A Love Like Mulled Wine

Wayward Hollow #4

by Hailey Frost

Welcome to Wayward Hollow - Where everyone knows your name, your business, and usually your dog’s name before yours.

I moved to Wayward Hollow, hoping to find a place to belong. And between small-town gossip, a chaotic friend group, and the cutest furry sidekick, I found it.

Until Brooke.

Brooke is my ex’s sister, the woman who looks at me like I’m a mistake she’s already decided to avoid. She runs the neighbor town's animal shelter, fights for every stray thing in town, and has zero interest in me being part of her world.
Unfortunately for her, we keep colliding. When her shelter’s funding falls through, when I’m planning this year’s Christmas market… and by not so much coincidence, whenever I’m in town.

Somewhere between Christmas cookies, snow-covered nights, and arguments that turn dangerously close to flirting, Brooke starts letting me in—and I realize I might actually have a shot with the one person I can’t stop wanting.


***

A Love Like Mulled Wine is a comforting, cozy christmas romance for anyone who loves soft MMCs, introverted FMC’s who take a little time warming up, emotional healing, and small-town Christmas chaos with a whole lot of heart.

Please note that this book contains explicit scenes and is intended for a mature audience.

Tropes & Themes:
✧ Small-town romance ✧ Found family ✧ Ex’s sister ✧ Bisexual, Cinnamon Roll MMC ✧ ✧ Cute pets ✧ Cozy Winter vibes ✧ He falls first, she falls harder ✧ Cozy Dates ✧ A Chaotic Christmas Market ✧

A Love Like Mulled Wine is a heartwarming, cozy Christmas-vibes small-town romance novel packed with:

✦ A Stars-Hollow-esque small town you’ll want to move to
✧ Fiercely loyal, sassy friends
✦ Found family, healing, and cozy small-town charm
✧ A green-flag MMC who will steal your heart
✦ Holiday vibes and hot-chocolate everything
✧ A feel-good romance with some spice, low angst and a guaranteed HEA

Perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls, Hallmark Movies and Christmas vibes who love cozying up with a low-angst book with spice.

Genres: Christmas, Small Town Romance

Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 13, 2026

Reviews

[Kathryn]

I'm so sad to see the end of this series, but I'm also so happy to finally get Keirans happily ever after. We get so much more of his back story, and it's rough. So, to see him over come his past and find love is amazing. Brooke is a sweet, animal loving woman and is the perfect fit for him. Sassy and sweet, while also able to take control and get him in line. Total girl boss energy, to his excited puppy nature. Excellent plot, great characters. As sad as I am that this is ending, it was honestly the perfect cozy series.

[Julia Barnes]

I read an arc of A Love Like Mulled Wine.

I really enjoyed this book. It has a good balance between comedy and emotional situations. It kept my interest from the beginning

I felt the characters were well written and felt genuine. Kieran’s character surprised me and I loved him. This was my first book in the Wayward Hollow series and now I need all of them.

This book was a great cozy holiday read.

I received this advanced reader copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Larissa]

first, thank you @haileyfrostauthor and @lovenotes.pr for the arc ! this book was so cute and amazing. I am so ready for Christmas
RELEASE DAY: oct 13
Welcome to Wayward Hollow- where everyone knows your name, business, and usually your dog's name before yours."
Kieran and Brooke have my heart. Brooke fights for every stray thing in town. Except Kieran, she's pushing him away.
But unfortunately for her, they keep colliding. Somewhere between Christmas cookies, snow covered nights and arguments that can be mistaken for a flirtatious banter, Brooke starts letting Kieran in and Kieran may be falling for her.

[Toriesbookshelf]

Shut the front door. This was such a funny, cozy read and the perfect way to bring our time in Wayword Hollow to an end. I'm so sad that this series is ending but I loved the way that the author wrapped it up. I loved that Kieran got his story and it was as chaotically golden retriever-y as I was hoping! I also loved how we saw the other still throughout this series and I loved that we got to see Kieran grow fully into himself and realize that he had a safe place to land with everyone.

Overall, this is the perfect book to cozy up with a nice warm cup of mulled wine and a blanket and read while watching the snow fall.

[Nanasbookreviews]

ARC Review

A Love Like Mulled Wine by Hailey Frost is the fourth book in the Wayward Hollow series.

Since Kieran moved to Wayward Hollow, he felt like this was the place where he belonged. He had made so many friends, but the only thing missing was a romantic partner. And then he saw Brooke again, his ex's little sister.

Kieran was instantly interested in her, but Brooke was quite hostile every time she saw him, and he had no idea why. But that didn't deter him. He was always kind to her, and when her animal shelter had an issue because of the fire, he offered to help.

Little by little, they started getting to know each other again, and something beautiful began to bloom between them. By Christmas, Kieran had finally found his forever person, while Brooke was able to make her dream come true.

Such a cute and spicy holiday romance! 🎄❤️ The tropes include ex's sister, working together, found family, cinnamon roll MMC, and small town romance.

I'm a sucker for holiday romance, and this book gave me exactly the cozy, entertaining read I was looking for. It's fun and lighthearted, but it also touches on some important subjects. Kieran has some personal issues he needs to face, while Brooke is dealing with her shelter and all the animals she cares for.

I loved how well the emotional moments were balanced with the funny and heartwarming ones. My favorite character was definitely Kieran. I always loved his vibe, and he was such a sweetheart. 🥰 My favorite scene was when he was sick and Brooke took care of him. It was such a cute moment!

If you like small-town holiday romances with a spicy romance, found family, and a cinnamon roll MMC, then this one is definitely for you! 🎄✨

[MN Book Lady]

Oh my gosh, Kieran broke my heart!

After reading A Love Like Candle Light, I knew I needed to read this book and know Kieran's story, and I wasn't disappointed! After a rough few years as a teenager, he's finally got the friend group he's always wanted. But he's worried about his secret coming out - he's bi. He's also got a bit of a crush on his ex's younger sister, Brooke, and can't figure out why she doesn't like him. So when a fire breaks out near her animal shelter, he's one of the first there to help out and offer a place not only for her to stay, but also for her animals. They work through what's between them and start a friendship. But Brooke's dream of opening a sanctuary is on the line thanks to funding falling through, and Kieran has ideas on how to help. Now he just needs Brooke to go along with it.

Brooke and Kieran get their happy ending in this standalone book in a series.

These two were so cute together! Though my heart broke for Kieran and all that he went through at such a young age. I will say, I am a bit surprised that there wasn't a little surprise visit at the end of the book, as it seemed like it was teased and then never happened. I could see the sister being completely okay with who her brother was, including his content creation career choice. I do love that no one in town batted their eyes at Kieran being bi, and to be honest, I was a little surprised he was bi and not fully gay with how he was with everyone. But that is my ignorance coming through more than anything.

I received an advance review copy from Love Notes PR, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kim]

Thank you LoveNotesPR for providing me with this ARC 🥰

Gahhh where do I start? I'm absolutely obsessed with Kieran and Brooke!
Kieran's backstory is heartbreaking, it's a reminder that even in this year too, things like this still happen. His story isn't easy and I am glad he found family in the form of amazing friends and a town that accepts him for who he is. Kieran also made me laugh so many times. His dramatics are hilarious, the definition of chaotic bisexual energy and I am HERE for it. But underneath that persona is a warm, somewhat insecure, but hard loving person, who deserves everything good in life.
And then there's Brooke. Sassy but caring, she is a badass. Taking in animals who've had a rough life and deserve the best, and she gives it to them. She cares hard about the people she loves and fights for what she wants. And fighting for what she wanted was hard but it was lovely to see how the towns worked together and stepped up to help. Truly heartwarming. And I loved how they immediately accepted Brooke as one of their own.
And then there's Kieran and Brooke together. God their chemistry, back and forth and the love they share for each other and their animals? They deserved their happy ending. They fit so well together. The road to being happy wasn't easy, but if anyone deserves it, it's them 🥰

[Gales Tales70]

THIS!!!!!!! My favourite book out of the 4

I’m so happy Kieran got his story in the end. How he was disowned by his family at a young age and was unsure about his sexuality, He loves his new friends when he moved to Wayward Hollow but he never realised that he was family to them all until he met Brooke from the neighbouring town and fell hard for her, despite being Bi and his past - most of Wayward Hollow sort of knew about his doubts before he did 🥰

Brooke has her own battles, she runs a rescue centre and her dream is to have her own sanctuary for animals but when funding is pulled, has she lost her dream forever? One of Brooke’s brothers is Kieran’s ex and there are some misunderstandings between them both but the more time they spend together, could they be more!

