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An Accidentally in Love Story #5
Mistle Text: 'Twas the Text Before Christmas ...
Twas the text before Christmas…
Twenty-eight-year-old Holly Snow is the only mother her four-year-old niece remembers. Three years earlier, when her sister and brother-in-law were killed, Holly’s dream of becoming an international flight attendant was put on hold so she could be home for baby Faith. Holly is doing everything she can to keep the rent paid, including working as an online travel agent, filing medical claims, and cleaning apartments in her building. When her friend Maggie tells her that her boss needs someone to buy his Christmas gifts, she leaps at the opportunity.
Tall, dark and Scroogy, investment banker, Archibald Harrington is too busy to do his own Christmas shopping. When his assistant tells him she knows of a professional shopper, he happily checks another dreaded task off his holiday list. The last thing Archie is expecting is for his hired elf to text him insistently to find out more about the people on list. The last thing Holly expects is to develop feelings for grumpy man who’s stealing her Christmas spirit.
Will there be a Holiday miracle, or will Holly and Archie miss their chance at love? Find out in the fifth installment of the Accidentally in Love Series.
Twenty-eight-year-old Holly Snow is the only mother her four-year-old niece remembers. Three years earlier, when her sister and brother-in-law were killed, Holly’s dream of becoming an international flight attendant was put on hold so she could be home for baby Faith. Holly is doing everything she can to keep the rent paid, including working as an online travel agent, filing medical claims, and cleaning apartments in her building. When her friend Maggie tells her that her boss needs someone to buy his Christmas gifts, she leaps at the opportunity.
Tall, dark and Scroogy, investment banker, Archibald Harrington is too busy to do his own Christmas shopping. When his assistant tells him she knows of a professional shopper, he happily checks another dreaded task off his holiday list. The last thing Archie is expecting is for his hired elf to text him insistently to find out more about the people on list. The last thing Holly expects is to develop feelings for grumpy man who’s stealing her Christmas spirit.
Will there be a Holiday miracle, or will Holly and Archie miss their chance at love? Find out in the fifth installment of the Accidentally in Love Series.
302 pages, Paperback
First published September 19, 2021
236 people are currently reading
3725 people want to read
About the author
Whitney Dineen
67 books808 followersWhitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries -- not always in that order.
She's a USA Today Bestselling & multi-award-winning author of romantic comedies, non-fiction humor, thrillers, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.
She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.
Gold Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards 2017.
Silver medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016, 2019.
Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.
Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017, 2019
Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards and Top Shelf Book Awards, 2017
She's a USA Today Bestselling & multi-award-winning author of romantic comedies, non-fiction humor, thrillers, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.
She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.
Gold Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards 2017.
Silver medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016, 2019.
Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.
Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017, 2019
Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards and Top Shelf Book Awards, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 472 reviews
June 30, 2024
If you treat this as a fairytale, it’s a dream come true.
December 4, 2023
I didn't realize that this is fifth in a romance series or I may not have picked it up. It doesn't appear to be entwined with any of the others, though, because I didn't see any hint of happy couples bouncing around like kittens that you get in long-running romance serieses. Plus, it's holiday themed, so I probably would have taken a run at it regardless.
This is fine as a wish-fulfillment holiday romance. Not great, though. I like Holly's can-do attitude and scramble to make a good life for her niece, Faith. Nothing about her background makes sense, so don't scrutinize it too much. I mean, we're told at one point that something like $30k is more than she makes in a year and she's living in an apartment in Queens. I don't know much about that real estate market, but that doesn't seem possible to me. So you kind of have to ignore the details and just roll with "poor hard-working girl making ends meet, almost".
Still, her and Faith are a great combo and I liked seeing her being the mom and making tough choices.
Archie is your standard wish-fulfillment billionaire who just needs to realize that he really has a heart. I loved seeing him with Faith, frankly, and that stands as the best thing the authors manage in the story. Seriously, great work. The authors do lard him up with a stupid negative motivation* of "I'm not cut out for relationships or families because work has to be everything for me to succeed in life". He holds onto this way too long. Worse, he doubles down in order to produce a dark moment just so the authors can pull a grand gesture with lots of poor-people flavor. Oh, and I truly hate when after the fact, . Just. No.
And don't get me started on the rosy social justice thing with homeless people. Because all they need is to know someone cares about them and it'll fix 'em right up, don't you know...
Yeah it's kind of a mess. But I was entertained enough that I finished it and the annoyances weren't so bad I couldn't skim them. So I'm going to go with three stars and just say that I don't really recommend this unless you really want that holiday thing in a wish-fulfillment billionaire way with little depth but a bit of charm.
A note about missing faith: While the authors handled the no-steam just fine, it's pretty clear that they come from a background of faith. At least, that's the only explanation I have for them showing Faith's tony preschool putting on a full-blown nativity straight from the bible, complete with scriptural quotes delivered by Faith playing an angel. There's no way I see that happening in Manhattan. No. Way. Am I out of line with that? Are the up-scale, need a scholarship to only pay $6k yearly tuition, otherwise wholly secular, unflinchingly upperclass preschools likely to put on a Christmas Nativity Play with full manger scene and angel quoting the bible? Really?
A note about Chaste: Holly is, rightly, skeptical about the whole setup with Archie and doesn't feel like being paid for sex (though never in so many words, mind). This is pretty chaste with only a kiss or two. So I consider it very chaste.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
This is fine as a wish-fulfillment holiday romance. Not great, though. I like Holly's can-do attitude and scramble to make a good life for her niece, Faith. Nothing about her background makes sense, so don't scrutinize it too much. I mean, we're told at one point that something like $30k is more than she makes in a year and she's living in an apartment in Queens. I don't know much about that real estate market, but that doesn't seem possible to me. So you kind of have to ignore the details and just roll with "poor hard-working girl making ends meet, almost".
Still, her and Faith are a great combo and I liked seeing her being the mom and making tough choices.
Archie is your standard wish-fulfillment billionaire who just needs to realize that he really has a heart. I loved seeing him with Faith, frankly, and that stands as the best thing the authors manage in the story. Seriously, great work. The authors do lard him up with a stupid negative motivation* of "I'm not cut out for relationships or families because work has to be everything for me to succeed in life". He holds onto this way too long. Worse, he doubles down in order to produce a dark moment just so the authors can pull a grand gesture with lots of poor-people flavor. Oh, and I truly hate when after the fact, . Just. No.
And don't get me started on the rosy social justice thing with homeless people. Because all they need is to know someone cares about them and it'll fix 'em right up, don't you know...
Yeah it's kind of a mess. But I was entertained enough that I finished it and the annoyances weren't so bad I couldn't skim them. So I'm going to go with three stars and just say that I don't really recommend this unless you really want that holiday thing in a wish-fulfillment billionaire way with little depth but a bit of charm.
A note about missing faith: While the authors handled the no-steam just fine, it's pretty clear that they come from a background of faith. At least, that's the only explanation I have for them showing Faith's tony preschool putting on a full-blown nativity straight from the bible, complete with scriptural quotes delivered by Faith playing an angel. There's no way I see that happening in Manhattan. No. Way. Am I out of line with that? Are the up-scale, need a scholarship to only pay $6k yearly tuition, otherwise wholly secular, unflinchingly upperclass preschools likely to put on a Christmas Nativity Play with full manger scene and angel quoting the bible? Really?
A note about Chaste: Holly is, rightly, skeptical about the whole setup with Archie and doesn't feel like being paid for sex (though never in so many words, mind). This is pretty chaste with only a kiss or two. So I consider it very chaste.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
January 11, 2023
Holly Snow (I know, what a perfect name) is struggling to make ends meet while trying to raise her 5 year old niece after her parents died 3 years ago. In comes a chance of a life time, to be a personal shopper for a real life "Scrooge meets Daddy Warbucks" Archie aka Archibald (the name says it all)
This is a laugh out loud rom com with a mash up some of the best tropes: grumpy sunshine, fake dating and rich man poor girl.
This is definitely one of my all time favorite Christmas rom coms! And it's available on Kindle Unlimited!
This is a laugh out loud rom com with a mash up some of the best tropes: grumpy sunshine, fake dating and rich man poor girl.
This is definitely one of my all time favorite Christmas rom coms! And it's available on Kindle Unlimited!
February 22, 2022
This Christmas romance was just too cute. I was hooked after only a few chapters. Obviously, I finished this read in a few hours. I really liked the atmosphere that was portrayed by the author. It was warm more than anything else. The characters were great as well as the secondary characters without whom the story would not have been the same. For a French speaker like me, I found the novel accessible after a little bit of adjustment. So I can easily recommend it.
October 13, 2021
Surprisingly Cute!
I typically don’t like holiday themed books. It makes me think too much of Hallmark movies and my moms love for forcing them upon me. Not my thing. However, this book is not in your face Christmassy. It is just a story that happens to take place over the holiday. Perfect.
My ONE gripe with the book is the same one I have with several of its kind. Stop looking into the camera. Leave us (the reader) out of it so we can enjoy the story without getting involved. This invisible forth wall is broken every time the author talks about romance books and movies. Something like: “That’s not how life works outside of the movies” or “Oh, and not expect this to be one of those awful fake relationships that turns into real life coupledome, a la that movie with Sandra Bullock [ . . .]” you get the idea. It’s very distracting. First, I am willing to bet a LOT of people (myself included) love fake relationship books . . . I mean, we are reading one! So it is a little of a slap in the face and brakes our attention from the story.
BUUUUUUT, that being said. I really loved the story. The addition of Faith was everything. It gave me all the feels. I love when a story makes me feel to the point of tears, and I got it with this one! Thank you, Whitney Dineen!
If you have read all of her books, or if this is the first one, I know it wont be the last. I am hooked!!!
I typically don’t like holiday themed books. It makes me think too much of Hallmark movies and my moms love for forcing them upon me. Not my thing. However, this book is not in your face Christmassy. It is just a story that happens to take place over the holiday. Perfect.
