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Mistletoe Misconduct
Kai and Lea have always been in each other's periphery.
So when both professional hockey players find themselves in a financial bind, Lea's brother suggests she move in with his best friend.
But while the solution eases financial woes, nothing can stop the sexual tension mounting when Kai accidentally overhears his new roommate's side pleasuring herself while strangers online watch. Lea jokingly offers her lucrative platform to Kai and when he takes her up on it, she realizes that when one fucks around, one must then find out.
As they navigate this new and intimate dynamic, will their mounting feelings for one another allow them to enjoy this forbidden holiday tryst? Or will their loyalties and responsibilities keep them in check?
So when both professional hockey players find themselves in a financial bind, Lea's brother suggests she move in with his best friend.
But while the solution eases financial woes, nothing can stop the sexual tension mounting when Kai accidentally overhears his new roommate's side pleasuring herself while strangers online watch. Lea jokingly offers her lucrative platform to Kai and when he takes her up on it, she realizes that when one fucks around, one must then find out.
As they navigate this new and intimate dynamic, will their mounting feelings for one another allow them to enjoy this forbidden holiday tryst? Or will their loyalties and responsibilities keep them in check?
201 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 20, 2024
11 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
Giuliana Victoria
10 books205 followersGiuliana Victoria is an author based in Pennsylvania who shares her readers’ deep love of all things romance. She’s a full-time physician assistant, whose passion lies in being there for her patients during their most vulnerable moments.
When Giuliana isn’t writing swoon-worthy book boyfriends, she can be found yelling about human rights on Threads, hiking with her three large breed rescue dogs, and, of course, curled up with a good book beside her husband, the best “book boyfriend” there is.
When Giuliana isn’t writing swoon-worthy book boyfriends, she can be found yelling about human rights on Threads, hiking with her three large breed rescue dogs, and, of course, curled up with a good book beside her husband, the best “book boyfriend” there is.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews
December 27, 2024
i devour this in one setting as i was hooked and love the tropes that are in it : brothers bestfriend, roomates, hockey player, cam girl to cam couple and schizophrenia + migraine rep.... who doesnt dig that ?
This was one spicy christmas novella and it had me coming back for ore ... Kai and Lea have one amazing chmeisty and their banter .... dont want to miss their spice that was unmatched ....🔥🔥🥵
This was one spicy christmas novella and it had me coming back for ore ... Kai and Lea have one amazing chmeisty and their banter .... dont want to miss their spice that was unmatched ....🔥🔥🥵
November 18, 2024
ARC REVIEW
RELEASES 11/20
Tropes-
Spicy Christmas novella
Brother's best friend
Roommates
Hockey players
Cam girl to cam couple
Schizophrenia and Migraine Rep
✨️ I absolutely ate this book up and was coming back for more! This is definitely a book you read in one sitting. Kai and Lea had the best chemistry and banter, and their spice is unmatched! 🥵 Although there is a lot of spice, it isn't too much to take from the plot. I loved the mental and chronic illness representation in this book. Giuliana is truly the best at creating and writing such relatable characters. If you are looking for a short, fun, and spicy novella for the holidays coming up, I definitely recommend that you give this book a read 😜❤️.
December 16, 2024
Terrible. Wasting words on it would be doing myself a genuine disservice
December 12, 2024
Thank you to the author for an E-ARC.
"It appears i did a fabulous job with clean up. I got every last damn drop. I say with a wink."
"Her casual touches leave my throat thick with unspoken words."
"I preen under his attention, my abdomen flowing with molten lava as he removes my panties."
This is a holiday themed novella that tackles such serious themes and topics; and with the political climate / transfer of power that is unfortunately coming up; this novella came at an even more important time. Such important themes discussed are mental illness (schizophrenia), chronic migraines / health insurance crisis for medications, sex work and more.
I love the way the author always brings life and layers to the characters, Kai and Lea have struggled with day to day experiences that affect their way of life. However as hockey players full time (and spicy sex workers) they continue to persevere and live life because they have to, like the average working person, because the bills gotta get paid.
I haven’t read a story where a Black MMC is diagnosed with schizophrenia (well controlled) and reading this story through that lens was not only ground breaking, but further drives the point that our identities intersect, and has daily impact on our lives. Which further helps to break the stereotypes surrounding mental health in the Black community.
Lea’s support and kindness towards Kai when he was trying to support his mother was so sweet. The way they both provided safe spaces for one another after hashing out a few things was beautiful. I like how this love story was not cookie cutter perfect, I like how they both had to work through some things to get to where they are at the end of the novella :)
"It appears i did a fabulous job with clean up. I got every last damn drop. I say with a wink."
"Her casual touches leave my throat thick with unspoken words."
"I preen under his attention, my abdomen flowing with molten lava as he removes my panties."
This is a holiday themed novella that tackles such serious themes and topics; and with the political climate / transfer of power that is unfortunately coming up; this novella came at an even more important time. Such important themes discussed are mental illness (schizophrenia), chronic migraines / health insurance crisis for medications, sex work and more.
