What a fun collection of holiday novellas! Very similar to Amazon’s meet-cute series last Valentine’s Day. I’m going to list the novellas from my favorite first.

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur
I love Everleigh and Griffin’s chemistry. Everleigh is accident prone and Griffin is a firefighter who always helps her in the nick of time. Very cute and fun.

Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood
This novella is very similar to Ali’s other novellas that are in the collection “Loathe to Love you”. Honestly I love everything Ali writes and this is no different with this short friends to lovers holiday story.

Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria
This one is super cute and I love the mutual pining between characters and the forced proximity of living in the same apartment building.

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey
I’m a huge Tessa Bailey fan, but this novella is not the best of the bunch. It is cute with a single mom, a cute baby, and a hot farmer. I do like the dynamic and it’s a quick read/listen.

All By My Elf by Olivia Dade
This is the only author of the group that I have not read before. It is a cute holiday story and the characters are fine, there just is a lot of details and backstory for a short book. The stakes are super low which is fine but makes it the slowest read of the group.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon original stories for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories for providing me with an arc.

I will be talking about and rating each story individually as they are not connected and I enjoyed each of them differently.

Cruel Winter with you by Ali Hazelwood - 4/5 Stars

I am a big Ali Hazelwood fan so I am always excited to read whatever she writes and this was a good fun short story. It had everything I expect in an ali hazelwood story.

Jamie Malek was sent to go get a roasting pan for christmas dinner but this meant she had to interact with Marc, her best friends troublemaker of a brother. He is the one that got away and she is the one who broke his heart. Now she is stuck with him due to a blizzard but it doesn’t seem like a horrible way to spend a cold snowy night.

I thought this one was cute and I was satisfied with the whole story. Obviously it felt short because it is and I would have loved to read more about the two but overall it was solid.


Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey - 3/5 Stars

Tessa Bailey is a guilty pleasure author and it isn’t because I think her books are fantastic but I do always enjoy myself. I liked these characters and enjoyed their story. There was just a few classic tessa bailey weird moments that brought this down to a 3.

Evie Crowe is starting over in this small town with her newborn son, and dating is the furthest thing from her mind. Except for Luke Ward, a quiet grumpy farmer who keeps coming into the thrift shop she works at and keeps piquing her interest. Evie isn’t ready for anything except friends with benefits and Luke is ready to prove to her why they could be forever. He is determined to show her how well they could be a family by making this christmas one she can’t forget.

I did like Evie and Luke’s relationship and I thought they were cute. I loved how he quickly stepped up to help out with Evie’s son and it was adorable. My only issue was the smut but that is always my issue with Tessa Bailey books. Otherwise this was a cute short story.


All by my Elf by Olivia Dade - 3.5/5 Stars

I really have loved what I have read by Olivia Dade and I thought this one was a cute fun holiday short story. I enjoyed it more than Tessa Bailey’s story but it was not my favorite in this collection. It felt just a tiny bit too short compared to some of the others.

Nina and William are unpaid professors who take a holiday side hustle during their break to make some extra money. But when they get stranded in the middle of nowhere during a blizzard and have to cuddle for warmth they both learn that they have feelings for each other may not be one sided.

I liked the romance in this one I just wish there was a tiny bit more relationship building but I do get this is a short story so it can be hard to do everything. Otherwise it was cute and I did enjoy it.


Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur - 4.5/5 Stars

Alexandria Bellefleur is one of my favorite authors so this one being one of my favorites in this collection wasn’t surprising. This one had everything I wanted from it from spice to a cute relationship and holiday joy.

Everleigh Dangerfield seems to be trouble after having a baking disaster making her neighbors call 911 introducing her to firefighter Griffin Brantley who sparks feelings she is nervous of. Everleigh is only visiting and doesn’t do casual no matter how tempting it is and Griffin seems to constantly be there to save her from her chaos. Griffin is ready to show her an amazing Christmas if she is just willing to give him a chance…

I really loved this one and it had the right pacing for a short story. It had some relationship building before going to spice and I honestly believe these two stay together. They were adorable and I loved them.


Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria - 4/5 stars
This was probably my second favorite in this collection. I loved the story and the romance as well as the pacing was pretty solid.

All Evie wants for Christmas is to have time to take a nap and chill. Maybe also some ornaments to decorate her naked tree which surprising start showing up on her door once per day. If she is making a christmas list though she wouldn’t mind unwrapping her hot upstairs neighbor. When a sprig of mistletoe is overhead at the buildings holiday santa party maybe her dreams will come true.

This one was cute and I loved the relationship between these two. I liked the pacing of the relationship and it was helped by us getting a flashback to show how long the tension had been going between them. I really enjoyed this one.

I really enjoyed this collection. These collections are really a neat way to discover new-to-you authors while also getting new stories from your favorite authors! This book officially made me an Ali Hazelwood fan. Previously I had only read “Bride” by her but “Cruel Winter with You” made me love her writing even more. It has childhood friends to lovers and he falls first. I loved the MMC. I definitely plan to check out her other books!

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey wasn’t one of my favorite stories by the author. This story has insta-love and I didn’t really sense any chemistry between to the two characters.

All By My Elf by Olivia Dade was a cute, fun story. This is the first time I’ve read anything by the author and I really enjoyed it. The couple was so sweet.

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandra Bellefleur was also a fun story. The MMC is a firefighter and meets the FMC after she sets her kitchen on fire. This story made me laugh out loud a couple times and thought it was really well done even with how short it is. I will definitely check out some of the author’s other books!

Overall, I really enjoyed these stories and think this collection is the perfect holiday read!

Overall pretty cute stories that will setup the mood fo Holiday time perfectly!

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CRUEL WINTER WITH YOU by Ali Hazelwood
4 stars

What to expect in this one:
Childhood friends to lovers
Best friend’s little brother
Snowbound together
It's always been you
He falls first

Can't go wrong with Ali Hazelwood. This one was fun, I really enjoyed the being stuck together in a snowstorm setup. It never fails to make me happy because of how they are all cozy inside, the forced proximity and all, it's always enjoyable. Both characters were super nice, and I loved their history together, how they knew each other really well. Marc was super caring, patient, perfect (and taking care of the family cat, I mean... TRULY perfect). Even though it was on the super short side, the characters felt well developed and it was easy to create a connection. I think the only thing that was a bit off for me was the pacing. It's a short one and I felt like the flashbacks could have been spread a bit more in the overall story instead of a big chapter that made me lose a tiny bit of interest to be honest (please note that I was SUPER tired and exhausted so maybe that's why). But all in all it was a great one and I definitely recommend it.
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MERRY EVER AFTER by Tessa Bailey
5 stars

What to expect in this one:
Insta-love
Single mom
Farmer
Small town
Spicy spice

So far it's my favourite in this collection (looks like I'm the unpopular opinion!) I so enjoyed that one and I cannot explain why because I'm usually not big on insta-love. There was just something about these characters and small town setup that made me happy. It was honestly such a heartwarming story with a strong and compassionate FMC and a super sweet MMC. I just couldn't resist those two. I so loved how Luke was super careful, polite even a bit shy, but then he could also be straightforward and that mouth of his sure wasn't shy during spicy scenes! He was super welcoming for Evie and her baby, which I really enjoyed. I can't say that we got to know these characters on a very deep level, no background stories much and no side characters mentioned (except the chickens, which if you ask me is all that is important!) but it did not bug me. The story just went on and I was glued to the pages. Sometimes a cute story is just what you need, nothing more.
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ALL BY MY ELF by Olivia Dade
3 stars

What to expect in this one:
Secretly in love
Workplace romance
Forced proximity
Keeping each other warm

I felt like the start of this one took forever to get me in... Nothing that interesting was happening and there wasn't much interactions between the characters, which for a novella is not a really good thing in my opinion. I certainly was happy to get some forced proximity and all, but it was over before I could even enjoy it. I did enjoy a bit of a shy and awkward mmc for once, it was endearing for sure. That being said, no character really made me swoon or left a big impression on me, but it still was a cute story nonetheless, it just all ended too fast.
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MERRIMENT AND MAYHEM by Allexandria Bellefleur
2 stars

What to expect in this one:
Insta-love
Firefighter
Saves her
Only visiting
Set against casual hookups

Things I usually don't enjoy in books:
1- Love at first sight.
2- Characters that change their mind out of nowhere.

