3.75 stars rounded up to 4
Under the Mistletoe is such a fun collection of Christmas romances! Given the nature of them all being short stories, the love stories obviously move pretty quickly from meeting to happily ever after but they were great little tastes of Christmas love and joy.
Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood -- classic Ali Hazelwood snowed in together that was very reminiscent of her STEMinist Novellas with a best friend's younger brother twist.
Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey -- I am admittedly not a fan of Tessa Bailey's writing and so this was not my favorite of the stories. It had some sweet moments between the MCs (and the FMC's young son), but ultimately was not for me.
All By My Elf by Olivia Dade -- Never has a Weenie-mobile been so sexy! I love a story featuring two dumb dumbs (affectionate) who are so clearly into each other and need a meddling best friend to push them together.
Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur -- what more could you want than a hot bi firefighter?
Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria -- Fun, sexy, featuring swoon-worthy romantic gestures

This collection, titled "Under the Mistletoe," is another hilarious and heartwarming Amazon originals collection of short stories that just knock it out of the park. From the adorable meet cutes and the love tropes that you just can't help but root for the main characters, each of these love stories are wonderful and very likely to have you feeling the Christmas spirit!

This collection of Christmas short sorties , filled with spicy romance , was a real treat.
I binge read them all in 48 hours but if you’re more disciplined than me, it would be cool to use them as a spicy advent calendar and treat yourself to one story each week in December. I’d have to say the first two books but Ali Hazelwood and Tessa Bailey were my favourite, but all of the stories hit the spot with the perfect blend of festive feel good and spicy romance.

I will definitely be recommended this collect and popping it in a stocking or two.

Thanks to the authors, publishers and NetGalley for a chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this ARC!

I typically don't enjoy nor rate short stories/novellas highly but this was such a nice surprise. I love how with this collection, I was exposed to a few new authors and am now keen on reading more of their work. All the stories are fast paced and overwhelmingly cute and humorous. Though they are short stories and don't have a fully fleshed out world or characters, I still enjoyed each story and became so invested in these characters.

My favourite story (and new author discovery!) would have to be Alexandria Bellefleur's Merriment and Mayhem! Would love to read about this couple in a full book!

Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood
- 3 stars
- Good character background development and use of timelines
- Sweet best friend's brother and first love story; very much a right person and wrong time situation

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey
- 3.5 stars
- Superrrrr cute and swoony, especially the MMC's acts of service and commitment to the FMC and her child
- Most smutty out of all of the stories (not complaining lol)

All By My Elf by Olivia Dade
- 3.5 stars
- This was just sweet; had the right amount of backstory and romance and did not feel rushed
- Adorable colleagues-to-lovers romance

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur
- 5 stars
- Loveeedddd this; funny and witty characters with the best banter and spice but also tackled sensitive topics such as loneliness and grief quite well
- Hilarious meet cute/s which may or may not involve the FMC's life being in danger

Only Santas In The Building by Alexis Daria
- 4 stars
- Really likeable FMC
- Sweet and flirty story about neighbours and meddling older people lol

Would read again. Definitely got me in a festive mood!

Overall rating: 4/5

I read and loved the Valentine's Day short story collection that was released earlier this year. So I was really excited when this Christmas collection announced. There is a good mix of authors I've read and ones that are completely new to me, and that made it even more fun to pick up and try.

I liked all of the stories, and there were a couple that I loved. Though they all center on the Christmas season each story was unique and fun to read. Ali Hazelwood's was my favorite. Even though it is a short story, I you really get to know the characters well and see their journey from teenagers all the way through to adulthood. It was an emotional, sweet and romantic story.

I highly recommend this collection!

I thought it’s be easiest to review each story individually so here we go!

Cruel Winter With You: Hazelwood is so hit or miss for me. I do tend to like her novellas better than her full length stories and I thought this one was pretty cute! Nothing crazy or revolutionary from Hazelwood’s forte but if you’re a fan of her formula, this one’s great!

Merry After After: I will not lie and say TBailey’s bonkers plots and brand of dirty talk that borders on silly isn’t my cup of tea…because it is LOL I feel like TB wanted to see how ridiculous and tropey she could make it and then dialed it up to ten with a GIANT farmer and a single mom and the strangest meet cute (he rips his pants). It worked for me. Idk what to tell you.

