Cruel Winter with You

Under The Mistletoe Collection #1

by Ali Hazelwood

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

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

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

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Novella, Holiday, Audiobook, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

72 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2024

About the author

I'm Ali, and I write contemporary romcom novels about women in STEM and academia. I love cats, Nutella, and side ponytails. I'm also currently learning to crochet, so as you can tell I'm a super busy gal with an intense and exciting life!

I only use Goodreads as a reader, to review and hype books that I've loved (many of these book are ARCs received from fellow authors).

Reviews

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marc’s the kind of guy that would have a Netflix serial killer series dedicated to him 💀

[Ali Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! Ahh Ali Hazelwood is such a good writer! I didn't think I would be able to get that invested in the story & characters in under 75 pages but I did!! It's such a cute story. A great palette cleanser read. And this book reminded me how much I love Ali Hazelwoods witty dialogue. Reading this short story has made me so excited for Deep End to come out soon🤭

My only complaint is the male love interest did feel a little too obsessed with her at points. Other than that, super cute short story!

[Yun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute, short story. It was the perfect way to kick off the holiday reading season, or if you're like me, scrambling to fit in even one seasonal read, then you'd have successfully met your quota.

This has got everything I'd want in a romcom—tension, sizzle, romance, and absolutely hilarious banter. Honestly, I don't think anyone does banter quite like Ali Hazelwood. She often has me in stitches, and this time, I was at the library, so I had to stifle my laughter and do the silent shakes, for fear of being kicked out.

I will say, having read quite a few books by Hazelwood now, I've come to recognize what seems to be her excessive reliance on the miscommunication trope. Yes, the guy has professed every which way how much he loves the girl, and yet, she doth protest. But since this is a novella, it doesn't go on and on past the point of believability like it would in a full-length novel. Instead, we get it all sorted out pretty quickly, and that makes this reader very happy.

I can't think of anything bad to say about this other than it's short and I want more. But then that's my problem with every short story. Anyhoo, definitely recommend if you're a fan of Ali Hazelwood and looking for a fun way to spend an hour or two.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
The Love Hypothesis
Love on the Brain
Love, Theoretically
Check & Mate

The STEMinist Novellas:
Under One Roof ✧ Stuck with You ✧ Below Zero

Amazon Original Stories:
Hot for Slayer
~~~~~~~~~~~~

✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧

[Ayman · Rating 3 out of 5]

“HE LOVED HER EVER SINCE HE HAS KNOWN HER!” i scream as they drag me to the white padded room…

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When is it my turn fr

[Clace · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75!

I mean it was fine 🙁 nothing special. There was like one cute scene that's why this is a two. Usually when I read Ali Hazelwoods books I enjoy them so much but that feeling wasn't here. Maybe short stories aren't for her. :(
_
Why were these not published in December? I will never understand 😔

*Thank you to netgalley for the arc of this series.*

[Alyssa Nieves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patiently waiting for a hot tech billionaire to be obsessed with me

[chan ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

liked, but didn't love. i think that's more because it's a REALLY short novella and less because of the characters/story line.

it was admittedly, very sweet. i appreciate the way ali always writes heroes that are GONE for the heroines.

[mica · Rating 4 out of 5]

lo único malo de este libro es que no tiene 300 paginas mas, ali hazelwood they could never make me hate yooooouuuuuu

[Lilyya ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

“I’m not over you. and I never will be.”

Cruel Winter With You is such a fast paced and delicious read! ali hazelwood (practically) always regales me with the greenest forests as MMCs. Mark was no exception to the rule. but i found the plot line of the younger brother having a crush for his entire life on his older sister’s best friend ABSOLUTELY genius. i need more of this. a full novel. a complete saga. a whole series!!!!!

many thanks to NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review

[bruna · Rating 1 out of 5]

‎watching paint dry would be more interesting than reading this weird story. thank god it’s just a novella because i don’t think i could handle to read more pages of whatever this was.

[Supreme Commander of South America · Rating 4 out of 5]

May this love find me and QUICKLY cuz I’m loosing hope here 😔

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

no why am i kinda obsessed with this i want to cry victoria justice was onto something when she said my best friend’s brother is the one for me

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well the weather outside is frightful but the fire is…raging in the loins of the Hallmark holiday-esque heroes in Ali Hazelwood’s Cruel Winter With You. Did I say earlier this year that I’d had my fill of Hazelwood stories? Yes. But did I mean it? Absolutely not. Especially when its a holiday special, you gotta snack on these things during December like they are christmas cookie. For a brief novella that's as steamy as it is seasonal, Hazelwood manages to rather successfully pull off a truncated romance plot as Jamie and Marc find themselves trapped together by a blizzard that is as blustery as their emotions for each other. But could it be... *Gasp* a Christmas miracle in the making?!? As their romantic history via flashback comes threading through the narrative like tinsel on a tree you’d have to be a romantic lead in a romcom to be unable to know where this is going. If you like Hazelwood, you’ll probably enjoy this holiday-inspired offering even if its a bit light and corny. If you don’t, this probably won’t win you over but it was fun and can be read in the time it takes chestnuts to roast by an open fire as the song goes. Maybe, I don’t know, I’ve never roasted chestnuts. But either way, a fun and festive little treat. You deserve it.

This has all the Hazelwood staples in a bite sized packaging with a play on Taylor Swift's Cruel Summer lyrics. And its a shiny toy book with a price, you know that I bought it. Anyways, we have Marc—a tech billionaire who is actually "a really nice guy" (ugh, but what did I expect?)—who is desperately smitten with Jamie and Jamie who is trying to avoid him so shes willfully oblivious. It doesn’t help that the power is out I guess. Oh yea. Jamie is, alas, not drunk in the back of the car crying like a baby coming home from the bar, but doing some holiday cooking and stops over to borrow some supplies and only Marc is there. Which, okay, its as contrived as they come but its the holidays, dammit, we are here for steamy fun what do you expect? As you probably guessed, miscommunication abounds in Hazelwood's “will-they-won’t they” sort of way, but it works well enough with only a few eye rolls because it wraps up pretty fast since you'll probably know exactly where it is heading once they start drinking together and confessing their feelings.

Say the line, lovers!
‘I’m not over you. and I never will be.’
I KNEW IT.

You get what you expect here and if you want to have some festive fun, you will. If you wanna bah humbug it up, you can do that too I suppose.

[ଘRory · Rating 1 out of 5]

"𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚"

There is something wrong with me also reading this Book !!
I think ALI HAZELWOOD is not not for short novellas !!
The book is so cringey and creepy 🤮 I just feel something weird and the words fail me to describe it .The ideas that involved in the story are so ugh!! :
#the gap age between the two MCs (the gal jamie is older then the boy Mac).
#Mac unraveld his desire to marry jamie ab intio of their childhood ooooh Wooow 😬
#why the hell jamie realted emotionally with her dad girlfriends' she must be a little Jealous that's really made me mystified.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚
"Listen, Jamie, date us both. I can deal with that. And then choose the better guy.”
Ohhh no 🤣 they are not dolls to choose between them to date nahhhh???


*Buddy read with 𝙏𝙞𝙖𝙧𝙖 🎀

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Holiday Season 2024*

