Gavin and Julie have been best friends since they were in diapers, and their parents have the pictures to prove it. Though they now live in different states, they’re as close as ever and looking forward to spending time together and with family for the holidays. However, as their feelings grow into something more than the close friendship they’ve always had, will Gavin and Julie give in to their desires, or will they forever remain in the friend zone? Their parents are more determined than ever to push Julie and Gavin together, and this holiday season, the pair might not be able to resist.

I enjoyed The Mistletoe Trap. The characters are fabulous, and I loved the budding romance between Julie and Gavin. Julie was my favorite character in the story, and it’s not just because we share the same first name. A quirky pathologist who loves to share her passion for her career and all the graphic descriptions of body parts that come with it, Julie blurts out whatever is on her mind and is embarrassingly awkward. I adored her. She is such an endearing and relatable character, and her clumsiness and humor were totally charming.

Gavin is an NFL quarterback with a football injury jeopardizing his career. He has a lot of uncertainty in his life, but his one constant is Julie. He and Julia have so much chemistry, and there is an ease to their relationship. I love that they have that romantic spark and that they love each other unconditionally. They accept and support each other faults and all. I also love how much they laugh together. It’s clear they enjoy each other’s company and that they have a deep bond. It just takes them a bit of time to realize their true feelings aren’t completely platonic.

I also loved the secondary characters. Julie and Gavin’s family members are hilarious, and I enjoyed the scenes when the families were together. They have their kids’ best interests at heart, but they sure are over the top! Gavin’s teammates are also fantastic and funny, and I enjoyed their hilarious banter.

A quick and fun friends-to-lovers romance, The Mistletoe Trap is a heartwarming contemporary story that made me laugh, swoon, and cry. I think it will appeal to readers who like sports romance, meddlesome families, and fun banter. Thanks so much to Netgalley, Cindi Madsen, and Entangled Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I read nearly 100 books every year, yet I seldom run into the situation I had with this book. Within the first five pages, I knew that I would have at least one sleepless night, because I wasn’t putting the book down until I finished it!

Cindi Madsen’s “The Mistletoe Trap” is about a nerdy woman named Julie. It’s easy to fall in love with Julie’s bubbly personality and quirks. Although some might consider her “the girl next door,” Madsen throws a wrench into that notion. Julie’s conversations are often sprinkled with odd trivial facts about the human body. Which might sound a bit risqué, since this is a romance. But we're not talking "those" parts of the body. No, she likes to share facts about engorged kidneys, the size of a human’s intestines, and other delightful tidbits we never wanted to know. She’s not obsessed in a fetish way. She just loves her job as a pathologist, and tends to share stories of her work, much to the slight disgust of her friends, who do not share her interest in obscure body parts and their functions.

The story is also about Gavin, Julie’s best friend since childhood. Julie and Gavin have grown up together since their parents are best friends. Much to their embarrassment, each family has a photo of Julie and Gavin playing together on the beach in their diapers. It is proudly and prominently displayed in each family’s home, ensuring friends, families and visitors can see it and say “ahh, how cute!”

Gavin is no longer the toddler in the photo who stole Julie’s sand shovel. Instead, he’s turned into the dream guy – tall, muscular, handsome, charming, and funny. He even has a well-paying job as the recently recruited quarterback for the San Antonio Mustangs NFL football team. With him living in Texas and Julie in Arizona, they don’t see each other often, but still maintain their strong friendship through very frequent texts and phone calls.

Their mothers have always dreamed they would become a couple, but Julie and Gavin have vowed that they would never ruin their friendship with a romance. Nonetheless, their mothers continue to look for events and activities to bring them together. Since this book takes place at Christmas, both of them are home for the holidays. The mothers take advantage of that, plotting a way to make Gavin realize he cares more about Julie than he realizes (by sending her on a date with another man), and scheming to bring them together by dressing up as elves and handing out gifts. Some of the ensuring scenarios are hilarious.

Of course, this is a romance, so their attraction grows beyond friendship. Each person slowly realizes that their best friend fills a hole that can’t be filled by another person. Yet fear of losing their friendship prevents them from succumbing to temptation.

Or does it?

I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out!

I definitely recommend “The Mistletoe Trap” if you’re looking for a holiday romance that has you cheering on the hero and heroine, hoping they will finally get together. This is one of those stories that makes you feel good, although a bit sad when you reach the last page!

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I loved this book! This was a quick and easy read. The main female character Julie, is a pathologist, she is quirky, weird and tend to blurt out whatever was one her mind. Her male counterpart, Gavin is an NFL player and has been best friends since they were in diapers. This book was the perfect contemporary romance with the mix of Christmas and sport romance, plus the usually underrated “best friends to lovers” trope.

