Tag: arcreviews

Mistletoe and Mischief by Melissa Ivers

I received a free ARC of Mistletoe and Mischief thanks to the author. I am giving my honest review, which I am under no obligation to provide. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever reiterated that Christmas is my favorite holiday or how much I love it. But it is, and I love it a ton. So when I saw Melissa Ivers had a Christmas Novella available for ARC readers, I jumped at the chance to sign up.

In Mistletoe and Mischief, we follow Jules and Nash as they get through the Christmas season and try their best to be civil with one another while staying under the same roof. Jules is a small town baker and owner of Sweet Pies. She’s unfortunately stuck with her brother’s best friend and her own personal nemesis, Nash, staying at her house over the holidays. Nash is a big-shot lawyer, a playboy with devilishy good looks, and a holiday mission to make Jules’s life miserable. But what happens when a bit of Christmas magic plus close proximity does a little bit of messing with these two and their sworn hatred for each other?

Mistletoe and Mischief: The Breakdown

I love a good enemies-to-lovers book, and boy did this deliver. There’s romance, steam, Christmas, and descriptions of yummy food. 

I loved the Christmasy parts of the novella. It put me in such a cozy mood. I also enjoyed the banter between Nash and Jules. I felt like their enemies-to-lovers scenario was believable with the way they went after each other throughout, teasing and poking at each other. 

It was written in dual POVs, which I really enjoyed because we got into the heads of both characters. There is a bit of language to start out the book, which caught me off guard, but it didn’t deter me from continuing.

I definitely recommend this book if you’re into enemies-to-lovers, Christmas romance, steamy-romance, or just some light-hearted fun. This is my first Melissa Ivers’ book but it will not be my last!

Mistletoe and Mischief is out already, so be sure to get your copy today!

CW: language, sexuality

Mistletoe and Mischief by Melissa Ivers

Let Me Catch You Up

Hey y’all, I apologize for being so quiet on here the last few months. I just wanted to catch you up on what has been going on and give you a brief summary of what I’ve been reading. My actual reviews will follow, but I wanted to also get on here and just let you know why things have been so sporadic from me. I also wanted to apologize for that. I was hoping things this year would be less hectic, with COVID being better controlled and not being under quarantine like last year. However, we’ve had some personal things go on that have made it seem just as hectic.

In the beginning of the year, I felt optimistic about things, both reading- and personal- wise. Then I received some devastating news from my former partner that I’m still trying to reconcile. It threw me for a loop and I ended up not being able to do any reading after that until mid-February. Lately, we’ve had many appointments to go to so our days are still quite busy and exhausting. Some nights I go to bed shortly after my son does, which is pretty early. Also, I’m still dealing with some health issues that I’ve had on and off since June 2020.

Let’s Catch You Up: What I’ve Been Reading

Reading-wise, I’ve been doing alright. I haven’t gotten to as many books as I would have liked. However, I’m still reading a good amount of books. I average about 5 books a month and am on track to finish my Goodreads challenge (65).

Our local library has opened back up and we’ve been frequenting that weekly. My son loves getting books out and it makes this bibliophilic mama’s heart sing. 🥰 It’s also become a contest to see who gets more excited over bookmail: me or him.

I’ve mostly been reading ARCs this year, as I have many to review. However, in May and June I tried to focus my reading on monthly “themes.” May was AAPI Heritage month, so I tried to read mostly books written by AAPI authors. In the same respect, June was pride month, so I tried to read books that were lgbtq+ themed or written by lgbtq+ authors. Unless there was an ARC due that didn’t fit in those “themes,” I think I did pretty well.

I’ll include a list of the books I’ve read this year so far. As I’ve mentioned, reviews will be forthcoming, although some are already up. That’s it: that’s all I have to catch you up. Thanks for reading and bearing with me this year. Y’all are always appreciated. 💛 You can follow me on Instagram if you want more up-to-date reviews. Enjoy your weekend!

Books I’ve Read in 2021 Thus Far

  • July 2021
    • Mistletoe & Mischief
  • June 2021
    • The Boy Who Lived in the Ceiling
    • The Prince and the Dressmaker
    • MeaningFULL: 23 Life-Changing Stories of Conquering Dieting, Weight, & Body Image Issues
    • You Should See Me In A Crown
    • Darius The Great Deserves Better
    • Of Princes and Promises
    • The Gilded Ones
  • May 2021
    • My Fate According to the Butterfly
    • The Henna Artist
    • From Little Tokyo, With Love
    • Love From A to Z
  • April 2021
    • On The Spectrum
    • Fox & Rabbit
    • The Dating Plan
    • Spin A Circle
    • The Forest of Stolen Girls
    • The Perfect Daughter
    • The Mary Shelley Club
    • House of Hollow
  • March 2021
    • Zara Hossain is Here
    • She’s Too Pretty To Burn
    • Heroine
    • Firekeeper’s Daughter
    • The Lake
  • February 2021
    • A Shot at Normal
    • The Seelie Queen
    • Yolk
    • Indivisible
  • January 2021
    • What Big Teeth
    • A Taste For Love
    • The Project
    • Amari and the Night Brothers
    • Last Night at the Telegraph Club