I really love Sue Moorcroft's books and Christmas books. This was a great Christmas book by Sue. Laurel was a great lead and it was fun reading about her journey post-divorce. Would recommend this.

Love a feel good girlie read and this does exactly that! Feel good, makes you warm inside! Really enjoy sues books and this was great

This story was not just a warm Christmassy book, it covered some very difficult topics and had a real gritty and courageous foundation upon which the story was built.
Laurel left the village years ago after an incident that changed her life but, after her divorce, she has to return to help her agoraphobic sister and her niece but also face the past that she has spent years running from. When she comes face to face with her teenage boyfriend, she realises that all the old feelings are still there but that will make it even harder to run again.
I really enjoyed this book, I was looking for a festive escape but found myself engrossed in the story and rooting for the characters to be able to get together and be happy, if only it were that simple.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

I enjoyed returning to Middledip, especially at Christmas. It’s clear that childhood sweethearts, Laurel and Grady, would make a great couple when they meet years later but events from the past that forced Laurel to flee her home keep getting between them. Can their love conquer the past?

I felt that at times the past event focused too much in the plot, but I still rooted for Laurel and Grady to overcome it and have the happy ever after they deserved.

Art was a theme that featured heavily in the story as Laurel is a successful artist and Middledip’s art scene is buzzing with the arts and craft club preparing for the Chirstmas fair. Family relationships also play a big part in the story. I really enjoyed all the scene’s with Laurel’s niece and I have to mention the horse that helps Laurel’s sister Rea’s recovery.

This was a perfect seasonal read. You can’t go wrong when you pick up a Sue Moorcroft book!

Not your typical Christmas season book. I usually enjoy this author’s books but this one was not a seasonal storybook. I read to the end but I wouldn’t recommend or buy for a friend. I hope the next book is better.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a great wintry read. Good strong characters, a plot with twists and turns the reader didn’t expect. Some difficult subjects were sensitively handled.
I really enjoyed Laurel and Grady’s story. It was beautifully written
Highly recommended
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon books and Sue Moorcroft for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book. It was full of hope, love and friendship, family and community. However there were heavy issues that may affect readers so I would read up on those before going into this one.

Another festive visit to Middledip


Under the Mistletoe is not the whimsical wonderland that you might expect from the festive fiction genre, but the reality of the serious undertones does not detract from the festivities. Laurel must face her fears, returning to her childhood home, to help her sister and niece whilst they work through their own issues. Determined to avoid her past and hide out to work on her art, it has other ideas popping up in all areas of her life.
In walks Grady, her childhood sweetheart she had to leave behind when she escaped the trauma of an event, believing it was the right thing to do.
I know some didn’t appreciate the ‘gritty reality’ of some topics, but I believe they brought an authenticity to the story. Having said this please understand that the timescales of certain things, such as a character overcoming agoraphobia have most likely been sped up to keep the story running, this is fiction, sometimes this happens.

I really enjoyed this festive morsel from Sue Moorcroft and they highest compliment I can give is though I was given from Netgalley, I have gone out and purchase the book and audiobook. It’s five stars from me.

My thanks as always to Netgalley, the publisher Avon Books and the author herself.
Please accept my apologies for my delay in reviewing Under the Mistletoe, this was due to personal reasons.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I really enjoyed this story. Perfect for Christmas time. Cute little love story.

A utterly delightful read that I finished in one day, I adored this book and the characters. A perfect read for this time of year.

Laurel is back to Middledip to help her sister Rea. Fresh from her divorce, she wish to find back her feet in Cornwall, find a home where she would pursue her dream as a artist not back to a place she never want to be in again and least of all to meet Grady again. Her relationship with Grady has never been properly ended when she leave Middledip. And now, with Grady, she found the attraction between them still alive but how could they find the happiness that they want when being able to move on takes more than the word sorry from the individuals for what has happened in the past.

I enjoyed this romantic, heartwarming and uplifting story. The theme of forgiveness is strong in this book. It has a complex plot with sexual assaults and bullying as a theme and how the characters find their closure at the end of the story.The setting in Middledip, quaint English village is lovely with the author bringing to life with her vivid description of the place. Overall it is a heartwarming and emotional read for me

I read this book now due to its festive title but to be honest it wasn't overly Christmassy so could be read anytime of the year. This is a story about love and rekindling old friendships but there is a darker and more emotional side which deals with altogether more sensitive subjects such as bullying and agoraphobia. Primarily this book is about relationships, community spirit and moving on. I really enjoyed it from start to finish. I would love to know what happens next between Laurel and Grady and how does Rea get on. Too many questions..............

First book I’ve read by Moorcroft and who doesn’t love a festive read. Great setting, bursting with storylines but I really struggled to get into it. Moorcroft’s writing style is easy. Very descriptive and sensitive dealing with issues covered in the book. I felt like something was missing. However I would read more by Moorcroft in the future.

Laurel has returned home to help out her agoraphobic sister and niece. Being home reminds her of a time when she was dramatically bullied as a child by the older brother of her childhood sweetheart, Grady. As Laurel grows closer to Grady, she has to decide if she can forgive his brother in order to be with Grady.

The cover of this is super misleading - this is not a fun “Hallmark movie” holiday romance. The book was thought provoking and sad in the best way, but it was totally not what I was expecting to be reading. If you want a holiday cry, read this!

Thanks to @NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my ARC!

I'm a big fan of Sue and I loved this story so much! The main character returns to her home village and has to face a traumatic past with the characters that are still in the village. At the same time she is there to help her sister and young niece but is haunted by the past. It had a lovely storyline and was such a magical Christmas story.

I always enjoy reading this author's books as they offer a little bit extra to the usual romance book.
This book is once again set in the village of Middledip as in some of the authors previous books, but it is a standalone book. As well as the romance element, it deals with sexual assault, bullying and agrophobia in a compassionate way.
I would recommend this book as a heartwarming christmas read.
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this read.

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

3.5 Hearts This is a very deep book. This is not a lighthearted holiday story that puts you into the Christmas spirit. This really makes you think and feel.

Laurel returns to her hometown because of her sister and niece but she has been avoiding this place because the past is still there. Laurel is great with her family. I loved the relationship they have.

I also enjoyed the relationship that was reestablished with Grady. What is that old saying “History has a way of repeating itself.”?

This is a well written story that has a lot of emotion.

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

Laurel returns to Middledip to help out her older sister Rea. She left to go to uni and pursue her art. She returned after getting divorced and learning her sister and niece were struggling. Laurel had her reasons for leaving so abruptly after she finished high school, reasons she never told Rea.

She rekindles her friendship with Grady while the town prepares for Art December, which happens to be a huge community art fair. Laurel is an accomplished artist who usually sells her work in galleries while Grady air brushes personalized designs on vehicles.

Laurel is the obvious protagonist. She’s trying to get to the bottom of why Rea has become somewhat of a recluse. And her niece Daisy hasn’t been doing well in a couple of her courses while thriving in the art community. There’s a lot in Laurel’s past that continues to disrupt her, will she ever get past from high school?

Not surprisingly, Grady’s brother Mac is the antagonist. Mac is one of the people involved in the reason Laurel left Middledip to begin with. He’s the head of Daisy’s year and his son is one of her good friends. Will he ever be able to explain himself to Laurel after all these years?

There’s a lot of set up for Art December. I love the preparation for it and how everyone is getting excited for the event. It’s spectacular to read about the anticipation for it and all the details going into such an amazing time.

Special thanks to Avon Books, NetGalley, and Rachel’s Random Resources for access to Under the Mistletoe by Sue Moorcroft. I give this book 5 out of 5 tiaras because of the anticipation for Art December! I want to check everything out in Middledip for this event!

If you want to escape to the cottage & village in The Holiday movie then this is absolutely the book for you! This is such a lovely, warm and inviting book – despite dealing with some difficult topics.

Sue handles the sensitive issues (no spoilers here!) with care and consideration. A lot of time and research has obviously gone into the storylines that Sue covers too.

I loved the traditional storyline that was unpredictable! Just when I thought I knew how something would pan out, it ended up completely differently and kept the book fresh and topical.

The characters had flaws – which is something to celebrate! Flawed characters! Thank you Sue! It’s great to have a realistic set of characters in a book, and imperfect Christmas traditions that make it all the more better. Despite the issues covered and explored, this was still a book full of escapism and the visuals created by Sue’s descriptions of the Artwork and Crafts within the pages were just beautiful.