Thank you so much to all authors & Amazon/Brilliance Audio Publishing for giving me the ALCS and ARC in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are my own.

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Cruel Winter With You- by Ali Hazelwood

Wow, I mean wow guys. I knew already that Ali Hazelwood is unstoppable, and able to have an absolute chokehold on your heart in any length of book, but especially with her super power with novellas…but…WOW. This one hands down has burrowed into my soul the fastest, and will live there forever toasty and warm snuggled up next to Love on the Brain and Stuck with You. It’s beautiful, it’s raw, it’s heartfelt and oh so real. It’s endearing and revealing and will make your heart feel a lot less alone even if you are at your most alone. I read it in one sitting and cried, laughed, and cried some more, I just FELT the whole way through. I hugged my kindle when I finished because it’s been so long since I’ve felt so unbelievably seen by a book like this. It felt like someone crawled inside my brain and shone some light where it’s darkest, and filled with cobwebs and angry goblins, and offered to give that dark piece of me a hug. I have no idea how she does it, but here I am cry hugging my kindle on a Tuesday night and I am in no way ashamed to admit that to the entirety of the internet. It’s books like this that are why I am a reader. The feelings I felt every single page I read, and this feeling I have right now as I type this review. That hard to describe feeling that only other readers know the meaning of, where you feel seen and heard, and torn apart and healed at all the same time because you realize it’s not just you who felt these things? Yup, that’s the one!

Our FMC Jamie (a pediatrician) is in my opinion, impossible to not root for. She’s soft, kind, and incredibly relatable in her flaws and fears. She’s home for Christmas and gets caught in a storm with just the person she is scared to face right now, the guy whose heart she broke. It’s truly a Christmas miracle that’s collision was meant to be.

Our MMC Marc (a tech billionaire) is easy to fall for and one readers will absolutely MELT over. I know I sure did very quickly. I’ll leave his carefully crafted unveiling to Ali because I keep it spoiler free and there’s no way I could ever even pretend I could have a fraction of her timing and this man deserves her justice!

The pacing and plot had me racing to the next part and incapable of putting it down. The shifts in time and tale added so much intensity and intrigue, I wouldn’t have wanted to read it any other way. Truly, this was a perfect showcase for Ali’s timing and capacity to reveal just enough when it’s oh so right. She gave us so much tension, realistic build up while somehow giving us a really clear picture of who these complex characters are. Again, such a talent when it comes to this short story format. It in no way felt rushed, or like insta love, I truly feel like I know these characters and all I can say is, PLEASE ALI CAN I HAVE SOME MORE?

In my honest and wholehearted mind, this was an absolute smash hit, and I can’t think of a single second I didn’t love. In fact, I loved it so much I’m going to reread it right this very second even though it’s 1 am, sleep be damned! I’m not ready to let go of how this book made me feel just yet…maybe not ever!

✨✨✨

All by my Elf by Olivia Dade

This was my first Olivia Dade read and I’m so sad to say this one was unfortunately my least favorite of all of the books in this collection. It’s hard to pinpoint, but I couldn’t find myself being invested in the romance or characters, and the story felt like it lagged a lot at the beginning with minimal humor and I kept wanting for the story to grip me. I guess the characters felt a little cookie cutter for me without having their own unique voice. For how short it was I think maybe the pacing just wasn’t to my liking. I didn’t really feel the odds and again that attributed to me not being very invested. It wasn’t bad, however it just wasn’t gripping for me. Maybe I’ve read too many holiday romances so it felt like it didn’t stand on its own. However for someone looking for a low stakes, easy reading, sweet palate cleansing holiday romance this would be a great pick!

The audio and narration was however great and fit the voice of our FMC and MMC. The narrator brought a lot of emotional tone and timing that really kept the book afloat for me.

✨✨✨

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

This was my first Tessa Bailey read and unfortunately just wasn’t for me. I don’t mind insta lust one bit nor do I mind insta love but this felt really rushed for both. We get a high dose of insta lust in my opinion without any building blocks. It all hits in the first chapter and I think giving the characters more than one interaction would have helped here. It also felt a bit rushed on the plot and how the characters connected again after their first talk in chapter one. It felt like maybe I’d missed something as it went on so I think maybe this book just needed an extra chapter or two in my opinion. Overall I think this story just wasn’t for me.

