This book may be a sweet little holiday novella but it packs a punch. Each chapter is purposeful, entertaining, and filled with many Jane Austen references!

(You know that scene in the 2005 pride and prejudice, where Darcy takes Elizabeth’s hand to help her in the carriage,that tension between their hands, it’s like that. Gasp! 🥵)

Gabby and Johnathan co mange a beautiful picturesque bookstore. With the holidays fast approaching they strike a deal to see who can sell the most books to save their beloved store. Gabby is a total holiday fanatic, whereas Johnathan is the complete opposite. It’s like ELF and Scrooge going up against each other. 😂

Gabby is defs on the naughty list. She has such a wondering dirty mind. Johnathan reads romance, bless his heart! What is it about a man reading romance that is so swoony?

As always Chloe liese is representing. 👏🏻 Gabby has autism which makes her feel self conscious and inadequate. Johnathan has type 1 diabetes which Chloe hasn’t written about before. I know a great deal about diabetes and I think she did a wonderful job representing the disease.

I will definitely be reading this again, closer to Christmas with a cup of hot chocolate! ☕️ in my mug that my amazing boyfriend got for me!

I’m in such a holiday mood now, excuse me while I go put up my Christmas tree! 🎄

PS. I will never look at ladders the same. Chloe has ruined ladders for me. 😂

Thank you NetGalley and PR Valentine for the ARC

4.5⭐
R because this is a Christmas book to make you hot on a cold night!!

If you're looking for a Christmas romance that has heart and Christmas spirit without being over the top cheesy, look no further!! Some Christmas romances are fun but they read more like a Hallmark movie. That is NOT this book! This is your sophisticated Christmas romance a la The Holiday and Love Actually.

So I am already obsessed with Chloe Liese and her books and this just furthers increases my obsession. This book is billed as The Hating Game meets You've Got Mail and it totally delivers on it! But this book also goes so much deeper. Jonathan and Gabriella are enemies from the start, but so much of their relationship is built on misunderstandings as they grapple with their own personal challenges with diabetes, autism and demisexuality. As always, Chloe brings these two and their differences together in a perfect blend of banter and chemistry that makes the ending, though a bit rushed, so satisfying.

If you're looking for a Christmas book to curl up with for the holidays, this is by far one of my favorite Christmas romances I've read. If you like enemies to lovers, slow burn, 🌶️🌶️, misgivings and characters figuring out their ~feelings~, you'll love this book!

With major vibes of You've Got Mail crossed with The Hating Game, Chloe Liese's newest holiday novella, The Mistletoe Motive, is utter perfection. Listen, I will read anything Chloe writes, so I loved reading outside the Bergman universe and being swept away to a struggling bookstore with two dueling managers, Jonathan and Gabriella. The pair duke it out (literally and figuratively) to sell the most books over the holiday season to save the bookstore, plus their jobs. But with the added layer of a mysterious online pen pal, what you have is an open-door enemies to lovers romance sure to knock your socks off.

The tension between Jonathan and Gabriella was palpable from page one and their opposites attract nature only fed the flames. Gabriella is the soul of the store, where Jonathan balances her out with the business and numbers side. Their witty and heat-filled banter was on point, sizzling into a steamy romance. I just loved everything about their relationship!

The entire story is told through Gabriella's POV, which was so fun only getting into her head. The story explores the nuances of being neurodiverse in a typical world filled with, at times, unspoken and unreadable rules. Gabriellas doesn't like to feel self-doubt and looked down on, which leads to the crux of her dislike of Jonathan. Gabriella was such an endearing character, who loves deeply and values relationships. Her personality and interactions with friends and customers rebukes the false notice that people on the spectrum cannot be affectionate or find love.

I usually do not enjoy novellas, but The Mistletoe Motive completely knocked it out of the park for me. It's the perfect holiday read! The Mistletoe Motive publishes December 1 exclusively on Kobo. Thanks to Valentine PR for the advanced copy of the book.

