Mistletoe in Juneau
Dahlia Rose
A five-star Christmas Romance from author Dahlia Rose.
Danni breaks up with her boyfriend/manager and goes home for Christmas. Her father begins lecturing her because she is a Social Influencer; he wants her to have a more stable job. Danni feels as if she is always disappointing her parents. She hasn’t seen her best friend in at least seven years. When she calls and invites her to Alaska for Christmas, Danni heads to Juneau. Declan, a state trooper, picks her up at the airport. He was injured in the army when an IED exploded, and he lost his leg. His fiancée couldn’t handle his injury and broke up with him, leaving him devastated. Declan finds Danni attractive, sweet and funny but he doesn’t want to get hurt again. Danni wants to be loved and she wants the kind of love that brings butterflies; she finds the butterflies when Declan kisses her. Will he take a chance on love?
I love this Hallmark romance. The setting was perfection. I could see the snow-covered streets and the decorations. I could smell the sweet treats as the aroma waffled from the bakery owned by Declan’s mother. Danni and Declan were such delightful characters. It was fun watching them fall in love. I liked the way Danni’s parents came to realize they had pressured Danni to be someone she wasn’t. This is a heartwarming romance. Beautifully written.

Loved this book. Felt all the feels. The the moody man/bubbly girl type of love story. It always seems so real life. Highly recommend this. Worth the read!!

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. If you loved Hallmark type Christmas stories, this book is perfect for you. Light hearted and easy read. The narrator did a good job.

I really loved this book. It filled me with all the Christmas feelings. I love the black main characters in Alaska. I love the friendships and the family. The hero didn't work for my all that well, especially with the incredibly stupid "misunderstanding" in the third act, but I still got the christmas feels and would recommend this book to hallmark fans.

I was hoping to experience the novelty of a cheesy, feel good Christmas movie with an audio book. I tried to get into this but I just could not. Maybe these types of stories are beat left for the screen. It did not translate well onto pages.
**a huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

If you are looking for the equivalent of a hallmark movie in an audiobook form the Christmas, look no further than Mistletoe in Juneau!
This romance features Danni, a social media influencer with a lot on her mind leading into December. She is up for a potential big break to be the spokesperson of a cosmetic line, but the further her career goes the more disconnected she feels from herself. Her boyfriend/manager doesn't seem to be listening, and she just needs a break. To be true to herself, she takes that break, by setting off to Juneau, Alaska to spend time with her best friend who is due to give birth to a second child. Step in Declan, the Alaskan state trooper and Army veteran who has some serious emotional walls, but is also a really good guy. There interactions cause butterflies, but they are polar opposites living on different side of the continent- what type of happily ever after could exist with those barriers? Read or listen to find out!
For a more light-hearted, Hallmark romance, this is a great choice this holiday season. The audio version has a particularly great narrator, who creates different characters that are easy to listen to and tell apart. I recommend it!
Thank you to #NetGalley, Dahlia Rose, and Hallmark Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There are moments throughout the book that took me out like rootbeer is usually not alcoholic, and why would someone be drinking afloat in the middle of winter? She makes such a big deal around a themed Christmas tree but, she is from Newyork(a famous tree in time square and ball drop anyone). My aunt does one Dallas Cowboys and one Green Bay tree every year. My middle school was right next to a Helipad, so at Christmas, there was a tree with different helicopters and, Santa would visit on a helicopter. A moose-themed tree is not special.
It's clear the author wanted to have Austin and Declan fighting for Danni but, it doesn't work. Austin disappeared only for Danni to mention that he had been texting her the whole time. Why don't we see this? Danni moved on and misses having control over her brand so, why is Austin still her manager? How old is Danni? Because she's so impulsive and cares so much about people liking her that it feels like a teenager and not a grown woman with her own business. Declan's PTSD and how he views himself, make him the most interesting character though the military propaganda ruins it. The conflicts in this story are so bad, only for the ending to make worse. It's not even steamy. <spoiler>it's obvious that Danni decides to permanently stay in Alaska and after only a few weeks their married and built a house</spoiler>

This slow burner was a touching story which was made even sweeter by the holiday setting.
Janina Edwards captured the emotion of Declan and the energy of Danni. I would like to say this felt more like women's fiction but still very Hallmark-ish.

Danni has been a nomad most of her adult life as she really struggled get anchored in any place for long. She took a trip to Alaska for her friends' wedding where she met a vet named Declan. Declan lost a leg and suffered from PTSD from his military tour which left him bitter about his chances at romantic love. So the way the author went about building a foundation of friendship between Danni and Declan made their subsequent feelings feel authentic. In addition, the author surrounded the main characters with a close knit community and family.

What I enjoyed most was the careful way the author educated the reader about this Indigenous Alaskan Community as well as the realistic depiction of a wounded vet. There was a lot of emotion and narrator's various voices helped me to feel them as the story unfolded. This wasn't just a romance, it was about healing and learning to navigate life again after a traumatic event. This was just a really touching and well written holiday story.

Listen to Your Heart

An enchanting romance set during the Christmas holiday season against the backdrop of Alaska and the allure of the northern lights. wholesome, clean romance story of a city girl from New York and a country boy from Juneau.

