I enjoyed these holiday themed stores. I think Great Scot was my favorite. All three were perfect for taking you to the Regency era for the holidays.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Really lovely collection of holiday romances that I enjoyed and will most likely revisit for years to come!

I love these holiday historical romance anthologies! This one was full of wonderful characters and all the holiday cheer.

A collection of three novella length stories set around Christmas. The three stories are all well rounded and read like full length stories. The couples all go through their trials as they fall in love and come out the other side stronger than before. A heartwarming collection to read for the holidays.

hree great Christmas novellas packed into one book! I loved another story about the MacTaggerts!! I’m not as familiar with the other authors, but their stories were engaging and fun Christmas reads. I especially love the Christmas theme names in the last story of the book.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

A lovely trio of Christmas themed stories that have a slightly different twist than finding a husband at a ball. In fact, all three of these feature women not interested, at least initially, in finding a husband at all. What made these stories so entertaining, was the path each took, in their own way, to helping them find their HEA. A very delightful collection. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my freely given, honest review.

I wasn't quite ready to leave Christmas behind just yet and this anthology was a great way to extend the holidays just a tad longer. All 3 novellas were enjoyable, light-hearted reads that put you in the Christmas spirit. I'm not generally one for historical romances but found myself really being entertained by these and wanting to read more.

All 3 novellas feature women who come across as strong-willed and seem to know what they want....that is, until they meet the men who change throw them for a bit of a curve and give them a much different outcome. All have a HEA and though separate stories and not connected in any way, they all feature a Scottish Christmas theme. I really loved the Scottish setting and though I sometimes struggled with some of the terminology used, I started to hear a Scottish accent in my mind when reading.

Great Scot by Suzanne Enoch: This is a novella in the Wild Wicked Highlanders series. I have not read any part of this series (yet) and at times did feel like I was missing some background. However, it can be read as a stand-alone if you don't focus on the intertwined characters and just take in the story of a young woman, Jane, who believes she is destined to be an "old maid" and should accept her role as lady's companion and a widower, Brennan Andrews, who is a cousin of the MacTaggerts. The instalove theme for this couple was perfect and I really enjoyed the characters and the MacTaggert family and found myself wanting to read more about them.

Christmas at Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey: This novella is about a feisty heroine, Isabelle, who starts off by mistaking a guard for a deer and shoots him - luckily the bullet just grazes his arm. The hero is the Duke's grandson, "Gate", who is on a mission to help his grandfather fulfill a dying wish to find the tree in which he engraved his and his deceased wife's initials in many years ago. Isabelle is afraid to let herself find love as she saw what it did to her mom but Gate won't let it go that easily.

My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett: This novella starts with our heroine, Eva, breaking into the apartment of the Earl of Frotsbrough, Jack, to reclaim the pocketwatch he won from her father during a card game, as it is of great sentimental value. When the Earl catches her, he proposes a trade - the pocketwatch in exchange for Eva pretending to be the woman he is courting, so he can please his grandmother and not have to come clean about having made up a courtship. What initially starts as a scheme turns to much more - but can it last or will their past come back to hurt them? I enjoyed the banter and the back and forth between the Earl and Eva. Of the 3 novellas, this was my favorite.

Loved this collection. I felt lost reading the first story until I realized it was part of a series'. I really like Jane and Brennan. In the 2nd story the connection between Gayestone and Isabelle.. I hate how she wouldn't allow herself to care due to her mother past relationships.

Kissing Under the Mistletoe
by Suzanne Enoch; Amelia Grey; Anna Bennett

I received an e-arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ok so up front I’m a mood reader and I had to be in a Christmas mood to read a Christmas book and it’s been a tough year and I’m a busy mom of young kids so it took me forever to finish this book but I’m so glad I did.

First up Suzanne Enoch. If you’ve read her other books than many of the characters will be familiar to you and the warm wit and effortless charm we’ve come to expect from her presents a strong start for this collection of novellas. If you’re a Suzanne Enoch reader you’ll want to read this too.

Next up a new to me author Amelia Grey.
I appreciated the unique set up of noble ladies earning their keep by running their home as a prestigious country inn and conversely the hero, a nobleman without tasks who finds that he wants meaningful work to do. These two learn about themselves as much as they learn about each other after meeting in the woods.

Finally new to me author Anna Bennett. Wow! This one was my favorite. We start off with immediate action. Jack and Eva… swoon. They’re both feisty, stubborn, witty, prickly but sweet and loyal. Basically Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy but with even more fun banter and way more making out and other stuff. The steam is palpable with this one. A must read!

5/5

I absolutely adored all three of these stories! This is the first I've read from all three authors, however I cannot wait to read more of their work.
All three were fun, sweet and romantic. Feisty woman who were bold and determined for their time, was rather refreshing.

