A fun read! The cover set my expectations for the frothy holiday romance, much like a Hallmark movie, and I was so happily correct about that! Coleman masterfully sets up a realistic conundrum, builds realistic and likeable characters from the start, and takes us through an enjoyably crafted storyline to the satisfying end. Given how fun this book was, I plan to seek out and read more of Coleman's books. This was one of those perfect books for when you're just getting into the spirit of the season (like now,) and wanting a quality holiday story before we get inundated with so many thousands of cliché storylines everywhere. Grab it now. It's a delight.

Leese thought the mere thought of Solar Powered CEO- Mr. Cary Anderson wasn’t doing her blood pressure any good. It was December 23rd and cary wants to talk about his shot and Leesy thought not until after the Christmas holidays. Leese’s company was Dynamic Video. Leese had been due to fly home a week ago with her cameraman and long-time friend Jeff martin. But The CEO -Cary- didn’t just deviate from the shoot he wanted her to re-write bits of it. When they finally finished filming, he still wouldn’t let it go. Cary is a workaholic. He never stops, his focus is admirable, if relentless. He is a total control freak. Leesa had jumped at the chance to fly to Sydney to make what turns out to be more of a documentary than a promotional video. It was a first for them and Jeff was roaring to go. At times leese found cary overbearing and intensely annoying. Now she can add self-absorbed. Leese’s ultimate dream had been to become a screenwriter and producer, but even starting at the bottom the job opportunities were thin on the ground level. She had been making some videos of bands from YouTube. Her father had a friend who was looking to hire a company to do a short promotional video for his website. She persuaded him to give her a go and that’s how her business began. The plane finally landed- snowing bad outside- and the roads were closed outside of the airport. Cary had an all terrain vehicle coming to pick him up, his grandmother lived a mile away and he was determined not to leave Leese alone in the airport overnight so she went with him. So they went to his grandmother’s home. Cary’s grandmother -Cressida-thought Leese was Cary’s girlfriend. Cary tells Cresseda they were working together. But his grandmother still considers them a couple. Leese is to spend the holidays with gwen and Peter her ex in laws. But Gwen had just lost her mother-Alice- a month ago and didn’t want to spend her first Christmas alone. Nathan was going to Cheryl’s family for the holiday. Cheryl had been a friend who Nathan had cheated on Leesa with. Leese promised to help Gwen through Christmas than she had to say goodbye. But she had loved Nathan’s grandmother Alice and parents even if she was divorced from Nathan. Cary told Leesa he knew about that kind of loss he had been engaged to Paige they had been together seven years. He and his brother laurence were to have a double wedding and eight days before the wedding Paige called it off and left Cary.
I loved this book. It was a slow burning but great building romance. I loved Cary and his family. His niece Chloe was so cute. I also loved Cressida she added a lot to this book especially her concern for Cary. I loved how leesa nor Cary wanted a relationship so came up with a contract that seemed to work for them… until it didn’t. I loved the pace and plot. I loved the family importance of this book. I loved the characters and the twists and turns of this book and I highly recommend it.

The cover of this book captured me immediately. It’s cute and makes me want to read the story. It definitely didn’t disappoint, the story is fun and cute- a purely enjoyable read. This is the first book I’ve read by Lucy Coleman but it definitely won’t be the last.

It's September and I know for some people that is far too early for the 'C' word but not for me who cannot wait for mistletoe and chestnuts roasting on an open fire. So when I got the opportunity to read MAGIC UNDER THE MISTLETOE by Lucy Coleman I couldn't wait to jump in and I was not disappointed.

After a super stressful work project with Cary Anderson, Leesa is looking forward to getting a break from him when they get off the flight from Australia. But she isn't looking forward to spending Christmas with her ex-mother-in-law because she knows that she needs to make a clean break of things but this is the hardest time of year for her for so many reasons ...

For Cary, work is everything. He knows the hurt and pain that relationships can cause so love is not something he is willing to invest in as the odds are just too high. Helping the world conserve energy and be more green through his business is the most important thing in his life, even though his beloved Grandmother cannot understand that. She wants him to find true love and Cary is dreading Christmas where the woman who means most to him will push her opinions on him. He would love to skip Christmas if he could.

But fate has other plans and when a storm sees Leesa and Cary stuck together, a plan to appease everyone is hatched. What if they could act like each other's significant others when needed but just be friends in reality? It is the perfect relationship for these two ambitious, career-minded people. But sometimes love has other ideas ...

First of all, while this story does start and end at Christmas, the plot covers an entire year for these characters so isn't just for readers of Christmas romance. From misunderstandings, heartache, confused feelings, and family dynamics, MAGIC UNDER THE MISTLETOE by Lucy Coleman is a warm and emotional story that will really warm your heart. I felt for what Leesa had been through in the past and could understand her reticence about relationships. Cary's grandmother is a vibrant, fun character and it was great getting to know her.

MAGIC UNDER THE MISTLETOE by Lucy Coleman is a festive story about taking chances and accepting the past and will definitely please romance fans everywhere.

A nice Christmassy read, the romance in the story actually spread over a year but it’s still a nice seasonal read. Cute slow burn romance, just seemed a bit confused as in what it wanted to be as a story, still lovely though. 3.5 stars

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

It honestly feels like ages ago since I was last able to lose myself in a Lucy Coleman novel!

Leesa isn’t driving home for Christmas…literally. In fact, she’s travelling back to the UK from Australia, just days before Christmas day. Why? Let’s just say that her boss is a little bit of a task master, as well as the fact that Leesa has her own business and can’t really afford to turn down an extra profit. Her opinion of her boss/client is pretty straight to the point – he grates on her and leaves her feeling frustrated more often than none. And no, I don’t mean in a good way either!

Considering the fact that Leesa wasn’t a massive fan of Cary, their United front and plan completely blindsinded me. I know they were desperate but seriously!

It took me a while to take to the storyline as I’m so used to Lucy Coleman’s trademark story telling, and I felt like the author had stepped outside of the box. I’m not saying that that is a bad thing as it’s good to experiment, I just didn’t think that Lucy Coleman had any need to differ from what readers know and love about her books. It didn’t really work for me, I’ll admit.

However, I did end up finishing the book feeling rather festive and content, so I can’t complain! I did enjoy this little festive read, and whilst I do wish that it had more of the authors personality in the book, I thought that the uncertain family dynamics were written very graciously, and I thought that it was a poignant nod to today’s society having a female protagonist with her own company, at the heart of her book.

‘Magic Under the Mistletoe’ gave me the giggles and put me in the Christmas spirit….in September. I enjoyed the hope filled story and cosy characters, especially Cary’s grandmother – what a legend! So, whilst the overall vibe of the book was different to the authors other book, I was still spellbound by the enchanting storytelling of an author who has great talent.

I have read previous books by Lucy Coleman and enjoyed them. I love Christmas books, so I was pleased to receive an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher.
I do not find that Lucy Coleman's books are not your typical 'chick-lit' stories. The romance is more slow burning, and in this book, the relationship is one of convenience.
I did enjoy reading this book, but I found it slow to begin with. I loved hearing about Cary's Author Grandmother, and I found it interesting.
I did not find the book to be as festive and romantic as the description suggested, but it was still a good read.
If you are looking for a book that is completely festive then this is not that book. It is however very wintery, with lots of snow. It is a book to curl up with on a cold Winter's day.

It is amazing what can happen after completing a job in Sydney and the flight back home, but if you read this well written novel you can find out for yourself. It is a tale of twists and turns. I recommend this novel and Lucy Coleman is brilliant, her books improve as she produces them.

The pretend couple becomes a real couple plot line can be a tiresome (we all know what's going to happen) but Coleman has thrown it for a loop as she's added in some nice twists AND this is set at Christmas. Cary hired Leesa to do some work for his company -she makes promotional videos- and now they're stuck at Cardiff airport in the snow just two days before Christmas. He was a pest to her - sending lots of emails even when they were on the plane. But wait- his grandmother, the lovely Cressida lives close by and they go there. She assumes they are a romantic couple, not a business one, and we're off. Leesa also promised to visit her ex-in laws for the holiday and when things go wonky thee, it's Cary to the rescue. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is fun and light.

Magic Under the Mistletoe is the perfect Christmas romance and I am a total sucker for Christmas romances.

Leesa and her boss, Cary, come up with a contract to make Christmas with their families a bit more bearable. They will go to each other's family celebrations and pretend to be a couple. What starts as a simple business arrangement might actually turn out to be more. I really liked Leesa and thought she was the perfect main character. Cary grew on me as well.