I love the way the author always brings life and layers to the characters, Kai and Lea have struggled with day to day experiences that affect their way of life. However as hockey players full time (and spicy sex workers) they continue to persevere and live life because they have to, like the average working person, because the bills gotta get paid.
I haven’t read a story where a Black MMC is diagnosed with schizophrenia (well controlled) and reading this story through that lens was not only ground breaking, but further drives the point that our identities intersect, and has daily impact on our lives. Which further helps to break the stereotypes surrounding mental health in the Black community.
Lea’s support and kindness towards Kai when he was trying to support his mother was so sweet. The way they both provided safe spaces for one another after hashing out a few things was beautiful. I like how this love story was not cookie cutter perfect, I like how they both had to work through some things to get to where they are at the end of the novella :)
December 16, 2024
2/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Yea… I was not the target audience for this one. I think there’s definitely many that will enjoy it more than me but I got the ick. It tried to tackle wayyyyy too many complex and sensitive topics in way too short a period of time. Absolutely should have just stuck to the smut. The smut was good but was ruined by EVERYTHING else.
3.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Yea… I was not the target audience for this one. I think there’s definitely many that will enjoy it more than me but I got the ick. It tried to tackle wayyyyy too many complex and sensitive topics in way too short a period of time. Absolutely should have just stuck to the smut. The smut was good but was ruined by EVERYTHING else.
December 10, 2024
4⭐️ 3.5🌶️
first things first, lets get into this trope list pls; brothers best friend, forced proximity, hockey player x hockey player, cam girl, he falls first, mental health rep!!!! 🤌🏾 Lea and Kai were hot hot hotttttt together & their emotional connection was effortlessly shown, too. i loved this story so much & even shed some tears at a certain part. 🥹 im so glad i picked this up because i got a taste of Giuliana’s writing style & i am so looking forward to reading her full length novels in the Philia Players series. 🥰
first things first, lets get into this trope list pls; brothers best friend, forced proximity, hockey player x hockey player, cam girl, he falls first, mental health rep!!!! 🤌🏾 Lea and Kai were hot hot hotttttt together & their emotional connection was effortlessly shown, too. i loved this story so much & even shed some tears at a certain part. 🥹 im so glad i picked this up because i got a taste of Giuliana’s writing style & i am so looking forward to reading her full length novels in the Philia Players series. 🥰
December 5, 2024
This was a smutty and short little novella. i really liked how they talked about the different illnesses the main characters have and how a lot of insurance companies do not cover a lot of medications. This was an interesting one and while i didn't love the novella it wasn't bad either. I think what really irked me was how rude the male main character was and the things he did.
December 9, 2024
✦Series: Standalone, but connected to Philia Players
✦POV: Dual first-person
✦Spice: Explicit, open door and sex-work-adjacent
» Lea and Kai play for the semi-pro (AHL) hockey teams in Philly. When Lea’s roommate gets engaged, she needs to move out and her brother convinces his best friend Kai to take his spare room.
» Kai is pissed, but he won’t leave her hanging, so he agrees and does his best to avoid her. Until he hears her moans through her door and learns she’s a cam girl. She offers him to join to get in on the cash and his last thread of control shreds.
❝Kai may be an ass, but he’d never hurt me, and half the time, I’m pretending my hand is his anyway.❞
» Lea’s attitudes toward sexuality and sex-work were refreshing and she was a strong lead. I really liked her.
» Kai lives with schizophrenia, passed to him from his mom whose behaviour he owns and tries to manage. He’s intentional, and utterly obsessed with Lea once he lets himself have her.
❝I grip her cheeks in my hand, squishing her lips together as I direct her face to mine. “You’re mine now, Lea.”❞
» Their chemistry is white hot, and they connect with each other in the way only long-term mutual pining creates. It was believable and so, so hot. 😮💨🫠
» Giuliana Victoria always brings the heat. I would have loved this as a full-length novel, but it works as-is. I love everything she’s written so far, and I buzz for each new release!
✩ Honourable mention: Each book has chronic and/or mental health representation, and always different. I love how Giuliana brings her medical background to the page. 👏
♡ This is a quick, spicy read which will surely give you some spirit!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✨ Thank you to Giuliana Victoria for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Connect with me on Instagram for more bookish content!
✦POV: Dual first-person
✦Spice: Explicit, open door and sex-work-adjacent
» Lea and Kai play for the semi-pro (AHL) hockey teams in Philly. When Lea’s roommate gets engaged, she needs to move out and her brother convinces his best friend Kai to take his spare room.
» Kai is pissed, but he won’t leave her hanging, so he agrees and does his best to avoid her. Until he hears her moans through her door and learns she’s a cam girl. She offers him to join to get in on the cash and his last thread of control shreds.
❝Kai may be an ass, but he’d never hurt me, and half the time, I’m pretending my hand is his anyway.❞
» Lea’s attitudes toward sexuality and sex-work were refreshing and she was a strong lead. I really liked her.
