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4 Seasons in Mistletoe #4
Mistletoe Hero
Even after all these years, whispers of scandal still follow brooding Mistletoe loner Gabe Sloan. But when did Arianne Waide ever listen to rumors? She's always been a vital part of her small-town Georgia community, and it's time Gabe felt that way, too. All he needs is a chance.The last thing Gabe wants is a pint-size beauty championing his cause. Yet Arianne's starting to make him feel less of an outsider...and more as if he's home. With the town cheering him on after he performs a daring rescue, the resident bad boy just might be starting to believe it himself.
Gabe may have shown their town what he's made of, but is it enough to keep him here in Mistletoe where he belongs...with Arianne?
Gabe may have shown their town what he's made of, but is it enough to keep him here in Mistletoe where he belongs...with Arianne?
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Tanya Michaels
142 books60 followersTanya Michaels is an award-winning author of more than thirty romance and women's fiction novels, as well as numerous short stories and nonfiction essays. She is a four-time finalist for the prestigious RITA, awarded annually by Romance Writers of America, and was nominated for RT Book Review’s Career Achievement in Category Romance. When she's not speaking at reader events and writer conferences, she's at home in Georgia with her husband of fifteen years and their two highly imaginative children. For a glimpse into Tanya's chaotic daily life, as well as updates on her current books and TV show addictions, follow Tanya on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 23, 2017
Arianne found herself transported to that moment earlier when the corners of Gabe's eyes had crinkled and it looked as if he might smile at her. For that heartbeat of time, she'd teetered on the edge of intoxicating potential. Coaxing a smile from him would be a victory on par with winning a critical play-off game.
Gabe lost his virginity to a married woman when he was 16. Now he's thirty and STILL the town pariah after the woman was killed that night in a murder-suicide performed by her husband. He is a strong, silent handyman who never smiles and speaks rarely.
Arianne is a bright, bubbly, short little blonde who is a town darling. Full of spunk and bossiness, she doesn't allow her family or anyone else to run roughshod over her. When Gabe comes in to the hardware store she's working at one night, she impulsively asks him on a date. Thus begins the story.
...
THE PROS
- Gabe is a silent type. The kind of man who is monosyllabic and just takes care of business. I adore men like this. Arianne reminds me of myself - trying to get a smile and a kind word out of him. Smile brightly at him and be extra-kind to him. It really works. The men break eventually and then the triumph you feel is euphoric. The first time he smiles at you. The first time he winks at you.
Bonus if he is talented with his hands and knows how to fix things, like Gabe does. Then, when you thank them for a well-done piece of work, they look at you like you are crazy and say, "It's my job." Like it ain't no thing. Sometimes it can take years to crack men like this, I know from personal experience.
The goal is not to get them to be gushy. That will never happen. The goal is not to get them into bed or date them (although in Arianne's case, she wants to... and this is a romance novel. But that isn't the goal IRL). The goal is to get them to nod to you whenever they see you and maybe occasionally wink. A smile once every six months is always very cherished.
I identify with Arianne's excitement and determination with Gabe. She is a cute little shorty, something I also identify with.
In flagrant disregard of the damp night, he wore a black T-shirt with no jacket.
"Aren't you cold?"
"No."
Progress! They'd moved from nonverbal gestures to a monosyllabic response.
Men who are strong, capable, fix things, get shit done, you feel safe with them - so adorable and cute. High urges for snuggling. I was squealing a lot while reading this at Gabe's high levels of cuteness. Nom.
- Arianne doesn't let Gabe OR her father and big brothers intimidate her.
"You're trying to intimidate me."
"It's working. And it's probably a lesson you need. Bite-size morsels like you shouldn't chase after the big bad wolf."
She surprised him by taking a sudden step forward, nearly erasing the remaining gap between them. "I grew up with two older brothers who taught me not to back down in the face of bullies, so save your bluster for someone else. I don't think you're that big or that bad."
You're wrong. But her clear gaze was so piercing that for a second he almost couldn't find his voice.
I have found this more and more lately. It is refreshing. I like when heroines refuse to be cowed and demand basic rights. Like when Gabe yells at her when she does something upsetting and interfering.
She stopped smiling. "I would love to talk to you, but I don't like being yelled at."
You do not get to yell at her. Good! Way to go, Arianne!
And when he tries to put her on the back burner - wanting her help and her support when he's going to be she just tells him it's not going to work like that.
"I'm sorry, Gabe. You may have noticed I don't do half measures well." It wasn't that she was purposely trying to give him an ultimatum, only that she had to be true to herself and protect her heart as best she could this late in the game. Relationship sacrifices were worth it when the participants were in a relationship. He was only willing to skate by on the shadowed edges. "I'm an all-or-nothing gal."