My ONE gripe with the book is the same one I have with several of its kind. Stop looking into the camera. Leave us (the reader) out of it so we can enjoy the story without getting involved. This invisible forth wall is broken every time the author talks about romance books and movies. Something like: “That’s not how life works outside of the movies” or “Oh, and not expect this to be one of those awful fake relationships that turns into real life coupledome, a la that movie with Sandra Bullock [ . . .]” you get the idea. It’s very distracting. First, I am willing to bet a LOT of people (myself included) love fake relationship books . . . I mean, we are reading one! So it is a little of a slap in the face and brakes our attention from the story.
BUUUUUUT, that being said. I really loved the story. The addition of Faith was everything. It gave me all the feels. I love when a story makes me feel to the point of tears, and I got it with this one! Thank you, Whitney Dineen!
If you have read all of her books, or if this is the first one, I know it wont be the last. I am hooked!!!
October 13, 2021
Surprisingly adorable!! Review will be up tomorrow.
October 13, 2021
With a plot that is derivative, uninspired, been-there/done-that, this new Dineen/Summers rom-com disappointed me. The characters are cliched and lack dimension and the 5-year-old child in the cast was unbelievably precocious, behaving and speaking more like a 9-year-old. Or maybe everybody of my acquaintance has dummkopf children?
Perfect, self-abnegating, giving, loving, beautiful heroine, Holly Snow, has had to give up any chance for higher education and a successful career to take care of a mother with dementia and the young orphaned daughter of her late sister and brother-in-law.
She's scraping by, working as many jobs as possible in order to keep her mom in a care home and to be able to pay the too-high tuition for her niece at a school for gifted children. But Holly never complains, because she's upbeat, loving, caring, and perfect, and we know she deserves a fairy-tale HEA.
Her best friend Toni works for a handsome, hunky, driven, workaholic rich guy and gets Holly a seasonal job with him, doing his Christmas shopping. There. Nuff said. Yes, everything you are imagining happens. Not only does he need Holly as his personal shopper, but it turns out she'd also make him an excellent fake fiancee. He needs to prove that he's a marrying/family man guy and deserves to be top CEO at his investment brokerage firm.
Anything new here yet? Nope. Oh, and we also have the requisite shopping trip to outfit Holly and niece for the upcoming Christmas visit to be spent with his snooty family and business partners so that they can impress how family-oriented our hero has become.
The people there, of course, are what you would expect. They are pretty horrid and snotty, with a few exceptions. And we will also have some major conflicts between H and h because the H, who up to that point had been a pretty good guy, suddenly turns into a Big Jerk.
But, not to worry. All will be well. The perfect heroine will get her Pretty Woman ending.
Perfect, self-abnegating, giving, loving, beautiful heroine, Holly Snow, has had to give up any chance for higher education and a successful career to take care of a mother with dementia and the young orphaned daughter of her late sister and brother-in-law.
She's scraping by, working as many jobs as possible in order to keep her mom in a care home and to be able to pay the too-high tuition for her niece at a school for gifted children. But Holly never complains, because she's upbeat, loving, caring, and perfect, and we know she deserves a fairy-tale HEA.
Her best friend Toni works for a handsome, hunky, driven, workaholic rich guy and gets Holly a seasonal job with him, doing his Christmas shopping. There. Nuff said. Yes, everything you are imagining happens. Not only does he need Holly as his personal shopper, but it turns out she'd also make him an excellent fake fiancee. He needs to prove that he's a marrying/family man guy and deserves to be top CEO at his investment brokerage firm.
Anything new here yet? Nope. Oh, and we also have the requisite shopping trip to outfit Holly and niece for the upcoming Christmas visit to be spent with his snooty family and business partners so that they can impress how family-oriented our hero has become.
The people there, of course, are what you would expect. They are pretty horrid and snotty, with a few exceptions. And we will also have some major conflicts between H and h because the H, who up to that point had been a pretty good guy, suddenly turns into a Big Jerk.
But, not to worry. All will be well. The perfect heroine will get her Pretty Woman ending.
December 18, 2022
4⭐️ - this was so funny & cute! I sped my way through the audio, completely immersed. Fake dating w/ a rich grump & poor girl, throw in an adorable, scene stealing precocious child, a solid female friendship, found family & more and you’ve got a holiday romance win!
October 4, 2021
Rating: 3.0/5.0
I received this book for free in exchange for a voluntary, honest review
Mistle Text was cute! I mean, it was sweet, but also predictable, but it's a good read when you have some time you want to kill.
Faith was adorable and hilarious, and Archie and Holly were fun to read as well.
Personally, I wasn't a fan of the instalove, because the romance appeared without having any buildup. There were a few moments when both Archie and Holly found the other attractive, but there wasn't much else that pointed towards falling for the other, besides their (dramatic) narrations of I shouldn't be falling for him and and yet I couldn't help falling for her, etc. (By the way that was not pulled from the book, just basic summaries of what their mentalities were like.)
I also didn't care for Holly. Her narration became a little whiny and she was upset by Archie enforcing the boundaries they agreed on, so when she tries to get back at him, I thought that was petty of her. The only thing they didn't do was sign a contract, but she was still acting ridiculously upset. Her language use also changes throughout the story. From the beginning to the first half, we get a lot of "heck"s, which got on my nerves because at one point it felt like almost every other paragraph went, "Heck, how could I...". I understand staying away from language because there is a child, but that's a lot of hecks. Plus, later on, she starts cursing and thinking curses, which I don't understand. Why did her language change? Why has she shown no inklings for cursing and suddenly she's thinking it a lot?