This would be a great read for anyone who is looking for an insta lust/love, single mom, farmer cinnamon roll holiday romance that jumps right into it without too much fluff. It’s an easy read and low stakes so it’s perfect for anyone looking for that!

The narration however was fantastic for both and I especially liked the narration for our MMC, will be looking into their other titles because I enjoyed his work so much!

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Only Santa’s in the Building by Alexis Daria

This novella was exactly what I was looking for! Well thought out and plotted with the right amount of back story, and build up. We’re given the perfect amount of information when we need it and I loved how realistically it all played out. It’s unfolding was fun, endearing, relatable and fun! I am excited to see what else the author has written after enjoying their writing style so much. The perfect holiday novella to make your heart feel warm and fuzzy!

Narration was spot on to the voice of the FMC and felt like the perfect match to the tone of the story itself. I will definitely be recommending and relistening to this title again!

Thank you to Alexis Daria and Brilliance audio for this ALC

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Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. This was a fun series of short stories to get in the holiday spirit. Some of the authors are new to me.

Gosh, how I love holiday romances! And when you get a bunch of authors I love or knew I would love together, its pure MAGIC!!

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood
This was a yummy morsel about Jamie (FMC) and Marc (MMC), her best friend’s young brother. There is so much tension!!! Marc has been in love with Jamie forever and has made his intentions known throughout the years that HE WILL WOO HER DAMMIT! After a drinking game brings all the feelings and emotions to an end on a stormy winter night, Jamie FINALLY gives in to what she’s been fighting all along, realizing that she is good enough for him.

Favorite quote: “Marc makes my heart leap and my body glow and my brain rest, and that’s not something I could bear to have and then let go of.”

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey
Oh my freaking goodness!!! Evie, a single mom with a sassy side, and Luke, a sweet, giant farmer with a heart of gold are literally the cutest stinking couple!! This was the steamy, lovey dovey, size difference holiday romance I wanted from Tessa Bailey and she delivered!!! Very much had a city girl/country boy feel to it too which was amazing!

Favorite quote: “Something about her on my doorstep feels right. Like she was meant to show up sooner or later.”

All By My Elf by Olivia Dade
Nina and William are part-time professors who are picking up holiday gigs in a wiener mobile to make ends meet. While Nina thinks her crush is unrequited, and that couldn’t be further from the truth! Add in a dash of overnight forced proximity in said wiener mobile, a mutual pining from afar, and a consent king, and you have this fun little story! I’ve never read Olivia’s work before, but I’ll definitely be checking her out!

Favorite quote: “If I had to spend one more night without you, I’m not sure how I’d survive it.”

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur
Definitely the most fun of the bunch! We have I-don’t-do-casual FMC Everleigh and hot stuff flirty firefighter MMC Griffin, and the chemistry was OFF THE FREAKING CHARTS! Everleigh keeps finding herself in these perilous situations, and who is there to help other than the flirty firefighter she is sure things wouldn’t work out with. This was a small town, found family story full of deliciousness and insta-lust. I will be picking up more from Bellefleur.

Favorite quote: “If you knew half the thoughts I’ve had about you, saint would be the very last thing you’d dream of calling me.”

Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria
Overworked and grieving Evie always has the worst luck running into her upstairs neighbor and crush, Theo. But she doesn’t have time to worry about that with mounting deadlines that keep her working a LOT more than the average person. When she’s invited to a holiday party in the building after her deadline, she thinks this is her change to show Theo she doesn’t always look like Adam Sandler. Oh, and she has someone leaving handmade ornaments on her door every day, but it’s not who she thinks it is….I totally connected with Evie on her workload and Adam Sandler appearance, but also really wanted her to get Theo, the sweet but sultry neighbor!

Favorite quote: “It’s time to take charge of my own narrative.”

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories, Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, Olivia Dade, Alexandria Bellefleur, and Alexis Daria for the opportunity to read this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.