Good job! I love that she respects herself and demands respect from others. Nice!
- Arianne makes some good decisions. There were times she could have hid messages Gabe received that he didn't want him to hear - and she didn't. She resisted. And she doesn't tell anyone about them having sex. She keeps it private because she knows Gabe is a private person. I admired for her for going against her natural personality these two times. She tries to be an honorable and moral person.
She decided that she wasn't going to confide in Lilah, not yet. Gabe was such a private person that telling Lilah any of what he'd shared would feel like a betrayal. And as far as their making love... For now, that was hers alone, inviolable and not open for discussion.
- There are some really cute scenes:
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Gabe groused good-naturedly from the nursery doorway.
"As if you had better plans!" Arianne wasn't fooled by his bluster. He looked perfectly content to be here with her. And since she'd never spent this much time alone with a baby, she greatly appreciated the extra pair of hands. She'd canceled going to an annual Halloween bash one of her college friends threw, but she didn't mind.
"Do you even get trick-or-treaters out where you live?" she asked, trying to picture Gabe handing out mini candy bars to three-feet-tall princesses and goblins.
"No, which is my point. We could have had a completely uninterrupted Halloween evening." He waggled his eyebrows. "You could have busted out that lady pirate costume..."
She shot him a look as she finished dressing her niece. "As I recall, you ripped that pirate costume trying to get it off me last weekend."
"Ah, yes." He smiled in fond recollection. "Good times."
"Here, come take Bailey for me." The high-tech diaper pail was getting full, and Arianne needed a few minutes and two free hands to figure out how to empty it.
Gabe obliged, but held Bailey slightly away from his body, eyeing her as nervously as if she were a ticking bomb. Which in some ways, Arianne supposed, babies were.
Arianne laughed. "You're not scared, are you?"
"Scared of this beautiful girl?" He grinned at the infant, who cooed adoringly in return. "Of course not. What I'm scared of is dinner with your family next weekend."
THE CONS
- Michaels seems sometimes desperate to prove Gabe is a 'bad boy.'
For reasons known only to herself, Arianne seemed to believe in him, and he should probably repay that with a gentleman's kiss, soft and slow-building. Respectful.
Instead, Gabe kissed her like the town bad boy he was. Hungry and hard, pressing his open mouth to hers and sinking into the warmth of her.
KISSING is either good or bad. But the way you kiss someone doesn't 'prove' you are a bad or good man. Like... no. Good men can be rough and forceful in bed (in a consensual way! Consensual, everyone is having fun). Bad men can be very gentle and slow, doesn't mean they are good men! Come on. o.O The way you kiss a woman doesn't cement your 'bad boy' or 'good guy' status. This idea is frankly ludicrous.
... In the past five years Gabe had helped repair houses after some spring tornadoes had blown through, working twelve-hour days to help people get their lives back together as quickly as possible. He'd patched and improved and converted homes, all the while never truly seeing this town as his home.
He was good to the town's senior citizens, donated his time on behalf of the elementary children in this town, had even risked the high-stress potential of teaching a teen to drive.
This is supposed to be the town 'bad boy,' ladies and gentlemen. I mean, I know your past follows you and he has a doozy of a past, but COME ON. Hard for me to think that Arianne is the first person to even mention that he has done good in the town. o.O
- Arianne pretty much tries to take over Gabe's life. The worst thing is, she tries hard to 'reunite' him with his asshole, toxic father. Now, both Gabe and I know that it is best to cut assholes out of your life, but Arianne is naïve and thinks "Something something family should be close something something." It's a result of her sheltered and kind life. But let me tell you, it is a great thing that Gabe is free of that asshole. Arianne just CAN'T understand that, and her going behind his back to talk to his dad and constantly pressuring him about his dad is not only annoying, but devastating both to Gabe and this reader.
Gabe makes a very difficult decision to stay with this woman even though she is so frustrating and exasperating in her efforts to micromanage him. I would probably ditch her, but that is just me, and this is a romance novel, so that isn't an option.
HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?
Sigh. Okay, a few things.
ONE: Usually I stress the importance of men being gentle and kind. That's because I'm a woman and men's behavior is what I'm concerned about.
But it's important for women to be gentle and kind, too. Gabe is facing shame, humiliation and persecution based on his sexual past. He lost his virginity at 16 to a married woman who then was murdered by her husband that night. So the townspeople have a low opinion of him and his sexuality. Women do not treat him kindly in a sexual way. They either treat him like a monster, or treat him like an easy lay who has no feelings. This is hurtful and damaging to Gabe.
