack has more to celebrate. . .

1225 Christmas Tree Lane

It’s expected to be one of her best Christmases for Beth Morehouse. Someone has left a basket full of puppies at her doorstep she’s determined to find them all new homes. Complications arise when her daughters extend to their dad an invitation to spend Christmas with them. . . where he’s now an ex-husband a long time ago. Always in life there are surprises. More than one family is going to have a puppy under their tree this Christmas. More than one scheme is going to go awry. A happy ending will come to more than one this Christmas season!

In both these stories Debbie Macomber again brings to her stories love, joy and faith. She brings the wonder and joy of the Christmas season. She brings to you the feeling of hope and heartfelt excitement that Christmas Eve brings such as the miracle of life. She definitely knows how to portray a small town atmosphere! All the personalities come out with all the people in this small town. You feel like you live there too! Both are wonderful stories to read anytime of the year!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers in letting me read this book and allowing me to leave an honest review.

Debbie Macomber does it again. She makes you feel like you are reunited with your oldest friends. This book brings you back to Cedar Cove to catch up with so many familiar characters. I love that you know what everyone has been up to, but it can also be a stand alone. Loved this book!

This was 2 stories. I really enjoyed both. The second story had a tonality to it. Like this was the last ever book.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Debbie Macomber is the queen of the holiday read and these two stories were perfect and cozy.

This book is another reprint of previously published Christmas novels by Debbie Macomber. Even though I realized that I had read these stories previously it was fun to revisit them again. Debbie Macomber is the Queen of Christmas romance novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing this book in exchange for my honest review!

Mistletoe and Mischief included two of Debbie Macomber's books. You will fall in love with the characters from Cedar Cove. I loved the first story about Mary Jo going to Cedar Cove in search of someone. Her brothers followed along and what ensued was a light hearted, fun Christmas read.
You will fall in love with all the puppies in the second story. It's a happy ending when all the puppies find forever homes. Two feel good Christmas books that you will love.

This is the perfect Christmas book! I always get so excited when I see Debbie Macomber's yearly Christmas book is released.
As always, this book was amazing. The characters were so likable and relatable. Their chemistry was marvelous. I love how well this story flowed. It was very well written, with no cussing or "spicy" scenes.

I highly recommend this book to anyone.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own*

Fans of Macomber will love Mistletoe and Mischief. It's a book of two dramatic little romances with some adversity thrown in with the endings wrapped up in nice little bows. It's a great palate cleanser from heavier books.

Wonderful holiday read!! I look forward to all Debbie Macomber's books, but especially the holiday stories. She really knows how to play my heartstrings & make me smile!!