Eloisa James never disappoints and I was so excited to be introduced to new (to me) authors in this anthology. A holiday treat that I see myself coming back to yearly.

I really enjoyed the stories in Mistletoe Christmas. My favorite was probably the first by Eloisa James. I particularly enjoyed the continuity of the stories with some of the same characters and the same house party. I wish Denham would have had his story as well.

Mistletoe Christmas: An Anthology, four stories by four wonderful authors:
Eloisa James, Christi Caldwell, Janna MacGregor and Erica Ridley.

There is one thing I love more than romantic Christmas stories, which is when there is an anthology of them that are set at the same event. The event in this anthology is the Duke of Greystoke's Christmas Revelry. Each author tells the tale of a different couple in attendance at the Revelry for one reason or another.

Eloisa's story A Mistletoe Kiss is about Lady Cressida, the Duke's youngest daughter. He treats her terribly, making her feel dowdy, trying to keep her to himself so that she can make sure that his Christmas event, which takes year-long planning, will be perfect and the talk of society. She has little self-confidence and believes she is past any hope of marriage.
Elias, Lord Darcy de Royleston is looking for a wife. The last person he is interested in for that post is Cressie, the very plain cousin of his friend and the Duke's heir, Val. Throughout the Revelry, he comes to see her in a different light and wants nothing more than to marry her. With an interfering Duke in the mix, will he be able to get what he wants?

Christi's story Wishing Under the Mistletoe is about the Duke's granddaughter Isabelle. Invited to be in charge of the Revelry's theatrical entertainment Isabelle doesn't know that the man she was once betrothed to, Cyrus, will also be at the Revelry. He has been tasked with helping her. He has no idea either that he will be seeing her there and the flood gates of the past whoosh open as soon as they see each other. Will they have a second chance at love, or will the thing that separated them in the past still stand between them now?

Janna's contribution Compromise Under the Mistletoe tells the story of a married couple Caroline, the Duke's Niece, and Stephen whose marriage is floundering. After a year apart they are both ordered to attend the Christmas Revelry together. They have to prove that they are happily married or the Duke won't let her have money that is in trust for her. Can they pull off the charade, or will it become more than make-believe?

Erica's contribution to Mistletoe and Mischief is the fourth and final story in the book. This time it only partly involves a relative of the Duke in as much as he wants his nephew Val to marry this season and provide the family with an heir. He could marry Miss Louisa Harcourt. She, with her mother, have been invited to the Revelry. Louisa's mother has told her that she has to find a husband this season and will push her towards whatever titled man she thinks might take her on. The problem is that the only man she is interested in is a famous poet. He isn't rich, and he isn't suitable. Louisa wants him but knows she has to keep her mother happy, so how will the predicament resolve?

This anthology was an absolute delight to read. It may be a Christmas themed book but it can be enjoyed any time of the year. It will definitely put you into the festive spirit.

These are four short stories by different authors. All of those invited to the revelry at Greystoke's country home are there for different reasons. Greystoke is dying but wants the revelry to go on as usual. Four different situations are happening during the two weeks everyone meets together. The first is about the Duke's youngest daughter and how she has been the organizer for years and nobody knew. Can she find love? The other three are also those who attend and will they find love and peace with their life. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read these stories.

It makes complete sense that I’m writing this review on the first snowfall of the year. I’m in that period before the holiday season where I love snow. I love it for about 3 weeks before Christmas and then fall into a deep hatred of the stuff until next November. Good thing I live in Ohio, right? Nevertheless, the weather has me in quite the festive mood to review the holiday anthology, Mistletoe Christmas, by Eloisa James, Christi Caldwell, Janna MacGregor, and Erica Ridley. Overall, I enjoyed every story included in this anthology. Some were stronger than others, all were deftly written. As this is a different review than I would normally write, and I’m recommending the novel, I’ll just add a few thoughts on each story.

A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James
We have a wallflower/rake whirlwind romance in the characters of Cressida and Elias. Cressida has spent over 15 years of her life arranging and planning the event of the season for all of England: her father's Christmas Revelry. This year is exceptionally difficult as Lord Greystoke is dying and refuses to allow Cressida to marry or take ownership of her trust. Elias, best friend of the heir to Greystoke Manor, Val, impetuously declares that he will marry Cressida with or without her father's consent. While I wasn’t completely sold on Elias’s having the veil lifted from his eyes with the sharp realization that Cressida was this beautiful, witty, and utterly charming young woman, there’s enough tension between the two to quell my HEAdgelord tendencies. As each of the four stories intertwined around the Christmas Revelry planned and executed by Cressida, we can see this story as mainly the wrapper for the remainder of the other three. I would have actually enjoyed this more with more length (TWSS); we could develop Elias’s and Cressida’s growing attraction and courting, and witness more wooing. Generally, however, I love James’ prose and character building so while not my favorite amongst the four, I still very much enjoyed it nonetheless.

Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell
With this story, we have a second chance love between Lady Isabelle, niece of Lady Cressida, and workaholic Cyrus Hill to whom she had once been betrothed. Separate note, I literally could not stop thinking of Cypress Hill while reading this. When giving the opportunity to write/direct/produce the Christmas Revelry, Isabelle is beside herself with excitement, until she is paired up with her former flame, Cyrus. Cyrus only agrees to attend the Revelry in the hopes of growing his business. Overall, this was a delightful read. Caldwell presents the ‘break up’ from two different perspectives 10 years apart and I’ll admit, it’s quite affecting. We also learn that Cressida’s cousin and heir to Greystoke manor is matchmaking each couple presented in the stories. Lastly, we are privy to one exceptionally steamy piano sex scene. Yowza.

Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor
I will admit this story was my favorite of all four. The one that I was the most apprehensive about packed quite an emotional punch. We have an estranged married couple that agree to play loving honeymooners in order to obtain a trust fund. Lady Caroline (Caro - which I love so hard) left her husband one year to the day and moved to London leaving behind a letter and a heavy heart. Feeling underappreciated and overlooked, she found her purpose in town with the creation of an arts collective for female artists. Her husband, Stephen has pined for her the past year and yet his pride forbade him from fetching Caro and bringing her home. Stephen learns the value of listening and lavishing attention on his wife and they decide whether or not bridges can be rebuilt. I have to say that this one hit me right in the cockles; tension and misunderstandings keep the HEA just out of sight until the last minute. I will be seeking out more of Ms. MacGregor’s work.

Mischief & Mistletoe by Erica Ridley
This comes in as a close second in my estimation. We have two characters from ‘different sides of the tracks’ in Louisa and Ewan. Louisa was thrown over by the ton after she appeared in the scandal sheets a number of times for being declared ‘dull’ and ‘ boring’. Unfortunately, Ewan is the secret purveyor of said scandal sheets. Louisa and Ewan are drawn together through literature and poetry but both know that she is destined to be the wife of aristocracy and he a poor ‘poet’. Secrets are revealed and hearts broken, but everyone finds their HEA in the end. Side note, for a good part of this story, I wanted to bare knuckle fight Louisa’s mother; an absolute frigid harpy. When push comes to shove, however, mama is gonna wreck anyone who treats her girl badly. I was there for it. We were both taking out our earrings - gearing up for a fight.

Lastly, I would like to say structurally, I thought this book worked quite well. I’ve read other Regency Christmas anthologies that lumped together random novellas under one working title. Having the throughline with Val and the Christmas Revelry definitely worked toward creating vested interest in each story. I would have liked to see Val gets his own HEA. I’ll put it on my list for Santa for Christmas 2022.

MISTLETOE CHRISTMAS: AN ANTHOLOGY BY ELOISA JAMES & MORE | BOOK REVIEW
NOVEMBER 12, 2021 LEAVE A COMMENT
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Mistletoe Christmas: An Anthology by Eloisa James & More | Book ReviewMistletoe Christmas by Eloisa James, Christi Caldwell, Janna MacGregor, Erica Ridley
Published by HarperCollins on September 28, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Anthologies (multiple authors), Fiction / Holidays, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
From four beloved writers—Eloisa James, Christi Caldwell, Janna MacGregor, and Erica Ridley—come four original stories that tell a hilarious tale of a Christmas house party that serves up love and scandal in equal measure!

The Duke of Greystoke’s Christmas Revelry is famous throughout the British Isles for its plays, dancing, magical grotto… not to mention scandals leading to the marriage licenses he hands out like confetti.

But not everyone welcomes a visit from Cupid.

Lady Cressida, the duke’s daughter, is too busy managing the entertainments—and besides, her own father has called her dowdy. Her cousin, Lady Isabelle Wilkshire, is directing Cinderella and has no interest in marriage. Lady Caroline Whitmore is already (unhappily) married; the fact that she and her estranged husband have to pretend to be together just makes her dread the party all the more. But not as much as Miss Louisa Harcourt, whose mother bluntly tells her that this is her last chance to escape the horrors of being an old maid.

A house party so large that mothers lose track of their charges leads to a delightful, seductive quartet of stories that you will savor for the Season!

Mistletoe Christmas: An Anthology with stories by Eloisa James, Christi Caldwell, Janna MacGregory and Erica Ridley was the first book to kick off my holiday reading. This anthology features four novellas by some of historical romance’s titans. Seriously though, this was a decent sampler of fully contained stories with new to me authors. While it did feel a little overlong and some parts dragged, I think that was more a me problem than a THIS BOOK problem.

Mistletoe Christmas has an interesting framing device. All four stories are set at the annual Christmas Revelry held by the Duke Of Greystoke who is on his deathbed. Each story explores a different trope and culminates in a happily ever after. I did want a story explored for one character who pops up in each of the novellas — Val — who is the Duke of Greystoke’s heir. Also, I didn’t really have much context for work by all of the authors but felt like I didn’t need that to enjoy and understand each of the novellas.




A MISTLETOE KISS BY ELOISA JAMES
Eloisa James A Mistletoe Kiss is the first in the anthology. This story follows Cressida – Cressie – who is the daughter of the Duke of Greystoke. Cressie has secretly been running the Revelry for years. She is a devoted daughter. However, her dad is absolutely a terrible person. He basically undercuts her so she won’t get married. It is also his expectation that she run the Revelry and continue to devote all her attention to it.

Cressie ends up catching the eye of Elias. Elias is in Val’s inner circle. He makes some suggestions for Val to take on more responsibilities and to free up Cressie’s time. The two knew each other when Cressie was younger — but not very well. Anyways, there’s some chemistry there and he sees Cressie when everyone else didn’t. This story had a decent pace and was a good set up for the other three novellas. It made sense to me why this one was first.

WISHING UNDER THE MISTLETOE BY CHRISTI CALDWELL
Wishing Under The Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell is the next story in Mistletoe Christmas. This story follows Lady Isabelle Wilkshire who is asked to direct the play of Cinderella at the Revelry. Her story opens in the past where she goes to meet her betrothed and calls off the engagement because he’s more interested in making money than her. Years later, Cyrus Hill, the fiance and Isabelle are thrown together for the production of Cinderella at the Revelry.

Cyrus is determined to win Isabelle back. After all, it has been years, but there’s been no one else. He has always loved Isabelle. The reason he is so focused on his job is because he wants to set up a secure future for himself and Isabelle. As the two work together – sparks fly again and they get a second chance at love. This was a sweet story. While I did have to go back and look up the characters names, the overall plot was not forgettable.

COMPROMISE UNDER THE MISTLETOE BY JANNA MACGREGOR
Janna MacGregor’s Compromise Under The Mistletoe is about a couple that is already married. Lady Caroline Whitmore has to pretend that her and her husband have a perfect marriage in order to receive the funds from her trust early. She wants to use those funds to open up a gallery in London for artists who are women. Caro has been gone for a year from her husband. He is going to use this time at the Revelry while they are faking happiness to try and win Caro back.

Looking deeper at this story, you can see they aren’t speaking the same love language. While both love each other deeply — they need to learn the way to show appreciation in which the other will receive the best. This story felt unique — I don’t often read historical romance where the lead characters are already married. I am sure there’s a lot of that and I am just not as well read as I want to be. So, after reading this story I think I want to pursue more by Janna MacGregor.

MISCHIEF & MISTLETOE BY ERICA RIDLEY
The final story in Mistletoe Christmas is Mischief & Mistletoe by Erica Ridley. Louisa Harcourt has one last Season to find a husband. She plans to enjoy her final Christmas before entering married life. That is, until her mother tells her she must snare a husband at the Revelry. Louisa doesn’t want this, but will do as her mother asks out of a sense of duty. After all, everything her mother has done has been for Louisa. She feels she owes Lady Harcourt. And so, Louisa catches the eye of two men of the Ton. Yet, she finds herself drawn to Ewan, a fellow poet. Ewan is not a member of the ton. He works.

However, because people believe he is a poet, he is invited to various events to be their version of Lord Byron, brooding in the corners. Louisa is the first to really connect with Ewan. Yet, there is no possible way they can be together. Against all odds, they fall in love. This story was a decent closer to the anthology. It makes sense why Louisa and Ewan would be so attracted to each other. I liked that the chapters for this novella were short — it made it easy to whip through.

I love a good Christmas collection novella! And Mistletoe Christmas had a great assortment from some of my favorite authors! A perfect start to the Christmas season!

Heat Factor: It’s deeply satisfying and has well-paced burn-y bits

Character Chemistry: Oh my god, the chemistry in all four of these love stories almost killed me. Killed me dead.

Plot: The Revelry is a major social event at the Duke of Greystoke’s country estate. Anyone who is anyone, is there. During this event, four couples find their way to happily-ever-after while getting through social hurdles and failing marriages, and dashed dreams…sigh.