Overall I thought this was a great feel-good Christmas romance. Definitely add to your lists! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Leesa Oliver is on a flight, on December 23rd, closing out a contract with the incredibly demanding Cary Anderson who is emailing her from first class, already trying to get her to make updates to a video project. Her employee who does the actual editing stayed behind in Australia to hang out with a woman he's met so she's feeling a little frustrated. And learning that there is a storm that is making it difficult to land and impossible to leave the airport leaves her frustrated. But Cary notices her frustration and offers her a ride to his grandmother's, less than a mile away. He has a ride.
Leesa, decides to take him up on it. And it's then that the misunderstandings start. Cary's grandmother, a famous romance novelist immediately assumes that they are dating. Cary would like to encourage her because it makes her worry about him less. When he hears Leesa's story of how she'll be spending Christmas (with her ex-husband's family after the death of his mother's mother), he bets her that she'll call him before he calls her, needing a fake significant other. It turns out she needs the help first and then they just... keep not dating.
Fake relationships are one of my favorite tropes. And this one starts so well. And I did appreciate that this relationship took place over the course of a year.. it gave Leesa and Cary time to get to know each other. But there were pieces that felt undone and parts that ended rather abruptly. It was an okay story but I wish it had ended a little more smoothly.

Three stars
Book comes out September 5th
ARC kindly provided by Aria and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Perfect, charming Christmas romance. Loved this one!

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Magic Under the Mistletoe is a bit of an odd one. You know, I'm used to reading stories which are quite linear or quite non-linear, either or. This book, however, seemed to be a bit ad pressed to decide which one of those it actually wanted to be. The storyline in general was chronological, sure, but the amount of flash backs and random jumps forward sometimes left me feeling quit disoriented.
That being said, Magic Under the Mistletoe definitely left me feeling very Christmassy. From snow blizzards to semi-Chrristmas feelings, and of course: Cressida's house which just seemed to be Christmas personified. Housified? Either way - it sounded amazing and I want to visit there, like, yesterday.
Lucy Coleman isn't afraid to present the uglier side of Christmas either though. Having to be confronted with your disfunctional family, having to say goodbye to the wishes you had for Christmas... Having to come to peace with people's mistakes, both your own and those that changed your life...
This book left me with the need to go hug my family - and maybe bake some Christmas cookies while at it!

"Christmas and romance are in the air...

It's December 23rd and while everyone else is rushing home for the holidays, workaholic Leesa Oliver is dreading switching on her out-of-office for the festive season. And it seems her equally driven boss, Cary Anderson, isn't relishing spending Christmas at his family's country estate either.

So together, they draft an unexpected Christmas contract: They'll spend half of the holidays with each other's families, pretending to be a couple. Leesa knows the insufferably good-looking Cary will make her Christmas more bearable, but what happens after the last of the mince pies have been eaten...?

Leesa signed off on a sensible business agreement, but somewhere, amongst the fairy lights and carols something seems to have changed... It seems there might just be some magic under the mistletoe this Christmas!"

Yes, I'm setting up my holiday reading, do you want to make something of it?

Cory is the last person Leesa wants to be on a plane with but when their flight from Australia is delayed she has no choice but to accept Cory's invitation to spend the night at his grandmother's house in Wales.

Exhausted after the 24 hour flight, she is glad of a place to rest.

It's not long before she discovers Cory's quirks and secrets.

Despite the title, the only thing that makes this novel christmassy is the weather and the few descriptions of Christmas decorations.

Lucy Coleman does a great job of getting inside the characters heads and I found Cory very serious and his gran intriguing.

If you love romances set in large old houses this is for you. I love books with author characters, that is what Cory's grandmother Cressida is.

I'd have loved more detail relating to Christmas and about Cressida's journey as an author.

The book lagged in parts and I lost interest in all Cory's work talk.

I liked the way he did have a few moments of bonding with Jackson Chloe and Daisy- this was nice to see.

I found myself growing impatient with the will they won't they atmosphere of wondering if any romance would develop between Leesa and Cory and I didn't like the way Leesa thought her sister Beth's wedding plans were boring.

Most of the characters seemed very dry apart from Leesa, Cressida and Chloe. The book was unfortunately not as romantic or engaging as I thought it was going to be. I liked Tim and wished Leesa had chosen to be with him over Cory.

I was worried about the mystery surrounding Cressida's health and fell I did not click with Cory at all. I liked Leesa's strength and honesty yet did not identify with her over how romantic her moments spent with Cory were, I felt they needed more fleshing out.

What kept me going through this book were Tim and all the family secrets.

I admit I did skip some of the book (work scenes).

Cressida was an interesting character: very honest and willing to chat. Welcoming too. I liked the way Cressida worried about Cory which made her character stand out as realistic to me and I did agree with her that Cory is too altruistic and that life may pass him by.
Family gatherings at the Anderson house are interesting and revealing. I liked hearing about Cressida's writing journey. Robert was an interesting character.

I felt the book started to hook me too late in the plot (around the 84% point} and Cory's disinterest in commitment was too drawn-out but well shown. I did not ever really get to liking him. Cory was very distant unlikable and serious. There are some interesting reveals in the plot now and then.

In summary, Magic under the Mistletoe to me had a good premise and not enough romance, action or Christmas atmosphere.
Some parts of the ending were a surprise, others weren't. I was cheering Leesa and Cressida on throughout the book as I really liked how strong and determined they were.

3 stars.

I was drawn to this book because of the fabulous cover which screamed 'Romance' and 'Christmas' at me, and the enticing blurb - two people make a business arrangement to get through Christmas - what could possibly go wrong with that?

Magic Under the Mistletoe is the second book by Coleman that I've read, and like the first, I found it very readable.

This story is about Cary Anderson, the exacting CEO of Solar Powered Solutions, and Leesa Oliver, whose company, Dynamic Videography, makes promotional videos.

Written in the first person from the perspective of Leesa, we begin the story with Cary and Leesa flying back from Australia where they have been working - he is enjoying all the benefits of First Class while she struggles not to lose her temper with a boisterous child in Economy, and cope with Cary's incessant stream of emails.

When they finally land in Cardiff, there is a snowstorm and the roads are impassible. Cary has ceased to be 'all business' and has offered Leesa a lift with him in a range rover, driven by a family friend, Robert.

They arrive at his grandmother's home, a Victorian country manor house, where Leesa is introduced to Cary's Grandmother, novelist Cressida Anderson. Cressida is expecting 35-year-old Cary to settle down, so to avoid a difficult Christmas holiday, Cary convinces Leesa to pretend to be his girlfriend. They agree to a verbal contract they call a 'Santa Clause'.

Leesa also has demands this Christmas, and Cary is called to rescue her from her ex-husband's parents house following an unexpected upset.

Naturally, things get more interesting and emotionally complicated as time goes on. There are lots of secondary characters involved in subplots of their own which serve to make Leesa and Cary consider what they each want from life.

My favourite character would have to be Leesa. She seems quite level-headed for the most part, and very different from her younger sister Beth, who comes over as the spoilt child in the family.

This story is well-written, and I found it very enjoyable. Definitely one to add to your Christmas list this year!

If you love Hallmark movies, you will love this book! It is a feel good story about a couple who agrees to act like a couple to make their families happy and stop worrying about them and their love lives. It has the classic twists of a feel good story and I loved it. I highly recommend it!

Readable, and more towards the end of the book it held my attention but ... Although this story began at Christmas and ended at Christmas, it did not have a Christmas vibe in my opinion. I liked the supporting characters, and I quite liked Cary, but I had trouble warming to Leesa. I didn't feel much emotion coming from her. Her romance with Cary was not very romantic, it was almost perfunctory. And I felt too much drama was made of some of the family incidents at times. A relationship of convenience is also a cliche in books - I wondered if I'd stumbled across a Mills and Boon. Lastly, I couldn't believe how domineering Clarissa was, and why she was allowed to get away with it. I have mixed feelings about this book. It's certainly not one I'd curl up with over Christmas to enjoy, but as I began saying, it's a good enough read.

This was a very sweet story and I loved Carry and Leesa so much but this book was way longer then it needed to be. It just seemed to go on and on with nothing overly exciting ever really happening. I just wish it had been shorter because I would've rated it higher.

I really enjoyed the slow build of this romance. Leesa has some tragic past issues and Cary has some present day issues. Both are self focused so they don't even see that they are falling for each other. This is my first Lucy Coleman book and I like the way she develops her characters. Cary as a CEO was a bit of a stretch since he seemed to not be involved in his business except to badger Leesa about her video. I didn't like that there was a plethora of “heart-to-heart” talks in the middle of the book. I thought it slowed things down and really one or two heart-to-heart's would have sufficed. I liked Leesa's character, she was determined to overcome her tragedies. The side characters were well drawn and added to my liking the story. But be prepared because all seem to have secrets. This book is set during the Christmas/New Year holidays and it is full of holiday cheer.