- Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood:
I feel like Ali’s stories work more in full novels instead of novellas because this is the second novella I’ve read from her and it was way too deep and less fun that what a standalone novella should be.

- Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey:
LOVE that we have an oversize MMC since we usually don’t see that in romance. Got to the point and had enough spice to make it fun. Though i could go without the cringy daddy and pussy talk.

Last year I really loved the holiday short stories collection, so I was really excited for this one! Unfortunately, half of the stories were flops this year 😬. A lot of really cringey details, and unrealistic situations. Half were 2 stars, a few were 4, so going down the middle and eating the whole thing 3 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon short stories for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This collection was unfortunately a bit of a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed the stories from Ali Hazelwood and Tessa Bailey, but although I usually enjoy the other authors, I ended up DNFing the other stories in this collection because they just weren't working for me. I'd give the collection 3 stars overall.

I had high hopes for this collection, especially since some of my favorite authors (Ali Hazelwood and Tessa Bailey) were included. Unfortunately, as a whole, these short stories left me feeling a little disappointed. My favorite part of this collection was the discovery of a few new authors in the romance genre. My two favorite stories (Merriment and Mayhem and Only Santas in the Building) were actually by new-to-me authors, so I will definitely be checking out their previous books. Overall, the heavy reliance on spice in all of these books just did not work for me in the short story format.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This is such a wonderful collection from some truly talented authors, and it’s absolutely perfect for getting into the holiday spirit. Each story brought its own charm and festive magic, making it a joy to read. It’s the kind of book that feels like curling up with a cozy blanket and a warm drink—it’s sure to leave you feeling ready for the holiday season!

This is an aggregated rating.

There were two gorgeous short stories in this compilation, which I would rate as 4⭐ I would highly recommend the Ali Hazelwood and Alexandria Bellefluer stories. These two stories were full of wonderful characters with great development and the romance aspects were well written and believable. It can be really hard to get connected to characters in a short story, but these two stories did it really well.

The other three stories were just okay.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Amazon short stories and all five authors for a copy of this book. This is my honest review.

It's a perfect and beautiful complication of wintery, vibrant and christmassy book!!
Cruel winters with you was a beautiful friends to lovers read...Ali did an awesome job!!
Tessa Bailey + single parent trope....I am a booked and hooked ❣️❣️❤️❤️
The next three authors are super new to me and it's my first read of theirs but all the three had extremely unique concept, heart melting moments and remarkable LOL moments!!

Thank you so much Netgalley and A BIG THANK YOU to all the authors who came together to as Santa and presentee us with this merry-christmasy-gift of love 💞

A wonderful collection of Christmas short stories and they were enjoyable enough to get into the mood for the holidays but definitely felt they were a challenge for some to have a fleshed out story in 50 or so pages.

Cruel Winter With You:
Oh my gosh this was my favorite of the whole collection! I adored these two characters and I would have loved a whole book about them. The pining was top-tier and the angst was absolutely delicious. The prose was also very funny. I found it cute and heartfelt. Definitely recommend checking this one out if you're looking for something quick and festive!

Merry Every After:
This was too instalovey for me. These characters needed more time to develop a satisfying connection. As it was the main things we know are that Evie is a single mom and Luke is so huge he can't fit into any pants. That would have been fine if the ending was a HFN but instead the author tried to shoot for a full HEA that just wasn't believable. I will say it was dual pov and the male narrator was absolutely delightful. His narration added some tension to the story for me which was very much appreciated.

All By My Elf:
This was so cute! I absolutely loved watching two coworkers get snowed in together and be forced to face their mutual pining. It was absolutely adorable and the narrator really brought out the silliness of the predicament of the situation they were in. It can be tricky to pace a short story but since these two were already close there was just enough room for some satisfying romantic admissions and some sexy times. I had a great time with this story!

Merriment and Mayhem:
This was a cute, steamy story. I wasn't as invested in these characters as I was for some of the other stories though. If you love a fireman story this one might be for you though. The narrator pulled me into a story I was otherwise just so-so on so props to them.

Only Santa's In the Building:
This was another one that didn’t quite hit the mark for me. There were too many Christmas puns for my personal taste and once again, not enough development for a satisfying story. The pining was fun and it was very cute and steamy. If you're looking for something to get you in the holiday spirit this could definitely be a quick way to achieve that. The narrator brought the quirky main character to life so I'd definitely recommend the audio for this one.

I loved the Valentine collection so I was so excited for this Christmas collection. Unfortunately, it just did not hit the same at all. Disappointing!

These were....bad, unfortunately. Perhaps I shouldn't compare them to the Meet Cute Valentine's Day collection that Prime did, since it's a different group of authors, but that collection was so cute that I was expecting the same tone. Instead, each one of these seemed to be a race to the spicy parts, and then a competition for how spicy each one could get - to the point that some got downright vulgar (and I like spice!). While I'm a big fan of a couple of these authors individually, these weren't my favourite efforts from them, and I can't really say this got me into the festive spirit.

I’m glad Amazon put out another series of novellas with some iconic romance authors. I blew through these in 2-3 days.

Though they were short, all of the stories felt well rounded. There was a lot of insta love and plenty of spice, but they were easy and enjoyable.

My favorites were the ones by Ali Hazelwood and Alexis Daria.

It’s like a hallmark movie marathon in book form! Except definitely spicier. Love this as a method of discovering new authors, and their voice, as well as revisiting ones you love! I wasn’t familiar with the authors of stories 3-5 but this definitely made me want to check out their work.

I will say this was a bit harder to read unedited. I think the formatting came through a bit strange compared to how it likely is with the Amazon interface. And there were some random letters and symbols and story titles interspersed with the story.

Cruel Winter With You
- Typical Ali hazelwood tropes which I enjoy so not complaining!

Merry Ever After
- Hot and heavy quick. Typical Tessa fashion!

All By My Elf
- Very deep feelings and personal observations for a short story
- Funny!

Merriment and Mayhem
- This story had a great hook!

Only Santas in the Building
- So cute!!
- Liked the depth of the characters, felt more like a longer romance book packed into a short story. The other stories felt a bit rushed compared to this one.

These were fun little romances to get you in the Christmas mood. I especially liked Cruel Winter with You. I fully acknowledge that the MMC is a complete fantasy of a man, but it's a fun daydream to have someone completely aware of your faults yet infatuated with you since childhood.

🎅🏼 A fun collection of holiday stories! All worth a quick read! My two favorites were Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur & Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria (both 5⭐️). I need to go see what else they have written!

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood - 4⭐️
Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey - 3⭐️
All by my Elf by Olivia Dade - 3⭐️

Many thanks to Net Galley & Amazon Original Stories for providing me an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

❄️ Under the Mistletoe Collection ❄️

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories for the gifted copy.

Cruel Winter With You
Ali Hazelwood
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Narrator: Vivienne LaRue

Best friend’s brother, childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance, he falls first, snowed in together… I mean do I even need to say more? Ali Hazelwood reigns supreme in this short story anthology. She made her story a tiny bit longer than the others and that extra time paid off in better pacing and development of the relationship. The chemistry, banter, and pining was *chefs kiss* and the 🌶️ was well done. By far my favorite story in this collection!

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Merry Ever After
Tessa Bailey
⭐️⭐️💫

Narrator: Summer Morton & Connor Crais

Thrift shop employee, single mom, hopeful entrepreneur meets farmer. Lots of assumptions are made. MMC is apparently inhumanly large? Can’t find clothing that fits? The 🌶️ was cringe and the dialogue during was even more so.

*********************************

All By My Elf
Olivia Dade
⭐️⭐️✨

Narrator: Andi Arndt

Two adjunct professors working a side gig get stranded in the snow in a weenie-mobile. A game of never have I ever leads to confessions and things get 🔥. This story was pretty awkward BUT the spice was less cringy than some of the other stories. We also get plus size rep in our FMC which was nice!

*********************************

Merriment and Mayhem
Alexandria Bellfleur
⭐️⭐️✨

Narrator: Amelie Griffin

Damsel in distress meets firefighter and instalove sparks fly. He falls hard. She jumps in a river. The 🌶️ is cringey. The ending is abrupt with an implied conclusion.

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Only Santas in the Building
Alexis Daria
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Narrator: Ruby Corazon

Evie is a comic book illustrator (love the bookish rep!) grieving the loss of her grandmother. She harbors a secret crush on her neighbor Theo. They both attend a building Christmas party, there is conveniently placed Mistletoe, and the rest is history. Theo was a really sweet MMC, the build up here felt more natural than some of the other novellas in this series. The spice was much less cringe. Overall my favorite so far.

This collection was perfect to continue my holiday reading and mood! Each of the authors involved in this collection I have adored their other stories so when I saw them all pairing up together, I couldn't wait! Each story had their own unique storyline and had a different trope to them. They each left me wanting more to the stories too because I wanted to see how the story continued, not because the stories didn't feel complete. Thank you to Amazon Original Stories for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

3.5 stars. A good collection of Christmas theme shorts from 5 different authors. My two favorites were Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood and Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur. Those two I would have rated 4s on their own.

If you enjoy any of the included authors or are just looking for a nice variety of Christmas theme romance short stories, check this out.

I devoured this series about calamitous love during the holidays by some of the most beloved authors of the romance genre. Each short novella was sexy and full of holiday feels. This is the kind of content I want from the megalith that is Amazon. Overwhelmingly enjoyed!

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I'm loving, maybe even too much, these collection of mini stories, published by Amazon. I find them very cute and maybe too short (in a good way). The last necklace released is precisely the Christmas one, and who doesn't love a beautiful Christmas story? Or rather five? The best authors of modern Romance have joined together to delight us this Christmas with very romantic stories (some super spicy) perfect for this season. My absolute favorite is Ali Hazelwood's. Amazon please continue with these collections!!