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Falling in Mistletoe #1
10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe
A misunderstanding sparks an enemies-to-lovers romance between an outdoorsman and an aspiring writer in this funny and festive Christmas-themed novel.
So far, no man in Mistletoe, Idaho, has measured up to the literary heroes in Delilah Gill's favorite books. Anthony Russo is no exception. She's not sure why the steamy smooch they once shared suddenly turned frosty, and she's tried to keep her distance ever since. But she's had enough of being serially single, and she decides it's the perfect time to put herself out there.
Anthony isn't interested in playing games and he doesn't like being used—especially not to make his own best friend jealous. Still, a bruised ego doesn't stop him from imagining kissing Delilah again when she shows up to the local watering hole looking like a million bucks, and the other single men in town start to notice her considerable charms.
As December approaches and the Christmas festivities ramp up, both Delilah and Anthony find themselves roped into Mistletoe's seasonal happenings. It won't be long now before proximity turns loathing into interest, and ultimately a romance that could lead to a very happy holiday indeed . . .
So far, no man in Mistletoe, Idaho, has measured up to the literary heroes in Delilah Gill's favorite books. Anthony Russo is no exception. She's not sure why the steamy smooch they once shared suddenly turned frosty, and she's tried to keep her distance ever since. But she's had enough of being serially single, and she decides it's the perfect time to put herself out there.
Anthony isn't interested in playing games and he doesn't like being used—especially not to make his own best friend jealous. Still, a bruised ego doesn't stop him from imagining kissing Delilah again when she shows up to the local watering hole looking like a million bucks, and the other single men in town start to notice her considerable charms.
As December approaches and the Christmas festivities ramp up, both Delilah and Anthony find themselves roped into Mistletoe's seasonal happenings. It won't be long now before proximity turns loathing into interest, and ultimately a romance that could lead to a very happy holiday indeed . . .
10 pages, Audible Audio
Published October 1, 2024
315 people are currently reading
1559 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
December 9, 2024
I actually dnfed this at ch 27 I just truly do not care
December 14, 2024
This book was not for me. I liked the plus sized FMC and Idaho setting. But these 30-something characters talked and acted like they were in junior high. For a character who has written 12 books, you would think she’d have a better vocabulary. Then again, she wrote 12 books she hadn’t published or even pursued some editing… who does that? Who invests all that time before getting some feedback?
I really didn’t care for the weird sexy talk. I can only handle so many references to 😽😽 and 🕵🏻♂️🕵🏻♂️. It didn’t feel authentic to me.
And if you’re going to title a book 10 Things You Hate About Mistletoe, I’m expecting the story to address 10 things the character hates. Maybe there were 2 or things mentioned, and they weren’t even central to the story. I kept waiting for the tie in to happen, and it just didn’t.
I really didn’t care for the weird sexy talk. I can only handle so many references to 😽😽 and 🕵🏻♂️🕵🏻♂️. It didn’t feel authentic to me.
And if you’re going to title a book 10 Things You Hate About Mistletoe, I’m expecting the story to address 10 things the character hates. Maybe there were 2 or things mentioned, and they weren’t even central to the story. I kept waiting for the tie in to happen, and it just didn’t.
December 9, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5 stars
I picked this up hoping for a cute, festive rom-com… and ended up nearly chopping off a finger during a spicy scene while cutting potatoes. Honestly, that was the most suspenseful moment of the whole book. 😂
This story is cheesy—full Christmas fondue cheesy—and embraces every classic trope imaginable:
• early miscommunication (because why not),
• jealousy sprinkled in,
• a MMC who insists on “waiting until love” before sleeping with the FMC,
• and of course, the frisky scenes in her parents’ basement, which felt straight out of teenage flashbacks.
And then there’s the scene that truly deserves its own award:
Anthony showing up drunk with his buddies to serenade Delilah with the “Delilah” song… only for him to get sick and throw up on her.
Peak cringe. Peak comedy. Peak Christmas chaos. 🎤🤢🎄
BUT! I genuinely appreciated that Delilah is a chubbier FMC who loves her body, and that alone kept me invested. She deserves the world — and a man who treats her well.
By the end, I was rooting for them… even if I was also rolling my eyes so hard I should’ve burned extra calories.
Verdict: Cute, festive, predictable, and perfect if you want something cozy and low-stress — as long as you’re not holding a sharp knife during the spicy chapters. 🎄😂
I picked this up hoping for a cute, festive rom-com… and ended up nearly chopping off a finger during a spicy scene while cutting potatoes. Honestly, that was the most suspenseful moment of the whole book. 😂
This story is cheesy—full Christmas fondue cheesy—and embraces every classic trope imaginable:
• early miscommunication (because why not),
• jealousy sprinkled in,
• a MMC who insists on “waiting until love” before sleeping with the FMC,
• and of course, the frisky scenes in her parents’ basement, which felt straight out of teenage flashbacks.
And then there’s the scene that truly deserves its own award:
Anthony showing up drunk with his buddies to serenade Delilah with the “Delilah” song… only for him to get sick and throw up on her.
Peak cringe. Peak comedy. Peak Christmas chaos. 🎤🤢🎄
BUT! I genuinely appreciated that Delilah is a chubbier FMC who loves her body, and that alone kept me invested. She deserves the world — and a man who treats her well.
By the end, I was rooting for them… even if I was also rolling my eyes so hard I should’ve burned extra calories.
Verdict: Cute, festive, predictable, and perfect if you want something cozy and low-stress — as long as you’re not holding a sharp knife during the spicy chapters. 🎄😂
October 1, 2024
This was a delightful and charming small town holiday themed romance. It is not overly Christmasy, making it perfect for an early fall read. The conversations between Delilah and Anthony were real and honest but also full of playful banter, making you want more of them together. And Hall did such a great job making me feel like I was right there alongside them, especially during all of the winter themed festivities. I am SO excited that there are two more books in this series taking place in the Mistletoe world as the close knit friend group now feels like my own friends! The audiobook, narrated by CJ Bloom and Lee Samuels was immersive and made the story fly by!
Read if you like:
-Holiday books
-Small town romances
-Body positivity
-Close-knit friend groups
-Steamy stories
Thank you Podium for the gifted audiobook.
Read if you like:
-Holiday books
-Small town romances
-Body positivity
-Close-knit friend groups
-Steamy stories
Thank you Podium for the gifted audiobook.
November 27, 2024
Is this a good book? I don’t know.
Did I like this book? Kind of.
Did I stay up until 2:30a so I could finish it in one sitting? Yes. Yes I did.
Parts of this book were SO. DAMN. CRINGEY. The overuse of bro and bestie made me gag. Pike being a ladies man “despite his average height and red hair” ??? Does this author have something against redheads?? This was not the first time his red hair was mentioned as a negative, and it happened a few more times after that. So fucking weird!! Also, Pike says something about using expensive hand cream and how he loses “manly points” for it. 🙄 The word “snarktastic” had me rolling my eyes so hard I got a migraine. Anthony is supposed to be 31 but sometimes he acts like he’s 25. And I’m assuming Delilah is around 27? But she acts like a fucking teenager sometimes. She’s also incredibly unlikable at times. And way too insecure. She is constantly putting words in Anthony’s mouth, and misconstruing everything he says. It was exhausting!! And then she’s blow up and runs away without even letting him explain. Ridiculous. And the fight between Anthony and Pike was so weird for 30 men to have. I am not a 30 year old man, I don’t know many of them, so can I really say that this isn’t realistic? No, I can’t. But it felt real weird.
Look. I almost DNFed after the first 40ish pages because it was so fucking cringey and the misunderstanding that caused this drama between them was so fucking dumb. If it wasn’t mentioned that it was for a bachelorette/bachelor party I would’ve assumed it happened in high school, MAYBE college.
Also, a warning for anyone who was expecting a cozy ✨Christmas✨ romance, this ain’t it. Sure, they live in a town called Mistletoe, and yes this does take place around Christmas time and there are “Christmas” activities (bachelor auction is not my first thought when I think of Christmas activities), it’s not actually Christmas until the last three pages.
All that being said. I didn’t HATE it. Once I pushed through the almost DNF point, I actually started to enjoy it (for the most part). When Delilah wasn’t being an insecure baby, she wasn’t that bad. At times I actually really liked her. Anthony was fine, when he wasn’t punching people and acting like a possessive turd. I thought they did have good chemistry! And I enjoyed seeing their relationship progress. I genuinely liked them together.
I didn’t realize that there was another Mistletoe series before this. Will I go back and read those? Probs not. But will I read the next in this series? I might!
