I enjoyed The Twelve Dates of Christmas, but this one fell flat for me. There were too many side stories, too many explanations about things that had nothing to do with the plot, and it just wasn’t interesting enough to keep going, even though I tried. I liked Isaac (LI) and Dev (side character), but I DNF’d at 40%.

Thank you to Putnam for a free digital ARC and to PRHAudio for the audiobook.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group for this lovely holiday ARC.

I really love Jenny Bayliss' holiday books! They're easy to read, less predictable than most, and always come with a happily ever after of some sort! It was an enjoyable holiday read, with a lovable main character and a crew of eclectic friends. I mean, who doesn't love a holiday book where the main character is named Nory Noel!

The story was full of real life situations: from disapproving siblings, to friendship drama, to bridezillas and more. The novel followed a group of friends who were together for a wedding, spending a week in a castle local to Nory's hometown. Nory attended private school with this group of friends, but grew up in the town. The novel shows how friendships grow and evolve, and how relationships start in the most interesting of ways.

Super cute holiday novel!

Jenny Bayliss never fails to charm with her seasonal romances, and Nory Noel's story might be my favorite yet. A secondhand bookseller who came late to her calling, Nory has spent the last several years attending to business--which also happens to be her passion. Unfortunately, she has not been so successful in the romance department. With two of her closest friends' wedding house party approaching, Nory is forced out into the world again and away from her books.

The house party takes place on the estate where Nory attended a privileged school as a scholarship student. Though this created some tension in her very blue-family, Nory's friend group has remained close despite--or perhaps because of--the suicide of one of their members.

Now, not only has Nory been reunited with her friends during Bridezilla-themed wedding festivities; but she has also once again encountered Isaac, the son of the groundskeeper and a friend of her brother's. Despite fraternization rules, snobbishness, and sibling arguments, Isaac and Nory quickly become attached. When Nory makes a grand gesture that betrays a confidence, however, their newly-found rapport takes a nosedive.

Can Isaac and Nory overcome all of the obstacles leading them to a true Christmas romance?

Although there are a lot of characters, they all quickly develop strong traits (some of them deplorable), and the chemistry from the whole group rings fairly true. Nory's mother is a true delight, as is Andrew, her shop assistant. A definite must-read for fans of Christmas fluff and reunion stories.

Jenny Bayliss books are like warm winter hugs. I always love the rich setting of the quirky towns she chooses. This was a great kick off to holiday reading!

Quick and Dirty⁣
-hometown romance⁣
-enemies to lovers⁣
-bookish MC⁣
-tightknit friend group⁣
⁣
Synopsis⁣
Ever since she was selected for a scholarship to Braddon-Heartmead, a prestigious local private school, Nory’s felt like an outsider. Her middle class background meant she struggled to relate to the posh lifestyle of her new friends. Despite their differences, Nory and her school friends formed a lasting bond. Now two of the gang are getting married in her hometown of Heartmead. Better yet, they'll all be staying at Robinwood Castle, a local historic landmark, for the week. Not long after arriving, Nory comes face to face with a blast from the past. The awkward son of the head gardener has assumed his father’s role, and, surprise, he’s handsome! Too bad he and Nory are sworn enemies. ⁣
⁣
Musings⁣
Guys, this might be the holiday romance of the year for me. It’s sweet, a little spicy, and truly magical. I loved every minute of this book and think you will, too! The relationships in the book give depth to the story, adding elements of family drama and deep friendships to round out the plot and character arcs. Watching Nory navigate the minefield of past mistakes, complex relationships, and new love was a thing of beauty. The tension that results gives the story authenticity that some holiday romances lack in my opinion. It was heartfelt and moving instead of fluffy, which I personally loved! It reminded me of One Day in December, my favorite holiday romance from last year. Fingers crossed you pick this one up!

