The Mistletoe Trap by Cindi Madsen is the perfect holiday read, especially if you enjoy friends-to-lovers romances. It has two best friends trying to spend as much time together over the Christmas holiday before heading back to their respective jobs states apart, a lot of meddling family members, and lots of laughs.

What I loved most about The Mistletoe Trap was that although Julie is an introverted scientist and Gavin is a pro football player, the story is simply about two best friends falling in love. I honestly think that their careers could have been anything, and the story would have still worked out. It’s also refreshing to see a story where a person’s popularity factors fairly little in the relationship, which often happens when one of the characters is considered famous. Julie and Gavin’s relationship and their chemistry truly made the story great, and it left me puzzled as to why it took them so long to fall in love.

The situation where Julie went on a date with Kory, a guy their parents set her up with, didn’t quite work for me. Although I understood how it factored into the overall storyline, he was a boring secondary character and felt almost like a throwaway character. I wish there was a bit more to him before his involvement with Julie towards the end of the story.

Anyway, I highly recommend The Mistletoe Trap by Cindi Madsen, if you enjoy friends-to-lovers romances, holiday romances, Hallmark movies, etc. It truly is a fun story to add to your holiday TBR if you like to read seasonal books.

The Mistletoe Trap!

The Mistletoe Trap by Cindi Madsen is a story about two friends discovering they want a relationship with each other beyond friends.

This holiday book wasn’t as holiday as I expected. I also found that Julie and Gavin were working really hard to make the relationship work. They are each fired by jealousy of the other’s relationships. Julie tries to find a guy to have a fling as she thinks she should get better in bed (her previous boyfriend told her she was bad in bed). Then Julie and Gavin become friends with benefits. I think I found Julie to be emotionally immature and this bothered me more than I expect others will find.

I did find the book to be okay, but it wasn’t my favourite of Cindi’s.

I received an ARC copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Entangled Publishing and am voluntarily reviewing it. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

If you’re looking for a feel good Christmas love story that also encompasses an epic friends-to-lovers romance, you NEED to read The Mistletoe Trap!

This book was adorable and I could not put it down! Julie and Gavin have been friends since they were in diapers and if their families had their way the two would be married with kids already. But Jules and Gavin are just friends, best friends in fact and with their busy lives and living in different states, the idea of being together like that just never crossed their mind. That is until this Christmas when the two are reunited after a long time a part and sparks start to fly. Couple that with their families mistletoe shenanigans and things definitely start to heat up. But is a relationship with the risk of the long standing friendship?

This is a Hallmark movie in the making! The Mistletoe Trap is a romantic, heartwarming Christmas romance. This is a bit similar to the move Midnight at Magnolia. There's two people who have been best friends forever but their families want them to be together. They never saw each other as romantic prospects but the "reverse parent trap" their parents have set is starting to work its magic. Julie and Gavin's relationship also reminded me of the type of relationship the Danny and Riley had on the show Baby Daddy. So if you're a fan of that couple you'll be a fan of this one.
Everything about this was good. The friends-to-lovers trope was so well done. The characters actually acted like longtime friends! Their relationship was sweet and endearing. I loved watching these two slowly fall in love.
The atmosphere was Christmas goodness. I loved the activities and traditions the characters participated in. There was a ton of humor here too.
If you're looking for a holiday romance, look no further! You won't be disappointed.

4 stars

The Mistletoe Trap by Cindi Madsen is a very enjoyable and entertaining read.
I enjoyed the storyline, it's well written and I loved watching Gavin and Julie's relationship unfold.

Overall, The Mistletoe Trap is a sweet and heartwarming read and perfect for the upcoming holidays.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy.*

A delightful friends to lovers romance, Cindi Madsen’s The Mistletoe Trap is a feel-good and uplifting tale that will leave you with a great big smile on your face.

Julie and Gavin cannot remember a time when they weren’t the best of friends. Their parents might have been planning their wedding since they were both in diapers, but for Julie and Gavin, their friendship means absolutely everything to them and they would not jeopardize it for anything – not even for the sizzling attraction that neither one of them will ever admit to. Besides, with Gavin now being a starting quarterback for the San Antonio Mustangs in Texas and Julie working as a scientist, the two barely see each other anymore although they spend hours on end on the phone to one another chatting away. While their professional lives are soaring, their personal lives are another matter altogether. While Julie lurches from one romantic disaster to the other, Gavin has been so focused on his game that he hasn’t had much time for dating. But with Christmas just around the corner and a vacation in Colorado planned for the two of them and their families, who knows what might happen underneath the mistletoe…

When Julie spots Gavin again at the airport after not seeing him for months, it’s like the two of them have never been apart. Julie is over the moon to be reunited with her best friend, but as she begins to spend more and more time with him, her feelings towards him become anything but platonic. Julie had come on vacation to find herself a handsome hunk with whom she can have a no-strings holiday fling. But the more time she spends in Gavin’s company, the more she wonders whether her Mr. Right has been right under her nose all along…

Gavin is very happy focusing on his career. He doesn’t need the added complication of a relationship in his hectic life. However, cozy nights spent with Julie cuddling on the couch watching one of her romantic comedies have made him wish that she could be there by his side every night and not just for the holidays. Will Gavin and Julie ever find the courage to admit the truth about the depth of their feelings for one another? Will they take a leap of faith and a chance on love? Or have they been best friends for so long that a relationship is out of the question?

Cindi Madsen’s The Mistletoe Trap is a superb contemporary romantic comedy that will steal your heart this Christmas. Cindi Madsen has got such a wonderful sense of humor that she will have you laughing out loud from the very first page and keep you engrossed and entertained until the final heart-melting page.

I loved Julie who was an adorable, intelligent, kind-hearted and spirited heroine and Gavin was an absolutely gorgeous hero guaranteed to make you swoon.

An irresistible romantic comedy that is a joy to read from start to finish, Cindi Madsen has a winner on her hands with The Mistletoe Trap.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of The Mistletoe Trap by Cindi Madsen.

I will admit, this book had me smiling nearly the entire time. I absolutely loved this funny, sexy, and nerdy, Christmas read. It was just what I needed! I'm loving all of these Christmas feels lately.

This book was a perfect Hallmark Christmas read. What I liked most was the Friends to Lovers vibe. It's my favorite. I know I'm in the minority because most people seem to favor enemies to lovers but I'm a sucker for the friends to lovers. Throw in Christmas and I'm sold!

What a super fun Christmas romance! It was sporty, Christmas-y, and full of family fun. Being a Christmas person, that aspect of the book was one of the biggest reasons I enjoyed the book so much. It just gave off the Christmas feelings that everybody enjoys, not the stressful “bah, humbug” vibe that some people get when it comes to Christmas. Couple the good Christmas vibes with a best friends to lovers romance and you’ve got a great book!

In Mistletoe Trap we follow Julie O’Neil and Gavin Frost get caught up in the most intricate romance trap set by their meddling family. After spending 26 years as best friends, something changed and neither of them are sure if it’s for better or for worse. After a solid week together on a Christmas vacation they’ll never forget, their time together comes to an end. As they go their separate ways, they don’t know what the future will be like for their friendship or if they could possibly take the next step into being something more!

This book was a great read and had everything I enjoy. It had a great supporting family, super close friendships, a whole week of Christmas fun and football! It was a great read and I would easily recommend!

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

A fun holiday story. Julie is a nerdy and quirky character who is chock full of scientific information. Gavin is her very hot best friend. Their family is an entertaining cast of characters. The story provides several moments that will make you laugh out loud at the antics that Julie and Gavin alas well as the other family members get up to. It is a feel good story that will put you in the right mood for the holidays.

Gavin is the new quarterback on a pro football team. He needs to focus on his career, not on his love life. Besides, Julie has been his best friend since they were in diapers. He could never see her as more, no matter how hot she is.

Julie's ex complained that she was boring, but she's out to prove him wrong with a holiday fling. Definitely not with Gavin, though, because he's like a brother to her. Right?

This is a cute, low-drama holiday friends-to-lovers story. It's got humor, likable characters, and warm family relationships.

I received a NetGalley ARC, and this is my honest review.

This is a great friends-to-love story for the holiday. Easy to get involved in the story and stay engaged until the end. Great to read over a weekend.

This book was cute, I always tend to enjoy friends who eventually become more and these two had so many hoping they would become more and luckily for them they finally got there. I also enjoyed the secondary characters even though I felt like the parents needed to step back and mind their business. all in all enjoyable..

"Time spent in the pursuit of love is never a waste."

What a fun, heartwarming romantic comedy!

With one of my favourite tropes and set in one of my favourite seasons of the year, Cindi Madsen wowed me with her words and characters. I was hanging on to every scene, eager to see when and how Gavin & Julie would get together.

The Frost & O'Neill families were awesome! I loved their machinations and plots to get Gavin & Julie together - and they were absolutely shameless! I also loved Gavin's football team. They made for hilarious scenes, too.

Full of love, hope, shenanigans and Christmas cheer, this book is a must-read. I recommend it wholeheartedly and unreservedly.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book, which I received via NetGalley.

I've read a few of Cindi's books in the past and love them. So when I saw this seasonal read I just knew I needed to read it.

No shocker it was a fantastic read. I loved everything about this book.. From the storyline to the characters I loved it all.

What a fun and great book to read. If you haven't read this one i highly recommend it. I will read more from this author in the future.

There's a line between overly cheesy and just bad, and this one fell on the wrong side for me. The internal monologuing felt over-the-top and I felt like this couple would have so many issues in real life that I struggled to celebrate at the ridiculously unrealistic conclusion.

I wanted to like this, but it wasn't for me. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it was a miss for me. I did enjoy some aspects of it and would be interested in trying another book by this author as I believe they have a very digestible writing style.

What I didn't enjoy: I did not feel like I really knew any of the characters and I could not easily distinguish the two male interests from one another until halfway through the novel. Additionally, while I am totally fine with a book being cheesy and cliche at times, the dialogue sometimes felt unnatural. Towards the 70% mark I lost interest in the story completely and I had to force myself to finish it.

What I enjoyed: The beginning of the story peaked my interest. I think that the book started off extremely strong. I also really enjoyed most of the banter between the two main characters. I also loved some of the quirky aspects of the book, such as the cat named Kylo Ren and the holiday themed scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc to review.

I started reading this thinking it was the typical Christmasey story about boy meets girl and they fall in love in a Christmas setting... not my favourite thing if im honest... but what I got was one of the best friends to lovers books I've read this year (that you can actually read at any time of the year!).
The shenanigans that happened in this book... oh my lord! I absolutely loved it! In this book we meet Gavin and Julie, two ride or die best friends who will find themselves in a reverse parents trap situation, organized by their families so they can -finally- see/acknowledge their true feelings. Now, will they finally realize that their mutual love for each other is not really that platonic but actually love-love? This book was full of hilarity and a lot of what the heck moments that will have you clutching your belly from laughter. I adored the side characters on this one, especially Niki (she was amazing!) and Holt (I need Jason's book asap!) But really all of this crazy cast of people were a delight to read. Fully recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Julie & Gavin have been best friends forever. They are constantly frustrated with their families throwing them into romantic situations. How many times do they have to tell them they are JUST friends! Until this time. They have both come home for the holidays, even though Gavin’s is a forced vacation. As the quarterback for a pro team, he injured his shoulder & is supposed to be resting it. Would this be the magic moment that their parents dreams come true? Or will Gavin’s hang up about long distance relationships torpedo their chances?

I really enjoy the characters in this story. The families interfere constantly but only because they see the feelings that Julie & Gavin don’t see. The small town atmosphere lends itself to the family interference. Everyone seems to be in on it. If you are looking for a feel good story set during the holidays, give this one a try.

This year, Christmas came early for me, thanks to Cindi Madsen and her festive read ‘The Mistletoe Trap.’ This friends to lovers romance was just what I needed to get me into the holiday spirit and give me a severe case of the warm and fuzzies.

Often with sports romances, the hero is a douchebag, manwhore, or has an ego the size of the north pole. What I liked about Gavin was that he was none of those things. Even though he returned home for Christmas injured with his career up in the air, he remained down to earth and didn't use it as an excuse to behave like an asshole.

Julie was cute as a button, had the perfect sidekick (a cat named kylo ren), and the most unique personality. The awkward and sometimes embarrassing pathology assistant tended to use an excess of medical terminology and couldn't help but tell stories of things she’d come across in the lab.

“Would you rather hear about the hairball that was removed from a stomach—it was as big as my hand, I kid you not—or the benign ovarian tumor with teeth? Oh, and there was also a guy with type two diabetes who had to have part of his penis amputated.”

Julie returned home for Christmas, excited to catch up with Gavin after so long apart. But she also had another goal in mind. To have a fling. Her ex-boyfriend stated that she was boring, and the sex was lackluster, so after consulting with Kylo Ren, she devised a plan.

But with meddling parents from both Gavin and Julies’ side, things got messy. There was mistletoe coming out of every orifice of the house, a plumbing issue that forced the friends into close proximity, and a toy drive featuring Christmas costumes from hell.

“Mommy, that elf reached up the other elf’s skirt,” Julie heard. “And then she tore off his shirt.”

I lost count of the number of times I laughed while reading this book.

My favorite scene was the first kiss. Staying true to the theme, it involved green icing and Christmas biscuits. My second favorite was when the sex scene rolled around, and Julie stayed true to her personality by being a little quirky in the bedroom.

But what I admired the most was the pre-existing friendship between Gavin and Julie. There was no doubt they shared a special bond and already had a vast amount of precious memories from their years of friendship.

Too often, authors TELL us that the couple are friends without proving it. Cindi Masden did the exact opposite.

I could babble all day about this book, that's how much I loved it!!

Thank you, Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.