Overall: This has to be the absolute best anthology I’ve read to date based on how many times I cried, and laughed, and laugh/cried, and scared my children with my book feelings.

I mean, you can probably guess this is going to be north of alright based on the authors, but let me assure you—it’s the north star of alright. Here we have an incredibly cohesive anthology set during the early days of the Christmas season at the Duke of Greystoke’s event called The Revelry.

First off is Eloisa James’ story “A Mistletoe Kiss.” We discover that The Revelry began with the dying Duke, but has become the success that it is because of the hard work and ingenuity of Lady Cressida—who has just learned that the Duke has given up her dowry so that the heir, the Viscount Derham, will continue the event for ten years after the Duke’s death. By losing her dowry, Lady Cressida will be stuck continuing in her role as well, whether she wants that or not. Elias is the heir’s good friend, so when Derham suggests Elias consider Cressie for his future wife, Elias takes the suggestion very seriously—but both Elias and Derham say some off-color things during the discussion, which is overheard by the dying Duke. The story unfolds with Elias discovering that Cressie is, in fact, a gifted creative and organizational goddess, and Cressie discovering what it feels like to be admired and appreciated—until the Duke messes everything up. SWOON.

Then we have The One Where Ingrid Cried Too Much, “Wishing Under the Mistletoe” by Christi Caldwell. Here we meet Cyrus Hill, who is managing the money of some of the wealthier noblemen in the highest social circles—but he’s alone because his childhood love breaks off their engagement after he fails to follow through on marrying her several years after they were supposed to. Isabelle is heartbroken but goes off to learn the art of theater with her friend under the mentorship of a talented playwright. Ten years later, the two are thrown together to put on a production for The Revelry. This is definitely a second-chance romance—they’re both still deeply in love but realize they didn’t really see each other as clearly as they thought they did in their younger years. Cried very hard, and not in a cute way. SIGH.

Which brings us to “Compromise Under the Mistletoe.” Janna MacGregor also likes to make me cry, which is why she writes about Lady Caroline and Lord Stephen, who were married and very successful in the bedroom but totally biffed it in every other area of their relationship. So Lady Caroline leaves and runs off to London for a whole year while Lord Stephen stays at home in the countryside. Caroline learns that if she wants to receive her inheritance, she has to prove to the dying Duke that her marriage is valid and that they are, in fact, in love. So she convinces Lord Stephen to go with her to The Revelry and act like they’re happy when in truth they are MISERABLE but mostly because they really do love each other and they just don’t know how to connect. This story just about wrecked me. The communication, people. It’s so deep and tender and real! Why did you do this to me? SOB.

The anthology closes with “Mischief and Mistletoe” by Erica Ridley, which was honestly pretty funny. I appreciated that, after all the crying. In this cute story we have Lady Louisa, whose reputation was tarnished by the gossip column in a newspaper. The Revelry is her last chance to secure a proposal and her mother is pushing really, really hard. She’s a bit ridiculous. Lady Louisa is immediately drawn to Ewan Reid, presumed poet, and is thrilled—because she’s secretly a poet, herself. Ewan, however, is in fact a gossip columnist for his grandfather’s paper, and uses his reputation as a poet in order to lurk around broodingly and write things down when he’s at social events. You can imagine where this is headed, and you’ll like every minute of it. I did cry with this one, too, unfortunately, because Lady Louisa ends up having a soul-swelling conversation with her mother, which ultimately did me in. Ah, well. SHAZAM.

Here’s what I loved most about this anthology besides the emotional roller coaster it put me on—I normally struggle with Christmas books because they’re often very syrupy and heavy on cliche. This book is nothing like that. The feeling you get when you close the pages is that relationships are hard, and they take work—but they’re worth it. And the holidays are a time where we get to bask in that work, and reflect on how we’re doing, and to try to love each other better. So for me, it was like the authors took what really, actually makes people feel good at Christmas and just broke it all down in four sweeping, beautiful romances that make your poor little heart just crack wide open, and I loved it. And you will, too, when you’re done crying.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report

Four wonderfully talented authors come together to give us this fantastic set of hilarious and fun Christmas-themed stories taking place at the Duke of Greystoke's Christmas Revelry. You'll start with the first and you won't want to put it down till you've read the last. The authors all do a great job of
describing the scenes in such detail that you have no trouble picturing them in your mind. The really bring the story and characters to life. Each one did a fantastic job with providing vivid descriptions and interesting plots. The storylines were all artfully crafted with well defined characters and kept me hooked until I finished. I had to pace myself as I wanted to read all in one sitting! This is truly a gem of a collection and if you love Regency romances, you definitely will want to add this to your collection!