At first I was wondering who exactly Gabe was having sex with. Had he never touched another woman since that night? I imagine it would be pretty scarring and fuck-up your sexuality a good bit.
Michaels has Gabe have sex with people OUTSIDE of Mistletoe. That's her solution. Few authors are brave enough to have a virgin hero, or even one who is just simply not very sexually experienced. Men HAVE to have extensive sexual experience. Or they are less than men. This is the message society feeds us, and it is very bad. :( I wish Michaels had tackled a hero who had only had sex that one, tragic time. It would have been more interesting and it would have made sense. But no! Heaven forbid a man isn't a Lothario. *rolls eyes*
Now, let's talk about the sex. Michaels is NOT detailed and she was driving me nuts.
He said her name like a pagan prayer. He made a pilgrimage of her body, worshipping with his hands and his lips. Her denim capris and then her bra vanished beneath his expert touch. By the time he slid a finger over the satiny material of her thighs, she was practically writhing with need.
THIS IS NOT SUFFICIENT. I want long, detailed foreplay. HOW is he worshipping her with his hands and lips?! I need specifics, here. I will be the one to determine if his touch is 'expert' or not. Don't just slap on 'his expert touch' and expect me to believe it. He's got to prove that shit and make me believe it.
All this build-up and excitement to having a stoic, monosyllabic handyman make love to you and this is what I get?!?!!?!?!?!?!? ARGH.
This sex is not meeting my very high and very specific standards. o.O
Although they DO use a condom (+points) and they do gorge themselves on ice cream after sex (+points) which frankly is a lot of fun. So. Not a complete failure.
And he doesn't OFFEND me in bed. He doesn't try to force her to go down on him or bring up anal sex or do anything DISTASTEFUL. So, it could be worse. I guess. *scowls*
TL;DR - The book has its strong and weak points. Arianne was REALLY getting on my nerves and Gabe's nerves. Gabe was a grumpy, monosyllabic hero who fixed things - I liked that. He talked to her in the beginning in a way I personally wouldn't tolerate, but she stood up to him and I liked how she was able to stand up to everyone in her life. She was no pushover! Gabe really grows and changes and it's interesting to see his thought-processes and life change. Arianne's micromanaging and pushiness annoyed me, and Michaels never resolved it - which is realistic but not very satisfying.
The sex was not described enough IMO.
ROMANCE CATEGORIES:
Contemporary Romance
Non-Virgin Heroine
Gabe lost his virginity to a married woman when he was 16. Now he's thirty and STILL the town pariah after the woman was killed that night in a murder-suicide performed by her husband. He is a strong, silent handyman who never smiles and speaks rarely.
Arianne is a bright, bubbly, short little blonde who is a town darling. Full of spunk and bossiness, she doesn't allow her family or anyone else to run roughshod over her. When Gabe comes in to the hardware store she's working at one night, she impulsively asks him on a date. Thus begins the story.
...
THE PROS
- Gabe is a silent type. The kind of man who is monosyllabic and just takes care of business. I adore men like this. Arianne reminds me of myself - trying to get a smile and a kind word out of him. Smile brightly at him and be extra-kind to him. It really works. The men break eventually and then the triumph you feel is euphoric. The first time he smiles at you. The first time he winks at you.
Bonus if he is talented with his hands and knows how to fix things, like Gabe does. Then, when you thank them for a well-done piece of work, they look at you like you are crazy and say, "It's my job." Like it ain't no thing. Sometimes it can take years to crack men like this, I know from personal experience.
The goal is not to get them to be gushy. That will never happen. The goal is not to get them into bed or date them (although in Arianne's case, she wants to... and this is a romance novel. But that isn't the goal IRL). The goal is to get them to nod to you whenever they see you and maybe occasionally wink. A smile once every six months is always very cherished.
I identify with Arianne's excitement and determination with Gabe. She is a cute little shorty, something I also identify with.
In flagrant disregard of the damp night, he wore a black T-shirt with no jacket.
"Aren't you cold?"
"No."
Progress! They'd moved from nonverbal gestures to a monosyllabic response.
Men who are strong, capable, fix things, get shit done, you feel safe with them - so adorable and cute. High urges for snuggling. I was squealing a lot while reading this at Gabe's high levels of cuteness. Nom.
- Arianne doesn't let Gabe OR her father and big brothers intimidate her.
"You're trying to intimidate me."
"It's working. And it's probably a lesson you need. Bite-size morsels like you shouldn't chase after the big bad wolf."