When two former childhood friends, are stranded together in a blustery winter storm they are forced to confront (and confess!) some hard truths!

Mark is her best friend’s annoying younger brother, all grown up now and a tech billionaire who is also “the one who got away”!

Jamie is the one who broke his heart.

The weather outside is frightful . Inside, a crackling fire delightful. And, if it finally brings these two together-let it snow, let it snow let it snow! ❄️😉

I haven’t read this author before so it was a great way to sample her work!

Ali Hazelwood’s Cruel Winter with You is the first story in Amazon’s “Under the Mistletoe” collection-December romances that are available for free to Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited subscribers. They are all short stories that can be read or listened to in one sitting.

[rei ‧₊˚✩彡 · Rating 3 out of 5]

╰┈➤ 3 stars!

i absolutely enjoyed its fast pacing while having to read about their childhood past until present time. idk how ali hazelwood managed to make it fit—but she did. the wallpaper thingy was definitely creepy tho

i adored how much marc wanted to prove himself to be worthy of jamie. he looked up to her in a way where jamie couldn’t do for herself because of how she witnessed everyone around her leaving. marc was literally down bad for jamie ever since and i think of that as something so cute

・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・

pre-read:

starting another novella series! i’m scared of this though because of all the reviews i’ve heard 🥲 WISH ME LUCK!

[Emma Griffioen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cringed physically multiple times while reading this. I am sorry but I need to be a hater for a second.

- The title is a play on the Cruel Summer lyrics ??? alright...
- This might be because I am Canadian, but I found it hard to believe that she couldn't walk 400 metres home
- "I tried to smile, but my zygomaticus major might be frozen." This sentence just bothered me. Maybe it's cause I had to look up what a zygomaticus major was 💀 but girl, just say your face is frozen.
- The lock screen thing was creepy!!!!!!!!
- I never like the sex scenes in Ali Hazelwood's books SORRY

All that to say, I will be reading the rest of the novellas in this collection!

Read my reviews for the Under the Mistletoe Collection here:
Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood - 2 stars
Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey - 1 star
All By My Elf by Olivia Dade - 1 star
Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur - 3 stars
Only Santa's in the Building by Alexis Daria - 3 stars

[Karla Martínez · Rating 4 out of 5]

mi único problema es que fue demasiado corto.

[Warda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fictional men ruining lives again. 🥲

[paula ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐

This one was pretty sweet. I really liked the trope of this mini story 💙

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Ali Hazelwood, but I’m not a really big fan of the tropes in this book, like friends to lovers, and brothers best friend tropes. And yet, I thought this book was really sweet at times. I kept debating if this guy Marc was sweet or creepy, sometimes he was a little over the top for me in a way that seemed more creepy. (Like… what’s up with the photos??) But I had fun with this one, I loved the cozy Christmas atmosphere. 🎄

[Ali L · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ali Hazelwood once again plumbs the depths of fictional academia to find immature, incoherent disasters of people who are somehow also outrageously successful in their professional field. This time she reminds us of her millennial-ism by naming the novella after a Taylor Swift lyric, a puzzling trend in romance that alerts us to the author’s girl’s girl attitude while also relying on pop culture references that will eventually render the pun obsolete once people move on. This book is about what every other Ali Hazelwood book is about, and at this point I’m wondering if she’s ever met an average-height man or if they’ve all been the size of a particularly willowy Uruk-Hai. She isn’t afraid to try a few new things, though, including the FMC imprinting on a newborn when she’s two and a half. Art is all about growth.

[zoë ˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗ · Rating 1 out of 5]

ugh.

i refuse to write my normal review for this book because it was so bad! i love ali, but it’s becoming obvious that she can only write on type of book. the fmc is a pushover with no backbone (sounds familiar) and the mmc is a scary stalker who is probably a serial killer in a frieda mcfadden book. yuck.

[enola · Rating 3 out of 5]

had its questionable moments, and her nickname is 'buttpaper'🤗

pre-read:
i'm sick of being controlled by a calendar merry christmas y'all😊

[✨Julie✨]

✩ 3.3 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Best Friends Little Brother
➼ Childhood Friends-to-Lovers
➼ Terrible Nickname
➼ He Falls First
➼ Second Chance
➼ Holiday Novella
➼ First Person POV

This was pretty decent for a novella. I can understand why some people found the MMC to be a little creepy, but he was always really clear about how he felt so he didn’t come across that way to me. If he would have hidden his obsession for her for all those years, then maybe I would have felt the same, but to me it just seemed like he knew what he wanted and was willing to wait until she was on the same page. Personally I find that kind of directness to be very attractive, but to each their own. 🤷🏼‍♀️ There isn’t a ton of spice in this but I thought what was included was well done. The voicemail scene was super cute! 💗

Based on reviews, it seems like this might be one of the best of the 5 novellas in this series. Gotta say, I am a little nervous to read the rest now since this one was pretty mid. 😬 At least they’re short I guess.

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: Pretty sure these novellas are going to be what gets me to 250. 😅

Is it cheating? Discuss. 😜

