No Ordinary Christmas is the first book of a new series set in Mistletoe Maine. Mistletoe is the home of Hollywood actor Dante West and he has come back home to film his newest movie. He had returned home to help the local economy but also to make amends with the people he hurt when he left the way that he did. This includes his best friend and first love Lucy Marshall who he hasn't spoken to since he left without a single goodbye. Heartbroken and angry, Lucy is not thrilled to have him back in her world but when he offers to film scenes from his movie at the local library she finds it hard to resist. She knows that this will help boost the popularity of the library and even after these years he is still so darn charming.

As head librarian, Lucy takes her job very seriously and does not like to be distracted. Dante West is a distraction. A charming good looking distraction. And the more time she spends with him, the more she finds herself unthawing towards him. Especially when she discovers that the movie being made is all about her relationship with Dante. It is obvious to Lucy that Dante has changed and deeply regrets what happened when he left town so abruptly but she is scared to open her heart to him again especially when all signs point to him returning to Hollywood when it is all over.

Dante and Lucy are each wounded characters but for different reasons. Dante has felt the pressures from his family and the disappointment that he would not join the family business. Unbeknownst to Lucy, this is why he left sooner than planned and left her behind heartbroken. This has caused and will continue to cause misunderstandings between them. Yet even with this, I could feel the connection between these characters and the yearning that is still there for each other.

The relationship between Dante and Lucy isn't the only relationship in need of repair. Dante also needed to fix the relationship with the family that he had left behind. The way all this was set up gave the reader a picture of not only the family but also the small town of Mistletoe, Maine. It is a beautiful little place where everything seems to be inner connected. The backdrop of the holiday season also provided some beautiful moments. I just love small towns at Christmas time - there always seems to be this sense of magic and like anything could happen - even a second chance at love.

No Ordinary Christmas provides a wonderful introduction to the characters and setting of Mistletoe. It was easy flowing and I found myself getting lost within this world that was created and the characters who were introduced. I'm not sure who the next character is that is going to be features in a story but all of them have potential. I will be keeping my eyes open for my next opportunity to return to the magic of Mistletoe.

No Ordinary Christmas is a sweet holiday story of a second chance romance and opening yourself up to love and forgiveness. Dante West is box office royalty, the biggest action movie star and People's Sexiest Man of the Year but he never forgot his small hometown and the girl he left behind. Lucy Marshall was jilted by Dante once and has not allowed herself to ever feel that deeply for anyone again. But Dante has come home to film a movie in their small town and they cannot avoid each other.

The story is really sweet and adorable, perfect holiday setting and small town. The characters are both likeable with real issues although none too in depth or triggering. It was a great holiday romance for a cold night.

No Ordinary Christmas brings you a second chance romance with lots of Christmas spirit. Dante, a hollywood a-lister, comes back to his quaint hometown, Mistletoe, to film his next movie. But he also wanted to come home to make amends with family and his first love, Lucy. Lucy, the town librarian, had her heartbroken by Dante eight years ago and hasn't forgiven him. These two see each other again and there's still a spark that needs to be explored.

The town of Mistletoe was adorable and this story had lots of Christmas cheer. The romance was a little slow for me, Dante and Lucy had some trust issues and I feel like Dante made Lucy doubt herself which wasn't fair. Lucy had every right to be mad at him for skipping town years earlier. Both characters learned valuable lessons in learning to love again.

This one would be good for fans of second chance stories or closed door romances. Of course it reads like our favorite predictable Christmas movies which is just what you might need this time of year.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

No Ordinary Christmas was a sweet romance with just the perfect amount of conflict and drama. I really enjoyed this plot; it was a great combination of small-town romance and second-chance romance, and will surely delight fans of either trope (or both tropes).

I loved both Lucy and Dante. They both had that sweet friends-to-lovers dynamic that was reflected in the way they interacted with each other, even when they were at odds. They were both flawed in their own ways; Dante for the ways he acted in the past, and Lucy for the ways her prior heartbreak caused her to not trust Dante a second time. No Ordinary Christmas exemplified the second-chance romance as these two souls worked to move beyond past mistakes to find a future together.

I think my favorite part about this clean romance was the diversity. Too often it feels like every small-town holiday romance in books, movies, or on the television only feature white characters finding their Christmas miracle, so I was so happy to see some great diversity represented in the main characters and their families. Coming from a small town myself, I was happy to see more than one demographic represented in Mistletoe, Maine.