It was great to be back with the crowd for Autumn and Christmas, with the annual village competition to win the most money and which charity to donate to ?

Could Brooke’s sanctuary be saved!
Is love in the air for Brooke and Kieran ?

I loved all the characters and it was super cute to have sooooo many animals involved too

Will we see a new romance develop for a 5th book ?

I’d love to see Evan and maybe Micah? Maybe Hannah or Rachel 🤭

Get that pen and paper Hailey - challenge on 🫣😂🥰

With super huge thanks to Hailey for having me on her team and trusting me with my garbled reviews 💗

[Lynda Malone]

A Love Like Mulled Wine

I have been hanging out for Keiran's book since reading 'A Love Like Pumpkin Spice', the first book in the Wayward Hollow series and trust me, this book delivers.

Keiran is there for his friends, always caring, always supportive but he is keeping a secret. One he is hesitant about sharing with his new friends. This secret has destroyed his life once already. Brooke is an animal savior. Any animal that needs her help, she is there but her dreams of opening an animal sanctuary seems to be crumbling right in front of her.

Hailey has given us another two wonderful characters. One we know quite well from previous books and one who is new to us. She infused such emotion into these two characters that your heart breaks for them.

But this is balanced perfectly by their humour and heartwarming emotions that Hailey delivers throughout not only this book but the whole series.

The series has been a wonderful adventure, watching these couples find their individual HEAs as well as their friendship group growing stronger with each new addition. This is such a 5 star read as I believe that these two have become my favourite.

[Cass]

Thank you for this ARC Hailey Frost.
I really enjoyed this book and make me wish for Christmas.
Kieran has been living in town for a year and he’a felt at home for the first time in a long time but he has hidden some secrets from his past and he’s not ready to share yet. But, when a fire happened to be in the next town he’s forced to share he’s got friends there, Even is his ex and he’s been his best friend since he’s alone against the world while Brooke is his sister and struggles to keep her animal shelter because of the fire. Kieran and Brooke interaction is great to see because they like each other but they’re scared of each other but the circumstances get them closer. As they are together, Kieran fears to be vulnerable and to share their real self with her and his friends who have become his real family but when he does, he’ll realised they stand by his side no matter what.
.
“A love like mulled wine”
💙Christmas vibes.
💙Small town.
💙Ex’s sister.
💙Dual POV.
.
AVAILABLE ON 13th/ October/ 2026

[Jackie]

Kieran’s story brings us to the end of our time in Wayward Hollow, the idyllic town filled with cozy vibes and accepting folk. Kieran’s character arc was so different from the others. Kieran is bi and struggled with telling his Hollow crew in fear of their reaction. Poor Kieran has struggled with letting others know in the past and fears the potential loss of friendships. However the Wayward Hollow crew is beyond accepting. It seems Kieran loses the weight off his shoulder once his secret is set free.
And Brooke. She’s sassy and I loved it. The woman has a bleeding heart for animals and a soft spot for a tall tatted man.
Dating your brother’s ex may seem taboo but they make it work in the best way.
As sad as I am to say good bye to Wayward Hollow, I am so happy that all the couples got their HEA’s.

Also, A Love Like Mulled Wine can also be called Must Love Pets. The furry friends in Hailey Frost’s Wayward Hollow continue to make appearances and play such an important part into the story and the characters lives.

[Kasey]

Review of advanced copy

Falling for your ex-boyfriend’s sister sounds like a questionable life choice, but I was very happy to support Kieran in this endeavor. 😂

Kieran and Brooke were such a fun pairing! I loved his flirting, her reluctance to be charmed, and getting to see the heart underneath all his jokes. A man who makes room in his home for a bunch of displaced animals? That is VERY effective flirting as far as I’m concerned.

The Christmas market, snowy atmosphere, familiar faces, and spice made this such a lovely seasonal read. There’s some heavier emotion tucked in here too, which made me want Kieran to get his happy ending even more.

Having read this whole series, saying goodbye to Wayward Hollow feels like leaving friends after a really good visit. I’ve loved spending time with this chaotic little group, and this was such a sweet way to wrap things up. I hope we get to come back someday. I’m not quite ready to hand over my imaginary house key. 🥹❤️

[Jade_Reads2019]

I absolutely love Wayward Hollow. Can I move here please ? I must say I wasn’t quite sure about this one, not because it was bad far from it. It was full of emotion, and handled with such care I couldn’t even think about writing something like this. It was so emotionally gripping I couldn’t put it down as you can tell I read this in days.
Kieran and Brooke were perfect. Full of humour, banter and such lovable characters and the friendship group is everything I could ever want. I honestly don’t know ho the author does it. It’s perfect.

I would say though before anyone thinks about picking this one up, check for trigger warnings because it can be difficult at times.

Thank you to Hailey for providing me with an E-ARC of this beautiful Christmas book I can’t wait for everyone else to read this too!

[pagesofzai]

*ARC REVIEW*

I was kindly given an ARC of A Love Like Mulled Wine and this was good! been waiting for Kieran’s book for so long and loved reading it. Kieran is such a sweetheart, so kind and helpful and thoughtful, it broke my heart what he went through with his family. Brooke was a sweet and hardworking girl, I liked her and how much she cared for and loved her animals. they were cute together, I liked how they both could be themselves with each other and were comfortable. I loved seeing the friendship group together and seeing it grow and become bigger, it’s such a beautiful depiction of friendship. it's so sweet and supportive and wholesome and I love all of them. they're (one of) my favourite part of the series. the ending was so bittersweet, but such a good way to end the series. 🫶🏼 Wayward Hollow! (thank you to Hailey Frost and Love Notes PR for the ARC, all opinions are my own)
A Love Like Mulled Wine releases October 13!
4⭐

[lauren dedinsky]

What To Expect:
- Ex's Sister
- Bisexual MMC
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Golden Retriever x Black Cat
- Small Town
- Cozy Christmas / Winter Vibes
- Found Family
- He Falls First

5⭐️

seriously is there anything hailey frost can’t do? because her books are so addictive and just feel so homey. her writing style makes it so easy to picture every single thing happening while you read. it’s the best experience and i will always want to read her books just for that alone.

but every storyline is also just as incredible. its hard to not like the characters she writes too. they always stick with me for a long time after i finish her books.

brooke and kieran were so cute and perfect together! it got a little emotional at times as well as spicy so you have that to look forward to as well 😉

thank you so much hailey frost and lovenotespr for gifting me a copy of this e-arc!!

[SimplyHeidi]

Thank you to Love Notes PR for the opportunity to read ‘A Love Like Mulled Wine’ early! ❤️

Did I finish this book in one sitting and neglect all of my responsibilities because of how wrapped up in the story I was?

Yes. Yes I did.

Kieran & Brooke may be my favorite couple yet in the Wayword Hollow series. Reading this book felt like a drinking a warm mug of hot chocolate, while cuddling on the couch with your favorite fluffy pet. I’m still not sure how Hailey Frost manages to encapsulate the feelings of pure coziness so well!

If you love small town romances, found family, & “he falls first”, this book might as well be meant for you. It is seriously the perfect read to kick off the holiday season! 🎄🎅

[Julie]

ARC review
Anecdotal thoughts while reading
OMG, the tattoo experience. 😂 coloring?!?!
I'll take Dick Van Dyke if you don't want him anymore or if he is just too much responsibility.
💰 🙅‍♀️ 😲
🔥 🐦 🐕 🐈 🐇 oh my!
🪓 🪵 📱 Got to make the extra $$ somehow.
Cinnamon rolls...yum!
Lauren, Lauren, Lauren 😱
🗓 ⏲️
🤒
Dang, it seems like Kieran has been sick forever.
Date night
Where will more 🐕 🐈 🐇 fit?
🎠 🎅