[Flo Camus · Rating 2 out of 5]

[1.8⭐] 𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙚𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 es una corta novela romántica escrita por Ali Hazelwood en 2024. La historia se centra en Jamie Malek, una pediatra recién graduada, que solo quería pedir prestada una bandeja para la cena navideña. Por desgracia, esta termina atrapada por una tormenta de nieve con Marc, el hermano de su mejor amiga que ahora se ha convertido en un multimillonario. Ambos reviven recuerdos del pasado y enfrentan emociones no resueltas, dejando abierta la pregunta de si esta vez podrán encontrar un futuro juntos.


Antes de que alguien se altere por mi calificación, tengo que aclarar que me gusta mucho Ali. De hecho, me he leído TODAS sus obras (salvo 𝙏𝙬𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 porque solo está en audio en inglés), así que claramente no es nada en contra de la autora.
El principal problema de esta novela radica en Marc, el protagonista masculino. Lo encontré demasiado acosador para mi gusto. Tiene fotos de Jamie en su habitación desde hace años y parece obsesionado con demostrar que merece su amor, aún cuando ella nunca le dio señales de interés. Además, la insistencia en que se convertirá en "su mejor versión" para ella se siente muy forzada y hasta poco saludable. No es romántico, es inquietante. A esta altura, no es amor, es una OBSESIÓN. Si yo hubiese sido Jamie, le ponía una orden de restricción.

Por otro lado, hay detalles en la narrativa que resultan difíciles de creer. Uno de los ejemplos más llamativos es que Jamie, con tan solo dos años y medio, recuerda con lujo de detalles el nacimiento de Marc. Sé que soy cansona con esto, pero tuve como 6 ramos de psicología porque estudié Pedagogía Media y lo que más te enseñan es sobre la memoria de los alumnos. Por ello, sé que a los tres años se forman los recuerdos y ni siquiera de manera nítida, son fragmentos y tampoco son detallados. Lo sé, es una novela, pero no lo puedo dejar pasar ya que Ali siempre suele hacer relatos que son muy exactos científicamente y me llamó la atención que se le pasara aquello en su relato. Sin mencionar que esta escena, que debería ser tierna, acaba siendo algo incómoda cuando se describen los pensamientos del recién nacido como si tuviera una conexión afectiva inmediata con ella. Entiendo que la intención era mostrar un cariño inocente, pero el contexto sigue siendo extraño y hasta inquietante.
También, se me hizo una relación un tanto extraña ya que fueron criados prácticamente como hermanos junto con Tabitha, la mejor amiga de Jamie. Sé que no son hermanos de sangre, pero sigue sintiéndose bastante incómodo. 
Otro punto que no ayuda es lo limitado de la extensión (73 páginas). Esto deja poco espacio para desarrollar adecuadamente la historia y abordar los problemas que generan rechazo. Tal vez, con más tiempo y profundidad, algunas de estas situaciones podrían haberse trabajado de manera que no resultaran tan incómodas y extrañas.

En cuanto a la escena sexual, había notado una mejora en el último libro de la autora (𝙉𝙤 𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙧), pero aquí volvieron a caer en descripciones poco atractivas y carentes de conexión emocional. Se me hizo bastante plana y monótona, hasta sentí que sobraba en la historia porque fue muy abrupta. Prefería tener más conexión emocional en tiempo presente con los protagonistas antes que una escena carnal. 
Por último, relacionado con lo anterior, no puedo evitar mencionar que gran parte de la trama se centra en recapitular la historia de los personajes, desde el nacimiento de Marc hasta el presente, en lugar de aprovechar el encierro por la tormenta de nieve para explorar mejor su dinámica actual. La falta de enfoque en el presente hace que la narrativa pierda fuerza y resulte débil.


Finalmente, puedo decir que 𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙚𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 tuvo potencial, pero se queda atrapada entre un protagonista inquietante, una relación difícil de aceptar y un desarrollo apresurado. Si eres fan de Hazelwood, tal vez quieras darle una oportunidad, pero personalmente siento que es la obra que menos me ha gustado de ella.

[Deepak · Rating 3 out of 5]

He is creepily obsessed with her. She has abandonment issues. They both fuck happily ever after, and thats it.

[rouss♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

౨ৎׄ ˖ ݁𖥔☃️🧣 ݁𖥔˖ . ─── 3.0★ 🎄✨️ ♡ ׄ

It's a short and easy-to-read book with an intriguing plot that keeps you hooked because you want to uncover what really happened between Jamie and Marc. I appreciated that the author touched on important topics like anxiety and panic attacks, as these are aspects many people can relate to.

However, being a relatively short novel, it leaves you wanting more. While the story doesn’t feel rushed, there are unanswered questions, which might frustrate readers looking for more depth. Even so, the ending is beautiful and satisfying.

This is a story about second chances, an innocent love that endures through the years, fears, traumas, and the feeling of not being enough. Although I would have loved for the author to delve deeper into these themes, the book manages to convey a valuable message.In summary, it's a light, touching read with a lesson about overcoming your fears to open yourself to love.

[emelie 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚ (exams!!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

₊˚⊹ ᰔ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝:
i know i said i was going to do like 20 rereads of my favorites to get me out of a reading slump…but BTTM was SO GOOD it brought me out in one 🤭 (i have been reminded why i love to read)!!

i’m starting back small with a cute little christmas novella (hopefully it can’t get me in a slump, but if it does i have rereads prepared!!) ☃️❄️

anyways, but a hot tech billionaire secretly obsessed since childhood and christmas themes?! sounds so cute 🎅🌨️