Danni is a city girl from New York. She runs a media platform as her job and when it get a bit too much, when the city becomes too hectic and she has had it with her boyfriend Manager and sort of breaks up with him; she escapes to Juneau, Alaska to spend a few weeks with her best friend Amy and think about where things are going in her life.

Declan is the sheriff of the small Alaskan town where Danni's friend Amy lives. He lost his leg in the service and his girlfriend at the same time as she could not cope with his injury. He is not wishing to find another girlfriend just live his solitary life in the wilderness.

Danni falls in love with the small town and it embraces her and she becomes like family. She takes part in all the celebrations leading up to Christmas. Since Declan is best friends with Amy's husband they meet. It is a very small town so they are thrown together as a couple. Eventually Danni falls for Declan and he falls for Danni, but neither of them can shrug off the past. Both of them think it will not work because their worlds are so different. Will they find a way to each other, or will Danni return to the city and Declan to his wilderness?

I loved the characters and the setting. The little Alaskan town seemed to be a really friendly place to be. The celebrations sounded like lots of fun for all. It had a great narrator and moved at a fast pace to keep me interested. I liked that it was a wholesome romance.

It is a very good book and the little twist at the end makes for a very good ending for the book. I did enjoy reading it and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Dahlia Rose for writing a great story, Janina Edwards for being a great narrator, Hallmark for publishing it and NetGalley for making it available to me.

A charming holiday romance from Hallmark!

Mistletoe in Juneau follows Danni, a Black social media influencer who has semi-broken up with her crappy boyfriend/manager when she goes to visit her best friend in Alaska for the holidays. While there, she gets to know Declan- an indigenous (Inuit) disabled war veteran currently working as an Alaska state trooper. She never thought butterfly-type love was real and he thinks he's unloveable because of his missing leg, but sparks fly between the two.

This was a really sweet romance and I loved the way it represented indigenous Alaskan culture. This is very much what you might expect from a Hallmark movie, but with some much needed diversity. I might have liked a bit deeper characterization and I do think the engagement at the end happened too fast, but overall I really liked this and would certainly recommend it if you want a cute holiday romance! The audio narrator does a great job and it's easy to listen to. I received an audio review copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A great Hallmark Christmas set in the setting of Alaska! I love dynamics of Danni and Delcan as city girl and country boy try to over come their insecurities and how they both travel to find each other. This cozy novel gives you the fuzzies by the end. Netgalley and #hallmarkpublishing gave me a copy of the audiobook but I was not required to give a positive review. I thought the narrator did a good job.

A love story set in the beautiful Alaska. I loved learning all about the scenery during this story. I can totally see it as a Hallmark movie too- reading it was like a warm hug!

I loved this audiobook. This narrator is one of the best I have ever heard. I just loved her. She really brought the story to life. I loved the setting, the characters, the plot. I like that things seemed to grow so naturally even as the reader you could almost miss it, it was so subtle.

I received the audiobook of Mistletoe in Juneau as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

Danni St. Peters is a rising social media influencer on the cusp of her first big promotional contract when she decides to spend the holiday season in Auke Bay, outside of Juneau, Alaska, with her childhood friend Amy and her family. Thousands of miles, literally and figuratively, from her home in Brooklyn, Danni is entranced with the rugged, remote landscape and its warm and welcoming inhabitants. One less-than-fuzzy acquaintance is Declan, the police sergeant and military veteran who lost a leg during his service. Gruff and quiet, Declan is content with his solitary life...until he meets vivacious, charming city girl Danni. Together, the unlikely pair bonds, proving that opposites do attract. But when a business opportunity calls Danni back to New York, she will have to make a decision: return to her old life and the burgeoning career she left, or take a chance on love in a new place?

This was a sweet little holiday romance. The fact that it was produced by Hallmark Publishing is not at all surprising, as it very much has the overtones of their now-famous seasonal movies: a charming small town filled with quirky and kind residents playing host to a clean, chaste romance between two unlikely personalities. I myself am a sucker for them, and this was a nice preview of the holiday season ahead. Typically, I like a little more heat in my romances, and law enforcement/military hero(in)es aren't my favorite, but this had enough sweet holiday cheer that it made for an enjoyable listen.

This is a Christmas Romance. I wanted to really love this book, but that was just not the case. It took me several times of starting and restarting this audiobook to get into it enough to finish this audiobook. I just wanted more cute and fun times in this book. I wanted to love the characters more. I just found this book just ok. The narrator of this was good, and the narrator was not my problem with this book. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

DNF @ 33%

I picked up this book because there are so few romance novels with disabled leads to begin with, but especially holiday romances, so I was excited to see that this Christmas romance not only featured a disabled hero, but a disabled hero who is also Black. Unfortunately, however, I was really disappointed by the representation of disability in this book. The hero's whole thing is that no woman could ever love him because "who would love a man who is 'Broken, gruff, and with one leg?'" This is ableist, and I just couldn't keep reading it.

This hero is also a cop. I never read romances with cops, but this one was my own fault for not reading the copy closely enough.