OH!! And one more thing!!! Delilah trying to cross the line and push boundaries on Anthony’s celibacy is NOT ok. That irritated the piss out of me!!! So gross.
TLDR; this book was fine 🤷🏻♀️
Did I like this book? Kind of.
Did I stay up until 2:30a so I could finish it in one sitting? Yes. Yes I did.
Parts of this book were SO. DAMN. CRINGEY. The overuse of bro and bestie made me gag. Pike being a ladies man “despite his average height and red hair” ??? Does this author have something against redheads?? This was not the first time his red hair was mentioned as a negative, and it happened a few more times after that. So fucking weird!! Also, Pike says something about using expensive hand cream and how he loses “manly points” for it. 🙄 The word “snarktastic” had me rolling my eyes so hard I got a migraine. Anthony is supposed to be 31 but sometimes he acts like he’s 25. And I’m assuming Delilah is around 27? But she acts like a fucking teenager sometimes. She’s also incredibly unlikable at times. And way too insecure. She is constantly putting words in Anthony’s mouth, and misconstruing everything he says. It was exhausting!! And then she’s blow up and runs away without even letting him explain. Ridiculous. And the fight between Anthony and Pike was so weird for 30 men to have. I am not a 30 year old man, I don’t know many of them, so can I really say that this isn’t realistic? No, I can’t. But it felt real weird.
Look. I almost DNFed after the first 40ish pages because it was so fucking cringey and the misunderstanding that caused this drama between them was so fucking dumb. If it wasn’t mentioned that it was for a bachelorette/bachelor party I would’ve assumed it happened in high school, MAYBE college.
Also, a warning for anyone who was expecting a cozy ✨Christmas✨ romance, this ain’t it. Sure, they live in a town called Mistletoe, and yes this does take place around Christmas time and there are “Christmas” activities (bachelor auction is not my first thought when I think of Christmas activities), it’s not actually Christmas until the last three pages.
All that being said. I didn’t HATE it. Once I pushed through the almost DNF point, I actually started to enjoy it (for the most part). When Delilah wasn’t being an insecure baby, she wasn’t that bad. At times I actually really liked her. Anthony was fine, when he wasn’t punching people and acting like a possessive turd. I thought they did have good chemistry! And I enjoyed seeing their relationship progress. I genuinely liked them together.
I didn’t realize that there was another Mistletoe series before this. Will I go back and read those? Probs not. But will I read the next in this series? I might!
OH!! And one more thing!!! Delilah trying to cross the line and push boundaries on Anthony’s celibacy is NOT ok. That irritated the piss out of me!!! So gross.
TLDR; this book was fine 🤷🏻♀️
October 1, 2024
Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 4.75/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) I bump up for public-ish places/outdoor spaces. But, there’s only a few scenes for friends who rate steam that way. The steam is detailed, intimate, and so hot!
What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 My initial response after finishing the book: I highly recommend this book/audiobook for your holiday or winter TBR! It’s not too Christmasy, but it has small town, friends & family at the winter holiday times.
🤩 CJ Bloom is my all-time favorite narrator and she does an amazing job as Delilah, magnifying her personality and all the feels. Lee Samuels is fabulous as bossy and possessive Anthony Russo.
🤩 The book blurb and that need to know feeling about the plot.
🤩 A Fireball encouraged kiss—a year ago.
🤩 The plot is captivating and interesting.
🤩 Holiday bachelor auction and Mistletoe, Idaho winter games.
🤩 I love a small-town bar scene and Anthony’s protectiveness totally won me over.
🤩 Curvy FMC and the MMC loves her curves.
🤩 When Anthony carries Delilah to her door, despite her protesting.
🤩 A very well written love triangle that I actually enjoyed.
🤩 I’m a sucker for a steamy scene at a childhood home. And honest family interactions.
🤩 Great friends.
🤩 Laugh-out-loud moment mixed in—steamy holiday romcom is life!
What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 A little therapy might help. I’m just not sure if I totally believe in the HEA when the FMC has to ask, “Are you sure?” at the MMC’s declaration of love. (But by the end, for sure.)
💫 I’m greedy and would have loved a little holiday steamy celebration in the trailer or her new place!!
💫 I’m looking forward to Pike’s HEA in Mistletoe Mischief and Sam’s HEA in The Mistletoe Mix-up.