» Kai lives with schizophrenia, passed to him from his mom whose behaviour he owns and tries to manage. He’s intentional, and utterly obsessed with Lea once he lets himself have her.
❝I grip her cheeks in my hand, squishing her lips together as I direct her face to mine. “You’re mine now, Lea.”❞
» Their chemistry is white hot, and they connect with each other in the way only long-term mutual pining creates. It was believable and so, so hot. 😮💨🫠
» Giuliana Victoria always brings the heat. I would have loved this as a full-length novel, but it works as-is. I love everything she’s written so far, and I buzz for each new release!
✩ Honourable mention: Each book has chronic and/or mental health representation, and always different. I love how Giuliana brings her medical background to the page. 👏
♡ This is a quick, spicy read which will surely give you some spirit!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✨ Thank you to Giuliana Victoria for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Connect with me on Instagram for more bookish content!
November 22, 2024
This is exactly as advertised. A smutty little holiday novella. It is the first book that I’ve read by the author and I was impressed. The story though short, felt complete. A best friends brother, forced proximity cam girl romance. Lea and Kai have actively loathed each other their whole lives whilst secretly wanting each other😉😉 Forced to become roommates the attraction spills over after Kai hears Lea “satisfying” herself as her online persona. Needing extra money he takes up Lea’s joke offer and runs with it.
This book was a jolly good time. Plenty of steam but also plenty of heart. They both share parts of themselves that leads to a deeper understanding and connection.
Earlier I said I was impressed by the author. Reading the foreword and afterword shows how much value has been placed on diversity and mental health representation along with chronic illness. Not just in this book (migraines and schizophrenia) but in every book Giuliana writes. Not only that she loudly celebrates BIPOC authors and kindly points readers their way. There’s already a few I’m now interested in.
Thank you to Happily booked PR and Giuliana Victoria for the arc and this is my honest review
This book was a jolly good time. Plenty of steam but also plenty of heart. They both share parts of themselves that leads to a deeper understanding and connection.
Earlier I said I was impressed by the author. Reading the foreword and afterword shows how much value has been placed on diversity and mental health representation along with chronic illness. Not just in this book (migraines and schizophrenia) but in every book Giuliana writes. Not only that she loudly celebrates BIPOC authors and kindly points readers their way. There’s already a few I’m now interested in.
Thank you to Happily booked PR and Giuliana Victoria for the arc and this is my honest review
November 28, 2024
⭐⭐⭐.5
ARC Review
Tropes:
BIPOC
Roommates
Frienemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Brother's Best Friend
Mental Illness Rep
Chronic Illness Rep
This was a very cute & spicy holiday read! Very well written with sensitive topics that were very well done.
The connection between the 2 mcs were so genuine and the MCs getting together was years in the making! Their frienemies to lovers vibe with all the banter was something I really enjoyed!
Giuliani does such an amazing job of writing books with mental illness & chronic illness and this was no different! A short, yet powerful story!
Everyone has a different lifestyle and I'm no way judging, but the method the MCs used to earn extra cash is just not for me & I didn't enjoy that of the story, but was definitely some of the spiciest parts of the book🔥🔥
ARC Review
Tropes:
BIPOC
Roommates
Frienemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Brother's Best Friend
Mental Illness Rep
Chronic Illness Rep
This was a very cute & spicy holiday read! Very well written with sensitive topics that were very well done.
The connection between the 2 mcs were so genuine and the MCs getting together was years in the making! Their frienemies to lovers vibe with all the banter was something I really enjoyed!
Giuliani does such an amazing job of writing books with mental illness & chronic illness and this was no different! A short, yet powerful story!
Everyone has a different lifestyle and I'm no way judging, but the method the MCs used to earn extra cash is just not for me & I didn't enjoy that of the story, but was definitely some of the spiciest parts of the book🔥🔥
December 22, 2024
“leonora bardot is about to ruin me for every woman i’ll ever be with, and i haven’t even seen all of her yet.“
a short and smutty holiday read! although this is a novella, there are so many important topics embedded within the story, and i think this is one of very few reads i’ve had this year where the bipoc representation and focus on mental health are big parts of the plot (i appreciated this so much). definitely pick this up if you’re looking for something short, sweet, and spicy! definitely going to look into this author’s other books!
a short and smutty holiday read! although this is a novella, there are so many important topics embedded within the story, and i think this is one of very few reads i’ve had this year where the bipoc representation and focus on mental health are big parts of the plot (i appreciated this so much). definitely pick this up if you’re looking for something short, sweet, and spicy! definitely going to look into this author’s other books!
November 17, 2024
If Giuliana Victoria writes it, you best believe I am going to read it! I have fallen in love with all of her books to date, and Mistletoe Misconduct is no exception! This is a fast paced read that you can read in one sitting. One thing I love about Giuliana's work is that she handles sensitive topics like mental health, chronic illness, BIPOC, and overall daily struggles with so much care. She is able to give an amazing representation of difficult topics in her book to help spread awareness to others. Mistletoe Misconduct is full of banter, spice and everything nice! This is for sure a holiday read that everyone needs to pick up!
