Christmas Novella Mini Review + Playlist: Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Lyla Payne

Title: Mistletoe and Mr. Right

Author: Lyla Payne

Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Summary: 

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring…but lust refused to settle in for a long winter's nap.She might be all nestled, snug in her bed, by why, oh why, do visions of the wrong guy dance in her head?
Jessica, (not Jessie), figures that nothing could be better than a trip to the Emerald Isle for Christmas break. So she takes a flying leap and follows her boyfriend home for the holidays, not only sure that he will finally agree they're destined for each other, but also that Ireland will provide the perfect backdrop to the beginning of their happily-ever-after. 
But it turns out his family--and his gorgeous ex-girlfriend--don't feel the same way, and even the family goat seems to be conspiring against her well-laid plans. The only person making the trip worthwhile is the very last one she should be thinking about, but Grady, the local farmhand, has a way of showing up when Jessica needs him most...and least.
USA Today bestselling author Lyla Payne wraps up the perfect holiday novella, ties it with a ribbon of romance, and tops it with a light dusting of snow. Perfect to curl up with under the tree. Just add hot cocoa! 

I can tell you one thing straightaway, Mistletoe and Mr. Right put me in the best holiday mood. It has everything from romance to humor, family dynamics and just the right amount of necessary drama. Not to mention the cute guys as well.

The main character, Jessica, decides to surprise her boyfriend OF ONLY FOUR MONTHS by flying to Ireland to meet his family for Christmas. When I first read the synopsis of the story, I don't know why, but in my head I thought the boyfriend knew and it was only a surprise for his family. Ummm...no. The boyfriend has no idea. That alone is a recipe for disaster. 

What happens throughout the story will leave you laughing, gasping, and occasionally getting that glazed over look you get when something makes you swoon (*cough* Grady *cough*). Jessica is a very controlling character, but as the story progresses we get to see why. Her embarrassing moments are so cringeworthy, but also hilarious because how many people can get themselves into the situations she manages to get herself into?

I don't want to say much about the romance because you kind of figure it early on, but it's nice to see it unravel and take form as you read. What I can say is that I loved how everything developed. There were some moments where I thought I had it all figured out, and then others where I didn't know what would happen next.

As I mentioned before, the family involvement was one of my favorite things. I love stories where the family is very present and this one definitely fell into that category. I especially liked the relationship between Jessica's boyfriend and his little sister. That's when his softer, goofier side came out, and that's the side I swooned over. 

Although it may seem like a light and fluffy story, there are also a lot of deeper issues discussed within the novella. Overall this is the perfect first Christmas story of the season. I'm so glad I decided to pick this one up next. It's short and sweet with great characters that are also complex. This is the type of story that you can snuggle up in front of the fireplace for a few hours with. It left me wanting more of the characters and I wouldn't mind having another novella in the future.

Playlist:

Okay, so this playlist isn't really a playlist, it's more of just one song, but you might as well call it a playlist since you'll probably have it on replay after the first listen.

Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran was the perfect song to be listening to while I read this novella. Both the song and the novella make me feel all warm and good inside. Thinking Out Loud is a song I would listen to on a cold day (like today) and Ed Sheeran would probably manage to warm me up. It's just a soulful song and a soulful story. Plus, the lyrics talk about falling in love in mysterious ways and that's kind of a very present theme in the Mistletoe and Mr. Right as well.

 

Rating:

★★★★.5/5 stars

Excerpt: Undone by Elizabeth Norris

Unbreakable, the second book in the Unraveling series by Elizabeth Norris, is set to be released April 23rd and I know you guys can't wait. While I haven't had the chance to read this series yet, I hope to soon. I know so many people adore this sci-fi thriller. So here's the blurb and an excerpt of Elizabeth Norris' new novella in the Unraveling Series, Undone (which you can already purchase here):

Blurb from Goodreads: Before the accident. Before their universes collided. Before they fell in love.
Riveting and romantic, Undone: An Unraveling Novella contains three short stories set in the world of Unraveling, the first book in the gripping sci-fi duology by Elizabeth Norris.
Before Ben Michaels saved Janelle Tenner’s life, Janelle saved Ben when he stumbled through an interuniverse portal into a completely new world. That day, he fell in love with the girl of his dreams. And he never forgot her.
Through three stories told from Ben’s point of view, learn how Ben and his friends discovered their ability to travel between worlds, how Ben first met Janelle, and how he pined for her for years before he actually got the chance to meet her, save her life, and capture her heart. And find out what happens to Ben between the cliff-hanger conclusion to Unraveling and the beginning of its heart-stopping sequel, Unbreakable.

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PROLOGUE

Certain moments in my life are imprinted in my memory.

They’re easy to recall with perfect clarify whether I want to remember them or not. Any small thing can trigger them: a phrase, a smell, a thought. It brings everything back like I’m reliving that moment, a brief scene in the movie of my life, complete with how horrible I felt at the time. And I usually felt horrible in those moments, because for some reason it’s the moments that I want to forget that stick around.

Like in eighth grade when I had my first kiss with Jane Sheriden and my arm got stuck awkwardly between her head and couch: just thinking about it still makes me cringe. Or when Ms. Wittak caught me cheating in Algebra freshman year because I’d saved the formulas I needed to remember in a fake game on my graphing calculator, and she tore up my test in front of the whole class.

Then there were memories that were more significant.

The pivotal moments that changed everything.

Those I don’t want to forget. Now that I’ve had too much time to think about them, to replay them over and over again in my mind, they’re the things I wouldn’t take back, that I wouldn’t do over.

Because of Janelle.

She saved my life when we were ten. She anchored me by being who she was, and somewhere along the line, I fell in love with her.

In just about every significant moment in my life, she’s there. Whether she knew it or not.

___________________

Also, I wanted to share some more awesome. Books of Wonder is running an exclusive pre-order opportunity—you can pre-order a signed copy of Unbreakable and get swag as long as the order is placed prior to April 23^rd. It's open to all. For details you can go to the Books Of Wonder page.