Member Reviews

This collection of three holiday novellas features sweet, small-town romances with a "kissing only" theme. My favorite was the second story by Pepper Basham, set in the Skymar universe, where a tomboy carpenter falls for a royal prince, offering a heartwarming message about self-love and being worthy of love just as you are. The final story also explores these themes, as an introverted romance writer from NYC returns to her hometown for Christmas and rekindles feelings for her high school crush. Fans of authors like Susan Mallory or Debbie Macomber will enjoy these charming holiday romances.

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This collection felt a little bit uneven because the firhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6724410075st two books were 100% "clean" and then there was some innuendo in the third book (written by Sheila Roberts) that was jarring. That said, this was an enjoyable, festive read. Kathleen Fuller remains true to her small-town storytelling, while Pepper Basham adds another royalty-themed story to the Skymar series. Sheila Roberts's story about a heroine trying to avoid mistletoe was also very fun. If you're looking for light, spice-free romance this holiday season, this collection will be the perfect choice.

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As much as I love Christmas stories, I won't read just any. Just yesterday, I started one, made it two chapters, and realized the Christmas setting wasn't going to be enough to make me like the book. Happily, these three stories were all ones I enjoyed, not only for the settings but also the endearing characters and interesting plot lines.

Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller is a sweet story featuring characters a bit older than many protagonists in romance stories; I really liked that about them. Their story was sweet and I was rooting for both of them instantly.

Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts had some parts seemed a bit cliche, but it also kept me chuckling quite a bit.

My favorite of the three was The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham. I loved getting to see some minor characters from her Skymar series take center stage and as per usual, the dialogue was great and the romance absolutely perfect.

A great Christmas collection!
4 stars.

I read a DRC provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own

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Christmas books are my favorite. When you have 3 Christmas novellas in one, makes it even better. I have never kissed under the mistletoe but each of these couples have their own experiences. I couldn't really choose a favorite because each story stands on its own merits and fun. It was a joy to read them. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

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This is a set of three festive stories of romance to get brighten your Christmas reading, all with mistletoe somewhere in the story. I really wanted to read Prince Arran's story by Pepper Basham as I had read the rest of the Skymar series. It was definitely a lovely addition to the series with Charlie (Charlotte) Edgewood, cousin of Luke, Izzy, and Penelope, and Arran, Prince from Skymar. Arran is working on a life do-over while in the Blue Ridge Mountains working with Luke, his sister and princess Ellie's husband. A lovely quick Christmas romance develops between Charlie and Arran.
Kathleen Fuller's sweet Christmas story is a Christmas romance between Emmy Banks and Kieran O'Neill, her best friend's brother. Emmy had a high school crush on Kieran and even filled in as a last-minute date for his senior prom. Kieran left right after graduation for Ireland and hasn't been back until now for his mom's 70th birthday. With his delicious Irish accent. Fun story.
In Sheila Roberts' story, Hailey goes to her Northwest hometown for Christmas. She grew up as an awkward, nerdy chubby girl. Now she has slimmed down and is a bestselling romance author. Her mom has her set up for all kinds of appearances and is somewhat of a celebrity, but she doesn't feel like one with her insecurities popping up. But she enjoys her visit and even gets to spend special time with her old crush and her brother's best friend Carwyn. I recommend this anthology for a series of quick, fun romance holiday reads.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.

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I found the dialogue to be pretty cheesy and the only story that felt Christmassy was the first one. I recommend this for fans of Hallmark movies, but for me it was just OK.

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This was three novellas all relating to mistletoe! I loved all of them, but my favorite was Return to Mistletoe. It was so great to get into the Christmas spirit and cute little bite-size pieces.

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I loved this sweet anthology! All 3 stories were just so precious! I would definitely recommend this sweet and clean book for your Christmas TBR!!

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Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller
In this sweet story, Emmy runs an antique shop in the town of Mistletoe. Kieran, who is visiting from Ireland to surprise his mom for her birthday, keeps bumping into Emmy. They went to prom together years ago, and Emmy had always wished they had kissed back then. As they reconnect, old feelings reignite, leading to a charming romance. The story has a cozy, Hallmark movie feel, with Kieran’s Irish accent and Emmy’s unique job adding extra charm. The adoption aspect is a heartwarming touch.

A Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham
Prince Arran visits North Carolina to spend time with his sister and her husband, where he meets Charlotte, who is organizing a Christmas fundraiser. Arran eagerly helps out, and a festive romance blooms between them. Though I find it to be the least favorite of the three stories, I love its fairytale elements and the warm, fuzzy Christmas vibes. Charlotte and Arran’s romance was delightful and heartwarming, making this novella a highlight of the collection.

Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts
Hailey has sworn off kissing under the mistletoe after a string of bad luck, but when she returns home for the holidays, she runs into her childhood crush—who also happened to be her first mistletoe kiss. Despite her hesitation, their romance rekindles in a sweet and charming way. Hailey, a romance author, narrates this light-hearted tale in the first person, which adds a personal touch to the story. It’s a lovely, uplifting Christmas read.

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Mistletoe Season is a heartwarming trio of stories with elements of faith, hope and love woven throughout. Each story is filled charm, wit and romance and all have some moments under the mistletoe.

I loved these stories, they will definitely put you in the mood for Christmas.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for providing me with an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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This is a heartwarming holiday read that perfectly captures the magic of Christmas in a small town. The characters are charming and relatable, and the story has just the right balance of romance, humor, and holiday spirit. I loved the cozy setting and the way the authors weaves in the sense of community, making you feel like you’re right there with the characters. While the plot is enjoyable, there are some predictable moments, but they don't take away from the overall experience. It’s the kind of feel-good story that will leave you smiling and ready for the holiday season. If you enjoy light, festive reads with a touch of romance, this book is a wonderful choice!

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Three festive stories in one.

Say No To Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts

🎄 small town
🎄 childhood crush
🎄 writer x school principal

🚫 clean romance

“Mistletoe is my kryptonite. One kiss under it, and I got weak in the head”

This was my favourite story from the anthology. Fast paced and sweet story. It did feel a little dated (references to the Beat Generation) and cliche at points. But a sweet story if you’re looking for a light holiday story.

“Living a happily ever after is so much more satisfying than writing one”

Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller

🎄 small town
🎄 childhood crush
🎄 dual PoV

🌶️ close door romance

Found the premise cute but a little slow. Has a sweet Christmas feel to it as they spend time together in town during all the Christmas festivities.

“They saw you and Kieran taking a carriage ride…how romantic”

The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham

📚 Prince x commoner
📚 small town
📚 dual POV

🚫 clean romance

“At eight, she’d dreamed of a fairytale Prince coming to sweep her off her feet. But nearly twenty years later, she stared at a drunk, snoring, actual Prince”

Another cute concept where a rogue prince goes to a small rural town in the US to rebrand his image. Found it a little slow though although it does have some sweet moments.

Started off strong yet leaned heavily into the Insta love.

“It was a good thing she’s outgrown that pesky childhood fantasy, because one thing was certain. This prince was not for her”

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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3.5 ⭐️

Return to Mistletoe Kathleen Fuller
Emmy runs an antique store in Mistletoe. Kieran is home from Ireland to surprise his mom for her birthday. The two of them attended prom together and Emmy had wished they’d shared a kiss all the years ago. Kieran and Emmy keep running into each other while he is home and that old flame starts to grow. I thought their love story was a cute and fun to read.

A Mistletoe Prince Pepper Basham
Prince Arran is sent to spend time in NC with his sister, Ellie, and her husband. He meets Charlotte who is leading the annual Christmas fundraiser and is happy to spend time with her and help her with it. Another cute Christmas love story but my least favorite of the 3.

Say No to Mistletoe Sheila Roberts
Hailey has had bad luck anytime she shares a kiss under the mistletoe so she has sworn off ever doing it again. She travels back home for the holidays where she runs into her childhood crush and the first guy to kiss her under the mistletoe. This story was short and sweet but I enjoyed it!

