When you sign up to preview new releases, Christmas comes early! And so I read this three-in-one Christmas set while camping a couple of weeks ago. I’m not sure camping and Christmas stories go together, but there I was…
Narrator (in ominous tones): This Christmas, three couples find themselves under the mistletoe… whether they want to be there or not.
Me: Clearly, these people did NOT wish to kiss under the mistletoe, let alone find their forever love at Christmas.
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 will 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.
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.
I don’t recall reading anything by Kathleen Fuller or Sheila Roberts before. This collection had me at the connection of Pepper Basham’s story to her Skymar series. (My review here.)
But first, Fuller’s story. It was interesting. Although Keiran grew up in Missouri, he’s lived in Ireland for years now, where he’s been renovating a castle. Honestly, I struggled with his over-the-top Irish accent. I know people who can pick up accents quickly, but they also revert quickly, and Kieran stuck to it. It’s maybe a silly thing to get hung up about, but I kept being distracted when he’d call Emmy ‘lass’ and things like that. The story was sweet, though, and so was the single mom heroine, Emmy.
Basham’s story started off on the wrong foot for me, with Prince Arran puking drunk all over the heroine, Charlie. I’m an author, so I get that characters need to grow from somewhere, but if I’d been new to this author, I might well have put the book down at this point. Never fear; redemption is nigh, and Arran turns into a likeable hero you can root for. Add Charlie’s distaste for femininity, and you have an interesting mix that makes you wonder how this fairy tale will end! Hint: happily.
I loved Roberts’ story the most. It was lilting and refreshing as the heroine, Hailey, vows to stay away from mistletoe forever after a few disasters in her past. She was planning to come home in triumph as a successful romance author, engaged to a wonderful man… who ditched her just before her trip home. Enter an old neighbor who’d once kissed her under the mistletoe on a dare, and you have the recipe for a lot of romantic fun.
So, do I recommend this set? Yes, I’d give it a solid 4/5, and chalk up some of that lost point to reading Christmas stories while camping! If you’re looking for shorter, cute, romantic Christmas reads, give Mistletoe Season a try. It releases October 8, so not long to wait now! And maybe now that it’s fall (can I get a hurrah for pumpkin season?!?!) you might be in the mood for it!
I received a NetGalley review copy.
