The one thing you can be sure of when picking up a Chloe Liese book is the wholehearted way you’ll feel when you finish it. And that is no different with The Mistletoe Motive. This Christmas romance is the perfect read to get you in the mood for the holidays and features two characters who are so wonderful that you’ll get swept up in their banter and romance as you read.

Gabriella was such a breath of fresh air and a burst of sunshine. She’s one of those characters who exudes awesomeness and even though she’s the happiest person when it comes to everything to do with Christmas (and I am so not), I loved her so much. I loved learning how she navigates the world and how her autism is affected by things around her––another thing that I love about Chloe’s books is in the inclusivity, but also the information I glean about autism and the spectrum through her characters. Gabriella’s love for her friends, books and the bookstore were all so relatable and so heartwarming, I wanted to be in her world just as much! And then there’s Jonathan. I knew going in that we wouldn’t have his POV and while I missed knowing his innermost thoughts, I loved the way we saw him through Gabriella’s eyes. Jonathan and I have more in common with our dislike for the holiday season, but I really enjoyed seeing this grumpy, scowly man come unraveled in the presence of the woman who dislikes him with a passion.

There’s so much about this book that cannot be shared in the review, because I feel like it needs to be enjoyed without knowing too much about the story or their relationship. Just know that Chloe does such a magical job making sure to cover all bases in a story that’s much shorter than her usual one. You get to fall in love with the characters and their relationships outside of each other, you get to experience an independent bookstore in all its glory and you get to love Christmas a little more than you ever thought you would. And all of that just makes The Mistletoe Motive an absolutely wonderful read.

This is an absolutely delightful holiday treat! Chloe Liese has crafted a charming, sensual, sexy and sweet holiday romance, perfect for any book lover! Liese has a wonderful way of creating characters with chronic illness or disabilities while being mindful of different experiences and care to show the range of people in the world and how a happily ever after can be achieved by any and everyone. Liese's writing is accessible, engaging, witty, and aware. If you are in the mood for a holiday romance with beautifully crafted characters, a delightful setting, on point banter and humor than this is the perfect holiday gift for you!

This story is told from Gabriella's point of view. Gabriella and Jonathan are co-workers in an independent bookstore who constantly butt heads. This holiday they must figure out ways to help the bookstore succeed and survive the competition of a large bookstore-chain. With a blend of Pride and Prejudice and You've Got Mail, this romance dances off the page and the characters come to vibrant life.

I found the banter between Gabriella and Jonathan to spark and ignite. Their chemistry blazes as they start to see each other in a new light and I love watching Gabriella start to experience attraction towards Jonathan. Chloe Liese weaves together delightfully fun scenes to show the growth of Gabriella and Jonathan's relationship. Watching them open up to each other is joyful, sexy and exciting. Liese builds up their physical relationship throughout the story and it explodes with passion when they finally come together. Liese also has a wonderfully inclusive way of crafting her characters, I love that Gabriella is demisexual and neurodiverse and that we see that she needs to trust and understand Jonathan in a different way before she becomes truly attracted to him and can be open to a relationship with him. I love that Jonathan learns to open himself up to Emma about his type one diabetes, I love that Jonathan learns to be patient and understanding of Gabriella and I love that Jonathan wants to make her happy and worries that the ways he can make her happy might not be the way that she would want him to go about things. I love that Gabriella learns to love Jonathan for who he is and she trusts him and his decision making.

I so highly recommend this holiday romance, it is the perfect book for people who love the movie You've Got Mail. It is a great representation of different types of people and a story of learning to trust and love someone else. Definitely pick up this holiday gift from Chloe Liese!

Dear Chloe Liese THANK YOU. This holiday romance did what most don't which is to combine both a swoony love story with some mega steam. Not only that but it was a reader's dream because it was set in a bookstore!! For the trope lovers out there this one had so many!

enemies to lovers
grump / sunshine
forced proximity
competition
workplace romance
online romance

Seriously - all the good stuff wrapped up in a perfect holiday romance about two people who absolutely have to end up together. I was so in awe of how the sensitive subjects were handled and how they were interwoven into the steamy scenes and totally normalized. I was enthralled with the self awareness and the heavy conversations that were had in such a short story and also at how the love was palpable.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This definitely has Hating Game + You’ve Got Mail vibes that I picked up on almost immediately. Enemies to lovers set in a bookstore at Christmas time. I had high hopes going in and Chloe did not let me down. We had peppermint hot chocolate loving Gabby and serious and (sometimes) grinchy Jonathan. I love the thought and care Chloe puts into creating her characters. The book is set from Gabby’s POV, a neurodiverse character, allowing the reader to see what it is like for her to navigate the world from her perspective. The chemistry and dialogue between Gabby and Jonathan was amazing and I loved the nods to Pride and Prejudice, Bridgerton and You’ve Got Mail in this book. One of my favorite holiday books this year!



