I loved this collection of novella featured so many of my favorite authors! All of these novellas put me in the christmas spirit! I have 0 complaints with this book at all!

The under the Mistletoe collection is a collection of five short stories about love taking place during the Christmas season. I really enjoyed reading this series. I had read books by almost all of the authors before and was excited to read their stories. I loved most of the short stories, and liked the others which is why I would give this collection 4.5 stars out of 5. I would definitely recommend this collection to anyone looking to read some holiday romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for access to an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

A very quick series of reads to get into the Christmas groove, I enjoyed them, and read them in one day. Thank you very much, I really enjoyed them

The cutest collection of holiday romances! I can always count on Tessa Bailey for the spice. I was also excited to read Alexandria Bellefleur's as I loved her book Truly, Madly, Deeply. These short stories really put me in the Christmas mood!

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood
Cruel Winter with You was my favorite novella out of the collection. I thought the pacing was perfect and the plot was well-rounded. I liked how Hazelwood set up the main characters' backstory. Jamie and Marc's history together made their relationship feel more believable. Although the two-year-old story line felt far-fetched, the rest of their backstory was done nicely. Both characters were layered and dynamic. I liked Jamie's vulnerability and Marc's sweetness. The forced proximity was fun and the steamy scenes didn't feel awkward. I enjoyed this one so much that I wanted it to be a full-length novel. This was a strong showing of Hazelwood's work.

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey
Merry Ever After wasn't my favorite. I found it a little cringey. I struggled with the pacing of Evie and Luke's relationship. It was very fast and very steamy. I felt like Bailey should have taken more time to build up their relationship. They went from lust to love REAL QUICK. Evie and Luke's characters didn't feel developed. Luke felt stereotypical and Evie felt one-dimensional. Overall, this story didn't feel believable to me.

All by My Elf by Olivia Dade
All by My Elf had a unique plot! Once I pieced everything together, I enjoyed the way the story was set-up. The whole getting stranded on the road was a clever way to force proximity. I thought Nina and William were fine. I did think Nina was a little naive...especially with her assumption about her friend. The never have I ever game was fun and the cuddling for warmth scene was cute. The ending did feel a little rushed. This novella wasn't bad!

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur
Merriment and Mayhem was fun! I liked how Everleigh and Griffin met. The 911 scenes were funny and cute. I thought Griffin and Everleigh had great chemistry and banter. Their relationship progression felt realistic. Griffin was sweet (the light scene was 😍) and Everleigh's voice was comical. Like Cruel Winter with You, I wanted this one to be a full-length novel. I enjoyed Bellefleur's writing and the setting. This was a cute story.

Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria
Only Santas in the Building was alright. I felt like too much of the story was dedicated to Evie's work. I wanted more of a focus on Theo and Evie's grief. I thought Theo was sweet...especially with the ornament's plotline. I thought Daria did a fantastic job making the novella feel Christmasy. The Santa party was a neat way to get Theo and Evie together. I wish there were one or two more scenes of Theo and Evie together before they hooked up. Daria's writing sort of reminded me of Ali Hazelwood. This novella was a fast-paced read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC.

Loving these short holiday romance stories by some of my favorite romance authors!! Thank you, Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the Arc!

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood 4 Stars
For two former childhood friends, a blustery winter storm stirs some frosty—and scorching—memories.
Fantastic short story! FMC was so relatable, MMC was determined! Managed to get me in my feelings in just 70 pages, bring on the blizzard and the blankets by the fire.
Thanks Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!


Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey 3.5 stars
A single mother working in a thrift store. A gentle giant farmer who can’t find jeans that fit. When opposites attract, they find themselves making alterations in more ways than one.
A cute cast of characters, and a spice level that you anticipate with a Tessa Bailey book! We even managed to get an epilogue within this short story, Merry Christmas to us!
Thanks Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

All by My Elf by Olivia Dade 3 stars
Secret crushes, spicy Christmas treats, heinous holiday traffic, and a fateful snowstorm bring good friends together in a funny, heartfelt short story.Hard to really picture this weiner mobile that these three college professionals are working in... felt like a lot of set up to finally get to the idea that the MMC just wanted close proximity to our FMC! I was here for the "let's share body warmth" but gave a little giggle at the other shenanigans that took place back there! Thanks Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur 4 stars
This Christmas, a hot fireman makes a holiday rescue and sparks fly in this funny, sexy holiday short story.Another story I needed more of! Loved the meet cute, firefighter Griffin coming to save Everleigh, and would have loved to see their relationship develop! Thanks Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

