It’s not Christmas until I read a Jenny Bayliss novel. They’re as dependable as fresh snickerdoodles and cooler weather to get me in the holiday spirit.

The sweetest holiday book. Full of romance, best friendships, and’s a touch of miscommunication trope. I did, however, find myself skimming just abut near the end to get to the end. Loads of details for a sweet, rom-com - but can I fault the author for doing what she does best?! Absolutely recommend for a wintery, holiday read.

I did not like this book at first; I didn't understand the point of the story, where it was headed or what was was going to happen. I didn't care enough to find out. But then about halfway through, things start to pick up and the story developed.

Let me start off with the things I didn't like; I hated Isaac and I hated Nory's family. I was not a fan of the way they talked about others, I didn't like how they were so nasty and close minded about people who had more money than them. The way they blew off Nory's friends and how Nory's brother looked down upon his own sister, it really bothered me and almost ruined the book.

I hated it even more because Nory's friends weren't like that; they were welcoming and seemed like nice people.

My dislike of Isaac really affected how I saw him with Nory; I wasn't rooting for them nor did I want them to end up together. He made me uncomfortable and I just was a little weirded out by him.

On the other hand, I loved Nory's friends, I loved the bond they had and how they were just seamlessly in each other's lives, with their own language and traditions. It was so sweet and special and brought the entire story together. I loved hearing about their back stories and watching how they all flowed. It was beautiful.

The story didn't feel very Christmasy at first but then, when you get to the climax of the novel and things start moving fast, Christmas became a main character. The fact that this story took place in both London and the English countryside was very cozy, and having Nory be a bookshop owner was so cute. It gave her a little more personality.

All in all, I thought this was an adorable Christmas read with a great group of characters that was sweet and entertaining.

Overall, a feel-good Brit Chick Lit Christmas story with interesting and dynamic characters. I loved the author's previous Christmas boons,, so I was especially excited to read this one. It lived up to the challenge, though it was heavier in a few points than I anticipated - but not overly so. It allowed for well-developed characters that you gained a relationship with. A fantastic book by a fantastic author. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion. .

Loved the story overall! Just a sweet and heartfelt story that’s perfect for the holidays. I loved how raw the characters were and it had such a great ending!

Man, this one hurts me to not love. I wanted to really enjoy this one as I love Bayliss 99.9% of the time. However, this story just didn't do it for me. I was bored more times than not. "Meet Me Under the Mistletoe" was a bit more contemporary fiction and less romance, which I thought I was getting with the cover -- which I absolutely love BTW. That gets the all the stars. I do think the book was a bit busy -- lots of characters and tons of side plots -- which Isn't something I enjoy. I need main character energy, ya know?

This was a cute read but in a way, unmemorable. I loved the bookshop portions and Mugwort, the cat, but there were a few too many characters. I found it difficult to keep everyone’s story straight and did not connect with any specific character. Not my favorite Jenny Bayliss, but I will continue to read anything written by her! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this e-ARC for my honest review.

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss is not your typical holiday romance. What we get is a bit of big city life, going back home, a big wedding, class divides, gardening, fighting for what's right and lots of emotional up and downs. Reads a lot more like fiction but the romance is a lovely slow build that I was routing for the whole time. Really enjoyed reading this not at Christmas. Can't wait for Bayliss' next book.

While the idea of this contemporary romance was really intriguing, the plot focused more on the friendships as opposed to the relationship. When you're looking for a holiday romance, this comes off a little disappointing. Their relationship wasn't the focus until the last quarter, but even then the instalove wasn't very convincing or even one that I was particularly rooting for.

I wish we had more focus on their relationship in the first half, or at least before the very end.

Loved this book! Jenny Bayliss will be an instant buy going forward. I have already purchased copies of Meet Me under the Mistletoe for my book club members for December 2023.

Jenny Bayliss has easily become one of my favorite authors!

Her holiday reads are the perfect thing to get me into the holiday spirit. There is heart, engaging storylines, lovable characters, and all the cozy winter feels.

Late to this one but here we are!

I felt like this was more of a drama than a romance novel. There were a lot of heavy topics in this book; and as someone who loves Christmas and the holidays, I would have loved to have more of that incorporated given the book title. The storylines were relatable-ish, but Nory's wealthy friends sucked, and I think there was too much time given to them. I love British novels, so while I didn't *hate* this title, it was just okay. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy!

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Jenny Bayliss is one of my favourite holiday authors. I was immediately sold at, “A city bookshop owner heads to the English Countryside.” Even though, I cannot live in London nor visit in the winter, at least I can live vicariously through these books, haha. I loved all the Christmas elements throughout the book because it was cute and festive. I loved the dynamic of Nory and Issac because it showed their character development towards one another. While, it was obvious Issac was going to be the love interest, it was a relief that it was “Insta-Love” between Nory and Issac, otherwise, it would have felt forced. One of the things I didn’t like about the book was the miscommunication trope. Throughout the book the characters express their feelings and struggles. So, it felt out-of-left-field odd that characters who were excellent at communication had a miscommunication trope towards the end of the book. Another thing that I wasn’t a huge fan of was all the side-plots because it felt like it was an info dump and didn’t contribute to the overall story. Honestly, you could skip entire chapters and be fine. The book was good, just wasn't great. In conclusion, this is cute Christmas story and I would recommend it to others during the holiday season.

There’s nothing like having a Jenny Bayliss novel to look forward to at Christmas. I always love her romances, and she can set a scene like no other. Meet Me Under The Mistletoe was no exception! I waited way too long to write a review, but my notes include “good setting, fun side characters, and good chemistry for closed door”. I will certainly be reading Jenny’s next Christmas romance (and perhaps re-reading this one in order to write a better review!)

Jenny Bayliss is a master at writing holiday stories. This was so cute and heartwarming. It was the perfect read in December! Also that cover? Adorable!

Having really enjoyed the author's previous two Christmas novels I was looking forward to reading this one and it did not disappoint. This was absolutely delightful! The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were charming and witty. I really like the settings, especially Nory’s bookshop which as book lovers you’d enjoy browsing and wiling away some happy hours! The castle setting is also lovely. It is not very Christmas-y, more like a winter book.

Thank you NetGalley and especially to McMillan for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Rating : 3,5 out of 5
Blurbs :
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 . .

Thoughts :
Hmmmm....enemies-to-lovers during holiday season??? I'm in. It's enjoyable and very funny and swoony too!
Thank you Netgalley for the early copy!

A heart-warming sweet read. There is a unique cast of characters and personalities that blend together to make an honest group of friends. While some characters are struggling with marriages, place in life, and various other things the ability to bring to light common issues while weaving it naturally into the story lines is what makes this book shine. At times it was easy not to like a character but their actions felt true and more realistic because of it. Overall a cute and at times a bit heavy read!

if i’m being honest, it was a cute book but I ended up DNFing it. I feel like I was hoping for better vibes/more exciting plot line? it wasn’t for me, but the concept of the book itself was cute!