Their crazy family members were just hilarious, the stunts they pulled to get Gavin and Julie to realize that there could be more than friendship between them. The parents, grandparents and Gavin’s sister were funny and it was obvious they had good intentions even when they were meddling and pushing them together. Gavin's team mates and the entire football team helped to spur the romance along.

Another great thing about this book was the representation, Gavin was biracial and even a side character was gay. This was a cute reverse Parent Trap story!

Just what I wanted!

What a terrific story! Just the kind I like to curl up with and lose myself in the telling. Gavin, a pro quarterback, and Julie, a brilliant, if a bit socially awkward, pathologist, have been best friends since they were in diapers. Their friendship is long distance but deep and unwavering and always solidly friend zoned. This despite the closeness of their families and everyone’s desire for them to be “more.” A shoulder injury and a trip home for both to share the upcoming holidays throw them together at every turn. Manipulating family and friends want a HEA, but do they? Well worth reading to find out!

This is my honest review of this advance reader copy and I have not been compensated in any way

Oh my gosh I ADORED this book! Friends to lovers is one of my favorites, and this book is why. I loved Julie and gavin's relationship from the very begining, so watching everything unfold was pure romance magic. I've never seen the Parent Trap, so the title was lost on me, but the story was so darn good. I had a cheesy smile on my face through so much of it!

The perfect best friends romance!

Just when you think you've read it all, Cindi Madsen comes with a new twist of the best friends romance. I thoroughly devoured the book and all its chapters. The situations were depicted so perfectly and relatably well that you can just see everything through the eyes of the major characters.

Just the book for a slow day

Gavin and Julie have been a Gavin and Julie since the duo was in their diapers. The problem is that they never received the message and remained best friends into adulthoodhood, much to the distress of their respective families, who think they would be just perfect for each other! This Christmas, however, their families are determined to push their relationship to the next level. With a few well-orchestrated hijinks, suddenly both of them are seeing each other in a new light. Will they start their New Year as more than friends?

I flew through the book. The writing was easy to get into and I enjoyed spending time with the main leads and the supporting characters. I love a good 'best friends to more' romance trope and I would have loved to see some more jealous Gavin in the book, especially when it came to Julie and his football teammates. I also would have liked to see some more steamy scenes between the characters. Gavin as her flirting coach was used minimally and to some embarrassing results at certain points in the book. The author repeated that the flirting and being sexual was almost out of her wheelhouse and it felt like too much, especially when she made Julie so insecure already.

The use of 'friend-zone' in the synopsis bothered me simply because I never got the sense that he was friend-zoned. They were best friends but it's not as if Gavin or Julie had attempted anything romantic to take their friendship to the next level at any point when they were younger. Gavin had also been in a long-term relationship with his high-school sweetheart for nearly 8 years. Another thing that kept distracting me was that I have read the Playbook series by Alexa Martin and there is also a quarterback on the Mustangs named Gavin. I kept thinking back to the other series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this e-arc, available for release on November 16th.

Loved this book! It's like the best Hallmark movie come to life - complete with elves and Christmas. I loved the characters and the way they came to life on the page. Gavin is a sexy NFL player, while Julie is the somewhat nerdy pathologist. On paper, they don't make sense, yet they've been best friends since they were toddlers. Add in their families also being best friends with a scheme to get them together, and the holiday themed hijinks begin.

This story made me smile and laugh out loud, while also having poignant moments. If you enjoy the genre, you will love this book. This is a must read book that is a perfect read for the holidays.

This was a fun cute book, which gave me all the feels. A perfect holiday read to brighten these dull times.

I enjoyed reading this book so very much. The characters were sweet and endearing. I loved that the female lead was a science nerd - it's great to see STEM careers incorporated into fiction. I loved the book from start to finish, and I will definitely re-read it again in the future!

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gavin and Julie have been friends since they were born thanks to the wonderful friendship their parents have with each other. Their parents set out to play match makers yet again while they are both home for the holidays. This time the parents AND grandparents join in on the sneaky tactics.

Julie and Gavin go through the entire emotional roller coaster that the realization of falling in love with your best friend is bound to cause. Gavin doesn’t handle it well even if he is a quarterback jock!

I’m just basking in the spirit of the holidays right now, and this sports/holiday romance amplified my feelings by about 1000.
Sports meets best friends meets holiday would be the best way to describe this feel good romance.
I loved the character of Julie. Her quirky brain and misunderstood demeanor set the stage. Gavin being the other half to her whole was perfect. We all know no one loves you better than your best friend, and that was clearly on display here.
Add in some meddling family, an entire football team and their antics and you’ve got a champion.