No Ordinary Christmas was a sweet, clean romance featuring characters finding success in their own way, two friends-turned-lovers finding themselves again after almost nine years apart, fantastic examples of familiar love, and a small-town romance brought to you by the magic of Christmas.

A huge thank you to Forever for providing a review copy of No Ordinary Christmas.

Dante left Mistletoe, his family, and his girlfriend Lucy, in his rearview mirror eight years ago, and never looked back... until now. Now he's back to make a movie, and try to repair some of the relationships he left behind. This was a really cute holiday romance, featuring two very different characters who really worked together. The movie aspect of it was cute, and there were things that weren't my favorite, but all in all a well rounded and fun addition to holiday reading. I'll definitely be watching for the next book!

Story

It took me a really long time to get into this book and finish it, which surprised me. I love that it's a diverse holiday story set in small-town Maine. The premise is excellent: Dante left Mistletoe, Maine for Hollywood years ago and is now a successful action star. He's coming home to Mistletoe to film a romance-based movie and needs all the local help he can get. This includes his ex-girlfriend, Lucy, the town librarian. She's still upset he left for Hollywood without her, as she was supposed to go with him, and the two of them attempt to coexist in town. There are other family dynamics for both main characters that get explored too.

I have a lot of issues with this one though. I didn't love the writing style and found it kind of repetitive. I also thought the characters jumped to conclusions A LOT. I understand they're both feeling each other out as they come back together, trying to rebuild trust... but they very quickly wrote each other off after one incident or assumption. The black moment was brought on by one of the most classic miscommunications in books, with one character immediately jumping to conclusions after seeing a split second of something. I thought there was a more mature or logical option for this but obviously I'm not the author. Just wasn't a fan of it.

Wintery Setting & Holiday Feels

It didn't feel super Christmassy in the beginning because of all the drama, honestly. They went to a tree farm early in the book but otherwise it was mostly arguing and random family dynamics. There were some Christmassy pieces later on but it didn't feel like that was a main point in the story.

Overall

I didn't love this one, clearly, but I'm very hopeful for the rest of the companion series. I love small town Maine obviously so the setting hits the mark for me. The diversity is great too because its very uncommon in books based in Maine. I was hoping the next book would be about her sister and I was right! Fingers crossed I like that one more - definitely going to give it a shot!

Another cute Christmas story to add to your holiday reading list! I thought this was a very sweet second chance romance with lots of Hallmark movie vibes.

Hot shot movie star Dante West traveled back to his hometown of Mistletoe Maine to shoot his new movie. Doing so also brought him back to his ex Lucy, and back in the day things did not end well between them. But the magic of the holiday season might just be enough to give their love a second chance.

What I liked:
-cute plot with charming characters.
-A great wintery setting.
-Full of festive Christmas activities.
-second chance romance.

Minor critiques:
-slightly repetitive at times.
-ending seemed a bit rushed.

Overall, I would say this was a fun holiday read. If you're a fan of Hallmark movies, this would probably be right up your alley!

Lucy and Dante grew up together in the small town of Mistletoe, Maine. Then Dante ran off to California to pursue an acting career, leaving Lucy behind and breaking her heart. When Dante returns to Mistletoe to film a movie, Lucy swears she wants nothing to do with him. But the pull of that first love (and the magic of Christmas) may make that easier said than done.

No Ordinary Christmas is a wonderful read to kick off the holiday season! It was like reading a Hallmark movie!

Christmas in Maine?? Sign me up! And even better the heroine is a librarian . It's almost like this book was written for me. I love a second chance romance, and Lucy and Dante's story was so sweet. There is a ton of Christmas cheer in this book and a romance that will warm you up on a cold winter's evening. Add this one to your Christmas TBR!

Mistletoe, Maine, is buzzing and not just because Christmas is around the corner! Dante West, local cutie-turned-Hollywood hunk, is returning home to make his next movie. Everyone in town is excited . . . except librarian Lucy Marshall. When Dante took off for LA without warning—or even a goodbye—he broke Lucy’s heart. She swore not to spend one more minute thinking about her ex, but Dante makes an offer Lucy’s struggling library can’t refuse: a major donation to film on-site.

Dante is thrilled to help boost his hometown’s economy and finally begin making amends to the people he hurt years ago when he left, starting with Lucy. But seeing his former best friend on set every day feels a lot less like closure and more like a fresh start. It’s one thing for Dante to fall for Lucy all over again, quite another for a famous movie star and a small-town librarian to find lasting romance. Can the magic of the holiday season give Lucy and Dante’s first love a second chance?

This one has Christmas movie written ALLLLLLLL over it. A second chance romance, small town charm, and adorable characters made for a fun read. My favorite character though was the precocious little sister, who is spunky and added to the story in a wonderful way. Mistletoe, Maine was a charming setting for this Christmas book and it was positively brimming with holiday cheer. I loved the small town librarian aspect, and found Lucy to be an incredibly likable character. This was feel good and utterly adorable, perfect to curl up with a mug of hot cocoa in front of the Christmas tree with. My thanks to the publisher for sending me a gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

As this was my first introduction to Belle Calhoune I went into this one blind, but ended it completely surprised. No Ordinary Christmas is a truly classic Christmas tale, one that is made up of family, friendship, and sweet love. It's a clean romance, features my very favorite trope of second chance love, and is filled to the brim with emotions.

No Ordinary Christmas follows Lucy and Dante, two former friends and lovers, as the holiday season brings them back together. Dante, a hearthrob in the Hollywood scene, wants to try his hand at directing and his first movie is his version of the events that brought a divide between he and Lucy years ago. Of course, his movie ends in love, but Lucy seems completely adverse to that idea. Luckily, her heart is involved and battles it out with her brain over protecting herself or giving in to the love she's always harbored.

Set in Mistletoe, Maine, a place I'd love to visit, No Ordinary Christmas is a love story set in the most perfect Christmas setting and somehow manages to not be too Christmasy. It's literally my exact type of read, with no over the top holiday fluff, but truly natural interactions that would happen in every day life. Okay, everyday life if your former love was now a big famous celebrity. Belle Calhoune brings the town, the people, and the romance to life and I found myself totally enthralled with this book. I could absolutely read it again and again (and at any time of the year, too).

I enjoyed No Ordinary Christmas. The theme of understanding and forgiveness is one of my favourites and ties in nicely with the Christmas small-town setting.

The central characters are well developed and highly likeable. The movie that Dante is filming is romantic and ties in nicely with the memories the characters share along the way. The backstory for supporting characters is also shared and sure to be the focus of other books in the series. I especially appreciated the fact that several characters had physical limitations which makes the story more reality-based.

Dante’s character is home to try and repair broken relationships as much as he is there to make a movie. He hurt several people when he left town without saying goodbye over eight years ago. The book does a great job of highlighting the importance of communication to enable others to view things more clearly.

I enjoy reading about the individual and the town’s traditions, and the book had plenty of those. Lucy and Dante dancing in the town square was swoon-worthy. If you’re looking for a small town Christmas romance full of charm, No Ordinary Christmas is for you.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet second chance romance. The small town of Mistletoe welcomes back former resident who has made it big in Hollywood. Lots of memories, good and bad. Nice to see this is the first of a series. Many characters introduced and I am eager to read more about them. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Great read for the holiday season! Enjoyed the holiday vibe.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

No Ordinary Christmas (Mistletoe, Maine Book 1)
Author : Belle Calhoune
281 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publication date: September 28, 2021
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Description:
Mistletoe, Maine, is buzzing and not just because Christmas is around the corner! Dante West, local cutie-turned-Hollywood hunk, is returning home to make his next movie. Everyone in town is excited . . . except librarian Lucy Marshall. When Dante took off for LA without warning—or even a goodbye—he broke Lucy’s heart. She swore not to spend one more minute thinking about her ex, but Dante makes an offer Lucy’s struggling library can’t refuse: a major donation to film on-site. Dante is thrilled to help boost his hometown’s economy and finally begin making amends to the people he hurt years ago when he left, starting with Lucy. But seeing his former best friend on set every day feels a lot less like closure and more like a fresh start. It’s one thing for Dante to fall for Lucy all over again, quite another for a famous movie star and a small-town librarian to find lasting romance. Can the magic of the holiday season give Lucy and Dante’s first love a second chance?
🎄MY REVIEW 🎄
I was so excited to get the chance to read No Ordinary Christmas by Belle Calhoune . Which is book 1 in her new Mistletoe, Maine series. Anything’s possible at Christmas. Don’t stop believing. Just like me finally getting this book after waiting two LONG months due to mail mishaps. My first copy arrived with a ripped package and covered in someones puke and the second one got lost in the mail. I paced the house like a caged tiger waiting on this book. Needless to say it was well worth the wait !!! I enjoyed ever second and couldn’t put this book down until I was finished. Welcome to the town of Mistletoe, Maine and
Dante West and Lucy Marshall's story. Their story will pull at your heartstrings.This is a beautiful small town second chance love story that would make a beautiful hallmark movie. Both are very stubborn, determined , imperfect people that encourage you to cheer for them throughout their story. The author did such an amazing job of describing the characters and the town that it felt as if i was right there. I fell in love with the whole cast of characters, each bringing their own special thing to the story. I also fell in love with this town as the author described it in such amazing detail.The town of Mistletoe sounds so beautiful and amazing. I would love to go live there. Calhoune really brings Christmas alive in this special story from the Christmas tree Farm to the tree lighting . Now i am ready to get our tree and kick the Christmas decorating into high gear. This is one magical Christmas Story that is sure to grab your attention.
Thanks for another great read. I can't wait for the next new book. Many thanks to the Author for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own.