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Mistletoe Christmas is an anthology of four original stories from four authors. The stories all tell a hilarious tale of a Christmas house party in the British Isles. The Duke of Greystone has a Christmas Revelry that is very famous for its plays, dancing and magic grotto. In addition, there is a lot of scandalous behavior at the parties, There is a lot of matchmaking going on at the parties at the Revelry.

When two families destined to be enemies collide and romance blooms the real struggle begins. Will their love be able to overcome decades of hatred for each family.

A true historical romance with a Romeo and Juliet style story line

Loved all the stories in the anthology. I liked that they had a running theme of everything happening at the same time at the same place the Duke's Christmas Revelry. The most important event in all of England. These stories take you on an emotional journey taking you from misery, sadness and hopelessness to hope, love and finding one's self. From unpredictable, disappointment, hurt, pain to joy and peace. A lovely set of stories that intertwine. A must read. I highly recommend it.

I received an Advance Readers Copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed
Entertaining
Funny
Inspirational
Page-turner
Romantic
Realistic
Tragic
Whimsical
Witty
Wonderful characters

Mistletoe Christmas is an anthology containing four interconnected novellas that take place at famed revelry of the Duke of Greystokes. The book starts off with A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James, by far the stellar piece of the book where we meet the duke’s daughter, Cressida, who is the real mastermind behind the Revelry and its amassed success for a number of years to the point of being indispensable and getting blackmailed to continue it to the detriment of her happiness. Elias, Lord Darcy de Royleston, the friend of the said duke’s heir was present as she humiliatingly finds this fact and when he proposes marriage Cressida believes Elias is acting out of pity at first, as she is known to be invisible, then because he has ulterior motives. But Elias truly is interested in her, and the more time he spends time with her, and comes to know and see the real her the more he realizes that he must convince her that their HEA will be real.

Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell features Lady Isabelle Wilkshire, Cressida’s cousin. Lady Isabelle is set to direct a play at the revelry and her interest in marriage does not match with that of the rest of the guests. We find out that this is due to Cyrus Hill, a former stablemaster's son turned successful investment Banker who was to have married her 10 years ago. Isabelle and Cyrus come to meet at the Revelry due to some maneuvering of the Duke’s future heir, as he is also his banker and his friend. Love is a fickle thing one discovers when communication is severely lacking. Can the yuletide season perhaps enlighten some to that reality, so that past mistakes does not keep them from their HEA? Read the book to find out!

In Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor we meet Caroline Whitmore the niece of the dying Duke, and her estranged husband, Lord Stephen Whitmore. The separated couple come to the Revelry to pretend to be together so that the duke will release inheritance. Caroline is not very happy about having to carry out the subterfuge but has plans for the money. Stephen her estranged husband however sees their pretending to be together at the party as a new chance to regain the wife he fears he may forever lose.

Mischief and Mistletoe by Erica Ridley wraps up the anthology by featuring Louisa Harcourt, whose mother believes this to be her last chance to escape spinsterhood. This story is a bit different from the others as Louisa is being pushed into a loveless marriage by her mother for supposedly her own good and to the detriment of her own heart’s desires. You really hate the mother and feel so sad for Louisa. Enters Ewan Reid, a poet sought after and gushed over by the ladies at the revelry to perhaps come to her rescue? However, all is not what it seems with Ewan and we soon begin to despair for Louisa. One can but hope that this being the season of miracles, that perhaps some wrongs can be rightened in time for a mistletoe Christmas HEA. My review was given on the ARC copy received from the Publisher via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.

It is rare to read a book with overlapping characters written by four very different authors. Even better, Mistletoe Christmas works. Each story is a quick read with heroines that have their own minds and men that appreciate them--rare in the Ton. This is a quick, satisfying holiday read.

I liked the continuity of the story - that's my favorite sort of anthology. Of the stories, I liked the Eloisa James the most. A strong woman, trying to take what she could when she could and a man who ended up being her support.

If you enjoy the historical romance, guaranteed HEA, and the Christmas spirit, this would be a winner.

*ARC through Netgalley

I read two of these stories. Compromise Under the Mistletoe was a lovely story about an estranged husband and wife brought together to act as a happy couple. They both will come to terms about what set them apart and yuletide magic will bring them back together.

Mischief and Mistletoe has a lady who writes poetry and a man who is known for his poetry. But his life is a lie and he writes a gossip column. Until he falls in love with one of its victims. They share everything but his secret. She is supposed to marry a duke and he is not one. But mistletoe and magic helps love along the way.

