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Drake Family
Never Mind the Mistletoe: A Drake Family Novella
It’s going to take more than mistletoe
Nothing should be sweeter than going home for Christmas—yet Arabella Drake, Countess of March, dreads the journey every December. This year’s trip threatens to be the worst yet. From broken carriage wheels to a sudden snowstorm, overcrowded inns to a run-in with thieves, everything is conspiring to throw her together with the man she hates above all her husband.
To save this marriage in trouble
Theo, Earl of March, is in holiday hell. It was one thing to be forced into marriage with Arabella, whose shy kisses and innocent passion ruined him for all others—it’s quite another to be forced to share a carriage with the maddening woman all the way from London to Yorkshire. But with every fiery argument and heated glance, it is becoming harder for Theo to resist the temptation to do something incredibly stupid—like falling in love with his own wife.
Nothing should be sweeter than going home for Christmas—yet Arabella Drake, Countess of March, dreads the journey every December. This year’s trip threatens to be the worst yet. From broken carriage wheels to a sudden snowstorm, overcrowded inns to a run-in with thieves, everything is conspiring to throw her together with the man she hates above all her husband.
To save this marriage in trouble
Theo, Earl of March, is in holiday hell. It was one thing to be forced into marriage with Arabella, whose shy kisses and innocent passion ruined him for all others—it’s quite another to be forced to share a carriage with the maddening woman all the way from London to Yorkshire. But with every fiery argument and heated glance, it is becoming harder for Theo to resist the temptation to do something incredibly stupid—like falling in love with his own wife.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 7, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 28, 2026
A touching, emotional novella that plucks at the heartstrings and expertly conveys the heroine’s suffocating helplessness in her situation. It goes a little too far though, for me, and makes the hero irredeemable.
Arabella and Theo were forced to wed and he blamed her for trapping him. Ten years on and they despise each other, living in separate houses across a London square. But once a year, at the request of their beloved son (the result of their one and only union), they spend Christmas together in the country.
But this year, fate is conspiring against them and a series of unfortunate events mean that the Earl of March and his Countess are forced to travel home to Yorkshire in each other’s company. It seems that whilst all that hatred has been building, the couple never actually took the time to see if perhaps they might quite like each other.
Hmm, a mixed bag of feelings for this novella. I cried several times whilst reading it, Arabella’s story is heartbreaking and I really wanted her to be seen and to be loved.
But Theo was a prick. He was so cruel to her over and over again. With her only crime seeming to be that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and then subsequently was a little reserved. He was such a smug git, even though he did eventually (when his son pointed it out) realise how badly he had treated her, I couldn’t forgive him. Perhaps, if it had been a full length novel, there would have been enough time for all the grovelling he needed to do but also, maybe not.
A brilliant set up. A beautiful, emotional story, but the author was a little too successful in painting Theo a cad.
Arabella and Theo were forced to wed and he blamed her for trapping him. Ten years on and they despise each other, living in separate houses across a London square. But once a year, at the request of their beloved son (the result of their one and only union), they spend Christmas together in the country.
But this year, fate is conspiring against them and a series of unfortunate events mean that the Earl of March and his Countess are forced to travel home to Yorkshire in each other’s company. It seems that whilst all that hatred has been building, the couple never actually took the time to see if perhaps they might quite like each other.
Hmm, a mixed bag of feelings for this novella. I cried several times whilst reading it, Arabella’s story is heartbreaking and I really wanted her to be seen and to be loved.
But Theo was a prick. He was so cruel to her over and over again. With her only crime seeming to be that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and then subsequently was a little reserved. He was such a smug git, even though he did eventually (when his son pointed it out) realise how badly he had treated her, I couldn’t forgive him. Perhaps, if it had been a full length novel, there would have been enough time for all the grovelling he needed to do but also, maybe not.
A brilliant set up. A beautiful, emotional story, but the author was a little too successful in painting Theo a cad.
July 18, 2026
This was was so angsty!!! They met and married too young and let misunderstandings ruin their life. Theo made some grave mistakes and I'm not sure I would have forgiven him... Luckily our heroine is much more forgiving! I LOVED this novella and if you listen to the audiobook it's even more beautiful.
Unputdownable!
Unputdownable!
July 24, 2026
Loved the fmc and the beginning of the book. The nightmare road trip was so fun.
What i did not like is that his grovel was just him crying then immediate flash forward. I wish there was more time dedicated to him working to fix the relationship. She is way too forgiving.
Did enjoy the writing though and the angst was angsty
3.5 stars rounding up to 4
What i did not like is that his grovel was just him crying then immediate flash forward. I wish there was more time dedicated to him working to fix the relationship. She is way too forgiving.
Did enjoy the writing though and the angst was angsty
3.5 stars rounding up to 4
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May 23, 2026Another Perfect Read by Louisa Darling
Once again an excellent piece from LD. I laughed. I cried at least twice. I felt for these two hurt people! Wonderfully crafted. Please don't pass on this one! Loved it.
Once again an excellent piece from LD. I laughed. I cried at least twice. I felt for these two hurt people! Wonderfully crafted. Please don't pass on this one! Loved it.
June 12, 2026
This was my first Louisa Darling, but I'm delighted to say it won't be my last. I don't usually gravitate to a reconciliation romance, but this one delivered promise and delicious tension right from the start. Adventure, character growth, and heat all make this a great read.
July 25, 2026
Fuck this book and fuck this hero and fuck this author for not letting the heroine just fucking enjoy sex the way the hero obviously fucking did.
Theo was right at the end, she shouldn’t have forgiven him. What is this with the genre and putting less than mediocre men on a pedestal.
Theo was right at the end, she shouldn’t have forgiven him. What is this with the genre and putting less than mediocre men on a pedestal.
April 10, 2026
I’m such a sucker for “our marriage went wrong on day 1”, and this was a well done version of that. A lot packed into this novella, and I especially like the two step coming together of the MCs, which felt authentic to me.
June 6, 2026
She should've killed him 🤷🏻♀️
(2.5)
(2.5)
June 7, 2026
Theo really made me angry at the beginning but thankfully he redeemed himself.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews