A Christmas romance + a sports romance + a woman in STEM + best friends to lovers??? YES PLEASE! The Mistletoe Trap by Cindi Madsen was absolutely adorable. I loved Julie and Gavin and all the hijinks from their families. This book was the perfect blend of Christmas and steam. It's a bit of a slow burn, but welllllll worth the wait. If you are looking for your next Christmas read, make it The Mistletoe Trap!

I received a copy of THE MISTLETOE TRAP by CINDI MADSEN. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Five Stars and here’s why:

THIS IS THE PERFECT HOLIDAY ROM-COM! If I could have given it more stars I would! I’m a sucker for a friends-to-lovers story. The sparks between Julie and Gavin jumped off the page. And the secondary family characters kept me entertained - I found myself laughing out loud in so many places in this book. This holiday season, I wanted a feel-good story with heart and humor, and I'm thankful that Ms. Madsen delivered!

If you like sexy, savvy women and hella-hot guys with a sense of wit, then this book is for you. Highly recommend.

Loved this book it was so captivationing from the begginging to the very end. I love the characters and their dynamic. I can't wait to pick up another book from Cindi Madsen!!! Beware there is a sex scene and lots of steam!

I received an ARC from Netgally and this review is my own opinion. #TheMistletoeTrap #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
I think this was a case of I’m not the right reader for this book. Many reviewers have loved and raves about this book so I think I’m probably in the minority in not getting along very well with it. I’ll be honest, this book didn’t excite me or fill me with the Christmas feels, this book kinda made me feel old. Again, no fault of the author here, but I just found the characters very young and immature. And oh so very sex focused. I don’t mind a bit of spice but I do like a bit more substance.
I’m going to leave it there, I don’t want to slate the book because it wasn’t terrible, and the writing wasn’t awful, it just wasn’t for me unfortunately. I do appreciate the opportunity to read it though.

The story was cute in the beginning - but as it progress it became boring. The story was too disjointed - I lost interest after they celebrated Christmas. . Meant more for a reader 25 years or younger.

Carina and her high school best friend Rad, had a fight at Christmas 4 years ago and have not seen each other since. Each have gone on with their lives - believing the other did not care about them.

They meet by accident when Carina is mistakenly delivered to the work hotel room. Carina drove to surprise her fiancée for Christmas eve - hidden in a large box , dressed in Christmas underwear. She jumps out of the box and is surprised to see that she was delivered to the wrong room - and is horrified to discover / find a man in Christmas underwear staring at her.

Little does she know that her fiancée is right next door having sex with a dominatrix, He is handcuffed to the bed, blind folded and gaged.

This was a really cute read! I really enjoyed it. It is perfect for the christmas season or the winter season. I would definitely recommend this story thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to review this for my honest opinion.

This story of best friends to lovers is really cute. It was a good way to start off my holiday books.

3 1/2 stars

Everything about The Mistletoe Trap is cute. The couple is cute. The families are cute. The plot is cute. Considering all of this, the novel should have worked a lot better for me than it did, but that seems to happen a lot when it comes to me and Cindi Madsen novels. This one took me over two weeks to get through just because it didn’t hold my attention long enough to read for any length of time.

Julie and Gavin have grown up together. Their parents have always presumed that because they were best friends that they would eventually become romantically involved and have not hesitated to offer opinions or push the pair toward that goal. That has never happened, but then maybe the scene just hadn’t been right until now. Julie and Gavin are doing well career-wise; they are currently single; and suddenly they realize they are attracted to each other.

Christmas abounds in this one, which is good if you’re looking for some romantic escapism that isn’t saccharine. Also The Mistletoe Trap has a sense of humor as well as some lovely insights. For me, this would have been the perfect novel if there had been less reluctance between Julie and Gavin for most of the novel (which drove me crazy. I muttered “just get on with it” a couple of times.) and if Julie had a bit more self-esteem. I have never encountered a richly educated woman who behaved as uncertainly as Julie does.

If you’re looking for a cheerful holiday novel full of the crowdedness of Christmases past, here you go.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the arc of this title.

The Mistletoe Trap by Cindi Madsen is a fun Christmas read. The book centers around Julie and Gavin, life long friends who are visiting their parents for the holidays. And the parents have wanted these two married since they were diapers. And so ensues an amusing tale of a beautiful friendship and two people afraid to take that extra step for fear of ruining that friendship.

This book is exactly what I want from a small town holiday romance. Great characters, quirky matchmaking, low angst, and two characters that you really want to root for.

If I had a problem it was that it took these two forever to finally cross over the friend zone. I liked both characters and could have done with a few less obstacles in their way.

Overall though if you are looking for a light hearted, fun read, this is a good one.

This book exceeded my expectations. The dialogue and story were really cute and I always enjoy a good sports element to a book. It was a perfect book to start off my December holiday reads. My only complaint is it was a tad on the long side… 400 pages, making it more of a slow burn. Most of the rom-coms I read are about 50 pages shorter. However, I would still suggest putting this on your holiday rom-com list because it has everything you would expect - light, entertaining and cute!

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for a copy of this book. This was the perfect holiday rom com. I love the banter between Julie and Gavin!! Their friendship is so enduring and love how it turned into lovers. So many laughs and I love their family too.

I am a fan of this author but didn't like this story as much as many of her others. I found the hero and heroine both to be rather immature, but their rapport was lovely. Unfortunately I found their families so painfully interfering, and the main characters such doormats about their interference, that I was very close to giving up on the story, it really was distracting and weird. Overall the story was okay but not as enjoyable as the author's previous titles.

The Mistletoe Trap is one of the cutest romance books I've read in a long time. Julie is a quirky heroine who spouts stories about her life in the lab, some of which would be considered inappropriate in certain circles. She and I would get along great. It takes a lot to gross me out and her stories about things she's dissected would be interesting to me. As such, though, she finds dating to be a problem and the last guy she dated called her boring. Talk about a low-blow to her self-esteem. Fortunately, she has her bestie, Gavin, a pro football player, who she's known since their days in diapers. They may live miles and states apart- Julie in Arizona and Gavin in Texas - they talk as often as they can and are about to join their families in their hometown in Colorado.

Gavin has just been signed as the new quarterback for the San Antonio Mustangs. When an injury sidelines him, he chooses to rest and relax with a little more time at home in Colorado. Knowing his family and Julie's family have been trying to set them up for years, Gavin takes their shenanigans in stride. That is, until feelings for Julie bubble to the surface and they find themselves falling for each other. Everything boils over, however, and Julie and Gavin wonder if changing their relationship could ruin what they have together.

I absolutely loved Julie and Gavin in this book. Everything I want in a romance is front and center with this one. There was laughter, tears, joy, and sadness, complete with meddling family members and a little bit of heat. The Mistletoe Trap is everything I expect in the friends-to-lovers trope and then some. The author's writing style is mesmerizing and I was engaged in the book from the minute I read the synopsis. I couldn't put the book down and read it in one day. I really need to read more by Cindi Madsen, she is a great writer.

The Mistletoe Trap is the second book in the Heart in the Game series, and features Gavin Frost, the quarterback on the Mustang football team. His best friend is Julie O'Neill, whom he's known since he was in diapers. Their families have been long time family friends who've wanted their kids to get together since forever, but Julie and Gavin insist they're just friends. Since Gavin injured his shoulder during a game, he is on leave for the holiday, and both he and Julie head home to Colorado to spend time with their families and with each other.

Julie graduated from med school and works as a pathologist, and she regularly spews medical jargon, shows pictures of strange tumors and body parts to people she talks to, and acts socially awkward in general. She has both brains and beauty, though she feels insecure after being dumped by her most recent boyfriend for being boring. Her best friend is NFL player Gavin, sweet, charming, and highly protective of Julie and her feelings. When they come back to town and are surrounded by mistletoe, spend time together helping out at the Holiday Bazaar and wearing ridiculous elf costumes, go to the hot springs and get into food fights, they see each other in a new light and become aware of the attraction they feel towards each other. Both need to overcome insecurities from their past relationships and make peace with their changing friendship and meddling family because they realize they belong together.

A heartfelt Christmas story about the importance of friendship and family, and recognizing the love that was right there all along.

I received this book from NetGalley and I want to thank them for gifting it to me. I kind of don't know where to start. I think this book could have been really cute, it just seemed very juvenile through out. I kept feeling like this story was written for YA BUT the language and subject matter was a bit much for me. I mean pretty much the main focus on the lead female character is to just have a one night stand with a random guy for Christmas break because her stupid ex-boyfriend said she was boring in bed. I just don't see how any mature adult would even think that way in real life. I feel like if they are in college and are young maybe those thoughts would come to someone BUT these characters I am guessing are in their upper 20's maybe early 30's? It was just not what I wanted for a romantic Christmas story. I will say the author is really good at making you feel like you are there and attention to detail! I did laugh in some parts (they were cute and funny). The cover of the book is very cute also

A Fun Holiday Best Friends to Lovers Rom-Com

Julie, a pathologist who runs a lab, is a little awkward at small talk and tends to spout body organ fun facts when she’s nervous, and sometimes when she’s not. She also likes to send her best friend Gavin pictures of disgusting things she’s cut open, which make for some funny scenes with his teammates. Gavin, a pro football athlete, has known Julie all his life. Their parents and grandparents are all close friends and have all been working toward getting the two of them matched up forever.

Thrown together in the same household for the holidays, Gavin and Julie are feeling the attraction, but is it wise to jeopardize their longtime friendship for a romance that may not work out? When things go awry, can they pull off a little post-Christmas miracle?

I found these two strong characters delightful, each a leader in their own profession, loyal friends for years, each with faults to overcome, and definitely not perfect.

I really enjoyed that the author was able to pack in the following:
• Lots of steam, including one long hot scene
• Lots of laugh-out-loud scenes
• Great funny secondary characters
• A few Hallmark-worthy tears
• Diverse couples
• Julie was a STEM gal
• A setup for the next novel between Gavin’s sister Nikki and Gavin’s teammate Jason

Tropes noted:
• Best Friends to Lovers
• Just Broke Up with My Ex
• Stuck under the Same Roof
• Matchmaker Mamas (and family)

For those who enjoy a fun holiday romance with lots of interfering family and friends, this is the one for you.

My copy was provided in advance from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A solid 10 gold stars!!!! LOVED IT!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

This book was so hilariously funny that I had to stop at certain parts and get the giggles out! There were other times when a character was having an internal dialogue with them self that I really felt connected to them. I would have said the same "things" if I were in the situation. It was great. I really felt I was right there as the characters felts so real. I loved the dual POV format.

Julie and Gavin grew up together as best friends. Their parents were best friends as soon as they met. The families were so close that they did a great deal together. The two mothers were a crack up with their shenanigans. Gavin is the QB for a NFL team, the Mustangs. Unfortunately he injured his shoulder and the team gave him extra time over the Christmas holiday to recover. Julie is a pathologist and lives in Arizona. The two don't see a great deal of each now face-to-face but talk, text and video chat almost daily.

This coming together of two life long best friends is a MUST read for anyone over the age of 18. There is a sexy scene that may offend. If you don't mind, then I would highly recommend this Christmas themed friends-to-lovers. You will not regret it.

This was a pretty good romcom. I loved the dynamic between the two families, especially the mothers and the grandmothers. The traditions they have during Christmas were really fun.

I liked that the author seemed to get football and locker room dynamics. But I don't know how can a quarterback have an out of state wedding in December and have his whole team there. Did they get married on a Tuesday, the typical NFL day off?

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this story. The characters were incredibly written. They were easy to imagine and felt realistic. By that I mean, they had emotion and flaws, but were able to overcome them. The story kept my attention throughout. I love books like that which hold you in and don’t let you go. The side characters were also a lot of fun. Basically, the characters were amazing, the plot was amazing and the execution was amazing. This was a terrific story. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I wrote this voluntary review in exchange for an ARC copy.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5
Is it too early for Christmas romances? Well this book made me say a definite hell no because not only was I was smiling from ear to ear but I felt less like the grinch I normally am.

Our hero and heroine have been best friends since birth and their families have been trying to push them together as more than friends for years. This year they are both single at the same time and are together to celebrate Christmas with their families. This year they also maybe start to think some non-friendship things about each other......

Now I loved the heroine and I totally want to be her friend! She’s kooky, nerdy and definitely unique. She also feels so real in her vulnerabilities and stands up for herself and knows what she’s worth! This book was friends to lovers GOLD. I truly believed their strong bonds of friendship as well as their transition into more. It was a slow burn that kept me needing and wanting them to finally to get together.