To get an idea of what this book is about, check point 1 and 2. Seriously, this one felt so boring to me. The characters had no development and it kinda sounded like a bad porno set-up with the fireman... Both instantly into each other, that guy already hitting on her right from the very first moment. And then, the story continues and they just keep hitting on each other in a very superficial way without knowing anything about one another until boom! "you know what, I decided to move here for you even though I kept saying I would not, so let's get together." It just wasn't satisfying in any way for me. Sorry.
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ONLY SANTAS IN THE BUILDING by Alexis Daria
5 stars

What to expect in this one:
Neighbours
He falls first
Secretly pinning
Grieving heroine
Christmas party

Loved loved loved it!
This one was so damn cute and sweet and it was the most Christmassy one. Loved the characters so much and Theo was such perfection *swoon*. I don't usually highlight stuff in novellas cause they go so fast but this one had so many things I was weirdly relating to, I couldn't help it. The flashbacks were fun and there was enough of a setup for the relationship evolution to be believable and satisfying, plus, the characters were well developed for such a short read. Will definitely read more of that author!
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Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and Netgalley for my eARC. All opinions are my own.

This holiday novella collection is the perfect seasonal treat, offering a little bit of everything for romance fans. Here’s a breakdown of each story:

"Cruel Winter with You" by Ali Hazelwood
4.5/5 stars

This was an absolute gem! Ali Hazelwood manages to stir up so many emotions in such a short space. The “he falls first and harder” trope is done beautifully, with the added charm of a cozy, snowed-in setting. It’s a classic holiday romance that leaves you wanting more.

"Merry Ever After" by Tessa Bailey
3/5 stars

This one didn’t resonate as much. While it has its moments, the insta-love and slightly over-the-top “caveman” vibes made it harder to connect with the romance. Still, there’s some sweetness here for those who enjoy a bit of intensity in their holiday love stories.

"All My Elf" by Olivia Dade
3.5 /5 stars

Despite the title, this novella felt the least festive of the bunch. While the mature characters were a nice change, the Christmas element didn’t shine through as much, aside from a snowy backdrop. Though a sweet story, the beginning felt a bit unclear, making it harder to fully immerse in the romance.

"Merriment and Mayhem" by Alexandria Bellefleur
4.5/5 stars

A delightful surprise from a new-to-me author! Alexandria Bellefleur brings humor and flirtation to the story right from the start, and Griffin, the charming hero, is a fun addition. This story hits all the right notes for a lighthearted holiday read.

"Only Santas in the Building" by Alexis Daria
4/5 stars

This was so cute! Evie’s internal dialogue adds a quirky, youthful touch, while Theo is a total sweetheart with his thoughtful acts of kindness. The single POV works well here.

Overall, this collection is a delightful holiday escape, with each novella bringing its own unique spin on romance. Thank you, NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories, for the chance to read these stories early—perfect for anyone looking to get into the festive spirit!

Cruel Winter With You
4.5 stars! 🌟 A perfect short story by Ali Hazelwood 💕

Merry Ever After
2 stars ⭐️ This just wasn’t for me. I wish there was more of an emotional connection. Luke gave me the ick - he was too much, too fast. I also just had a baby and can’t imagine doing the things Evie did with essentially a stranger (?!) while my baby was in the next room.

All By My Elf
3 stars ⭐️ Cute, short, and funny with a little bit of spice at the end!

Merriment and Mayhem
4.5 stars! ⭐️ I loved this firefighter Christmas romance short so much! I wish I could have more!

Only Santas in the Building
4.5 stars! ⭐️ This was a really cute and easy read!

The Tess Bailey short story in this book was absolutely god awful. The smut scenes were ridiculous. I genuinely can not believe Amazon is publishing this.

I read Only Santas in the House by Alexis Daria and Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandra Bellefleur.

These were two fantastic little hits of Christmas Romance. Both are short stories (65 pages or less), and both have FMCs who are grieving the death of their grandmother.

Merriment and Mayhem was lighter and funnier overall. FMC Everleigh is disaster prone, and MMC Griffin is a giant firefighter dude who comes to her rescue numerous times. It was sweet and silly and steamy. Literal and figurative fires! I very much enjoyed it! Set in a small city in the PNW.

Only Santas in the House was a little more heartachey, but still very sweet with a secret Santa leaving gifts for FMC Evie, and MMC Theo constantly running into her in the hallways of the NYC they live in. Lots of great Christmas related moments, but oatmeal raisin cookies?! Boo! This was gentle but still brought steam. A great quick read.

