A Lord’s fortune is forever changed with a kiss on Christmas from a daring young woman…
Finn, Viscount Edgerton, has avoided the London scene to focus solely on digging out from under the pile of debt his father left behind. A decent dowry could make things a hell of a lot easier for the estate, but he hasn’t met the right woman. And he never would have expected her to come in the form of “Miss Mistletoe”—the young woman who stole a kiss at a ball in front of the ton and caused a scandal.
On the eve of her cousin’s wedding, Cece McCrea hardly expects to run into the man who inspired her indiscretion five years ago. This time, she resolves to put aside her childish crush and avoid him altogether. Her will is tested, however, when he pursues her….
| Title: | Miss Mistletoe |
| Author: | Erin Knightley |
| Series: | Sealed with a Kiss (Book 1.5) |
| Pages: | 83 |
| Category / Genre(s): | Historical |
| Trope(s): | Christmas Romance |
| Point of View: | |
| Location: | |
| Setting: | Regency |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 6th November, 2012 |
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Pleasant tale to pass the time
This novella is part Knightley’s Sealed with a Kiss series. I didn’t realise this fact until I’d finished the book so you obviously don’t need to have read the first book (More Than a Stranger) to understand and like this one. This book does take place during the couple from the first book’s wedding, but you see so little of that couple that if you’re reading this story in the hope of seeing more of them, I feel you’ll be disappointed. Richard (Cece’s cousin) appears in the next book in the series, A Taste for Scandal, which I now realise I’ve read and enjoyed a lot.
Both main characters are pleasing and likeable. Cece (Cecelia) is someone you can really understand – trying to get over her childhood fancy while constantly being forced into Finn’s presence. I felt that could have been played up a wee bit more as after only a couple of interactions the pair come to a truce. I prefer a bit more irritation and banter between our couple before they come to any sort of peace! However, I could totally understand Cece’s feelings for Finn and how they developed.
I had a bit of a more difficult time with Finn – although there are extra points for a great name. He was understandably irritated with Cece and on their first re-meeting, he was wary of her motives. And then they have one snipey conversation and suddenly he’s remembering that he really liked her as a young girl and he wanted to get to know her better. I didn’t buy it. It wasn’t even believable that he was irked that she was ignoring him instead of fawning over him – there wasn’t enough time or interactions for that to be the case.
“This book was pleasant, well written and a nice diversion for a couple of hours.”
The story picked up for me, emotionally, once the house party had finished. It was more believable and I could get behind it a bit more. I could have done with a bit more than the 2 or 3 kisses that we got but there wasn’t really an occasion for it, unfortunately. I just like things a bit steamier.
The festive touches in the book are minimal. The ‘incident’ took place at Christmas and the ending takes place at Christmas but apart from a few passing mentions – and the mistletoe – there isn’t much else to pull you into Christmas and all the merriment of the season.
This book was pleasant, well written and a nice diversion for a couple of hours. It just lacked sparkle for me. There was no magic in the couple and none from the Christmas theme, sadly. I would give this book a solid 3.5 stars but since that’s not an option, and I’m feeling the effects of the season myself, 4 stars it is. Give it a go if you like short, historical romances at Christmas, you enjoy Erin Knightley’s writing or are following the Sealed with a Kiss series.
Despite being an avid reader and closet writer her whole life, Erin Knightley decided to pursue a sensible career in science. It was only after earning her B.S. and working in the field for years that she realized doing the sensible thing wasn’t any fun at all. Following her dreams, Erin left her practical side behind and now spends her days writing. An award winning and USA Today Bestselling author, she is living her own Happily Ever After in North Carolina with her tall, dark, and handsome husband and their three spoiled mutts.
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