5+

I will start this review by saying that I had every single intention to love every word of this book and am so pleased to be able to say that that is exactly what happened. I don't have a single negative thing to say about this except for the fact that I wish it was longer. But even that is only because I want more of these two and not because it feels like the story is lacking in any way.

Moving along, this is definitely one of my favorite holiday books now. It is the perfect mix of grumpy / sunshine and has the bookstore of my dreams as the main setting. There is demisexual representation which brings my heart immense joy in addition to having autistic representation and type 1 diabetic representation. All of the rep is explicit and present and done in a way that just allows these characters to live and experience life exactly as they are.

So both Jonathan and Gabby work at this cutesy little family-owned bookstore. Gabby is sunshine personified and so full of joy that I guarantee that you will grin so much while you're reading this. The holidays are her favorite time of year and she goes above and beyond in decorating the bookstore and making sure it is the perfect cozy environment for everyone's winter book shopping needs. She is sensitive and emotional and absolutely wonderful. Then we have Jonathan who is the love interest in this book but he is also the hate interest. Jonathan was brought into the bookstore to provide a more practical application of management. He is a numbers guy and is very practical in his thinking and in his general state of existence. He is constantly paying attention to every single detail and figuring out the most efficient way to proceed. You can imagine that these two clash a little bit in their management styles of the bookstore and because Jonathan is not as enthusiastic about the holidays as Gabby is, there is a little bit of tension.

I think one of my favorite parts about this book is that neither Gabby nor Jonathan are ever outwardly like mean to each other. They both want the bookstore to succeed and they both are committed to books and reading and making sure that everyone is happy; they just do it in different ways. Also, both Jonathan and Gabby are very observant of each other and what they like and don't like etc. So even though they have their own little personality clashes and this is technically an enemies to lovers, it still has two very courteous and kind and respectful characters.

This is a rom-com y'all, it is predictable and cheesy and will fill your heart with sweet and fluffy joy. There isn't very many dramatics and even that is pretty much contained to Gabby's horrendous ex-boyfriend. It is full of holiday joy and snowy winters and a deeply entrenched adoration of books that I know that everyone here on bookstagram understands on a visceral level.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a kobo original which means that you need to download the app but the app is free. This will be available as an ebook and as an audiobook and I can assure you that I will most certainly be listening to the audio as soon as it releases.

Rep: Autistic demisexual MC, love interest with type 1 diabetes

Thank you again so much for an advanced copy

This novella checked so many boxes for me. Work place romance, grumpy and sunshine, enemies to lovers, and a little epistolary online relationship sprinkled in.

With a diverse cast of characters, this author is a huge proponent that everyone deserves to see and read their happily ever after.

This is a longer novella, but for me it was the perfect length. Readers will be able to see the characters growth arc, without feeling like the story is rushed.

With major ‘You’ve Got Mail’ vibes, this book has cemented a place as one of my favorite holiday reads.

I absolutely adored this! The perfect, quick holiday romance with spice, representation, and the perfect amount of banter. This grumpy/sunshine read is a must!

I am not usually a fan of novellas but this was a little longer and just a nice little shot of holiday goodness.
I love tension and slow builds and typically find the pacing of novellas to be too quick and undeveloped for my taste. However, somehow Chloe found the sweet spot, she packed in the tension and the feel of a slow burn and because of the length of the story there was no need to drag anything out. We managed to avoid the dreaded miscommunication disease. It all flowed so seamlessly.

You’ll love this if you like…
* Adversaries to lovers
* Workplace romance
* Epistolary storyline.
* Opposites attract
* Grumpy/Sunshine
* Secret pining
* Neuro-diverse heroine
* Chronic illness rep
* Single POV (until the epilogue)

I loved both characters. Jonathan had the right balance of curmudgeon / protector energy and that ‘get on your knees’ voice was a nice little cherry on top. 🤌🏻🥵

Gabriella is a delight. She was perfectly vulnerable and aware of her limitations without being a helpless damsel.