I love a good Christmas romance. There’s not as much Christmas spirit in this book as there was in Bayliss’ 2 previous holiday books, but I liked it nonetheless.
The FMC, Nory, went away to school as a scholarship student, and she’s always felt that she didn’t exactly fit in with all of the other more wealthy students. She owns a used bookstore in London.
Two of her old friends decided to have a reunion at a castle before a wedding that they’ve all been invited to. One of Nory’s old flings is there, and she wants to avoid him. She makes friends with one of the gardeners named Isaac, and they have a lot in common besides the instant physical attraction between them.
Nory and Isaac have serious feelings growing between them, and need to figure out what happens when Nory leaves.
I enjoyed this book, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Ok I need to start off by saying this cover is one of the cutest Christmas covers I’ve EVER seen.

Ok now that we have got that out of the way…

This book was great. It was one of those books that is more of a marathon, not a sprint. You’re here for the journey. For a good time, not a fast time.

As long as you go in with that mindset this book should be very enjoyable for any reader.

I got this book from #Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.I really liked the love story of Nory and Issac in the book but felt it was too long.Read this book if you like :Read if you like reading about :romance,Christmas theme,childhood enemy to lovers and brothers best friend.

📚 BOOK REVIEW ✨

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss

⭐️ rating: 4
📖 genre: Holiday romance
🖨 publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
📍setting: London & the English countryside

🔲 REVIEW:

I love any type of holiday book and this was a fun first read of the season!

This was a cute “enemies-to-lovers” story about Nory, who heads back to her hometown for childhood friends’ wedding. I enjoyed the main plot about Nory & Isaac, but equally enjoyable were the side stories about each of her friends (particularly Ameerah & Dev!) It was interesting to read about the dynamics of long-term friend group. (Doesn’t snowball cricket sound fun?!) Some of their inside jokes and traditions made me feel nostalgic for my own childhood friends. I will warn you that although the story takes place leading up to Christmas, there aren’t actually a ton of holiday references in the book. The main plot circles around the group’s activities during the wedding week in the English countryside. If you’re looking for a seriously Christmasy book, this may not be it.

I enjoyed:
-Serendipitous Seconds - what a great name for a bookstore!
-learning about Isaac’s past and his ties to a famous artist
-realistic complexity of family and friend relationships

If you liked this book, be sure to check out Jenny’s other two books: The Twelve Dates of Christmas and A Season for Second Chances.

The Twelve Dates of Christmas has a very holiday vibe!

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

🔎 SUMMARY:

“A city bookshop owner heads to the English countryside for a holiday reunion— only to face her childhood enemy.

Elinor Noel—Nory for short—is quite content running her secondhand bookshop in London. Forever torn between her working-class upbringing and her classmates’ extravagant lifestyles at the posh private school she attended on scholarship, Nory has finally figured out how to keep both at equal distance. So when two of her oldest friends invite their whole gang to spend the time leading up to their wedding together at the castle near their old school, Nory must prepare herself for an emotionally complicated few days.
 
The reunion brings back fond memories, but also requires Nory to dodge an ill-advised former fling. When she falls quite literally into the arms of Isaac, the castle’s head gardener, who has nothing but contempt for the “snobby prep school kids,” the attraction between them is undeniable. And as Nory spends more time with Isaac during the wedding festivities, she finds herself falling hard for the boy she used to consider an enemy. Nory and Isaac explore their common ground, but pressures mount on all sides, and Nory must decide what kind of life she wants to live and what sort of love is worth the risk . . .”

🔲 Have you read this book? What did you think?

