This was just what I needed to start to get into the holiday spirit. Christmas is my favorite time of the year so I love reading a holiday book as well and these novellas really hit the spot. Since there are 5 books from different authors, there is something for everyone. My favorite stories were from Ali Hazelwood and Alexandria Bellefluer. I also loved reading from new authors like Olivia Dade and Alexis Daria. For anyone who wants a nice and quick holiday read check these out.

cruel winter with you ali hazelwood 4 stars
ali hazelwood’s writing will always be a comfort, and her story was so cozy and sweet with the perfect amount of frustration at the characters she knows we love so much!!!!! miscommunication trope done well is all i can say, and i thank you for your service, ali!

merry every after tessa bailey 4 stars
tessa.. single mother fashion designer & grumpy farmer??? HIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!! you’re joking!!!!!!!!! I folded as soon as this story started holy shit. luke, where are you I need you omg? love in the name of an ant statue and they found it in a pair of jeans. i’m obsessed get out of here!

all by my elf olivia dade 3 stars
the writing style in this one wasn’t for me, but the story was sweet and fun!!! the premise was adorable and I love the professor romance aspect, as well as plus-sized character representation!!!!

merriment and mayhem alexandria bellefleur 4 stars
FIREFIGHTER!!!! ROMANCE!!!!!! oooooookay this got me excited IMMEDIATELY! the banter in this story is delicious, and I loved Everleigh’s character so much! Griffin was such a fun and cheeky MMC and ooooooh wow the spicy scene in this had me needing some water!!!!! someone call 911 this was so hot

only santas in the building alexis daria 4 stars
two evie’s in one book! I really enjoy the details of evie’s character and what theo does to help her during a very difficult holiday season. the relationship between their characters grew really organically to me, and I loved the back and forth and neighbor plotting that occurred in their complex!!!! plus, there was a cat!!!!!

ALL BY MY ELF : I appreciate that Dade always inserts plus-sized rep in her characters, but.. that was about all I liked?

This is another close proximity/trapped due to snow trope but this time between two colleagues, both whom like each other, but require a third party to kick things into gear.

I admit I couldn’t really get a bead on either of these characters (he’s shy and nerdy, she’s.. divorced?) and between that and how the dialogue would at times devolve into really formal and prim, it was just overall a weird experience; not to mention the fact that they get it on in a food truck or something (except it had seats? I could not picture this vehicle). Not hot.

Also, for reference, this ends up being book three; for some reason the Hazelwood gets swapped into first place in the eBook collection. Just incase you’re wondering.

2 stars

MERRY EVER AFTER : YMMV with this one, I think, as Bailey can be an acquired taste. Especially when her particularly intense vibe is crammed (hah) into a short novella.

I did like the broad strokes of this one — gentle giant who seems surprised by attention meets prickly single mother who wants none of it — but things go from zero to not-zero pretty quickly both in the spicy department and the relationship one, too. So despite the fact that it’s not their first meeting, they have a tiny bit of interaction off-page, it’s definitely a bit insta and that’s also always hit or miss.

The way Luke was with Evie’s son, though, that was sweet.

2.5 stars

CRUEL WINTER WITH YOU : Not quite sure why this is first in the bind-up but labeled number three in the series but anyway.

This is very classic Hazelwood in almost every sense. As in, if you were to be given this novella without knowing the author.. it wouldn’t take long before you figured it out.

This one is a mix of tropes. Best friend’s brother. Friends to more. He falls first. Miscommunication. Close proximity and or trapped together (in this case, in a blizzard).

I liked most of it, but due to the length I wasn’t really able to buy Jamie’s character as much as Marc because Marc’s given room to breathe. We see his evolution through Jamie’s eyes, all he was, all he becomes, but we only get to hear about Jamie and her self-perceived shortfalls and flaws. She is a sketched out character when pressed up against his vivid technicolour but, like, overall I can get onboard with the concept.

3 stars

MERRIMENT & MAYHEM : Despite a Christmas cookie incident throwing these two together when Everleigh nearly burns down the house, this was the least Christmassy/seasonal of the set (so far).

It was also the second-least believable chemistry-wise. This felt very typical of a set-up; cocky firefighter rescues clumsy-and-or-just-has-bad-luck woman who isn’t interested in a romance, despite “sparks”, and is only in town for a short time. So things get dragged out until for some reason or another, despite neither wanting something casual, they give in.

While I am much pickier with my enjoyment of sex scenes these days, I can admit that most of these haven’t been poorly written; I may just have not been interested in them because I didn’t have any interest in the characters (mostly book one). But this sex scene is a classic “doesn’t suit the characters” situation because it quickly just becomes A Lot and if that’s your thing, great. But it’s not mine.

This is the one author I’ve not tried until this collection and I’ll admit the experience didn’t encourage me to try anything else. But maybe one day I’ll give a full-length read a go. I know novellas can always be a hard balance to sell.

2 stars

ONLY SANTAS IN THE BUILDING : So glad to be ending on a high note because this is definitely the best of the bunch.

Not only did this feel like it had the perfect amount of seasonal, not too much but not completely absent either, it was also the better paced of the bunch. In which I mean the set-up, the bits of backstory, the connection between the characters, was all finely tuned to be harmonic instead of discordant.

Which applies to the sex scene, too. It felt the most natural and well-suited to the characters, which I always love.

Plus, both characters felt just fleshed out enough, despite the page count, that I could picture them in my mind. And, I mean, fullstop, Luke was a darling.

My only niggle is that Daria made an attempt at humour with a few jokes and then tried to convince us, through the characters, that said jokes were hysterical when they were not. I really don’t enjoy when authors try to convince us something is funny instead of just being funny. But honestly, that’s my only complaint.

If you can only read one, I would definitely recommend you go with ONLY SANTAS IN THE BUILDING which, by the way, is hands down the best title, too.

3.5 stars

A fun collection of holiday romances by an all-star cast of my favorite authors-- of course this was a hit!!

This novella collection put me in the holiday mood! I can't wait to reread it in December-- the perfect winter story collection.

This is just a great collection of stories to get those of us with wistful dreams of holiday food, decorations and, of course, love, ready to ring in the season.

I have never read a few of the authors books before, so the collection was a nice introduction to them.

My favorite was Ali's story, which was a surprise for me because I've not been as rah rah about a few of her books as others have.

Tessa always makes me laugh, although her books can sort of lose the crux of a story, but this one was funny and sweet and stayed on track for a nice ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for an e-copy of UNDER THE MISTLETOE COLLECTION to review.

I rate UNDER THE MISTLETOE COLLECTION four out of five stars.

This was such a cute, festive collection featuring some of my favourite romance authors! It was great to be able to see their writing in a shorter form. I thought the length of all the stories was great; long enough to build the world and the characters but still feeling like a short story. The spice level was also A+. I enjoyed all of the stories but my top two had to be Ali Hazelwood and Olivia Dade’s. Will definitely return to this in the future when I want something sweet, spicy and festive during the holiday season.

I will read any of these authors, any day. You put them all together, man, it's fire. Everything you could want. I ended this with the biggest smile on my face. 100% recommend.

The queens of romance writing a collection of fun holiday magic? Christmas came early and it came 6 times. I love these short little stories, my only complaint is they aren’t longer!

The Vibes:

—Christmas anthology

—Holiday romcom

—Everything from brother's best friend to "dressed like Santa:

Heat Index: 7/10

The Basics:

A set of five romantic Christmas stories!

The Review:

All by My Elf by Olivia Dade is the tale of two coworkers who end up in stuck in a snowed-in traffic situation, in a food truck sort of deal—oh, and she has a massive crush on him and believes he's hooking up with her best friend. Is he? I mean....

I'm 90% sure this "the roads have stopped because snow" deal was in part inspired by the travails of Virginia senator Tim Kaine, and if so, I am SO happy about that. I will tell everyone about how Tim Kaine survived on an orange and optimism in his car anytime. But in this case, it's two people versus one Tim Kaine, and also, the hero has sexy glasses. It's breezy and light and honestly may be my favorite Olivia Dade thing I've read, with a sexy game of "never have I ever" and a hero who made me go "Oh, WOULD". Also, there's a lot of cuddling with "is that....? In his pocket...?" content.

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey tells the tale of a thrift store employee/single mom who decides, after farmer rips a pair of jeans because he's Too Big, to make him jeans herself! Also, there is Christmas.

Um... I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It was funny. It was kind of sexy at points. I... wish he hadn't been a farmer. I feel like him ripping his jeans would've been 90% funnier had he been more "angry embarrassed" versus "shy aw shucks" embarrassed. Luke seemed nice, but I wasn't sure about where he was on January 6. I did appreciate him liking her "sturdy hips" though. This just may have "Boy is Too Big"'d too close to the sun for me.

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood puts a somewhat depressed doctor at crosshairs with her best friend's brother—who was also her close friend, until.... the Incident. With the power off, the two decide to play Truth or Drink, which brings up some uncomfortable memories (and new confrontations).

