Blame It on the Mistletoe by Nicole Michaels

Blame It on the Mistletoe by Nicole Michaels
Published by St Martin's Paperbacks on October 14, 2014
Source: St. Martin's Press
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 149
Format: eARC
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Sometimes all it takes is a leap of faith…

‘Tis the season for small-town Missouri boutique owner Brooke Abbott to get crafty. Much as she adores making art for art’s sake—decorating windows, designing ornaments, crafting the perfect present for under the tree—this Christmas she needs the gift of good customers. Lots of them. Sweet Opal Studios will go under if she can’t do some serious business before the New Year…and she has no time to lose. What Brooke needs is an honest-to-goodness miracle. Instead, she finds a burglar lurking in the back room of her shop. And here she thought the holidays couldn’t get any worse!

For Christmas to work its own magic…

Or maybe things just got a lot better. Turns out the burglar is none other than Alex Coleman—local bad boy slash legendary heartthrob, childhood best friend to Brooke’s older brother, and…future landlord? That is the question. He’s come home for the holidays to see his grandmother, make peace with his distant mother, and settle his grandfather’s estate, an estate that includes the building that houses Sweet Opal. What he never expected was to bump into a grown-up Brooke, whose spirit, charm, and irresistible good looks give him pause. Should he go back to Oregon as planned, or give small-town life a chance? The only thing Alex knows for sure is that before he walks out that door, he’s going to get Brooke beneath the mistletoe, where anything can happen…

This is just a feel good, Christmas romance. Brooke and Alex have both had some not so great times in their pasts, but they’re pa perfect couple. They knew each other when they were younger, grew up in the same town, but they’ve both grown some, overcome some challenges. And they don’t dwell on their pasts. Granted they fall in love quickly, but I was okay with it. It was sweet. And they were so good together.

I never doubted that there would be a happy ending, which I consider a good thing. I like a bit of predictability. There were sparks between the two almost immediately, but of course some miscommunications crept in. It all works out really nicely though. It was actually pretty much exactly what I’m looking for in a seasonal romance. It was light, enjoyable, and they did Christmassy things together.

I just love holiday books like this one. They’re a part of the season as much as the songs and lights and decorations.