Chloe Liese is an author of inclusive love stories that never cease to amaze me. With their vulnerability, their raw portrayals of life and love and the realities of learning how to not only love yourself but let other people love you.The Mistletoe Motive is a work place enemies to lovers set in a struggling independent bookstore over December. Our hero with type 1 diabetes and our heroine who is demisexual and autistic have a battle of wills over who gets to stay on in the bookstore in the new year after budget cuts. Somehow, Chloe packed in so much banter and heart as well as sweet and sexy moments into just about 30K words and it was PERFECT. The fact that even in a novella Chloe can hit on my favorite romantic lesson while still being poetic and beautiful with her worlds the whole time will never cease to amaze me. She truly is a genius with both story and prose 👏 We also need to appreciate how many winter puns and descriptions she snuck in there because it was glorious. I’ll leave you with my two favorite quotes, though I would highlight the whole book if I could 🤣
☃️⛸🎄
“And listen, I love myself for who I am, every part of me, the parts that fit easily in this world and the parts that don’t, but it’s a whole other thing to ask someone else to love me for all of those parts, too.”
🧤❄️🧣
“My love is a glowing sunrise pouring over hard, snowy ground.”
🎁📚🎅🏻

I loved everything about this holiday novella! It was cozy and delicious like a cup of warm peppermint cocoa. It brought me so much comfort and joy! I struggled to stop smiling during and after reading it. 😍 Chloe Liese is hands down one of my favorite authors! She is the master of slow-burn, inclusive romances, and she did not disappoint with The Mistletoe Motive!

Chloe creates amazing stories with the most authentic characters. Gabby and Johnathan were quirky, lovable, and the perfect grumpy/sunshine pair. I loved their bantering, their tension, and their obvious chemistry. The swoon worthy story was exceptionally written and had the perfect slow-burn flow to it. I adored that it was set in a bookstore. It was full of love, acceptance, and just the right amount of 🔥! I could not put it down. I read it in one sitting. You won’t want to miss this one. Make sure you have the Spotify playlist cued up. It adds so much to the reading experience.

I really appreciated the respectful way in which Liese represented autism, type 1 diabetes, and demisexuality.

5 ⭐️
What I L♥️VED;
🎄Slow-burn holiday romance
❄️Enemies to lovers
🎄Authentic and positive representation
❄️You’ve Got Mail & The Hating Game vibes

If you’re in the mood to absolutely devour a sweet, cozy, holiday romance, the Mistletoe Motive is perfect for you.

Pub Date: 12/1/2021 (Exclusively on Kobo.) Pre-order your copy now!

Huge thanks to Chloe Liese, Kobo, and Valentine PR for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I honestly loved it!! ♥️ My review will be posted on Instagram and Goodreads.

Enemies to Lovers ✅

Workplace Romance ✅

Christmas 🎄

You’ve Got Mail Inspired 📧💌

Chloe Liese Romance Representation ✅

Do you want more yes ✅

Does this make you want more Bergman Brothers romances ✅

Hey hey ho ho we need Viggo and Oliver’s story! 🪧🪧🪧🇸🇪👦

Jonthan and Gabby are working towards saving their beloved local bookstore. Their bookstore is in financial trouble. The two characters have the best back and forth banter! The forced proximity helps Gabby’s learn to love Jonathan.

Jonathan is closet hockey 🥅 player!!! The scene on the ice 🧊 makes him even more dreamy!!! His ability to pick up Gabby and carry her is the best! Jonathan’s attentiveness is so swoon worthy!

It is a must read! Thank you for the arc NetGalley and Valentine PR.

Chloe Liese writes the most perfect and cared characters that can exist in the genre and yet this story took me by surprise.
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It may be the fact that it is a novel or that it is narrated in a single voice and every little interaction had me hanging by a thread. But I think it's because it brought together beautiful things that every bookworm and romance reader could love, like the perfect bookstore, a sexy grumpy with a good heart and the most cute sunshine heroine that can exist in a beautiful snowy December with the smell of Cinnamon, mint and cocoa.
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In this enemies to lovers, the slow burn is everything. Gabriella Di Natale has to form an alliance with the serious and strict Jonathan Frost to save her beloved bookstore even if it means that one of them is left without a job at the beginning of the new year.
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The relationship between them grows slowly until reaching the perfect ending, I love the dialogues and how Gabriella is slowly opening up to the possibilities and shows us the world according to her neurodivergent point of view.
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The perfect mix between The hating Game and You Got an email, to read with Spotify's curated playlist and a cup of hot chocolate, ready to fill your heart with a smile and a heart warmed
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Thanks to Chloe Liese and Valentine Pr team for give me this Beautiful Book in exchange for my honest opinion I enjoyed reading it

Outstanding. Beautiful. A master piece.

Chloe Liese's The Mistletoe Motive is a lovely holiday romance between two rivals competing for the same job position. It's the holiday season and at Bailey's Bookshop, things aren't looking so good. They aren't getting so many visitors and a competing bookstore chain isn't helping things around. This is why Gabby and Jonathan think that when the new years comes, one of them is going to get the boot. Gabby comes up with the brilliant idea of a competition: the one who sells more books during these 3 weeks will stay. They never really thought by the end they both would want to stay.

Jonathan and Gabby have been working together for a year and they are like cats and dogs. They can never get along and they always argue. But you see that Jonathan has been crushing on her for a while because of the way he listens and watches every single thing. He knows she likes her hot cocoa this way, he knows she's allergic to this type of specific flower, and so on. It's the small details that matter!

This book was adorable. I couldn't stop smiling! These two will make you swoon so hard. I mean, HARD. Because you see, that's not all. Unbeknownst to them, they have been talking online for also a year without knowing who is who. All has been in anon usernames, so there wasn't a possibility of them finding out. So yes we have a You've Got Mail trope over here! I love that.

Jonathan is also a hockey player and oof! Let's not even talk about the hockey game scene + the car ride after. *fans self* I'm not lying when I tell you I'm obsessed with these two. When they kiss? It's magic, my friends. It's clear that if the world allowed them to spend all their lives kissing, they would do it.

What more can you find?
♡ Demisexual, autistic heroine
♡ Workplace romance
♡ Hero has Type 1 diabetes
♡ He's also a Grinch and very, very grumpy
♡ And she loves Christmas and is a ball of sunshine in human form
♡ When she calls him "Mr. Frost" >>>>
♡ THE MR DARCY HAND FLEX MOMENT.

I love Christmas! It's my most favorite time of the year so when I heard Ms. Liese had written a holiday novel, I was ecstatic and couldn't wait to read it. And rightfully so because it was everything I had hoped for and more! Gabby and Jonathan are absolutely charming! The Mistletoe Motive encompasses several tropes -- enemies to lovers; workplace; forced proximity; holiday romance and I'm sure a few more that I'm forgetting, but suffice it to say, it's an incredibly beautiful and heartwarming holiday romance that you won't want to put down. Told entirely in Gabby's POV except for the epilogue which is in Jonathan's POV. And I'm so glad Ms. Liese gave us a chance to "hear" his voice (it was exactly as I had imagined!) This is exquisitely written love story that reminds us of the wonders and sights of the season -- I felt like I was right in the middle of Bailey's Bookshop soaking up all the festive lights, smelling all the aromas of gingerbread and peppermint and enjoying the warmth of the Christmas season. I adored this couple and loved how they navigated their unusual circumstances. You will be cheering for their HEA as much as I did! Another spectacular 5-star read by Chloe Liese! I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

Gabriella and Jonathan have been working together for a year now--a year of near-constant conflict due to their diametrically opposite personalities. Jonathan was brought in to be co-manager of their bookstore after it became clear that Gabriella wasn't great at some parts of the job. So not only is he grumpy, but the fact that Jonathan is there at all just brings to the surface all of the insecurities Gabby suffers as a result of the aspects of her personality that are most impacted by her autism spectrum diagnosis. One of the best parts of her day is her on-line communication with another book lover, Mr. Reddit, who she wants to meet, but is also afraid to show her real self. All of this is happening during a difficult time in the bookstore, which may not survive the holidays. Following a few revelations, Gabby and Jonathan begin to see each other in a new light and realize that maybe they weren't very fair to one another from the beginning.

You guys, seriously, so much SWOON! This is one of those books that I will be reading every holiday season for years to come. It's like the perfect 1980s-90s movie rom-com in novella form, complete with a fantastic soundtrack (each chapter heading has a song to get you in the mood and you can even download the full playlist on Spotify). I've been trying to do my shopping early as everyone keeps telling us, but having a hard time getting into the spirit. This book fixed that issue. If you are new to Chloe Liese, you NEED to read the Bergman Brothers series. I love it and I love this novella so very much. Her characters are nuanced and have real problems that are entirely relatable. Watching them fall in love is just the best and it feels warm and cozy just like Gabby's favorite winter drink and mine: a peppermint hot cocoa. Yum! Thanks to @valentine_pr_ and @netgalley for the eARC. Available on @kobobooks Dec. 1st. #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #themistletoemotive @chloe_liese #stlreads #steamyromance

As soon as Chloe Liese announced The Mistletoe Motive, I knew it was going to be another amazing book. I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint. I read this holiday novella in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely loved it and would happily read another few hundred pages about Jonathan and Gabby if I could.

