Mistletoe Cactus

by Roxie Clarke

**Mistletoe Cactus is a short story best enjoyed if you have read String of Hearts, Calico Hearts, Tangled Hearts, and Christmas Cactus beforehand. **

After a rough few months between her former daughter-in-law, Avery, and herself, widow Tanesha Penn is attending Avery’s wedding at the Braverton Botanical Garden and trying to make her heart a judgment-free zone.

On the day of the wedding she meets a widower named Bert, who is the groom's uncle, in the sitting room of the 3B (Braverton B&B) and the two hit it off immediately. Bert asks Tanesha if she’ll walk with him to the venue and they end up sitting next to one another.

Tanesha, overcome by the beautiful ceremony, finds herself crying on Bert’s shoulder. So, when he asks her to dance, it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

That is, until they find themselves slow dancing under the mistletoe cactus, the wedding guests urging them to kiss.

Will they, or won’t they? Not even Tanesha and Bert know for sure.

Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2020

About the author

Roxie Clarke writes low-angst sweet and clean small town romance featuring hunky heroes and happily ever afters.
She lives outside of Portland, OR with her husband and their five kids.
It is loud at her house.

Reviews

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of a series and can be read without reading the previous books but you may understand things better if you read the previous books prior to this one. The characters are endearing, easy to get to know and easy to relate to. The story line plot is fun and entertaining and heartwarming. A great, short, quick read I definitely recommend.

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

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanesha lost her son and is now at the church, watching her daughter-in-law get married again. She strikes up a friendship with the man sitting next to her, Bert. They decide to share and table and a dance or two at the reception and then the proverbial mistletoe causes trouble. The characters show so much emotion and they have both lost close family recently so they understand how the other feels. The banter and comments or phrases from their youth hits home and they have a lot of fun, despite their sorrow. The story is a quick uplifting read and would really love to read more about their future.

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

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second short story as part of the Old Town Braverton series and tells the story of two older singletons, who meet up at Avery and Ryan’s snowed in wedding. Tanesha Penn has been a widow for a couple of decades and made life difficult for Avery when she fell in love with Ryan, only six months after losing her husband Tevin, who was her son. She thought she was making a decision far too quickly, but also making light of her son’s life, their love and time together, if she could move on so fast. They have made up and now she is there to see Avery marry her second love.

On the morning of the wedding, she meets widower Bert, who is Ryan’s uncle, as they are both staying at the same B&B near the wedding venue. He needs directions to the Botanical Gardens and she agrees to show him and walk over together with him. They chat together until it’s time to leave and get on really well together. They get to the wedding venue and sit together through the ceremony. Tanesha told Bert she wouldn’t need any tissues, as she never cries at weddings, but the ceremony overwhelms her and Bert saves her by giving her his handkerchief, as she cried into his shoulder. At the reception, they choose a table at the back of the room. He offers to fetch them some drinks and food and they settle in to enjoy the celebrations. When the dancing starts, he asks her to join him on the dance floor and after a slow dance, everyone seems to be looking at them. They have ended up underneath a mistletoe cactus hanging from the ceiling and the other guests are urging them on to kiss.

He asks first, then dips her and plants a sweet kiss on her lips. But her reaction is not exactly what he expected and she runs off. She hasn’t quite come to terms with a new relationship and a kiss from a stranger at the wedding of the woman who used to be married to her son, is perhaps a little too much for her to handle. What will happen to the pair next is unclear. Is it too much and too forward, or has Tanesha finally given her heart a judgement free-zone and allowed herself to move on like Avery? A very short tale as part of the wedding day happenings of some of the characters in this series and a hint at more relationships to come. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanesha Penn lost her son, and her former daughter-in-law, Avery, is marrying Ryan and moving on. Tanesha finds herself crying, not even sure why, and the man next to her offers her his handkerchief. She and Bert, Ryan’s uncle, gravitated together and shared a table. She had sobbed on his shoulder as he comforted her. He told her to keep his handkerchief to remember him by, and she laughed that all he would remember of her was the crazy woman sobbing on his shoulder as if they had known each other forever. He agreed that he felt he had known her that way too. Both were very comfortable with each other by now.

They had a few appetizers, then the music drew them out on the dance floor again. The song changed to a slow, romantic song and Bert held out his arms to her. People started to watch them because they had ended up under the mistletoe cactus. Bert asked her if he should move out from under it or kiss Tanesha, and she surprised herself by blurting out, “Kiss me,” as the crowd cheered. She ran outside, embarrassed, going over the wonderful kiss in her mind. Then she turned around and headed back inside. Would she ask him for another, now that she knew what she wanted?

This was such a wonderful story about how life does goes on even when we lose someone, and best of all, finding that age is not a barrier to love. Grab your copy and see what Tanesha decides to do about what could be the start of something very good in her life.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance for the Older Generation

This story is crazy short, even for a short story! It's all about a couple who happen to meet at a wedding. I love that they're older, as we don't see enough older folks getting a little romance in contemporary books. Even though this is short, the author is able to make these characters vivid and come alive. I wish they had a longer book. I at least hope that they will show up in later books in this series, as I would like to know how this progresses. A fun, surprisingly heartfelt quick read.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[BookishBunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A (very) short and sweet read featuring some of the characters from the Pinwheel Plant Shop series. It can be read as a standalone, though is maybe most enjoyed if you've read the ones that come before.

I really liked that the characters were seniors, as it's not often you see that in romances. The scenes, characters and dialogue were all vividly painted in words. Clarke is excellent at getting you to visualize what is happening. My only complaint is I really do wish that this story was longer and that we got to see how their romance developed instead of just its beginning. Maybe in a future book!

I received a copy of this book from Booksprout with no obligations and have chosen to leave a review.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of the Pinwheel Plant Shop series. I have really enjoyed the books in this series and this one was just as fun to read. It's a heartwarming story with wonderful characters who you can't help but fall in love with. The storyline flowed nicely and had an entertaining plot. Really enjoyed the book and looking forward to the next one!

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

[Richard Goodrum · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, little, later-in-life romance. Tanesha is attending the wedding of her son's widow. Bert is the groom's uncle. The pair get caught under the mistletoe cactus while dancing which flusters both of them. While the blurb admonishes reading as part of the series, it does seem complete unto itself. But, perhaps, it would be more enjoyable to read it together with the rest.

Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Romantic. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 1st book I've read written by Roxie Clarke; she has done a great job at writing a good short story; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Helena Mendes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short story very much, it features Tanisha, Avery's former mother in law and Bert, Ryan's uncle. It is about their meeting in the wedding and becoming friends and possibly something more after a kiss under the mistletoe. I would love to know if they do become something more.

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

[casvec · Rating 5 out of 5]

At Avery and Ryan's wedding, Tanesha gets to know the groom's uncle, Bert. The is a sweet story of a start of a relationship.

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

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a quick read about the reception of Avery and Ryan's wedding, this story is between. Ryan's uncle and Avery's first MIL.

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

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holidays always add an unexpected twist to a story. Wonderful and entertaining characters. Charming story of love and romance. Good read.

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

[Jennifer Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet

Takes ha and Bert are both retired, but they found out they still have a life to live. Both tend to be busy bodies in other people's lives.

[Rita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another short story about Avery and Ryan’s wedding. Don’t know these protagonists well enough to get invested.