I’m just such a sucker for this author.
Not only does Chloe constantly give us these delicious storylines and plot points (The super grumpy grinch or ‘I honestly had no idea he was flirting or was into me’ ) we’re also getting these opportunities to build our own empathy with insights into what it might be like to live with chronic Illness or be neuro-diverse. She does it all without sacrificing the swoon, banter or sexiness. It’s just ALL THE THINGS!

In this festive read perfect for fans of You've Got Mail and The Hating Game, indie darling Chloe Liese brings us stellar enemies-to-lovers banter and epistolary yearning between leads Jonathan and Gabriella. Chock full of wintertime cheer--including peppermint hot chocolate, hockey, a decorated indie bookstore, and more--this read is perfect for the holiday season. It certainly has clear nods to the classic You've Got Mail, but is enough of a departure to not fall victim to the near play-by-play recantation that was To Sir, With Love. And it brings us a neurodivserse, demisexual heroine in a genre where representation is so important. Out of the three Chloe Liese books I've read, this is certainly my favorite--perhaps due to a little extra Christmas magic!

Thanks to the author for my eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

Chloe Liese is one my favorite romance authors so when I heard that she wrote a Christmas novella, I knew I had to read it! Liese is a brilliant #OwnVoices author and I love that all of her books include disabled or neurodivergent characters (the latter is based on her own personal experience).

In the vein of The Hating Game, THE MISTLETOE MOTIVE is a charming, slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance! Gabriella (Gabby) Di Natale and Jonathan Frost co-manage an independent bookstore in NYC called Bailey's Bookshop. Gabby loves the holidays and is brimming with festive cheer. Jonathan, her arch nemesis, is a literal scrooge and abhors the holidays. When the store's owners tell them that their bookstore is in financial trouble, Gabby and Jonathan are tasked to save the store. They decide to make it in to a "friendly" competition - whoever sells the most books during the month of December, wins and gets to stay employed at the store - therefore the stakes are high.

As Gabby and Jonathan work together to save the store, Gabby begins to realize that Jonathan isn't as cold-hearted as he seems - but could he perhaps have a motive for his sudden kindness?

As per usual, Liese's writing shines in this story. Her characters are always well-developed and she takes great to care to ensure that the characters' conditions (for lack of a better word) and sexuality are represented accurately and appropriately. The plot is always interesting, flows well, and I love that there's always an HEA! My only complaint is that I wanted the story to be longer! If you're looking for a fun and endearing Christmas romance story, then definitely add this to your TBR!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Chloe Liese and Valentine PR for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. THE MISTLETOE MOTIVE comes out on December 1!

ARGH WHY DOES CHLOE GIVE ME THESE AMAZING CHARCATERS AND EXPECT ME TO LET THEM GO?!?! Extremely unfair Chloe!

Entirely as expected, I absolutely adored The Mistletoe Motive - the storyline was well thought out and worked really well, I loved the setting and want to visit Bailey's like right now please and have Gabby sell me her favourite romances...I'd maybe even let Jonathan strong arm me into a thriller or two too. Jut a delightful and festive novella that I'll definitely be plugging to all my pals, romance lovers or not, because it's just perfect. We love a grumpy bookseller who is secretly *soft* for his colleague.

All the love for Chloe and The Mistletoe Motive!

The Mistletoe Motive is a Holiday workplace novella that has Chloe Liese's signature style all over it: Sloooow burn and authentic disability and autism representation. Okay people, our main characters Gabriela Di Natale and Jonathan Frost (their last names!) are total opposites working in the same independent bookstore where they are both doing their bests to keep it afloat. They also are sort of online pen-pals which started out as a bookish Reddit post. He is What_The_Charles_Dickens aka Mr. Reddit to her MargaretCATwood aka MCAT (again the usernames!) and of course they don't know their real identities. Hello You've Got Mail!

Both Gabby and Jonathan are vulnerable, real characters that were misunderstood by one another. Over the course of a month they slowly warm up to each other. Jonathan is my kind of person in the sense that he is not that festive. The dude looks serious and stoic but I laughed every time he called Gabby's Peppermint Hot Chocolate her chocolate milk.