Thank you all,for wonderful Christmastime adventures.

This is a cute, quick Christmas anthology. I enjoyed the stories and they gave me a taste of the authors current writing styles.I probably won’t revisit these stories but enjoyed the time I spent with them.

I loved every single one of these stories. They each have their very distinct vibe, but are all incredibly enjoyable and joyous Christmas stories. The fact that I'm familiar with and enjoy all of the authors might have helped, but all the stories are easily enjoyable as standalone entries.
GREAT SCOT by Suzanne Enoch is the only story that might be helped with knowing the background just because a lot of the characters that inhabit it are from the great Wild Wicked Highlanders series. But Jane and Brennan are a sweet couple and their story is short yet still full of delightfully charming introvert romance. The sweetest of the stories.
CHRISTMAS AT DEWBERRY HOLLOW by Amelia Grey is a story where fiercely independent Isabelle meets in-need-of-direction Gate when he visits her inn with his grandfather in an effort to fulfill the old duke's dying wish. It's full of family obligation and butting heads and finding what your heart truly desires. This is the story that pulls at your heartstrings.
MY MISTLETOE BEAU by Anna Bennett is a study in doing enemies-to-lovers and fake engagement right. Eva and Jack provide some incredibly satisfying banter from their insane first encounter onward. Every interaction between them is all about building up steam for their obviously hot coming together and inevitable HEA. This is the fun story.
Together, all three stories involve different facets of romance while keeping things light, romantic, and in full Christmas spirit. I highly recommend them.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the great read!

Three wonderful authors bring Christmas to life first in the Scottish highlands, where Suzanne Enoch brings back Jane Bansil, cousin to Amelia-Rose MacTaggert in her Wild, Wicked Highlanders series. Jane feels like she's firmly "on the shelf" when she meets Andrew, the architect hired to build a new home for the MacTaggerts. Alone, they may be unremarkable and easily overlooked, but together, they generate enough heat to warm their hearts forever. Will they choose the safe options, or will they choose each other?

Next, Amelia Grey brings Christmas at Dewberry Hollow. Isabelle Reed needs to find a way to make the family's inn pay its own way. Her mother refuses to raise their rates, and their relative, the viscount, has cut their allowance in half, stating that Isabelle should have married long ago so that someone else could support her. She hasn't met a man who could turn her head, until she meets Gate, grandson to the Duke of Norwich. Gate has lived for pleasure for quite some time, but when his grandfather requests his help in finding a heart carved into a tree in Dewberry Hollow, he finds a new sense of purpose. Meeting the beautiful Isabelle, gives him a new perspective on women - she has no desire to be "taken care of", and is more than capable of caring for her household. Can Gate convince Isabelle that he is more than the person she's heard so many scandalous rumors about?

Finally, Anna Bennett takes readers to London, where Lady Eva Tiding breaks into the Earl of Frostbough's rooms to try to steal her father's pocket watch from him. Jack, the earl, catches her in the act, and offers her a bargain - play his fiancée for three events, and he will give her the watch. Neither one anticipated how perfect they would be together, or how much passion their first kiss will generate. Can they work to convince his grandmother that theirs is a love match? And can they keep their passion in check long enough to see that they really are a perfect match?

I loved each of these stories individually. Each had enough humor to keep things moving, and more than enough heat and steamy scenes to keep things interesting. I also liked that, at least in one of the stories, I had met most of the characters before in the author's series.

Readers who like a quick Christmas read with some steam, will enjoy Kissing Under the Mistletoe. I know I did!

A special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review Kissing Under the Mistletoe.
I usually read Christmas books starting in early Fall when they get published until almost the end of January. They always lift my spirits and have been especially appreciated during the seasons of Covid.
Kissing Under the Mistletoe is an anthology of three Regency era novellas. Three stellar historical romance authors have written these charming Christmas tales. I am always impressed when an author is able to flesh out a complete story in shorter length works. All three of the authors of these novellas do a wonderful job.
In GREAT SCOTT by Suzanne Enoch, heroine Jane Bansil has become a ladies companion since she is thirty-three and well past being a candidate for marriage. She is spending Christmas with her cousin in a large manor home in Scotland with a good many of the MacTaggert clan. She is perusing the large library while she has some free time and is startled by Brennan Andrews who is around to help renovate the estate.
I enjoyed that Jane was not a young debutante, but interesting and mature in many ways. Brennan was a great hero. He has a Scottish brogue, which I have always loved. It also made me happy to see that Brennan was not the devilishly handsome type, but had wounds that didn't hold him back.
I hate to claim a favorite, but this novella was my favorite of the three. I have always been drawn to tales set in Scotland. Maybe it's in my DNA since 1/4 of my ancestry is from there.
CHRISTMAS AT DEWBERRY HOLLOW by Amelia Grey, has Isabelle Reed and her mother running an inn, although they are nobility. They work hard to keep their guests happy. Isabelle is not sure she can help Gate with fulfilling his wish to make his ill grandfather happy and get back to London in time for Christmas. Will giving Gate's grandfather happiness lead to sadness for Isabelle?
In MY MISTLETOE BEAU by Anna Bennett, we find Miss Eva Tiding doing some serious breaking and entering into the flat of the Earl of Frostbough. He has the reputation of being a true rake. Of course, she is caught. Instead of turning Eva over to the police, Jack, the earl, makes a deal with her. She wants the watch she claims her father was swindled out of in a card game. Jack needs a fake beau for the holiday season to get himself out of endless cajoling from his grandmother. They agree if they can pull off the scam and have an engagement announcement by Christmas Eve, then Eva can have the watch and they can both go on with their own lives. Will there be problems with the idea working too well?
St. Martin's Press has published a wide variety of books. I am particularly fond of their romances.

This collection of historical romance short stories/novellas was disappointing to me. I haven't read any of the authors before, and probably won't read any of their full-length novels. I found them to be tedious and boring. I prefer more humor in my historicals and these seemed to take themselves too seriously. I'm sure, though, if you are already a fan of these authors, that you will enjoy the collection.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This is a collaboration of three Christmas novella’s by Suzanne Enoch, Amelia Grey and Anna Bennett. I planned on writing a separate review for each but I give each of the stories 3 hearts so I will combine the review.

I found the stories well written and perfect for the holiday season. I liked that I could read each novella between reading novels. I can not recall if I have read any of each series but if I have it has been a while. That left me a bit lost with some of the background characters.

But these stories were sweet throw ins for the holidays.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A really great anthology of historical romances set around the holiday season by amazing historical romance authors. If you're new to historical romances this is a good place to start.

St. Martin's has done it again with this delightful Christmas historical romance anthology! This book brings together three historical romance authors that will completely enchant readers with their warm holiday stories. Each story has a perfect dose of Christmas.

KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE - Suzanne Enoch, Amelia Grey, Anna Bennett

IN THE HOLIDAY MOOD - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars -
GREAT SCOT by Suzanne Enoch - This was clearly a continuation of a previous series because several mentions were made of past books and plotlines. But this didn't detract from the romance between plain companion Jane and one of the handsome highlanders. Their immediate attraction was sweet, and their recognition of a similar soul made sense. I plan to go back and read the earlier books from this series because it sounded exciting and fun
.
CHRISTMAS AT DEWBERRY HOLLOW by Amelia Grey - A very sweet romantic story about an elderly duke who is traveling to the Hollow to find the heart that he carved into a tree for his wife decades ago. His grandson is determined to find it, with the help of the beautiful daughter of the inn's proprietress. Isabelle, though, is skittish about romance because of a broken heart received from a guest years ago.

MY MISTLETOE BEAU by Anna Bennett - Fun repartee between Jack and Eva when they decide to make a deal to pretend to be betrothed in return for his returning her father's watch to her before Christmas.

Writing - 4 stars - I've read books from all three of these authors in the past and enjoyed every one of them. They all write in an easy-to-read style, creating appealing characters in scenarios that make sense.

Title - 4 stars - The title is clearly romantic and holiday, and the reader knows just what to expect.

Cover - 4.5 stars - A very pretty blue Christmas-y background. In the foreground is a woman with that dress! (very typical of a historical romance but oh, so beautiful), and it is in a gorgeous Christmas green (indicative of the holidays). I love everything about it.

Overall - 4 stars - A wonderfully warm collection of romances set during the Christmas season. All of them set the mood for the holiday season with their romantic stories.

Great Scot by Suzanne Enoch 3 stars

“Aye, here we are. A man with a ruined face who tries to imagine perfect buildings, and a lass who enjoys solitude and reading trying to keep track of a busy countess’s social schedule.”

This novella is set in Enoch's series Wild Wicked Highlanders, three highland brothers go to London and wind up finding wives. If you've read that series, you'll recognize Jane, the cousin and former companion to one of the new wives who ended up being thrown out by her aunt because Jane helped her cousin elope with one of the highlander brothers. Jane was welcomed in by the highlander's mother and works as her companion now, even though she's aware it's more of charity than actual necessity.

I felt this novella was the least rushed, in terms of storytelling and romance, but as this was set in an already established world and one I'm familiar with, the author could play off that established knowledge and reader developed feelings. Jane was a sweet character who at 33 years old felt on the shelf and lost a bit in where she belongs in the world. As the family is spending the holidays at Aldriss Park in Scotland, we get some great seasonal reading, chilly and snowy scenes and a highlander cousin for Jane.

Brennan Andrews is a cousin to the MacTaggert brothers, an architect, and a widower. He lost his wife seven years ago and in a town where everyone knew her, no one wants to insult her memory by developing a romance with him. Coll, the oldest MacTaggert, wants him to build a house for him and his new wife and while searching for papers in the library he meets Jane. They're both a little shy and bumbling, Jane is used to staying to the corners and with so many years removed from when he had to romance anyone, Brennan is out of practice and wary because of the patch he wears over one eye due to losing it in a riding accident. The location brings the snowy atmosphere and Jane and Brennan provide the gentle, loving feels.


Christmas at Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey 3 stars

Their breaths mingled in the freezing air. Their eyes searched.

Isabelle Reed's family has run the Inn ever since her Viscount ancestor decided to turn one of their home's into a profit inn. Her and her mother have been trying to keep it afloat since her father died and her mother's uncle passed away and the new viscount has cut their allowance. This Christmastime, they are having the Duke of Notsgrove stay and they hope the income of his stay will keep them afloat a little longer. Isabelle has lived her whole life in Dewberry Hollow and can't imagine living anywhere else. She teaches some classes to town's children in exchange for goods to help fill out their meager income. When Isabelle is out hunting, she accidentally shoots a man in the arm, she already feels awful but when she discovers it is the guard of the Duke of Notsgrove's grandson, she is scared she might have jeopardized the inn's income.

While not the heir, John Gatestone still has a close, loving relationship with his cantankerous duke grandfather. His grandfather has been failing lately and the family fears he won't have much longer to live. When his grandfather insists that he must visit the tree he carved his and his late wife's initials in before he dies, John volunteers to take him and promises the family he will have his grandfather back by Christmas dinner. When his guard gets grazed in the arm by a shot, John finds himself drawn to the shooter, Isabelle.

This was snowy and sweet novella that had some quick feeling falling in love. Isabelle has been burnt before by a man her mother loved and Isabelle dearly wanted as a stepfather who promised to return and never did. John has never felt the importance of marrying as he's not the heir. There wasn't too much angsty drama keeping these two apart, John comes up with a deal that he won't tell anyone Isabelle accidentally shot his guard if she helps him look for his grandfather's tree and that plot gives us some scenes of the two together and to help show the attraction between the two.

I thought their love felt quick and I'm not sure I completely bought into the ending in regards to John's decision to upend his life but, like I said, this had sweet vibe and definite winter seasonal atmosphere. It works as a middle story in the anthology to anchor it but also keep up the short burst of romance bargain.


My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett 2.5 stars

Miss Eva Tiding’s hands were surprisingly steady, considering she was on the doorstep of London’s most disreputable rogue. And on the brink of committing a felony.

This one probably had the most story meat to it, Eva sets out to steal a watch that her late mother gave her father and he has now lost in a poker wager. Her father is despondent without it and I kept getting tripped up that he would wager the watch if it meant so much to him. Anyway, she breaks into the Earl of Frostbough's home to steal the watch back and gets caught by him. They do have some fun back and forth, not quite reaching the sizzle of heated by play but the Earl, Jack, says he will not give the watch back for any price. We get some backstory that Eva's late mother was actually to be engaged to Jack's father but she ended up eloping with Eva's eventual father. This left Jack's father hurt and angry and made growing up with him miserable for Jack. He blames Eva's father for this misery.

However, even with this lifetime grudge, Jack thinks of how he has lied to his grandmother that he is in a courtship with a lady, to get her not to worry about him but then she sends him a letter telling him she is going to visit so she can meet the lady. Jack proposes a deal with Eva, if she goes along with the ruse that she is the lady he is in a courtship with and attends three societal functions with him, he will give her the watch back. There's a striptease and then a kiss to see if they can pull off pretending to be courting and this all has Eva scared her heart could be at risk, so she lies to Jack that she could never pretend and refuses the deal. His feelings are hurt but when Eva learns her father is trying to set her up with a marquess, she decides to accept Jack's proposal to keep her own father off her back.

There was just too much in this story that felt off balance to me, the backstory, the setup between Eva and Jack, and Eva deciding that they would act broken up in public but be sleeping with each other behind closed doors later in the story. This was the steamiest of the three reads and while I initially enjoyed the back and forth between these two, it didn't sustain it's chemistry, coming off forced. Jack was pretty much all in and pining (I didn't witness any of the coldhearted/mean reputation he was supposedly known for) for Eva while she is a little more cold shoulder, to wanting him, and then thinking he was playing her for revenge against her father (it doesn't really make sense why she would suddenly think this).

This had more of the snowy atmosphere, a houseparty, and mistletoe to tie it into the holiday collection. While this had more meat to it's story, it felt off balance with it's components not always fitting together right for me.