Misplaced Mistletoe by Isabel Jolie

ABOUT THE BOOK

One secret kiss under the mistletoe can never lead to happily ever after…right?

Once upon a time, Nora shared the hottest kiss ever—followed by an equally steamy Christmas—with her boss’s super-sexy brother. Then he ghosted her. That was eight years ago. Now, she’s completely over it. And when he shows up at the annual holiday party, she will not let herself repeat past mistakes. This time, she’ll stay far away from the mistletoe…

Ashton doesn’t lose control. Ever. Well, except for that one time. His focus has always been on completing his residency and fellowship programs. But seeing the gorgeous redhead again makes him think that losing a little control, just once more, might be just what the doctor ordered…

Will the magic of the season—with an assist from a certain mischievous matchmaker—convince Nora and Ashton to take a second chance on love? It might just take a Christmas miracle…

MY REVIEW

It’s that time of year for holiday romance and I couldn’t wait to pick up another book by Isabel Jolie. Not to mention that Nora is from my home state of Iowa.

A charming second-chance romance about hooking up on the holiday, being ghosted, and meeting each other again eight years later.

Nora is used to being alone. Growing up in foster care she learned to only rely on herself and not others. She’s cautious about who she shares her life with. So when the man who never called her back eight years ago shows up in her life again, she tries to blow him off and push him away. She doesn’t need to get her hopes again. She’s used to spending Christmas alone and knows everyone has other plans that don’t involve her. But Dr. Ashton Daughtridge knows he needs to prove to Nora that he wants to spend time with her. He feels guilty for not calling her back so many years ago and he never forgot her. He just wasn’t ready for a relationship what with his crazy hours as a resident in medical school. However, this time, he’s going to take it slow and win her over. It’s a bit tougher than he thought.

Nora’s past broke my heart. Being a lifer in foster care didn’t make it easy for her to trust. Her sadness is palpable as she turns down many invites to celebrate Christmas with friends. She just doesn’t want to have a reminder that she has no family. Nora’s kindness and generosity are notable as she volunteers at the food bank to those who are more unfortunate. Her friendship and support for one of the mothers who is recovering from addiction to get custody of her little girl are genuine as Nora knows what it is like firsthand. Ashton is handsome and charming and is deservedly led on a merry chase trying to even get Nora to talk to him again. I love that he makes a point to not leave her alone on Christmas. He was a bit stalkerish, but he meant well.

If you love Christmas romances and believe in second chances, please give this delightful book a try.

Thank you to Ms. Jolie for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Isabel Jolie, aka Izzy, lives on a lake, loves dogs of all stripes, and if she’s not working, she can be found reading, often with a glass of wine in hand. In prior lives, Izzie worked in marketing and advertising, in a variety of industries, such as financial services, entertainment, and technology. In this life, she loves daydreaming and writing contemporary romances with strong heroines.