My Wicked Winter War

Hot Under the Mistletoe #4

by Sara Whitney

"I’ve been waiting for you. To fall with me and then help me back up.”

Seven years ago, CJ and Wyatt had one perfect night — and one catastrophic ending that neither of them has recovered from, no matter how hard they’ve tried.

Since then, they’ve perfected the art of making each other miserable. So when they discover they’ve both shown up at the same party to take down the same corrupt CEO, the only logical move is to declare a temporary truce in their ongoing war.

Too bad logic’s never been their strong suit when it comes to each other.

My Wicked Winter War is a banter-heavy, full-spice enemies-to-lovers romance built on a slow-burning misunderstanding, a deliciously chaotic revenge plot, and a grumpy, fiercely loyal hero who will make you forget every one of the book boyfriends who came before him. For readers who finished The Hating Game and immediately needed more.

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2026

About the author

Sara Whitney writes spicy (and occasionally stabby) rom-coms so addictive, you’ll finish them in one sitting and immediately stalk her for the next one. Sara’s an award-winning author whose books feature banter, big feelings, and heroes who’ve been in love since page one but are absolutely not ready to discuss it yet.

A recovering journalist and film critic who went rogue and got a Ph.D., Sara splits her time between professering, writing romance, and badgering her friends into watching her latest TV obsessions. Her writing lair (aka house) is outfitted with hot pink hallways, entire rooms of bookcases, and three adorable but sociopathic cats. Sara lives in Central Illinois, surviving on Swedish Fish, Yankees baseball, and the unwavering belief that red lipstick can fix almost anything.

Keep up with the latest by subscribing to Sara's mailing list at http://www.sarawhitney.com/subscribe

Reviews

[Amanda]

Ebook. Purchased. This was fun and silly and had great banter/tension. I have really enjoyed this series.

[notkayla.lostinpages]

Falling for your arch nemesis over a years long rivalry - add a lil spice, a lot of laughs, witty banter and pure chaos - 5 well earned stars!

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💫 arch nemesis to … ? 😏
💫 all of the banter 🤺👊
💫 too many funny one liners to highlight 🤭😂
💫 tension 😬🫦
💫 spicy hot 🌶️

My sound track:
Three Steps Ahead - Jared Benjamin

“I’m over my head and out of my mind. 🤯
I’ve been struck by your lightning.⚡️
You’re three steps ahead, I’m too far behind. 😩You’re the one that defines me. ❤️‍🔥”

After an amazing love at first sight encounter that was ruined immediately by two opposing view points - CJ & Wyatt engage in a 7 year long battle of wits, banter, and unexpected forced encounters accompanied by some steam and tension - before finally setting their differences aside for the forces of evil and justice when faced with a common greater enemy. What ensues is some firecracker sparks and a rioting good time. My new favorite Sara Whitney novel. Loved every minute of lip biting tension and giggles with these two. Their chemistry is irresistible and Whitney does an incredible job bringing these characters to life. Highly recommend. This isn’t too over the top Christmas / holiday themed and I think it can easily be round any time of the year. Thanks for the good time ;)

[A]

I have loved this series and I adore how witty the the FMC is (both internal and external dialogue). In a dual POV, it can be just to see the other MC inner thoughts, but in this book the writing and style is so clearly different for each that it informs both characters, especially over the years of interactions. My only gripe (and this may be due to my frustration at the current state of the world and men who don't take accountability for their own actions), but I needed Wyatt to either clue in faster or grovel a lot more. The fact that he clung to hating CJ for so many years when he had enough clues and experiences with her to start to question his conclusion about her actions made me question their HEA. The next time she makes a mistake, will he revert to lashing out at her and hurting her vs listening and trying to understand. That being said, the appearances from all the previous book leads and the creativity of the sabotage at the party were excellent and so well drawn that it was still a fun read.

[Christine Biesheuvel]

Not Able To Forget
At first JC and Wyatt hit it off with fire when she kind of kissed him under the mistletoe. They found an instant connection until it came out that she was doing an audit for the company he works for that would be devastating for his team. Every time when Fate threw them together at Christmas some sort of bad happened to stoke the fire between them that looked like hate. They couldn’t forget the warm feelings of the first hours, even when they were buried deep. Then they both found out that his boss was guilty of fraud and independently decided to make his Christmas party the worst they could make it. And finally found the chance to be honest to each other.
A story that switches between the ‘now’ and earlier Christmases and tells all about what happened during these years. Funny, even a bit over the top, with characters from earlier books in this series making an appearance.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[rochelle]

This is an absolute rollercoaster ride of sarcasm, banter, humor, and chaos. CJ and Wyatt are the perfect enemies‑to‑lovers couple. The author does a fantastic job capturing the chaos of their relationship, with the Christmas party deliberately designed to be filled with wild, chaotic moments—serving as a brilliantly planned act of revenge against Howard—interspersed with flashbacks that reveal their love‑hate dynamic over the past seven‑plus years.
Flashbacks can sometimes feel distracting, but they work perfectly here, adding depth, background, and full context to what happened between them. It all builds beautifully toward their HEA and makes it feel earned and incredibly satisfying.
If you love a romance that will have you laughing out loud, enjoying some spicy moments, and soaking up plenty of snark, don’t miss this one.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sandy]

The protagonists connected so well before opposing opinions on the job came between them. Then came more misunderstandings. They were too concentrated on being enemies, assaulting each other while denying attraction, that they missed being in love forever.
Something wouldn't have happened if someone hadn't done wrong, misleading. I like that five years ago she figured out one of the wrongs. It's awful that he bonded with and dated someone for so long due to misguided reasons. Also, that he didn't listen to her, was so quick to judge, and thought the worst of her. I'm not sure if I want them to be together.
Somehow they meet every year at the same wild Christmas parties.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Johanna]

Book 4 of the Hot Under the Mistletoe series. Can be read as a standalone.

'My Wicked Winter War is a banter-heavy, full-spice enemies-to-lovers romance built on a slow-burning misunderstanding, a deliciously chaotic revenge plot, and a grumpy, fiercely loyal hero who will make you forget every one of the book boyfriends who came before him.'

The characters were very appealing and likeable and complicated and perfectly steamy together. Plot was intriguing and exciting and well paced. World building was solidly drawn and impressive.

Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[H S]

3.5 stars ⭐️ Plenty of back and forth banter between CJ and Wyatt who met and had sparks several years prior. They have been at odds with each other since over business decisions gone awry. Both continue to have encounters with each other where they grate on each other’s nerves, but is it love or hate?? When it all comes to down to exposing corruption will they be on the same side and finally make their hate turn into love?

[Nati]

What and CJ had been at was for seven years. After falling in love under the mistletoe, they parted ways as enemies. And every Christmas since then, their distrust has been keeping alive. Can this time be their chance at redemption, forgiveness and finally having a future together? Sexy, funny and full of friendship, family and crazy people. Loved the series.

[JM G]

What a great book to read! Once I started reading My Wicked Winter War, I didn't want to put it down. The characters are well developed and take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Well worth the time spent reading this book!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rah]

All of the party sabotage is fun, and is the best part of the book. The bit with the pipers was hilarious.

The relationship is kinda of sad. All of the miscommunication stuff throughout the years, and the time they lost together is depressing.

[Debbie Benson]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I liked the banter and how their encounters over the years that are trying to bring them together. I was really glad when they finally get their happy ending together. I enjoyed this story.

[Michelle Shamy]

This was so much fun. I loved Wyatt and CJ and their banter and antics throughout. Calling a truce to take down this CEO, only managed to bring them closer together. I through most of this. It was such a blast. And I’m really happy that in all of it, they found their happy ending with one another.

[Rachel Kennedy]

An enemies to lovers romance, the story of Wyatt and CJ. A lot going on but easy to keep up with. Told from both points of view, and then and now.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rhiannon]

A really feel-good, clever and slightly bonkers Christmas rom com

[Gin]

This was a fun, OTT story that unapologetically leaned into the zaniness. I liked the characters and the humour.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Melinda Swaine]

Ummmm a fab Christmas romance read right here!!! Another perfect gem!! By this amazing author. Loved it. Great addition to this fab series and I can’t wait to read more. Happy reading

[Isha Coleman]

Spicy has a temptingly, wicked sense of humor. From frustrating to fiery, funny to fabulous, Whitney delivers irresistible. CJ and Wyatt are adorably, clueless and unpredictably, unforgettable.

[Literary Side Quest]

My Wicked Winter War was a cute, easy winter read, but it didn’t fully land for me.

I liked the snowy small-town setting and the rivals-to-lovers setup. There were some fun, flirty moments that kept me reading.

But the story was pretty predictable, and I didn’t feel that invested in the emotional side of it.

It’s still a light seasonal romance if you want something simple to read in winter.

Thanks to Booksprout and the author/publisher for the eARC.