Overall, it was a good read to kill some time, but I don't think I'll read it again.
I received this book for free in exchange for a voluntary, honest review
Mistle Text was cute! I mean, it was sweet, but also predictable, but it's a good read when you have some time you want to kill.
Faith was adorable and hilarious, and Archie and Holly were fun to read as well.
Personally, I wasn't a fan of the instalove, because the romance appeared without having any buildup. There were a few moments when both Archie and Holly found the other attractive, but there wasn't much else that pointed towards falling for the other, besides their (dramatic) narrations of I shouldn't be falling for him and and yet I couldn't help falling for her, etc. (By the way that was not pulled from the book, just basic summaries of what their mentalities were like.)
I also didn't care for Holly. Her narration became a little whiny and she was upset by Archie enforcing the boundaries they agreed on, so when she tries to get back at him, I thought that was petty of her. The only thing they didn't do was sign a contract, but she was still acting ridiculously upset. Her language use also changes throughout the story. From the beginning to the first half, we get a lot of "heck"s, which got on my nerves because at one point it felt like almost every other paragraph went, "Heck, how could I...". I understand staying away from language because there is a child, but that's a lot of hecks. Plus, later on, she starts cursing and thinking curses, which I don't understand. Why did her language change? Why has she shown no inklings for cursing and suddenly she's thinking it a lot?
Overall, it was a good read to kill some time, but I don't think I'll read it again.
October 14, 2021
An easy read with some fun notes but lacking any type of depth. Faith was my favorite character. I saw some reviews saying she wasn’t very believable as a 5 year old but I have a 7 year old daughter who definitely would have had said some of the same things at five.
December 8, 2021
“As much as I would like to think I’m a self-sufficient capable woman, at the moment I wouldn’t mind Prince Charming coming to my rescue.”
Mistle Text was a sweet, fluffy heartwarming holiday story. It was the perfect blend between Cinderella Story and Pretty Woman. It was clever and hilarious. The character growth was chefs kiss. Faith was by far my favorite character she was way too cute and smart as a whip, her relationship with Holly and with life in general was beautiful. I gotta say though that I wish that the ending was a little more spread out and I would have loved to get a couple more romantic and swoonworthy moments. Still if you are a Hallmark girl like me, this book is for you.
“Turning to my laptop, I Google “can the average five-year-old lie?”
Read if you like
•Aunt/ guardian
•Dual POV
•Rags to riches
•Christmas Shopping
•The Proposal
•Cinderella Story
•NYC setting
•Fake Dating
•Miracle of 34th street
TW demencia
Mistle Text was a sweet, fluffy heartwarming holiday story. It was the perfect blend between Cinderella Story and Pretty Woman. It was clever and hilarious. The character growth was chefs kiss. Faith was by far my favorite character she was way too cute and smart as a whip, her relationship with Holly and with life in general was beautiful. I gotta say though that I wish that the ending was a little more spread out and I would have loved to get a couple more romantic and swoonworthy moments. Still if you are a Hallmark girl like me, this book is for you.
“Turning to my laptop, I Google “can the average five-year-old lie?”
Read if you like
•Aunt/ guardian
•Dual POV
•Rags to riches
•Christmas Shopping
•The Proposal
•Cinderella Story
•NYC setting
•Fake Dating
•Miracle of 34th street
TW demencia
December 6, 2021
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I have decided to spend the month of December reading all Christmas books and this was a wonderful start!! I loved everything about this book…the characters, the storyline, the setting, the writing style….EVERYTHING! My favorite character was Faith (Holly’s niece). She was the sweetest, smartest and funniest little girl. This was true “feel good, get you in the holiday spirit, Hallmark Christmas movie-type book”. This is my first novel by Whitney Dineen and Melanie Summers but will not be my last!! I hope this book gets picked up by Hallmark and a Christmas movie is made in the near future!!! I highly recommend this one! I hope the rest of my Christmas/Holiday books this month are as good as this one!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 6, 2021
This was the perfect book for the Christmas season. I loved the main characters, Archie and Holly, as well as the secondary characters, especially Holly’s niece, Faith. There was nothing particularly different in this story but I loved the witty banter, the humor, and this was a quick, fun read. It was heartbreaking to learn how hard Holly had to work to make ends meet and to realize there are so many out there with the same problems. Highly recommended for a cute holiday read!
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
December 8, 2021
Mistle Text was a sweet, heartwarming holiday story. If you are a Hallmark person, then this book is for you.
Read if you. like
- Dual POV
- fake dating
- rags to riches
- the Proposal
- NYC setting
- Christmas shopping
January 29, 2022
Good feeling book!
I enjoyed this book. I love when two people who seem so different click. Faith seemed older than five. A fun read not messed up with endless sex. Love a good HEA!
I enjoyed this book. I love when two people who seem so different click. Faith seemed older than five. A fun read not messed up with endless sex. Love a good HEA!