Realizing they are in love with their best friend!

Gavin Frost and Julie O’Neill have been best friends since they were toddlers even when he became a professional football player and Julie graduated medical school. They knew that their families would be ecstatic if they started dating so when Gavin and Julie were home at the same time, they decide a little “reverse parent trap” would help push them into a relationship.

The Mistletoe Trap pairs a professional football player with a socially awkward doctor that loves her job as a pathologist leading to some interesting statistics. I love friends to lover’s romances, but Gavin needed a little push by his teammates to do something about how he missed Julie because they knew he was in love by how he reacted after talking to her.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Mistletoe Trap by Cindi Madsen is a fun romance that borders on a comedy with their crazy parents. Julie and Gavin have been friends since they were in diapers and their parents have been trying to make them realize they would make a great couple.

Gavin is a star quarterback home for the holidays with a shoulder injury which made him seem very human. Julie was hilarious as a pathologist. I am dying to ask the author if all of Julie’s comments about pathology are true. She was geeky and lovable.

This is not a clean read. Although there is only one physical scene there are several instances of thoughts and comments about sex. If you don’t mind that I think you will very much enjoy the book. The characters were fabulous.

Language - the F word was used 27 times, seemed excessive to me. Which is the only thing that kept it from being 5 stars

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

5 Stars for this laugh-out-loud romance!

Julie and Gavin have been best friends since they were in diapers. Now, he's a quarterback in the NFL and she's a pathologist and they live thousands of miles apart. Even though they still talk or Facetime almost every day, they don't get to see each other in person but a couple of days a year. But this Christmas they'll be able to spend a week together because he's on the injured list. Now all they have to do is dodge their parent's matchmaking, so that their friendship can stay intact.

I just loved Julie ... she's such a nerd and has absolutely no filter! The predicaments she got herself into had me laughing out loud so hard that there were tears running down my face. And then there's Gavin ... I loved how he just got Julie and didn't make her feel like the nerd she was. This is a slow burn that you just know is going to be explosive when they finally give in. Everyone knew Julie and Gavin belonged together ... but Julie and Gavin. If you're looking for a good laugh ... I highly recommend this book!

I received an early copy courtesy of Entangled Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I really enjoyed this book which follows "The Wedding Deal". Gavin is the new QB for the Mustangs football team and we get a follow up to the couple from "The Wedding Deal" which is a bonus. Gavin has injured his shoulder so he is looking forward to spending time with his best friend since diapers, Julie, along with their extended family. Their parents have been trying to get them to be a couple forever with no luck...until now! I loved the two families, especially Gavin's parents! They are what you want from your own family. Julie is a doctor who specializes in pathology and has a habit of talking about her work too much, especially when she is nervous.

Gavin and Julie get to their happily ever after, but only after Gavin stumbles quite badly. This was a great read and I high recommend it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Julie and Gavin have a great best friends to lovers romance with excellent chemistry. With meddling family members, and mistletoe everywhere, it is an amusing and sweet read.

Cindi Madsen's stories just make you wanna go "Aaahhwwww". Cuteness factor: through the roof. And although all books can be read as a standalone, Cindi makes it just that more fun to bring characters from other stories into the mix.
In The Mistletoe Trap we have Julie and Gavin, friends from their time in nappies and still going strong. And although their families have hinted time and time again that they should make such a lovely couple, Julie and Gavin are just friends. And now Julie and Gavin are coming home for christmas (since they work at different states), their parents seem to have finally understand that Gavin and Julie will never be more. So, they try to fix up Julie with a date. A Reverse Parent Trap. But of course, Gavin and Julie will not fall for this, now will they? A wonderful slow burn, friends turn into lovers story with a background of Christmas holiday cheer and the NFL team of Gavin starring in their wonderful remarks. And yes... this is indeed the team of Lance from The Wedding Deal and yes, he and Charlotte will be making an appearance. Yay! Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

"Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most." -Ruth Carter Stapleton

Thank you to NetGalley and Cindi Madsen for my review copy! This is a cozy holiday story of childhood best friends, both with families that hope their friendship turns into something more. This cute reversed parent trap story gets 𝟯.𝟳𝟱/𝟱 from me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

The small-town setting of this book is perfectly charming! I enjoyed reading this and it really made me feel ready for the Christmas season. We just got an early season snowstorm so it was the perfect thing to curl up and read today. The ending was great and left me wanting to hear more about all the characters! I would love to see some more about his team mates and the rest of their family members.