Meddling with Mistletoe (A Red Door Inn Christmas Romance) by Liz Johnson

 

About the Book

The recipe for romance is simple: sweets, treats, and mistletoe meets

Whitney Garrett is preparing to enter culinary school in the spring, but first she has to sell enough homemade pies at the local Christmas markets to pay her tuition. When her oven breaks, Whitney asks Marie Sloan, proprietor of the Red Door Inn, if she can use the inn's kitchen to keep up with her orders. Marie agrees, with a catch: Whitney has to watch the three Sloan children and cook breakfasts for the Red Door in return.

The inn is busy with holiday guests--including Aretha Franklin Sloan's perpetually single nephew Daniel and Ruby, a businesswoman in town to purchase Aretha's antiques store. Intent on making a Christmas match for the two, Aretha enlists Whitney's help in her schemes. But the deeper Whitney gets, the more she realizes that Ruby is definitely not the right woman for Daniel--and the more she thinks that she just might be his perfect match.

Cuddle up for some warm holiday cheer as New York Times bestselling author Liz Johnson explores the unforeseen consequences of meddling with mistletoe when love is on the line.

__________________________________________________________

My Review 4 STARS

I had just finished this book when monster tropical storm Helene hit our area of WNC so I apologize to the author and publisher for being late with my review.

I haven’t read all the books in this series but I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything. Whitney and Garrett are engaging characters. The author kept my attention with their merrymaking and snappy dialogue along with a few side character shenanigans.

Meddling with Mistletoe has all the feels and fun and snow that any ardent Christmas novel reader will be sure to enjoy!

I received a copy from the publisher. My opinion is my own. 

~ Happy Reading ~

Last Minute Books for Christmas!

Rebecca and I thought we'd share a few of our favorite Christian fiction books (not all are published in 2023) that we think might make excellent Christmas gifts for the avid reader in your life. It's not too late to order them and receive them before Christmas, but hurry! Don't delay. :-)

I'll list the books with links to the reviews on Goodreads.

The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz

  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4880882621

The Girl from the Papers by Jennifer L Wright

  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5805662768

A Return to Hawthorne House by Kristi Ann Hunter

  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5971387968

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold

  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6034047071

Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5524155052

Just the Way You Are by Pepper Basham

  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1932993954

We would love to know if you take any of our recommendations to heart and purchase them for yourself or a loved one!

 "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, 

who is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2 :11

Christian Fiction Book Recommendations for the Book Lover on Your Christmas List...in Book Graphic Form

This is not an extensive list but a few that I thought to share with y'all that I've enjoyed reading, whether this year or in the past. Some  are part of a series so be sure and check them out on your favorite book info site.

I've also read some really fun novella compilations, especially last year's Something Borrowed with authors Teresa Tysinger, Andrea Boyd, Jaycee Weaver, Toni Shiloh and Mikal Dawn. Each of these authors has since released the novellas independently. I think they're all available on Amazon. Here are the graphics I did for those with updated book covers.

Can you recommend any books that you've enjoyed this year to give as gifts?

Leave a comment and let's chat!

Review ~ Once Upon a Christmas (Book 3 of the Christmas Card Series) by Amanda Tru

 

If I only see you once...

When her flight home is canceled a few days before Christmas, Moe Scott spontaneously agrees to spend a few hours sight-seeing with a fellow passenger. At the time, she doesn't know the moments with James will change her life, nor does she know that before her plane takes off the next morning, she will turn around to find James gone.

With no way to contact him, Moe returns home only to lose everything before the new year dawns. Completely alone, jobless, and faced with the news that she is going blind, Moe remembers her time with James and clings to the idea of embracing the moments of vision she has left.

When opportunities for love and friendship come in the most unexpected places, Moe faces the choice of whether to continue to wait for the man who changed her life.

Will Moe and James ever find each other again? Can she learn to appreciate the beauty in each moment God provides and inspire those beyond her own darkness, even if she never sees again?

A once upon a Christmas inspires her story. Her ever after changes the world.

Author website - https://amandatru.com/

Purchase: Amazon

My Review 5 STARS!!!

Oh. My. Goodness. A friend of mine shared some highlights from this book on Goodreads that intrigued me. I borrowed a copy on KU and started reading it immediately. I had trouble putting it down and would have stayed up all night to read it, if possible. The story certainly wasn't what I expected. I was thinking it would be a fairly lighthearted, sweet Christmas romance but it was so much more!!! 

If you're looking for an inspirational story that will leave you contemplating and perhaps re-evaluating your "once" moments, this is the one. Amanda Tru will be an author added to my must-read list. This book is a stand-alone, as are all the books in this series.

Let me know if you read it and what you think of it!

Have a blessed day in the Lord,

Review ~ Joy to the World: A Regency Christmas Collection

Paperback, 336 pages

Published October 13th 2020 by Kregel Publications 

Inspirational Regency romance with a Christmas twist from three best-selling authors

In Joy to the World, three popular romance authors come together to offer a heartwarming collection of holiday Regency romance. Based on lines from a beloved Christmas carol, these three novellas have depth, faith, and satisfying stories all packed into the perfect length for readers to curl up and take a brief break from their holiday busyness.

"Heaven and Nature Sing" by Carolyn Miller

Two music lovers, deeply devoted to each other, were on the brink of engagement when family circumstances drove them apart. How can they ever overcome both their obligations and their fears to find their way back into each other's arms?

"Far as the Curse Is Found" by Amanda Barratt

One winter night, a woman struggling to provide for her illegitimate child encounters a scarred veteran of the Napoleonic Wars on the streets of London. Can love conquer the darkness of two broken pasts?

"Wonders of His Love" by Erica Vetsch

A Scots portrait painter finds work at a noble manor house over the holidays. He never imagined he'd fall in love with the emotionally frozen widow there. Now he wants nothing more than to thaw her heart. 

___________________________________________

My Review ~ 4 STARS

Carolyn Miller’s Heaven and Nature Sing is a sweet second chance romance. Fans will enjoy a lyrical reuniting of George and Edith. 3 stars

Amanda Barratt’s Far as the Curse is Found is one of the most brilliant novellas I have ever read. I was spellbound the entire time and couldn’t put it down. 5 stars

Erica Vetsch’s Wonders of His Love is simply delightful. Watching Cilla and Hamish break the class barrier, excellently done. And it didn’t hurt to see Marcus and other beloved characters again. 4.5 stars

I highly recommend this collection to Regency fans. You’ll be swept off your feet!

I received a copy of the book from the publisher. No compensation has been received.

____________________________________________

Let me know if you've read this or other Christmas stories this season. Or which ones you plan to read in December. :-)

Have a blessed day in the Lord,

Review + Giveaway ~ Something Borrowed: Christmas Weddings Collection by Toni Shiloh, Jaycee Weaver, Mikal Dawn, Andrea Boyd, and Teresa Tysinger

Old friends, new loves, and a borrowed tiara.

Always Been Yours by Jaycee Weaver — Hanady's planning her dream wedding, but herinjured best friend Keenan isn't the groom. If she can't see she's marrying the wrong guy soon, his leg won't be the only thing broken. 

 

All the Moore by Toni Shiloh — Leilah Anderson has been living behind the screen to hide her disability, then she meets Reggie Moore face-to-face. Can their relationship survive the truth and distance between them?

A Holly, Bolly Christmas by Mikal Dawn — A dream wedding venue at Christmas? Sign Chahna Kapoor up. Even if her fiancé doesn’t know it…

Somehow, This Christmas by Teresa Tysinger — When not-so-merry mishaps threaten wedding planner Cate Forsyth's holiday wedding and reputation, will her own happily ever after with sweetheart Noah Bennett melt away?