December 27, 2021
this was soo cute and like actually funny!! i’m obsessed!!!
October 30, 2022
Single mom (or more like single aunt) who’s hired as a Christmas personal shopper, grumpy boss, fake dating, and an adorable child : it’s a YES
November 25, 2022
Mistle Text is the 5th book in the Accidentally in Love series, but it is a standalone story. I really enjoyed this book. Holly Snow is raising her precocious four year old niece after the death of her parents three years earlier. She is working as many odd jobs as she can get to support them, as well as pay her portion of the tuition for the private school Faith is attending on partial scholarship. When Maggie, her best friend, tells her about a job as a personal shopper for her Scrooge of a boss, Archibald Harrington, she jumps at the opportunity. Archie has no intention of celebrating Christmas or meeting a woman, he just wants to work hard to prove to his uncle that he should be running the company when he retires. When his friend and security boss at the firm tells him that his uncle is worried about leaving the business to a single, unattached man, he comes up with a plan. He asks Holly if she will pretend to be his girlfriend and possible fiancée for the Christmas holidays. Holly agrees, as long as Faith is also able to attend, which actually makes Archie happy. Will this fake relationship become a real one?
Of course this is a Christmas rom-com, so you know how it will end up, but the story to get there is delightful. I loved Faith's role in this story. She is very precocious, but also has no filter, is astute and has a good moral compass. She easily worms her way into Archie's affections and helps to bring him and Holly together. Her comments and antics made me smile constantly. Archie really wasn't that hard of a nut to crack. He just needed a reason to let down his guard and to meet the right person. There is some shopping, Christmas festivities, a visit to a curmudgeon who thaws under Faith's honesty and a best friend who wants the best for Holly and Faith. A fun, sweet, clean story that I very much enjoyed. A Christmas romance that I am glad I picked up and definitely recommend. Thanks Toni at Reading Tonic, for bringing this book to my attention.
Of course this is a Christmas rom-com, so you know how it will end up, but the story to get there is delightful. I loved Faith's role in this story. She is very precocious, but also has no filter, is astute and has a good moral compass. She easily worms her way into Archie's affections and helps to bring him and Holly together. Her comments and antics made me smile constantly. Archie really wasn't that hard of a nut to crack. He just needed a reason to let down his guard and to meet the right person. There is some shopping, Christmas festivities, a visit to a curmudgeon who thaws under Faith's honesty and a best friend who wants the best for Holly and Faith. A fun, sweet, clean story that I very much enjoyed. A Christmas romance that I am glad I picked up and definitely recommend. Thanks Toni at Reading Tonic, for bringing this book to my attention.
December 16, 2021
Mistle Text is just the story that I needed to put me in the holiday spirit.
Holly Snow is struggling to make ends meet while raising her 5-year old niece, Faith. When Holly accepts a job as a personal shopper for her best friend's wealthy boss, she isn't expecting Archie. He's not the scrooge that she thought he'd be, so when she accepts his offer to be his fake girlfriend for a holiday getaway with his family, she soon realizes that her heart is in trouble. Archie is just looking to solidify his future in the business world. That does not include a real girlfriend or a child, but Holly can't help but dream of more, and little Faith just wants a family. This has disaster written all over it.
First off, I love stories where the characters text each other. Secondly, once this story started off on the "fake relationship" aspect, I wasn't sure that I'd really like it. I mean, yes, it's a trope that I've read often, but it's either a hit or miss for me. This one? As the story progressed, it was definitely a hit. I loved the slow build of the relationship between Holly and Archie, and little Faith definitely stole the show. The scenes with her and Archie? Oh, my heart.
This is a feel-good story, not a lot of drama or angst (although there were definitely some scrooges in Archie's family). This really is like a printed version of a Hallmark Christmas Movie, and although I'm not necessarily a fan of those, I sure am a fan of this book.
This is a fun, flirty, sometimes emotional read that will put you in the holiday spirit and leave you with a smile. I highly recommend grabbing a cup of hot chocolate, sitting in front of the fireplace or Christmas tree, and picking this up this one.
Holly Snow is struggling to make ends meet while raising her 5-year old niece, Faith. When Holly accepts a job as a personal shopper for her best friend's wealthy boss, she isn't expecting Archie. He's not the scrooge that she thought he'd be, so when she accepts his offer to be his fake girlfriend for a holiday getaway with his family, she soon realizes that her heart is in trouble. Archie is just looking to solidify his future in the business world. That does not include a real girlfriend or a child, but Holly can't help but dream of more, and little Faith just wants a family. This has disaster written all over it.
First off, I love stories where the characters text each other. Secondly, once this story started off on the "fake relationship" aspect, I wasn't sure that I'd really like it. I mean, yes, it's a trope that I've read often, but it's either a hit or miss for me. This one? As the story progressed, it was definitely a hit. I loved the slow build of the relationship between Holly and Archie, and little Faith definitely stole the show. The scenes with her and Archie? Oh, my heart.
This is a feel-good story, not a lot of drama or angst (although there were definitely some scrooges in Archie's family). This really is like a printed version of a Hallmark Christmas Movie, and although I'm not necessarily a fan of those, I sure am a fan of this book.