Jonathan and Gabby were such amazing characters! I fell in love with them in the first couple of pages and it only got better from there. Their grumpy/sunshine dynamic was great and their chemistry was off the charts. As co-managers of a struggling bookstore who had different ideas about the best way to save it, Jonathan and Gabby were not each other’s biggest fans at the start of the book, but being coworkers has them spending a lot of time together and their relationship slowly starts to change as time goes by and it was lovely to see it happen.
One thing I love about enemies to lovers/ rivals to lovers is seeing two characters who most of the time don’t even like each other that much, slowly open up and show each other who they truly are and Chloe nailed that in The Mistletoe Motive.
One of my favorite things about Chloe’s books is how diverse the characters are and this novella was not an exception; There was autism, demisexuality, and type 1 diabetes rep. I particularly appreciate the type 1 diabetes rep because someone very close and dear to me has type 1 diabetes and this is a condition I have only found in one other book so far and one that I think should be talked about a lot more.

Overall, The Mistletoe Motive is a heartwarming holiday novella that will make you swoon and give you all the feels! If you like workplace romance, enemies to lovers and want to get into the holiday spirit this is the perfect read for you.

This book was pure happiness! I absolutely adore Chloe's writing style, and to have the holiday touch put on it in this grumpy and sunshine book was absolute perfection! This book just put a huge smile on my face, and I'm in such a happy bubble now! There was so much I loved about this story, but I fell in love with Jonathan and Gabriella in this sweet and steamy holiday read! They were so natural together, and I could not put this story down! I wanted to keep reading, because I loved discovering who they were page after page. I wish I could visit Bailey's and find my own Mr. Frost!
Pure holiday magic!

The Mistletoe Motive is the perfect, snuggle by the fire with Christmas music playing in the background, feel-good holiday romance.

Gabriella and Jonathan work at a small, independent book store (Bailey's Bookshop) which is feeling the pressure from a big box store moving in. Gabby and Jonathan could not more more different with Gabby being full of Christmas spirit and joy and Jonathan living up to his Frost name and preferring to crunch numbers and stay on the more serious side of things. The pressure to increase sales for the holidays is increased when the store owners have a discussion with Gabby and Jonathan about the bleak financial outlook of the company where it appears that, barring a Christmas miracle, there will only be money to keep one of them on the payroll after the holidays. Gabby and Jonathan strike a deal where whoever has more sales at the holiday break will get to stay and the loser will resign. As the game proceeds, things keep interfering such as Gabby's persistent Ex, all the while her interactions with Jonathan have her questioning his motives. Maybe he isn't out to get her after all. And what are these feelings and butterflies she keeps having when she is around him?!

This book is just pure holiday joy. This is the first time I actually played a suggested playlist while reading a book and I loved what the music added to the story. Chloe has a very distinct voice in her writing and this book is no exception. I loved this one much as I loved all of the other things she has written. The characters are raw and vulnerable and so beautifully written. The banter is witty and funny and kept me smiling through the pages. The you've-got-mail aspect of the story was such a fun touch that kept me intrigued. There isn't really a huge "conflict" in the story but this a Christmas novella and I enjoyed just getting to enjoy a happy romance holiday tale with low angst.

This book does what Chloe's books do -- it took me to a happy place, made me smile, got me in the holiday spirit, and I simply loved it. That's all you can ask from a book really. For the author to create a world and characters so vividly that you forget that they aren't real. And time and time again I lose myself in Chloe's books. The Mistletoe Motive was no exception. I highly recommend checking out this one on December 1 .

Thank you to Valentine PR, the author and Kobo for an early copy in exchange for my honest review! All opinions are my own.

Give me an enemies to lovers trope in a bookshop at Christmas and you have found my happy place! The Mistletoe Motive is the story of Gabby and Jonathon. They run a failing bookshop at Christmas and their enemies to lovers and grumpy sunshine tension in working to save their shop is a sweet, steamy and super fun ride. Chloe writes with such depth but also with so much care that I could not stop reading and am already looking forward to flipping through the pages again to reread my favorite parts.

Did I stay up until 2:30am reading this book? Yes! Will I still reread it at least 3 times this holiday season? Also yes.

Chloe Liese wrote the sweetest holiday novella perfect for those who have never picked up a romance or those that are obsessed with the genre and are looking for a book that combines all of their favorites into one with Bing Crosby playing in the background (hi 🙋‍♀️ that’s me).