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 4.75/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) I bump up for public-ish places/outdoor spaces. But, there’s only a few scenes for friends who rate steam that way. The steam is detailed, intimate, and so hot!
What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 My initial response after finishing the book: I highly recommend this book/audiobook for your holiday or winter TBR! It’s not too Christmasy, but it has small town, friends & family at the winter holiday times.
🤩 CJ Bloom is my all-time favorite narrator and she does an amazing job as Delilah, magnifying her personality and all the feels. Lee Samuels is fabulous as bossy and possessive Anthony Russo.
🤩 The book blurb and that need to know feeling about the plot.
🤩 A Fireball encouraged kiss—a year ago.
🤩 The plot is captivating and interesting.
🤩 Holiday bachelor auction and Mistletoe, Idaho winter games.
🤩 I love a small-town bar scene and Anthony’s protectiveness totally won me over.
🤩 Curvy FMC and the MMC loves her curves.
🤩 When Anthony carries Delilah to her door, despite her protesting.
🤩 A very well written love triangle that I actually enjoyed.
🤩 I’m a sucker for a steamy scene at a childhood home. And honest family interactions.
🤩 Great friends.
🤩 Laugh-out-loud moment mixed in—steamy holiday romcom is life!
What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 A little therapy might help. I’m just not sure if I totally believe in the HEA when the FMC has to ask, “Are you sure?” at the MMC’s declaration of love. (But by the end, for sure.)
💫 I’m greedy and would have loved a little holiday steamy celebration in the trailer or her new place!!
💫 I’m looking forward to Pike’s HEA in Mistletoe Mischief and Sam’s HEA in The Mistletoe Mix-up.
December 5, 2025
So I definitely read this series out of order (I read the second one first) but honestly it worked out well because both books take place during the exact same timelines with even some of the scenes being the same. Honestly, I think it was a good thing I read Pike’s book first, because he was lowkey really annoying in this one.
Once again I must say I am biased because I loved all the nods to Idaho culture and places. It’s such a fun experience when your hometown is mentioned or the places you visit in the summer. I generally liked this book more than Pike’s book, and that’s because there was an actual emotional connection and growth between Anthony and Delilah. This book was definitely less christmassy, more so just winter themed.
Once again I must say I am biased because I loved all the nods to Idaho culture and places. It’s such a fun experience when your hometown is mentioned or the places you visit in the summer. I generally liked this book more than Pike’s book, and that’s because there was an actual emotional connection and growth between Anthony and Delilah. This book was definitely less christmassy, more so just winter themed.
December 21, 2024
I really like the characters in Mistletoe 🥰 I loved the plus size representation too. This was kinda lengthy, and almost slow burn in some areas. But enjoyable for the holiday season!
December 12, 2024
Keeping with the holiday theme, once Delilah and Anthony got together, the plot melted like Frosty when the sun was out. Totally nonexistent.
December 22, 2024
Ending sux
December 31, 2024
i wish i could give it 0
October 13, 2024
This heartwarming romance is the first in a brand new series, Falling in Mistletoe! it was an adorably cozy and swoony read!😍
When he’s the best friend of the guy you’ve had a crush on for years… and after one fireball-encouraged kiss, things suddenly turn frosty, what’s a girl to do? In this festive romance, Delilah is tired of being single, while Anthony isn’t interested in being used to make anyone jealous. But as Christmas in Mistletoe, Idaho, heats up, so does their undeniable chemistry. Can an enemies-to-lovers twist turn into the holiday romance of her dreams? I absolutely love that she’s also a bookish gal like me! 🥰
What you can expect:
❄️plus size FMC
❄️hate to love
❄️festive charm
❄️found family
❄️cozy vibes
❄️protective and caring MMC
When he’s the best friend of the guy you’ve had a crush on for years… and after one fireball-encouraged kiss, things suddenly turn frosty, what’s a girl to do? In this festive romance, Delilah is tired of being single, while Anthony isn’t interested in being used to make anyone jealous. But as Christmas in Mistletoe, Idaho, heats up, so does their undeniable chemistry. Can an enemies-to-lovers twist turn into the holiday romance of her dreams? I absolutely love that she’s also a bookish gal like me! 🥰
What you can expect:
❄️plus size FMC
❄️hate to love
❄️festive charm
❄️found family
❄️cozy vibes
❄️protective and caring MMC
December 8, 2024
This was fine, but when I grab a book with Mistletoe in the title I'm expecting a holiday romance. I'm willing to experience a subpar story as long as there is a nice little hokey romance full of Christmas spirit and atmosphere. But when it's just a run-of-the-mill romance? Well, it needs to have something that grabs me. Unfortunately, despite the Christmas-y title of this story, there isn't much Christmas in the story. Instead, this is basically the story of a guy and a girl falling in love despite .... well, I guess despite the fact that Anthony's best friend kinda sorta likes Delilah (for like half a second). It's the dumbest plot ever. I simply didn't care about whatever it was that was preventing these two from becoming a couple. I liked both Anthony and Delilah well enough. I am happy that they found a way to begin their HEA together. But I wasn't super interested in their journey. It was just a generic story about two people who sort of dislike each other for five minutes until they realize that they kiss really well. Suddenly, they see beauty everywhere. Five minutes later, they are in love. That's it. That's the story. And without any Christmas vibes, I wasn't feeling it. Two stars. It was okay.