December 19, 2024
Hockey Player x Hockey Player
Brother’s Best Friend
Frenemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Roommates
Cam Girl
Schizophrenia and Migraine Rep
I enjoyed this story! It gave me my favorite trope of brother’s best friend with some longtime crushing on each other disguised with antagonism! I loved how they hid their feelings even after deciding to “work” together because it escalates quickly! 🥵
This novella was surprisingly (and not considering the author’s usual style) deep. The more serious issues touched on pulled at me emotionally. It made me sad and angry with real would situations. But it doesn’t bring down the whole feel good vibes of the book while the MCs give into their feelings.
There wasn’t a lot of Christmas in this story but the little bit was the perfect example of the season of giving.
Brother’s Best Friend
Frenemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Roommates
Cam Girl
Schizophrenia and Migraine Rep
I enjoyed this story! It gave me my favorite trope of brother’s best friend with some longtime crushing on each other disguised with antagonism! I loved how they hid their feelings even after deciding to “work” together because it escalates quickly! 🥵
This novella was surprisingly (and not considering the author’s usual style) deep. The more serious issues touched on pulled at me emotionally. It made me sad and angry with real would situations. But it doesn’t bring down the whole feel good vibes of the book while the MCs give into their feelings.
There wasn’t a lot of Christmas in this story but the little bit was the perfect example of the season of giving.
December 31, 2024
A perfectly spicy and heartfelt novella. And the pics? Chefs kiss.
November 20, 2024
Tropes:
🏒 Smutty Holiday Novella
☃️ Hockey player x Hockey player
🏒 Brother's Best Friend
☃️ Schizophrenia & Chronic Migraine Rep
🏒 Cam girl turned cam couple
☃️ Banter
🏒 Lots of Spice
Content warnings:
Schizophrenia, psychosis of a parent, sexually explicit, crude language, on-page migraine
Thank you so much to Happily Booked PR for sending me a copy of this novella to read!
I had a great time getting to know Kai & Lea throughout this novella and it simply wasn’t enough! The author does a great job at depicting mental illness and making you fall in love with the characters in a very real way. I loved the holiday element to this and the forced proximity added touch (one of my favorite tropes). The banter was delicious and Kai is easy one of my favorite hockey boys! Added to one of the novellas I will always recommend to people when they’re looking for a great book to get them out of a slump! This one certainly got me out of my mine. 🫶🏻
🏒 Smutty Holiday Novella
☃️ Hockey player x Hockey player
🏒 Brother's Best Friend
☃️ Schizophrenia & Chronic Migraine Rep
🏒 Cam girl turned cam couple
☃️ Banter
🏒 Lots of Spice
Content warnings:
Schizophrenia, psychosis of a parent, sexually explicit, crude language, on-page migraine
Thank you so much to Happily Booked PR for sending me a copy of this novella to read!
I had a great time getting to know Kai & Lea throughout this novella and it simply wasn’t enough! The author does a great job at depicting mental illness and making you fall in love with the characters in a very real way. I loved the holiday element to this and the forced proximity added touch (one of my favorite tropes). The banter was delicious and Kai is easy one of my favorite hockey boys! Added to one of the novellas I will always recommend to people when they’re looking for a great book to get them out of a slump! This one certainly got me out of my mine. 🫶🏻
November 18, 2024
This was a smutty holiday novella that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a quick read, but it packed a punch. The spice was off the charts. Kai & Lea's chemistry was a five alarm fire. In addition to the spice, the author did not shy away from tackling big topics. It was beautiful and brutal to see Kai struggle with his worries about schizophrenia, but Lea's support is everything.
November 23, 2024
This book was sooo good!!!
I literally felt all the feelings for the Main characters and watching them get their love story was beautiful!!
If you are looking for a hotttt hockey romance this is it!!
5/5✨
I literally felt all the feelings for the Main characters and watching them get their love story was beautiful!!
If you are looking for a hotttt hockey romance this is it!!
5/5✨
November 17, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
I received an e-ARC of this book (Thank You, Giuliana Victoria & Happily Booked PR), and here are my honest thoughts!
Tropes to expect from this Smutty Holiday Novella:
🏒Hockey Player MCs
🎄Brother's best friend
🔥Inter-racial couple
🏒Roommates
🎄From Cam girl to Cam couple
🔥Banter
🏒Schizophrenia & Chronic Migraine Rep
🎄Lots of Spice
Mistletoe Misconduct is a Hot and Heartfelt Holiday Read! 🎄🔥
This delightful and spicy holiday romance novella features two hockey players, Lea and Kai, who find themselves unexpectedly sharing a living space and a secret online venture. 😉😜
I loved the unique premise where a hockey player is also a cam girl? This unexpected twist adds a layer of excitement and intrigue to the story. 🏒📹😏
Lea and Kai's chemistry is undebatable, and their banter is funny and flirtatious. Beneath the steamy scenes is a tender love story about two people who understand each other on a deep level. 💝👩🏼❤️👨🏾
Giuliana handles sensitive topics like mental illness with care and sensitivity, as usual, and I love it very much that she represents one or more mental or physical illnesses/disorders in every book of hers which not only adds as a trope but helps to spread awareness about them as well through the story. 🫂
Overall, Mistletoe Misconduct is a fun and sexy holiday read that will leave you feeling satisfied (and hot). Releasing on November 20th, it’s perfect for holiday + hockey romance fans and those who enjoy spice in it. 🎄🌶️🏒📹
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
I received an e-ARC of this book (Thank You, Giuliana Victoria & Happily Booked PR), and here are my honest thoughts!