A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James
Mistletoe Christmas introduces Lady Cressida, the youngest daughter of the Duke of Greystoke. Now I was not a fan of the duke due to his abuse of his daughter over the years. He used her to plan he famous revelry letting everyone believe he was the mastermind behind this huge event. To rub salt into the wound he took away her chances of getting married by refusing to offer a dowry on her behalf, all because he wanted her to continue planning the event, even after his death. He made her feel unworthy. So, one could understand he insecurities about her ability to attract a prospective husband and why she didn’t buy Elias’s sudden interest in her.

Cressida was a wonderful character. I loved how she slowly gained her confidence regarding her attractiveness. I had fun watching her put Elias in his place. He was so used to women falling all over him. It was a novelty for him when Cressida showed a lack of interest. It was fun watching him grovel.

The romance developed quickly and to be honest it didn’t feel authentic at least on Elias’s part. His feelings were so sudden, especially seeing he paid her no attention over the years.

Overall an adorable read.

Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell
In Wishing Under the Mistletoe, Christi Caldwell delivered  am adorable Christmas second chance romance. Isabelle, the grand-daughter of the Duke of Greystoke ended her engagement ten years ago. She did so believing her betrothed, Cyrus, valued his business more than their relationship. During that time she left home to pursue her passion as a playwriter.   

Now she has returned home to to direct the theatre production, of Cinderella at her grandfather's famous Revelry. A dream she harbored since childhood. What she never expected was to be partnered with the man she left ten years ago. Feelings they thought dead came alive and sparks flew with a vengeance.

It took ten years, but they finally got it right. They never blame each other for the break-up, but took responsibility for their role in the ending of their relationship. Such a wonderful and endearing couple, which made it easy to root for them. I adored this story and the end totally had me swooning.

Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor
In Compromise Under the Mistletoe, Lady Caroline Whitmore, granddaughter to the Duke of Greystoke, has been separated from her husband, Stephen, for a year. She left the matrimonial home as she felt neglected by her husband. Now she needs him to accompany her to the Duke’s famous revelry and help her pretend they have reunited, so she could get early access to her inheritance. Stephen plans to use this occasion to woo his wife and convince her to return home.

I enjoyed this story, despite the frustration actions of the couple. Their problems arose out of their failure to communicate. Stephen had a difficult task convincing Caroline he had changed. She shot down his many attempts of try to show her how much he appreciated her. The fact she never communicated to him how she felt and what she needed from him made me want to scream.

I loved how it all worked out in the end, although something serious had to happen for them to recognize what had been missing from their marriage all along. 

Overall, a solid story.

Mischief and Mistletoe by Erica Ridley

Mischief and Mistletoe introduce Miss Louisa Harcourt, 23 years old without a marriage prospect. An article in the gossip column, painting her as being dull and undesirable, hindered her prospects of finding a husband. This di not phase Louisa, as her interest lies in writing poetry. Her mother, however, had different ideas. Forced to attend the duke’s famous revelry, as her mother saw it as her last chance to find a suitable husband. Someone who possessed a title.

Louisa dreaded going to the revelry, especially knowing her mother was pushing for to entertain the two most undesirable candidates. Then she met Ewan, a fellow poet, and the revelry no longer seems such a horrible place to be.

I enjoyed Louisa and Ewan’s story. They made a wonderful couple, but Ewan had a secret, which, if revealed, could ruin his chance with Louisa. This secret weighed heavily on him, the more he got to know Louisa. His support of her dreams enhanced their relationship. His romantic gestures were sweet and fitting.

Mischief and Mistletoe was a wonderful story, and I loved how it all worked out for Ewan and Louisa.


Grab a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy this collection of heartwarming Christmas stories. 📚Mistletoe Christmas would make a great addition to your Christmas reading list.

This is a fun read. Four short historical romance Christmas stories revolving around the mistletoe. Great escapist reading for fans of these genres and a good book to get in the Christmas mood. I particularly liked that the stories were short, you get to enjoy them separately, each in one go.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Duke of Greystoke is known far and wide for hosting the best Yuletide house party/grand soiree It’s not just an honor to be invited, but the Revelry (as it is known) has been the cause of not just delicious scandal but also some of the most prestigious wedding matches in the realm. Why, it’s known that the Duke has procured several special licenses for just such an opportunity.

So join us for this season of love and merriment with the magic of Christmastide.

As always, I will be reviewing each story individually and since this is a linked anthology I will discuss it as a whole at the end.

Let’s get to the Revelry!

