Love, Snow and Mistletoe by Victorine E. Lieske

Love, Snow and Mistletoe Reviews

• 
  Julie Carpenter

  Calling all you lovers of Christmas romance. This is one I highly recommend that you snag and enjoy. I don't think I could pick one of them as my favorite. They kept me entertained every second of reading. I laughed, I might have teared up a little bit, I happy sighed, I giggled, I might have cheered quite enthusiastically for each of these couples to find their way through the misunderstandings, heartaches and frustrations that occurred in their books.
  
  Stranded cars in the snow, unexpected strangers, rekindled acquaintances, cookies, hot chocolate, snow (lots of snow), little kids who steal the story, feisty heroines, snuggles, music, books, cuddles, family, stars in their eyes, kisses, humorous quips, Christmas trees, storms, wood chopping, showing off, laughs, quiet moments, hand holding, gloves, Christmas lights, love, love and more love *happy sigh*.
  
  I had never read a book by Tamie Dearen before but I am now a fan and will be searching for more of her books. In fact I think I already have one that I snagged as a freebie a little bit ago and wasn't sure if I was going to like her writing or not. Well, I do and I can't wait to enjoy that book as well.
  
  I was highlighting passages like crazy. This will be one I reread at Christmas time, or just for fun, sweet and swoony clean romantic stories.
  
  Content: Clean. Kisses throughout all the stories but nothing further.
  
  I received a copy from one of the authors. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
  
  Happy Reading!!!
• 
  Mara

  4.5 stars for this book of four delightful Christmas Romances. I got this from Victorine Lieske to review her contribution, but didn't want to stop reading, so I read all of them.
  
  HER FAKE CHRISTMAS DATE by Victorine E. Lieske--Jennifer's back home for Christmas and her mom's on her case to find that special someone, get married and give her grandbabies. Long-time next door neighbor and childhood friend Shane agrees to go on a fake date with Jennifer so she can avoid the guy her mom fixed her up with. What Jennifer doesn't know is Shane's been in love with her since high school, but she kind of threw their friendship by the wayside when she started hanging out with the "cool kids". Can their rekindled friendship lead to love?
  
  Don't you love it when the skinny kid next door grows up to be a hunk with muscles? I loved Jennifer's reaction when she first sees Shane again What had he been doing since she'd left? Lifting tree trunks for a living? Lol. Shane and Jennifer fall back into their friendship easily and the romance can kind of fast but it is a novella so that can be expected. Loved all the cute scenes skating and the dialogue is funny.
  
  A HOLIDAY RESCUE by Tamie Dearen--Amy Pinkerton (pen name Abigail Landry) gets stranded by a snow storm in Wyoming, but luckily she's rescued by hunky Maxwell McCoy (stage name Mack McCoy) and his adorable daughter Cadence (Cady).
  
  The book line says "Can hot cocoa lead to love?" Yes it can!! I loved how each character wanted to be liked for themselves, not their books or songs. Neither one knew who the other was. I thought it was funny that Amy was in love with Linc, the hunky hero of her book series. As an avid reader we've all fallen in love with guys in books. Cadence is a cute addition to the story, and the title fits perfectly because they rescued each other. This is a new author to me but I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
  
  A SECOND CHANCE FOR ROMANCE by Michelle Pennington--This is Grace's first Christmas with her 3 yr. old daughter since her divorce (she lived with her parents for a year). She's moving into an apartment, starting a new job and trying to make it a good Christmas for her young daughter. She doesn't know that Sam, a boyfriend from high school, lives in the apartment right across the stairwell landing. Is fate giving them second chance at love?
  
  I really related to Grace. Having been a divorced mom of a 3 and a 5 year old, moving into a small apartment, and having a fairly new job--I totally understood where she was coming from. I didn't agree with some of her choices but understood why she wanted to do things on her own. Lucky for Grace, Sam is a forgiving and a giving person and helps her out quite a bit without expecting anything in return, which is just the kind of person I felt she needed.
  
  THE BILLIONAIRE'S PERFECT MATCH by Annie Houston--Aurelia and Lander were friends growing up but haven't seen each other in at least 10 years, when they find themselves on the same plane going from New York to Montana to visit their parents for the holidays. Aurelia runs an exclusive matchmaker business but doesn't seem to take the time to find love for herself. Will this chance holiday encounter with a childhood friend change that?
  