All By My Elf: Okay I love the whole they’re both into each other but one of them thinks the other is into their friend when they’re really just trying to get advice on how to ask the other MC out. Olivia Dade I think is more enjoyable with full length stories, but I also feel like she gets that this is short and fun and made it work!

Merriment and Mayhem: Bellefleur is also kind of hit or miss for me and I actually think I like her sapphic stories better? This was very cute though! This is probably the only one in the collection that I did actually think needed just a hair more pages to really push it into the enjoyment category. But….it has a hot firefighter soooooooo. I’ll take it.

Only Santas in the Building: This was my favorite one in the collection. A mystery ornament Santa! A Santa themed party! Meddling neighbors that try to shove two young singles together! He makes her hand crafted ornaments and has been in love from a far since she moved in. Sweet, adorable, a little spicy, and two introvert neighbors in love. 10/10 no notes.

This collection of novellas is so easily bingeable that I found myself reluctant to stop reading and easily devoured most of the short stories in one sitting. Full of holiday spirit and holiday romance I was won over by Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, Alexandria Bellefluer, and Alexis Daria. All of their novellas are easily 5 stars. The one by Olivia Dade felt clunky and overly-wrought—like it was tweaked one too many times.

Overall I enjoyed my read and would easily recommend to fellow readers.

Thank you Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Such a cute (and a little spicy!) collection of short stories. Perfect if you’re looking for a quick holiday read. All of these authors were new to me, but I’m excited to now check out some of their other works. My favorites in the collection were Cruel Winter with You and Only Santas in the Building.
Individual book ratings can be found on my Goodreads.

These are so cute!!! My favorite was Ali Hazelwood’s, it felt more fleshed out and immersive. I enjoyed the short novella format and it put me right into the Christmas spirit! Thank you for the opportunity to read these early!

Very cute collection from some of the best romance authors out there. I loved that these were holiday centered and each of them had their own twist. Though instant love is not my favorite trope, these short stories always do good because it is a quick beginning, middle and end with a nice happily ever after. A good collection to get into the holiday spirit.

1. Cruel Winter With You by @alihazelwood
This was absolutely everything to me. I loved it so much, start to finish. Childhood friends to lovers is one of my all time favorite tropes and this was done RIGHT. I could not have loved how much Marc was obsessed with Jamie more. My actual only complaint is that I wanted more!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2. Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey
Don’t hate me Tessa Bailey fans 🫣 There was just very little I liked here.😬 The MMC was not it for me, the insta lust was INSANE—like absolutely no depth even for a novella, and the dirty talk was SO cringey to me. Also, I absolutely could NOT with the FMC getting so hot and heavy that she literally forgot about her baby in the next room. No.
⭐️⭐️

3. All By My Elf by Olivia Dade
The mincemobile in this was kind of…weird, but definitely an original idea. This one is your typical people have crushes on each other but don’t realize the other one has a crush on them. I like forced proximity, and I liked the Never Have I Ever game the two main characters played. Overall, though, I just found this story a bit strange and very forgettable.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

4. Merriment and Mayhem by @a.m.bellefleur
This one was super cute! I loved Everleigh and Griffin’s chemisty, and I’ll never complain about a hot firefighter as the MMC. Everleigh’s constant need for saving was a funny way for them to connect, and Griffin researching ferry times was 🥹
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5. Only Santas in the Building by @alexisdaria
I really liked this one, too! Evie and Theo are adorable. I always think he falls first is just one of the cutest tropes! Theo’s gifts, too! 😍 The mutual pining really worked well here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall, these are short and spicy reads that would be fun to add to your Christmas reading! They were my first holiday reads of the year and did not disappoint. ❤️💚❤️💚

A collection of holiday themed short stories were exactly what the doctor ordered! I had a great time reading them. I am totally in the holiday mood now.

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood

4 stars

This story was a quintessential Ali Hazelwood story. I was invested and obsessed in under 100 pages. It was sweet, swoony, and steamy. I need a “best friend’s brother” full-length book by Ali Hazelwood YESTERDAY!