Cruel Winter with You - Ali Hazelwood
This was a really cute and fluffy novella! I’m usually not a fan of the miscommunication trope, but it was done well here. The flashbacks also added to the character developments and gave a good understanding of Marc and Jaime and their relationship. It did feel like it ended abruptly and I think it would have benefited from an epilogue of some sort, but I did enjoy the quick and cozy read.

Merry Ever After - Tessa Bailey
This was definitely a really cute novella, but I found it hard to connect with the characters and the story, as there wasn’t much character development and the pacing felt off. Though if you like the insta-love trope, you may enjoy it! It’s just not for me.

All by My Elf - Olivia Dade
All by My Elf is a quick and sweet novella. I usually don’t like the miscommunication trope, but thought it was done well, in addition with the forced proximity trope. The characters were likable and the story has potential to be a really good novel to allow for building deeper character development, with maybe a dual POV. Overall, it was an enjoyable and lovely story.

Merriment and Mayhem - Alexandria Bellefleur
This was a fun novella! All the characters are really great. I would love it if it was a full book to provide a little more relationship building, as it was kind of insta-love. But for a novella, this was a nice and cute read.

Only Santas in the Building - Alexis Daria
Only Santas in the Building might be my favorite in the collection. I really enjoyed this short and sweet novella! The set up for the characters was perfect as you get a good feel for the characters and their relationship with each other. The pacing was just right; it didn’t feel rushed at all. The story is well-balanced and the chemistry between the two main characters felt very natural. I would love to read a full novel about these characters.


Thank you NetGalley & Amazon Publishing for the ARC!

This was a cute series of holiday novellas to help get you into the holiday spirit! The one thing I hate about novellas though is I get so attached quickly to characters that I want and need more.

Ali Hazelwood proves again she doesn’t sleep but I am not mad at all. 70 pages was enough to have me so invested in the characters. We love when they actually have to communicate when they are stuck in a blizzard. he childhood friends to lovers trope was done excellently but I NEEDED more.

Tessa Bailey knows how to spice up the holidays in the best way. It was a sweet and cosy read set in a small town. We love a giant farmer who is nothing but soft-hearted.

Olivia Date provided a cute and steamy co-worker romance. The automobile they were driving was different and added humour to this short read. A cute nerdy Christmas love story with great representation as always.

Alexandria Bellefleur has me wanting a firefighter to come save me. Griffin was so cute and patient and SOOO SMOOTH with his game, I too would combust. I 100% needed this to be long and more time with Griffin.

Alexia Daria has me swooning for Theo. We love the neighbour trope who both have been secretly pining for each other. This one felt the most Christmasy and was such a fun read. would also love a longer story with these characters.

Cruel Winter with You: Five stars to Ali, as always.

Merry Ever After: 3.5 stars. It was probably bad for Tessa that I read this one after Ali’s novella, because I just felt like this one moved too quickly compared to that one. But it was decent enough.

All by My Elf: 4 stars. HOW CUTE. And ridiculous (in a good way).

Merriment and Mayhem: 4.5 stars. HOT FIREMAN SAY LESS. I actually wish this one was longer. 😭

Only Santas in the Building: 4 stars. Short and sweet, with a touch of serious issues like grief. I enjoyed it!

3.5

overall, this was fun. my favorite short was tessa bailey’s (the farmer was just TOO hot), and my least favorite was probably olivia dade’s. that said, i did end up liking all of them, and since they’re so short, they’re super easy to read!

#netgalley

Thanks to Amazon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
It has nothing to do with the book, but it caught my attention that this is the first time I've read an ARC that has editing flaws so that someone wouldn't want to pirate it.
This anthology of 5 short stories in a way reminded me of those Christmas editions of Historical Romance with short novellas where each author has her style of writing something Christmassy with a happy ending.
Being that Ali Hazelwood has the first story, I expected something more from her. I think short stories are not her thing, because almost all of her 70 pages are backstory, trying to give an explanation to what happens to her characters in the present, but I think it's a story that could use more work.
Definitely “Only Santas in the Building” was perfect. I want to read more from Alexis Daria. Perfect to read with a cup of very hot chocolate.

