Mistletoe Wish

by Cate Tayler

Under the mistletoe with your mister or miss, make a wish then seal it with a kiss...Amaya Montero has a beautiful son, a lovely home, and is married to the love of her life. What she doesn't have is her husband's heart. After a brief summer romance resulted in their son, Cristian did the honorable thing and married her. But Amaya is tired of being his obligation. She wants him to love her the way she deserves -- wholly and passionately. Is that a wish too much for the mistletoe to handle?Cristian isn't a sentimental man but he takes care of the people he loves. Though unexpected pregnancy changed his future, he loves the life he has now. Which is why he's surprised when Amaya announces she's leaving him. He hadn't realized how much he'd been taking his wife for granted. Now he must prove to her that he can love her the way she needs and that she has always held his heart.For twelve days, Cristian woos Amaya with gifts to show his love truly is real and deep. But just as the ice around her heart begins to thaw, a figure from their past returns and threatens the delicate bond being rebuilt between husband and wife. Will Amaya's mistletoe wish melt away? Or will the magic of the season help her and Cristian find their way back to one another?

118 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 2018

Reviews

[K. Iwancio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute quick read. Yes it’s May and I don’t care! Despite it being a quick read, the characters were well established and the storyline a bit contrived but still sweet. I felt like the end was rushed and could have gone for a few more chapters.

[Happily Ever After Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed at Happily Ever After Romance

Mistletoe Wish is a standalone title, a quick but satisfying Christmas Romance of a couple who married for their child’s sake more than a decade ago, because it was the right thing to do. But now, Amaya is facing her reality. She has a son she adores, a good life, and the man she’s always loved, despite the urgency of their marriage, yet something is missing. Her husband’s love, she may have him in her life, but she doesn’t feel she has his heart, his passion. She’ll make a decision to leave the marriage, even though it’s the last thing she wants, because she’s just tired of feeling like an obligation, not the woman her husband loves with all his heart.

Cristian is a man who doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve. Yes, he and Amaya married quickly because of her pregnancy, but he’s happy and satisfied with his life, his family, and especially his wife. Unfortunately, he’s not been able to show that to his wife, and has, frankly, taken her for granted for far too long. If he has any hope of holding his family together, he’s going to have to show Amaya his love for her without hesitation… court her in a way that she will believe she is exactly the woman he wants, he loves, and needs in his life.

Mistletoe Wish by Cate Taylor is a charming romance, although a short, quick read. I enjoyed watching Cristian fight for the woman he loves, and completely understood Amaya’s point of view about their marriage. It’s a well-written, engaging, emotional story that will touch your heart. I, personally, believe it would have been even better if it had been a bit longer, but it was the story the author intended… and I did enjoy my time with this couple.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review, giving my personal opinion about this book.*

[greenapplemojito · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would rate this book a 3.5 star, not because it was not nice or anything, as it was actually a good read, but because I was craving for a lot more story! We need a full-fledged, end-to-end, 200-page or so novel out of this!

While this was a very quick read, there were pros and cons to it. The book got over too soon (good and bad - see prev. point), it also meant that I would barely get to emotionally understand and connect with the characters. Don't get me wrong, while the storyline of how things between them started wasn't really something I am a fan of, I really think the whole emotional connection, understanding their dynamics, and getting more context would have made me accept their romance and love a bit more.

If someone wants a quick, marriage-on-the-rocks, redemption, Christmas read, they can definitely give this a glance.

One last thing to add to the above, I would really appreciate authors who include code-mixed dialogues to either give the translation to some of these words beneath the page as footnotes, or worst case, at least at the start. While most of these words are self-explanatory when used in a given context, they would really not make us readers who are unfamiliar with the language feel left out and understand the storyline. While the author's writing style was also simple and easy to understand, making the POVs quite distinguishable, I would love a bit more structure personally, as adding names of characters to the top, etc, to give it a more structured and cleaner look.

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

[Nathalie DeSousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book that I read from this author, and I am loving her writing style and the very relatable stories.

This time, the story revolves around a married couple who decided marriage was the best way to bring up their family together. It has been over 12 years, and all this time has been focused on bringing up her son, finishing school, and just settling in, they forgot about the couple, the partnership. So, Amaya feels like it is time to let go. Marriage by obligation is not what she expected, she has been craving love, and feels it is out of reach for them. But Cristian is not ready to give up on what they have built, though it was not the start he hoped for their marriage, it has fulfilled him though he has taken his wife for granted. IT is now time to put some work, and show her that the marriage was never a mistake, and that he loves her.

A sweet love story about the reality of life and marriage. You will relate to some of the content and understand where she is coming from and why she feels that way. Too bad is such a small read!.

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

[Marichus Real · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amaya thinks her husband just married her because he was pregnant and not because he loved her.
Cristian can’t believe Amaya when she asks him; she wants to separate from him.
Sometimes, when you think you are less than other people, you begin questioning everything, and terrible doubts cross your mind, making you insecure about yourself. And sometimes we take things for granted. When we love someone, we need to tell them so, again and again, and listen; it is also very important.
I liked to see how Cristian fights for her wife and their life together with their son.
This was an emotional story. It was easy to read and enjoyable.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

They married years ago due to an unexpected pregnancy. She loves him but does not feel that he loves her and she feels taken for granted, so she tells him she is leaving and why. He realizes that he has taken her for granted and needs to act quickly to prove his love and passion or he will lose her. Really enjoyed how he went all in for her. Will their past come back to interfere with their reconciliation? Or will they be able to reconnect? Great story, loved it!.

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

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amaya and Cristian married when she became pregnant and through the years after she had their son Kane they were both working and going to college so they let their marriage fall away but when she decides he never loved her because they married when became pregnant she thinks it is time to let him go. Cristian knows he has to come up with something big to show her how much he loves her.

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

[Shelly Metts · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great quick read for the holidays. I absolutely loved this book. 1st it takes place in and around Frederick, Maryland. It references the beautiful Cunningham Falls. It’s a lovely read that makes me remember the saying “what a woman wants” but should be “ what a woman needs”. Read this book, you won’t be disappointed!

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several books written by Cate Tayler; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of her books.

This is the first book in the Beneath the Mistletoe Series; it is a stand-alone short story. The story is about Amaya & Cristian; they married after she got pregnant. He goes all out to convince her that their marriage isn’t just an obligation.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a fantastic read. Wonderful storyline and characters. So worth the read time. Recommend this book.

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

[Sha Renée · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It's well-written, easy to get into and hard to put down. I enjoyed becoming a part of the characters' lives and hope to see more of Cristian and Amaya in the future.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

I loved this story and how they ultimately worked their way back to each other. I really think they both learned a lot and their love will be even better from now on.