I really liked the characters! If I owned a second gang bookshop, I would be exactly like Nory- I would be sad every time I sold a book cause that would mean I can’t keep it.

But the story and romance were just meh.

A book with a Christmas feel that also tackles some tough topics and makes you want to hug your closest friends. I highly recommend to anyone who wants to feel that Christmas magic without it being too Hallmark-y.

I think for anyone who wants a sweet romance with Hallmark movie vibes then this is the book for them this season. It was a little slow at times, but overall enjoyable and definitely puts you in the holiday mood!

2.5-3 stars

The Twelve Dates of Christmas was one of my favorite holiday reads last year, so I was excited to read another book by this author. Our main character Nory owns a secondhand bookshop and I could relate so much to her. I think if I owned a bookstore, I would have a hard time parting with the books as well, haha.

I loved the idea of her spending the week with her old friends to celebrate the wedding of two of them. I mean a week at a gorgeous castle right before Christmas sounds like the perfect setting don't you think?!? It was interesting learning about the friends and their history and the budding relationship with Isaac was very heartwarming. A couple of the characters got on my nerves a bit, but that I could overlook.

Until the third act breakup. It just didn't sit right with me. After everything we read before that it seemed out of place for Nory to do what she did. Also the fact that her friend's put the blame elsewhere for how Isaac was reacting didn't work for me. So even though this book started out fun and had its moments, in the end it was a little disappointing.

I enjoyed this story about 2 old enemies that became lovers. I liked that there was a group of people involved and that the focus was around a wedding; it added to the storyline rather than just having the traditional back and forth banter and love story. The Heba angle was also an interesting aspect to the story, though I did find it odd that Nory didn't have more of a reaction when first hearing that she was the true artist.

I have to say, this was not my favorite Jenny Bayliss, especially for Christmas. I didn't dislike it, it's a solid read, but it didn't knock my socks of like 12 Dates of Christmas did last year. I felt a little too much of the rich vs poor was shoved in the readers face, which is ultimately my big complaint about it. Add some extra Christmas vibes, and tone that down a bit, and it would have been a better fit for me. But, I would still recommend it to others.

I loved The Twelve Dates of a Christmas so I was very excited to read another Christmas romance by this author.

While I did enjoy the book, the Christmas atmosphere was missing. It took a back burner to the romance. I wouldn’t have minded this in any other romance, but I like to get all the cozy Christmas feels in my Christmas romance books.

I enjoyed the group of characters and the romance. However, I did feel the ending was a little convenient and rushed.

Overall an enjoyable romance. 3.5 stars

This was so cute! I liked Nory's character and loved that she came from a different background than her peers. The love story was fun and fresh. The book felt a little long in some parts.

Having enjoyed Bayliss’ previous holiday stories, I looked forward to this one as well. For some reason, it just didn’t live up to my expectations. On the plus side, <i>Meet Me Under the Mistletoe</i> had lots going for it including some interesting characters and inter-personal dynamics as well as two intriguing settings – the castle and estate grounds, particularly the gardens, and the main character’s used bookshop in London. There were a number of underlying subplots and themes which appeared throughout the storylines. While the story was a pleasant read, the pacing was steady and somewhat slowed by extensive detail and subthemes - some of which were repetitive and unnecessary. While the story took place primarily in the buildup to the holiday season, Christmas was not the focus but certainly enhanced the atmosphere.

Will continue to be a fan but this one didn’t replace <i>The Twelve Dates of Christmas</i> as a holiday fav.


FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I this book just was not for me. I was looking forward to a sweet holiday romance, but I just couldn’t get into this story.

I was so excited to pick this one up from the reuniting friends to Christmas setting. But the romance was just not it, it didn't feel very developed and was almost an afterthought. I was so excited to get in the Christmas spirit with this one as well, I wish there was more Christmas in it, and at times I forgot that it was supposed to be a Christmas book. In the beginning, I found all of the different characters to be confusing and I couldn't differentiate them but that just goes for most books with a large cast of characters, however as the book progressed came to know and love each of the characters and the relationships that they had with each other. This book once into it was just so much fun, bayliss' writing is so complex and well thought out and her characters are some of the most creative and well-developed characters I have ever read. overall I had a good time reading this, just wasn't as Christmasy as I was hoping for.