Tropes to expect from this Smutty Holiday Novella:
🏒Hockey Player MCs
🎄Brother's best friend
🔥Inter-racial couple
🏒Roommates
🎄From Cam girl to Cam couple
🔥Banter
🏒Schizophrenia & Chronic Migraine Rep
🎄Lots of Spice
Mistletoe Misconduct is a Hot and Heartfelt Holiday Read! 🎄🔥
This delightful and spicy holiday romance novella features two hockey players, Lea and Kai, who find themselves unexpectedly sharing a living space and a secret online venture. 😉😜
I loved the unique premise where a hockey player is also a cam girl? This unexpected twist adds a layer of excitement and intrigue to the story. 🏒📹😏
Lea and Kai's chemistry is undebatable, and their banter is funny and flirtatious. Beneath the steamy scenes is a tender love story about two people who understand each other on a deep level. 💝👩🏼❤️👨🏾
Giuliana handles sensitive topics like mental illness with care and sensitivity, as usual, and I love it very much that she represents one or more mental or physical illnesses/disorders in every book of hers which not only adds as a trope but helps to spread awareness about them as well through the story. 🫂
Overall, Mistletoe Misconduct is a fun and sexy holiday read that will leave you feeling satisfied (and hot). Releasing on November 20th, it’s perfect for holiday + hockey romance fans and those who enjoy spice in it. 🎄🌶️🏒📹
December 22, 2024
Understanding
It's such a cute story that brings awareness to different medical situations. I love how all the characters bought understanding in a civil way.
It's such a cute story that brings awareness to different medical situations. I love how all the characters bought understanding in a civil way.
November 27, 2024
I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I was luckily chosen to be gifted an arc of this spicy novella. Perfect time to read this festive story and I ended up reading it all in a day. I enjoyed reading this and I liked that the author likes to use diverse characters in her books. Understandably it couldn’t go into as much detail as a book but it gave enough for you to understand the characters.
November 10, 2024
First and foremost, thank you to Guiliana for allowing me to ARC read this masterpiece ❤️
This book CONSUMED my life tonight.
Solid 4.5 stars.
Let me tell you… the smut was smutting 🎄🌶️🥵
Super easy to read
Fun!
I love the fact that metal health was worked into this, realistic depictions, just really well incorporated.
What to expect:
🏒 Smutty Holiday Novella
☃️ Hockey player x Hockey player
🏒 Brother's Best Friend
☃️ Schizophrenia & Chronic Migraine Rep
🏒 Cam girl turned cam couple
☃️ Banter
🏒 Lots of Spice
Content warnings:
Schizophrenia, psychosis of a parent, sexually explicit, crude language, on-page migraine
This book CONSUMED my life tonight.
Solid 4.5 stars.
Let me tell you… the smut was smutting 🎄🌶️🥵
Super easy to read
Fun!
I love the fact that metal health was worked into this, realistic depictions, just really well incorporated.
What to expect:
🏒 Smutty Holiday Novella
☃️ Hockey player x Hockey player
🏒 Brother's Best Friend
☃️ Schizophrenia & Chronic Migraine Rep
🏒 Cam girl turned cam couple
☃️ Banter
🏒 Lots of Spice
Content warnings:
Schizophrenia, psychosis of a parent, sexually explicit, crude language, on-page migraine
February 20, 2025
This novella is so good! It felt pretty complete, with no plot holes which I love when I’m reading novellas. Kai was such a sweet character and this book was packed with so much emotion, well written dialogue, and mental health rep. I adored Lea too, especially when she was so caring towards Kai. They were both so understanding of each other and gave each other space to speak about their health.
If you’re looking for a novella with mental health rep that’s spicy, this is for you!
Thank you for the advanced copy! All thoughts are my own!
If you’re looking for a novella with mental health rep that’s spicy, this is for you!
Thank you for the advanced copy! All thoughts are my own!
