Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? Just because Mismatched Under the Mistletoe is a Christmas novella doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed year round! This friends-to-lovers romance has a sweet and sexy romance with two likable characters and a supporting cast of mismatched couples to add a bit of fun to the mix.

I loved Cal and Emily as individuals and as a couple but really it was Cal that sealed the deal for me. He was genuine, sweet, attentive, and not in denial about his feelings for Emily. He wanted her happiness above all, even if it meant without him. I liked that there was a true friendship between them and that it was shown throughout the book even when things started to change between them.


Mismatched Under the Mistletoe is a short read and I enjoyed it very much. The only complaint I have is that the guests at Emily's party were subjected to her matchmaking but whether or not she was successful was never discussed. I mean it looked like it was a fiasco but you never know right?

Click It or Skip It? Click it. Doesn't matter the season, this novella is perfect for a quick dip into romance land.

I really enjoyed this book, and found the storyline itself truly enchanting. 
Lady Emily Rutledge and John Cavendish are the closest of friends, however John has been secretly in love with Emily for many years now. However, as Emily is the widow of his best friend, he has always felt unable to declare his love to her as it seemed improper. 

Set at Lady Emily's house during a Christmas themed party, this is a lovely, really enjoyable story that I devoured in one sitting.

John Cavendish has been in love with his best friend’s wife, Emily Rutledge, since the first time he laid eyes on her. But out of respect he has keep this a secret for years, even after his best friend died leaving Emily a widow. Emily was devastated at her husband’s passing and she leaned on John, forming a friendship that she wouldn’t trade for the world. 

As she plans to leave the family estate to the new Lady of the house, she plans a final house party for a group of wallflowers and eligible bachelors. The party theme is the Twelve Days of Christmas with events that are supposed to match the couples together. Emily wants the young woman to be able to find the love that she had with her husband. She will need John’s help more than ever if she is to make this party a success as the couples don’t seem to like each other, the birds are going wild and who knew the drummers would be so loud. 

John has to find a wife. His grandfather has given him these few weeks to decide if Emily is the one of not. Determined that Emily is the only woman for him, he finally tells her how he feels about her. They decide to be a secret couple while at the party, but will that be enough to convivence Emily she loves him as much as he loves her? 

I enjoyed the story line of best friends falling in love. John was so patient with Emily, allowing her to take her time as she came to the realization she was in love with John too. This was a wonderful feel good, steamy romance. The antics of the Twelve Days of Christmas events were laugh out loud funny. Overall I really enjoyed this fast read!

Jess Michael is always a go-to author for me.  I haven't read a bad book from her at all.
this book was no different.  H was awesome and the h was sassy and independent.   Very satisfying read!

Unrequited love and friends to lovers at a disastrous 12 Days of Christmas themed country party?? Yes please. 

I loved how in-tune John and Emily were to each other and how much they truly cared for each other even before becoming lovers. Yes, John has been in love with Emily since he met her...and promptly lost her because she was betrothed to his best friend. But, he's never let his feelings get in the way of being her friend. However, it's been years since she became a widow and John realizes he has to lay it all on the line and win her love...or move on for good. 

Emily doesn't know what to do with these feelings that John is invoking within her. Especially when they kiss and she suddenly can't get enough of him. John has been her rock for years, but he's always been just a friend...right? 

Emily and John navigate grief, lust, and love while fowl run afoul and merry is made at Emily's 12 Days of Christmas country party and it's absolutely wonderful!

I enjoyed this Christmas historical romance with the two main characters that are John Cavendish and Lady Emily Rutledge. And also the rest of the characters to.

John Cavendish has love his best friend wife since the first time that he meet her. Years have past and now that she is a widow he wants to see if things might change. So when she asked him to help her with the party that she wants to have he decides it time to see how she feels for him. He is hoping that she will find a way to love him.

Lady Emily Rutledge since her husband death she has lean on John Cavendish to help her to get over her husband and her family death. So when she decided to have a party and things start to not go right she gets John Cavendish to help her. 

This was a fun story to read with seeing how the author would use the song the 12 days of Christmas within the story. It also had a lot that I laughed at too.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

I've had Jess Michaels on my TBR list for so long! No longer! All my favs represented!