She surprised him by taking a sudden step forward, nearly erasing the remaining gap between them. "I grew up with two older brothers who taught me not to back down in the face of bullies, so save your bluster for someone else. I don't think you're that big or that bad."
You're wrong. But her clear gaze was so piercing that for a second he almost couldn't find his voice.
I have found this more and more lately. It is refreshing. I like when heroines refuse to be cowed and demand basic rights. Like when Gabe yells at her when she does something upsetting and interfering.
She stopped smiling. "I would love to talk to you, but I don't like being yelled at."
You do not get to yell at her. Good! Way to go, Arianne!
And when he tries to put her on the back burner - wanting her help and her support when he's going to be she just tells him it's not going to work like that.
"I'm sorry, Gabe. You may have noticed I don't do half measures well." It wasn't that she was purposely trying to give him an ultimatum, only that she had to be true to herself and protect her heart as best she could this late in the game. Relationship sacrifices were worth it when the participants were in a relationship. He was only willing to skate by on the shadowed edges. "I'm an all-or-nothing gal."
Good job! I love that she respects herself and demands respect from others. Nice!
- Arianne makes some good decisions. There were times she could have hid messages Gabe received that he didn't want him to hear - and she didn't. She resisted. And she doesn't tell anyone about them having sex. She keeps it private because she knows Gabe is a private person. I admired for her for going against her natural personality these two times. She tries to be an honorable and moral person.
She decided that she wasn't going to confide in Lilah, not yet. Gabe was such a private person that telling Lilah any of what he'd shared would feel like a betrayal. And as far as their making love... For now, that was hers alone, inviolable and not open for discussion.
- There are some really cute scenes:
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Gabe groused good-naturedly from the nursery doorway.
"As if you had better plans!" Arianne wasn't fooled by his bluster. He looked perfectly content to be here with her. And since she'd never spent this much time alone with a baby, she greatly appreciated the extra pair of hands. She'd canceled going to an annual Halloween bash one of her college friends threw, but she didn't mind.
"Do you even get trick-or-treaters out where you live?" she asked, trying to picture Gabe handing out mini candy bars to three-feet-tall princesses and goblins.
"No, which is my point. We could have had a completely uninterrupted Halloween evening." He waggled his eyebrows. "You could have busted out that lady pirate costume..."
She shot him a look as she finished dressing her niece. "As I recall, you ripped that pirate costume trying to get it off me last weekend."
"Ah, yes." He smiled in fond recollection. "Good times."
"Here, come take Bailey for me." The high-tech diaper pail was getting full, and Arianne needed a few minutes and two free hands to figure out how to empty it.
Gabe obliged, but held Bailey slightly away from his body, eyeing her as nervously as if she were a ticking bomb. Which in some ways, Arianne supposed, babies were.
Arianne laughed. "You're not scared, are you?"
"Scared of this beautiful girl?" He grinned at the infant, who cooed adoringly in return. "Of course not. What I'm scared of is dinner with your family next weekend."
THE CONS
- Michaels seems sometimes desperate to prove Gabe is a 'bad boy.'
For reasons known only to herself, Arianne seemed to believe in him, and he should probably repay that with a gentleman's kiss, soft and slow-building. Respectful.
Instead, Gabe kissed her like the town bad boy he was. Hungry and hard, pressing his open mouth to hers and sinking into the warmth of her.
KISSING is either good or bad. But the way you kiss someone doesn't 'prove' you are a bad or good man. Like... no. Good men can be rough and forceful in bed (in a consensual way! Consensual, everyone is having fun). Bad men can be very gentle and slow, doesn't mean they are good men! Come on. o.O The way you kiss a woman doesn't cement your 'bad boy' or 'good guy' status. This idea is frankly ludicrous.
... In the past five years Gabe had helped repair houses after some spring tornadoes had blown through, working twelve-hour days to help people get their lives back together as quickly as possible. He'd patched and improved and converted homes, all the while never truly seeing this town as his home.
He was good to the town's senior citizens, donated his time on behalf of the elementary children in this town, had even risked the high-stress potential of teaching a teen to drive.
This is supposed to be the town 'bad boy,' ladies and gentlemen. I mean, I know your past follows you and he has a doozy of a past, but COME ON. Hard for me to think that Arianne is the first person to even mention that he has done good in the town. o.O
- Arianne pretty much tries to take over Gabe's life. The worst thing is, she tries hard to 'reunite' him with his asshole, toxic father. Now, both Gabe and I know that it is best to cut assholes out of your life, but Arianne is naïve and thinks "Something something family should be close something something." It's a result of her sheltered and kind life. But let me tell you, it is a great thing that Gabe is free of that asshole. Arianne just CAN'T understand that, and her going behind his back to talk to his dad and constantly pressuring him about his dad is not only annoying, but devastating both to Gabe and this reader.
