Like walking onto the set of your favorite Hallmark Christmas movie, Mistletoe Season invites readers to fall in love alongside three couples, featuring old flames, opposites attract, and even a royal romance.
Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts
Mistletoe is Hailey Fairchild's kryptonite. Every time she's kissed someone under the mistletoe it's led to love disaster. Not a good thing for a romance writer! When she was a gawky high school girl, her hunky neighbor, Carwyn Davies, star of the basketball team (and her dreams), kissed her under the mistletoe on a dare. But the kiss wasn't a dream come true. It was a mortifying moment she's never forgotten, and now she's about to go home for the holidays, unengaged and . . . determined to say no to mistletoe. Especially if Carwyn is anywhere around.
Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller
Emmy Banks has always loved Christmas. How could she not when she lives in Mistletoe, Missouri? Kieran O'Neill has spent years abroad, renovating an old Irish castle, but returns to Mistletoe for his mother's seventieth birthday. He reconnects with Emmy, his sister's close friend, and spends time with her in her charming antique shop. When the weather turns colder, things start to warm up between Emmy and Kieran. But can Emmy risk her heart when she knows he'll never stay in Mistletoe and she'll never leave?
The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham
Prince Arran St. Clare has lost his freedom and fairytale life in exchange for a three-month "punishment" in the small town of Ransom, North Carolina. To prove he is ready for the royal life for which he was born, Arran must engage in the Christmas charity fundraiser, The Mistletoe Wish. But when kindness, authenticity, and hard work prove more appreciated in Appalachia than a royal pedigree, Arran must face the mirror and find out who he is beyond the crown. Add a beautiful and intelligent woman who doesn't recognize her own worth, some mistletoe, and a little Christmas magic, and it all might be enough to help the rebel-prince understand what truly matters most.
Featuring three separate stories, Mistletoe Season is the perfect escape from a bustling Christmas season. Pull up a cozy blanket, fix yourself a warm drink, and set yourself up by the fire to enjoy three delightful, low-spice romances.
With fifty books to her credit, both fiction and non-fiction, Sheila Roberts is a frequent USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller - and a fan favorite. Her books have sold over three million copies and have been turned into movies for the Hallmark, Lifetime and Great American Family channels. Before settling into her writing career, Sheila owned a singing telegram company and played in band. When she's not traveling, Sheila can be found hanging out with friends, playing tennis, and, of course, writing and reading. Sometimes she even remembers to post books she's read!
I adored Pepper Basham’s royal novella. Hit every right note and had me highlighting each witty, wise saying. I will definitely read that novella again. The other two were sweet, but Charlie and Arren’s story reached into my heart and had me rooting for them against the odds.
This is a set of three festive stories of romance to get brighten your Christmas reading, all with mistletoe somewhere in the story. I really wanted to read Prince Arran's story by Pepper Basham as I had read the rest of the Skymar series. It was definitely a lovely addition to the series with Charlie (Charlotte) Edgewood, cousin of Luke, Izzy, and Penelope, and Arran, Prince from Skymar. Arran is working on a life do-over while in the Blue Ridge Mountains working with Luke, his sister and princess Ellie's husband. A lovely quick Christmas romance develops between Charlie and Arran. Kathleen Fuller's sweet Christmas story is a Christmas romance between Emmy Banks and Kieran O'Neill, her best friend's brother. Emmy had a high school crush on Kieran and even filled in as a last-minute date for his senior prom. Kieran left right after graduation for Ireland and hasn't been back until now for his mom's 70th birthday. With his delicious Irish accent. Fun story. In Sheila Roberts' story, Hailey goes to her Northwest hometown for Christmas. She grew up as an awkward, nerdy chubby girl. Now she has slimmed down and is a bestselling romance author. Her mom has her set up for all kinds of appearances and is somewhat of a celebrity, but she doesn't feel like one with her insecurities popping up. But she enjoys her visit and even gets to spend special time with her old crush and her brother's best friend Carwyn. I recommend this anthology for a series of quick, fun romance holiday reads. I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.