Under the Mistletoe Collection (ARC)

Pub date: November 12th, 2024

Overall rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories, Netgalley, and the authors for access to these ARCs in exchange for an honest review!

This collection of short stories is perfect for curling up by the fire and embracing the holiday joy, magic, and romance in each read! All of these stories were so much fun! ❤️💚🎄

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2/5 🌶️🌶️

For two former childhood friends, a blustery winter storm stirs some frosty—and scorching—memories. He’s the one who got away. She’s the one who broke his heart. Overall this was such an amazing holiday short story that I absolutely ADORED!

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
3/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️

A single mother working in a thrift store. A giant farmer who can’t find jeans that fit. When opposites attract, they find themselves making alterations in more ways than one. Evie wants to stay single all the way, but Luke is in it for the long haul. A quintessential Tessa Bailey story filled with romance, spice, and heart!

All By My Elf by Olivia Dade

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2/5 🌶️🌶️

Nina and William are underpaid adjunct professors at the same university. When their holiday side hustle has them stranded by a blinding blizzard in the middle of nowhere, there’s nothing to do but cuddle up for warmth and play a game of Never Have I Ever to pass the time. A unique, adventurous take on a classic romance trope!

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur

3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
2/5 🌶️🌶️

When Everleigh Dangerfield’s baking disaster necessitates a call to 911, firefighter Griffin Brantley douses the flames in the kitchen, but the ones he stokes in Everleigh are an entirely different story. If Everleigh is game for a change of plans, he can give her the merriest Christmas of her life. A quick, fun read filled with romance and laughter!

Only Santas in the Building by Alexa Daria

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2/5 🌶️🌶️

All Evie Cruz wants for Christmas is a nap. She wouldn’t mind unwrapping her sexy upstairs neighbor like a present though. Luckily, the building’s Santa-themed party and a surprise sprig of mistletoe give her just the opening she needs to make all her wishes come true. Such a cute love story between the MCs and the chemistry was evident throughout!

This was a super fun collection of winter holiday short stories! I'm always down to read a fun short story collection, especially when it's about holidays. All of these stories were light and easy reads. All of these authors are super talented romance writers. My favorite stories were Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood, Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur, and Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun compilation to read- in the end a lot didn’t work that well for me but since they’re novellas they’re such quick reads that you don’t mind pushing through.
My favorite was the Ali Hazelwood book- i really liked that one and would read it again. 4 stars!
Alexis Daria: 3 stars
Olivia Dade: 2 stars
Alexandra Bellefleur: 3 stars


Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood

This is a best friends brother situation. Marc has been in love with Jamie since they were children. They finally get to work things out while stuck in a snowstorm on Christmas Eve. Considering the limited space in this short novella, Ali Hazelwood does a good job. Their long history is told via flashback with enough present day action to make things interesting. Did I feel like there were gaps in the story? Yes. But…novella.

This novella is part of the Under the Mistletoe collection. A very quick read and good little palette cleanser.

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

Tessa Bailey writes such great MMCs who love their women so much it hurts.

Farmer Luke has it bad for designer and single mum, Evie. So sweet but also a dirty talker when it counts.

I loved this dual POV quick read novella.

All By My Elf by Olivia Dade

This is the cute story of work mates William and Nina finally hooking up while stuck in a traffic jam in a blizzard. This book had some humorous parts, and a very sweet MMC, but it was too rushed for me.

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur

A super quick story for accident-prone Everleigh and hot fireman Griffin. Was it fun? Yes! Did I want to hear Griffin's POV? Also yes!

Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria

A fun little story of neighbours Evie and Theo getting their HEA with a little spice along the way. This is single POV and done well with enough backstory given to make the relationship believable.

CRUEL WINTER WITH YOU
5 ⭐ 1 🌶️

I loved this story to pieces. It may be my favorite thing Ali has written; it was so sweet and cute and Marc was just amazing. From beginning to end I was so hooked and had a hard time putting it down to get life done. Jamie's anxiety about relationships broke my heart, but the way Marc pushed past her walls had me swooning so hard. The way it ended was absolutely perfect too. My only complaint is that it's a novella and not a full length story because I want so much more.

MERRY EVER AFTER
5 ⭐ 3 🌶️

This was such a sweet single mom novella, I loved Luke and Evie to pieces. Luke was a dirty talking Daddy, true to Tessa Bailey fashion, and I lived how strong and resilient Evie was. This is a short novella, but I thought Tessa packed a lot into this small space showing how strong and independent Evie was. The ending was sweet as pie and had me swooning hard.

“Under the Mistletoe” collection was adorable and came to me at the perfect time.

Personally, I love a collection/anthology of novellas because they’re a quick boost of serotonin and happiness, quick enough to read in a few hours, and it lets me be introduced to new-to-me authors alongside the comfort of writing in familiar with. The group gathered in this collection are top notch and all of the stories flowed together to sound as if they could have been written by the same author.

Ali Hazelwood’s story draws readers in with the prospects of a missed love connection between friends who could potentially become lovers. Their connection is palpable and the chemistry is there, but we have TJ work through what has been keeping them apart.

Tessa Bailey gives us two fish-out-of-water who connect *because* they’re different… and tenacious.

Alexandria Bellefleur provides some heat when her forced proximity gets fired up.

Olivia Dade gives into a bit of whimsy in her colleagues to lovers spin on romance. You’re not gonna believe where things start to get steamy.

Alexis Daria is a new-to-me author, but this tiny taste of romance between neighbors had me in my feelings. The sweet, small touches of nuance built into an excellent story and I can’t wait to dive into her backlist because of it.

I loved this collection. It had just enough cheer to get me in the holiday spirit without it being shoved down my throat, and now I am ready to start diving into holiday love stories with gusto.

This was such a cute collection of holiday novellas, and it definitely put me in the holiday mood!

Five romance authors try their hand at a Christmas story in this collection, and I only wish that a couple of these were full length books! We get everything from single moms to meet cutes to a best friend’s brother entanglement, all wrapped up in mistletoe. Some of these were extremely quick, making for fun bursts of reading throughout the day.

My favorite might be Alexis Daria’s novella, the first of her writing that I’ve read. I’ll be looking at her other books now!

Thank you to Amazon publishing for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

All the stories in this book were so cozy and perfect for a christmas read. They were so good, I wished I had more of them and more time with the characters. I enjoyed it a lot!

Absolutely stacked authors for these little shorts. They are all so wonderful and had such a good vibe, they were a delight to read!

It’s recap time of the “Under The Mistletoe” collection! I don’t usually read a lot of novellas, but this was the perfect way to try something new AND to get in the holiday spirit.

Without further ado, here is my ranking of these novellas!

5 Merry Ever After Tessa Bailey
4 Merriment and Mayhem Alexandria Bellefleur
3 Only Santas in the Building Alexis Daria
2 Cruel Winter with You: Ali Hazelwood
1 All By My Elf Olivia Dade

I really enjoyed this collection, and had so much fun reading them to get into the holiday spirit! If you see this collection, check it out!

these holiday romances are so much fun. I picked one up at a time over the course of several days and loved the almost instant gratification that I got from some of my favorite authors. They are just right to get me in the holiday mode.

These were all super cute from authors I love! My only issue was the formatting. For some reason the file was completely messed up on my kindle and made it beyond difficult to read.

I loved these series of novellas!

Ali - My favorite of the stories! Best friend’s brother pining for her all these years. Absolutely obsessed!

Tessa - I’ve never read a Tessa cowboy romance but now I need more from her! She always writes a man obsessed and this one is no different. Seeing their relationship grow and watching them learn to trust is so good!

Olivia - My least favorite of the 5. There was just something missing for me. I still enjoyed it but at times it was difficult to follow.

Alexandria - She is a new to me author and I can’t wait to read more from her. I loved the dynamic between the MMC and FMC! Watching her walls come down and realize she doesn’t want to hold back anymore was perfect! I would love for this one to become a full length book.

Alexis - Another new to me author! The title drew me in with this one, I’m assuming it’s a play on the tv show with a similar title. I loved the apartment setting and they’re nosy neighbors trying to get them together. Dealing with the topic of grief can be difficult but I feel like it was handled very well in this story. Love that he made the ornaments for her just so she would have some for her tree.

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @amazonpublishing for an early copy of Under the Mistletoe collection by Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, Olivia Dade, Alexandria Bellefleur, and Alexis Daria. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Release date: November 12th, 2024

These are cute short stories but not as good as last year’s Improbable Meet-Cute collection.

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
I need a full novel for this one, please! 🥺 I enjoyed this short friends-to-lovers romance between Jamie and Marc; they’ve known each other since they were kids, with Marc being Jamie’s best friend Tabitha’s younger brother.

The story jumps from past to present several times, recalling significant events and interactions between Jamie and Marc, evidently highlighting their strong chemistry especially during their teenage years, and how intensely Marc has fallen for Jamie, and has vowed to make himself better to deserve her.

True enough, Marc has become a tech mogul, built a successful company, and is very successful. The two recall their almost falling out a couple months before when Marc has finally decided to pursue Jamie but she declines, mostly because she thinks he deserves someone better than her. They reconcile while trapped in a snowstorm inside Marc’s parents’ house and share some steamy moments.

Honestly, this could have been a whole lot better and interesting if it were a full-length novel. I really enjoyed Jamie and Marc’s sweet moments during their childhood and teenage years, regardless of how much has changed between them, they’re present during the most significant moments in each other’s lives.


Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey ⭐⭐/5

I haven’t read a Tessa Bailey in a while, and I am reminded of why I stopped reading her works. While she does write the smut on this one quite okay, I feel like they’re a bit too much in this short story that the main characters’ emotional connection doesn’t shine through, it’s like they’re just lustful for each other and nothing else. The story is already too short for what it is so I was looking for substance and emotional depth and connection between Luke and Evie, but none of that was in this novel, just a lot of insta-love and emphasis of how big ang huge Luke is.

And goodness, if you tell me this is a Christmas romance, at least make it Christmas-y! A romance set during Christmas time isn’t a Christmas romance unless there’s an extra flair of Christmas about it!

Thankfully, this is the second book in the series and not the first; I would have been thrown off and not read the entire series altogether if this one came first.

Will continue steering clear of Tessa Bailey’s works; I think her writing is just pure smut at this point.

Giving two stars because I did enjoy the narrators’ voices here, especially Luke’s; his super deep voice actually translates to how much the book emphasizes on how “big” and “huge” his character is.


All by My Elf by Olivia Dade ⭐/5

I know one can only do so much when writing a short story, but at least give the readers some context and background at the start of the novel. I was so confused about what was initially happening, like I was starting a novel in the middle; with no context whatsoever. It also didn’t have that hook I look for every time I start reading a book, which was why I had a difficult time finishing this one even though it was short. Parts where the FMC was always repeating herself thinking “he likes my best friend” or “he’s dating my best friend” just got old real fast because she hadn’t even confirmed it with her best friend and the MMC if they were really dating, she just assumed so. Goodness 🤦🏻‍♀️


Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur ⭐⭐⭐/5

Merriment and Mayhem was a hilarious read! I love the flirting and banter between firefighter Griffin and clumsy and accident-prone Everleigh, though I feel like the ending was rushed and didn’t quite click with their personalities. This was definitely a better story than the series' past two books, though. 😅


Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria ⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Though a very short romance, Daria created a love story that was evenly paced, and very charming at that. This tells the story of Evie and Theo, who live in the same building. Evie develops a crush on Theo from their brief encounters in the building, and sparks are in the air when they spend time at a Christmas party.

I really enjoyed how Christmasy this story felt like, especially with Theo making customized Christmas ornaments for Evie when she mentioned all her Christmas décor was still in storage; he didn’t want her not to feel the joy of the holidays with her busy schedule as a comic book artist. I enjoyed their chemistry but I wish there was more to the story!

This was a fun holiday read with some spice! I really enjoyed all the stories and felt like it was really the perfect short read.

This was a fun collection of Christmas themed romance novellas. My favorite was Ali Hazelwood’s followed by the last two books. It was easy to read most and even the few that weren’t my favorite, weren’t horrible because they were so short.

love these little holiday rom-coms!!! Love how magical the holiday season is and love spicy hallmark HAHA