December 27, 2024
I have the post Christmas blues. I wasn’t quite ready to give up Christmas so I decided to dive into this novella. It was just what I needed! I started it and finished it today. Let me just say that you have to suspend A LOT of reality for this one. The author mentions it in her foreword, but I just wanted to reiterate. I always appreciate diversity inclusion, but it does seem like this novella is almost trying to do too much with not enough pages. We have a Black MMC, an Arab female, a gay coach, and other diverse characters throughout. You also have to pretend like his tattoos don’t make him immediately identifiable lol. All of this reality suspension would’ve bothered me in a full length book, but I didn’t mind it here. I wanted a smutty novella, and that’s exactly what I got. We get a decent amount of steam in the beginning / middle, but not so much towards the end. I liked Kai and Lea. They’ve seemingly been pining for each other for a while, but we don’t really see much of that. I liked how they were both working towards a common goal and just completely okay with everything. The cam scenes are HOT smutty goodness. I liked the mental health inclusion along with the migraine rep. I thought it was going to be too much to handle for a novella, but I thought it was handled well in a short amount of pages. I do feel like these two could’ve benefitted from more pages to actually develop their love more, but I think this was a good job given the pages we did get. The epilogues weren’t exactly my cup of tea. We’ve suspended reality enough and now they’ve been drafted to the same team? OK. Overall, I really enjoyed this smutty holiday novella. It served its purpose for a short, feel good read. Could it have benefitted from more pages, more development, and perhaps more honing in on specific parts instead of trying to include one too many types of representation? Sure. Did it fully entertain me and bring me joy when I was feeling down about Christmas being over? It sure did.
November 21, 2024
Tropes:
-holiday novella
-dual POV
-mental health rep
-chronic illness rep
-brother's best friend
-they both play hockey
-friends to roommates to lovers
-banter
This book was so much more than a smutty little novella. It is the perfect example of combining plot and spice. Yes, Kai and Lea start their physical relationship by being a cam couple, but the foundation of the relationship had been there from their lifelong friendship.
Kai is dealing with his and his mother’s schizophrenia. His mother struggles with staying on top of her medication. Kai deals with the fear of forgetting his medication and being a burden. He deals with the fundamental problem of mental health care, expensive medicines, and the care it takes to help those affected. It isn’t cheap.
Lea deals with chronic debilitating migraines. The medication costs as much as rent each month. She is a cam girl, and for the extra money she needs to afford her meds, she and Kai agree to appear as a couple. In the process, they fall in love.
I love that they naturally open up to each other. Their relationship progresses in such a sweet way. They both get chosen to dress as Mr. and Mrs. Claus at the local children’s hospital, and it makes for the sweetest storyline. I loved everything about this book. It was such a heartwarming story. I will definitely be checking out the back catalog for this author. If you want to read this book, it is available on KU. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Quotes:
This gorgeous, incredible woman has been just within reach my whole life, and had I even stopped to let myself realize how amazing she is, maybe I could’ve avoided wasting so many years spent without her by my side.
-holiday novella
-dual POV
-mental health rep
-chronic illness rep
-brother's best friend
-they both play hockey
-friends to roommates to lovers
-banter
This book was so much more than a smutty little novella. It is the perfect example of combining plot and spice. Yes, Kai and Lea start their physical relationship by being a cam couple, but the foundation of the relationship had been there from their lifelong friendship.
Kai is dealing with his and his mother’s schizophrenia. His mother struggles with staying on top of her medication. Kai deals with the fear of forgetting his medication and being a burden. He deals with the fundamental problem of mental health care, expensive medicines, and the care it takes to help those affected. It isn’t cheap.
Lea deals with chronic debilitating migraines. The medication costs as much as rent each month. She is a cam girl, and for the extra money she needs to afford her meds, she and Kai agree to appear as a couple. In the process, they fall in love.
I love that they naturally open up to each other. Their relationship progresses in such a sweet way. They both get chosen to dress as Mr. and Mrs. Claus at the local children’s hospital, and it makes for the sweetest storyline. I loved everything about this book. It was such a heartwarming story. I will definitely be checking out the back catalog for this author. If you want to read this book, it is available on KU. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Quotes:
This gorgeous, incredible woman has been just within reach my whole life, and had I even stopped to let myself realize how amazing she is, maybe I could’ve avoided wasting so many years spent without her by my side.
November 23, 2024
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Most of you know of Novella (which this is), but have you heard of Spice-ella? Probably not because I just made that word up. Mistletoe Misconduct is a great Novella to get you in that holiday spirit and sure to melt the snow. You really can’t go wrong if you pick up this book.
And Giuliana Victoria has done it again with her writing of the characters. Since this was a novella she had less room to play with but she was still able to make these characters relatable and feel like you know them. The thing I love about Giuliana and her books are the characters are not perfect. They have something that makes them so relatable by having them with a health condition or just where they are in their lives. I feel like having this makes me dig into the story that much faster and interested in seeing how the story plays out. At the end of the book, Giuliana explains why she chose the characters to be the way they are and it’s great to get into the author's mindset of how she created this amazing story.
Mistletoe Misconduct is a solid four stars for me. The story was great, the characters were great really it’s the perfect gift to unwrap for the holiday season. And the Spice Level is a 5. Trust me when I say this is going to melt that snow, and ice and probably even heat up that hot cocoa. With the stars and the spice level, I think you all will enjoy this book and if you are a Kindle Unlimited member Mistletoe Misconduct is included in your membership.
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Most of you know of Novella (which this is), but have you heard of Spice-ella? Probably not because I just made that word up. Mistletoe Misconduct is a great Novella to get you in that holiday spirit and sure to melt the snow. You really can’t go wrong if you pick up this book.
And Giuliana Victoria has done it again with her writing of the characters. Since this was a novella she had less room to play with but she was still able to make these characters relatable and feel like you know them. The thing I love about Giuliana and her books are the characters are not perfect. They have something that makes them so relatable by having them with a health condition or just where they are in their lives. I feel like having this makes me dig into the story that much faster and interested in seeing how the story plays out. At the end of the book, Giuliana explains why she chose the characters to be the way they are and it’s great to get into the author's mindset of how she created this amazing story.
Mistletoe Misconduct is a solid four stars for me. The story was great, the characters were great really it’s the perfect gift to unwrap for the holiday season. And the Spice Level is a 5. Trust me when I say this is going to melt that snow, and ice and probably even heat up that hot cocoa. With the stars and the spice level, I think you all will enjoy this book and if you are a Kindle Unlimited member Mistletoe Misconduct is included in your membership.
November 19, 2024
There are three things I know to be true when reading a Giuliana Victoria book, #1 swoon worthy men, #2 amazing spice and #3 representation done right. This story hit closer to home for me as my son and I both have been diagnosed with migraines and I have someone close to me that was diagnosed schizophrenic. The way she represented both of these conditions was spot on definitely left me with a heavy heart.
Kai and Lea are a fuse waiting to blow from the moment she moves into the apartment they are at each other, not only is Kai her brother’s best friend but they also grew up together so they have that history as well. When Kai finds out about Lea’s side job he is not close to being happy about it until the health care system has them both in a bind and they decide to work together. As all great love stories go that moment seals their fate and it is never just for show.
This novella was perfect if you want a spicy novella to add for your year goals Kai and Lea are the way to go.
~~What to Expect~~
🏒Christmas Novella
🏒Hockey MMC & FMC
🏒Interracial Couple
🏒Brother’s Best Friend
🏒Forced Proximity
🏒Roommates to Lovers
🏒Cam Girl to Cam Couple
🏒Schizophrenia Rep
🏒Chronic Migraine Rep
~~Quote~~
❄️ You and I both know I’m about to ruin you for every other man, and before the night is up, you’re going to be begging for me to take control and let you lose yourself in me.
Kai and Lea are a fuse waiting to blow from the moment she moves into the apartment they are at each other, not only is Kai her brother’s best friend but they also grew up together so they have that history as well. When Kai finds out about Lea’s side job he is not close to being happy about it until the health care system has them both in a bind and they decide to work together. As all great love stories go that moment seals their fate and it is never just for show.
This novella was perfect if you want a spicy novella to add for your year goals Kai and Lea are the way to go.
~~What to Expect~~
🏒Christmas Novella
🏒Hockey MMC & FMC
🏒Interracial Couple
🏒Brother’s Best Friend
🏒Forced Proximity
🏒Roommates to Lovers
🏒Cam Girl to Cam Couple
🏒Schizophrenia Rep
🏒Chronic Migraine Rep
~~Quote~~
❄️ You and I both know I’m about to ruin you for every other man, and before the night is up, you’re going to be begging for me to take control and let you lose yourself in me.
November 22, 2024
I’ll gladly and willingly accept my place on the naughty list and the lump of coal Santa definitely has for me after finishing 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩 by Giuliana Victoria.
This spicy little number checked so many of my favorite boxes: hockey, mental health representation, diversity, and spice. What starts out as a light hearted, sexy story, quickly moves into angsty, emotional territory, and I absolutely loved it. The chemistry between the characters was hotttttt and exploded off the page in record time. It wasn’t forced or rushed either; Victoria wrote and developed the chemistry and connection perfectly for a novella. The emotional plot lines felt genuine and well developed, too. 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩 shed light on the challenges of living with a severe mental illness and the limited affordable medical resources available to those who are not in the upper socioeconomic class, which carried with it the emotional plot I mentioned previously. Along with mental health, Victoria tackled other medical conditions, like migraines, cancer, and more. So much was covered in this novella, but it was done so well and I loved it.
My only complaint is that it wasn’t long enough and I simply want more! Victoria opened the door to a world and plot that could be explored deeper, with heavier angst, more emotions, and spiciness galore. I’m so happy with how she wrote the novella, but I’d be extremely happy if she continued this story and dove deeper into it in the future!
This spicy little number checked so many of my favorite boxes: hockey, mental health representation, diversity, and spice. What starts out as a light hearted, sexy story, quickly moves into angsty, emotional territory, and I absolutely loved it. The chemistry between the characters was hotttttt and exploded off the page in record time. It wasn’t forced or rushed either; Victoria wrote and developed the chemistry and connection perfectly for a novella. The emotional plot lines felt genuine and well developed, too. 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩 shed light on the challenges of living with a severe mental illness and the limited affordable medical resources available to those who are not in the upper socioeconomic class, which carried with it the emotional plot I mentioned previously. Along with mental health, Victoria tackled other medical conditions, like migraines, cancer, and more. So much was covered in this novella, but it was done so well and I loved it.
