Happy first day of December, everyone! I am beyond ready for the holidays to get here later this month, both because I love Christmas and because it means we can finally put this year (the last two years, really) behind us. Aside from Christmas lights, cookies, and of course, presents, my favorite thing about the holidays is reading holiday romances. I've already read so many good ones this year, and I can't wait to dive into the stories I've got lined up for the rest of the month.
Gabriella Di Natale and Jonathan Frost, co-managers of Bailey's Bookshop, haven't gotten along at all in the year they've worked together. That's not entirely surprising considering how different they are in their approach to bookselling, not to mention the fact that Gabby loves Christmas while Jonathan is a total Grinch. When they learn that the bookstore is in financial trouble and one of them may lose their job come January - if the store reopens at all - Gabby proposes a contest to determine which of them gets to stay: whoever sells the most books by Christmas Eve wins. At the same time she's been feuding with Jonathan at work, Gabby has been chatting online with "Mr. Reddit," a man who loves books as
much as she does and coincidentally lives in the same city. She wants to suggest that they meet up offline, but is afraid that Mr. Reddit won't accept her for her
differences, which aren't readily apparent when she's behind a computer screen. With her job on the line, it's the wrong time for her to focus on connecting with someone new, and there's an added complication when Jonathan unexpectedly reveals his sweet side. Could her perfect match have been right in front of her all along?
I loved the way Gabby and Jonathan's relationship evolved and she gradually began to see him for who he really was. They were opposites in a lot of ways, but their strengths were complementary, which made them a perfect fit as both romantic partners and co-managers. I also loved the sparks that flew between them from the very beginning; this was definitely a slow burn, but the eventual payoff was totally worth all the build up.
I highly recommend "The Mistletoe Motive" for all fans of contemporary/holiday romance and romantic comedy. It was the first book I've ever read by Chloe Liese, but it won't be the last.
*Review copy provided by the author via Valentine PR. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "The Mistletoe Motive"
The Mistletoe Motive, a Kobo Original by Chloe Liese, is now live!
From the author of THE BERGMAN BROTHERS series comes a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers holiday romance, perfect for fans of THE HATING GAME and YOU'VE GOT MAIL.
He loathes the holidays. She loves them. She's full of festive cheer. He's brimming with Bah, Humbugs. Besides unreasonably seasonable names, the only thing Jonathan Frost and Gabriella Di Natale have in common is a healthy dose of mutual contempt. Well, that and the same place of employment at the city's most beloved independent bookstore, Bailey's Bookshop. But when the store's owners confess its dire financial state, Jonathan and Gabby discover another unfortunate commonality: the imminent threat of unemployment.
With the Baileys' requests to minimize expenses, win new customers, and make record sales dancing in their heads, Jonathan and Gabby conclude--barring a financial Christmas miracle--one of them will soon be cut from the payroll. Neither are willing to step down from their position, so they strike a bargain: whoever has more sales in December gets to stay on in the new year; the loser will resign. With a lifetime's worth of festive tricks up her sleeve, Gabby should easily outsell her nemesis, except the unreadable Mr. Frost's every move seems purely designed to throw her off her game.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Gabby's deceptive ex won't quit pursuing her, and her anonymous online friend suggests they take a break. Worst of all, as the pressure mounts to save the bookshop and her job, Gabby meets a new, tender side of Jonathan. Is this the same man she's called her cold-hearted enemy?
Maybe he's got a motive she just can't figure out--or maybe Jonathan Frost isn't as chilly as she once thought. Maybe Jonathan and Gabby already know--and love--each other in ways they never thought possible.
This is an #OwnVoices story for its portrayal of autism by an autistic author.
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