Cheers to my first holiday read of the season!
This slow-burn British romance was more holiday-adjacent than all-out holiday, but the ramp-up to Christmas suited me just fine ) Meet Me Under The Mistletoe was set in the cozy, quaint, and charming village of Hartmead, yet also branched out onto a rustic London market street where Nory's second-hand bookshop was housed, and even inhabited an enchanting castle. These settings made me feel as though I was wrapped in a warm hug, drinking coffee and reading before an open fire. Jenny Bayliss's books are always comfort reads for me, and this one did not disappoint on that front!
Similarly, her rich characters warmed my heart. I instantly fell in love with main characters Nory and Isaac, but I also formed a strong bond with secondary characters Ameerah, Jenna, Pippa, Camille, Andrew, Seb, Charles, and Jeremy. The intricate web of their friendships was like chicken soup for my soul, and they reminded me of my own lifelong friends.
And aaah, the romance between Nory and Isaac was a slow-burn in a wonderful way. From swoony moments to passionate, laugh-out-loud to eyes welling, this closed-door romance moved slowly, but was absolutely worth it
While this is billed as a contemporary romance, it covers a host of heavier topics, including suicide, mental health awareness, alcoholism, infidelity, racism, classism, and misogyny. Though there was a lot going on, I felt these topics increased the characters' depth, and I appreciated how Bayliss handled them with sensitivity and grace.

I really enjoyed this!!

Jenny Bayliss has become one of my favorite holiday authors, with all of her books bringing the cozy feelings I want when looking for Christmas books. Meet Me Under the Mistletoe is the longest of her three books, and while there are certain parts that could have been shortened or left out completely, overall I didn't mind being able to have a little more time pretending I was a part of the long weekend at a castle. It was interesting to see Nory's childhood friend group dynamics and how relationships change over time, something I think is universal as we grow up and evolve as individuals. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an e-ARC.

I throughly enjoyed this novel. In fact, it’s one of the few lately that has held my attention throughout the entire story. While I could see a few things coming, I never felt like rushing though it. I would definitely recommend it to friends.

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe is the second book I've read by Jenny Bayliss. Like The Twelve Dates of Christmas, it was a delight to read.

MMUM brings a group of friends together for a wedding at an old castle in Nory's hometown. Nory, the proprietor of a book store in London is a woman who grew up in and around the old castle where her parents worked. Bridging the gap between her well-off friends she made at a high-end boarding school and her working class family, she teetered between the two worlds, though was welcomed by both.

The romance part of this romance novel was really slow to start, but in its place, we were treated to a wonderful group of friends seeing each other in person for the first time in several years. I didn't really feel the romantic chemistry between Nory and Isaac, but I loved them both. It's as if they rekindled an old friendship and turned it into something more, but the something more was often off-page.

All in all, a delightful listen.

Since I ended up listening to this book, I must say that Shakira Shute did a fantastic job and kept me in the story the whole time. I listened at 1.3x speed.

Side notes:
* I loved the banter and interaction between the friends and would have loved this book even without the romance. I could easily have read another 100 pages of just all the friends together and in small groups - especially more about their thoughts on their late friend, Tristan.
* Steam level was low. Any steamy scenes were glossed over in a sentence or two until the scene could be transported to a new locale.
* I was so happy for Guy's ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I was super excited to read this because I loved Bayliss’ “Twelve Dates of Christmas” and “A Season for Second Chances” but this book really let me down. First, I wouldn’t call this a Christmas romance. It’s more contemporary fiction that just happens to during the festive season. Second, the book drags ON. About half way in I debated DNF-ing it because it seemed like nothing was happening. Third, Nory is just not a likable character and there was nothing redeeming about her so it was hard to continue to read her “woe is me” monologues.

2 stars and mainly because the setting seemed awesome; I mean who wouldn’t want to hang out in a castle at Christmas.

Another delightful Christmas book by Jenny Bayliss! Eleanor, or Nory as she is called by family and friends, leads a quiet life in London where she is the owner of a store dealing in vintage books. She is invited to the weeklong wedding celebration of a close friend and boarding school classmate. The wedding is to be held at the castle in Nory’s childhood village which she was in a hurry to leave. This story deals with friends, family, social class differences and, most importantly, love. Love of family, friends and new found romantic love is the central theme of this story. The writing is descriptive, the characters are all too real and, for the most part, very likable. There are quite a few characters, with their attendant back stories, to keep track of which was a bit cumbersome at times. I don’t know about other readers but the cover of a book is what first draws my attention and this book’s cover is charming. It is beautiful and filled with bright and colorful details. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy holiday romances with substance.