Read
November 6, 2025Okay audio books for my work commute are the thing right now. I haven’t had time to put up my tree so I’m getting in the holiday spirit by reading holiday romance books! I read Cori’s first holiday series many years ago. (Well 2 of the 3 books). It was nice to revisit the Winters family and the town of Mistletoe. Also Anthony was down SOOOOO BAD! It had me screaming ANNNNNNFRREEKNNNEEEE like in my Bridgerton days. I really wanted the epilogue to be a little further in the future. Maybe the next two books will take us there?
December 17, 2024
I feel like Codi Hall was trying to give the Christmas Notch series a run for its money. It had a vibe similar to those books more so than her first series.
I didn't love this one. No matter how hard I tried, I just did not enjoy the FMC. She was so quick to judge other people and the conclusions she jumped to all the time were eyeroll worthy.
I will read the second one only because I bought the first two during the recent audible sale. But I don't know if I'll get the third. We shall see.
I didn't love this one. No matter how hard I tried, I just did not enjoy the FMC. She was so quick to judge other people and the conclusions she jumped to all the time were eyeroll worthy.
I will read the second one only because I bought the first two during the recent audible sale. But I don't know if I'll get the third. We shall see.
December 14, 2025
It was not exactly bad, it just seems like the author is very young or have a limited vocabulary as the language was a bit flat and didn’t match the characters age. Also too many unnecessary references to TV-shows and movies. And labia and pussy lips is not exactly the most enticing way to describe sex scenes in my opinion.
December 8, 2024
romantic mistletoe
So Mistletoe is a place. The trope is probably second chance romance. The spice was ok. I liked this story and will read more from this author.
So Mistletoe is a place. The trope is probably second chance romance. The spice was ok. I liked this story and will read more from this author.
December 11, 2024
Another great book by Codi Hall. Great banter, amazing 🌶🌶🌶 scenes and great way to tie the story line to book two (I accidentally read them out of order)
December 15, 2024
Like 3.75 but i enjoyed it
November 19, 2025
Very cute, sometimes cheesy, sometimes steamy romcom! 3.5 ⭐️
December 8, 2025
Absolutely adorable! Loved the audiobook
🤌🏽💋
🤌🏽💋
December 8, 2025
Cute story where the chubby girl gets the guy at Christmas time. Not a lot else to say other than I want to know more about the other characters.
December 21, 2025
I loved this! Dual narration and both narrators were awesome. They did fall in love super quick but it worked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2025
This was SOOOOO DISAPPOINTING. I have enjoyed 3 other Codi Hall books, they’re corny and cute, but this one was bad. There were actually concerning issues with consent. The FMC did NOT respect the MMC’s “no” multiple times. That’s not “quirky.” That’s wrong. And the pacing of the story was off too. I had 25 minutes left and it was still being told like we were in the middle. There were miraculous character arcs to wrap things up. Just an all around flop. PS “globes” is the worst way ever to describe a butt. And it happened no less than 5 times…
December 23, 2025
Since the book itself didn't pay off on its damn title, I will do the honors. 10 things I hate about this book:
1) it brings up the heteronormativity of the romance genre. Which is true. But it then proceeds to tell one of the most heteronormative stories you could tell.
