I generally don't read short stories because I get frustrated that they are short. I really like to read! However, because these were all set at the same party it worked for me. The first two stories were the best. I loved them. The third was weak. I also really liked the last.

This is one of those rare anthologies where all of the stories were well written and each one was a reading pleasure. I also appreciated very much that the characters behaved true to the period. I can't really pick a favorite as they were all good. The setting is at the Duke of Greystoke's Christmas Revelry, an annual event where invitations are much coveted. Many marriages have occurred because of the Revelry.

In Eloisa James' story, the heroine is the Duke's daughter, who has always thought she was plain. Her father has also discouraged her from marrying since he wants her available to organize the Revelry. Her admirer had a different opinion of her looks and her future.

Christi Caldwell's story is about a young woman, one of the Duke's granddaughters, who was betrothed for almost three years to a common man obsessed with building wealth. Ten years after she ended their betrothal, can these two find their way back to each other?

Janna MacGregor's story is about Lady Caroline, the Duke's niece, and her husband, a man so irresistible that even cows love him. The two parted a year previously, but are going to attend the Revelry together. Lady Caroline needs the Duke to believe that they are reconciled when the opposite is true.

Erica Ridley's story is about a young woman whose mother is desperate for her to marry a man with a title. Louisa is desperate to have time to herself to write her poetry, not for marriage, not yet. Then she meets Ewan Reid, a man who presents himself as a poet. Can he be her match?

I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it to any lover of well-written Regency romance. I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. These are my opinions of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the chance to read an early copy of this book.

This is an anthology of linked stories centered around a Christmas party. I loved the Erica Ridley story (the last one), though that was inevitable because I adore her so much, and this was charming and witty as always. The middle two stories weren't to my taste. I had mixed feelings about the first story, by Eloisa James--I was off-put by the hero 1) thinking that the heroine's hair was fake, and 2) reminiscing about becoming romantically interested in the heroine when he was 16 and she was 5 (gross). Additionally, while I love that the heroine is big and beautiful and that the hero celebrates her curves, the incorporation of breeding kink was VERY jarring. But I overall liked the story, especially because there's some good grovel and it's not the climax of the story but instead they get to reset their relationship and rebuild it halfway through.

Overall a mixed bag for me, but worth a read for the first and fourth stories.

Four romance writers. Four novellas set at 'the' Christmas house party of the Regency era.

I enjoyed Eloisa James' and Christi Caldwell's stories, but they felt a bit stilted. Yet, I really loved the stories by Janna MacGregor and Erica Ridley.

All in all, a lovely Christmas romance read.

Mistletoe Christmas is a delightful holiday anthology with short stories from Eloisa James, Christi Caldwell, Janna MacGregor and Erica Ridley. This is going to be a perfect winter read for anyone who loves reading holiday stories. While the tile does include "Christmas" the stories all center around the party. This is a great holiday or winter read for those looking to get into that spirit.

Eloisa James brings us a story of an overlooked Daughter, who is in fact the genius behind this grand party. It is sweet with some spicy conflict and a sweet romance. Christi Caldwell brings us a Christmas Carol retelling that made my actor heart very happy! Her heroine is a playwright who has to work with the man she was once betrothed to. Janna MacGregor brings us an estranged couple who pretend to be reconciled to gain an inheritance. I love stories about married couples finding their way back to each other. This story has some lovely humor too. Erica Ridley's story brings us a poetess and a secret scandal sheet writer.

Highly remained this fun anthology!

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. #EloisaJames #ChristiCaldwell #JannaMacGregor #EricaRidley #MistletoeChristmas #NetGalley

This Christmas anthology sparkles with witty dialogue, poignant emotion, steamy interludes, and happy endings. The four stories, featuring characters all in attendance at the Revelry, interweave with one another while each standing on its own. They all pulled me in, kept me entertained, and gave me four happily-ever-after endings brimming with good feelings and holiday cheer.

"A Mistletoe Kiss" by Eloisa James

The anthology leads off with a strong story about a young woman whose father (the duke) has turned her into little better than a slave to fuel his societal ambitions and the rich, handsome, and charming man next door whose eyes are suddenly opened to her well-hidden value. Their story is filled with witty banter, humor, a truly good hero (so much fun watching him fall hard and have to work hard for his happy ending), and one of my all-time favorite James heroines. I adored Cressie. Watching her blossom, recognize her worth, and claim her happiness was everything I could have wanted.