Everything you want in a holiday romance! Grand British castle? Check. Second chances? Check. BOOKSTORE???? Check, check, check. Meet Me Under the Mistletoe is transportive, making you feel part of the action as a group of old friends gather together to move into the future (with a wedding) while they grapple with the past. There's sensitivity given to topics of class, race, loss, and suicide without losing its hopeful tone. It's cozy and sweet without losing heart. I loved being immersed in this world for Christmas!

Old school friends reunite in the days leading up to the wedding of two of them at a castle near their posh school. Nory is the scholarship kid in the group. She negotiates the gap between her privileged friends and the locals. Over the course of the pre-wedding period, issues arise, relationships form and problems are resolved. There is potential for book discussion here.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a review copy of this title.

This was a lovely book that gives you all the holiday feels. There was just enough Christmas woven throughout the story that was to my liking as I’m not a fan of romance books marketed as a holiday read when only a small part actually takes place within the holiday season.

Nory was an endearing main character for me. Her uncertainty about life and unluckiness when it came to love was relatable as I’ve had those feelings before. She was the owner of a secondhand book store who was hesitant to let go of any books because she loved them too much. Also, I appreciated the rawness and honesty of Nory's complicated relationship with her brother.

The misunderstanding between Nory and her new beau, Isaac was a downfall for me as it was easily solvable but other than that, their growing love, her interesting friends and the precarious balance between the rich and not-so-rich social circles made up a wonderful character driven story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫 rounded up!

Cheers to my first holiday read of the season!

This slow-burn British romance was more holiday-adjacent than all-out holiday, but the ramp-up to Christmas suited me just fine 😍 Meet Me Under The Mistletoe was set in the cozy, quaint, and charming village of Hartmead, yet also branched out onto a rustic London market street where Nory’s second-hand bookshop was housed, and even inhabited an enchanting castle. These settings made me feel as though I was wrapped in a warm hug, drinking coffee and reading before an open fire. Jenny Bayliss’s books are always comfort reads for me, and this one did not disappoint on that front!

Similarly, her rich characters warmed my heart. I instantly fell in love with main characters Nory and Isaac, but I also formed a strong bond with secondary characters Ameerah, Jenna, Pippa, Camille, Andrew, Seb, Charles, and Jeremy. The intricate web of their friendships was like chicken soup for my soul, and they reminded me of my own lifelong friends.

And aaah, the romance between Nory and Isaac was a slow-burn in a wonderful way. From swoony moments to passionate, laugh-out-loud to eyes welling, this closed-door romance moved slowly, but was absolutely worth it 😍

While this is billed as a contemporary romance, it covers a host of heavier topics, including suicide, mental health awareness, alcoholism, infidelity, racism, classism, and misogyny. Though there was a lot going on, I felt these topics increased the characters’ depth, and I appreciated how Bayliss handled them with sensitivity and grace.

I thoroughly enjoyed this listen (@shakirashute_voiceover did an INCREDIBLE job!!), and I can’t wait to read more from one of my very favorite authors! Thank you to @netgalley @putnambooks @jennibayliss and @prhaudio for my gifted galley and audiobook!

Put this on your holiday TBR!!

Secondhand bookstore owner Elinor Noel (Nory) must navigate an upcoming party leading up to a friend's wedding. Gathered together with her long time friend group from her posh school days, she finds herself and love.

This was an okay read for me. The pacing is a bit slow but the story is pretty solid. The characters are well written and interesting. Bayliss does a wonderful job portraying the intricacies of the relationships. I really liked the expansive nature of Nory's friend group, the location of the castle, and even the love interest, Isaac. I went into this book looking for a feel good romance, but in reality, the romance kind of takes a back seat to the overall story. There is a lot of drama and hiccups among the friends. There is quite a bit of drama and dysfunction in their lives. Overall, I think I would have liked it more had I not going into the book thinking it was a holiday romance. My expectations were in that direction, but despite that I did like the story.