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

2 stars

This was not my favorite short story. I think it tried to fit too much in the 59 pages, and things got a bit rushed. Evie was a very considerate single mother but accepted a ride home from the farm with no car seat for her baby? That small detail kept nagging in the back of my mind. My other issue was that Luke was a super nice guy, but also a caveman when it came to spicy scenes. I’m all for a bit of caveman behavior, but since it was a short story there wasn’t enough space to transition the two sides of Luke. So it ended up feeling very abrupt. Overall, this one was just okay to me. It was definitely hot if that’s what you’re looking for, though!

All by My Elf by Olivia Dade

4 stars

I love a shy, nerdy guy. This short story was quick, spicy, and funny. I mean, a repurposed weinermobile is such an out there side job. I couldn’t help but be obsessed with the story!

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur

4 stars

Everleigh Dangerfield needing 911 so many times is probably a huge drain on resources, but I was here for the developing love story. I love thoughtful gestures, and Griffin had those down! This story was very sweet.

Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria

4 stars

This story takes the award for most swoony in the entire collection! I was so locked into this story of a Christmas ornament fairy. Are you joking? That is so cute! This short story collection went out with a bang. I had a great time reading.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of the Under the Mistletoe collection with shorties by Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, Olivia Dade, Alexandria Bellefleur, and Alexis Daria.

First, this is such a great group of authors to have contribute to a collection. My FAVORITE stories were by Alexandria Bellefleur (Merriment and Mayhem - Firefighter trope) and Alexis Daria (Only Santas in the Building - Neighbors trope)!!! Both of these had me smiling so much and were simply adorable! I also felt these stories had the characters with the best chemistry.

Cruel Winter with You - Friends to lovers
Merry Ever After - Single mom, Farmer
All By My Elf - Workplace romance

The lovely part about these collections is getting to see different authors explore different tropes in their short stories. As a whole, definitely a collection to check out as there’s something for any reader to enjoy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood

“I want to give you the world, Jamie. Let me. Just let me, please.”

Whew, this short novella packs a punch. It’s difficult to believe that Hazelwood was able to pour so much into a 70-page holiday romance, making it feel well-rounded and complete. I’m not sure that I’d have enjoyed a full-length story with these characters (personal preference in tropes), but I devoured this novella eagerly. It felt like one of Hazelwood’s books while still managing to maintain its own identity, and I adored the “he falls first” vibes, as well as just how smitten he was. Perfect for fans of “it’s always been you” romances and childhood friends reunited. I think things would’ve gotten a lot angstier and messier in a full-length story, so the page count was just right for me. It’s got just a touch of wintery vibes, so this could be read any time of the year but is probably best appreciated near the holidays. All in all, it’s a tension-filled, swoony little treat, and a satisfying read.

The story follows Jamie, a woman who stumbles upon her estranged childhood friend on a cold winter night. Though Marc made his feelings for Jamie clear years ago, their timing has never been right, and that’s added some tension to their relationship. Stuck together when the power goes out, the Marc and Jamie are forced to work through their issues and decide what they really want from each other.


⭐️⭐️⭐️ Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

“I’ll work my a** off for this tight thing. I’d sweat all day under ten suns for one little hit."

The instalove was strong with this one, and the spice was spicin’. While this 60-page novella definitely had Tessa Bailey vibes, it was stripped down to the bare essentials and wholeheartedly focused on the heat. Our couple has instant attraction, and the giant of a hero wastes no time making his intentions known. I liked the general setup and the gruff, possessive hero, though he was definitely a lot. While I am a fan of Bailey’s spice and some of her over the top heroes, there’s usually a little more breathing room in the stories so that the setups don’t seem quite so ludicrous. Not the case here, as the author is trying to accomplish a lot in a very short page count. I suppose it did make me want more from the couple, and it delivered on the "he falls first" vibes and definitely on the heat. A quick, hot read, if that’s what you’re in the mood for, but it won’t give you those festive feelings.

The story follows Evie, a single mom to a new baby. She’s working at a thrift store while trying to get her own clothing design business off the ground, and it’s there that she meets a shy, mountain of a farmer. Luke has been coming into the shop trying to find pants his size, but the man is just way too big. After a misunderstanding causes some friction, Evie finds herself making the sexy stranger a custom pair of pants. One thing leads to another, and suddenly Luke is staking his claim on Evie - and her little boy.



⭐️⭐️⭐️ All by My Elf by Olivia Dade

“I want you now,” he murmured against her parted lips. “I’m beginning to think I’ll want you always, Nina.”

I was slower to warm up to this cozy novella, but it won me over by the end. It’s only 55 pages long, so spending so much time on a complex setup and a potential love triangle seemed ill-advised. I wasn’t even sure if I was rooting for the correct couple at first, which is less than ideal, lol. However, once our couple is stuck in forced proximity, the story brightened up. I loved the sweet, nerdy hero and how he found his confidence along the way. He’s been crushing on our heroine for a while, and that was pretty adorable. This story also brings the festive vibes, pairing up two professors who have to supplement their income by working on a scandalously-shaped food truck during the holidays. It was cute and a little sexy, just not my personal favorite.

The story follows Nina, a 37-year-old professor working on a hot dog truck turned mincemeat stand for the holiday season. She’s been enjoying sharing the space with her workplace crush, William, until recently. Unfortunately, it looks like William might be interested in another coworker, and that’s got Nina feeling blue. When the two are stuck together during a cold night, they play a game of Never Have I Ever that reveals some hidden truths.



⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur

“Mark my words, Trouble, I’m gonna win you over yet. You’ll see.”

I had to double check the page count, because this was really well done for a story that’s only 58 pages. We get a sweet and swoony firefighter romance with a bit of spice and a small town feel. The humor had me smiling, and I loved the determined hero. Bellefleur doesn’t try to make this some epic love story in such a short page count - it felt like a real, authentic meet cute, and the start of something great. I definitely wouldn’t have minded a full-length story with these characters, but this was a fun little treat. Festive, too! It wasn’t super holiday-focused or anything, but you get a hint of those vibes, and that was enough to make me happy. A very solid novella, and the perfect introduction to Bellefleur if you haven’t tried her writing yet. Truly, Madly, Deeply remains one of my favorites of the year, and this reminded me why.

The story follows Everleigh, a woman who almost burns her house down while making some gingerbread cookies. One of the firefighters who comes to her rescue is the flirtatious Griffin, a man who is charmed by Everleigh during their first interaction. While Everleigh thinks Griffin is very cute, she’s only in town for a few more weeks. Though she tries to avoid falling for the sexy firefighter’s charms, he doesn’t give up easily - and that might just be what wins her over in the end.



⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria

“You are a f**king delight, Evie Cruz. Where have you been all my life?”

Neighbors become lovers in this sweet and sexy holiday novella. At 65 pages, it’s long enough to get a feel for the characters without having any dull moments, and was easy to devour in one sitting. I loved getting to know the hero better and realizing how much he was crushing on the heroine, which was pretty cute. This is probably the most festive of this group of novellas too, with the characters finally crossing the line after interacting at their building’s Santa-themed party. It wasn’t a fully developed relationship by any means, but we get to experience those moments when they acknowledge their feelings… plus a little spice to heat things up. It’s a festive and relatable romance that’s sure to brighten up your day.

The story follows Evie, a woman who has had a crush on her neighbor since she moved into her apartment a few months ago. Evie always seems to bump into Theo when she looks like a mess, so she’s confident that her crush is one-sided. Plus, starting up something with a guy who lives in her building is a terrible idea. But a holiday party changes everything, and suddenly Evie isn’t so sure that Theo is immune to her charms.

A very lovely collection of holiday novellas that I would recommend to my colleagues at school or the oldest students. It would not be part of the education but very well a part of our school library and the holiday themed section of the library. It was good and I enjoyed Ali Hazelwoods specifically. Thank you for the opportunity to read this!

Loved this short series of novellas! Each author brought something so cute and unique to the table. What a cosy and perfect read just in time for the holiday season!

Say yes to the Mistletoe.

I can highly recommend this five book collection by five highly talented authors.
It totally got me in the mistletoe mood.
Highly recommend.

As soon as I saw Ali Hazelwood and Tessa Bailey I knew that I had to have these. The other three were new to me authors, and while I still enjoyed them, they didn't come close to the first two for me. These novellas are the perfect short stories to get you in the mood for the holiday season. Also really appreciated that these were spicy!!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.