A Promise So Sweet by Andrea Boyd — Lydia Osborn hasn't heard from her ex in ten years, so imagine her surprise when he shows up proposing marriage. Tis the season for love?

PURCHASE: Amazon (only .99 right now)

My Review

4 STARS!!!

I’m a huge fan of collections. They’re a great way to be introduced to authors. These five novellas follow six friends as they pass along a beautiful wedding tiara one-to-the-other, and of course they each get married at Christmastime.

I enjoyed the friendship dynamic between the girls. You could tell they had genuine relationships by their affection for each other, clothed in honesty and encouragement. A couple of the novellas stood out a little more to me because of a deeper faith element and each author brings skill to the table which caused my heart to sigh. I recommend this collection to contemporary romance fans who like mild to moderate faith themes sprinkled throughout.

I received an electronic copy of the book from one of the authors. No review was required. No compensation has been received.

GIVEAWAY

I'm giving away ONE Kindle edition of the collection because I'm sure you're going to enjoy a few hours with these lovely friends.

ONE RULE:

Leave a comment that includes your email in a non-spammy format (jane at doe dot com)so I have a way of contacting you if you win. 

Extra Entry:

You'll get an extra entry if you follow thru GFC (in the right sidebar). Let me know in the comments if you do this. 

Ends Monday Nov 2. If you can receive a Kindle book, you can enter the giveaway internationally. I don't know if this one is available worldwide though.

~Happy Reading, Y'all~

ON SALE~ One Royal Christmas by Melissa Tagg

 

PURCHASE on Amazon >>> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08K2RQ68K

From the author of the award-winning ENCHANTED Christmas Collection, a royal romance filled with small-town holiday charm!

His Majesty Jonah Harrison Archer Davies VI has just endured the worst year of his life . . . and he's convinced he's no longer fit to rule Concordia. Not now . . . but maybe someday. Taking advantage of an obscure law that allows him to temporarily abdicate his throne, he transfers short-term power to his younger brother and retreats to Tinsel, Vermont. Perhaps in this tucked-away town, with its enchanting Christmas decorations and unusual media ban, Jonah will discover the peace and privacy he needs to heal, find his vision for his country . . . and somehow believe himself worthy of the crown.

Eight years ago, Rowan Bell dropped out of college and sacrificed her dream of traveling the world to keep a promise to her dying grandmother--to care for Tinsel's charming library. But the antiquated Cape Cod cottage that has housed the library for decades is falling apart around her, and Tinsel's city leaders have arranged to relocate the library. Desperate to keep her grandmother's legacy alive--and hopefully hush the longings of her restless heart in the process--Rowan hatches a plan to preserve the historic house. Help comes in the most unexpected form when a handsome bookworm--a king!--appears in Rowan's life.

Drawn together under Tinsel's Christmastime spell, Rowan and Jonah work to secure the library's future, even as they grapple with all the uncertainty in their own futures. But when a national crisis calls Jonah home, it's not only his claim to the throne that's in danger, but their two hearts which had only begun to hope again.

One Royal Christmas originally appeared in the 2019 novella collection Royally Yours. This is a standalone novella filled with romance, royalty and small-town charm.

~ Happy Reading ~

Cover Reveal!!!

Something Borrowed

Christmas Weddings Collection

Always Been Yours by Jaycee Weaver — Hanady's planning her dream wedding, but her injured best friend Keenan isn't the groom. If she can't see she's marrying the wrong guy soon, his leg won't be the only thing broken.

All the Moore by Toni Shiloh — Leilah Anderson has been living behind the screen to hide her disability, then she meets Reggie Moore face-to-face. Can their relationship survive the truth and distance between them?

A Holly, Bolly Christmas by Mikal Dawn — A dream wedding venue at Christmas? Sign Chahna Kapoor up. Even if her fiancé doesn’t know it…

Somehow, This Christmas by Teresa Tysinger — When not-so-merry mishaps threaten wedding planner Cate Forsyth's holiday wedding and reputation, will her own happily ever after with sweetheart Noah Bennett melt away?

A Promise So Sweet by Andrea Boyd — Lydia Osborn hasn't heard from her ex in ten years, so imagine her surprise when he shows up proposing marriage. Tis the season for love?

Don't forget to pre-order your copy for only .99!

Amazon

Review ~ Once Upon a Christmas: Contemporary Retellings of Timeless Tales by Andrea Boyd, Toni Shiloh, Mikal Dawn, Angela Ruth Strong, Jaycee Weaver

Kindle Edition, 437 pages

Published October 1st 2019

Embrace the magic of the Christmas season with these contemporary twists on timeless tales.

Upon a Dream — A rare sleeping disorder keeps Talia from performing, but when Philip recognizes her gift, he’ll do whatever it takes to see her onstage.

Claim My Heart — Li Na and Colin Wen face off in a Mulan-esque courtroom battle where the real win might be losing their hearts.

A Snow White Christmas — Sheltered heiress Amala White flees her conniving stepmother’s plans and finds refuge with a handsome orchard owner and his seven quirky uncles.

Christmas Ella — Reality TV meets Cinderella story when a location director is swept off her feet by a rising star.

A Splash of Love — Las Vegas glitz meets Land of Enchantment culture in A Splash of Love, a modern twist on the Little Mermaid.

My Review

4 STARS!!!

Once Upon a Christmas is comprised of some of the most imaginative fairy tale re-tellings of Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Snow White, Cinderella, and The Little Mermaid I've read. They're all highly creative! Three of the stories I found most enjoyable with engaging characters and plots, and would definitely give five stars. The other two were inventive but didn’t quite hit the five star mark for me, hence my overall four stars.

With themes of love and acceptance woven along with faith in Christ, each re-telling definitely has a refreshing quality. I found a new-to-me author that will be on my future TBR list too. For fans of contemporary fiction, it’s worth buying for a few hours of charming distraction that will bring more than a few smiles and chuckles. Just wait until you meet the Uncles. J

I was provided a copy from the publisher with no obligation to post a review but I also purchased my own Kindle copy.

What Christmas stories are you looking forward to reading?

Glory to God in the Highest

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!

Luke 2:14

Isaiah 9:6-7 

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

 Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Three Quick Reads I Enjoyed

Good day to all!! My husband was out of town last week and I had some extra time on my hands in the evenings. I thought I would share three books I read while he was gone. Two are definitely Christmas themed and any of the three can be read in just a couple of hours or less.

My Thoughts

5 STARS!!!

Up on the Housetop is a fast-paced contemporary novella (or really short novel) that has just the right amount of fun, drama, and romance. I got it free on Kindle and I'm glad I did. It's my first Liz Isaacson book but won't be my last. I like her writing style.

My Thoughts

4.5 STARS!!!

 

Crandall sure knows how to write a spellbinding romance. I devoured this novella in just a couple of hours. I don't think readers will have trouble sorting out the characters from the previous books. If you haven't read them, I would highly encourage starting with The Hesitant Heiress, which introduces the Everstone family. I read that one when it debuted and really liked it. My only hesitation continuing the series was the fact they are written in first person POV and I struggle with that form. Hence, I now need to go back and read the other books because it didn't take me long to get my bearings with Enchanting Nicholette, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I was gifted a copy of the book from the author and publisher. No review was required. No compensation was received.

My Thoughts

5 STARS!!!

I loved it!!!

 Mistletoe Kiss is a cute and witty Christmas story for under a buck on Kindle!

For Advent, I've been reading a chapter a day from the book of Luke. With 24 chapters, when I finish the book on Christmas Eve, I will have read Jesus' life story. Doing it this way has given me time to meditate on God's Word and I find myself having quite a few ah-ha moments. 

  

Do you have any recommended reads for Christmas? Or how about for Advent?