😍 loved || 🔥descriptive

🤟forced proximity, hockey player, the Pride & Prejudice hand flex

📚Faking Under the Mistletoe

🎶Chloe’s Spotify book playlist

Y'all know I love Chloe Liese. She is truly amazing and her dedication to beautiful #OwnVoices books has opened me up to a world of fabulous romance. The Mistletoe Motive is a must read this holiday season.

Do you like:
Steamy romance?
Holiday vibes?
Bookstore setting that everyone will want to own?
Grumpy love interest with layers upon layers?
Autistic main character with a heart of gold?
Amazing disability rep?

Please read this.

Gabby and Jonathan are co-managers of an independent bookstore that is slowly failing due to challenges and competition from big name chains. They decide to band together in a friendly bet: whomever sells the most, thereby saving the bookstore, will become full manager and the other one must leave. But as they work more closely, learn more about each other, and peel back the layers, Gabby in particular begins to realize that not is all as it seems with Jonathan and there is much more to him that she knew. This is like "sitting in front of a fire, wrapped in a blanket with a hot beverage watching snow fall" kind of book and it is perfection. ENJOY!

I love a good Christmas romance, and this one is the best. Literally. I don’t think I’ve ever read a holiday romance as delightful as The Mistletoe Motive!

The Mistletoe Motive follows Gabriella and Jonathan, two co-managers at a bookstore that’s on the verge of going under. Gabriella loves the Christmas season and everything it offers, but Jonathan? He’s the grumpiest grinch ever! He has zero Christmas cheer, is grumpy all the time, and NEVER smiles! So when the two of them face off in a challenge to sell the most books & be the one to keep their job amidst the crumbling business… well, you can put the pieces together I’m sure.

This book gave me total The Hating Game vibes, but BETTER! Once I got started I literally inhaled this book and was obsessed with the back and forth banter between Gabby and Jonathan. Watching them start to crack and realize that they actually don’t hate each other gave me such a rush of happiness. I couldn’t stop smiling. I also loved all of the representations in this book: autistic & demisexual heroine + type 1 diabetic hero! I mean, what’s not to love? The Mistletoe Motive was the cutest, sweetest holiday romance I’ve ever read. I can see this book being one I reread every holiday season to put me in the Christmas spirit!

Thank you to Valentine PR for providing me with an ARC of The Mistletoe Motive in exchange for an honest review!

Chloe Liese is a genius and I just found my new favorite Christmas romance. With delicious banter, a perfect enemies to lovers set up, the slowest of slow burns (and ugh that helping her into the car/ P&P hand flex moment that just killed me), a bookstore at the holidays setting, fantastic secondary characters (um more June please), a nod to You've Got Mail (one of the best rom coms of the 90s), and wonderful representation (autism, demisexual, T1 diabetes) The Mistletoe Motivation hits it out of the snow globe. I'll definitely be revisiting this one every holiday season

I am OBSESSED with THE MISTLETOE MOTIVE. It felt like a warm, fuzzy, and cozy cup of peppermint hot cocoa.

Even as a novella, it had all of the feels and powerful words that I've come to know and love from Chloe. The music that she suggests at the beginning of each chapter, made this even more atmospheric and had me curling up under a blanket with some hot chocolate.

Chloe truly has an incredible way with words that make me feel less alone in all aspects. There's a section in this book that had me simultaneously crying and internally screaming that someone that doesn't have diabetes understands me, and T1D. Having the main character in a romance novel living with T1D was something that I've wanted to see for a while, and I was glad to see the little moments of this disease come to life, especially during the steamy times.

I thought that Gabby and Jonathan just made so much sense together too, this *might* be one of, if not my favorite, works of Chloe's, and I love so many other ones she's written *cough* Bergman series *cough*. First, the enemies-to-lovers trope is my favorite and Chloe did this trope justice. Adding in the element of workplace romance made this even more *chefs kiss*. The tension between Gabby and Jonathan was palpable and the burn was slow but so worth it.

I don't want to spoil anything so I think I'm going to stop here and hopefully, my gushing is coherent and encourages you to check this out. Trust me when I say that you don't want to miss this holiday romance that will have you looking forward to snow and the Holiday season.

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 5 Tree-Topping Stars

I am a devout Chloe Liese follower. And while this was not the “Christmas at the A-Frame” novella that my Bergman loving heart pines for (especially the way that Ax&Rooney’s story ended …) this was SO GOOD!

This was a complete mixup of my absolute favorite things - the holidays, bookstores, Pride&Prejudice, You’ve Got Mail, Enemies-to-Lovers. And the Darcy hand flex (!!!) alluding to Matthew MacFadyen P&P2005 (seriously, that hand flex has its own fandom). This was a satisfying holiday novella that includes characters that spotlight real life issues like the complexity of neurodivergence or the managing Type 1 diabetes … the types of realistic and inclusive characters that readers have come to expect from Liese.

• The Mistletoe Motive • @valentine_pr_ #gifted • Pub Day: December 1 •

Another heartwarming romance from @chloe_liese, this time with some holiday cheer (and antipathy) 🎄 The Mistletoe Motive has everything I love about Chloe’s stories - especially characters who feel real and have real things that impact their life in various ways (diabetes, autism, demisexuality)

There was some top notch banter and tension in Gabby and Jonathon’s story and it was so fun to see their workplace competition evolve over the story. And for those who prefer steamier romances - while this one is a slow burn, and closer to novella length, it’s still open door once you reach that part.

As we head into the last month or so of the holiday season, you’ll definitely want this one on your holiday TBR!

The Mistletoe Motive is holiday novella perfection. Just as the blurb promises it definitely has as You've Got Mail vibes, but Chloe Liese has put her own unique spin on it.

Gabriella and Jonathan work together at a small independent bookstore and are fighting to keep it open. I loved watching the connection and attraction develop between them as they had amazing chemistry.

Novellas' shorter length can sometimes be tricky if the story feels rushed or the chemistry between the characters forced. That is definitely not the case here. This is a complete, well-paced, and engaging story. I love Chloe's writing and the characters that she creates. There's a great mix of romance, drama, humor, and sweet and swoony moments. She is one of my favorite authors and I will pick up anything she writes. I can't recommend this novella and all her books enough. If you are looking for something that is sweet, fun, and entertaining this is a must read!

Fans of You’ve Got Mail will fall in love with this enemies to lovers, opposites attract, pen-pal romance set during the holidays in a bookstore. What more could you want?

Gabriella & Jonathan started co-managing a failing brick & mortar bookstore 12-months ago. Gabriella is convinced Jonathan wants to boot her out of her dream job, thus causing them to butt heads at every turn. Now it’s almost Christmas and the two of them need to join forces to help the store owners save their store.

It just so happens Gabriella chats with a guy online whose been coined “Mr. Reddit” and they’ve agreed to meet after Christmas. What she doesn’t know is her online romantic interest also happens to be her work arch nemesis…

The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese completely blew me away. It was charming, witty, and unexpectedly emotional. Both Gabriella & Jonathan have a hard time opening up about their respective vulnerabilities and seeing them finally learn to trust was a real joy. Have your tissues ready because this one will be sure to make you shed some tears! 5/5 stars.

Thanks Chloe Liese & Valentine PR for my review copy.

While I love the idea of holiday romances and every year, I tell myself that I'm going to read nothing but holiday romances, the truth of the matter is that I am a liar. I never end up reading them or if I do start, I end up giving up because holiday romance books like holiday movies can be veer too much into cheesy territory for me and I am a grinch. But I knew I wanted to read The Mistletoe Motive because it's a Chloe Liese story! It's the bookish and festive romance novella that romance readers will love.

Gabriella and Jonathan work at an adorable little indie bookstore, Bailey's Bookshop, that hasn't been doing too well financially. When the store owners relate the news to that one of them could possibly lose their jobs in the new year, the two scrabble and come up with a plan to let the one who makes the most sales during the holiday season gets to keep their job. Thus, begins the battle of book sales between two people are workplace nemeses - fun times, only, I promise! :)

What Chloe Liese excels at is writing endearing characters who manage to burrow themselves in your cold heart. Now, I do always have a nagging doubt that I won't care for the characters when getting into a novella, but I had nothing to worry about here. Gabriella and Jonathan are both well fleshed-out characters who bring all the sparks to this story. They are very different to each other - Gabriella is warm, merry and loves all things romance, the holiday season, and happiness, while Jonathan is more of a stoic grump who tends to have a more pessimistic (or maybe realistic is a better word) view on life.

All of Chloe Liese's books (that I've read) have featured at least one character on the autism spectrum and I'm really loving how she's exploring how neurodivergence can manifest in different ways. Gabriella is on the spectrum here and she also happens to be demisexual. I think readers who love sunshine heroines are going to enjoy Gabriella and her zest for life. The Mistletoe Motive also explores living with Type 1 diabetes with Jonathan.

The romance that blooms between Gabriella and Jonathan is so damn sweet and entertaining. The two don't get along because of their different personalities, but it's so obvious to us readers that they are perfect for each other. It's all in the little moments between the two. I love love LOVE reading scenes of couples opening up and talking to each other and there are plenty of heartwarming conversations between Gabriella and Jonathan that defrosted my frozen heart. And you can just tell that despite their occasional quips at each other that they truly enjoy being in each other's company. I mean, the man knows her favorite drink, FFS!

Add to that, there was also an epistolary/You've Got Mail element to the story which delighted me to no end! The two have been Reddit buddies and have had an online penpal-type relationship for a while. I LOVE books with epistolary elements because it adds another dimension of intimacy to a romantic relationship, especially in books! And it added a lovely touch to the love story between Gabriella and Jonathan.

The Mistletoe Motive really is one of the most joyous and festive romance novellas I've read. If you love grumpy-meets-sunshine and nemeses-to-lovers romance books, this book needs to be at the top of your holiday TBR.

P.S the book is releasing as a Kobo original but a free Kobo app is available to download on your phone or iPad or tablet!

Content notes: autism, Type 1 diabetes, emotionally manipulative ex

Relationship disclosure: Chloe Liese and I are social media mutuals.

Chloe Liese knows just what to give her readers for a holiday story - interesting characters, a plotline that we can anticipate what is going to happen just enough to be delighted when the characters have their 'A-ha!" moments, and tons of holiday cheer. It's a toasty package that I couldn't wait to devour (and sure, I had already purchased it on Kobu as a preorder) and I am sure I will re-read it again. Perfect for romance fans that want a holiday treat that is a little hot and a lot of sweet.

In her first holiday novella, Chloe Liese gives us everything we could want in what is sure to become a holiday favorite: representation, spice, enemies-to-lovers, slow burn goodness. . . it's all done so well and I could have easily devoured another hundred pages of Gabriella and Jonathan's story.

Gabriella Di Natale co-manages Bailey's Bookshop and turns up the holiday cheer to 100 every year. Her co-manager, Jonathan Frost? Well, he brings the bah humbug. In a silent competition to be the better employee ever since Jonathan was first hired on a year ago, Gabby hates how her co-manager can have such a boorish personality while having such a nice body. Gabby's neurodivergent brain just can't read him. But the bookshop is in trouble and they will both have to put their differences and misunderstandings aside if Bailey's Bookshop is going to survive after the holiday season. As Jonathan and Gabby get closer and start seeing each other for who they truly are, holiday miracles will abound as opposites attract and love blooms in the magic of a bookstore.

I found so much to love about The Mistletoe Motive. First of all, if you've ever read a Chloe Liese book, you know how her fabulous writing just flows off the page; her signature writing makes its fabulous debut in the holiday romance genre, and this novella gave me plenty of feelings. The structure of the novella was also great; Liese includes a Christmas song at the beginning of each chapter to help set the mood of each chapter. I think the songs are all so very fitting, and would definitely recommend listening to Liese's playlist while reading to give the novella that extra special touch.

These characters are everything. Gabby has autism, and Liese brilliantly crafted Gabby to represent who a person with autism is while balancing the strengths and the lows of living (and thriving) with a neurodivergent brain. Never once did I feel sorry for Gabby, despite the many challenges she faced. She is definitely a character who shows how beautifully creative a neurodivergent person can be, and I love such positive representation in these pages. I felt this novella speaking to me as it was revealed that Jonathan has T1 diabetes. As someone who has been T1 since I was five, I felt every bit of grumpiness and every moment Jonathan came across as rough or rude. It's often hard to put into words how having high or low blood sugar can make you feel, but Liese did a wonderful job painting those emotions and explaining it to a non-diabetic (both to Gabby and the reader). I don't often run across romances where the main character has diabetes, and that representation was so powerful. Liese definitely thought everything through, from keeping candy stashes everywhere for emergencies to what to do with the pump tubing during spicy times. Both Gabby and Jonathan represented their challenges so well, and I loved how their autism and diabetes were portrayed as both challenges and strengths in their growing relationship.

The Mistletoe Motive is a slow-burn romance, but once we get there? Whew. Liese turns up the fire between Gabby and Jonathan, and the tension and desire was palpable. But as much as I loved the spicy scenes, I loved that Liese didn't conveniently forget the challenges both Gabby and Jonathan faced during these scenes. Autism and diabetes don't just magically go away in the bedroom, but all too often I feel like authors forget about invisible illnesses once the lights are off. But not this author, and not these two main characters. I absolutely loved how much attention Jonathan paid to Gabby's touch and smell sensitivities. And likewise, I loved the care that Gabby took around Jonathan's pump and tubing. It was just all so very well done and thoughtful.

I loved Gabby and Jonathan as characters, who they were and what made them who they are today. I loved how well the grumpy/sunshine and enemies-to-lovers tropes played together in this holiday novella. The slow burn was so good, and the spice was above and beyond what I was expecting.

I couldn't put The Mistletoe Motive down, and I highly recommend this Kobo Original holiday novella for both fans of Chloe Liese as well as those new to her writing.

Chloe Liese is one if my favorites authors and every book of hers works her farther up the list. This is the perfect Christmas book that gives a little bit of everything. I loved these characters and how they learn each other. The end went a different direction than I thought at one point and it was SO appreciated. If you read it you'll kmow 😉 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pick this up for your christmas reading!

This was a delicious slow burn, enemies to lovers workplace holiday romance set in a charming independent bookstore that's in danger of closing. Perfect for fans of Pride and prejudice or You've got mail. The author does a great job representing a character with type 1 diabetes and another who is neurodivergent and demisexual. The sexual tension between Gabby and Jonathan builds to a peak that is super satisfying in the best open door way. Highly recommended and loved the epilogue as well. Much thanks to NetGalley and the author for my advance review copy!

4.5⭐️

Another grumpy/sunshine story that surrounds the holiday you need to add to your list. It didn't feel like a novella at all. It has everything you need for a full-length novel, a great, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers storyline, fun banter and lots of exciting moments. I loved both Jonathan and Gabriella's characters. I loved these two together and the moment they got together was the most satisfying thing ever! I loved everything about this book. The representation was well written into the story by the author. Highly, highly recommend their book!

He loathes the holidays. She loves them. She’s full of festive cheer. He’s brimming with Bah, Humbugs.
Can they work together to save their beloved independent bookstore?

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Okay this was absolutely adorable! THE MISTLETOE MOTIVE gave me all the warm fuzzies and was exactly what I look for in a festive contemporary romance. Like seriously, go get this one right now!

I quickly fell in love with both characters and although I figured out the "twist" fairly early on, I was glued to my e-reader from beginning to end. I think I actually finished this in one sitting! I also loved the representation in this one, as it is an #OwnVoices story for its portrayal of autism by an autistic author.

If you are looking for a #cozyread this festive season, make sure to pick up THE MISTLETOE MOTIVE!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my arc!

#TheMistletoeMotive #NetGalley

I love everything that Chloe Liese writes so this book did not disappoint me! As a proclaimed Christmas addict I loved Gabriella so much! I loved how Jonathan knew so much about Gabby without her even realizing it. He was loving her the way he knew how. I would highly recommend this book for a quick and awesome holiday read!