I did not read the other stories in this collection, but there are five total available with the cutest covers! Thank you to Amazon Publishing for the eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

Five contemporary romance writers contributed to this collection of Christmas stories with all the trimmings of the season: stringing up the lights on the roof, mistletoe, cookies, trees decorated with handmade ornaments, getting snowed in, oral sex halfway up a staircase… The majority of the tales feature fit, white, able-bodied, neurotypical, heteronormative couples; one story features a woman with Puerto Rican roots; in another, a male protagonist admits he attracts the male gaze but it’s not a clear admission of being bisexual. Enthusiastic consent reigns alongside sobriety checks and test result queries. There’s just enough plot to justify each steamy encounter.

Each story has a strong sense of place, with settings ranging from the Pacific Northwest to NYC, and the authors do a great job relating Christmas to their neck of woods, from a serious blizzard in the Midwest to an tiny snowfall near DC that yields similar snowbound results. These are all wonderfully written, succinct short stories, well crafted with attention to detail. There’s a sense of not an extraneous word and just enough to convey the story in each. Though the mood and tone vary, the consistency is there in the quality of the work. Grief and loss flavor several of the stories, which makes sense—it’s during the holidays we miss our loved ones most of all.

The cover for each ebook uses the same font, color tones, and holiday lights border, with an simple graphic indicating an element from each story. The cover for the collection features mistletoe. Given the title, I did expect mistletoe to feature promimently in every story, not just the final one in the collection, and that would have been a great starting prompt.

Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood

Physician Jamie has braved a northern Illinois blizzard at her father’s request to borrow a roasting pan from tech entrepreneur Marc, her childhood best friend’s younger brother. Marc, who Jamie held as a newborn. Marc, who adored her until he hit the tweens and started teasing her mercilessly. Marc, who has been in love with Jamie all this time, and who she turned down when he finally tried to make his move. When the power goes out and temperature drops, of course playing Truth or Drink is the best course of action. Hazelwood’s STEM industry characters share witty dialogue, slow introspection, and sweet, sensual lovemaking in a childhood bedroom.

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

A thrift store employee alters a pair of jeans to fit a giant of a farmer, creating an opportunity for them to explore their mutual attraction. Bailey’s story about rural small town life and how misfits can fit together brings to mind a favorite LaVyrle Spencer novel. A simple blister becomes a way for Luke to care for and comfort Evie, and for Evie to show the sacrifice she was willing to make to get to track down Luke at his farm to deliver some pants that fit. He challenges her friends with benefits offer, telling he understands she and her son are a package deal, gifts her with a bicycle, and takes her for a ride on her living room floor after rocking her son to sleep. The hero is vocal in his appreciation for his lady love during their raunchy, reciprocal tumble. Dual point of view allows the reader to access the characters wants, needs, fears and desires in this lust-at-first-sight romance.

All By My Elf by Olivia Dade

Humor and innuendo abound as three adjunct professor colleagues take a seasonal side gig driving around the Mincemeat Mobile on a holiday tour. Nina’s nursing a crush on William, but she’s pretty sure he and Claudia have a little something-something going on given how chummy they suddenly seem to be. Christmas Eve finds William and Nina at Claudia’s parents for an Asian food feast before they hit the road during inclement weather. When traffic grinds to a halt, and roads become impassable by Virginia standards, they’ve no choice but to pull over and snuggle, playing Never Have I Ever to pass the time. The eventual admission of attraction and taking advantage of the least sexy location ever are a delight.

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur

Everleigh and Griffin’s meet-cute is literally hot–when she accidentally sets her grandmothers ancient oven to broil instead of bake, her cookies burn and the fire department shows up in time for Griffin catches her when she slips off the countertop she’s been standing on in an effort to silence the smoke detector. He’s in the right place at the right time a week later when Everleigh slips off the roof and hangs from the gutter in an effort to string up her holiday lights. Convinced she’s trouble, Griffin still wants Everleigh to give him a chance even if she’s only going to be in town for a short time fixing up her grandmother’s house for sale after her passing. Calamity does seem to trail her: when she accepts a date to tour the decorated boats at the marina, an electrical fire breaks out and Griffin gets to play hero again when Everleigh nearly drowns trying to save someone else. The life flashing before your eyes moment is just what she needs to take a chance on love and consider putting down roots. The banter is sweet, the sex steamy, and the Port Angeles setting a lovely homage to the Pacific Northwest.

Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria

The Secret Santa who’s been leaving adorable handmade ornaments at her door is the person Evie, a sequential artist, least expects in this tale about residents of an apartment building in the days leading up to and including the Christmas costume party thrown by a neighbor on the top floor. Engineer Theo shows up as Lumberjack Santa, and is near thunderstruck by Evie’s Queen of Christmas getup. They get caught under the mistletoe (or are manipulated under it by their well-meaning neighbors) and she gets to tour, his kitchen, meet his cat, and learns he’s had a crush on her since she moved in, too. Cultural details, warm intimacy and humor make this a standout last entry.

For another great short take on romance, tradition, family and potential love; check out Rainbow Rowell’s excellent If The Fates Allow, set in the Midwest, featuring jello salads, reconnecting with the past, and the pandemic–it’s another tightly written, emotional, seasonal tale that will get you in all the feels. For more diversity, check out the independendently published Love All Year, a collection of tales centered on less mainstream holidays and traditions.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #UnderTheMistletoeCollection via #NetGalley courtesy of #Amazon. This review will post to HLBB on 11/13/2024.

A knockout collection from some of my absolute favorite authors! Each story was unique and perfect to cozy up with on a cold winter night. I think my favorite of the collection would have to be Ali Hazelwood's. These are novellas, if not on the shorter side of that, they made me smile and gave me a taste of some authors I haven't read before. A great way to try a new author for you and get into the holiday spirit!

Overall, I thought this collection was enjoyable, but feel short stories are difficult to pull off well. The formatting on this was horrible, but I feel certain that it will be fixed upon release. The story by Tessa Bailey was most compelling for me.

i love christmas short stories. they are so sweet and fun and that’s exactly what these are. i highly recommend for the season!

It’s almost the holiday season and what’s better than a few holiday novellas from some bestselling romance authors to get yourself in the mood! 🎄

Ali Hazelwood’s short story was by far my favorite of the bunch! I loved Marc and Jamie’s story and that despite being a quick short story, their relationship began way before the beginning of this one. They had been friends for forever and once Marc listened to the voicemail Jamie left for him I legit was sobbing on the train to work. Ali just has a way with words that pulls on your heartstrings!

Tessa’s story was great and had the foundation to be an amazing story! I’m just not a huge fan of “insta love” so I wish there was room to draw out their relationship more! But of course that’s impossible to do with a short story!

Olivia’s was my least favorite of them all. I just didn’t feel the chemistry between the characters and the whole plot/setting was just not my cup of tea.

Alexandria’s and Alexis’s stories were tied as my next two favorites behind Ali’s! They both had the most Christmasy vibes to them and each of the men in the stories were so sweet! They were perfect holiday stories!! ♥️

If you’re in the mood for some sweet holiday short stories, then definitely check these out! Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the entire collection! The Under the Mistletoe collection releases on November 12! 💚

Loved this collection of short stories from my fave romance authors. Great for when you need a spicy little snack of a read.

Perfect for the holidays! As a mood reader I love a story that fits the season and these 4 shorts stories were just perfect. This collection has something for every reader. You can find different tropes and levels of spice. They will all warm your heart, bring the holiday spirit and have you swooning. My personal favorite was Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood because of the anxiety rep. Some of these are super cheesy but I still really enjoyed them!

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood is a cute Christmas novella which you can easily read in one sitting. The story was adorable, the two main characters were very lovable, and the miscommunication trope - not a favorite of mine - worked very well in a shorter story. A charming holiday read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey had it's moments but there was something lacking for me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

All by My Elf by Olivia Dade is very short but very sweet holiday story. A wonderful addition to all the Christmas novellas out there; this was my first read by Olivia Dade but won't be my last! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur: I loved this! Merriment and Mayhem has everything I want from a Christmas romcom, it is sweet and fun, and also quite steamy, and I just loved everything about it! Just like the best Christmas movies that you can watch again and again, here's a story you'll want to read every year. All the feels. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Only Santas in the Building is my first Alexis Daria read but won't be my last - this story made me joyful and warm all over, it made me shed a couple of tears, and it made me giddy with happiness. It had everything that I, a huge Christmas enthusiast, want from a holiday read - and more! All the feels, all the stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very enjoyable collection, I especially loved Ali Hazelwood's, Alexandria Bellefleur's and Alexis Daria's stories! All cute and spicy, quick reads; I read them all in one sitting. Some are more Holiday-themed than others, but all were a fun read.

Thank you so much to all authors & Amazon/Brilliance Audio Publishing for giving me the ALCS and ARC in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are my own.

✨

Cruel Winter With You- by Ali Hazelwood

Wow, I mean wow guys. I knew already that Ali Hazelwood is unstoppable, and able to have an absolute chokehold on your heart in any length of book, but especially with her super power with novellas…but…WOW. This one hands down has burrowed into my soul the fastest, and will live there forever toasty and warm snuggled up next to Love on the Brain and Stuck with You. It’s beautiful, it’s raw, it’s heartfelt and oh so real. It’s endearing and revealing and will make your heart feel a lot less alone even if you are at your most alone. I read it in one sitting and cried, laughed, and cried some more, I just FELT the whole way through. I hugged my kindle when I finished because it’s been so long since I’ve felt so unbelievably seen by a book like this. It felt like someone crawled inside my brain and shone some light where it’s darkest, and filled with cobwebs and angry goblins, and offered to give that dark piece of me a hug. I have no idea how she does it, but here I am cry hugging my kindle on a Tuesday night and I am in no way ashamed to admit that to the entirety of the internet. It’s books like this that are why I am a reader. The feelings I felt every single page I read, and this feeling I have right now as I type this review. That hard to describe feeling that only other readers know the meaning of, where you feel seen and heard, and torn apart and healed at all the same time because you realize it’s not just you who felt these things? Yup, that’s the one!

Our FMC Jamie (a pediatrician) is in my opinion, impossible to not root for. She’s soft, kind, and incredibly relatable in her flaws and fears. She’s home for Christmas and gets caught in a storm with just the person she is scared to face right now, the guy whose heart she broke. It’s truly a Christmas miracle that’s collision was meant to be.

Our MMC Marc (a tech billionaire) is easy to fall for and one readers will absolutely MELT over. I know I sure did very quickly. I’ll leave his carefully crafted unveiling to Ali because I keep it spoiler free and there’s no way I could ever even pretend I could have a fraction of her timing and this man deserves her justice!

The pacing and plot had me racing to the next part and incapable of putting it down. The shifts in time and tale added so much intensity and intrigue, I wouldn’t have wanted to read it any other way. Truly, this was a perfect showcase for Ali’s timing and capacity to reveal just enough when it’s oh so right. She gave us so much tension, realistic build up while somehow giving us a really clear picture of who these complex characters are. Again, such a talent when it comes to this short story format. It in no way felt rushed, or like insta love, I truly feel like I know these characters and all I can say is, PLEASE ALI CAN I HAVE SOME MORE?

In my honest and wholehearted mind, this was an absolute smash hit, and I can’t think of a single second I didn’t love. In fact, I loved it so much I’m going to reread it right this very second even though it’s 1 am, sleep be damned! I’m not ready to let go of how this book made me feel just yet…maybe not ever!

✨✨✨

All by my Elf by Olivia Dade

This was my first Olivia Dade read and I’m so sad to say this one was unfortunately my least favorite of all of the books in this collection. It’s hard to pinpoint, but I couldn’t find myself being invested in the romance or characters, and the story felt like it lagged a lot at the beginning with minimal humor and I kept wanting for the story to grip me. I guess the characters felt a little cookie cutter for me without having their own unique voice. For how short it was I think maybe the pacing just wasn’t to my liking. I didn’t really feel the odds and again that attributed to me not being very invested. It wasn’t bad, however it just wasn’t gripping for me. Maybe I’ve read too many holiday romances so it felt like it didn’t stand on its own. However for someone looking for a low stakes, easy reading, sweet palate cleansing holiday romance this would be a great pick!

The audio and narration was however great and fit the voice of our FMC and MMC. The narrator brought a lot of emotional tone and timing that really kept the book afloat for me.

✨✨✨

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

This was my first Tessa Bailey read and unfortunately just wasn’t for me. I don’t mind insta lust one bit nor do I mind insta love but this felt really rushed for both. We get a high dose of insta lust in my opinion without any building blocks. It all hits in the first chapter and I think giving the characters more than one interaction would have helped here. It also felt a bit rushed on the plot and how the characters connected again after their first talk in chapter one. It felt like maybe I’d missed something as it went on so I think maybe this book just needed an extra chapter or two in my opinion. Overall I think this story just wasn’t for me.

This would be a great read for anyone who is looking for an insta lust/love, single mom, farmer cinnamon roll holiday romance that jumps right into it without too much fluff. It’s an easy read and low stakes so it’s perfect for anyone looking for that!

The narration however was fantastic for both and I especially liked the narration for our MMC, will be looking into their other titles because I enjoyed his work so much!

✨✨

Only Santa’s in the Building by Alexis Daria

This novella was exactly what I was looking for! Well thought out and plotted with the right amount of back story, and build up. We’re given the perfect amount of information when we need it and I loved how realistically it all played out. It’s unfolding was fun, endearing, relatable and fun! I am excited to see what else the author has written after enjoying their writing style so much. The perfect holiday novella to make your heart feel warm and fuzzy!

Narration was spot on to the voice of the FMC and felt like the perfect match to the tone of the story itself. I will definitely be recommending and relistening to this title again!

Thank you to Alexis Daria and Brilliance audio for this ALC

✨✨✨

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. This was a fun series of short stories to get in the holiday spirit. Some of the authors are new to me.

Gosh, how I love holiday romances! And when you get a bunch of authors I love or knew I would love together, its pure MAGIC!!

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood
This was a yummy morsel about Jamie (FMC) and Marc (MMC), her best friend’s young brother. There is so much tension!!! Marc has been in love with Jamie forever and has made his intentions known throughout the years that HE WILL WOO HER DAMMIT! After a drinking game brings all the feelings and emotions to an end on a stormy winter night, Jamie FINALLY gives in to what she’s been fighting all along, realizing that she is good enough for him.

Favorite quote: “Marc makes my heart leap and my body glow and my brain rest, and that’s not something I could bear to have and then let go of.”

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey
Oh my freaking goodness!!! Evie, a single mom with a sassy side, and Luke, a sweet, giant farmer with a heart of gold are literally the cutest stinking couple!! This was the steamy, lovey dovey, size difference holiday romance I wanted from Tessa Bailey and she delivered!!! Very much had a city girl/country boy feel to it too which was amazing!

Favorite quote: “Something about her on my doorstep feels right. Like she was meant to show up sooner or later.”

All By My Elf by Olivia Dade
Nina and William are part-time professors who are picking up holiday gigs in a wiener mobile to make ends meet. While Nina thinks her crush is unrequited, and that couldn’t be further from the truth! Add in a dash of overnight forced proximity in said wiener mobile, a mutual pining from afar, and a consent king, and you have this fun little story! I’ve never read Olivia’s work before, but I’ll definitely be checking her out!

Favorite quote: “If I had to spend one more night without you, I’m not sure how I’d survive it.”

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur
Definitely the most fun of the bunch! We have I-don’t-do-casual FMC Everleigh and hot stuff flirty firefighter MMC Griffin, and the chemistry was OFF THE FREAKING CHARTS! Everleigh keeps finding herself in these perilous situations, and who is there to help other than the flirty firefighter she is sure things wouldn’t work out with. This was a small town, found family story full of deliciousness and insta-lust. I will be picking up more from Bellefleur.

Favorite quote: “If you knew half the thoughts I’ve had about you, saint would be the very last thing you’d dream of calling me.”

Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria
Overworked and grieving Evie always has the worst luck running into her upstairs neighbor and crush, Theo. But she doesn’t have time to worry about that with mounting deadlines that keep her working a LOT more than the average person. When she’s invited to a holiday party in the building after her deadline, she thinks this is her change to show Theo she doesn’t always look like Adam Sandler. Oh, and she has someone leaving handmade ornaments on her door every day, but it’s not who she thinks it is….I totally connected with Evie on her workload and Adam Sandler appearance, but also really wanted her to get Theo, the sweet but sultry neighbor!

Favorite quote: “It’s time to take charge of my own narrative.”

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories, Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, Olivia Dade, Alexandria Bellefleur, and Alexis Daria for the opportunity to read this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.