This one gets steamy on chapter 14 so if open door scenes is not your cup of tea you may want to skip the last chapter and the epilogue. You'll still end up being satisfied with the ending.

Thank you to the author, Valentine PR and Netgalley for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Ok y'all, I've found my favorite holiday romance of 2021! Chloe never lets me down and I'm so glad she wrote a holiday novella for us to swoon over this holiday season. It's got my favorite trope (enemies to lovers) set in a bookstore - pretty much the perfect recipe for a winner right? I loved all the characters in this book - Gabby with her over the top holiday spirit (picture Buddy the Elf) and Jonathan with his grumpy exterior but deliciously soft interior. The side characters are also amazing and I hope there will be another book for June!?

One of my favorite things about Chloe as a writer is that she balances the fun steamy bits with education on different representation that you don't normally find in a romance (autism, asexual spectrum, chronic illness, etc). I always learn something when reading her books and I really appreciate that.

Holy Queen of Slow Burns, Chloe Liese! 🔥😮🔥⁣
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The Mistletoe Motive was absolute perfection (even if she did make me wait for the steam!) ⁣
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This book is the chocolatey cup of peppermint cocoa that we all want with a shot of peppermint schnapps to spice it up!! I loved everything about this book, in case that wasn’t already clear! ⁣
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Read this if you love:⁣
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🎄Enemies to lovers⁣
📚Grumpy/sunshine⁣
🎄Fun holiday reads⁣
📚Workplace (bookstore) romance⁣
🎄 Sloooooow burns⁣
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As always, Chloe taught me something I didn’t know. The representation in this book (autism, demisexual, and type 1 diabetes) was well done and well explained. ⁣
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This is one holiday read that you should⁣ NOT miss!⁣
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⁣Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Are you a holiday lover or hater? I fall somewhere in the middle, but I adored Chloe Liese’s The Mistletoe Motive. This grumpy/sunshine own voices story was adorable and a perfect pick me up for this season.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This utterly charming holiday tale takes place at Bailey’s Bookshop, where Gabriela and Jonathan both work. But, like most brick-and-mortar stores, sales are not going well. Gabriela conclude that if things don’t improve, one of them will have to leave at the new year. They make a deal that whoever brings in the most sales gets to keep their job. Competition, banter, hot cocoa, and holiday cuteness ensues.

Gabriela and Jonathan are an adorable grumpy/sunshine combination. They play off each other’s strengths, and truly compliment each other. They also each deal with their own challenges; as usual, Liese’s own voices representation is spot on. Some surprise details are easy to figure out, but it doesn’t lessen how delightful they are. I couldn’t put this book down, and then was disappointed when it was over so quickly. Who wouldn’t want to spend more time at the Bailey’s Bookshop?

If you are looking for a quick holiday read, with a dose of steam at the end, definitely get your Kobo app ready and download The Mistletoe Motive. It’s a perfect read for an afternoon on the sofa with a steaming cup of peppermint hot cocoa.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Many thanks to Chloe Liese and Valentine PR for the ARC of Mistletoe Motive!

This Christmas novella reads like a full-length book; you totally don’t feel like you’re missing anything. Gabriella and Jonathon are work nemeses at a struggling independent bookstore, and just before the holidays they find out that the store might not survive into the new year—and if it does, only one manager can stay on. They make a bet that whoever sells the most books in December gets to keep their job, and there begins a month of fierce banter, doubts about each other’s motives, and new *feeeeelings* for each other.

I enjoyed the various types of representation (heroine is autistic and demisexual; hero has type 1 diabetes) without any feelings of tokenism. This was a slow burn, but not quite as torturous as Liese’s usual sloooooow burns, and it was a great combination of sweet and spicy. Holiday-y without too much cheese factor!

5 stars!

What a wonderful holiday read. I absolutely loved this book and everything about it.

Without giving many spoilers this book is about Gabby and Jonathon who work together in a book store, and absolutely do not get along. Gabby is all about the holiday season, when Jonathon is basically Mr. Grinch.

Like all of Chloe Liese’s characters there’s a lot more to these two and I couldn’t get enough. I love her representation of characters and I love the way she mentions real life issues in almost all her novels. Demi sexual? Autistic? Diabetes? It’s just amazing to read and so different then your average PERFECT hero and heroine.

Gabby was such a delight, such a cute adorable POV to read. And Jonathon? A hockey player who works in a book store? Yes please! And the last few chapters 🤐 my goodness the words coming out of this man’s mouth!! **Swooning**

Thank you Valentine PR and KOBO for an ARC of this book! ❤️

If you haven’t read any of Chloe Liese’s Bergman Brothers series, you’re really missing out. She writes interesting, relatable characters, many drawn from her own neurodiversity as well. I feel like I learn a bit more about myself and others with every book I read of hers. You learn to be more accepting, in addition to getting one hell of a romance.

If you love her Bergman Brothers series already, and you also love Christmas books, this is perfect for you. If you love enemies to lovers with a mix of grumpy/sunshine in your Christmas books, this is also the perfect book for you. We get what we love about her writing (the pining, the slow burn, the steam), but also get the warm hug of a holiday book as well.

The only complaint, if you can even call it a complaint, was that I wanted more. It is a pretty good sized novella, and it really didn’t need any more for the story, I just wanted more of these characters because I loved them so much.

Thank you to Valentine PR for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Listen- I'll read anything Chloe writes and 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 is no exception. It was absolute perfection and checked all my holiday boxes:

- Workplace romance (albeit enemies-to-more) set in a bookstore called Bailey's
- Characters on different ends of the holiday scale. Gabriella is more Buddy the Elf. Jonathan is more Grinch.
- 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘭 nod. I never tire of that.
- Tender, vulnerable, real characters written with depth.
- Representation- Type 1 diabetes, autism, demisexual
- Delicious slow burn with a taut, simmering tension that came together flawlessly.
- The culminating moment played in my mind like a movie. A scene I read over and over.
-Epilogue- told from Jonathan's perspective wrapped everything up in a satisfying, glittering box.
BONUS: Spotify Playlist. Each chapter starts with a song that is linked to each chapter.

I loved it. You should read it. I already know I'll be reading it again this holiday season.

Honestly I will read anything Chloe Liese writes! Let me start by saying that I am not a Christmas junkie. Very often I have been called Ebeneezer Scrooge or the Grinch by my friends. So I’m not your typical holiday reader but I got to say I really enjoyed The Mistletoe Motive. The two main characters Gabby and Jonathan are definitely on episode sides of the fence when it comes to Christmas but are forced to work together to save their beloved bookstore. I’m getting some grinch representation in a holiday book! I read this in one sitting with a cup of tea and cozy on my couch and it was a perfect afternoon!

Let me preface this by saying I am not a fan of Christmas - it drives me nuts. BUT - this is a CHLOSE LIESE BOOK and therefore it is legal requirement to myself that I read it. Chloe could write the dictionary and I would read it from A-Z - I just adore her work.

I absolutely loved the bookshop setting, the antagonism between Jonathan and Gabriella (especially once you realised Jonathan was into Gabby and she just had not got there yet), her relationship with her roommates and parents, the little hockey interlude - e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.

It was sweet, it was sexy, it was festive and cute and brought voices to the table that never get a voice - as is the usual M.O. of any Chloe Liese book. It was perfect. I now have to wean myself off another book hangover and prepare myself for the next time this happens. I have to chalk time out to sit down with this author's books because I can guarantee there's no stopping once I start.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable slow burn holiday story! It’s an opposites attract, Pride and Prejudice meets You’ve Got Mail style romance between two bookstore employees who are facing down the possible closure of their beloved bookstore.

