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Review: Mistletoe Season

Mistletoe Season book cover on blue background

It's always a treat to read Christmas stories in the summer, especially when there is a heat wave and you want to think cold thoughts. Mistletoe Season by Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller, and Pepper Basham is an anthology that provides relief through some sweet mistletoe kisses and Christmas charm.

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Book Synopsis

This Christmas, three couples find themselves under the mistletoe . . . whether they want to be there or not.

Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts — Mistletoe is Hailey Fairchild's kryptonite. Every time she's kissed someone under the mistletoe it's led to love disaster. Not a good thing for a romance writer! When she was a gawky high school girl, her hunky neighbor, Carwyn Davies, star of the basketball team (and her dreams) kissed her under the mistletoe on a dare. But the kiss wasn't a dream come true. It was a mortifying moment she's never forgotten, and now she's about to go home for the holidays, unengaged and . . . determined to say no to mistletoe. Especially if Carwyn is anywhere around.

Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller — Emmy Banks has always loved Christmas. How could she not when she lives in Mistletoe, Missouri? Kieran O'Neill has spent years abroad, renovating an old Irish castle, but returns to Mistletoe for his mother's seventieth birthday. He reconnects with Emmy, his sister's close friend, and spends time with her in her charming antique shop. When the weather turns colder, things start to warm up between Emmy and Kieran. But can Emmy risk her heart when she knows he'll never stay in Mistletoe, and she will never leave?

The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham — Prince Arran St. Clare has lost his freedom and fairytale life in exchange for a three-month "punishment" in the small town of Ransom, North Carolina. To prove he is ready for the royal life for which he was born, Arran must engage in the Christmas charity fundraiser, The Mistletoe Wish. But when kindness, authenticity, and hard work prove more appreciated in Appalachia than a royal pedigree, Arran must face the mirror and find out who he is beyond the crown. Add a beautiful and intelligent woman who doesn't recognize her own worth, some mistletoe, and a little Christmas magic and it all might be enough to help the rebel-prince understand what truly matters most.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

While I found the stories and writing styles to be vastly different from each other in this anthology, the theme that tied this collection together for me was that the male main characters had names that I couldn't quite figure out how to pronounce in my head. This kept me amused as I would switch between pronunciations as I read along. Alongside this observation, the three mistletoe stories each brought about Christmas cheer in a clean, sweet way. With two out of the three stories having scant faith content, I would more so classify this book as a clean Christmas romance, with one notable exception.

Since I had already read Pepper Basham’s Skymar series, I was especially keen to read The Mistletoe Prince, which was a satisfying Christmas story to accompany the other Edgewood books. I loved that this particular story contained the most amount of faith content with beautiful depictions of what Christmas truly means, along with meaningful references to prayer and God’s teachings. It is certainly a treat for those who have read Loyally, Luke, as there are recurring characters, making this book even more special and the one that hit it out of the park for me.

Return to Mistletoe and Say No to Mistletoe were similar in that they were both second-chance romances, one with a brother's best friend and the other with a best friend’s brother. If you like these tropes, you can have both versions! Each story reads like a fun Hallmark movie, with Say No to Mistletoe being especially funny in the first person voice. Overall, this is a lighthearted collection that would be enjoyable to read anytime of the year.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📱
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍
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