  This is another childhood friends turned to romance story. Aurelia and Lander's parents have stayed friends and travel together but their children didn't stay in touch. Neither Aurelia or Lander know the other is quite wealthy and they're pretty vague about how well each of their respective businesses are doing. Lander's friend, Craig, proves what a great friend he is by the stunt he pulls to get Aurelia to talk to Lander. This author is new to me. The romance felt a little rushed, I think if it could've been a couple of chapters longer I would've enjoyed it more. It does have an epilogue that takes place a year later.
  
  All of these are clean romances with just a few kisses.
• 
  Katie (hiding in the pages)

  If you love darling Hallmark movie-type Christmas stories, than this set is for you! I love how each story showcases a sweet romance all wrapped up with feel-good feelings and holiday magic.
  
  I've always been a fan of the fake date angle and HER FAKE CHRISTMAS DATE delivers a special treat when Jennifer invents a fake date with her former neighbor, Shane, when she goes home for Christmas, in a effort to avoid her mother's matchmaking attempts.
  
  
  Shane and Jennifer have a past friendship, which only adds to the sensational chemistry that now exists between them. I loved the banter and the way they now saw each other with new eyes, especially for Jennifer. Darling and sweet.
  
  A HOLIDAY RESCUE had me giggling and swooning as a bestselling author meets a handsome rancher. I absolutely loved Amy and Max and Max's precocious daughter, Cady. This winsome cast of characters completely wrapped my heart around their story as they truly got to know each other without any of their professional baggage. Amy was naive, which made her a funny character. The snow, kisses, and hot cocoa were an added bonus.
  
  A SECOND CHANCE FOR ROMANCE delivers just that--a second chance for Grace and Sam. I'm a fairly independent person, to an extent, and understood Grace's need to make it on her own with her sweet young daughter, after a divorce, but she was borderline poverty level. Sam's constant watch over them and the beaten pathway between their apartments warmed my heart. I loved the connection they shared and the Christmas magic of love and joy that permeated the story.
  
  The childhood friends-to-lovers trope in THE BILLIONAIRE'S PERFECT MATCH was perfect for this story. I loved how similar Aurelia and Lander were in their businesses and how they just wanted to be loved for who they were and not for their money. The snowy walks and blossoming romance were the perfect cap to this sweet collection and that ending was the cherry on top.
  
  Content: all of these stories had mild, swoony romance
  
  *I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed were my own and were voluntarily given.*
• 
  Pascale’s*ARC,Unwind,Read,Review

  A Holiday Rescue
  
  -‘My destiny is to be alone forever.’-
  
  -‘“No real man could be that thoughtful and caring, especially not one as handsome as this guy. And even if this man is as awesome as Linc, he has a family. Get a hold of yourself before you turn into a lovesick puppy.” His oh-so-familiar, swoon-worthy face appeared at her window, and warmth curled in her belly. Too late—better wear a muzzle.’-
  
  This story was so much fun to read! A great blend of romance, humour, and a little bit of action thrown in for good measure. A clean, fun romance. I really recommend it.
  
  I read this story as part of a collection. I was gifted a copy by one of the authors but was under no obligation to review it. These are my own thoughts.
  
  Michelle Pennington - A Second Chance For Christmas
  
  Also a great story! I loved the imagery and the word choice was spot-on. It was like listening to a melody. The words flow so smoothly. So well-written. A very enjoyable read.
  
  Victorine Lieske always writes well. Her story reminded me of a Hallmark channel movies. Very sweet.
• 
  Teya Teya

  Her Fake Christmas Date by Victorine Lieske:
  Such a sweet Christmas love story. I was frustrate with Shane for holding on the past and holding it against her. He finally let go and allowed himself to love her. I LOVE the Christmas gift. FINALLY!
  
  A Holiday Rescue by Tamie Dearen
  OH MY GOODNESS! A definite Christmas yummy treat. Holy swoon-worthy. LOVE this Christmas love story. Being trapped and rescued by Mr. Cowboy hot country singing yummy. Oh, yea!
  