It felt new and modern, but also like a classic novel. I love all varieties of holiday romance, but I especially loved that this one felt a little different. It’s so awesome how the author provides a love story for everyone, including those with neurodivergence and autoimmune diseases.

Unfortunately, for me, what didn’t work was the “enemies” to lovers portion as described in the blurb. Jonathan was the “enemy,” given that this was single POV, only we never actually saw him do or say anything bad . The heroine didn’t like him, but that’s not the same as enemies to lovers. There was no banter, there was no push and pull, which are what make an excellent enemies to lovers for me.

Overall though a sweet and unique holiday romance!

“This makes no sense. Jonathan Frost isn’t affectionate or tender. He doesn’t read the shit out of a romance novel that I love or look at me with need burning in his eyes. He doesn’t hold my hand or keep me warm or stare at me like everything he wants in the world is right in front of him.”

(A Kobo exclusive- you must have the *free* kobo app to read this novel.)

Oh man. All the smiles for this one. This was such a CUTE inclusive Christmas romance. I had a difficult time putting it down. Gabriella and Jonathan were sweet and real and their banter was so fun. The backdrop of the Holiday season in a bookstore was delightful. And when the gloves come off- that is when the swoony magic happens. It was the perfect length for this reader and just overall enjoyable.

“For fans of The Hating Game and You’ve Got Mail” is in the blurb and is an extremely accurate comparison. It reads like an inclusive retelling of The Hating Game with an ode to You’ve Got Mail. If you love both of those things- you’ll enjoy this sweet romance.

“I hope she’s everything you wanted.” Johnathan stares down at me, searching my gaze. “I already know she is.”

Thanks to Valentine PR and Netgalley for an early release copy, all opinions are my own.

A huge thank you to Valentine PR and Kobo Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review

5🌟 4🌶

I’ve known Chloe Liese and her work for a while now so I was so excited when I saw that she was writing a christmas romance novella. And it’s safe to say that this blew me away! I’m still a bit teary from finishing it as I write this ahhh my heart is just so full right now 😭

I can’t get over how much I LOVED this! From the steamy christmas romance, lovable characters and bookstore setting, this was just everything I wanted for the upcoming season!

Gabriella was unapologetically festive and merry which just made me love her even more! I also appreciated how she represented demisexuality and ASD. Alongside that, I liked how she had such fun and supportive friends and parents, I enjoyed the interactions she had with them.

As for Mr. Jonathan Frost, I fell in love with him HARD AND FAST. The icy, scrooge-like demeanor he had didn’t deter but made me more intrigued by him as I got to know the compassionate and caring side he really had. I loved that his character kept surprising me more and more as I read on. He also had a Type 1 Diabetes rep which was very interesting to see in a romance novel.

This book had all my favorite tropes so it was no surprise how much squealing I did all throughout. Their grumpy/sunshine, rivals to lovers, workplace romance was everything! Add in the hidden identities trope on the side and I could just combust on the spot! I just loved that journey they had from hating each other at work to slowly understanding where their hate came from and getting to know each other, eventually forming a truce which led to friendship and even more~ The sexual tension between them evident from the start gave me SO MUCH FEELS! The fact that they’re both book lovers made me relate to them and enjoy their banter and chemistry. The high heat smut this had was enough to keep me warm on a cold winter’s night!

And lastly, I have to talk about the thing that made this a solid five star read for me and that was the playlist made for this book. I knew about the playlist days before I got the eARC so me being a sucker for christmas music, I obsessively listened to it and I just loved how I discovered so much new songs and fell in love with the playlist as a whole which made me more excited to read the novella. What I didn’t expect upon starting the book was that each chapter was based on a song in the playlist. That made my reading experience 1000x better and I enjoyed listening to specific songs as I read chapter after chapter. Now, I love that I can associate scenes and emotions I felt while reading to every song when I listen to the playlist again 😭 I highly recommend checking it out!

Overall, this was a perfectly swoony, fast-paced and light read, almost like a love letter to my fellow romance readers! Perfect for fans of Chloe Liese’s previous work and
heartwarming christmas romances!