Gabe makes a very difficult decision to stay with this woman even though she is so frustrating and exasperating in her efforts to micromanage him. I would probably ditch her, but that is just me, and this is a romance novel, so that isn't an option.
HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?
Sigh. Okay, a few things.
ONE: Usually I stress the importance of men being gentle and kind. That's because I'm a woman and men's behavior is what I'm concerned about.
But it's important for women to be gentle and kind, too. Gabe is facing shame, humiliation and persecution based on his sexual past. He lost his virginity at 16 to a married woman who then was murdered by her husband that night. So the townspeople have a low opinion of him and his sexuality. Women do not treat him kindly in a sexual way. They either treat him like a monster, or treat him like an easy lay who has no feelings. This is hurtful and damaging to Gabe.
At first I was wondering who exactly Gabe was having sex with. Had he never touched another woman since that night? I imagine it would be pretty scarring and fuck-up your sexuality a good bit.
Michaels has Gabe have sex with people OUTSIDE of Mistletoe. That's her solution. Few authors are brave enough to have a virgin hero, or even one who is just simply not very sexually experienced. Men HAVE to have extensive sexual experience. Or they are less than men. This is the message society feeds us, and it is very bad. :( I wish Michaels had tackled a hero who had only had sex that one, tragic time. It would have been more interesting and it would have made sense. But no! Heaven forbid a man isn't a Lothario. *rolls eyes*
Now, let's talk about the sex. Michaels is NOT detailed and she was driving me nuts.
He said her name like a pagan prayer. He made a pilgrimage of her body, worshipping with his hands and his lips. Her denim capris and then her bra vanished beneath his expert touch. By the time he slid a finger over the satiny material of her thighs, she was practically writhing with need.
THIS IS NOT SUFFICIENT. I want long, detailed foreplay. HOW is he worshipping her with his hands and lips?! I need specifics, here. I will be the one to determine if his touch is 'expert' or not. Don't just slap on 'his expert touch' and expect me to believe it. He's got to prove that shit and make me believe it.
All this build-up and excitement to having a stoic, monosyllabic handyman make love to you and this is what I get?!?!!?!?!?!?!? ARGH.
This sex is not meeting my very high and very specific standards. o.O
Although they DO use a condom (+points) and they do gorge themselves on ice cream after sex (+points) which frankly is a lot of fun. So. Not a complete failure.
And he doesn't OFFEND me in bed. He doesn't try to force her to go down on him or bring up anal sex or do anything DISTASTEFUL. So, it could be worse. I guess. *scowls*
TL;DR - The book has its strong and weak points. Arianne was REALLY getting on my nerves and Gabe's nerves. Gabe was a grumpy, monosyllabic hero who fixed things - I liked that. He talked to her in the beginning in a way I personally wouldn't tolerate, but she stood up to him and I liked how she was able to stand up to everyone in her life. She was no pushover! Gabe really grows and changes and it's interesting to see his thought-processes and life change. Arianne's micromanaging and pushiness annoyed me, and Michaels never resolved it - which is realistic but not very satisfying.
The sex was not described enough IMO.
ROMANCE CATEGORIES:
Contemporary Romance
Non-Virgin Heroine
October 5, 2014
This book was okay. I thought the characters were pretty good but I didn't really feel like there was much of a problems between the characters. Gabe is visiting Misletoe and he meets Arianne. She instantly sees potential and she wants him to notice her while at first he really wants nothing to do with her. She is determined he will change his mind and goes out of her way to try and prove this. She invites him to help out at a festival. She hopes this will get him to stay in the town he is very determined to leave. I didn't feel that big of a connection between the characters. Gabe and his dad doesn't really get along due to the past and I felt like there should've been more in the story on this. I thought the story was okay but I think it could've been better.
February 17, 2010
Fairly decent harlequin romance. Gage was a misunderstood loner. Arianne the lively daughter of the local hardware store owner. She brings him out of his shell and into the life of the town. Pretty well written. A nice story. Worth giving the author another look.
July 23, 2013
This was an enjoyable book, fast-paced and light-hearted, with lots of humor. The author did a nice job of bringing small town life into the book. I would be interested in picking up the other three books in the Mistletoe series.
August 21, 2025
Ah, my favorite of the Mistletoe books. Who doesn't love a handyman who eats more ice cream than he should and is desperately in need of a good woman?
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews