I love Sue Moorcroft's books. So grateful that I got to read this. I also loved the fact that the title ties in so well with the ending of the book.

When I read this, I was not entirely sure of how the story was going to go, but it is a wonderful feel-good book, which also challenges you on how you look at people, and the fact that everyone can change. From Daisy's experiences, to Laurel and Grady re-meeting, and Rea's challenges... this book certainly makes you think.

One of my favourite parts was about Dave/Daybreak and how she changed Laurel and Rea's lives, won't say more for the spoiler. But felt this was very honest and well described.

I would highly recommend this book, but would suggest having some tissues on hand.

Laurel is back in the village after being away for a long time. Her sister and niece need her and she is recovering from a divorce. She meets back up with her old flame and has to face demons from her past.

It was not my favorite of Christmas stories but it had solid writing and I really liked her niece Daisy.

My Review
A perfect feel good heart warming story that full of drama family and love. I love the characters the writing style . A perfect feel good story which I loved every page x

I'm generally a sucker for a holiday romance, but this one was just ok. Laurel returns to her hometown village after her divorce and runs into her high school crush. This should come as no surprise. There is a secret about that crush, a dark history that this book eludes to way too many times. I think one of the reasons this book didn't work for me was it spends a lot of time telling us things instead of showing us. I just didn't enjoy the writing, and there was nothing of note that stands out in the storyline. In a time when so many better holiday romances are out there, there are many that outperform this one.

Sue Moorcroft always weaves a spellbinding, heartfelt tale between a multitude of characters that leaves you hooked from the first chapter! This book transports you to the wintry town of Middledip and its exquisitely festive Art windows at Christmastime. In the middle of the idyllic town lies secrets from the past that deal with trauma and anxiety, but also true love. Laurel and Grady were a lovely couple, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Daisy and her friends, Rea, and yes, even Mac. I loved every character and their complex relationships with themselves and with one another. The author beautifully writes about sensitive topics, while still keeping your heart wide open to love and to Christmas (and mistletoe!).

This is not a 'feel-good' read, and it is different to other Christmas books by Moorcroft. It's good though, focussing on more than one heavy issue. I did feel frustrated at times with Laurel due to her reluctance to forgive, but what happened to her at such a young age must have been traumatic. I found the art plotline interesting, and I definitely enjoyed hearing about the sisters as well as Laurel's developing relationship with her niece. As for the romance, I enjoyed it for the most part, but it fell flat at the end for me. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a long-time reader of Sue's books, and I always look forward to seeing what she's going to come up with next. I'm pleased to say this book didn't disappoint. As is often the case, Sue has written a book which mixes romance with real-life issues, and handles the latter very sensitively. Under the Mistletoe was very well researched and written, and I thoroughly enjoyed having another visit to Middledip. Overall, a great read with humour, some angst, and a satisfying ending.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I generally love Christmas romcoms, so was looking forward to 'Under the Mistletoe' but unfortunately it fell flat. I was disconnected from the characters (although I liked Daisy) and the storyline was very much a slow burn where not much seemed to happen. It was ok.

A lovely festive read with substance. Laurel returns home to Middledip to support her agoraphobic sister and her niece, who is having a difficult time at school. I'm doing so she has to face the reason she previously fled. This book tackles some sensitive themes gently. A super read.

Lovely to be back in Middledip for a bit of festive cheer. As always lots of great likeable characters, plenty of humour but also some serious topics as well. Great christmassy atmosphere in the village and a real community feel making it a lovely warm hearted book

I struggled to get into this story and it struck me quite early on that this novel lacked the Christmas magic that I had experienced from Moorcroft’s other festive read that I consumed last year. Despite plenty of snow, I think there was more realism than escapism in this novel and this lessened the Christmas impact of the story.

Returning to Middledip, I thought I would encounter characters from the other novel. This was not the case so do not be put off if you have yet to sample any of Moorcroft’s writing: although set in the same location, Moorcroft’s books explore the entire community with only a slight overlap. Meeting Laurel, readers quickly learn that she has come to live in Middledip as a last resort: to support her reclusive sister and help with her spiralling niece. However, Middledip does not hold many positive childhood memories for Laurel and she is keen to move on and away. Nonetheless, despite Laurel’s resistance, she soon finds herself engrossed in community life and preparations for Christmas.

I loved how Laurel’s character grew over the story. Initially I found her reluctance a bit off putting. Yet, watching her developing relationship with her niece, Daisy, was a real bonus, and I think this even surprised Laurel! She becomes increasingly protective over Daisy, evolving into more of a mother figure than her sister, Rea, can offer. With issues of bullying at school, Laurel’s role is more important than ever to ensure Daisy has the support she needs. This is because Rea suffers from agoraphobia, and has not left the house in many months. So, whilst helping Daisy, Laurel also tries to convince Rea to seek support and even encourage her to come on walks around the village. It’s no easy task.

Yet, the real problems don’t just stop there. This book explores bullying, harassment, infertility, divorce, parenthood… you name it, Moorcroft encounters it! This makes for a very realistic read and, as mentioned, did not provide the novel escapism that I hoped for. True, it definitely made the book believable, but I think there are times for this sort of read and I don’t think I was mentally prepared for it. I think this is why I struggled to connect with the plot when I first started.

Laurel is a well-established artist and I was fascinated by the scenes describing Laurel at work. I could vividly imagine the paintings she creates and I thought Moorcroft’s attention to detail here was superb. Witnessing Laurel’s thought-processes, I marvelled at how she was able to effortlessly create such magic, absorbing and vibrant scenes. Undoubtedly, the writer has created a very talented character and I was pleased to see how appreciative the residents of Middledip were towards Laurel’s skills. I think this made the book more memorable because of these interesting scenes.

In conclusion, I did enjoy this book, even if it took me a while to get there! Difficult topics are explored sensitively with characters reaching closure. It’s not an easy journey for the characters and I think this is reflected in my tricky journey with the narrative. The Christmas feel definitely adds to the excitement of the story and I enjoyed how the community spirit envelops Laurel, even if she feels she is only staying temporarily.

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Though this presents itself as a light fluffy Christmas story (cover, title, brief description) it is heavier than one might think. Triggers are sexual assault, bullying and mental health issues so be prepared. All addressed with respect. All Laurel really wants is to have some time to herself to find a new normal for herself after her divorce. She has returned to the village she never wanted to return to in order to help her sister. While there so much of the past is revisited. Some nice and some that she’d prefer to never think about or deal with again. Can she forgive and forget? Is that ever a possibility for anyone? Forgive, maybe, but it’s a struggle to figure out what works for her. Can she let it all go so she can let love in? All of this is couched in a holiday theme. Though not typical, this was an enjoyable read.

This book has everything you need, family, Friendship, romance, humour and a brilliant storyline as you'd expect from Sue Moorcroft. A modern day Pride and Prejudice!

Ahhh, this is such a lovely story. This is my first visit to Middledip, but certainly won’t be my last. A wonderfully written book that has you invested in the characters and their stories, both past & present. from the very first page. Fully-formed believable characters and an emotional & romantic plot line.
Historical sexual assault is handled in a sensitive way, showing how it still impacted the main character’s life without either belittling her experience or making so much of it that it detracts the reader from the current experiences in her life, including that of reconnecting with her childhood sweetheart. Her sister’s agoraphobia is equally sensitively handled, including how any mental health condition can affect the whole family not just the person experiencing it.
I loved this book, it is absolutely perfect for Christmas, full of the ups & downs of family life, friendships and romance.

So it's now December which means only one thing, it's time to talk all things Christmas.  So without further ado it's time to review Under the Mistletoe by Sue Moorcroft. 

Throughout the book there is a theme of artistic talent, with Grady being a spray painting artist design cars, Laurel and her portraits and Daisy with her Christmas wreaths. Which made for a cosy read but also wishing that I had an artistic bone in my body. There is also the theme of forgiving  and whether it is better to forgive or let things continue. 

There were moments of uncomfortable reading as we found out why Laurel left her family home and rarely returned to her village until now. But it was sensitively written and full of compassion. Plus it was only a small part of the book. 

Overall the book was a cosy, Christmas read. With a feel good theme, although it made me feel a failure in the crafting area. 

And while I loved Laurel and Grady, one person I have to talk about is Daisy. She was brilliant. I loved how she was up for a laugh but also respectful and understanding. There is also a great cast of secondary characters which added to the cosiness of the book. I especially loved Daybreak and I think you will as well. 

I enjoyed the Christmassy village vibes and hope that we can visit Mendip again. Because Under the Mistletoe was certainly not enough.

Sue Moorcroft is a reasonably prolific and popular author of I guess what is described as cosy/feel-good Christmas romance novels, and I jumped at the chance to get a review ecopy of her latest title, Under the Mistletoe (thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley). Given the sweet cover and the sort of content you typically get in Christmas cosies, I was a little bit surprised in the beginning at how heavy some of the content was. The main plots in the book are largely driven by issues including infertility, sexual assault, bullying, agoraphobia, which are all present on the page in a very direct way. That said, I think as long as you are ok with reading books that cover those topics, this was a really great read, which I enjoyed very much.

Let’s start with the Christmassy-ness. I felt like Christmas wasn’t as central to the story as the issues flagged in the paragraph above – I kind of think with just a little tweaking of details this story could have been set at a different time of year – but it was still festive enough to give me some Christmas feels.
I do love a village at Christmas setting, especially when there’s a community event. The village of Middledip has been the setting of a bunch of Moorcroft’s other Christmas books, but I don’t think they really make a series, so there was no issue with having to catch up a lot of characters and their backgrounds.

Grady and Laurel were both fun characters to spend time with, and I though the rekindling of their relationship was sweet and well written. All of the characters had challenges to deal with, which were explored at different depths. There are a couple of families included in the cast of characters and I enjoyed seeing the different dynamics that we see in their relationships.

Overall I thought this was a great festive read, with the small caveat that it is a little light on the Christmas and heavy on some issues that some readers might find difficult. I would absolutely pick up more of Moorcroft’s work in the future.

Laurel returns home, after years away, to help her sister who is suffering from agoraphobia and needs help with her daughter. As she becomes reacquainted with her old love Grady and his brother Mac. She must confront a painful incident from her past which led her to leave the village when she was only 17.

This was a really enjoyable read with laughter and tears.

I thought this was a great holiday story with a lot of depth. Laurel is back in her hometown village after leaving as a traumatized teen. She's there to help out her sister that has agoraphobia & needs help with her daughter (Laurel's niece). This causes Laurel to have to face this traumatic event in person which cause some friction with her rekindled romance with her teenage boyfriend, Grady. I recommend reading this book if you enjoy interesting characters & a holiday setting.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Laurel returns to Middledip to support her sister and niece.
She must face unwanted memories from her younger days. Will Laurel get her Christmas wish?
A warm cosy festive read. Time to face your Christmas ghosts and look towards the future.

Being back in Middledip is like going home, especially with a snow-white winter Christmas. The setting is fabulous, the characters both familiar and new are well-drawn and relatable with real problems. Sue Moorcroft has a real knack for creating wonderful characters and a terrific supporting cast. A wonderful Christmas read.