"Wishing Under the Mistletoe" by Christi Caldwell

This second-chance romance showcases the depth of Caldwell's writing skills. I love second chances and Isabelle and Cyrus surely deserved one. I respected Isabelle for following her own path and demanding that she be valued, even at the expense of her own happiness. My heart ached for Cyrus and his misplaced priorities. Their second chance brought growth, tenderness, forgiveness, understanding, a reawakening of love, and a truly splendid grand gesture. As usual, with a Christi Caldwell story, there were heartfelt sighs and happy tears.


"Compromise Under the Mistletoe" by Janna MacGregor

Marriage in trouble is the focus of MacGregor's novella and it's a trope she uses a deft hand to explore in this tale of love, yearning, and miscommunication. I enjoyed the layers of emotion in this tale, the individual growth of both Caroline and Stephen, the flickers of desire still simmering between them that were allowed to slowly but surely grow as they worked through the issues separating them, and the developing understanding and compromise that allowed them to once again claim happiness as a couple.


"Mischief and Mistletoe" by Erica Ridley

Ridley's writing chops shine in this fourth novella. If I hadn't read her yet, this novella would have had me seeking out her back list immediately. I adored Isabella and Ewan. They were so perfect for one another. I didn't love what Ewan was doing but I understood his reasons...and his ultimate mea culpa and grand gesture were definitely sigh-worthy. Watching Isabella come into her own was an absolute delight. These two took me on a ride filled with sighs, tears, laughter, and happy endings.

4.5 Stars

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

You can tell that the holidays are imminent with the influx of Christmas collections. Here are a few more historical romance authors coming together.

This collection of stories will take you back to 1815 England. Four couples are attending the coveted Christmas Revelry hosted by a manipulative Duke, still trying to orchestrate people's lives from his deathbed.

A Mistletoe Kiss - Lady Cressida (youngest daughter of the Duke of Greystoke) is the master behind the scenes making each year's Revelry a success.
Elias, Lord Dorcy de Royleston, plans to marry Lady Cressida, but first he has to convince her that he truly wants her and that he hasn't been incentivized to marry her.

Wishing Under the Mistletoe - Cyrus Hill and Lady Isabelle Wilkshire were engaged until his work and push to make more and become more powerful pushed Isabelle away. Meeting again at the Revelry is Cyrus's second chance.

Compromise Under the Mistletoe - Lord Stephen and Lady Caroline Whitmore have been separated for a year. She walked out on him after he put everything in his life before her. She needs him to pretend their marriage is solid so the Duke will release her trust, Stephen plans to woo his wife during the next twelve days to win her back.

Mischief & Mistletoe - Ewan Reid is at the Christmas Revelry as a brooding poet. Louisa Harcourt is attending in a last attempt to find a titled husband or resign herself to becoming a spinster. They both know they have no future, but are willing to pretend they do during the twelve days of the Revelry. Shared passions and common interests create a deep bond neither wish to end.

This is a lovely historical, holiday romance. New romances and second chance romances for you to enjoy over the holidays.

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This yuletide anthology features four romances that unfold during The Duke of Greystoke’s exclusive Christmas Revelry –where conspicuously placed mistletoe causes a bit of good trouble in this well-paced anthology. Each short story features determined heroines who aren’t afraid to defy society’s rules when it comes to their passions or true loves.

A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Lady Cressida’s cantankerous father may get all glory for the annual Christmas Revelry but she is the actual mastermind behind the magnificent house party. She loves planning the event but with her father drawing close to death and her dowry being threatened, she finds herself considering an impromptu marriage proposal from Lord Elias Darcy de Royleston.

Cressida was undoubtedly the star of this story, I liked seeing how much effort she put into making the Revelry a big success. There were a lot of details in this story showing how Cressida was able to achieve visual effects and high-concept decorations to keep the party goers delighted. This made it really easy to visualize the opulent setting. Watching Cressida’s passion for creating spectacular events gives Elias a newfound appreciation for her in this spirited and steamy winter romance.

Wishing Under The Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Cyrus Hill is a bit of a Scrooge, he’d rather spend Christmas with his numbers than at the Revelry. That is until he is made to work on the annual pantomime with his ex-fiancée, renowned playwright Lady Isabelle Wilkshire. I don’t read a lot of second-chance romances but this story made me want to read more of this trope. Having a shared history added an extra layer of tension to the story as Isabelle helps Cyrus find his joy again as they put on a show-stopping pantomime party-goers won’t soon forget. A top-notch romance with a swoon-worthy finale. Also, bonus points for a historical romance with a heroine over thirty.