2) the male lead is constantly touted as being more sensitive/woke because he was mainly raised by his mother and only violent if needed. He then proceeds to punch his father (his dad deserves it but our lead still escalated to physical violence. And this wasn't the first time according to the text), hip check another man for his misogyny/out of jealousy, nearly assault said man again for making a move on the female lead, and then actually get in a fistfight over the female lead being harassed while she is concussed. But don't worry, ladies! He's not violent, I swear! And don't get me started on how this is a trademark of heteronormative romances.
3) the female lead struggles with respecting hard boundaries around sex. Instead of respecting his "no," she will frequently resort to seduction to convince him to change his mind. No means no, doesn't matter the gender saying it.
4) the lack of adult communication. Just stop fighting and talk. This happened far too often for 30 something's. It felt more like teenagers and I'm far too old for that behavior.
5) the glorification of small rural town life while also whining about the downsides of it. (Lack of funds, being too insular, etc.)
6) the questionable truck sex scene. Sir and ma'am, this is a public parking lot. I don't care how tinted the windows are, this is not the time or place.
7) the misogyny. I don't care if it is partly there to show how terrible the dude bros are. None of the men are exempt from it.
8) the prose wasn't particularly impressive. It also didn't really pay off on the original premise. If you're going to reference that movie, I want it actually to be built upon, not just a catchy title.
9) for the rant early on about heteronormativity in romance, this book is still only slightly deviating from it in that we have a still pretty plus size woman as our female lead. The male lead is still conventionally attractive and a typical slightly toned down alpha male type.
10) the most egregious one in my opinion. You cannot rant about heteronormativity and then have one of the most heteronormative ideas around sex be a main point. After the oral sex scene in the truck, we have our male lead reveal he's taken a vow of celibacy until he is actually in love. He did this because he felt like he was always having meaningless sex and wanted the next time to be meaningful. Nothing wrong with that desire. In fact, good on him. But! You'll notice I said this was revealed after he gave her oral sex. Sir. You have broken this vow. And yet, it is brought up again... at which point he fingers her. And it becomes pretty clear through dialogue that BOTH leads aren't counting their escapades as breaking this vow because... oh, we didn't stick the p in the v. So it's not really sex. You know, that is a disgustingly heteronormative view on sex because it explicitly puts penis in vagina as the only real sex and thus invalidates the ways many LGBT+ people actually have sex. Because by this standard, apparently I didn't have sex with my ex-girlfriend because we did oral and that's not enough to break a vow of celibacy. This is truly some heteronormative bs. As a bi woman, it's truly grating and so gross to have a book that felt the need to virtue signal about this to then pull some of the same bs I grew up hearing in my fundamentalist church growing up. I don't care what loophole you want to use ("I didn't move," "it wasn't that deep," "I only used x," or whatever). If you are getting sexual pleasure and getting naked/finding ways around clothing to touch bare skin, you are having sex. Oral counts, soaking counts, fingering counts, and more.
And there you go. 10 things I hated about this book.
1) it brings up the heteronormativity of the romance genre. Which is true. But it then proceeds to tell one of the most heteronormative stories you could tell.
2) the male lead is constantly touted as being more sensitive/woke because he was mainly raised by his mother and only violent if needed. He then proceeds to punch his father (his dad deserves it but our lead still escalated to physical violence. And this wasn't the first time according to the text), hip check another man for his misogyny/out of jealousy, nearly assault said man again for making a move on the female lead, and then actually get in a fistfight over the female lead being harassed while she is concussed. But don't worry, ladies! He's not violent, I swear! And don't get me started on how this is a trademark of heteronormative romances.
3) the female lead struggles with respecting hard boundaries around sex. Instead of respecting his "no," she will frequently resort to seduction to convince him to change his mind. No means no, doesn't matter the gender saying it.
4) the lack of adult communication. Just stop fighting and talk. This happened far too often for 30 something's. It felt more like teenagers and I'm far too old for that behavior.
5) the glorification of small rural town life while also whining about the downsides of it. (Lack of funds, being too insular, etc.)
6) the questionable truck sex scene. Sir and ma'am, this is a public parking lot. I don't care how tinted the windows are, this is not the time or place.
7) the misogyny. I don't care if it is partly there to show how terrible the dude bros are. None of the men are exempt from it.
8) the prose wasn't particularly impressive. It also didn't really pay off on the original premise. If you're going to reference that movie, I want it actually to be built upon, not just a catchy title.
9) for the rant early on about heteronormativity in romance, this book is still only slightly deviating from it in that we have a still pretty plus size woman as our female lead. The male lead is still conventionally attractive and a typical slightly toned down alpha male type.
10) the most egregious one in my opinion. You cannot rant about heteronormativity and then have one of the most heteronormative ideas around sex be a main point. After the oral sex scene in the truck, we have our male lead reveal he's taken a vow of celibacy until he is actually in love. He did this because he felt like he was always having meaningless sex and wanted the next time to be meaningful. Nothing wrong with that desire. In fact, good on him. But! You'll notice I said this was revealed after he gave her oral sex. Sir. You have broken this vow. And yet, it is brought up again... at which point he fingers her. And it becomes pretty clear through dialogue that BOTH leads aren't counting their escapades as breaking this vow because... oh, we didn't stick the p in the v. So it's not really sex. You know, that is a disgustingly heteronormative view on sex because it explicitly puts penis in vagina as the only real sex and thus invalidates the ways many LGBT+ people actually have sex. Because by this standard, apparently I didn't have sex with my ex-girlfriend because we did oral and that's not enough to break a vow of celibacy. This is truly some heteronormative bs. As a bi woman, it's truly grating and so gross to have a book that felt the need to virtue signal about this to then pull some of the same bs I grew up hearing in my fundamentalist church growing up. I don't care what loophole you want to use ("I didn't move," "it wasn't that deep," "I only used x," or whatever). If you are getting sexual pleasure and getting naked/finding ways around clothing to touch bare skin, you are having sex. Oral counts, soaking counts, fingering counts, and more.
And there you go. 10 things I hated about this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2025
I wasn't sure how I'd like this book at first, the FMC seemed slightly annoying in an intrusive way, but I'm glad that wasn't the case with Delilah. She was pretty level headed for the most part and wasn't quick to make decisions, and in her cases they were decisions that really needed to be thought about. The comedy was very well done and despite there being some miscommunication in the first quarter of the book, it was somewhat reasonable and after that the communication was much better. The side characters were a bit too much at times though, they became more intrusive than what I thought the FMC would be. I don't like excessive interference from outside characters to where it seems like they're taking over the book. I know other characters had their book so lets leave them mostly in their own books, in my opinion. I did not like how the male friend group phrased "taking Delilah off their hands" like she was such a massive burden, it put me off of them and made them seem like D-bags. Anthony was a great MMC with a unique outlook on things for someone his age, he did, however, seem to have a personality change and kind of became baby Pike. He went from slightly silent and broody to cracking jokes all the time and being goofy. It was cute, don't get me wrong, I loved it but it just seemed to come from nowhere; I'll chalk it up to our girl changing him fundamentally. There was some spice but sometimes it was a bit glossed over and also slow burn in a way since they didn't really get to it fully until the end. This is my second Codi Hall book and I really enjoyed this one as well as Holly's book.
December 13, 2025
Why I Didn’t Hate a Single Thing About Mistletoe
10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe is the first book in Codi Hall’s holiday romance series, and it completely won me over. I initially picked up the audiobook because it was one of my book club’s December selections, but within just a few chapters I was fully invested in both the story and the characters.
Set in the charming small town of Mistletoe, Idaho, this enemies-to-lovers romance follows Delilah and Anthony—two wonderfully likable leads whose banter and chemistry make their slow-burn romance both fun and heartfelt. Hall does an excellent job not only developing the main characters, but also creating a strong, entertaining friend group that adds depth, humor, and warmth to the story.
The town of Mistletoe itself feels like a character, wrapped in a cozy wintery atmosphere filled with small-town gossip, shenanigans, and neighbors who may tease one another but ultimately look out for each other. The vibe reminded me of a clean, holiday-friendly version of the Canadian TV series Letterkenny—where even the “enemies” are still part of the same tight-knit community.
I enjoyed this audiobook so much that I immediately purchased book two after finishing, simply because I wasn’t ready to leave this cozy town or its residents behind. With its humor, heart, and festive charm, 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe is a delightful holiday read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (4.5 stars)
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a fun, humorous, and feel-good holiday romance.
10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe is the first book in Codi Hall’s holiday romance series, and it completely won me over. I initially picked up the audiobook because it was one of my book club’s December selections, but within just a few chapters I was fully invested in both the story and the characters.
Set in the charming small town of Mistletoe, Idaho, this enemies-to-lovers romance follows Delilah and Anthony—two wonderfully likable leads whose banter and chemistry make their slow-burn romance both fun and heartfelt. Hall does an excellent job not only developing the main characters, but also creating a strong, entertaining friend group that adds depth, humor, and warmth to the story.
The town of Mistletoe itself feels like a character, wrapped in a cozy wintery atmosphere filled with small-town gossip, shenanigans, and neighbors who may tease one another but ultimately look out for each other. The vibe reminded me of a clean, holiday-friendly version of the Canadian TV series Letterkenny—where even the “enemies” are still part of the same tight-knit community.
I enjoyed this audiobook so much that I immediately purchased book two after finishing, simply because I wasn’t ready to leave this cozy town or its residents behind. With its humor, heart, and festive charm, 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe is a delightful holiday read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (4.5 stars)
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a fun, humorous, and feel-good holiday romance.
September 24, 2024
I haven't read any of Codi's books before, but I will be doing now. When I first started reading I thought it was going to be just another overly christmassy cliche story, boy was I wrong. This is an excellent story to start a series with. The story is based around Delilah and Anthony who a year ago had a single kiss and then nothing. The problem being Delilah had had a crush on Anthony's best bestfriend for years, he was nobody's tool to make someone else jealous, so he walked away. Delilah was the brunt of the bullies jokes, so she is plus size and ok she isn't the outdoors type. But she was still a person with feelings. Now taking the bull by the horns she was fed up waiting to be seen. She was going to put herself first and find her person, even if it wasn't who she thought it would be. This is a funny, spicy story that once you start you just feel compelled to keep reading. Both main characters have their own flaws, but can either of them accept sometimes needing others isn't always a failing, it means your human. The way the story unfolds you actually feel part of it, and the friend group is so closely knit that it's obvious how they'd do anything for their friends. If you love a good heartwarming funny festive story this has it by the bucket full. I can't wait for the next book in this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Podium Team and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Podium Team and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 19, 2025
This book is a holiday rom-com treat that had me laughing, swooning, and reaching for the cocoa!
Codi Hall perfectly mixes holiday chaos with sizzling chemistry—think forced proximity, witty banter, and all the grumpy-meets-sunshine vibes you never knew you needed. I absolutely loved Anthony so much and he is just so swoony!
As a plus-size reader, I related to Delilah and understood her insecurities—but sometimes I felt she just needed to trust that Anthony genuinely found her beautiful and wanted her as she was.
I loved Anthony so much , but I wished he could have moved on from his past hurt and fully commit to taking the next step with Delilah. Given how long they’d known each other, holding back felt unnecessary despite his past hurts.
Once these two got out of their heads and headed into some spicy territory it was definitely worth the wait! Especially the truck scene IYKYK! That Anthony made me blush!
I absolutely love the friendships in these books and the banter between all the characters! They are all just so at ease with one another and up in each other's business - it's so fun!
The narration duo of Lee Samuels and CJ Bloom was fantastic and they did such a great job bringing these two characters to life with their snark, banter and emotion.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot and I'm looking forward to the next two in the series.
Codi Hall perfectly mixes holiday chaos with sizzling chemistry—think forced proximity, witty banter, and all the grumpy-meets-sunshine vibes you never knew you needed. I absolutely loved Anthony so much and he is just so swoony!
As a plus-size reader, I related to Delilah and understood her insecurities—but sometimes I felt she just needed to trust that Anthony genuinely found her beautiful and wanted her as she was.
I loved Anthony so much , but I wished he could have moved on from his past hurt and fully commit to taking the next step with Delilah. Given how long they’d known each other, holding back felt unnecessary despite his past hurts.
Once these two got out of their heads and headed into some spicy territory it was definitely worth the wait! Especially the truck scene IYKYK! That Anthony made me blush!
I absolutely love the friendships in these books and the banter between all the characters! They are all just so at ease with one another and up in each other's business - it's so fun!
The narration duo of Lee Samuels and CJ Bloom was fantastic and they did such a great job bringing these two characters to life with their snark, banter and emotion.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot and I'm looking forward to the next two in the series.
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