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Mistletoe Christmas: An Anthology by Eloisa James, Erica Ridley, Christi Caldwell, Janna MacGregor
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
Mistletoe Christmas by Eloisa James
Poor Cressida, her father was such an asshole! Put her down her entire life so she could not see her worth. At least she knows she is awesome at organizing the yearly party (that her asshole father takes credit for). She stays in the shadows, until someone finally notices her. Awww Elias, he saw beyond everything and the both deserved their happiness
Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell
I get why she left him, he was all about work. Gotta make some money to prove everyone he is worthy..though! I sure would have liked to see how on earth a stableboy ended up engaged to a Duke's granddaughter?!
Anyway a nice second chance romance. They talk it through, they see the light
Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor
Another second chance romance. Married couple had lots of hawt sex, but never talked (like hello it takes the both of you.) And now they are pretending to be in love, and will obvi finally talk and be happy again.
Mischief & Mistletoe by Erica Ridley
Lady Louisa is a spinster thanks to gossip columns. Now is her last chance, and she is seen for once, but gives her heart to a poet. And awww, xmas times, they fall for each other and well he does have a bad secret. Grrr
All in all sweet and good stories. It sounds like a fun revelry for sure. And at the end I am left thinking, whose original story is it? When will the viscount find love? He needs love too ;)
Good narrator, since it was 4 stories, I never felt lost, I always knew in which story I was even though some characters walked through them all. Nice distinct voices.
Poor Cressida, her father was such an asshole! Put her down her entire life so she could not see her worth. At least she knows she is awesome at organizing the yearly party (that her asshole father takes credit for). She stays in the shadows, until someone finally notices her. Awww Elias, he saw beyond everything and the both deserved their happiness
Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell
I get why she left him, he was all about work. Gotta make some money to prove everyone he is worthy..though! I sure would have liked to see how on earth a stableboy ended up engaged to a Duke's granddaughter?!
Anyway a nice second chance romance. They talk it through, they see the light
Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor
Another second chance romance. Married couple had lots of hawt sex, but never talked (like hello it takes the both of you.) And now they are pretending to be in love, and will obvi finally talk and be happy again.
Mischief & Mistletoe by Erica Ridley
Lady Louisa is a spinster thanks to gossip columns. Now is her last chance, and she is seen for once, but gives her heart to a poet. And awww, xmas times, they fall for each other and well he does have a bad secret. Grrr
All in all sweet and good stories. It sounds like a fun revelry for sure. And at the end I am left thinking, whose original story is it? When will the viscount find love? He needs love too ;)
Good narrator, since it was 4 stories, I never felt lost, I always knew in which story I was even though some characters walked through them all. Nice distinct voices.
bonniereads777's review
4.0
Mistletoe Christmas is an anthology consisting of four stories, all set in England, 1815, and evolving around the Duke of Greystoke's Annual Christmas Revelry, always the most sought after party invitation of the season. The stories are written by four different authors, Eloisa James, Christi Caldwell, Janna MacGregor, and Erica Ridley.
All four stories transport us to Regency England at Christmas time.
In A Mistletoe Kiss, by Eloisa James, the main character, Cressida, is the long-suffering victim of her abusive father, the Duke of Greystoke, who has used her for years to plan his famous Revelry. Cressida's growth as a person and evolving ability to see her true self and gain some confidence was well done. The romance with Elias was a little over the top as he suddenly and instantly fell in love with her although he'd known her for years. It was a touch unbelievable, but overall it was a very nice romance. 4 stars.
Wishing Under The Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell brings a little of "A Christmas Carol" vibe. Isabelle and Cyrus's relationship ended because he became completely wrapped up in the idea of amassing a fortune, supposedly for her. Ten years later, they meet again at the Revelry and sparks are still flying. This is the story of how an "Ebenezer Scrooge" type of character has a chance to get his lost love back. I found it a satisfying Christmas story. 5 stars.
Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor is the story of a marriage torn apart. Caroline and Stephen are reunited at the Christmas Revelry. They have to pretend to be a happy couple for the Duke so Caroline can gain access to her trust fund. I found this to be a bit much. The reason for reuniting was to get money, and the reason they broke up in the first place was because Caroline wasn't getting enough attention. It all seemed simple and selfish, and not in any way based on a real marriage. 2.5 stars.
Mischief and Mistletoe by Erica Ridley is a well done story of Miss Louisa Harcourt, who is told by her mother that the Revelry is her last chance to find a husband. Determined to make her mother happy. Louisa entertains her less than ideal marriage candidates, although her real desire is to write and publish poetry. When she meets Ewan, a fellow poet, at the Revelry, she faces a choice between happiness and duty. I really enjoyed this one as it showcased a woman with interests and ambitions other than marriage. 5 stars.
Overall, this anthology earns four stars. It transports us to the Christmas season.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.
All four stories transport us to Regency England at Christmas time.
In A Mistletoe Kiss, by Eloisa James, the main character, Cressida, is the long-suffering victim of her abusive father, the Duke of Greystoke, who has used her for years to plan his famous Revelry. Cressida's growth as a person and evolving ability to see her true self and gain some confidence was well done. The romance with Elias was a little over the top as he suddenly and instantly fell in love with her although he'd known her for years. It was a touch unbelievable, but overall it was a very nice romance. 4 stars.
Wishing Under The Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell brings a little of "A Christmas Carol" vibe. Isabelle and Cyrus's relationship ended because he became completely wrapped up in the idea of amassing a fortune, supposedly for her. Ten years later, they meet again at the Revelry and sparks are still flying. This is the story of how an "Ebenezer Scrooge" type of character has a chance to get his lost love back. I found it a satisfying Christmas story. 5 stars.
Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor is the story of a marriage torn apart. Caroline and Stephen are reunited at the Christmas Revelry. They have to pretend to be a happy couple for the Duke so Caroline can gain access to her trust fund. I found this to be a bit much. The reason for reuniting was to get money, and the reason they broke up in the first place was because Caroline wasn't getting enough attention. It all seemed simple and selfish, and not in any way based on a real marriage. 2.5 stars.
Mischief and Mistletoe by Erica Ridley is a well done story of Miss Louisa Harcourt, who is told by her mother that the Revelry is her last chance to find a husband. Determined to make her mother happy. Louisa entertains her less than ideal marriage candidates, although her real desire is to write and publish poetry. When she meets Ewan, a fellow poet, at the Revelry, she faces a choice between happiness and duty. I really enjoyed this one as it showcased a woman with interests and ambitions other than marriage. 5 stars.
Overall, this anthology earns four stars. It transports us to the Christmas season.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.
bluestockings_read's review against another edition
4.0
● Free audiobook via Scribd
● All 4 novellas occur at the same house party, but there's very little overlap so they're totally fine as standalones.
I read the first & last stories:
#1 A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James
● Dual 3rd person POV
● 3:21 h:m / 93 kindle pages (~28k words)
So I’m not a huge fan of the “plain” FMC trope, only because (imo) they’re usually done really badly.
I will spare you my thesis and just say this: If you are “plain” and the daughter of a duke, you are not plain. We’ve all seen enough “celebs without makeup” pics & makeover shows to know what a huge difference flattering clothing, hairstyles, and (God forbid) a little confidence makes. Cressida has long, blonde, thick curly hair, wide lips, a slightly upturned nose, and is petite with an hourglass figure. She’s so plain, you guys. Practically hideous, really.
#4 Mischief & Mistletoe Kiss by Erica Ridley
● Dual 3rd person POV
● 2:29 h:m/ 100 kindle pages (~30k words)
Louisa is thrilled to find a fellow poet at the house party. She knows from the start that nothing can come of it, but it’s her last chance for fun before she must marry, so #yolo. I liked this novella - the MMC was very thoughtful & they were both decent people. I was a little disappointed in how their big obstacles were solved. Also not a fan of plots where one MC keeps a big secret. The FMC was slightly nlog, but what would you expect from regency-era poetess?
● All 4 novellas occur at the same house party, but there's very little overlap so they're totally fine as standalones.
I read the first & last stories:
#1 A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James
● Dual 3rd person POV
● 3:21 h:m / 93 kindle pages (~28k words)
So I’m not a huge fan of the “plain” FMC trope, only because (imo) they’re usually done really badly.
I will spare you my thesis and just say this: If you are “plain” and the daughter of a duke, you are not plain. We’ve all seen enough “celebs without makeup” pics & makeover shows to know what a huge difference flattering clothing, hairstyles, and (God forbid) a little confidence makes. Cressida has long, blonde, thick curly hair, wide lips, a slightly upturned nose, and is petite with an hourglass figure. She’s so plain, you guys. Practically hideous, really.
I really liked that this novella clearly shows that she’s made herself invisible because of her father’s mental abuse. The MMC is French, besotted, and adorable.
#4 Mischief & Mistletoe Kiss by Erica Ridley
● Dual 3rd person POV
● 2:29 h:m/ 100 kindle pages (~30k words)
Louisa is thrilled to find a fellow poet at the house party. She knows from the start that nothing can come of it, but it’s her last chance for fun before she must marry, so #yolo. I liked this novella - the MMC was very thoughtful & they were both decent people. I was a little disappointed in how their big obstacles were solved. Also not a fan of plots where one MC keeps a big secret. The FMC was slightly nlog, but what would you expect from regency-era poetess?
mt_books_bravo's review against another edition
4.0
I love a good romance anthology! Sometimes you just want to sit down have a cup of tea and read a lovely short story with a happily ever after. Christmas Mistletoe is made up of four short stories from well-known romance authors. They all bring there A/B+ game to this book. I am a long time Eloisa James fan which is what drew me to the book but all four authors did a excellent job with the material. I was reading it in the middle of summer And it had me anticipating the upcoming colder days of winter and Christmas time! #MistletoeChristmas #Nettgalley
jackiepreston's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James, 3.5 stars - I didn't like how Elias first noticed Cressie, both at the beginning of the story when Val told him to marry her, and when he brought up that he first noticed her when he was 16 and she was FIVE! As the story went on I got over it, but that was an immediate ick for me.
Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell, 4 stars - A Christmas Carol retelling where both characters had something they needed to learn. I liked both leads and appreciated that there wasn't too much flashback retelling of their earlier love story.
Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor, 3.5 stars - I don't understand why Caroline thought that she and Stephen could fake that their marriage wasn't in trouble when everyone knew they'd been living apart for a year. I did like both leads, but the lack of communication between them was astounding.
Mischief & Mistletoe by Erica Ridley, 3 stars - My least favorite of the bunch. I didn't feel like I got enough of Louisa and Ewan as a couple to get invested in their story. Ewan sleeping with Louisa before telling her the whole truth was terrible and I hate that trope.
Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell, 4 stars -
Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor, 3.5 stars -
Mischief & Mistletoe by Erica Ridley, 3 stars -
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
tearainread's review against another edition
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
mslori's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.75
I probably would have enjoyed this more with a different narrator. Susan Duerden is fine, but I just can't get into her style.
owllyreads's review against another edition
A little too focused on sex than what I was looking for, relationships felt rushed