Compromise Under The Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Lady Caroline Whitmore walked out on her inattentive husband a year ago, but for the Revelry she will play the part of a happily married woman to gain access to her trust and open the art gallery of her dreams. But to her husband Stephen Whitmore this isn’t a game–he wants her back for good. This is one of those stories where the hero has to perform a world-class grovel to get this heroine back. I enjoyed the instant chemistry between the former newlyweds which made this second-chance romance such an engaging read. Once again I’m all in for the second-chance trope.

Mischief & Mistletoe by Erica Ridley
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
By the end of the Revelry Louisa Harcourt will secure a titled husband In the meantime, she plans to spend her last days of freedom seducing the brooding poet, Ewan Reid. Except Ewan is not actually a poet– but an undercover gossip columnist trying to make enough money to publish a legitimate newspaper. In addition to the steamy romance and scandalous affair this book also had a great mother-daughter relationship. This witty and humorous story was probably my favorite of the anthology.

We have a little smorgasbord with this book, a little bit of everything. You have 4 of the best historical romance authors out there, so if you don't like one of them you will like the other one, so grab. and enjoy. This is a wonderful Christmas treat for my historical romance

What can I say. I liked this book. Must read. Do it. If you do anything else. Read this book today. Great read and enjoyable.

The Revelry is England's most well-known Christmastide country house party. Credit for the amazing party is given to the Old Duke (a cruel man on his deathbed) but it is really his youngest daughter, Cressie, who deserves all the accolades. There are four stories in this anthology. Cressie is emotionally abused by her father who only wants her for her work on the party. He buys her dowdy clothes, tells her she's plain and no man would want her. The last straw, he gives his heir her dowry, a Scottish castle she was planning to use as her home. The cousin casually tells his friend he should marry her, a plain mouse of a wife is less trouble than a beautiful one. The friend goes along after some cruel words of his own. Except for taking place in the winter there really isn't much about Christmas. Unfortunately, the next two stories have exactly the same plot. Isabelle and Caroline leave their mates, one a fiancé, the other a husband because they work too much and ignore them. Both couples have to realize they need to communicate better. Louisa, a dutiful daughter, must find a duke to marry to please her mother. The Revelry is her last chance. A poet herself, she'd rather get to know the poor but famous poet in attendance. He has a secret he's afraid to tell her. This book fell a little flat to me. Parts I enjoyed, others not so much. Having the same plot in two of the stories dragged it down. Also, couple gets caught in a sudden snowstorm, but wait! Isn't that an unused cabin with firewood, a bed, and a charcuterie board?!

If you love Christmas Romances, especially Historical Romance then Mistletoe Christmas: An Anthology should be on your list as a gift to yourself. Four of my favorite Historical Romance authors combine in this one to deliver a fun, sizzling, emotional glimpse into the annual Christmas house party thrown by the Duke of Greystoke – and more than a little mischief is going to happen at this year’s event.

The individual novellas included in this anthology are A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James, Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell, Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor, and Mischief and Mistletoe by Erica Ridley. I enjoyed all of the stories, of course, some more than others, but each reader is going to have their own favorites in this anthology.

I loved the overall arc to this Christmas Revelry party, it’s full of mischief, love found when completely unexpected, a bit of drama, lots of chuckles, and sizzling encounters galore. I had fun here and without giving away spoilers, I think any reader who loves a good Historical Christmas Romance will fall in love with Mistletoe Christmas: An Anthology quite easily.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Mistletoe Christmas is a holiday romance Anthology from four prolific historical romance authors. Each story takes place around The Revelry, the grandest of all holiday gatherings invitations of which are given to a chosen few and where partnerships are formed not just in business but thru marriage as well. Eloisa James’ A Mistletoe Kiss, starts the party wherein love at a deeper glance develops between two individuals who’ve known each other for years but takes the magic of the season and the Revelry for feelings to develop. In Christie Caldwell’s Wishing Under the Mistletoe, parted lovers reunite after a decade at the Revelry where they discovered that maybe second chances are worth pursuing. While an estranged married couple reunites to get an inheritance but finds out that proving to be a loving devoted couple is not as hard or as unwelcome as they presumed, in Janna MacGregor’s Compromise Under the Mistletoe. Finally, a young lady must find her match before she’s declared on the shelf for good but the one that her gaze keeps drifting to is the one that seems unsuitable to her mother. But this is the Revelry and anything can happen in Erica Ridley’s Mischief & Mistletoe. All the stories are wonderful and integrates well with each others’ storylines. And all four can be a favorite for every lover of historical romance. It is witty and funny, excellent progression and pacing and wonderful well developed characters which makes it difficult to pick favorites. A truly enjoyable holiday romance!

