What Happens Under the Mistletoe
Each year I look forward to reading some of the many holiday-set romance books put out by publishers. An offer to review What Happens under the Mistletoe jump-started my holiday season with four Christmastide-set romance novellas by four multi-published authors.
Sabrina Jeffries gives us The Heiress and the Hothead, in which an American woman mill owner and a reform-minded British politician clash. The premise is excellent and the characters are clearly drawn. Unfortunately, the ending made me wince. Karen Hawkins contributes Twelve Kisses to Midnight, part of her Princes of Oxenburg series. Two Scottish former lovers find refuge from an unexpected snowstorm and rekindle their love. Every author appreciates knowing someone enjoys a story, but having a reviewer hunt down the other books in a series is high praise indeed. I look forward to reading these soon.
Candace Camp sets her tale in 1807. By Any Other Name tells the tale of two Rose cousins becoming involved with two women, one a prim miss, the other who masquerades as a man to search for her missing brother. I enjoyed the story, but certain plot elements stretched my willingness to suspend disbelief. My favorite story was Meredith Duran’s Sweetest Regret, about two sweethearts separated by her manipulative father. Thrown together again, Georgie and Lucas must risk hurt by revealing their true feelings, to talk and listen, rather than hide behind social masks.
Overall, the book is enjoyable and a nice way to pass the evening in front of a cozy fire with a cup of hot chocolate.