Otherwise, the story read like well, a Hallmark Movie. It is the classic set up of busy, discontented city lady finds herself in a charming small town around Christmas time and find the Christmas spirit. This is a cliche for a reason - it's a really lovely story. And this book features that story with a Black hero and a Black heroine, which is so rare for how common the trope is.

Janina Edwards's narration is story. Her acting is beautiful and compelling and the pacing is just right.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing for the ALC.

Mistletoe in Juneau
author: Dahlia Rose
narrator: Janina Edwards
Dreamscape Media, Hallmark Publishing
Audiobook Review

Dahlia Rose provides a warm, romantic winter read, set amidst the icy splendor of Alaska, in her new book Mistletoe in Juneau. The audiobook is a special treat, with narrator Janina Edwards capturing the atmosphere of the small Juneau community of Auke Bay. Manhattan city girl Danni and Alaskan State Trooper Declan have a lot to learn about each other, and the magic of mistletoe just might speed up the process.
Upon landing in Alaska to visit her friend Amy, Danni is not only captivated by the stunning beauty of the wild Alaska landscape, but also curious about the people and what she can learn about herself here. Declan, a lonely former Army crew chief, serves the community both in his trooper job and altruistically.
Rose's writing assures that readers have the same exhilarating, adventurous, experiences as Danni and Declan as they acclimate over chocolate treats and sight-seeing. Edward's voice is rich and smooth, and I loved hearing her read this book to me while I relaxed and savored it. Settle in with a chocolate coffee for a cozy, romantic stay in Alaska, but brace for some slippery falls on ice and snowy rides across rugged terrain along the way.
Thank you to Net Galley, Dreamscape Media, and Hallmark Publishing for the advance reader's audiobook copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
#MistletoeinJuneau #NetGalley

Well, this was a delightful novel! It was full of Christmas cheer and a feeling of home for the main character, as well as a sense of belonging that had been missing in her life. I listened to the audio version of this story and the narrator did a great job, too!

Danni and Declan were wonderful characters. Danni needed a break from the high pressure lifestyle she had fallen into. Declan had been wounded both physically and emotionally years earlier. He was a strong man and had retreated to his hometown, a place where the stress of PTSD did not cause him as much anxiety as it used to.

I loved the interactions between Danni and Declan. They were truly made for each other and even though they grew closer during Danni’s visit, each was hesitant to take the next step, letting fear hold them back. This was definitely a satisfying and wholly romantic read, with a wonderful epilogue at the end.

The author did a great job of creating a community full of people who felt real to me as I listened to their stories. I really enjoyed both the main and many side characters and the town felt like a place that I could call home.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I fell in love with this Christmas romance. I can't wait (hope, hope) for this to be made into a Hallmark movie. This love story has it all. It's sweet, it has drama, lots of snow, the challenges of living in Alaska, and it happens at the most magical time of year - Christmas. This author is new to me but I can't wait to read more of her creative writing. Let me add, the narrator, Janina Edwards, is excellent. She has such a tranquil voice - so relaxing to listen to while snuggled under a blanket with a mug of hot cocoa.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Initial Thoughts/Expectations:

This was my first book by Dahlia Rose. I’ve become a fan of *her*, from watching video chats and online appearances, and I’ve been looking forward to reading this since I first heard about it. The writeup sounded sweet, and I’m getting in the mood for holiday stories. I had a good feeling about it. 🙂

What I Loved:

I think this is the first book I’ve read that’s been set in Alaska. It was nice to have someplace new-to-me as the backdrop for the story. The location actually did come into play a few times, when planning travel and meeting the locals. Danni’s reaction to the plane being used for one leg of her travel absolutely cracked me up! And learning a little bit about the indigenous people of the area, and their customs, was really interesting.

Danni and Declan were really fun to get to know. They each had families that loved them dearly, but had a few flaws in the showing of it. They each had doubts about themselves that had to be overcome for their own personal growth, and in order to be a good partner for someone else. Watching them go through the necessary “growing pains” was sometimes a bit hard, but they stumbled forward, and eventually, of course, made it through.

The charm of this story is rooted in love. The love of the friends and family for our main characters. The love of the people of Auke for their town and their way of life. The love and dedication that Danni and Declan both had for the career they’d chosen for themselves, and their desire to be the best they could at it. And eventually, because this is a romance, the love they discovered in each other. All very sweet, all very true, and all very relatable.

Another thing I have to mention is the humor. This wasn’t necessarily a “funny” story, but there were definitely moments that made me actually laugh out loud. I listened to the audio, who was amazing, and just how some of the lines were delivered was thoroughly entertaining. Having come to know the author through online chats, I could absolutely hear *her* voice in the story. Just enough lightheartedness to keep things fun and the characters on their toes!

What I didn’t Love:

I’ve been trying to think of anything that I didn’t care for about this, and I’m coming up blank. If I had to pick, I’d say there were a couple of technical things that popped up from time to time, but nothing that took away from the story as a whole.

Final Thoughts:

This book was just what I hoped it would be. Sweet, fun, delightful romance, just in time for the holidays. I’m so glad this was my first Dahlia Rose book, and I can’t wait to read more.