My only complaint is that it wasn’t long enough and I simply want more! Victoria opened the door to a world and plot that could be explored deeper, with heavier angst, more emotions, and spiciness galore. I’m so happy with how she wrote the novella, but I’d be extremely happy if she continued this story and dove deeper into it in the future!
December 12, 2024
Holiday Novella
Mental health rep
Chronic pain rep
Brother’s best friend
Dual POV
Hockey romance
Friends to roommates to lovers
Lots of banter
Bipoc MMC
Kai and Lea are the best. Growing up, their families knew each other struggles that Kai’s family had to ensure growing up. Now that they’re all adults, Kai needs help with rent now that his best friend Liam has been drafter to the NHL. Liam comes up with the crazy idea to have Lea move in and take his place. For the longest, Kai and Lea were on each other about leaving each other alone like they were mortal emeries. But both are keeping secrets from each other and mutual agreements turn into something more than just business as usual.
There was a lot of spice in this book, but also some real emotional moments, as well. I even got teary eyed at a couple parts because of things that, for Kai, seemed to come to ahead. As a person that has Lupus, I understand chronic pain all too well. Having a player have that and try to stave it off to keep going is truly understandable when so many out there can’t find any relief for their pain. And the mental health portions of this book kinda broke my heart. People face these challenges everyday, but not everyone gets the support they need. And while this is fiction, it felt real with what went on and what had to be dealt with. I’m really glad I got to read this book. It’s moving, emotional and heart warming.
Mental health rep
Chronic pain rep
Brother’s best friend
Dual POV
Hockey romance
Friends to roommates to lovers
Lots of banter
Bipoc MMC
Kai and Lea are the best. Growing up, their families knew each other struggles that Kai’s family had to ensure growing up. Now that they’re all adults, Kai needs help with rent now that his best friend Liam has been drafter to the NHL. Liam comes up with the crazy idea to have Lea move in and take his place. For the longest, Kai and Lea were on each other about leaving each other alone like they were mortal emeries. But both are keeping secrets from each other and mutual agreements turn into something more than just business as usual.
There was a lot of spice in this book, but also some real emotional moments, as well. I even got teary eyed at a couple parts because of things that, for Kai, seemed to come to ahead. As a person that has Lupus, I understand chronic pain all too well. Having a player have that and try to stave it off to keep going is truly understandable when so many out there can’t find any relief for their pain. And the mental health portions of this book kinda broke my heart. People face these challenges everyday, but not everyone gets the support they need. And while this is fiction, it felt real with what went on and what had to be dealt with. I’m really glad I got to read this book. It’s moving, emotional and heart warming.
December 31, 2024
I like to think I am pretty good at suspending reality and just going with the vibes of the story, but I struggled with this one. The main plot points of the story; brothers bestfriend (since childhood neighbours), forced proximity, and mutual pining plus both MCs play hockey, should have been perfect for me. But for such a short novella, there was just so much going on. On top of what would have been enough going on, the MMC, Kai, was black and has schizophrenia but not as advanced as his mom, the FMC Lea, was Arab who had chronic migraines and the coach of the men's hockey team was gay, nothing comes of this he just is.
I didn't like that it played into the stereotype of black dad's being deadbeats Kai's mentiona hia in story, because his schizophrenic mom refused to let his dad see him and didn’t give him all of the letters his dad kept sending him asking to see him. His mom told him his dad didn't want him, which was definitely not the case. He does wind up building a better relationship with his dad through the epilogue.
I love all of the diversity, but I feel like the story would have benefitted from being longer, giving more time to develop and discuss all of these things.
Back to suspending reality.....Kai is fully tatted, but when he is on cam with Lea, he wears a lace mask to conceal his identity, as if his tattoos wouldn't give him away. Then, in the epilogue, Kai and Lea both get drafted to play on the same co-ed professional hockey team.
Considering that Kai and Lea had been crushing on each other for so long, I didn't feel like the book spent much time on their actual relationship because they were dealing with all these other subplots.
I didn't like that it played into the stereotype of black dad's being deadbeats Kai's mentiona hia in story, because his schizophrenic mom refused to let his dad see him and didn’t give him all of the letters his dad kept sending him asking to see him. His mom told him his dad didn't want him, which was definitely not the case. He does wind up building a better relationship with his dad through the epilogue.
I love all of the diversity, but I feel like the story would have benefitted from being longer, giving more time to develop and discuss all of these things.
Back to suspending reality.....Kai is fully tatted, but when he is on cam with Lea, he wears a lace mask to conceal his identity, as if his tattoos wouldn't give him away. Then, in the epilogue, Kai and Lea both get drafted to play on the same co-ed professional hockey team.
Considering that Kai and Lea had been crushing on each other for so long, I didn't feel like the book spent much time on their actual relationship because they were dealing with all these other subplots.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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