Overall, this collection of novellas was super fun, easy to read, and moderately paced! I think there’s a good variety of different stories and protagonists here, so at least one of these short stories is bound to appeal to someone. I also loved that I was able to read something from a few authors I had never tried before, and in doing so I got a glimpse into their writing style all wrapped in a Christmas themed plot. It was a great way to start the holidays. Below are my brief reviews for every individual novella:

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood - 4 stars
Such a strong start for the collection! I loved these characters and thought their story was engaging from beginning to end. Marc did seem a bit strange to me during some parts, but nothing to steer me completely away from his relationship with Jamie. I felt like the Christmas element was the least at the forefront in this novella, but it still captured the winter spirit.

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey - 5 stars
I absolutely loved this! Tessa is one of my favorite authors for her fun, flirty, and out-of-pocket-but-still-hilarious dialogue, and none of that was spared here. Both Luke and Evie were likable protagonists with great chemistry and a story that really encapsulated the holiday spirit.

All by My Elf by Olivia Dade - 2 stars
Unfortunately, I didn’t love this novella as much as I hoped I would. The beginning of the story is extremely confusing, because the thought of them driving in a wiener mobile was never going to cross my mind. From then on I was hopeful that the characters would pick up the story for me, but I didn’t find myself connecting or loving either of them. Nina, specifically, had me more frustrated than amused. The ending was also unsatisfying for me as I felt we got a trauma dump of William hating his job and feeling totally stuck, but didn’t find a solution to that problem. I will say that this is the most unique premise in the entire collection, and I think for the right person they could appreciate that enough to overlook some of its flaws.

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur - 5 stars
Wow, I can’t say enough good things about this novella! This is the first piece I’ve ever read from Alexandria and it’s totally convinced me to pick up their other books. Everything was so enjoyable - the premise, characters, setting, use of the holidays. I loved it all. I laughed so hard while reading this and truly had the time of my life. Griffin also became one of my top book boyfriends of the year. Crazy, considering he only got 58 pages to shine (I want more!). Seriously, I loved this novella so much and wish it was an entire novel because I couldn’t get enough.

Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria - 2 stars
I think my review here might come down to personal preference, because the very long use of internal monologue at the beginning of this novella is what really took me out of its story. It was a while before we got any REAL chunk of dialogue, and by that time I was bit bored because I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. Personally I didn’t feel they had much chemistry, although I can admit that there were a few cute moments. Overall, I just don’t think this one was for me.

All things considered, I did have fun reading these novellas, and would give the entire collection 3.75 stars (rounded to four).

The Under the Mistletoe Collection features holiday novellas from romance authors Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, Olivia Dade, Alexandria Bellefleur, and Alexis Daria. They are all under 75 pages long and that's really the sweet spot for novellas like these. We are not getting deep here; this are an easy, good time. HEA with some spice!

Cruel Winter with You - Ali Hazelwood

Cruel Winter with You is about Jamie and Marc. Marc is Jamie's best friend's younger brother, and he has been in love with her for forever. He's tried to shoot his shot a few times without success. We learn through some time jumps why she is hesitant and what he thinks he needs to do to get her to take a chance. A winter storm knocks out the 5 they end up in a forced proximity situation that will make them finally communicate. Part of the conflict felt a little silly (check your voicemail!), but it's resolved.

Merry Ever After - Tessa Bailey

This novella is so very Tessa. If you follow her on socials, you know that she occasionally will mention a plot bunny and explain how that insanity would continue. This feels like one of those bunnies. A farmer who is so big he rips pants in the thrift shop, and the employee makes him special pants? I think I actually snorted. Just go for the ride. Also, shout out to a down bad man who isn't afraid of a single mom.

All by My Elf - Olivia Dade

Why are they essentially in a holiday themed repurposed weenie mobile? 🧐 Co-workers, forced proximity, and explicit conversations about consent. Just go with it; it's under 60 pages.

Merriment and Mayhem - Alexandria Bellefleur

Everleigh is legitimately a safety hazard. Griffin literally and figuratively comes to save the day. Shenanigans ensue. Quick and easy!

Only Santas in the Building - Alexis Daria

Only Santas in the Building is about Theo and Evie, who both live in the same building. Someone keeps leaving Evie handmade ornaments, but she doesn't know who. A Santa themed party brings them together. It's another one you kind of have to just go with. We are talking about a holiday romp under 75 pages here. Quick and easy!


Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.