The annual Christmas Revelry hosted by the Duke of Greystoke has become notorious throughout England for its creative entertainments, and even more so the scandals and hasty marriages that often result after the two-week-long house party. The true mastermind behind the Revelry is the duke’s daughter, Lady Cressida, who goes unnoticed by most and is relegated to the position of spinster by her own father, until her cousin’s friend begins to see her in a new light. Her cousin, Lady Isabelle, is more interested in finally directing the annual pantomime than in marriage, especially after the dissolution of her engagement to her beloved ten years ago. Lady Caroline Whitmore is less than happily married, but she and her estranged husband, Lord Stephen, must pretend all is well if she hopes to receive her inheritance. Perhaps no one dreads the festivities as much as Miss Louisa Harcourt, whose mother has decreed that she must marry before the end of the fortnight. Possibilities are endless with such a large house so full of mistletoe and charming activities.

A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James: 4.5 stars
Lady Cressida has been overlooked for years because the Revelry’s execution and planning have consumed her life. Her father has claimed the Revelry and its influence as his legacy and has made sure Cressie has appeared as somewhat less than desirable to potential suitors, so she’d be forced to stay in his home and run it. When he gives her dowry estate to her cousin, that is the last straw. Fortunately, her cousin is somewhat of a matchmaker himself and quietly pushes his friend Elias, Lord Darcy de Royleston, into Cressie’s path. Elias almost immediately realizes there is much more to Cressie than anyone has noticed but getting her to believe in and return his regard is no easy feat.

This was a charming story as Cressie learned to see herself as more than the box her father had pushed her into and to have confidence in herself despite the hateful things he said to her. I loved how Elias was so doggedly determined to open Cressie’s eyes to his real feelings and that he stood up for her to others. This was probably my favorite story of the collection.

Wishing under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell: 4 stars
The fact that Cyrus Hill was merely the stablemaster’s son never mattered to Lady Isabelle. The two were always fast friends and she loved him with her whole heart, a sentiment he returned. But once the two became engaged, Cyrus became obsessed with his work and in an effort to amass great wealth and give Isabelle the life he felt she deserved. None of that mattered to Isabelle who grew tired of waiting for Cyrus’ attention and broke the engagement to pursue her passion for playwriting. Now, ten years later, the two are thrown together as partners in planning the Revelry’s annual pantomime. Much to their chagrin, the passion of old still exists between them, but they both know that’s not always enough.

This was a sweet second chance story and I loved that both Cyrus and Isabelle were mature and self-aware enough to realize and acknowledge the role they both played in the dissolution of their engagement. This made their reconciliation all the sweeter as they came to a new understanding and learned from their old mistakes. They were very endearing as a couple, and I was left believing their relationship would be a solid and lasting one.

Compromise under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor 3/5
Lady Caroline Whitmore has been living in London, estranged from her husband, Lord Stephen, for the past year. She is only meeting him now because they must put on a display indicative of matrimonial bliss if she hopes to receive her inheritance from her uncle, the duke. Stephen has missed his wife and is determined to find out where it all went wrong, but Caroline is wary of being hurt again so it will take some effort for these two to meet in the middle.

This one was probably my least favorite of the collection, but it was still a solid story. I think the steamy connection between Stephen and Caroline was handled well. The two had always been able to get along well in the bedroom but not outside so I was afraid they would fall into bed too quickly here. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, and we got to see them learn how to communicate in a mature and open way that I found satisfying. Caroline was frustrating for me as she had her guard up so high that Stephen’s efforts at fixing things and trying to talk to her were often shut down before he even got started. Luckily for her, he was very determined and eventually won her over with some middle ground and I was happy to see them both learn to give a little and understand one another more.

Mistletoe & Mischief by Erica Ridley 3/5
After a couple of failed seasons, shy heiress Louisa Harcourt is firmly on the shelf. Her mother has decreed that she must marry by the end of the party, but all Louisa wants is a quiet corner in which to write her poetry. When she meets brooding poet Ewan Reid, Louisa amends those desires to include holing up in a cozy writing retreat with him. But Ewan has a secret and when Louisa learns the truth, he’s sure she’ll want nothing more to do with him.

I didn’t love this story, but I still enjoyed it. I think Louisa’s mother and her ultimatums would’ve proven too much if this had been a full-length novel and her ridiculousness had been allowed to carry on for longer. As it was, having to contend with her in this short story was more than enough, especially when her resistance faded away so unbelievably quickly. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Louisa, who somehow felt a bit flat to me. Ewan had a bit more depth but his inner monologues about his situation with his grandfather and their business grew rather repetitive. I did like Ewan and Louisa as a couple however, and I’m glad their spat upon the revelation of Ewan’s secret didn’t last too long. Ewan also gets bonus points for a great public declaration.

Overall, this was an excellent collection with lots of stories that are perfect to curl up and spend a few hours of escape with.

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

Well it’s no secret that I love Christmas. Some would consider that a gross understatement, and well…they’d be right. So a romance anthology for Christmas stories- basically the equivalent of me being able to binge eat garlic bread while wearing sweatpants…aka- living the dream. This anthology all vibes together- I actually have not read one like that before! They all take place at an event called The Revelry (which is basically like a Kardashian Christmas party but way before Kardashians ran the world). You get to read about various couples experiences at The Revelry and my inner celebrity sleuth would have loved to get an invite to The Revelry!

I should mention that there are two second chance romances in this book. I know, I genuinely rarely vibe with that trope but I was into these! I can’t explain it other than amazing writing and the magic of Christmas… but sign me up for rooting for these second chance romances!

Overall I would rank the steam level at a 3 out of 5.
It’s hard to rank an anthology because you feel like you should rate every section individually but let’s call this a 4 star read! I can totally see myself rereading this in the holiday season of 2022!

My only question when I finished this book was…BUT WHAT ABOUT DERHAM?! Can we expect another installment where I can learn of his fate? Does it already exist and I don’t know about it?! Someone tell me!

I had not read these authors before and was happy to discover that Janna MacGregor lives in my neck of the woods! And other random facts about the authors as well (seriously, read their bios to find out which is married to a genuine Italian knight!)

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy of this book!

I absolutely loved this super cute (and steamy!) Christmas anthology based around a huge annual Christmas party. I think that because each story is shorter than a whole novel and can be read independently, it would be a great introduction for anyone looking to get into romance, particularly historical romance. It definitely made me more excited for Christmas!

Wow, what a wonderful group of authors who got together for this anthology. They are all top notch, and their stories were wonderful. Who doesn’t love a house party where the attendees get into trouble? I enjoyed all the stories so much. Would love to see another collection from these authors.

I didn't know about this one since its a combination of four authors and three I hadn't read yet, well needless to say this was a happy surprise of how much I loved these little novellas that complete a the story around the Duke's huge Christmas party- we get to look into many different lives with this one. I loved all the writing and enjoy each of the flow with the plots, characters that build throughout the books, side characters, so many different voices, the party though many eyes, and just the whole party. We get 4 HEA's with this one!

I'm going to have to read more of the back list of these authors as I really enjoyed this and each their novellas. I don't think I have read an Anthology before but especially around the holiday books this is a cute idea!

5 stars
3.5 steam

I received an advanced reader's copy of a Mistletoe Christmas by Eloisa James, Christi Caldwell, Janna MacGregor, and Erica Ridley.

I love that the stories in this anthology were tied together with the characters attending the same house party.

I like the characters in Eloisa James's story A Mistletoe Kiss. Cressida was interesting in that she was so skilled in planning yet felt inadequate in other aspects of her life. Elias's kindness made him a good match for Cressida.

Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell is a wonderful second chance romance. There was great tension between Cyrus Hill and Isabelle Wilkshire. They both had to do introspection to realize that they each played a part in their break up long ago.

Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janne MacGregor is another lovely second chance romance. Caroline Whitmore and Stephen Whitmore had to learn to be vulnerable and communicate with one another.

Mischief and Mistletoe by Erica Ridley is an endearing story. Louisa Harcourt has dreams other than what her family duty dictates and she find a supportive partner in Ewan Reid. However, they have some secrets and hurdles to overcome first.