Mistletoe Season by Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller and Pepper Basham - 4 Stars Overall 3 Christmas Novellas BLOG POST with Review Graphic: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/...
Overall, these 3 novellas are charming and heartwarming holiday romances that perfectly show the magic of Christmas. I really enjoyed each of these, with Kathleen and Sheila being new to me authors! Looking forward to reading more by those authors. Pepper is one of my favorite authors and her's was my fav because we had Luke show back up! :)
Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller - 4 Stars
This was a unique Christmas romance between two characters in their 40s. I really liked that because you don't see those ages of characters portrayed much. In this one, we have Emmy Banks, who is fully rooted in her community with her antique shop. Set in Mistletoe, Missouri, the shop add an extra layer of charm to it. Kieran O'Neill has spent years abroad, renovating an old Irish castle, but returns to Mistletoe for his mother's 70th birthday. We see him reconnect with Emmy, his sister's close friend, and spend time helping her in the shop. A romance ensues and the rest is history. :) I really liked the characters and small town - a very cozy read. I loved that he was Irish too, added a nice layer to the story.
The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham - 4 Stars
We are back with our Skymar characters and this time Princess Ellie's brother is getting his romance! Prince Arran St. Clare lost his fairytale life in exchange for a 3 month "punishment" in the small town of Ransom, North Carolina. He has to prove he is ready for royal life so he has to participate in the Christmas charity fundraiser, The Mistletoe Wish. The fundraiser not only forces Arran to get involved but also allows him to interact more deeply with the locals, helping him grow as a person. For anyone who LOVED the Skymar series like I did, this is a MUST read yall! (Specifically Loyally, Luke readers will love this the most!) We see Luke and Ellie again - which were lovely! Really enjoyed the faith elements in this too. A must read for those who enjoyed a mix of royalty, small-town charm, and a holiday romance.
Say No To Mistletoe - Sheila Roberts - 4 Stars
This one made me laugh out loud several times! I loved the mistletoe mishaps here. It's giving Christmas rom-com. We have a romance author, Hailey Fairchild, who always has a disaster under the mistletoe. Her handsome neighbor, Carwyn Davies, star of the basketball team, kissed her under the mistletoe many years ago and it was an embarrassing moment. Now, back home, she is determined to say no to mistletoe, until a second chance erupts between her and Carwyn. :) I really liked this one. I really needed the laughs and this one delivered!
Overall, this anthology is a great one to pick up during the holiday season. Very lighthearted, hallmark like novellas that are bound to be enjoyable!
Thank you to the Thomas Nelson for providing a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’m a Pepper Basham fan, so I was anxious to read her novella, especially since it centered around the Edgewood family. Each story was unique. I hadn’t read anything by Kathleen Fuller or Sheila Roberts before, so it was a good opportunity to check out new authors. For me the weakest story was Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller. I didn’t feel warm or fuzzy about the hero, and I thought there was a whole lot of telling rather than showing. This is a novella drawback, but the other stories in the collection were more enjoyable. My favorite was The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham. It had all the feels for me and continued the story of the Edgewoods and Skymar royals. Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts was funny and kept my interest. The romance in all three happens fast, but that’s the nature of the novella. If you’re looking for quick, sweet stories for the Christmas season, you’ll enjoy this collection.
DNF - 40% I think maybe I'm over short/holiday stories?
Return to Mistletoe - it was cute, but not my favorite. Older main characters, Single mom x Irish fox (is that a thing? lol). I didn't love the 'oh, no way she's/he's into me' from both. They are over 40 years old, just communicate, please.
Story 2) A Mistletoe Prince - Story 3) Say No to Mistletoe -
This was such a cute holiday collection, it’s three novellas from three different authors and I enjoyed all of them. This would be perfect during the busy holiday season and you could jump in and out, maybe read one story even if that’s all you had time for. If you’re in the mood for some festive, hallmark style reads try this collection!