4⭐️

Tropes;
Workplace Romance
Forced Proximity
Grumpy/Sunshine
Enemies to Lovers
Disability Rep - heroine is autistic and hero has diabetes

This is first Christmas book I have read this year and I loved it!! I love Chloe Liese’s slow burns, they’re always full of so much sexual tension and this book did not disappoint.

I loved everything about Gabriella, she is a literal ray of sunshine, is so kind and she loves everything about Christmas.

Jonathan on the other hand is a literal grinch. He is grumpy all of the time and does not have any Christmas spirit whatsoever.

But with that being said, Jonathan is a complete softie. During their ‘enemies’ phase, Jonathan was actually paying attention to all of these small details about her and started to really like her.

Gabriella and Jonathan are such complete opposites but they work so well together.

This was a great Christmas romance and will definitely read it again next year 🎅🏼

Thank you to Valentine PR & NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

** Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. **

Wow. Seriously...wow! I'm not one for novella's and holiday books make me cringe, but when I saw that Chloe Liese had written a Christmas novella. I just had to read it. I am not lying when I say that I couldn't put The Mistletoe Motive down. I read this novella in three hours, even taking it with me to refill my coffee and on pee breaks (sorry, TMI).

Like all of Chloe Liese's work, the banter and chemistry between the two leads was incredible. The Sunshine/Grump trope was on point and the obvious longing vs. the obliviousness was *chef's kiss* perfect. As always there is the beautifully written characters, neuro-diverse representation, and scenes steamy enough that you can skip that next facial.

Gabby and Jonathan are co managers of a bookstore, they have very different approaches to book selling and the holidays. Gabby loves everything that has to do with Christmas while Jonathan hates it.

With the bookshops finances in trouble they must achieve more sales in order to keep the shop open. Their competitive strike couldn't let an opportunity go by, whoever has more sales by the end of the month can continue work there, while the other must quit.

Things get a bit more complicated when Gabby starts seeing a new side of Jonathan, one that she finds quite attractive that makes her want a new type of relationship. But she is more conflicted than ever, because she feels a connection to another man, one she hasn't met, but has been talking to for more than a year online.

Jonathan was the perfect grumpy hero with a secret sweet side. Gabby was a lovely heroine full of optimism and always looking for the good in everything.

I really like how the author is using elements of autism and illness in her stories, there is always something new to learn that makes appreciate the strength in people.

The bookshop was the perfect place for this story, any book lover will feel right at home while reading this holiday romance.


* I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

Quieres una historia cortita, ambientada en navidad, donde los protagonistas son compañeros de trabajo, se odian y son grumpy/sunshine? PUES ESTE ES TU LIBRO!♥️

Jonathan y Gabriella trabajan juntos en una librería, desde hace 1 año y se detestan!!!! Él es frío, un poco brusco y detesta la Navidad, y ella, al estar dentro del espectro autista, no es capaz de entenderlo. Pero al final verán que son perfectos el uno para el otro!😍
De verdad que estos dos son monísimos! Un enemies to lovers súper dulce, con dos protagonistas súper cabezotas, pero que por cositas que pasan, dejan de lado su orgullo y le dan una oportunidad a lo suyo🖤

100% recomendado!

4/5⭐️

I want to start this here by talking about her.... Chloe Liese, this was my first book of her and i’m obsessed with her, and her writing, she is so needed and approaches such important topics, and i also have to say that this was the my first christmas book too.

Starting with her: Gabriella Di Natale i loved EVERYTHING about you!!!! your soul and spirit won me over, guys her love for the holidays, she is so authentic and she definitely the definition of sunshine.

Jonathan Frost i wanted to say that i’m in love with you too.... this man is SO SO SO perfect, like se only say “thank you, Gabriella” and i melted.... he has absolutely everything that i love most about the characters, and he is the grumpy definition... but inside... he is the sweetest from all over the world.

The two of them together is an explosion of chemistry, and people feel it in their fights, in their tensions, sexual or not, one of the things that most captivated me about this book and made me fall in love with them is how the little things connected them, and even though they are quite opposite they totally complement each other and for me they are the definition of a soul mates.

This book is quite small but it managed to show the evolution of their relationship and how much they themselves have matured over the pages, if you love a good slown-burn, enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, and holiday romance.... you have to give this book a chance.

Thank you Chloe for this beautiful story.