I got a digital ARC of this short story collection and discovered each of these stories are about pining and yearning during the holidays and I love a good pining story.

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood
Marc has been in love with his older sister's best friend ever since they were young kids. This short story is sweet and sexy and Jamie, now a pediatrician, finally allows herself to be vulnerable and admit to tech millionaire Marc that his once unrequited feelings are very much reciprocated. 5/5 stars

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey
Standard Tessa Bailey with the typical smol heroine (Evie) and tall hero (Luke) (everything is apparently very large on this guy but the heroine is made to fit him). I liked the single mom and the soft caretaking hero but endless mentions of how big he was (all over) grew tiresome. 3/5 stars

All by My Elf by Olivia Dade
This one included a forced proximity between two adjunct college professors embarking on a holiday side hustle aboard a wienermobile turned mincemeat mobile. Only Olivia Dade's brilliant mind could conceive of such a plot and make it work so very beautifully. William is the soft and tenderhearted hero pining for Nina who, unbeknownst to him, is pining back just as hard. 5/5 stars

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur
Everleigh is trying to sell her late grandmother's house and also throw one last Christmas celebration the way her grandmother always did. Unfortunately for her, everything that could go wrong, does go wrong, from a kitchen oven on fire to a broken ladder leaving Everleigh stranded on the roof with no way down. Enter Griffin Brantley, the sexy firefighter who keeps riding to Everleigh's rescue. This one was super fun and sexy and I wish it had been just a few pages longer. 4/5 stars

Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria
Another story involving grandmother loss and grief, comic book illustrator Evie is on a strict deadline while also navigating a crush on her upstairs neighbor, Theo. Likewise, Theo has been harboring a crush on her as well. These two are so sweet and adorable as they find their way to each other. 5/5 stars

Cruel Winter: ★★★★★
Ali Hazelwood’s writing style continues to impress! The flashbacks were perfectly placed, enhancing the story’s flow, and Marc’s intense obsession with Jamie was captivating. Normally, I miss dual POVs, but with a male lead this devoted, a single FMC perspective felt just right. Ali nailed it.

Tessa Bailey: ★★★☆☆
For me, Tessa’s books are either home runs or misses, with little in between. This one leaned more toward the latter. It had the vibe of a Fanfiction Oneshot but lacked that holiday magic. Besides the calendar dates, the Christmas spirit was hard to feel. While the spice was definitely there, I struggled to connect with the characters like I usually do in her books.

All by My Elf: ★★★★★
My first Olivia Dade read, and I’m hooked! Loved the mid-30s main characters, and as a former Newport News resident, I adored revisiting familiar spots through the story. This novella was a delight from start to finish, and Dade is now at the top of my TBR list.

Merriment and Mayhem: ★★★★★
A sizzling firefighter-meets-chaos-demon romance that’s impossible to put down. I raced through this one! The ending wrapped up a bit quickly for my taste, but the rest of the story was so engaging that it didn’t detract much. Definitely adding more from this author to my list!

Only Santa’s in the Building: ★★★★★
This novella was the perfect cozy, swoon-worthy finish to the collection. Every moment felt warm and festive, and the epilogue was a dream!

Amazon assembled an incredible lineup of five talented authors, each bringing their A-game. I loved discovering three new-to-me authors in this collection, and I can’t wait to dive into more of their works. Thanks so much for this wonderful reading opportunity!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am obsessed with Ali Hazelwood and this second chance novella was a balm of happiness. I loved the forced proximity and the hero was perfect.
Recommend to anyone!

✨Book Review✨

Under the Mistletoe - Stories by Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, Olivia Dade, Alexandria Bellefleur, and Alexis Daria

📖 This is a collection of 5 stories from popular authors, all set in December for the most magical time of the year. Each story is the perfect length to be read in a single sitting and guaranteed to put you in the mood for the holiday season! Special shoutout to @NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this collection!

📚 If you’re looking for some bite sized Christmas stories then this is the perfect book for you to pick up. The pace is fast, as we’ve gotta get from acquaintances/friends to the bedroom quickly.

🌟 Curl up by the fire to be thrilled and tingled all the way. These are all open door romances, so reader beware!

Do you read holiday books? This has certainly got me looking forward to the Christmas season.

#BookReview #BookRecommendation #Bookish #UnderTheMistletoe #ChristmasCollection #BookLover

Each book had humor and a ton of spice. Some of them I would enjoy a sequel. I really enjoy these collections.

📚 Under the Mistletoe collection
✍ Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, Olivia Dade, Alexia Bellefleur, Alexis Daria
📖 Holiday Romance Novella colleciton
⭐3.5/5
🌶️ 🌶️
➡
🙏 Thank you to Amazon Original Stories, NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy of Cruel Winter with You. All opinions are my own.
◾
What I thought: This collection of stories was the perfect holiday blend of joy, spice and laughs. Each story had swoonworthy characters with charisma and banter and somehow, each of these packed enough chemistry and heat to make me believe I'd just read read 200 pages worth of build-up in anticipation of the characters connecting. Cruel Winter with You was my favorite story in the bunch and it may just be in top contention for my favorite Ali Hazelwood- second chance romance with the ultimate grand gesture of pining? Yes, please!

Not every one of the novellas resonated with me (I was surprisingly befuddled by Merry Ever After (Tessa Bailey) but mostly enjoyed these. They're the perfect bite-sized way to get into the holiday spirit without TOO much holiday and were honestly just fun to read.
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Read if you love:
*holiday books without being overly CHRISTMAS
*true RomComs- these all made me laugh!
*a few swoonworthy MMCs: a billionaire, a firefighter, a farmer and a professor- phew!
◾
See also: A Risk Worth Taking, The Mistletoe Motive, The Matzah Ball

This is a tough one to review as it is a collection of five separate stories by five different authors. The premise is very fun and they are all very short so it's worth the read of you are in the Christmas spirit. These are all pretty spicy especially for the length of the story. With all that being said some of the stories were better developed than others. Cruel Winter with you by Ali Hazelwood is a story about childhood friends to lovers and he's been gone for her the whole time. For the length of the story, I thought there was really good character development and chemistry between the characters. I enjoyed that they've known each other for years And wasn't instalove.
Merry ever after by tessa bailey was disappointing. It's about a big man and a little lady and that's essentially all you need to know.
All by my elf by Olivia dade probably has the most fat fetched storyline. It's about two adjunct professors who work in a hot dog truck as their side gig. This was confusing and didn't work for me.
Merriment and mayhem by Alexandria bellefleur was adorable and sweet but ended very abruptly. The story was definitely instalove and she decided to move to this town for him after knowing him a handful of weeks.
Lastly, we have only Santas in the building which was probably my favorite of the five. Evie is a coming book illustrator on a deadline. Her hot neighbor wants to help give her some Christmas cheer. It's so sweet and feels like the best length of all of the stories and even has an epilogue.

These five short stories were so much fun to read, and oh so spicy!
Cruel Winter with you: I loved this second chance story! And a favorite trope too with the “snowed in together”. I loved these two and how they were able to finally get together!
Merry Ever After: single mom and hot farmer is not a trope that I thought I would like till Tessa wrote it. Super good and arguably the steamiest of the bunch! I adored where they ended up and wish I could get a much longer version of their story.
All by My Elf: coworker crushes! This was cute, but I didn’t love it as much as the others.
Merriment and Mayhem: this one made me laugh the most at the outrageous circumstances our female character kept finding herself in. And the banter was fantastic. This one was probably my favorite of the bunch.
Only Santas in the Building: I think my favorite things about this one was that our female character was a comic book artist (geeking out), and that he got crafty in his gifts of admiration to her. Swoon! Loved it.
All in all this averaged 4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 So much fun! Highly recommend.

This is an EXCELLENT collection of stories by some amazing authors! You know how sometimes in short stories (especially of the spicy variety), there just isn't really much *plot* or character development? That is COMPLETELY NOT the case in these stories! Yes these are short stories, but I never felt like any of them were lacking in "story!" They were all so charming, emotional, and intelligent! After I finished each story, I thought, "Oh, this one was so good, it's my favorite of the collection." Then I read the next story and thought the same thing. Each standalone story is excellent; there's not a dud in the bunch!