  A Second Chance for Christmas by Michelle Pennington
  I LOVED this second chance at love story for Christmas. I love the forgiving nature of this sweet story and love the happily ever after.
  
  The Billionaire’s Perfect Match by Annie Houston
  Short, sweet, romantic story. I would have enjoyed so much more of the story but I know it was meant to be short and sweet. It was.
  
• 
  Melissa Hayford

  Her Fake Christmas Date - Shane and Jennifer have quite the past together. Is it something they can overcome? I loved this short romance! Shane and Jennifer quickly rekindle their friendship and it quickly turns to more. They are so sweet together!
  
  A Holiday Rescue - Loved this one! Amy and Max have great chemistry and Cady is just adorable! This was a really fun snowed in Christmas story and my favorite in this collection.
  
  A Second Chance for Romance - Another sweet friends to lovers second chance romance. I'll admit I was bummed two of the stories in this collection had the same storyline. However, on it's own, this was a sweet short Christmas romance. I love Sam! He could have been bitter, but he chose to love instead and it was beautiful.
  
  The Billionaire's Perfect Match - Another sweet friends to lovers story. Unlike the others in this series, Aurelia and Lander were best friends, but never had a crush on one another. As their families enjoy the holidays together those feelings start to change. This was a sweet story and I liked Aurelia and Landon, bit didn't connect with them as well as other stories. I also didn't feel their relationship was as developed as the others, which can be a problem in novellas.
  
  I enjoyed this collection of Christmas stories, but even though it was my favorite, I felt like A Holiday Rescue didn't fit in with the other stories in this collection as they were all about friends to lovers.
  
  I received a free copy of this book I and this is my honest opinion.
• 
  Nadine

  Victorine Lieske and Tamie Dearen.
  
  I’ve read Her Fake Christmas Date by Victorine Lieske and A Holiday Rescue by Tamie Dearen.
  
  Her Fake Christmas Date by Victorine Lieske
  I really liked this sweet novella.
  I loved Shane. He’s got the looks without being arrogant. He doesn’t want to get attached to Jennifer all over again, afraid he might get hurt - again.
  Jennifer I wasn’t too sure about at first. She only has eyes for Shane because now he’s handsome and muscled, but she didn’t see him when he wasn’t as handsome yet and insecure. That’s shallow. But she’s grown and developed and in the end I did like her too.
  The end was a bit too fast, but it was a cute story!
  
  A Holiday Rescue by Tamie Dearen
  Wonderful
  I love that Amy’s a kind person. I could really relate to her! She’s an introvert. Me too. She dreads conflict, I do too. That means she doesn’t always get what should rightfully be hers. Yup. Don’t get me wrong; she’s plenty feisty! She has an ideal boyfriend; only, he’s not real. He’s one of her imaginary book characters. And then her car gets stuck in the snow.
  It was wonderful. I felt the emotions as if they were my own, trying hard not to cry. Tears of sadness, tears of happiness.
  It’s a novella so things went fast. I normally prefer novels over novellas, but I can wholeheartedly recommend this one! Wonderful characters.
• 
  Nari

  The four novellas seemed to have a theme of second chances. Her Fake Christmas date was about 2 friends who went seperate ways in high school then reconnect at Christmas time years later. A Holiday rescue was my favorite one. I had never read any of this author's books and I now plan to read more of hers. This story was about finding love again after losing a spouse. A Second Chance a For Romance was a another story about best friends who went seperate ways in high school. Grace moves into the same apartment building as Sam after her divorce. Bella and Fluffy bring the two together. The Billionaire's Perfect match was about 2 friends who went seperate ways after high school who are on the same airplane heading home for the holidays. The two were only every friends but more seems to develop thus time around. All four novellas are sweet quick reads that focus on family and the holidays.
• 
  Lisa Swinton

  This four story anthology is perfect holiday reading.
  
  Each other brings her own unique voice and tale to the holiday season. Each has it's own imaginative twist. All have wonderful characters, solid writing, and sweet kisses.
  
  Grab a cup of cocoa and curl up by the fire for a satisfying read.
• 
  Sheila Lee

  This is a series of 4 short stories. The first one, The Fake Christmas Date, is the story of Jennifer and Blake, two childhood friends who reconnect many years later when Jennifer comes home to visit her mom. The characters are nicely written and, as a short story goes, it delivers a feel-good Christmas HEA.
  Holiday Rescue,  the second story in this anthology, is a sweet story about a reclusive country music star and a shy author of cozy mysteries. When Amy is rescued by a handsome rancher named Max during a Wyoming snowstorm, neither knew the other's secret identity. Amy, Max and Max's daughter are forced to spend several days together before Christmas waiting for the weather to clear. Thus begins a beautiful story of romance and fresh starts. Tamie Dearen, the author of Holiday Rescue, writes a believable tale of (almost) love at first sight that warms the romantic heart.
  The third story, A Second Chance for Christmas, is written by Michelle Pennington and is a lovely second chance romance. Grace and Sam were classmates years before meeting again. Grace, a single mom has moved into a new apartment following a divorce when she learns that Sam is living across the hall from her. This story is about finding love through fate's intervention.
  The fourth , and last story,  is The Billionaire's Perfect Match by Annie Houston, a sweet romance with old friends who meet again after a decade. Lander and Aurelia find themselves on the same plane heading home for the holidays. As their stories unfold, each one is keeping a secret that creates a stumbling block to a potential romance. Of course, they find their HEA. 
  These authors create wonderful characters that remind you of the best Christmas gift: LOVE.
  
• 
  Maribeth

  I loved each of these novellas. When I began reading, I was so into the first one, that I had forgotten they were four short novels, and was super bummed when the first novella was over. Luckily, I had three more to go. I love being able to trust that what I'm reading is clean and wholesome, yet still leaves you at the edge of your seat waiting to find out what happens next!
• 
  Charity Bradford

  I'll break this down by story, then sum up at the end.
  
  Her Fake Christmas Date BY VICTORINE LIESKE
  
  This was fun and cute. Jennifer doesn't know how much she hurt Shane years earlier, all she remembers is the good times they had and how nicely he's grown up.
  
  A Holiday Rescue BY TAMIE DEAREN
  
  There was a lot going on in this short. It all works, but it could have benefited by several thousand more words to wrap up/round out some of the side plots. Enjoyable, but I wanted to know if the photo Amy stared at on her laptop that she paid $35 for was really Max or just someone who looked like him, and why was Damon so nasty crazy then perfectly fine? It's like a lot of drama was built up around him for no reason. And why was the Matt guy from NetShows so set on getting the contracts signed so fast? If he was SPOILER ALERT related to Max, it seemed like he would have been a nicer guy, so was it all Damon?
  
  Anyway, the romance part was sweet, with both of them fumbling around thinking the other one had a significant other, or no interest, or whatever, but some of the other stuff pulled my attention away from the romance. Cady was awesome though.
  
  A Second Chance for Christmas BY MICHELLE PENNINGTON
  
  I loved that Grace was so stubborn about trying to do things on her own, but also smart enough to realize she couldn't. Sam was a dream come true. Even though he could have turned his back on Grace he didn't. This story probably had the most heart-twisting moments for me. Grace had been through the wringer, making it hard to think there might be a happily ever after available for her. I liked that we could see her struggling with it.
  
  The Billionaire’s Perfect Match BY ANNIE HOUSTON
  
  This was a cute twist on the billionaire trend. We get not one, but two billionaires! I love that Aurelia is successful and rich in her own right and has the same concerns about people dating her money that Lander does. But most of all, I love how after years apart, they fall right back into being best friends with the extra bonus of chemistry.
  
  This was a fun, fast Christmas read. I enjoyed all the stories and felt the characters were all well-developed. I'd definitely recommend it this season.
  
  I give this collection a solid 4 and Clean rating.
  
  Rating Guide
  1-5 scale and what it means:
  1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
  2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
  3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
  3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
  4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
  4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
  5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure
  
  Movie Ratings in relation to my review:
  Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no sex on or off "screen"
  PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, sex is all closed door
  PG-13--some language (swear words not related to sex), more talk about sex, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but sex is closed door.
  PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen sex
  R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” sex, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the sex and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always
• 
  Christina Morley

  This collection of 4 sweet Christmas novellas has plenty of feel-good moments and includes 3 authors that I'm familiar with, namely, Victorine E. Lieske, Tamie Dearen, and Michelle Pennington. All 3 authors have proven their skill in writing clean romances.
  
  My favorite story was A Holiday Rescue by Tamie Dearen. The plot was good and included witty banter between the 2 main characters. I wasn't convinced with the resolution concerning the bad guy, but everything else flowed well.
  
  My second favorite was A Second Chance for Christmas by Michelle Pennington. It was written so realistically that I could feel the stress of the single mother as she moves in at night with her 3-year-old. One of her neighbors turns out to be an old friend who she left in the dust and now she has to face her past. For some reason, the building seems void of all other people. No one else is ever mentioned walking in or out of apartments.
  
  Her Fake Christmas Date by Victorine E. Lieske was a sweet read with a near perfect guy and a girl that comes across as shallow, but you discover that there is more to her. It was a bit slow going, though. Most of the story is built around dialogue and reliving childhood memories.
  
  The Billionaire’s Perfect Match by Annie Houston mentions the two main characters are billionaires and how people just want to marry them for their money. This was annoyingly repeated a few times. Billionaire romances should be escapes into an unbelievable story with believable characters, but this was unbelievable on both counts. It just didn't work for me.
  
  I received an ARC of this book. This is my honest and voluntary review.
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Connie

  Thank you for the advanced copy . I enjoyed reading the stories. sweet and romantic. I recommend the collection. Helped get in the holiday spirit
  Thanks Connie
  
• 
  Connie

  I received a complimentary copy of this book and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
  
  All four of these stories were so wonderful. Once I started, I didn't want to stop. They were just feel-good stories. You can get through one story very quickly as they are the length of a novella. The stories all happen around Christmas time. They were such a joy to read. They were very well written and being a novella, they weren't encumbered by unnecessary details. Yes, having more to the stories would have been great but sometimes, you just need a quick one. These feel like you just took a vacation at Christmas.
  
  I highly recommend this wonderful book that is filled with warmth and second chance romance.
• 
  Misty Goan

  A wonderful collection of four well written second chance romances that each had them reconnecting over the holidays. The storylines are fantastic with outstanding lovable characters. This delightful collection of sweet romances that were a great blend of clean, fun romance, humour, and a little bit of action thrown in that we were all full of love. I voluntarily reviewed this ARC.
• 
  Karen

  What a way to get in the mood for Christmas. Love is in the air. I received a ARC copy of this book in return for a fair review from one of the four authors. But I couldn’t stop with just one of these short stories. I read them all. I enjoyed them all. They were each such cute love stories. Three of the stories were couples that were friends growing up who lost contact for one reason or another. These stories give people hope for a happy ever after of their own. Each of the stories could have been easily made into longer versions and would have been just as awesome. They definitely left you satisfied but at the same time wanting more. I started this book yesterday and nearly finished it in one setting. They are quick easy “feel good” reads. For less than a dollar you can’t go wrong.
• 
  Brian Davis

  ☺☺☺☺☺
  
  A very nice collection of shorter stories by writers you may or may not be familiar with. Differing plots and characters but uniformly well written and engaging.
• 
  Jolie Castilla

  This is a great collection of Christmas romance books. Each is easy , quick and loads of fun to read. I really enjoyed each one of the books. They definitely got me in the Christmas spirit. I highly recommend them for anyone who enjoys quick but fun romance reads, and anyone looking for a Christmas romance.
  I received this book free and am voluntarily doing this review.
• 
  Anna B

  Four easy read romances just in time for the holidays.
  Her Fake Christmas Date: Great reminder of how our actions affect others and the power of forgiveness with a sweet second chance ending.
  A Holiday Rescue: A fun romance with an endearing little girl, a handsome, lonely rescuer, a writer with a great imagination, wit and charm, and of course hot chocolate. All snowed in together love is bound to happen.
  A Second Chance For Christmas: A practical hero you’ll want to root for, a single mom who’s gun shy, a little girl and a dog named fluffy. A perfect recipe for love.
  The Billionaires Perfect Match: A matchmaker who needs a match of her own, an old high school friend with money and no time for dating. Can they come together and find the love they both need?
  Love this book.