This is such a wonderful story! The characters were delightful! I loved Elinor's friends and family. They were such a shining part of this story- I loved their humor and the way that they cared for each other. Elinor's growth and journey as she processes her perspective of the world as a teenager to the way she could grow to see it now was so well written. I could identify with and understand some of what she went through as she tried to put the process her childhood and friend group and how they impacted who she has become. Also, the setting was so dreamy- a castle for a wedding at Christmas, amidst a small town with their Christmas celebrations and traditions- I loved it!
I would definitely recommend this one, especially for a sweet read during the holidays!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss
Romance, Christmas, Romcom
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

London bookshop owner Elinor Noel or Nory as everyone calls her. Is headed back to her hometown for a wedding of her small group of friends. She always had a hard time growing up in a hardworking family while she was able to go to a upper class private school. There was always a divide between her two lives. Years later and she’s back stuck between the two, but she’s not a kid anymore.

When she heads back to the wedding she’s surprised to see Isaac the gardeners kid now the head gardener at the castle. Nory is falling for Isaac but is the divide still they all this time later?

First off Christmas time in a London book shop, sign me up. Then a Christmas time wedding in a castle. I mean this has it all! I love this book. I love all the characters and what they brought to the storyline. There is a few tough issues brought along but handled well. I highly suggest this book if you are looking for a holiday romance book!!

This book was so so good!! I loved all the different side characters and hearing about each of them even in the epilogue. I loved Nori and Isaac together and thought they were so cute. It felt a little long at times, but I still really enjoyed it and think it’s a really great feel-good book for the winter.

Loved the enemies to lovers trope. It was emotional, warm and sweet. Perfect for the season and for anyone that loves second chances.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons publishing for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A friend’s wedding brings a London bookshop owner back home to a castle the countryside for a weekend filled with unexpected twists and turns. Nory has happily built up her life in London, but she’s looking forward to reuniting with her former preppy classmates she grew up with.

Little does she know the castle’s gardener is a boy (now man!) who she used to despise. Isaac has no love for the snobby rich kids either, but they end up finding common ground…and something more.

This is another holiday delight from Jenny Bayliss! There’s all of the charm of a winter wedding, but also an exploration of longstanding grudges, societal roles and prejudices, and living life to its fullest.

Nory has been convinced to take a vacation from her second-hand bookstore to attend the wedding of people she went to school with. She finds herself wanting to escape from the memories and the extravagance of the wedding. On one of her escapes ends her being rescued by Isaac who she has known since childhood. As Nory and Isaac spend more time together she finds herself questioning what she wants out of life.

Meet Me Under The Mistletoe is an easy read with a lot of great character development and dimension. I had some good LOL moments with Pippa and Ameerah. This book surprised me in a good way. I was expecting a lighthearted holiday read, but it struck the right balance of fun and emotionally stirring.

A realistically complicated tale of the "haves" and the "have nots" told with Jenny Bayliss' keen insight. Nory is about to join her oldest school friends for a reunion prior to a wedding. Nory was a scholarship student at a posh school. Her family lives nearby the school and the beautiful castle where the wedding will be held.

At the castle, Nory encounters Isaac, the castle's gardener and her brother's best friend. Back when she was in school, Isaac's father was the head gardener. Nory is immediately attracted to the older Isaac and the two become reacquainted. But the new friendship is fraught with old insecurities. Nory's brother and Isaac always felt the student's at the posh school looked down on the village kids. Nory was caught in the middle then as she is now.

Can Nory and Isaac get past these perceived issues as well as solve a mystery and survive wedding drama?

Read Meet Me Under the Mistletoe to find out!

An absolute must read this holiday season! Bayliss does an amazing job capturing your heart and really connecting you to the main character Nory. Nory currently a second hand book sales shop owner has lived her life between two worlds of the wealthy and the gardeners daughter of her boarding school her entire life. Now as an adult everyone’s getting back together for a wedding among friends at the Castle. As they spend a week all back together, Nory is stuck between choosing between the new gardener her child hood crush, her brothers best friend and her elite friends once again. The challenge will be how she can manage both worlds. You’ll fall in love with Nory and really root for her to find her place to merge both her worlds once and for all. A beautiful holiday novel about family and friendships that last forever.