This is the strongest of the bunch, and it really got me. Hazelwood manages to inject just the right amount of angst into a short story. It's not over the top, it feels super realistic, and if you're a fan of long-term pining... This is it. I also really loved that this is a best friend's brother story with a twist—not a huge one, but I don't think I've read any other stories with a heroine who's older than the hero. It added to the sweetness of it all.

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur focuses on an accident-prone woman who keeps getting the same firefighter at her beck and call whenever she's in trouble. She's not in town forever; he wants to make the most of the time they have. What's a girl to do when she doesn't do hookups?

This was fine; although I really liked The Fiancee Farce, I haven't found anything else by Bellefleur that super works for me. But I get why she works for other people. This is pure sugar. There isn't much conflict, really, aside from "I don't do casual". It's all very straightforward. The sex is hot. I honestly didn't know how Everleigh like... survived, though. So many hijinks!

Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria has a comic book illustrator who's, yes, a bit of a shut-in recovering from loss, decide to seize the day at a Santa-themed holiday party by hooking up with the neighbor she's long had a crush on. And yes, they are both dressed like Santa.

So much fun! So hot! So Santa! I love Alexis Daria's voice, and she manages to take a pretty low-stakes story and punch it up with character and heart. And again. It's really hot. I loved the chemistry between our leads here, and you totally felt the vibe that they'd been longing for each other for quite a while. It's to the point, and it did what it needed to do.

The Sex:

Varies! Every story has explicit sex, however. The highest heat story is probably Bailey's Merry Ever After, though Bellefleur's Merriment and Mayhem comes (haha) in second and Only Santas in the Building is quite hot. But to me, the heat level for each story suited the tone of the story itself, if that makes sense.

While there were standouts and "could've been better"'s, this is ultimately a really fun, enjoyable Christmas anthology. And honestly, few things say "Christmas" to me like Christmas anthologies.

Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

This was a really cute collection of novellas! The perfect Christmas-y reads for when you need something quick and fun!

✧ Cruel Winter With You | Ali Hazelwood
Ali can’t do no wrong. I always know I’m gonna enjoy whatever she writes! I love to read about pathetic men who pine over the same girl for over a decade. This was probably my favorite out of the five!

✧ Merry Ever After | Tessa Bailey
Unfortunately, Tessa and I can’t be friends. Every time I try to read some of her work, I always end up not liking it. I just don’t like her writing style and how, most of the time, there’s the insta-love trope, just like in this story. Also, there’s no way he was THAT big.

✧ All by My Elf | Olivia Date
I had never heard of this author before, but it was a nice surprise! I like her writing style a lot. I was easily sold from the moment the FMC said the MMC was a nerd. Honestly, I love nerdy men. I’m always down to read about the quiet but assertive type!

✧ Merriment and Mayhem | Alexandria Bellefleur
Another author I wasn’t familiar with! I don’t read many firefighters books, but this was fun! Poor Everleigh couldn’t catch a break! I loved how Griffin was so down bad after literally their first encounter. Looking up ferries from Port Angeles to Seattle? Really? So pathetic. I love it.

✧ Only Santas in the Building | Alexis Daria
Yet another new author for me! This was my second favorite novella. Was it because the FMC sounded a lot like me? Probably. Their banter was so cute !! I loved both of them. I would have loved a novel-length version of this!

All in all, I think it is safe to say that the undergoing trope was pathetic-men-who-pine-after-a-woman-right-after-meeting-her and what can I say? I’m always here for it. It was an enjoyable collection!

3.5 Stars!

Under the Mistletoe is a delightful anthology that brings together five charming rom-com novellas, each penned by a talented female author. Set against the backdrop of the festive season, these stories are a perfect blend of humor, warmth, and romance.

What truly shines is how each of these authors infuse their novella with relatable characters and laugh-out-loud moments, while also delivering poignant themes of love, friendship, and the importance of family. The diversity in storytelling styles keeps the anthology fresh and entertaining from start to finish.

These novellas are the perfect cozy read for anyone looking to embrace the magic of Christmas with a good laugh and a heartwarming story. Whether you’re curled up by the fire or traveling for the holidays, this collection is sure to leave you feeling merry and bright!

What a cute collection of holiday inspired romances! I'm not one to actively pick up a romance set during the holidays, but I'm glad I picked up this collection. My favorite of course was Ali Hazelwood's novella which honestly was so well thought out and didn't feel like a novella at all! These bit sized romance were cute and definitely put me in the Holiday spirit.

Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood: The whole story was perfect, the mmc was intense in a good sense of the word. I really enjoyed reading it, the only thing that upset me was why it was a short story and not a full-length book?
Tropes: childhood friends to lovers, he falls first, billionaire mmc, everything he did was for her, snowed in, truth or drink))
5 stars

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey: Ohhhh sweet sweet story, cozy Christmas vibes, enjoyed it so much.
Tropes: single mom, grumpy/sunshine, thoughtful sweet mmc, small town, they had the hottest scene comparing to other stories))
5 stars

All by my Elf by Olivia Dade: not my cup of tea, very strange settings, food truck which looks like male genitalia and 37 year old fmc worker of the truck(((

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur: I liked reading this one, gives Christmas cozy vibes.
Tropes: mmc firefighter, he falls first, damsel in distress, sweet gesture.
4 stars

Only Santas in the building by Alexis Daria: I liked this one.
Tropes: neighbours, he falls first, Christmas party, he made her small gifts, grieving heroine.
3 stars

This was more of a 4.5 star read but I don’t have the ability to add a half star. This was a great holiday rom-com collection. I enjoyed them a ton but two really stood out for me—Ali Hazelwood and Alexis Daria. I had a great time read it and I hope Amazon keeps doing these collections!!

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher.

Cruel Winter With You: Perfection. The build up, the time jump, the perfect balance of best friend’s brother? I loved it so much. Truly perfect. I absolutely needed one more chapter though.

Merry Ever After: If Tessa Bailey and Jessa Kane had a baby it would be this novella. 5 stars, one heck of a ride.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Amazon Original Stories for the ARC of Under the Mistletoe - the collection of five short holiday stories by Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, Alexandria Bellefleur and Alexis Daria. I have been lucky enough to read all the authors previously with the exception of Bellefleur and found each of their styles/stories to be distinct and memorable. I'll definitely be checking to see if I've missed anything any of them have written.

I am so thankful to have received an ARC, but also a little bummed because I would love to be reading these stories in a snowstorm instead of mid October - now I'm over Halloween and Thanksgiving and just want to rush into all the winter pieces. I think the authors did a great job of spreading out their settings for the holiday season - we're in New York, Seattle, Texas, Illinois, and Virginia, so encompassing a swath of the United States in holiday cheer. We're also in a really solid array of ages in the late 20s/early 30s, so as a millennial I feel very seen - yes, these are semi-insta-love/the stories are so short that even if they characters have a longer background it isn't the main plot with the exception of Ali Hazelwood's story - but at least the characters are a bit more mature in the decisions they're making/their personal experiences. There is also a lot of variety within careers so we have a tech mogul and a pediatric resident, but also a farmer and retail worker, two adjunct professors, 3 freelancers and a fireman which made the characters a bit more accessible as well.

For the individual stories themselves, each author brought something different to the table. Cruel Winter With You, Hazelwood's contribution, was a second chance romance with a best friend's brother trope. It's the longest of the five and very sweet though a fair amount of it is through flashbacks. Merry Ever After, Bailey's contribution, is in her usual vein of independent woman and an alpha male who just wants to make her happy. This one has the most sex/dirty-talk which is Bailey's specialty. Dade's All By My Elf will speak to any adjunct professor just trying to make it by in an industry that should truly value your expertise and instead treats you horribly -- it was nice to see the realistic view of that travesty in our education system while also a very cute coworkers love story. Merriment and Mayhem, Bellefleur's work, is a bit more comedic than the rest, focused on the FMC overcoming a rough familial loss in the holiday season while also haphazardly having the fire department called to rescue her more than once leading to small town romance a la Hallmark. And finally, Daria's Only Santas in the Building, which is a neighbor romance with a fair amount of heat.

I loved being able to read these all together and I think other romance fans will as well. Amazon (and maybe Avon?) did a great job of pairing together a fun group of authors to feature for the holidays. If any of these were full-length novels, I would love to read them and learn more about the characters and see the stories stretched out, though they are more than enough as short stories, and perfect to create wintery vibes in the holiday season.

5 little doses of holiday cheer!

This is a really cute collection of short stories. Perfect thing to get you into the Christmas spirit.

They’re all really quick reads and I’m always impressed with how quickly an author can get you invested into a short story.

This will also be a really great palate cleanser if you’re looking for something to jump start your reading again!

This is an incredibly fun collection of holiday romance novellas. I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. But I have to say that Cruel Winter with You and All By My Elf are my two favorites. If you like holiday romance stories then this set of novellas is definitely for you. You'll swoon and laugh the whole time. The stories are filled with lots of heart. I highly recommend them!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon for allowing me to read this ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

This collection of holiday books are perfect for the busyness of the holiday season. Short, spicy and a guaranteed happily ever after!

I loved Amazons Valentines Day Collection of short stories and the Christmas version was just as good. Thanks for the great treat!