--

A Mistletoe Kiss
Eloisa James

As the youngest of her father’s children, Lady Cressida has long devoted her life to her father, the Duke of Greystoke, and putting on his famous Yuletide Revelry. In fact, it would be more honest to call it Lady Cressida’s Revelry, but with her father dying, Cressida is looking forward to either marrying or retiring to the Scottish Estate in her dowry. But when her father uses the estate to coerce his heir, Viscount Valentine Derham (Val), her dreams are shattered. Worse, he expects her to continue planning the Revelry for her cousin long after he’s gone. What is Cressida to do?

I didn’t love this first entry into the anthology. I found it weak and the romance was far and away the weakest of the lot. Instalove is expected in shorter stories like this, but it felt like this story had the worst case of it. First off, the hero is Elias, Lord Darcy de Royleston... the BFF of Val and also a neighbor of the Duke’s. The Duke in this story is a huge bully and very much the antagonist but he’s almost too over the top. But honestly, my biggest complaint is that I just didn’t buy the relationship between the two leads.

Three Stars.

--

Wishing Under the Mistletoe
Christi Caldwell

Granddaughter to the Duke of Greystoke, Isabelle had long ago given up her dream of marriage to a man of common means when he threw himself into his work to the detriment of everything else in his life -- including her.. Now a talented playwright, Isabelle is called upon to stage the pantomimes and plays at what promises to be her grandfather’s final Revelry. She never expects to be paired up with Cyrus, her former fiance and the man who broke her heart. Nor does she expect to discover that she still has feelings for him ten years on.

I liked this story of a second chance class-difference romance initially but then it swerved into two of my least favorite tropes that still make me gnash my teeth. It is made very clear in the beginning who is at fault for the relationship failing -- Cyrus -- and that Isabelle did everything to communicate with him and even talk with him to no avail. It wasn’t Isabelle’s fault. At all. Which is why I absolutely hated that she said that she was at fault for not communicating with Cyrus. It totally belied what we saw in the prologue. There’s also a public proposal which is something I hate with a passion. The story also requires a heapton of suspension of disbelief to expect that the eldest daughter of an Earl and granddaughter of a Duke would be allowed to marry the son of a stablemaster without so much as blink of an eye. Too much, in fact. In addition, Cyrus is the man of business for Val and the Viscount and future duke seems totally okay with his employee marrying his cousin. I really didn’t love this entry. But I liked it up until the very end.

Two stars.

--

Compromise Under the Mistletoe
Janna MacGregor

Niece of the Duke of Greystoke, Caroline Whitmore has been abandoned all her life. First by her mother, then by her father, and finally by her husband. Unable to be ignored by her husband everywhere but in the bedroom, she flees to London and sets herself up as a patroness of the arts. But now, in order to get the remainder of her inheritance, she has to convince her dying uncle by the end of the Revelry that she and her husband, Stephen, have reconciled. The spark of attraction is still there. But is it enough to rekindle the flame of their relationship.

If this sounds familiar, to the second story with a second chance romance caused by the woman leaving a man who abandoned her for his work, then you are not alone. The Duke of Greystoke is once again a bully for this story (in the previous story he was much more sanguine and kind). However unlike the first and second stories in this anthology, I liked this one. The conflict worked and the relationship felt real and the fake/dating becomes real worked. I liked the fact that attraction had never been their problem... communicating and actually having a relationship that was built on more than sex was. The conflicts worked. The story worked.

Five Stars

--

Mischief & Mistletoe
Erica Ridley

On the verge of being put on the shelf, Louisa Harcourt must make an advantageous match by the end of the Revelry. But thanks to the scandal sheets calling her insipid and bland, this is a challenge. Especially since all Louisa wants to do is be a poet. She feels as though she’s found a kindred spirit in fellow poet, Mr. Ewan Reid, a friend of one of the men she’s supposed to be encouraging, Viscount Valentine Derham. Ewan seems to be the man of her dreams, but he’s harboring a terrible a secret. A secret which could shatter her to her very core.

This story has the most tenuous connection to the rest and I felt it would have been better had it been actually a romance between Val and Louisa... not Louisa and Ewan. First off, I really didn’t like the hero... it’s revealed very early on that he’s not actually a poet, but a scandalmonger and the very author of the scandal sheet which torpedoed her chances of a happy marriage. He’s a bully. Worse, he never comes clean to her until she accidentally reads his notebook after they’ve consummated their relationship. To his credit, he hadn’t promised her marriage. But still, he deceived her and was super dishonest with her. Worse still, I hated the ending of this. It felt way too rushed. And one of the main conflicts... their class-difference... was just waved away with flick of a hand. Additionally, we again get a public grovel and proposal... which is one of my most hated things ever.

Two stars.

Over all, I feel like this linked anthology collection was uneven. First off, the Duke... who appeared in each story varied wildly from story to story. He was a bully and horrid in James and MacGregor’s entries. Kindly but stern in Caldwell’s. And downright nice in Ridley’s (giving his blessing for the heroine to marry his heir). It felt like inconsistent characterization. Additionally, all three of the heroes are good friends of Val, the Duke’s heir. Yet none of them are mentioned in any of the other stories. Even events, locations, and characters appeared and disappeared as needed. It didn’t feel cohesive. Like there needed to be better communication between the authors or an overarching editor whose job was to make sure continuity existed. It is possible.

Additionally, I felt like the stories needed to be shifted around so that the two second chance romances weren’t right by each other. Additionally, only one story should have had a distant epilogue... since the two that did contradicted each other.

Honestly, I didn’t love this anthology. Two entries featured tropes I hate... which is a personal thing. But it also needed a better continuity editor, which is a less personal thing.

Averaging everything together this anthology gets... 2.5 stars. Which in the spirit of the season I’ll round up to:

Three Stars

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley

Mistletoe Christmas is a compilation of four stories, each revolving around the Duke of Greystoke’s annual holiday house party, the Revelry. It is known for bringing together the most influential people of England and is the most important event outside of the Season.

The first story, A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James, involves the Duke of Greystoke’s daughter, Cressida (Cressie), and Lord Darcy de Royleston (Elias). On his deathbed, the Duke secures a promise from his nephew, his heir, to continue with the Revelry for 10 more years. Cressie, who is the actual brains behind the Revelry, does not want to continue. Cressie would rather find a husband, even though she has not been afforded a season and has not had much male attention. The nephew’s best friend, Elias, is looking for a wife and decides to consider Cressie.

I found this story to be quite charming. The characters are likeable, and I found myself rooting for them. Even though this is a short story, the author does a good job allowing the characters feelings to develop. It doesn’t feel rushed or forced. There is one sex scene. It’s not particularly graphic, much more focused on emotions than the physical act, so it scores a Sensual on the heat scale. I highly recommend this story and I rate it as a 4.5.



The second story, Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell, involves one of the Duke’s granddaughters, Lady Isabelle Wilkshire, and her once fiancé, Mr. Cyrus Hill. Isabelle cut off her engagement with Cyrus when she felt he was more interested in his work than with starting a life with her. She left and pursued her passion for writing plays. Ten years later, Isabelle is invited to attend and produce the pantomime for the Revelry. It also happens that Cyrus, who had become successful as an investment manager, is invited to attend with his friend, the future heir to the dukedom. Isabelle and Cyrus are assigned to work together on the pantomime.

I enjoyed the author’s writing style and storytelling. The characters were interesting and not the typical lord or lady. However, the idea that these characters would suddenly acknowledge their faults and responsibilities in their break-up, 10 years after the fact, and in a matter of days be completely able to forgive and forget is unrealistic. There is one sex scene in this story. More time is spent telling of the emotions surrounding this act that the actual sex itself. I give this story a classification of Sensual on the heat scale. I would give this story a 3.5 rating, pretty good but some minor problems.



The third story, Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor, involves Caroline Whitmore, niece of the Duke of Greystoke, and Lord Stephen. After a year of marriage, and feeling ignored, Caroline left Stephen and moved to London. A year later, Caroline would like to gain her trust fund money and must convince her Uncle, the Duke of Greystoke, that she and Stephen have reunited.

This was a pretty good story. The characters were relatable, and the author did a good job of bringing empathy for them. She also did a good job of telling how the characters begin to see one another’s perspectives. This story has one sex scene which is quite descriptive, therefore it earns a score of Hot on the heat scale. I liked this story a lot and give it a rating of 4.5.



The fourth story, Mischief & Mistletoe by Erica Ridley, is the story of Miss Louisa Harcourt and Mr. Ewan Reid. As neighbors of the Duke of Greystoke, Louisa and her mother receive an invitation every year to the Revelry. At this year’s event, her mother is determined for her daughter to find a husband. Louisa reluctantly agrees although she would prefer to spend her time writing poetry. Surprisingly, Louisa is drawn to a gentleman known as a poet. Ewan keeps to himself, portraying the image of the brooding poet, but he is not what he seems to be.

This story was the frustrating for me to read. I disliked Ewan and it made it difficult to enjoy. While behaving in a manner to assist a family member, Ewan did awful things. It was also quite unbelievable that Louisa, who had suffered from the Ewan’s past actions, was able to simply forgive and forget in a matter of a hours. There is one sex scene in this story. It is short and not very detailed. I give this story a heat score of Sensual. The story I give a score of 3.

~ Andrea