#joycestewartreviews
#NoOrdinaryChristmas
#BelleCalhoune
#PublisherForever
#bookrecommendations
#romance

I loved the cast of characters and adored the setting in No Ordinary Christmas. Lucy and her friends and family were so much fun. But the inner dialogue and explanations of things felt like so much for me that it slowed the story down. The atmosphere of Mistletoe and the connections between characters helped it to feel very atmospheric, but wish it had moved at a quicker pace for me.

This is a cute, light-hearted, second-chance romance. It was fairly easy to read and enjoyable. However, I was not super sold on the romance itself. I didn’t see any passion and want for the two of them to be together.

This is a small town Christmas story about Dante who is a famous Hollywood star and has come home to film a movie in town to help the local economy as well as make amends to people he hurt. Librarian Lucy isn't thrilled as she was once his best friend and first love. He left town without a word of goodbye. They end up spending alot of time together forging a new bond.

Belle Calhoune’s No Ordinary Christmas takes place in the small fictional town of Mistletoe, Maine, four weeks before Christmas. This is a second chance romance that includes redemption, forgiveness, and family.

Lucy Marshall and Dante West were best friends before they started dating in high school. They made plans and dreams together. Dante wanted to be a Hollywood star, and Lucy wanted to company him to Los Angeles and attend UCLA. Lucy’s dreams and heart were shattered when Dante abruptly left Mistletoe for Hollywood, without asking her to come with him, leaving her only a brief note with no explanation. It’s now been eight and a half years. Dante is a huge action movie star, Lucy is the head librarian for Misteltoe’s Free Library. This Christmas, Dante returns to Mistletoe for an extended stay, while he films his latest movie in and around town.

I became a fan of Belle's after reading Alaskan Christmas Redemption, the third book in her Home to Owl Creek series. I loved the way she made me invested in the characters and the way she transported me to the Alaskan town. I'm happy to say the same can be said for No Ordinary Christmas. I could picture vividly the town of Mistletoe, Maine.

I immediately loved the characters of Lucy and Dante. My heart really went out to both of them, for what they endured and the time they lost. Fans of Belle's faith based stories will also love this story. While there's no mention of faith, the story is still clean and wholesome. I loved that there wasn’t this overabundance of small-town nosiness and gossip. Oh, it's there, but it's done in a caring way, and not an overly pushy way. The secondary characters are all good, and deserving of their own stories and happily ever afters. Lucy’s younger sister, Tess, steals any and every scene she’s in. No Ordinary Christmas embodies what I love about Christmas romances; friends, family, second chances, and the belief that anything and everything is possible, especially at Christmastime.

~ Favorite Quotes ~

“We all make mistakes. It’s what we do next that matters most.”

“You can’t undo the past.”

“Don’t play the fool twice.”

“Anything’s possible at Christmas. Don’t stop believing.”

“I believe in goodness, especially during Christmas.”

“I believe that this time of year we see the beauty in people’s hearts more than any other time.”

“Part of loving someone is lifting them up when they can’t do it themselves.”

“Forgiveness is part of loving.”

As someone who loves Hallmark Christmas movies, I wanted to love this second-chance holiday romance. Unfortunately it just didn’t do it for me. I didn’t enjoy the romantic pairing — their connection was lacking and I didn’t feel the chemistry between the leads.

By the end I was just skimming to finish because I wasn’t invested in the story. The younger sister Tess was the redeeming character (reminded me of Kitty in To All the Boys) but her charm didn’t make up for the rest of it.

Thanks Forever Pub and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.