Back of Book:

For two former childhood friends, a blustery winter storm stirs some frosty—and scorching—memories in a delightful short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.

All newly minted pediatrician Jamie Malek wants is to borrow a roasting pan for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, that requires her to interact with Marc—her best friend’s troublemaking brother, who’s now a tech billionaire. He’s the one who got away. She’s the one who broke his heart. Outside, a howling blizzard. Inside, a crackling fire. Suddenly, being snowbound with the man she never expected to see again might not be such a bad way to spend a winter’s night.

Ali Hazelwood’s Cruel Winter with You is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting. 

Book Number: One 

Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance | Short Story 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A holiday themed short story that features a sweet best friend's brother romance. 

When Jamie Malek is sent by her father to retrieve a roasting pan from her neighbor's house, she never expected that she was going to have to spend the night there. Trapped inside with her best friend's brother, Marc, Jamie is forced to reconcile with the feelings of her past. This winter blizzard may just have been a blessing in disguise. 

This one was a pretty sweet holiday short story featuring Jamie, a woman in medicine, and Marc, the owner of a tech startup. I think it's cool that Hazelwood's writing always seems to center around people working in STEM. 

One thing I really enjoyed about this story is that half of it talked about the history that these two share with one another. I often struggle with romance short stories because I feel their love comes out of nowhere, but that wasn't the case with this one. Jamie and Marc have known each other forever. It's evident from all the glimpses into the past that the two of them have a very special bond indeed. It's also really cute that Marc has been crushing on Jamie for so long, though it does raise the question why he didn't try to pursue her more vigilantly earlier in their lives. I know he wanted to make something of himself before pursuing her, but still, if you love her that much why wait? 

Something that really hit me in the feels about this one is that Jamie feels that she is unworthy of love. She often feels that she is too broken, unstable, and that she will be a constant burden to those she loves. I often am crippled with self-doubts such as these, so it's no surprise that I found myself relating to her heavily. She also has some daddy issues that makes this situation worse, too. 

The snowed in trope is one of my holiday favorite ones. It is fun to trap two people together who desperately need to discuss some things and actually just force them to do it. Forced proximity is a great trope in general; snowed in just brings it to another level of goodness. 

Another thing I appreciated about this one is that the sex scene didn't hit until the very end. These two are both incredibly horny for each other the entire story, but they don't just go at it just because they are stuck together. It makes me respect them as people that they waited to talk out their feelings with one another and became an actual couple before they jumped into bed together. 

Overall, "Cruel Winter with You" is a sweet holiday romance short story that I found myself happily enjoying. The best friend's brother trope paired with the snowed in trope was a really fun combo, and I really enjoyed my time with this one. I can't say I like very many romance short stories, but this one did something for me. 

Audiobook Note: Vivienne LaRue did a great job with this one. The way they voiced both children and men in turn was very palatable, which isn't always the case. They also did a good job of capturing Jamie's dry wit and Marc's obsessive nature. I enjoyed what they did with this one and commend them on a job well done. 

Back of Book:

A single mother working in a thrift store. A gentle giant farmer who can’t find jeans that fit. When opposites attract, they find themselves making alterations in more ways than one in this smoking-hot short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey.

Evie Crowe is starting over in a strange town with her newborn, and men are the furthest thing from her mind. If only the quiet, hulking farmer, Luke Ward, would stop coming into the thrift shop and piquing her reluctant interest. Evie wants to stay single all the way—she can’t trust anything more than friends-with-holiday-benefits. But Luke is in it for the long haul. He’s fixed on making this a Christmas Evie will remember forever. If she gives him a chance.

Tessa Bailey’s Merry Ever After is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting. 

Book Number: Two

Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance | Short Story 

Review: 🌟

Sparks fly when a single mother meets a giant farmer at their local thrift store. 

Evie Crowe is starting over in a new town with her infant son. She dreams of selling her own upcycled designs, but for now, she's stuck working at her local thrift store. When she meets Luke Ward, a gigantic local farmer, she can't help taking interest in him despite not having the time for men in her life. Will Luke be able to seduce Evie in time for Christmas? Or will this farmer be spending another holiday season on his own? 

This short story was my first introduction to Tessa Bailey, and I must say, it doesn't give me much hope for liking any of her novels. This story was mostly filled with the most unrealistic and cringe smut ever. And it barely had anything to do with the holidays, which makes it feel as though it failed the entire assignment. 

At the beginning of this one, I felt as though the story had some hope. Evie is a strong, single mother who absolutely adores her son, yet still has big dreams for herself. I liked her willpower and how stubborn she was when it meant going out of her way to help others. Unfortunately, she was so horny and attracted to Luke that all of her good attributes flew out the window pretty fast. 

Luke, on the other hand, had nothing going for him the entire story. His biggest thing that sets him apart is that he is absolutely massive, which doesn't make for a very interesting character. Unfortunately, not having jeans that fit and sort of stalking a woman is in no way attractive. 

Most of the story after their intimal meeting and then their gift exchange is pretty much made of these two entirely having sex. And I must say, I didn't find any part of it to be great. They are definitely dirty talkers in bed, and most of the physical movements just seemed rather unlikely. If you want to see a cringey sex scene, I have a strange feeling that Tessa Bailey may be the queen of them. 

Overall, "Merry Ever After" was not it for me at all. Most of this story is made up of cringey sex scenes and it has so few holiday vibes that this story seems like a major failure. I hope that if I ever read a full novel by Tessa Bailey it won't let me down as bad as this one did, but I have my doubts. Fingers crossed that the other authors in this collection wrote much better stories! 

Audiobook Note: Summer Morton and Connor Crais did a great job at taking their jobs seriously despite how cringey and unserious this short story is. I give them kudos for being able to bring this story to life in such a legitimate way despite the content matter they were given. Pretty average performances overall, but a job well done regardless. 

Back of Book:

Secret crushes, spicy Christmas treats, heinous holiday traffic, and a fateful snowstorm bring good friends together in a funny, heartfelt short story by bestselling author Olivia Dade.

Nina and William are underpaid adjunct professors at the same university, where winter break is no break at all: ’tis the season to make extra money. When their holiday side hustle has them stranded by a blinding blizzard in the middle of nowhere, there’s nothing to do but cuddle up for warmth and play a game of Never Have I Ever to pass the time. But in the game of love, secrets never stay secret for long…

Olivia Dade’s All by My Elf is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting. 

Book Number: Three 

Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance | Short Story 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

A silly Christmas rom com featuring two part time college professors that get a ridiculous side hustle all in the hopes of being able to pay the bills this holiday season.

Nina, William, and Claudia are all underpaid teachers working one of the weirdest side gigs in history to make a little extra cash over holiday break. Nina never expected she'd be trapped in a repurposed Wienermobile with her crush for the holidays, but she will do her best job of keeping her feelings at bay. However, when Nina and William are stranded together in a blizzard, sparks fly between the two, despite the fact they are trapped in a giant hot dog. 

This one was pretty solid up to a certain point. I felt that this story had a great corny sense of humor going for it, and that the entire situation with them driving a giant hot dog around dressed as Christmas elves really nailed the feel that this collection is supposed to have. You know, cheesy holiday rom com vibes with a hint of sex on the side. 

The thing I liked most about this story is the way that William was penned. He fears that he may have made the wrong career choice, and that his potential is being wasted in his current job. I think this is something that many adults can relate to. The way he worries about coming on too strong to Nina is also pretty sweet and caring. 

Up to a certain point, this story is brimming with holiday elements. The three are dressed as elves and are trying to sell treats for their boss who is referred to as "Mrs. Claus" in the brand. The three stop and have a nice holiday dinner with Claudia's family. There is even a Christmas parade (though it sadly isn't shown on page). There is a huge blizzard near the end that attributes the snowed in trope to the story, which I always find to be a joy. 

This story takes a turn for the worse however, when the two are forced to take refuge from the cold in the back of the Wienermobile. They decide to play a game of Never Have I Ever, which I guess is a common thing to do when two adults get stranded together? A similar event happened in the first story too, so it makes me wonder. The game itself wasn't too bad, but it is the transition that leads to the steamy parts of the novella.

To be completely honest, I mostly zoned out during the sex parts of this one. It once again seemed kinda icky and cringe, so I mostly stopped paying attention to it. Dirty talking truly isn't it for me, and trying to make bedroom talk holiday themed really didn't do anything for me except make me crinkle my nose. 

Overall, "All by My Elf" was certainly an improvement from the last story, but still not amazing. I enjoyed the corniness of this one and I thought that the holiday vibes were just the right amount of cheesy. The sex scene was bleh, but beyond that, it made for an entertaining enough read and had some relatable content sprinkled throughout. 

Audiobook Notes: Andi Arndt's performance of this one was good. Really nothing stood out about it either way, so I feel that they did their job as a narrator well. 

Back of Book:

This Christmas, a hot fireman makes a holiday rescue and sparks fly in this funny, sexy holiday short story by bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur.

When Everleigh Dangerfield’s baking disaster necessitates a call to 911, firefighter Griffin Brantley douses the flames in the kitchen, but the ones he stokes in Everleigh are an entirely different story. Unfortunately, Everleigh’s only visiting and doesn’t do casual hookups, no matter how smoldering the temptation. But Everleigh’s holiday mishaps have just begun. And Griffin is seemingly always on call. If Everleigh is game for a change of plans, he can give her the merriest Christmas of her life.

Alexandria Bellefleur’s Merriment and Mayhem is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting. 

Book Number: Four 

Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance | Short Story 

Review: 🌟🌟

An accident-prone woman finds herself saved time and time again by a sexy fireman in this holiday short story. 

Everleigh Dangerfield is just trying to get her grandmother's house ready to sell before the new year, but honoring her grandmother's memory is turning out to be a lot harder than Everleigh thought. When Everleigh nearly sets the house on fire baking gingerbread cookies, she is rescued by a handsome fireman by the name of Griffin. There is instant chemistry between the two but knowing that she'll only be in town for a little while, Everleigh stifles her feelings. When strange circumstances bring Everleigh and Griffin together again and again, nothing can keep them from the fire that is burning inside their hearts. 

I must admit, I finished this one this morning and couldn't get around to writing my review for a while, but I am already having a hard time recalling the details about this one. It definitely wasn't as cringey as "Merry Ever After," but it also seriously lacks the depth that the other two stories in this collection have. 

Everleigh is certainly a quirky young woman who is more accident prone than anyone I've met in real life and she can't make a good decision to save her soul. Almost burning the house down while trying to bake is one thing, but the other unfortunate incidents she gets into were just one hundred percent not good ideas. 

I actually found Griffin to be a tad creepy, though it seems there is a fine line between charming and creepy these days. He comes on real strong and has a ton of lines that were way too cheesy for my liking. 

The incident that leads to Everleigh (the more I type her name, the more I absolutely hate it) and Griffin going home together is totally ridiculous. I also found it strange that as soon as Everleigh decides that she is going to go all in with Griffin, he seems to put her best interests aside. In that moment, Everleigh really should have went and taken a shower to warm up, but I guess this guy was so horny he couldn't even wait to go at it until he was in the bedroom? He only made it halfway up the stairs, for Pete's sake! 

After the steamy scene was over, there was no resolution to the story, which I thought was weird. This one could have benefited from an epilogue flashing forward a bit into the future. 

Overall, "Merriment and Mayhem" definitely had the Christmasy vibes going for it with Everleigh trying to partake in as many of her grandmother's traditions as she could, but that was about it. I honestly found Everleigh to be a charming female protagonist with her quirky accident-prone ways, but I found Griffin a lot less likable. The ending was super quick, and I wasn't a huge fan of the steamy parts either. I would definitely give one of Bellefleur's longer works a try if any of them ever stand out to me though. I feel her humor has potential and a story that has more time to grow could work a lot better for me. 

Audiobook Note: Amelie Griffin did a fine job with this one. Not much to comment on, but I like the way that they portrayed Everleigh's quirky, awkward nature. 

Back of Book:

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, especially for a comic book illustrator whose late-night fantasies become real in a festive and flirty short story by bestselling author Alexis Daria.

All Evie Cruz wants for Christmas is a nap. And maybe some ornaments for her naked Christmas tree. And while she’s making a list, she wouldn’t mind unwrapping her sexy upstairs neighbor like a present. Luckily, the building’s Santa-themed party and a surprise sprig of mistletoe give her just the opening she needs to make all her wishes come true.

Alexis Daria’s Only Santas in the Building is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting. 

Book Number: Five (Last Book) 

Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance | Short Story 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

The final short story in the "Under the Mistletoe" collection!

Christmas feels a little bleak this year for Evie Cruz due to her grandmother's recent death. She wants to keep her grandmother's holiday spirit alive, but that's hard to do with her approaching deadline as a comic book illustrator. Evie also finds herself heavily attracted to her upstairs neighbor this holiday season. When a Christmas party brings the two together, sparks fly and they are finally able to confess their feelings for one another.

This was actually a pretty cute story overall. It really wasn't anything special, but it had really good holiday vibes, at least. Evie and Theo have a decent bond, even if what led them together in the first place was physical attraction.

There were some really cute romantic gestures in this one with Theo making Evie ornaments for her grandmother's Christmas tree and her in return making his favorite dessert. They go to a Christmas party, kiss under a mistletoe, and the steamy scene had some Christmasy elements that were way less cringe than the other stories.

Overall, "Only Santas in the Building" was a pretty solid end to the "Under the Mistletoe" collection and a cute Christmas read. It wasn't that original of a story, but the romantic gestures were sweet and the holiday vibes were actually present. I'd say there were three stories in this one that were worth reading, but I'm still relieved that I finally finished this collection and can move on to a different audiobook.

Audiobook Note: Ruby Corazon did a fantastic job with this one. I felt that they spoke a bit faster than the average narrator, but I felt that fit Evie's vibe and didn't harm the production in any way. Their slight Spanish accent was also fun, and I definitely wouldn't complain if I came across their work again in the future.