This is a fun, flirty, sometimes emotional read that will put you in the holiday spirit and leave you with a smile. I highly recommend grabbing a cup of hot chocolate, sitting in front of the fireplace or Christmas tree, and picking this up this one.
December 4, 2022
HOLIDAY CHEER.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
We have found another win for the holiday romance books column.
I do admit you do have to let go of some drama aspects for this one (as you do with holiday books), but I thought it was overall really charming!! The romance got off to a nice meet-cute and I liked the banter between Holly and Archie. They had some sweet moments that built the relationship well.
The plot had those billionaire romance aspects that I know many will love and worked for me most of the time too. I loved the personal shopper side of it too. The combination just worked so well for me.
Faith was a cute addition that only increased the charm on this book. I loved the new family they were creating together and it had me showcasing a huge smile. Faith was cheeky and landed the anecdotes at the right moment.
It’s a lighthearted and quick holiday read that I think will bring the best kind of feels for the season.
Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Holiday Romance
- Language: very little
- Romance: make-outs
- Trigger/Content Warnings: orphaned child (death of parents mentioned; off-page), a mother with dementia
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
We have found another win for the holiday romance books column.
I do admit you do have to let go of some drama aspects for this one (as you do with holiday books), but I thought it was overall really charming!! The romance got off to a nice meet-cute and I liked the banter between Holly and Archie. They had some sweet moments that built the relationship well.
The plot had those billionaire romance aspects that I know many will love and worked for me most of the time too. I loved the personal shopper side of it too. The combination just worked so well for me.
Faith was a cute addition that only increased the charm on this book. I loved the new family they were creating together and it had me showcasing a huge smile. Faith was cheeky and landed the anecdotes at the right moment.
It’s a lighthearted and quick holiday read that I think will bring the best kind of feels for the season.
Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Holiday Romance
- Language: very little
- Romance: make-outs
- Trigger/Content Warnings: orphaned child (death of parents mentioned; off-page), a mother with dementia
September 20, 2021
I didn't start this until late in the evening and was up most of the night finishing it. The story drew me in and held me tight from practically the start until the end. Faith was my favorite character. The precocious five year old stole the show with her outlook and zest for life. Ah, if we could only all see the world through her eyes. Holly, the heroine of the story, was lovable and deserved every good thing that came her way. She'd suffered great loss but was doing everything in her power to make a good life for her niece. The side characters in her life enriched the story and gave you more insight into Holly. Archie changed a lot throughout the story. Holly opened him up to an entirely different way of thinking about the meaning of his life. There were some really touching moments when he'd show his thoughtful side. This book made me feel a variety of emotions and that is what made it a worthwhile read.
October 28, 2021
I absolutly loved this book....rom com at its best leaving you with a feeling of well being.
Holly is full time guardian to her 5 year old neice following the death of the childs parents. However money is very tired, and whilst Holly wants the best for her, this is at times difficult. Her best friend Maggie comes up with a job opportunity for her to earn some decent xmas cash.....maggies very rich boss Archie is looking for a personal assistant to do his christmas shopping. He is a high flying career man, desperate to take over the family business. However in order to acheive this he needs to prove that he is a family orientated man.
As a business proposition, he asks Holly to be his ' girlfriend' and spend xmas with him and his extended family, with a very healthy wage packet at the end of it. Having developed an attraction to Archie Holly readily agrees, after all how dofficult can this be?
Absolutly brilliant book....highly recommend.
Holly is full time guardian to her 5 year old neice following the death of the childs parents. However money is very tired, and whilst Holly wants the best for her, this is at times difficult. Her best friend Maggie comes up with a job opportunity for her to earn some decent xmas cash.....maggies very rich boss Archie is looking for a personal assistant to do his christmas shopping. He is a high flying career man, desperate to take over the family business. However in order to acheive this he needs to prove that he is a family orientated man.
As a business proposition, he asks Holly to be his ' girlfriend' and spend xmas with him and his extended family, with a very healthy wage packet at the end of it. Having developed an attraction to Archie Holly readily agrees, after all how dofficult can this be?
Absolutly brilliant book....highly recommend.
September 27, 2021
All reviews posted at Tales of Love, Life, and Murder
This is a sweet and fun story but the best part of it is the easy banter between Holly and Archie. She’s struggling financially when a friend recommends Holly to her Scrooge-like boss as a personal shopper. The MCs are likeable, BFF Toni is perfect as a snarky foil and even Faith, Holly’s niece, is a great character. A lot of authors put children in their stories but can’t write them properly, but Faith is perfect here. This is an opposites attract slow burn with a holiday HEA that’s worth every minute.
September 21, 2021
Festive and fun:
As with all the previous books in the series, I was captivated and invested in the story from the get go. It truly brightened my day and lifted my spirits.
It was a cinderella type of story where despite best intentions, what started out as fantasy gradually became very much real. I enjoyed seeing the evolution in Archie's life as he went from an isolated workaholic to a family man. Holly and her 5 year old niece were adorable and I was so happy that they received the happiness that they so very much deserved.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
As with all the previous books in the series, I was captivated and invested in the story from the get go. It truly brightened my day and lifted my spirits.
It was a cinderella type of story where despite best intentions, what started out as fantasy gradually became very much real. I enjoyed seeing the evolution in Archie's life as he went from an isolated workaholic to a family man. Holly and her 5 year old niece were adorable and I was so happy that they received the happiness that they so very much deserved.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
September 21, 2021
This book was so good! I loved reading about Archie and Holly so much and with little Faith included there, it was just amazing. This book was so hard to put down and I didn't want to stop reading. I just wanted more about them and more from the future, it was just so good. Do not miss out on this book - it was just so good.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 23, 2021
I am a huge fan of this series, but each novel seems better than the last!
I think Holly & Archie's story is my favorite... The chemistry between the two was out of the park! Practically every word out of little Faith's month had my clutching my side in fits of laughter. Add in the most magical time of the year and this is the perfect book for the holidays or a day on the beach... This is truly a story to re-read when you need all the feels....
I think Holly & Archie's story is my favorite... The chemistry between the two was out of the park! Practically every word out of little Faith's month had my clutching my side in fits of laughter. Add in the most magical time of the year and this is the perfect book for the holidays or a day on the beach... This is truly a story to re-read when you need all the feels....
October 10, 2021
I love these books so very much. Fun light reads with enough steam to keep me entertained and of course a HEA for all. I just cannot wait to read more.
December 3, 2023
Fantastic, heartwarming, hilarious, G-rated, Christmas romantic comedy
Three years ago, when she was only 25, Holly Snow became the guardian of her then 2-year-old niece, Faith, when Holly's sister and brother-in-law died in a car accident. This was not the first family tragedy in poor Holly's life. Her father died when she was in high school, and she had to forgo a college education in order to take care of her mother, who developed dementia soon after the death of her husband. Currently, Holly is working multiple jobs to help finance her mother's residential care (presumably the cost above what Social Security Disability Insurance and Medicaid pays for). She also has to come up with $500 a month, which is the amount not covered by a partial scholarship that Faith has received, as a highly gifted child, for a special private school. Holly has two close, supportive friends in her life, Mrs Firestone, a retired, elderly neighbor with no family of her own, who lives in the same apartment complex as Holly, and her lifelong BFF, Toni. Both women adore Faith and frequently provide free child care. This assistance, along with living in a very small apartment, helps keep her basic expenses down, but Holly is afraid she's not going to be able to make the payments required to keep Faith in her school the rest of the year. She is greatly relieved when Toni informs her that her handsome, 33-year-old boss, Archibald Harrington III, a workaholic, billionaire investment banker, desperately needs to hire a professional shopper to purchase Christmas presents for his senior employees and members of his family.
In the process of taking on this extremely well-paying gig, Holly and Faith spend quite a bit of time with Archie, and it becomes obvious to Holly that he is not the hard-nosed, emotionally-closed-off misanthrope that Toni has portrayed him as being. In fact, he is absolutely wonderful with Faith and treats Holly with kindness, courtesy, and generosity as well. Not long after knowing him, Archie offers Holly a further opportunity to earn much needed income in the role of fake girlfriend, in order to help him land the promotion he has been working toward during the past 15 years of his life. The money Archie is offering will solve all her financial problems at a mind-boggling $3,000 per day. Unfortunately, the more time Holly spends with wonderful Archie, the more afraid she is that, when this fake relationship ends in a few short weeks, both she and Faith will be left with a broken heart, because there is no future for them with Archie. He has made it abundantly clear to Holly that he is a perpetual bachelor, who has no time for family life.
This is a fantastic romantic comedy. Archie is a terrific, cinnamon-roll hero, and I really liked Holly. She is a hard-working, loyal, and compassionate woman. This novel never resorts to creating romantic conflict by having either Archie or Holly treat each other with disrespect. The humor in the story comes from two delightful sources, witty repartee between Holly and Archie, and the hilariously precocious comments of Faith. I laughed out loud on practically every page through most of this novel. It is also Christmas themed and could easily become a seasonal favorite for romance readers. In addition, it provides a well written, classic, romcom-movie climax and a satisfyingly believable HEA. The author also offers readers of this novel a free extended epilogue in the form of a digital short story.
All in all, this novel is a real keeper. I'm sure I will reread it many times in the future.
Three years ago, when she was only 25, Holly Snow became the guardian of her then 2-year-old niece, Faith, when Holly's sister and brother-in-law died in a car accident. This was not the first family tragedy in poor Holly's life. Her father died when she was in high school, and she had to forgo a college education in order to take care of her mother, who developed dementia soon after the death of her husband. Currently, Holly is working multiple jobs to help finance her mother's residential care (presumably the cost above what Social Security Disability Insurance and Medicaid pays for). She also has to come up with $500 a month, which is the amount not covered by a partial scholarship that Faith has received, as a highly gifted child, for a special private school. Holly has two close, supportive friends in her life, Mrs Firestone, a retired, elderly neighbor with no family of her own, who lives in the same apartment complex as Holly, and her lifelong BFF, Toni. Both women adore Faith and frequently provide free child care. This assistance, along with living in a very small apartment, helps keep her basic expenses down, but Holly is afraid she's not going to be able to make the payments required to keep Faith in her school the rest of the year. She is greatly relieved when Toni informs her that her handsome, 33-year-old boss, Archibald Harrington III, a workaholic, billionaire investment banker, desperately needs to hire a professional shopper to purchase Christmas presents for his senior employees and members of his family.
