Kissing Under the Mistletoe

Kissing Under the Mistletoe

Suzanne Enoch, Amelia Grey, Anna Bennett

St. Martin’s Press, Sep 28, 2021

347 Pages

Holiday Romance, Historical Romance

Provided by Pub’s Rep via NetGalley

⭐⭐⭐⭐🌙

WARNING: This is a very revealing review!

The cover is very pretty with the young woman in the lovely green gown almost standing in for a Christmas tree, which I’m sure is intended by the designer. This could have been any one of the three young ladies of the stories in this book, though Jane is much less inclined to dress in such rich clothing and with so much skin showing. And her hair was straight and black.

Great Scott by Suzanne Enoch

This is the story of young Jane, a poor relation who gets taken up by her much wealthier relations and given employment as a companion. Jane is quiet, loves reading and not being noticed. She likes to be useful. She feels that everyone is being kind to her because they pity her. She doesn’t feel useful or needed. Never mind the family actually loves her and feels frustrated with trying to crack her shell and help her feel at home with them. As she is trying to make up her mind about leaving the duchess’ employ, she is introduced to the friend and architect of one of the male family members. Brennan’s a tall, hearty Scott,who’s a widower with only one eye. He’s quite taken with quiet Jane and her fascination with libraries and books… and tall, hearty Scotts. Their relationship develops quickly partly because this is a novella and partly because he is plain spoken and they don’t have a lot of time before she needs to make her decision. They are so sweet together. Jane is rather petite and slim with fair skin and long, straight black hair that she normally wears back in a tight bun. She usually wears very dull, plain dresses. But the night she makes her move and gives him her answer, she blooms in scarlet satin with the help of the women of the family. Sweet. Recommended.

Christmas at Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey

Isabelle and her lady mother run a fine inn at Dewberry Hollow. The duke is on his way with this retinue and Isabelle has gone hunting to try for a deer. Her mother is always trying to make her a lady as she was born, but Isabelle is much happier as a country girl. Accidently, she shoots one of the guards of the duke’s grandson, John Gatestone “Gate”, on their way to the inn. She’s mistaken for an employee of the inn and treated as such until that evening at dinner when her mother introduces her to the duke and his grandson as her daughter and she is dressed properly as a lady. Isabelle and Gate exchange quips and snipes until a comment from another resident of the inn draws them together into a joint task for the aging duke. Their quips become quivering exchanges and their snipes become soft whispers until Christmas Eve, when Gate departs to return the duke to his home as promised for Christmas day. How they get their HEA you’ll have to read on your own, but it comes in a clatter of hooves. Cute. Recommended.

My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett

Eva Tidings is determined to regain her father’s watch for him, even to the point of theft. And she almost succeeded until her wrist was seized in the act by a very large hand. Facing Jack Hardwick, Earl of Frostbough might scare most people, but Eva is not fazed by him in the least. She’s up to the challenge. Though how they end up in a fake courtship that gets them deeper and deeper into a relationship that rouses both of their sleeping hearts, neither of them is quite sure. She denies any such feelings, while he is starting to admit that he has them. This gets them nowhere until a society ball and two public statements brings things to a flash point that lacks only one word to spark off an explosion that will last for the rest of their lives. Lively & Fun. Recommended.