Review of Merriment and Mayhem (Under the Mistletoe #4) by Alexandria Bellefleur

 

Merriment and Mayhem

This Christmas, a hot fireman makes a holiday rescue and sparks fly in this sizzling 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 collection of sexy December romances to warm the cold winter nights. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.

Buy on Amazon

(affiliate links included)

Check out the entire Under the Mistletoe collection!

**My thoughts**

Now we're on to the 4th installment of this series and my favorite one so far. I completely relate to Everleigh and her accident-prone ways. If I haven't done one of her mishaps yet, it's quite likely that I would if I were ever in that situation. And seriously, who hasn't had fantasies of the hottie firefighter coming to her rescue? This was a short story that actually came together quite well in spite of it being short. You knew enough of where you were coming from and had pretty clear direction where the story was going to go, even after "The End." The supplementary characters added to the story. I loved their banter. I would absolutely love to visit this couple and this town again in the future!

Read all of my reviews!

1- Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood

2- Merry Every After by Tessa Bailey

3- All By By Elf by Olivia Dade

4- Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur

5- Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria

Review of All By My Elf (Under the Mistletoe #3) by Olivia Dade

 

All By My Elf

Secret crushes, spicy Christmas treats, heinous holiday traffic, and a fateful snowstorm bring good friends together in a funny, sexy 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 hot and bothered 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 collection of sexy December romances to warm the cold winter nights. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.

Available on Amazon

(affiliate links included)

Check out the entire Under the Mistletoe collection!

**My thoughts**

This one was another odd one in this series that I felt could have been better. Nina has had a crush on William for a long time, as they have been working together as adjunct professors at the university. They're now working together in this weird holiday gig with one of their friends and colleagues. Only Nina is completely convinced that William and Claudia have something going between them. I get being absent-minded professors and having doubt about a man's feelings, but had a hard time with her denial. And then, if Nina and Claudia were such good friends, why weren't they talking about it? I'm still not quite clear on what Nina thought she saw as evidence between the two of them. And if Claudia wanted Nina and William together so badly, why wasn't she playing up to both of them? Honestly, Claudia felt like an unnecessary addition to the story and was offloaded pretty quickly. I think this story would have had better flow without her. I also didn't quite buy super shy Nina suddenly letting loose in quite the way she did, but stranger things have happened. Another one that fell short of its potential, but still an easy read and not a total waste of my time.

Read all of my reviews!

1- Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood

2- Merry Every After by Tessa Bailey

3- All By By Elf by Olivia Dade

4- Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur

5- Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria

Review of Merry Ever After (Under the Mistletoe #2) by Tessa Bailey

 

Merry Ever After

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 collection of sexy December romances to warm the cold winter nights. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.

Buy on Amazon

(affiliate links included)

Check out the entire Under the Mistletoe collection!

**My thoughts**

I read the stories in this series in order. I knew to expect some heat, but WOW, was this a departure from the first book in the series! And it's totally not what I was expecting from Tessa Bailey. I felt like this one fell short for me and reminded me of why short stories are not my favorites to read. Evie and Luke went from 0 to 120 super fast and I didn't feel it coming. There wasn't enough time for much backstory and buildup. And then they went from being super shy around each other to the filthy talk that just felt out of character in a way. That being said, this story does have a lot of potential and I'd love to see it fleshed out some more. 

Read all of my reviews!

1- Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood

2- Merry Every After by Tessa Bailey

3- All By By Elf by Olivia Dade

4- Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur

5- Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria

Review of Cruel Winter With You (Under the Mistletoe #1) by Ali Hazelwood

 

Cruel Winter With You

For two former childhood friends, a blustery winter storm stirs some frosty—and scorching—memories in a delightfully sexy 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 collection of sexy December romances to warm the cold winter nights. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.

Available on Amazon

(affiliate links included)

Check out the entire Under the Mistletoe collection!

***My thoughts***

I've been curious about Ali Hazelwood's work for quite some time now, as I often see her riding the top of the Kindle bestseller lists. This seemed like a perfect opportunity! I know that I'll definitely be looking for more of her stories after this one.

This short story is the first in a festive collection of five by various authors. I really had a soft spot for this one out of the bunch. 

Jamie has known Marc since he was a newborn. Somehow, the two of them have always gotten along, even better than he gets along with his own sister, who happens to be Jamie's best friend. Marc has clearly had a crush on her forever, always looking out for her in a subtle way. Jamie has always had a soft spot for him. But is it enough to cross over that line?

This story falls into that proximity trope during a snowstorm, which is probably my favorite setting for this particular trope. Add into it the best friend's brother and almost a second-chance romance and you have the ingredients for a sweet and sexy romp that will leave you feeling all gushy inside. 

I'm not normally a fan of short stories, because I am always wanting more. This one did satisfy me enough, though I still would have loved to have had more. Maybe they'll reappear in another book or story at some point down the road?

Read all of my reviews!

1- Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood

2- Merry Every After by Tessa Bailey

3- All By By Elf by Olivia Dade

4- Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur

5- Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria

Review of When Stars Rise at Midnight (The Midnight Stars Saga Book 2)

 

When Stars Rise at Midnight

Falling in love was the last thing they wanted. Can they resist their feelings to protect the ones they care about?

Estelle
After the trauma of my family’s abandonment and the forced adoption of my baby, I find solace in New York City, living in a fine apartment, thanks to my benefactor, Percival Bancroft. He asks for nothing in return except for one thing – dinner once a week. All would be well if it weren’t for my growing feelings for the kind man who rescued me from a life on the streets. He is not mine to love, as he belongs to another.

Percival
This is not the life I wanted, but it’s the one I have, and I must make the best of it. Thankfully, I have Estelle safely tucked away in an apartment in the city. If only I hadn’t fallen in love with her, all would be well. With my wife committed to an insane asylum with no hope of recovery, there is no chance for love in my life.

Read part two of USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson’s Midnight Stars Saga, a clean and wholesome American historical romance, for this rags-to-riches tale of forbidden love.

Buy on Amazon

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***My thoughts**

I'm so glad I didn't need to wait a long time for this sequel! As I am always saying, Tess Thompson is one of the only authors of historical fiction that I will devour again and again. I almost think her historical fiction is now stronger than her contemporaries. And this series is now my favorite.

The first installment ended on what Tess called a cliffhanger. To me, it was just a natural pause point, because it was a huge turning point in the story. This one has both heartbreak and heart filling as Estelle and Percival continue to battle their hearts' true desires as she continues to pull herself out of the trenches and he persists in helping her. Throw in a murder mystery and some unexpected plot twists, and I guarantee an engrossing read. I am just so in love with all of these characters and felt some echoes of Jane Eyre, one of my all-time favorite stories. (This is one of Tess's other strong points: you feel echoes of your classic favorites, but she makes the stories all her own.)

I will definitely be rereading this series.

I received a requested review copy via Bookfunnel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read my review of the first book, When Stars Fall at Midnight.

Review of When Stars Fall at Midnight by Tess Thompson

When Stars Fall at Midnight by Tess Thompson

1921

Estelle
Cast out and alone, I lost everything weeks before my wedding—my betrothed, my family, my future. With nowhere to turn, I accept the help of a compassionate stranger, not knowing it may lead me towards a path I swore never to tread.

Percival
After my wife succumbed to a psychotic break, I placed her in an asylum, a decision that haunts me as I raise our daughter alone. Hope for her recovery wanes with each passing year. I've vowed to uphold my marital duty, yet the arrival of a mysterious woman tempts me with forbidden possibilities. My father’s dishonorable legacy is a constant reminder of the man I refuse to become.

Set in the tumultuous early 1920s, "When Stars Fall at Midnight" is the first installment in Tess Thompson’s romantic family saga. Join USA Today Bestselling author in this tale of resilience, redemption, and unexpected love, where second chances arise from the ruins of tragedy, and newfound bonds forge new a family.

Buy on Amazon

(affiliate link)

***My thoughts***

Every time I think I cannot like Tess Thompson's romances any more, she surprises me with yet another masterpiece. She is one of the only authors I can stomach when it comes to historical romance, because those tales actually feel real. The first book in this new series, When Stars Fall at Midnight, is so engrossing, I had a hard time putting it down. Her prose was so clear and descriptive, and the dialgoue so natural that I felt like I was watching the book play out in front of me on a screen, kind of like watching Bridgerton. [So shoutout to Netflix! You should make a series from this one!]

Estelle has always felt like the lesser twin with no prospects for the future. She finally finds some good and beauty in her life, only to have her whole world come crashing down. Forced to make heartwrenching decisions, she starts her life over, thanks to a chance encounter with a noble benefactor in Percival. He also has his own secrets and difficulty in life. The two of them are so good for each other, but too many obstacles stand in their way. This is not an easy path to a romance - and should they even be trying? Moral dilemmas will have you contemplating which decisions are the correct ones. I kept thinking I knew what was going to happen, but not quite!

This installment of the series does end before their story has completed. At the end, Tess calls it a cliffhanger. To me, it didn't feel so much like a cliffhanger as a logical place to pause. I'm anxious to read the next part, but am happy to see it looks like it won't be a really long wait for it! There are so many directions that this could all go.

I received a requested copy via BookFunnel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read my review of book 2, When Stars Rise at Midnight.