In the process of taking on this extremely well-paying gig, Holly and Faith spend quite a bit of time with Archie, and it becomes obvious to Holly that he is not the hard-nosed, emotionally-closed-off misanthrope that Toni has portrayed him as being. In fact, he is absolutely wonderful with Faith and treats Holly with kindness, courtesy, and generosity as well. Not long after knowing him, Archie offers Holly a further opportunity to earn much needed income in the role of fake girlfriend, in order to help him land the promotion he has been working toward during the past 15 years of his life. The money Archie is offering will solve all her financial problems at a mind-boggling $3,000 per day. Unfortunately, the more time Holly spends with wonderful Archie, the more afraid she is that, when this fake relationship ends in a few short weeks, both she and Faith will be left with a broken heart, because there is no future for them with Archie. He has made it abundantly clear to Holly that he is a perpetual bachelor, who has no time for family life.
This is a fantastic romantic comedy. Archie is a terrific, cinnamon-roll hero, and I really liked Holly. She is a hard-working, loyal, and compassionate woman. This novel never resorts to creating romantic conflict by having either Archie or Holly treat each other with disrespect. The humor in the story comes from two delightful sources, witty repartee between Holly and Archie, and the hilariously precocious comments of Faith. I laughed out loud on practically every page through most of this novel. It is also Christmas themed and could easily become a seasonal favorite for romance readers. In addition, it provides a well written, classic, romcom-movie climax and a satisfyingly believable HEA. The author also offers readers of this novel a free extended epilogue in the form of a digital short story.
All in all, this novel is a real keeper. I'm sure I will reread it many times in the future.
November 17, 2024
This was a pretty nice Christmas romance that suffered a bit by being super rushed at the very end. Archie is a billionaire (of course) who is hyper-focused on his work. He doesn't have time for love or a family, and he doesn't intend to ever get married. He just wants to get the promotion that'll give him control of his family business. The only problem is that his uncle believes that family is important ... for the business somehow (it doesn't seem like he is much of a family man himself). Archie's solution? Hire his newly-hired personal shopper to be his fake girlfriend. The whole story plays out exactly how you would expect it to play out. What starts out as a ruse suddenly starts to feel real. What happens next? Can Archie give up his work dreams so that he can pursue a life of love and family? Of course he can! Can Holly trust this man who has declared that he will never fall in love? Of course she can! The whole thing is nice enough with a nice enough romance. The Christmas vibe was light, but adequate.
There were a few problems with the story that knocked off a star. First of all, Holly is taking care of her five year-old niece who was orphaned after her parents were killed in a tragic accident. Faith is cute. Super cute. But she's five, and she was written with the mannerisms and vocabulary of a ten year-old. It didn't work. I kept getting pulled out of the story as I rolled my eyes at her overly precocious statements. It all worked out in the end, but it got a tad bit annoying at times. But the even bigger problem is that the ending of the story is SUPER rushed. There is an inevitable blip in the story when Holly hears Archie restate his objection to romantic attachments. He makes it clear in no uncertain terms that Holly is his employee. Nothing more. Fine ... that's the sort of thing that happens in these stories. It wasn't unexpected. But this happens with a chapter and an epilogue left to go. Somehow Archie is going to have to fix things in that amount of time. Of course he is able to do this, but it was sooooooo rushed that it was horribly unsatisfying. There were all sorts of things that needed to be wrapped up, and it happens off the page or not at all. I was disappointed in this pacing. It took what could have been a beautiful moment and muted the emotions for me. Everything worked out wonderfully, but it didn't feel all that epic to me. For that reason, I give this one a strong three stars, but nothing more. I liked it well enough.
There were a few problems with the story that knocked off a star. First of all, Holly is taking care of her five year-old niece who was orphaned after her parents were killed in a tragic accident. Faith is cute. Super cute. But she's five, and she was written with the mannerisms and vocabulary of a ten year-old. It didn't work. I kept getting pulled out of the story as I rolled my eyes at her overly precocious statements. It all worked out in the end, but it got a tad bit annoying at times. But the even bigger problem is that the ending of the story is SUPER rushed. There is an inevitable blip in the story when Holly hears Archie restate his objection to romantic attachments. He makes it clear in no uncertain terms that Holly is his employee. Nothing more. Fine ... that's the sort of thing that happens in these stories. It wasn't unexpected. But this happens with a chapter and an epilogue left to go. Somehow Archie is going to have to fix things in that amount of time. Of course he is able to do this, but it was sooooooo rushed that it was horribly unsatisfying. There were all sorts of things that needed to be wrapped up, and it happens off the page or not at all. I was disappointed in this pacing. It took what could have been a beautiful moment and muted the emotions for me. Everything worked out wonderfully, but it didn't feel all that epic to me. For that reason, I give this one a strong three stars, but nothing more. I liked it well enough.
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