Christmas tree PINING, he's always loved her
Crying face A hero who is okay with crying
Swan A 12 days of Christmas themed house party
Shushing face Secret sex pact!!!
Heart exclamation Old grief, new love

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Best friends Emily and Cav have had to rely on each other since the death of Emily's husband, and Cav's oldest friend, Andrew, five years ago. They are always there for each other, and though Emily has never seen Cav as anything other than her dearest friend, Cav has been in love with Emily since the first moment they met. Now that the Christmas period is upon them, Emily wants to spend her last winter in her late husband's home having a house party, and spending love by matchmaking others in the ton who may have been left on the shelf. Her plan is to have a Twelve Days of Christmas theme, but nearly as soon as the guests start arriving, everything starts to crumble. The birds aren't cooperating, the pairings don't match, and all Emily can do is rely on Cav to help her. The longer they are thrown together over this week, the more Emily sees Cav as something more than just her friend, and perhaps someone she has been falling for all along.

I recently read all of this author's The Duke's By-Blows series, and loved them, so when a Christmassy story was made available to review on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it. I enjoyed Mismatched Under the Mistletoe, but found there wasn't much to it. It was a really quick read, perfect for the days before Christmas, but I'm writing this review only a week later, and have already forgotten a lot of what happened. I liked Emily, and Cav, and their relationship was so sweet. The prologue showed us their first meeting, which was love at first sight for Cav, and I really appreciated how he never acted on his feelings while Andrew was alive, and didn't push Emily while she was grieving. He was a true friend, and they were perfect for one another. Emily's plans for her house party were ill advised and it was all bound to go wrong as soon as she announced what was happening, so her naivete here was a little bit annoying. All in all, a cute Christmas read.

Mismatched under the mistletoe by Jess Michaels 

Lady Emily Rutledge and John Cavendish are best friends but John has been secretly in love with her for a decade. Although he has never been able to tell her, as the widow of his best friend, it was always a stumbling block. 

This a lovely story set at Lady Emily’s Christmas themed house party. Light hearted story with humour thrown in much enjoyed not too long story.

 4.5/5

MISMATCHED UNDER THE MISTLETOE is absolutely gripping.  I couldn't put it down.  Unrequited love & a newfound love... from either perspective, it's just as thrilling.  So happy the hero and heroine found comfort and eventually love with one another.

4.5 steamy second chance holiday novella stars

I rarely give a novella more than 3.5 stars because it is hard to get attached to the characters in such a short time, the steam level is usually lower than I like, and it often feels incomplete, BUT this book pulled it off, and I was super happy it did!

From the moment John Cavendish ("Cav") was introduced to his best friend's intended, he fell hard. He had mocked Andrew Rutledge for marrying at the young age of 21 and regretted losing his best friend from the bachelorhood ranks, but when he laid eyes on Lady Emily, the daughter of a duke, he felt as though he might stop breathing. But Andrew is his best friend, so he cannot possibly ever let his true feelings for Emily show as it would be a betrayal that would ruin their friendship forever. When Andrew tragically dies of a fast-moving and ravaging illness only 4 years after they are wed, Cav knows he must be there to support his friend's widow in a platonic capacity. Five years later, however, Cav sees an opening that he feels he must take or lose out on ever having his one true love by his side forever.

Lady Emily Rutledge not only lost her beloved husband to a fever 5 years ago, but her parents followed soon after, essentially leaving her alone in the world. If it weren't for Cav, a man who mourned her husband as deeply as she did, she would not have made it through that terrible ordeal. They have remained close friends ever since, which of course has led to rumors and innuendos, but they are just friends. And she needs his help because she has decided to host an unusual holiday party at her country estate: a 12 Days of Christmas themed matchmaking party! Emily wants to try to match the wallflowers with the rakes, and since Andrew knows well all of the rakes, he must help her convince the gentlemen to accept and participate.

Soon enough, Emily realizes her attempt at helping people find love is not as easy as it seems. Also, there are a lot of birds involved in the 12 Days of Christmas. Unruly birds. Waterfowls. Unmanageable geese.... oh why are there so many birds?! Thankfully, Cav is there (as always) to come to her rescue when the going gets extra tough, but lately, she has had some decidedly different feelings about Cav when he is around. When he convinces her to indulge in an affair for the duration of the party, she hesitantly agrees. She is worried about the possible ruination of their friendship that has meant so much to her, but she also finds herself extremely attracted to him and cannot deny herself the chance to explore that aspect.

Cav knows he is playing a dangerous game --- he could lose the only woman he ever loved if she decides to limit their affair to the duration of the party, but he cannot resist the opportunity to be with her in every way possible. What will happen when the party ends? If Emily realizes Cav has always had feelings for her, will she feel it is a betrayal of her deceased husband? Can Cav possibly live without the only woman he has ever loved when he is so close to having it all?

I loved this story!! Lots of steamy goodness (early & often, thank you), but lots of heart as well. And the catastrophes with the staging of the events for the 12 Days of Christmas were definitely amusing! The were only a couple of things I didn't like (view spoiler) But I enjoyed the story overall, and of course, we got the satisfying HEA this couple deserved.

Plot --- 4.5/5
Main Characters --- 4/5
Supporting Cast --- 4/5
Steam Level* --- 4/5
Violence --- nothing graphic (some angry birds!)
Language --- not egregious
POV --- 3rd

*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild (nothing descriptive); 2/5 - 3rd base action/1 home run; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere (a couple of full-on steamy scenes); 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all

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

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

3.5 stars for this steamy Regency Christmas romance! 

Emily's husband died 5 years ago. Over that time, she has become closer and closer to his friend, Cav. Since she doesn't have love in her life, she throws a matchmaking party with the theme of the 12 Days of Christmas. She enlists Cav to help her. Who will end up matched at the party?

The chemistry between Emily and Cav was amazing - especially in the bedroom! I haven't read many regency romances, and I did not expect it to be that steamy! I was pleasantly surprised! 

I was a little disappointed in this party. I loved the idea that it's based around the 12 Days of Christmas. But I felt like it could have been executed better. The party seemed like an afterthought. I wish more of the couples paired up or we could at least see if there was any chemistry! I felt like the romance between Emily and Cav could have just taken place in London. 

It wasn't a disappointing story. I just felt it could have been executed better. Definitely worth a read, though!

Enjoyable read, yet a bit unsurprising when it comes to the main story line. I was hoping for an enormous incident near the end, perhaps a misunderstanding or a partly overheard conversation that turned into a fight with dramatic, but of course romantic outcome...

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

This was a short enjoyable book to read. It was based around the Twelve days of Christmas poem. It was funny at times and sometimes a little sad but it did have a happy ending. I recommend that you read this book as there was plenty to enjoy.

With a creative spin on the Christmas house party, widow Emily attempts to set up known wallflowers with rakes in need of reforming.  With her best friend (deceased husband's best friend) Cav in tow to help manage the men, the 12 Days of Christmas house party ends up forcing Emily to admit her feelings for Cav.  And Cav, who has been nursing almost a decade of feelings for Emily, is under pressure to marry so decides to take his last chance with Emily.

This is a shorty with little angst and a lot of fun.  Some of the set ups are funny, the supporting characters sparkle (I want so many of their stories, too), and the romance is really hard won.

Cavendish is a reformed rake who fell in love with Emily the instant he was introduced, only to have his hopes dashed by learning she was engaged to his best friend.  He is able to play it pretty cool and controlled on the service, mostly after nine years of not showing his love for Emily, but underneath bubbles deep feelings.  Not quite a cinnamon roll...but definitely not Alpha or Beta.  With limited page count to cover his backstory, Michaels nonetheless manages to make him come alive and be tremendously sympathetic/loveable.

Emily is just a burst of sunshine, a bit impulsive, believing the best in a magical sort of way, and facing her uncertain future with a final push to spread some love and light in her life and among friends.  She is a woman who has suffered a lot of loss and grief, but makes the best of it by focusing on everyone else around her.  This makes her self discovery of feelings lower angst than it might have been and rather sweet.

This was a fun and great winter novella, that I would recommend especially for readers who love a friends to lovers or a secret crush that turns into love.

John has been in love with his best friend's wife since he met her. She is windowed now and they are the best of friends, but he hasn't told her how he feels because he doesn't want to ruin their friendship. When she asks for his help for a party she is throwing, he of course agrees. 

Emily has a plan for her holiday party. She wants to pair up all her attendees, whether it be for a dalliance or marriage. But all of her carefully laid plans seem to be going amuck. There is also the fact that she seems to be developing feelings for her best friend that are definitely not just those of friendship.

Could this holiday season bring Emily a new love and give John the love that he has forever hoped for?

I adored John and Emily's story! My heart hurt for John for loving Emily from a far for so many years. He was such a good man, being there for her no matter what, even though he had to keep his love for her a secret. Friends to lovers is always one of my favorites and Michaels did an excellent job with this story. It is a must read this holiday season!

What a delightful holiday novella! I very much enjoyed getting to witness Emily and Cav's love story and for being as short as it was, I still felt like I was able to fully appreciate their friends to lovers journey. Emily is the widow of Cav's best friend and while they have both been grieving together Cav is also working through his feelings as a man of marrying age and someone who is in love with a woman he thinks he can never have.

I loved every scene with Emily and Cav together. You definitely can understand how much they respect and value each other and at every step of the way Cav is respectful to Emily's feelings in a way that never felt like he felt entitled to her love in any way which is always something I worry about in friends to lovers stories. Instead, he is willing to grant Emily the time and space she needs and I appreciated how much the friendship between the two means to them.

The scenes where the two of them are together are delightful and steamy and gripping. However, the background plot of the story involves Emily throwing a matchmaking party where she is attempting to set up some of the ton's most notorious wallflowers with some of their rake counterparts. Little is done with this story which is curious to me as it seems an elaborate ruse to place Cav and Emily together. I was hoping we would hear more about the couple that seemingly hate each other - that definitely could be it's own story (and maybe it will?).

I know this is a novella so I don't expect everything to be fleshed out and while I do wish there had been more going on or resolved with Emily's matchmaking schemes, the main crux of the story, Emily and Cav's romance, is the best and most valuable part.

If anyone wants a lovely (and steamy) way to get into the holiday spirit this is definitely the story for you!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this delightful story.

Two Turtle Doves
Jess Michaels presents a delightful, Christmas through New Year, romance with a satisfying happy ending. After the death of her husband, Lady Emily Rutledge wishes to find joy in the holiday season by helping some of her friends find love. She has arranged a Twelve Days of Christmas matchmaking party, with the help of her friend John Cavendish (Cav). Cav has loved Emily since the day he met her. For all these years, he has respected Emily and his best friend’s relationship by hiding his feelings. But time is running out, and Cav must marry soon even if it means leaving behind his love for Emily. This book definitely has an air of Emma, with a touch of heartbreak. Emily is honest and kind to everyone, except when it comes to her feelings for Cav. Cav has been clearly fiend-zoned, but he is still supportive and cares about Emily’s passions. Including passions in the bedroom. They are both authentic and open with each other, and their romance is built on mutual understanding and trust. Jess Michaels has a well-paced and fluid writing style, though there are a few “bawdy” words. Matched Under the Mistletoe is a steamy friendship to love romance.

Can you find the love of your life - twice? 

Emily had married for love, only to lose her husband five years later. She and her husband's best friend, John, bond and become good friends. However John has loved Emily from the very first day he met her, yet she has no idea about it. Now that Emily wants to matchmake some of her friends over the holidays, John agrees to help her and decides it's time to show his feelings. Emily is shocked that he loves her, but realizes she has feelings too. The fact John is her friend worries her and she fears losing him. Can she allow herself to be happy again? I enjoyed this book and thought it was very sweet and romantic.

Thank you, Jess Michaels, NetGalley, and The Passionate Pen for the opportunity to read this book!

Mismatched Under the Mistletoe by Jess Michaels is a historical romance perfect for the holiday season. The author writes such a sweet dedication hoping that this book will help raise the reader’s spirits after this dreadful year. So I was sold immediately. We all need a little joy this holiday season. John Cavendish has been in love with Emily Rutledge for 9 years. However, she was married to his best friend. He did what is best and hid his feelings and supported his best friend and his wife…until his best friend died. John and Emily leaned on each other in their grief and became each other’s best friends. Now that it has been 5 years, the intense grief has passed and Emily decides to host a Christmas party to matchmake some of her friends…but it is her heart that is at risk, not her friends.

This is just what is needed for this Christmas season! It has a little bit of hope, love, friendship, and spice! Cav and Emily have such a beautiful relationship. But I have always had a weakness for a best friends to lovers trope. Cav is said to a rake but I saw no evidence of that. Emily is his world. He would move heaven and earth for her. The most touching part is that he gives her time. In so many books that I have read, the men want an answer immediately. He never pressures her into a situation that makes her uncomfortable. It is absolutely touching. Speaking of touching…their chemistry is off the charts.

The book is roughly 170 pages, so it is short and sweet. However, I do wish that we got some more details about the other guests and the matchmaking. They are only in the background of the story. I was hoping for at least one match! BUT! I do love that one of the characters is LGBTQ+ and that scene is both made me so happy but also broke my heart at the same time. I am always happy to see representation, maybe this character can star in their own story?

Overall, I read this book in just a few hours and loved it from start to finish! So I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars!