Kissing Under the Mistletoe
An Anthology
by Suzanne Enoch, Amelia Grey, and Anna Bennett
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Reviewed by PJ
Great Scot! by Suzanne Enoch
Miss Jane Bansil knows she will never have a fairy-tale moment. Well past the marriageable age, she’s taken a position as a companion and is now stuck in Scotland for Christmas, alone even in the middle of the boisterous MacTaggert family. But when Brennan Andrews, an architect and cousin to the MacTaggerts, arrives to draw up plans for a new family home, Jane must decide if she will take a chance at a happily-ever-after, or settle into her small, safe life for good.
Christmas at Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey
Miss Isabelle Reed has no plans to ever fall in love. She has a perfectly acceptable life with her mother at the Dewberry Hollow Inn, thank you very much. But when Gate, the Duke of Notsgrave’s grandson, appears at Dewberry Hollow searching for a carving on a tree, Isabelle cannot help but get involved. But Gate’s charm and their instant attraction makes Isabelle question if she’s willing to take her chance at love once again.
My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett
Miss Eva Tiding is determined to cheer her widowed father with the perfect Christmas gift. Even if it means breaking into the home of the rakish Earl of Frostbough who swindled Papa out of his pocket watch. But when the earl, Jack Hardwick, catches her in the act, they strike a deal: she’ll pose as his fiancée in exchange for the watch. Falling in love is not part of the plan—but with a little Christmas magic, anything is possible…
PJ's Thoughts:
The three stories in this anthology are sure to put readers in the holiday spirit. The characters are well developed, each story moves along at a good pace, and the romances are both sweet and spicy, with a sigh-worthy happy ending at the end of each.
Suzanne Enoch's "Great Scot!" is an engaging, humorous, and heart-tugging story featuring Jane Bansil, a secondary character from Enoch's The Wild Wicked Highlanders trilogy. This trilogy is one of my favorites by Enoch and I loved joining the MacTaggerts in Scotland for this new story. Fans of those wild MacTaggerts and the women whose hearts they captured will delight not only in reading Jane's endearing journey to love but also in catching up with the couples from the three books as well as their parents. Readers new to this world, however, should have no trouble at all falling in love with Jane, Brennan, and a Highlander Christmas.
"Christmas at Dewberry Hollow" features a heroine who will never be the demure lady her mother wishes her to be. I liked Isabelle immediately. More than that, I also admired and respected her. Her hero took me a bit longer to warm up to as did the progression of their romance. I spent much of their story thinking she deserved someone better but he did bring me around in the end and I was happy with their HEA.
I love a good enemies-to-lovers / fake relationship story and "My Mistletoe Beau" hit all the right notes for me, from their first encounter, as Eva is caught rummaging through Jack's unmentionables after breaking into his home, to their final, sigh-worthy declaration of love. The banter is witty and rapid-fire, the chemistry sizzles, and the emotional depth is real and heart-tugging. I don't know if this story is connected to any other books by Anna Bennett but I aim to find out. I thoroughly enjoyed this cast of characters, as well as the style of writing, and am looking forward to reading more by this author.
If you're looking for a trio of fun, engaging, and heartwarming Christmas romances, give Kissing Under the Mistletoe a try.
Do you hang mistletoe (fake or otherwise) at Christmas?
Have you ever shared a kiss under the mistletoe?
Are you reading any of the authors in this anthology?
Birthday Giveaway #25:
One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, September 27 will receive two books from PJ's home collection.
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