I received a free copy of, Mistletoe Season, by Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller, Pepper Basham, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book has three great Christmas stories, The first story is my favorite of the three.
Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller is the first book. I love Emmy, she is a great character, she live in Mistletoe, Missouri. Emmy reconnects with a friends brother and sparks fly, but will Kieran have to go back to Ireland?
The second story is The Mistletoe Prince, by Pepper Basham. Prince Arran St. Clare of Skymar, has a lesson to learn and it will be in Ransom, North Carolina. Arran learns a lot in Ransom, North Carolina, about people, and poverty.
The third story is, Say No to Mistletoe, by Sheila Roberts. Hailey Fairchild is not a fan of mistletoe, it has done her wrong, over the years. Maybe this year will be different, maybe this year she will find her beau?
Three very enjoyable Christmas stories, I really liked them all, great stories and characters
Mistletoe Season is a book of three cute, clean Christmas novellas from three best-selling authors. All three were light-hearted, Hallmark-ish, wholesome and sweet romances.
Pepper Basham’s, The Mistletoe Prince, was especially charming as it is a continuation of her Skymar series (Authentically Izzy, Positively Penelope, & Loyally Luke). For those who are familiar, this Christmas plot is about Princess Ellie’s brother from Skymar. He’s been a bad boy prince and is sent to North Carolina with Luke and Ellie to get his act together. REALLY enjoyed it - especially the faith content. 4 stars
The other two stories, “Return to Mistletoe” and “Say No to Mistletoe” were both cute as well - clean contemporary fiction. Both have a second chance romance trope. Both were quick, carefree reads. 3 stars for these two.
More in-depth book reviews can be found on my YouTube channel. 💙☕📚
I was blessed to have received an early complimentary ebook AND audiobook and opinions are my own!
Full disclosure, I requested this book on NetGalley for precisely two reasons: 1) the ever-blithesome Pepper Basham and 2) the ever-delightful Edgewoods from her Skymar series.
Therefore, it's no surprise that of the three holiday novellas Basham's was far and away my favorite. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that "The Mistletoe Prince" is the gleaming jewel in this collection's crown! A sweet royal romance with southern charm, wit, and heart.
If you like twinkle lights, small town vibes, and Hallmark Christmas movies, "Mistletoe Season" might just be your cup of Pepper-mint tea! (Pun wholeheartedly intended!😉)
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own honest opinion.
All three stories were cute, but I felt like in order for me to rate higher I would have preferred more depth to the stories and less insta love and more chance for the relationship to grow.
A collection of three brand new holiday kissing only romance novellas set in small towns. My favorite by far was the second story by Pepper Basham that's set in the Skymar universe and sees a tomboy carpenter falling for a royal prince. Lots of content about learning to love oneself and being worthy of love just as you are. The final story also follows those themes as an introverted NYC romance writer returns home for Christmas and falls for her high school crush. Recommended for fans of authors like Susan Mallory or Debbie Macomber. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
3 short stories audio book arc Did I like it? ….. it was just ok unfortunately.
I normally zoom through audio books I listen to them while so house work, shopping, if I don’t have a book in my hand then I have my headphones on.
I live short stories because it normally takes less concentration and I can get on with my day and still follow a story. These short stories just didn’t hit right.
Thanks netgalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the arc in exchange for a review
While I found the stories and writing styles to be vastly different from each other in this anthology, the theme that tied the collection together for me was that the male main characters had names that I couldn't quite figure out how to pronounce in my head. This kept me amused as I would switch between pronunciations as I read along. Alongside this observation, the three mistletoe stories each brought about Christmas cheer in a clean, sweet way. With two out of the three stories having scant faith content, I would more so classify this book as a clean Christmas romance, with one notable exception.
Since I had already read Pepper Basham’s Skymar series, I was especially keen to read The Mistletoe Prince, which was a satisfying Christmas story to accompany the other Edgewood books. I loved that this particular story contained the most amount of faith content with beautiful depictions of what Christmas truly means, along with meaningful references to prayer and God’s teachings. It is certainly a treat for those who have read Loyally, Luke, as there are recurring characters, making this book even more special and the one that hit it out of the park for me.
Return to Mistletoe and Say No to Mistletoe were similar in that they were both second-chance romances, one with a brother's best friend and the other with a best friend’s brother. If you like these tropes, you can have both versions! Each story reads like a fun Hallmark movie, with Say No to Mistletoe being especially funny in the first person voice. Overall, this is a lighthearted collection that would be enjoyable to read anytime of the year.
This anthology was absolutely delightful! Two authors were new to me and my love runs deep for Pepper Basham and the second I saw her name on the title I knew I would be reading this one. #noregrets!!
Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller
'When he left Mistletoe, he didn't vie the town, or Emmy Branch, more than a second thought. He sure was thinking about her now.'
Little sister's best friend, second chance connection all set in a beautiful Hallmark-esque town. This is perfect for any Christmas reading!! This book had real heart and soul put into it and I loved the escape this provided!
A Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham
"When I prayed for a prince as a little girl, Lord, this is not what I had in mind."
I cannot get enough of the characters from this series. If you've been reading Authentically, Izzy, Positively, Persephone and Loyally, Luke you're already more than in love with these characters... to add in Charlie's story with a rogue prince was chef's kiss perfection! Royalty, meet-cute gone wrong, second chances and learning to trust; all with Pepper's wit and pop culture references made for an unforgettable Christmas romance!!!
Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts
'Mistletoe is my kryptonite. One kiss under it, and I go weak in the head. My last three mistletoe kisses resulted in relationship disaster. Which is why I, Hailey Fairchild, am swearing off it.'
This book gave me major 90's romcom vibes and made me laugh out loud so many times. This is boy next door, unrequited crush, second chance kisses (is that a thing? let's make it a thing lol) and really a fun read from start to finish!
Overall, you cannot go wrong with any of these! If you're looking for some fun, contemporary Christmas romances-this would be a great place to start!! Anthologies are always perfect for the busiest time of the year to pick-up and put down with short, quick stories!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Content/Triggers: minimal innuendo, off-page cancer mention, partying regrets, parent abandonment, secondary character under the influence of alcohol, romance-kisses only.
Mistletoe Season was a sweet collection of Christmas tales. I enjoyed the audio narration for each of the stories, too. These novellas are a good way to enjoy shorter festive tales as the Christmas season approaches. I enjoyed all three novellas.
In Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller, I loved that it was a best friend’s brother, unrequited crush story from twenty years earlier that finally resulted in the female main character ending up with the man she adored as a teen. This story was so good and I really actually wished there was an epilogue showing the two main characters a year or so in the future.
I’ve been looking forward to reading The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham and returning to some of the characters from her Skymar series. What a fun fairy tale romance this was, with Charlie finding her happily ever after with a prince! I loved that Arran had overcome so much and that his true nature was kind and genuine and that he was immediately drawn to the unique woman that Charlie was.
I hadn’t read anything by Sheila Roberts before, but I enjoyed listening to Say No to Mistletoe. I do have to admit that I was very anxious at the beginning of this story. The fact that Hailey had to deal with a woman who bullied her in high school was tense for me. However, I ended up loving the way the author handled that situation. This was another tale of a high school crush and unrequited love, with the brother’s best friend this time, and it was fun to see Hailey capture the attention of the handsome Carwyn and grow more confident in herself along the way.
This fun collection was enjoyable to listen to and a nice way to enjoy seasonal Christmas stories.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Mistletoe Season by Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller, and Pepper Basham
Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love a good holiday novella and I love audiobooks. I really enjoyed this first of three audio novellas. The narrator did a great job with the accents and the story was cute. This was my second favorite of the three.
The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ironically most reviews think this is the strongest of the three. Personally, I hated the narrator’s accent for the FMC in this one which made me cringe each time she spoke. I’m also not familiar with Basham’s work, which probably lessened my enjoyment of this one since some characters were familiar to fans of Basham. Also, I didn’t know these were all Christian audiobooks until this one. It mentioned religion A LOT.
Besides that, this one dragged on for a bit. It’s the longest of the three and I liked books 1 and 2 MUCH more than this one.
Return to Mistletoe By Sheila Robert’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is my favorite of the three stories. We have a second chance, small town romance that felt reminiscent of a Hallmark movie. This was sweet and cute!
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the gifted audiobook copy of this one!
Three of my favorite romance authors have written three short Christmas stories. You will learn about three very different women who find love when they least expect it. Sit back, grab a hot chocolate and enjoy.
I usually give novellas a 3 star rating because it usually ends up that I love some of the stories but there are often others that I don't like as much. Each of these were really cute and I liked them all, so I'm giving this collection 4 stars. The Pepper Basham story wasn't as Christmassy as the others (as you'll see in my individual review for that story) but I still liked it a lot and it would make a good early Christmas read.
Return to Mistletoe (Kathleen Fuller) – 4 stars
This was a very sweet best friend's brother romance. It was also a bit unusual in that both protagonists were in their 40s which is not something usually seen in romance fiction, so that was a fun twist. I loved all the Christmas feels in the two of Mistletoe, especially the Christmas firework display! That sounded so fun! The romance was sweet and cute. I believe I had only read Amish novellas by this author before so it was fun to read a contemporary by her.
A Mistletoe Prince (Pepper Basham) – 3.5 stars
I didn't know at first, but this novella connects to the "Skymar" series (which includes the titles Authentically Izzy, Positively Penelope, and Loyally Luke) but it can be read as a standalone. (I haven't read that series but I had no difficulties following along.) This had a very Hallmark feel to it with a prince falling in love with a commoner as they work together to plan a Christmas festival. It was cute, but not terribly Christmassy until the end. It starts around the beginning of November and moves forward from there. I really liked Charlie's charity and the sweet things that they did for others. I was somewhat apprehensive about this story going in because I had read another book by this author that had a lot of questionable content for a work of Christian fiction, but I am happy to say that this was pretty sweet and clean overall. It was a nice little story. I just wish it had been a liiiiittle more Christmassy than it was. Because it starts early in November, I would say this would be a good read for early in the holiday season.
Say No to Mistletoe (Sheila Roberts) – 4 stars
As with the first Christmas novella I read by this author, I really liked the writing style. It pulled me right into the story. It was similar to that story as well, though I don't think they were connecting in any way. The story was very cute and the romance was super sweet. I liked all the Christmas things that they did together and I liked reading about all of Hailey's mistletoe mishaps. Definitely a cute one!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
🎄 small town 🎄 childhood crush 🎄 writer x school principal
🚫 clean romance
“Mistletoe is my kryptonite. One kiss under it, and I got weak in the head”
This was my favourite story from the anthology. Fast paced and sweet story. It did feel a little dated (references to the Beat Generation) and cliche at points. But a sweet story if you’re looking for a light holiday story.
“Living a happily ever after is so much more satisfying than writing one”
Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller
🎄 small town 🎄 childhood crush 🎄 dual PoV
🌶️ close door romance
Found the premise cute but a little slow. Has a sweet Christmas feel to it as they spend time together in town during all the Christmas festivities.
“They saw you and Kieran taking a carriage ride…how romantic”
The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham
📚 Prince x commoner 📚 small town 📚 dual POV
🚫 clean romance
“At eight, she’d dreamed of a fairytale Prince coming to sweep her off her feet. But nearly twenty years later, she stared at a drunk, snoring, actual Prince”
Another cute concept where a rogue prince goes to a small rural town in the US to rebrand his image. Found it a little slow though although it does have some sweet moments.
Started off strong yet leaned heavily into the Insta love.
“It was a good thing she’s outgrown that pesky childhood fantasy, because one thing was certain. This prince was not for her”
Cute, cute and more cute! This trio is perfect for a fun Christmas read. They all have an underlying faith thread. Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller Heartwarming story of second chances set in the quaint town of Mistletoe decorated for Christmas. Relatives conspire to match Kiernan and Emmy when Kiernan returns from many years away. Family values are clearly shown and the atmosphere is cozy and nostalgic. A Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham Hilarious and a decidedly uncute meet! Snarky comments between Luke and Charlotte steal the show. And the names Charlotte has for Arran are so funny: Royal Rascal, Snoring Sovereign, Mouthy Monarch and Prince Nosebreaker. It was wonderful to connect with the Edgewood family again. Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts A romance writer who has bad luck under the mistletoe. This is a very funny rom-com with a favorite trope of heroine comes back to the hometown and meets her highschool crush. So many cute quips. I laughed a lot and the final mistletoe kiss was perfect. *A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*
Woof. This was… a bit of a hard book for me. I cringed a lot. The cheese was cheesing and everything was a little too easy. HOWEVER I recognize these are little novellas so there really wasn’t time to develop things and have a ton of conflict, it just got right to it, which I can appreciate. It was okay. I think the Prince story was probably my fav. The third book’s use of the word ugh all the time bothered me but I think it’s more the narrator’s fault. The narrator was such a struggle for me to listen to. Like she’s very good and has emotion in the right places, but I just felt like I was being read to by a nice local librarian? It really is just preference though! Anyways. Wish I could’ve loved it, but it just fell flat for me. Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the advanced audiobook copy.
A big thank you to Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller, Pepper Basham, HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of Mistletoe Season in exchange for an honest review. This book has three pretty good Christmas stories, The last story, The Mistletoe Prince is my favorite of the three! I requested the ARC for a couple reasons -- 1. I love a good cartoon cover and 2. I love a good christmas romance. What I didn't realize when I first requested it was that it is in fact a collection of Christmas Novellas, so I got 3 for 1. 3 stars because they were pretty decent, nothing spectacular. The first two had some pacing issues, despite their short story nature. I don't feel like slowburn works very well during short stories tbh.
Mistletoe Season are three Christmas romances written by Shelia Roberts Katherine Fuller and pepper Basham. I listen to the audiobook which was narrated by Tonya Eby, Who I thought did a pretty good job. Before listening to the audiobook I had only heard of Catherine Fuller whose books I love but I must admit the second book with Prince Aaron was my favorite. Although I did like the first story with the main character reconnecting with her best friend‘s brother who had been living in Scotland. I loved her relationship with her daughter but I DK I really connected with Charlie and her tomboy ways and really love the whole fish out of water scenario but all three books are so worth reading I would definitely read more books by any of these authors in the future if you’re looking for holiday fun and romance this is a great book each story is about 10 chapters long or maybe a little more in the really sweet and swoon worthy. #NetGalley,#Harper Collins Christian publishing, #SheliaRoberts, #KatherineFuller, #PepperBasham, #MistletoeSeason,#TanyaEby,
I loved each of these three novellas. Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham was my favorite of the three. Especially since it gave us a glimpse of Charlie and Prince Arran! I've been following the Edgewood Siblings' series so it was really fun to get to read Arran's story. If you haven't read that series, no worries, you'll enjoy this novella!
The other two authors are new to me authors. I enjoyed reading their contributions to this adorable mistletoe collection! They were all very clever, sweet and full of charming characters whom you can't help but cheer for and hope they get their sweet mistletoe kiss! I loved the settings of each novella and the secondary characters.
This is a collection that is sure to get you in the holiday spirit. Or, you can just enjoy reading the sweet and clean love stories anytime of the year!
Content: All three are clean with kisses only.
I received a copy from the publisher, Harper Collins Christian Publishing. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
Christmas and mistletoe just go hand in hand in this set of novellas so get ready for romance.
Say No to Mistletoe has Hailey scared and avoiding it at all costs. High school nightmares are revisited when she sees Carwyn. Mishaps abound!
Return to Mistletoe gives us “older” characters in their 40s. A refreshing experience not reading about all 20 somethings. Antique stores and Irish accents are great focal points.
The Mistletoe Prince shows us that even a prince can have issues. I enjoyed revisiting characters from Basham’s Skymar series.
I enjoyed all three stories and highly recommend them if you like Christmas stories with clean romance, angst, and happy endings.
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
Mistletoe Season is a collection of 3 stories from different authors. Pepper Basham treats us with a short story from her Skymar series that is just as fabulous as her full length books. Sheila Roberts and Kathleen Fuller are new-to-me authors, whose stories were absolutely delightful. This book is festive with romance, kisses and wishes for the upcoming Christmas…uh, Mistletoe Season ;)
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed are completely my own.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the ARC to review*
I am not usually someone who likes Christmas content outside of the festive season - mostly because it’s atmospheric and gives me that feeling which is a bit ruined when we aren’t at the right time of year.
However, in Australia we are in July which means: Christmas in July (which just means a bit of festive fun in the southern hemisphere winter). So, now seemed like the perfect time to pick up the ARC for Mistletoe Season and give it ago.
I wasn’t disappointed- it was all the festive hot chocolate and cheer I was anticipating. Made even better by the fact that I could actually read it with a hot chocolate (it’s often hot AF during December so it’s more of an iced beverage occasion at Christmas in Australia).
Mistletoe Season features three short, Christmas romance stories by three different authors. Let’s get into them:
1. Return to Mistletoe - Kathleen Fuller
Return to Mistletoe is about Kieran and Emmy who rekindle a romance when he returns from a decades long trip to Ireland. It’s a sweet best friend’s brother story set in a small town aptly named Mistletoe.
It was a simple one, not much to it, but it was wholesome and sweet.
2. A Mistletoe Prince - Pepper Bashem
Arran, Prince of Skymar, goes to a small town in Appalachia to visit his sister and her American husband where he falls in love with his cousin (not his own cousin, the cousin of his BIL).
I enjoyed this one more than the first short story and more so than the preceding book in Pepper Bashem’s Skymar series. Arran and Charlie were so sweet, I found myself smiling. Arran is a true fairytale Prince!
3. Say No to Mistletoe - Sheila Roberts
Romance author, Hailey, returns to her home town for the holidays and has to cope with her brothers new girlfriend, her own former high school bully, and how much she wants to kiss her brother’s best friend, Carwyn. Just not under the mistletoe in case the holiday magic jinxes it.
This was my favourite of the three because it was the funniest. Hailey was the character I found the most relatable and I really enjoyed her inner monologue, sense of humour and how superstitious she was about the kiss. I’d have loved to see this fleshed out more as a full length story to really dig into her as a character and her relationship with Carwyn.
Overall, I had a good time with Mistletoe Season - I definitely recommend adding it to your Christmas TBR this year!
What a delightful collection of Christmas romances! I most highly recommend Mistletoe Season!
Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller: This story was very cute! I’m a sucker for a hero with an Irish accent so of course I LOVED Liam! I also really liked Emmy and I thought it was cool that she runs an antique shop. I loved the adoption rep in this story. Sweet story with all the Hallmark movie feels!
A Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham: Oh my stars! Pepper Basham is one of my auto-read authors, I’ve been eagerly anticipating this novella ever since I first heard she was writing it, and boy did it sweep me off my fairytale loving feet! Charlotte and Arran’s story was an absolute joy to read, it put a huge smile on my face and filled my heart with all the best Christmas warm fuzzies! I loved, loved, LOVED every single moment of A Mistletoe Prince! It’s by far my favorite novella in this collection!
Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts: This was only my second read from this author but it most definitely will not be my last! This sweet story made me smile. I loved that Hailey is a romance author. And her and Carwyn’s romance was lovely! I also loved that this one was written in first person POV (my personal fave!) All in all this is a charming Christmas story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the authors and publisher. My review was not influenced in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.