Cover Image: Blame It on the Mistletoe

Blame It on the Mistletoe

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Member Reviews

Loved the concept, loved the festive element, loved the setting! Didn't love the pacing as much. This is YA, which isn't for everyone, but I love a good YA book! Some bullying, so a trigger warning for that!

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This was cute but pretty cheesy.
I did really like the Christmas feels in the book. I like life swapping stories but I didn’t end up enjoying it as much as I would have hoped. It didn't feel like a lot actually happened so it left a lot to be desired.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

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This was just a dnf for me. I tried to get through the first few chapters but I was never drawn in. I'm not sure, but it felt very young, which is probably just a personal reflection, but either way I decided to not finish it.

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This one was okay, but definitely a bit on the younger side. The swap premise was cute but very familiar. Overall, it was fun for a holiday read, but nothing groundbreaking.

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A fun YA Christmas story. It was filled with emotion and heart. At the beginning there was some confusion, but it started to make sense the more I read. A fun read!

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Blame It on the Mistletoe by Beth Garrod is a bit of a twist on The Holiday with a social media twist for the YA crowd. It's cute holiday romp that's as sweet as a cup of hot cocoa.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

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This was the perfect book to put me into the holiday season. I loved the overall concept of this book, where are two main characters switch places in order to experience something new and accomplish something they are after. I adored the part that social media had to play in this book as one of the two main characters is working on upping her following so she can start partnering with brands again. And I loved how and old friend/ current enemy came around to support her. And all the fun chrismasy things was perfect atmosphere for this book

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If made-for-TV Disney movies of the 90s were made into a book, this would be it! Blame It on the Mistletoe by Beth Garrod is a YA contemporary set during the Christmas season about two very different girls swapping lives to spice up their holiday season. Elle is a social media star trying to build her channel, and Holly is a Christmas-loving girl in small town UK. When Elle joins a challenge with several other influencers, she has to do something drastic to get the followers she needs or risk losing her account and starting over. That’s when she decides to swap lives with one of her followers, and the story begins.

I liked Holly. Holly is what every teen girl is at one point in their life. I love her enthusiasm for Christmas, her love of lists, and how dedicated a friend she is to her two best mates. However, Holly like a lot of people lives with blinders on. What she sees on social media she believes as truth. The perfection of her favorite content creator’s life leaves Holly wanting more for her own. When her mom announces that they are moving in with her boyfriend and selling her childhood home, her sister won’t be home in time for Christmas, and her ex-boyfriend has seemingly moved on, Holly needs an escape. So she does the most un-Holly-like thing she can think of: messages @oneelleofatime and offers to swap places with her.

Elle is a little harder to like, at least she was for me. She is a content creator who has spent the last year rebuilding her brand on a new account after internet bullying caused her to close her previous one. She is so focused on what she puts on this account that her real life suffers. No one knows the real Elle, not even Elle herself. She posts what she thinks her followers will like instead of what she likes. When one of the most popular girls at her school invites her to a social media competition, Elle reluctantly agrees. The winner of the competition will get to keep their account and become a member of @whatthepeakgirlsdo, run by a couple of girls in the area. It’s what Elle thinks she wants, but with her real life feeling so far out of reach she doesn’t know anymore. So she takes Holly up on her offer.

I really enjoyed the swap aspect of the story though as a 30-something woman I had a hard time buying that a parent would let their teen fly solo to another country, even if they were switching places and staying with a childhood friend. After I suspended my own belief a bit, I found the story really enjoyable. The writing style is what drew me in more than anything. It’s conversational, like Elle or Holly is speaking directly to the reader pulling you into the story and keeping you engaged and invested in their adventure. There are many laugh out loud moments and moments that will make you remember what it is like to be a teen in love 😉

Overall, I really enjoyed Blame It on the Mistletoe. While it was more YA than I care for my own tastes, this would appeal to older tweens and young teens. Elle and Holly are fun, different, and easy to relate to. The story itself, their Christmas adventures, and yes even their swoony romances will appeal to younger audiences. Highly recommend!

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The perfect YA holiday novel to get you in the Christmas spirit!

I don’t read many YA books but this one still caught my attention!

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I am always down for a Christmas book, especially one that involves a super cute romance so I was super excited to delve into this one at last! Elle and Holly have decided to switch houses for the holidays, and each have their own reasons for doing so.

Elle is a popular influencer on social media who has joined a competition that could make or break her account - in a bid for more followers, she decides to switch houses with one of her followers. Holly is a Christmas fanatic but big changes at home combined with a need to show her ex just how spontaneous she can be leads to her decision to head to America for Christmas. The fact that she's switching houses with her favorite social media star? BONUS! And our story continues from there...

I loved how festive this book was! It was all about Christmas which is my favourite time of the year, so that really helped me get invested in the story. But, I didn't love the writing style - it felt a little juvenile and chaotic. There were enough good moments throughout to keep my attention though, and I'm glad I finished the book!

In terms of romance, I preferred Holly's story to Elle's - I didn't feel as invested in Elle's romance, it kind of felt thrown in out of necessity and there wasn't enough interaction/build up to make it believable. Holly and Nick, however, had a bit more going for them. I definitely enjoyed their arc a lot more!

Overall, this is a cute story with some really sweet moments, but I wouldn't say it's a must-read. Great for a quick, light read to get you in the holiday spirit though! It has some good take-home messages throughout as well, which is great for the younger groups who may read this.

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I started this book, but struggled to connect with the stories and characters. I loved the blurb and holiday setting, and look forward to finishing one day as I am sure the story is sweet!

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This book was so cute and funny! I am a sucker for holiday books, and this one hit all the right notes. It was sweet and the characters were all lovable.

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Blame it on the Mistletoe is like The Holiday, but the young adult version. This book started off al little bit slow for me. But once the girl's swapped places to experience Christmas in a brand new- to - them environment, it got better. Blame it on the Mistletoe is an easy, lighthearted read full of Christmas magic. If you enjoy cheesy Hallmark-esque Christmas movies and young adult books, then you will love Blame it on the Mistletoe!

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This was a very festive book but it was difficult for me to get through. I love a good romance but the ending annoyed me. I don't like when couples get together just because they have to.

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Every time I have a hard time finishing a YA novel, I convince myself that I've outgrown the genre, and this book made me want to quit a couple of times because I simply couldn't connect with the characters.

Elle is a social media star and influencer living her best life online in the USA. In her hopes to win an Instagram competition to become part of a popular social media group, she convinces one of her followers, Holly, to swap lives with her by moving to her beautiful small village in England. Holly is obsessed with Christmas, and she has been following Elle for years. Delighted by the idea and dealing with her own heartbreak, Holly decides to take on the deal, and the two teenagers moved to the other's home for a whole month. But things don't seem like they appear, and Holly and Elle have to deal with heartbreak and choices that put both of them in a hard spot.. one they might never recover from.

I truly wanted to like this book. Not only is it a sweet holiday story, but both main characters seem lovely and relatable. However, I do think this book is more for a younger audience as I found some of the two girls' choices truly immature and childish, which is expected from teenagers.

I found the story rather unbelievable, as I don't think any reasonable parent would allow their teenage daughter to move across the pond to live in a stranger's home. However, I kinda liked the vibe of a not-so-realistic Christmas story.

It was a fun read but I kept rolling my eyes at the choices these girls were making. I liked most of the characters and the plot was easy to get into. Overall not too bad but would not read it again.

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This was honestly fine. Nothing sticks out exactly. It was just cute.

I suppose my only gripe is that the writing and editing could have been a bit better. But if you’re looking for a sweet little Christmas read that’s fast and easy to get through, you might enjoy it.

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A cute, festive, YA rom-com! I loved the winter aspect of this book and it was so cute how the couples got together. YA readers will enjoy this book for sure. I wish the romances had been fleshed out a little more- they felt rushed in the entirety of the novel. I love to hear about how their romances really develop and sometimes it takes a little while for those remances to start- even with teens!

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great romance and loved that it very social media influenced and loved that it took place over Christmas. Loved holly and elle that they both find love.

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This is a cute wintery rom com perfect to read when the weather warms up and you find yourself wanting to imagine the cold. The story was cute, the sort of comforting expected elements you want from a rom com. The characters were well fleshed out, though the love interest wasn’t as interesting to me as some of the side characters. Typical rom com shenanigans make this a great lighthearted read

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