Thanks Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for this arc!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Mistletoe Season includes three sweet Christmas stories by three wonderful authors. The first story begins with the reuniting of Emmy and Kieran. They went to high school together, but he left to travel the world. He has just sold a castle that had been in his family for years and is visiting for the holidays. Kiernan has plans to leave after the holidays, but changes his plans and leaves earlier. Will Emmy see him again? The second story is about a rogue Prince who is sent to live with his sister and her husband in the United States. He has to earn his own money, do some volunteer work and change his ways according to his royal family. After a horrible first impression, Prince Arran has to win the trust of Charlotte and help her with the fund raising activities for the MIstletoe Wish Foundation. The two of them are falling for each other, but the Prince has to go back to his royal life and Charlotte thinks she will never fit into it. Finally, the last story is about a quiet girl from a small town who moves to New York City and becomes a romance writer. She loves her family, but has some bad memories from growing up there. The only good memory is of her next door neighbor, Carwyn. She had a huge crush on him and now she may have a chance of love with him. He is the high school principal and his Dad is ill. There is no way that he can move to NYC to be with Hailey. Will Hailey give up her life in NYC to be with him? You will have to read these stories to find out if there is a happy ending for these three women.

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Three short and sweet Christmas novellas
novellas are not really my preferred reading, but I enjoyed these.

My favorite was The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham.
I especially loved these characters! Watching them interact and get to know each other was fun.
The setting, the story line, it all worked together well and was just a really sweet story!!

I also enjoyed the other two, and would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good Christmas story (or 3) to read.
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

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Sweet holiday stories, just the perfect way to get into the holiday mood. 3 stories combined into one book. Can't go too terribly wrong.

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I always love reading short stories. But I always get to the end and wish each story was longer lol.

I loved each short story. They were cute romantic stories and I enjoyed them lots.

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a solid 3.75. Very quick listen. Broken up into three short stories. I think I prefer a full book vs. the short stories... I'm always left with questions that the author just doesn't get to. But overall, they were very sweet.

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Get Ready for Mistletoe Season!

All three of these novellas will win your heart. Each is well crafted, complete and have an encouraging hero with a HEA ending.

Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller-
I am happy to see a story with a H and h in their forties.
The story is a plausible second chance, friends to lovers tale with an Irish heartthrob who said “lass” a little too often. Coming home after twenty-two years in Ireland is a little unsettling but Kieran and Emmy decide to spend time together during the holiday season in Mistletoe, Missouri.

The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham-
I love having more to read in the Skymar series. We meet the youngest royal, Prince Arran St. Clare of Skymar, who is sent to Ransom, NC for a couple of months to get his act together. The first decisions he makes upon his arrival are not good ones at all and he ends up in an awkward meeting with Luke’s cousin, Charlie…AKA Charlotte. By the middle of this story, I was very enamored with said prince and wished for a Pepper Basham kissing scene and HEA…smile, sigh. I am hoping we see these two in future Skymar tales…Please and thank you.

Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts-
There is nothing better than a funny h written in first person. Especially one that is an author of romance when she has no real romance in her own life. I laughed at her antics and loved how she gained back her self confidence as the story developed. Shelia Roberts can always take what could be another cliche’ trope romance and make it great because her characters are so genuine and original.

The audiobook for this novella trilogy is average since some of the accents required for the first two stories (Irish, southern) were a bit meh. Listening wasn’t unpleasant, just not as consistent across the span of the story. By the end of the second story, Charlotte sounded southern and not like an uneducated redneck so that counted as redeeming value.

This narrator was perfect for “Say No to Mistletoe”! Witty and funny, Eby brought Hailey’s character beyond the pages and proved to give Carwyn a strong, caring voice. Well done.

This book is suitable for older teens with no inappropriate intimate scenes and no bad language.

I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review. I also purchased the audiobook.

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I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I have to say these were cute romantic shorts stories and I enjoyed them a lot. My favorite was the last story with Hailey and Carwyn. I love a tough guy who stands up for the one he loves and is not consumed with looks but falls for someone that is kind, smart and beautiful inside and out.

Definitely pick this one up for a Christmas read!

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