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Meet Me Under the Mistletoe
A city bookshop owner heads to the English countryside for a holiday reunion— only to face her childhood enemy.
Elinor Noel—Nory for short—is quite content running her secondhand bookshop in London. Forever torn between her working-class upbringing and her classmates’ extravagant lifestyles at the posh private school she attended on scholarship, Nory has finally figured out how to keep both at equal distance. So when two of her oldest friends invite their whole gang to spend the time leading up to their wedding together at the castle near their old school, Nory must prepare herself for an emotionally complicated few days.
The reunion brings back fond memories, but also requires Nory to dodge an ill-advised former fling. When she falls quite literally into the arms of Isaac, the castle’s head gardener, who has nothing but contempt for the “snobby prep school kids,” the attraction between them is undeniable. And as Nory spends more time with Isaac during the wedding festivities, she finds herself falling hard for the boy she used to consider an enemy. Nory and Isaac explore their common ground, but pressures mount on all sides, and Nory must decide what kind of life she wants to live and what sort of love is worth the risk . . .
Elinor Noel—Nory for short—is quite content running her secondhand bookshop in London. Forever torn between her working-class upbringing and her classmates’ extravagant lifestyles at the posh private school she attended on scholarship, Nory has finally figured out how to keep both at equal distance. So when two of her oldest friends invite their whole gang to spend the time leading up to their wedding together at the castle near their old school, Nory must prepare herself for an emotionally complicated few days.
The reunion brings back fond memories, but also requires Nory to dodge an ill-advised former fling. When she falls quite literally into the arms of Isaac, the castle’s head gardener, who has nothing but contempt for the “snobby prep school kids,” the attraction between them is undeniable. And as Nory spends more time with Isaac during the wedding festivities, she finds herself falling hard for the boy she used to consider an enemy. Nory and Isaac explore their common ground, but pressures mount on all sides, and Nory must decide what kind of life she wants to live and what sort of love is worth the risk . . .
417 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2022
About the author
Jenny Bayliss
6 books1,143 followersJenny Bayliss lives in a small seaside town in the UK with her husband, their children having left home for big adventures. After having been a professional cake-baker for many years, she went back to college at age thirty-nine to study part-time for a degree in Creative and Professional Writing. Bayliss likes long walks, baking days, stationery, and shamelessly wearing party dresses to the supermarket. The Twelve Dates of Christmas is her debut novel.
See also: Jenni Jennings
See also: Jenni Jennings
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,948 reviews
April 19, 2024
4.25/ 5⭐
1/5 🌶️
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Cute. It’s Cute. That’s Sums it up. CUTE. Meet Me Under the Mistletoe brings a group of friends together for a wedding at an old castle in Nory's hometown. It’s a cozy winter love story between Nory (Elinor) and Isaac. Nory, the proprietor of a book store in London is a woman who grew up in and around the old castle where her parents worked. Such a lovely, cozy English countryside setting. Great Christmas elements, but not overly done, so it can be enjoyed anytime. I liked the story line and I didn’t feel like I could predict the ending because it took a few unexpected twists I was not anticipating.
1/5 🌶️
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Cute. It’s Cute. That’s Sums it up. CUTE. Meet Me Under the Mistletoe brings a group of friends together for a wedding at an old castle in Nory's hometown. It’s a cozy winter love story between Nory (Elinor) and Isaac. Nory, the proprietor of a book store in London is a woman who grew up in and around the old castle where her parents worked. Such a lovely, cozy English countryside setting. Great Christmas elements, but not overly done, so it can be enjoyed anytime. I liked the story line and I didn’t feel like I could predict the ending because it took a few unexpected twists I was not anticipating.
December 6, 2022
I went into this book expecting a sweet, cute Christmas romance and I was wrong. I really liked Isaac. I thought he was sweet and kind and was a good love interest. However, Nory was frustrating and needed to decide how she wanted to love her life. She needed to make a decision about what was best for her life and live that way, but instead she waffled between her family life and friend life. I also felt like there were way too many characters and side stories going on. I spent about 60% of the book going back and forth to remind myself who was who.
I thought the original story of Nory meeting Isaac and falling in love with the problem of class would have been a good story, but there were way too many side stories thrown in. There was racism, classism, adultery, suicide, way too many to be discussed well enough so that it felt like they were just thrown in just to be there and it was unnecessary..
All in all, this book was way too long and I felt like I was skipping whole chapters because they had nothing to do with the overall plot.
I thought the original story of Nory meeting Isaac and falling in love with the problem of class would have been a good story, but there were way too many side stories thrown in. There was racism, classism, adultery, suicide, way too many to be discussed well enough so that it felt like they were just thrown in just to be there and it was unnecessary..
All in all, this book was way too long and I felt like I was skipping whole chapters because they had nothing to do with the overall plot.
August 19, 2022
Elinor Noel (known as Nory) runs Serendipitous Seconds, a second hand bookshop in London. She has remained best friends with Ameerah from Nory’s days of being a scholarship girl at the posh private school of Braddon-Hartmead. She is reluctant to accept a pre-wedding house party invitation from another school friend which is to be held at the castle in Hartmead. Will this school reunion be a success or will it be a case of dodging complications from the past?
Having really enjoyed the authors previous two Christmas novels I eagerly anticipate this one but it just doesn’t hit the mark or grab me in the same way. I find it slow to get going as there’s a lot of over explanation which makes it way too long. It could easily be cut by an hour or so of reading time without losing anything of the plot which sadly, feels predictable. I’m also not keen on the ‘them’ and ‘us’ dynamic between those that attend the school who are known as Pomp and those who attend the Comp which feels dated. In addition, there are a lot of strands to the storytelling which means that with some things, surfaces are skimmed.
However, I really like the settings especially Nory’s bookshop which as book lovers you’d enjoy browsing and wile away some happy hours! The castle setting is also lovely. There is some humour and sparky dialogue. The dynamics are interesting though there are a lot of characters to get your head around and some are not especially likeable.
Finally, it just doesn’t feel Christmassy enough to me despite the snow in late November ( it rarely does), the shop window display, the mistletoe and a faux Christmas tree.
Overall, it is an enjoyable read in places but I’m disappointed that I’m not wowed as previously.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan McMillan for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Having really enjoyed the authors previous two Christmas novels I eagerly anticipate this one but it just doesn’t hit the mark or grab me in the same way. I find it slow to get going as there’s a lot of over explanation which makes it way too long. It could easily be cut by an hour or so of reading time without losing anything of the plot which sadly, feels predictable. I’m also not keen on the ‘them’ and ‘us’ dynamic between those that attend the school who are known as Pomp and those who attend the Comp which feels dated. In addition, there are a lot of strands to the storytelling which means that with some things, surfaces are skimmed.
However, I really like the settings especially Nory’s bookshop which as book lovers you’d enjoy browsing and wile away some happy hours! The castle setting is also lovely. There is some humour and sparky dialogue. The dynamics are interesting though there are a lot of characters to get your head around and some are not especially likeable.
Finally, it just doesn’t feel Christmassy enough to me despite the snow in late November ( it rarely does), the shop window display, the mistletoe and a faux Christmas tree.
Overall, it is an enjoyable read in places but I’m disappointed that I’m not wowed as previously.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan McMillan for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
January 6, 2024
Elinor, better known as Nory, is about to take a trip back in time...or at least, back to her old stomping grounds. Long before she had the guts to buy a bookstore and venture into that career full force, she grew up as a working class teen who got a unique opportunity: she got a scholarship that allowed her to attend a fancy school...which was naturally FILLED to the brim with rich kids. Despite feeling like a fish out of water, Nory fell into a group of friends that she's had to this day...and now's the time for a reunion!
When Nory arrives at the literal CASTLE near their old school (yes, you read that correctly!) to help prepare for the wedding, it's beyond heartwarming to get to visit with all of her old friends and relive memories from the past. (Of course, there was the one night stand with ONE friend who later revealed he was a married man...but Nory's going to keep that horrifying mistake in the past, thank you very much!) After sharing story after story with friends and more champagne than is probably advisable, Nory happens to stumble into one person from her past she'd nearly forgotten: devastatingly handsome but unavailable head gardener, Isaac. Isaac is friends with Nory's brother, making him immediately off limits to Nory...and Isaac's contempt for the wealthy set makes the situation even MORE complicated.
As the two draw closer and end up spending more and more time together, will Isaac finally put his heart above the 'rules' of his bro-ship with Nory's brother? Will Nory be able to keep the secret indiscretion from her past under lock and key? Or are these two from worlds that are simply TOO different to come together, no matter HOW much longing lingers in the space between them?
When I picked up this book right before Christmas, I was hoping (and honestly, EXPECTING!) to fall into the enchanted world of a Jenny Bayliss romance. Her books thus far have provided the kind of escape you normally only dream about when reading: the kind where the world of fiction starts replacing the world around you, and everything in reality fades as you slowly fall in love with a group of characters who feel like long-lost friends you didn't know you were missing.
But for a book called Meet Me Under the Mistletoe... this book has very little to do with Christmas.
This isn't to say there aren't MENTIONS of Christmas and Christmas-related items such as trees, decorations and of course, mistletoe. In a Christmas romance, though, Christmas SHOULD feel like a central character. With this book, it felt more like a Christmas episode of a sitcom, where some background props like a tree or a paper snowman show up randomly to TELL you it's Christmas, even if it isn't mentioned or isn't part of the plot itself. This would have been okay if I'd read this book at any other time of year...but right before Christmas? Let's just say I felt like I got hoodwinked by the Grinch. 😣 🎄
There's also the cast of characters. Not only are they a group of rich semi-snobs, there are JUST TOO MANY of them. As much as I wanted to find a couple or two that I found endearing, I found it more complicated and at times meandering to keep track of all of their side plots and backstories. I often have trouble getting through books where the MC is surrounded by a GIANT group of friends for most of the story, and this one was no exception. It was especially hard to feel let down in this respect because in my last Bayliss read, A Season for Second Chances, I had the OPPOSITE experience, where I felt like I knew each inhabitant of the tiny coastal town...and loved them all. To be honest, I felt like I agreed with Isaac: many of these characters just COULDN'T STOP complaining their first world problems...and I wouldn't want much to do with them either!🤦♀️
The relationship between Isaac and Nory was probably the brightest part of the narrative (and of course, the thread holding the story together), but even their courtship felt a bit lackluster in the grand scheme of things. As much as I enjoy predictability in my romances at times, I felt less surprised than I would have expected by the end of the book, and felt like Bayliss had opportunity for a third-act shocker to elevate the tension...but nothing materialized. There were also a couple of times where it looked like Bayliss laid the groundwork for a big dramatic reveal...but for some reason, we never really got one. 🤔
There's always a moment when you realize Christmas Day has come to an end and tomorrow it's back to reality, and a pang of sadness that follows. The reason we feel so sad is because we have to go back to the Real World after living in a World of Magic for so long.
...But when it came to this book, I was truly MISSING the Christmas magic LONG before it ended.
😔
3.5 ⭐️
When Nory arrives at the literal CASTLE near their old school (yes, you read that correctly!) to help prepare for the wedding, it's beyond heartwarming to get to visit with all of her old friends and relive memories from the past. (Of course, there was the one night stand with ONE friend who later revealed he was a married man...but Nory's going to keep that horrifying mistake in the past, thank you very much!) After sharing story after story with friends and more champagne than is probably advisable, Nory happens to stumble into one person from her past she'd nearly forgotten: devastatingly handsome but unavailable head gardener, Isaac. Isaac is friends with Nory's brother, making him immediately off limits to Nory...and Isaac's contempt for the wealthy set makes the situation even MORE complicated.
As the two draw closer and end up spending more and more time together, will Isaac finally put his heart above the 'rules' of his bro-ship with Nory's brother? Will Nory be able to keep the secret indiscretion from her past under lock and key? Or are these two from worlds that are simply TOO different to come together, no matter HOW much longing lingers in the space between them?
When I picked up this book right before Christmas, I was hoping (and honestly, EXPECTING!) to fall into the enchanted world of a Jenny Bayliss romance. Her books thus far have provided the kind of escape you normally only dream about when reading: the kind where the world of fiction starts replacing the world around you, and everything in reality fades as you slowly fall in love with a group of characters who feel like long-lost friends you didn't know you were missing.
But for a book called Meet Me Under the Mistletoe... this book has very little to do with Christmas.
This isn't to say there aren't MENTIONS of Christmas and Christmas-related items such as trees, decorations and of course, mistletoe. In a Christmas romance, though, Christmas SHOULD feel like a central character. With this book, it felt more like a Christmas episode of a sitcom, where some background props like a tree or a paper snowman show up randomly to TELL you it's Christmas, even if it isn't mentioned or isn't part of the plot itself. This would have been okay if I'd read this book at any other time of year...but right before Christmas? Let's just say I felt like I got hoodwinked by the Grinch. 😣 🎄
There's also the cast of characters. Not only are they a group of rich semi-snobs, there are JUST TOO MANY of them. As much as I wanted to find a couple or two that I found endearing, I found it more complicated and at times meandering to keep track of all of their side plots and backstories. I often have trouble getting through books where the MC is surrounded by a GIANT group of friends for most of the story, and this one was no exception. It was especially hard to feel let down in this respect because in my last Bayliss read, A Season for Second Chances, I had the OPPOSITE experience, where I felt like I knew each inhabitant of the tiny coastal town...and loved them all. To be honest, I felt like I agreed with Isaac: many of these characters just COULDN'T STOP complaining their first world problems...and I wouldn't want much to do with them either!🤦♀️
The relationship between Isaac and Nory was probably the brightest part of the narrative (and of course, the thread holding the story together), but even their courtship felt a bit lackluster in the grand scheme of things. As much as I enjoy predictability in my romances at times, I felt less surprised than I would have expected by the end of the book, and felt like Bayliss had opportunity for a third-act shocker to elevate the tension...but nothing materialized. There were also a couple of times where it looked like Bayliss laid the groundwork for a big dramatic reveal...but for some reason, we never really got one. 🤔
There's always a moment when you realize Christmas Day has come to an end and tomorrow it's back to reality, and a pang of sadness that follows. The reason we feel so sad is because we have to go back to the Real World after living in a World of Magic for so long.
...But when it came to this book, I was truly MISSING the Christmas magic LONG before it ended.
😔
3.5 ⭐️
December 29, 2022
A pox upon the houses of everyone involved with the titling/marketing of this as some sort of Christmas romcom! Ugggggh! You did this oh so very lovely book such a disservice. While there did end up being a kiss under the mistletoe, this had a much more than a simple romp in the manger to offer and I totally understand why some have complained it was a sort of bait and switch from what they had been expecting. Luckily I have read (and loved) this author before and knew she would provide much more meat on the Christmas roast than other seasonal offerings.
The story here is of Eleanor who is gathering with her former boarding school chums for a week-long reunion prior to two of them getting married. The last time they were together was after the tragic loss of one of their group and where Nory did a diddle that she would like to pretend she never did with another of their pals.
I’d call this part Four Weddings and a Funeral and part The Big Chill (and if you know me you know I’m ALWAYS looking for something that gives me The Big Chill vibes). There’s some seriousness with respect to talk of race and class, as well as some melancholy, but there’s also plenty of laughs . . .
“Tell me about him.”
“He’s the gardner . . .”
“Oh, Lady Chatterley! I do say!”
“I knew you’d say that.”
And love.
Per usual, the third act breakup made me want to punch everyone around me in the face and I also thought this was probably nearly 100 pages too long. But still. It made my Grinch heart grow three sizes and I felt like I made some new friends.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
December 19, 2022
Definitely not enough Christmas for something with THIS title! The writing was bland, the pacing was slow, I didn't really care for any of the characters, and the MC's constant defense of her uber-rich friends who hurt her love interest was awful! I debate giving this one star, but I did like the MC quirk of being a bookseller who hates selling books? And some of the moments were cute, like croquet in the snow
December 5, 2022
i don’t even want to talk about it
July 21, 2022
DNF at 53%. I started skimming around 30% hoping it would pick up but it didn't. If you're a millennial who likes winter vibes with mediocre dialogue and minimum plot, you will like this book. Unfortunately, I am not that so this book wasn't for me.
Nory is an average girl who owns a bookshop and has wealthy friends. They all go to a castle in the country for a wedding and there she reconnects with Isaac, a now gardener at the castle who she had a crush on as a teen. I got through half the book and never got excited about any of the characters or Nory and Isaac's relationship. All the characters are so violently millennial and one-dimensional. I couldn't relate to any of them, and that is fine, but I also did not care about any of them. Except for Camille, who at 50% just leaves the group? I did not see how Nory and Isaac were rivals, I only saw how he was the poor son of a gardener and she was with the fancy prep school kids--there just isn't any showing of their old relationship besides some dialogue telling you what it is, which sucks when the whole premise of the book is supposed to be Nory choosing between two lives. I never got excited about their relationship and I don't think the author did a good job of developing it at all. It was basically 0-100 of Nory got there, met Isaac, and the next day she is fawning over him at his house. At the halfway mark, there was no choosing and no conflict, and absolutely no character development. Actually, there was. There was a conflict between Camille and Guy, who are not even the main characters, and Ameera had some character development, who again is not the main character! And the dialogue... OMG, it was so boring and unremarkable that if you took out all the unnecessary mundane conversations the book would probably be at least two times shorter. I am serious, there was so much dialogue and so little plot/ action!
Because of all that, I just couldn't get into the book. I really wanted to and I was looking forward to good 'winter in the country rich kids aesthetic poor boy rich girl love story' vibes. But unfortunately other than the author directly telling you in the dialogue that the group is wealthy/ a love story was developing, nothing else showed for it. If by the halfway mark I don't care about the main characters and am not excited about what is going to happen, I can't justify reading any further.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an e-ARC of this book.
Nory is an average girl who owns a bookshop and has wealthy friends. They all go to a castle in the country for a wedding and there she reconnects with Isaac, a now gardener at the castle who she had a crush on as a teen. I got through half the book and never got excited about any of the characters or Nory and Isaac's relationship. All the characters are so violently millennial and one-dimensional. I couldn't relate to any of them, and that is fine, but I also did not care about any of them. Except for Camille, who at 50% just leaves the group? I did not see how Nory and Isaac were rivals, I only saw how he was the poor son of a gardener and she was with the fancy prep school kids--there just isn't any showing of their old relationship besides some dialogue telling you what it is, which sucks when the whole premise of the book is supposed to be Nory choosing between two lives. I never got excited about their relationship and I don't think the author did a good job of developing it at all. It was basically 0-100 of Nory got there, met Isaac, and the next day she is fawning over him at his house. At the halfway mark, there was no choosing and no conflict, and absolutely no character development. Actually, there was. There was a conflict between Camille and Guy, who are not even the main characters, and Ameera had some character development, who again is not the main character! And the dialogue... OMG, it was so boring and unremarkable that if you took out all the unnecessary mundane conversations the book would probably be at least two times shorter. I am serious, there was so much dialogue and so little plot/ action!
Because of all that, I just couldn't get into the book. I really wanted to and I was looking forward to good 'winter in the country rich kids aesthetic poor boy rich girl love story' vibes. But unfortunately other than the author directly telling you in the dialogue that the group is wealthy/ a love story was developing, nothing else showed for it. If by the halfway mark I don't care about the main characters and am not excited about what is going to happen, I can't justify reading any further.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an e-ARC of this book.
November 14, 2022
Too many side plots and characters which weren’t relevant to the story and the main character was quite annoying. Nothing has lived up to her first book I read
September 28, 2022
A feel-good British holiday romance that revolves around the reunion of a group of college friends as they come together for a week of wedding festivities right around Christmas. Elinor (Nory) is a London secondhand bookseller who hasn't had much luck in love and falls hard for Isaac, the local estate gardener who used to drive Nory crazy as a child. Together they bond while the events of the wedding week keep bringing them together. I really enjoyed the friend dynamics of this story and the depth of the characters' growth. One of the friends commits suicide, one couple struggles with fidelity and being parents. I didn't love the third act break up based around a misunderstanding that could have so easily been resolved if only the characters had talked to one another. Other than that though this was a heartwarming story perfect for the holiday season and great on audio. Much thanks to NetGalley and @PRHAudio for a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review!
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November 26, 2022DNF for the same reason as the last book. Just not into her characters or writing. Moving on!
November 11, 2022
*I received an advance copy of this book from Putnam Books. All thoughts are my own*
Jenny Bayliss is officially on my auto-read list. She writes such wonderfully cozy, funny, touching romances, and Meet Me Under the Mistletoe is no different.
Nory is a bookshop owner in London; she’s basically a matchmaker for books and the people who are meant to have them, which was a concept I loved. One of her closest childhood friends is getting married near Christmas and is using the occasion to get the old gang together for a week-long reunion at a beautiful estate near their old school. The group is forever linked, partly by their own history, and partly by the member who’s missing: Tristan, who died by suicide several years before. At the estate, Nory is also reunited with a childhood enemy, Isaac, who’s now the estate’s gardener.
There were so many things I loved about this book. The friendships were the top highlight for me; I’m a sucker for found families, and Bayliss did it so well, not only with Nory’s eclectic group of childhood friends, but also with her friends in London. I also really enjoyed Nory’s complicated and relatable relationship with her actual family. Nory has inhabited a variety of worlds in her life and has had to learn to balance them and become the person she wants to be without giving in to the expectations of others. The people around her have shaped her and continue to help her grow, and I loved seeing that. I also really loved seeing how she let Isaac in and how, in turn, he let down his walls to make room for her too.
Jenny Bayliss writes the type of books I want to give to all my closest friends. They're like a warm hug, and I'm always left feeling warm and happy when I finish reading them. I was completely charmed by this delightful book, just as I have been with Bayliss’s other novels. With a blend of heavy themes and humour, moments that tugged on my heartstrings, made me laugh, frustrated me, and made me swoon, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe hit all the right notes for me.
Jenny Bayliss is officially on my auto-read list. She writes such wonderfully cozy, funny, touching romances, and Meet Me Under the Mistletoe is no different.
Nory is a bookshop owner in London; she’s basically a matchmaker for books and the people who are meant to have them, which was a concept I loved. One of her closest childhood friends is getting married near Christmas and is using the occasion to get the old gang together for a week-long reunion at a beautiful estate near their old school. The group is forever linked, partly by their own history, and partly by the member who’s missing: Tristan, who died by suicide several years before. At the estate, Nory is also reunited with a childhood enemy, Isaac, who’s now the estate’s gardener.
There were so many things I loved about this book. The friendships were the top highlight for me; I’m a sucker for found families, and Bayliss did it so well, not only with Nory’s eclectic group of childhood friends, but also with her friends in London. I also really enjoyed Nory’s complicated and relatable relationship with her actual family. Nory has inhabited a variety of worlds in her life and has had to learn to balance them and become the person she wants to be without giving in to the expectations of others. The people around her have shaped her and continue to help her grow, and I loved seeing that. I also really loved seeing how she let Isaac in and how, in turn, he let down his walls to make room for her too.
Jenny Bayliss writes the type of books I want to give to all my closest friends. They're like a warm hug, and I'm always left feeling warm and happy when I finish reading them. I was completely charmed by this delightful book, just as I have been with Bayliss’s other novels. With a blend of heavy themes and humour, moments that tugged on my heartstrings, made me laugh, frustrated me, and made me swoon, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe hit all the right notes for me.
December 31, 2022
this book deserves less than 1 star
nory is insufferable. she acts like all these people at this wedding are her besties but in reality they are trash and they all just let each other get away w being terrible people.
if I wasn’t trying to finish my book goal and already had this 50% read I would have DNF’d it and I NEVER do that
*** additional update as this made me rageful - why own a bookstore and constantly complain about being broke from this book store and yet NOT sell books bc she couldn’t part with them. Girl BYE ur annoying
nory is insufferable. she acts like all these people at this wedding are her besties but in reality they are trash and they all just let each other get away w being terrible people.
if I wasn’t trying to finish my book goal and already had this 50% read I would have DNF’d it and I NEVER do that
*** additional update as this made me rageful - why own a bookstore and constantly complain about being broke from this book store and yet NOT sell books bc she couldn’t part with them. Girl BYE ur annoying
August 18, 2022
I'm going to be honest, I couldn't get into the book until the first 11% because there were a lot of details that I started to skim over and the writing style failed to keep me engaged. The blurb makes it sound like the story would revolve around Nory & Issac when they meet again but her friend group had more interactions than what I expected Nory & Issac to have. Which is why I didn't buy the insta-love between her & Issac. I also didn't get the feel of the Christmas setting, because it felt as if the book was more of a women's fiction than a romance. In my opinion, Nory & Isaac's past (of them being each other's childhood nemesis and having feelings) was not well constructed. What I liked about the book was the huge friend group, they had their own unique personalities and opinions which showed that the characters were well thought of and sketched. Their interactions and conversations were pretty engaging. Overall, it wasn't my favourite but the ending was finished very well and the book had some laugh out loud moments.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me the ARC
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me the ARC
October 10, 2022
Thank you to Putnam books for giving me a free digital arc in exchange for an honest review!
This was a really hard book to rate. There was a lot that I liked: the coziness, the friendships, the setting. I really liked Isaac’s character. I thought that some of the socioeconomic commentary was good.
Nory was harder to like. She made a lot of dumb choices. Like letting Guy get away with his lie for literal years and everything about how she handled Issac’s art situation.
Overall, while parts of the story were cute and whimsical, this book was difficult to get through. It was too long. There were too many story lines. And it tried to handle too many heavy issues for a Christmas romance novel.
This was a really hard book to rate. There was a lot that I liked: the coziness, the friendships, the setting. I really liked Isaac’s character. I thought that some of the socioeconomic commentary was good.
Nory was harder to like. She made a lot of dumb choices. Like letting Guy get away with his lie for literal years and everything about how she handled Issac’s art situation.
Overall, while parts of the story were cute and whimsical, this book was difficult to get through. It was too long. There were too many story lines. And it tried to handle too many heavy issues for a Christmas romance novel.
Read
December 14, 2022Dnf at 72%. It was much more contemporary drama than I expected and the romance felt like a side story most of the time.
We followed a group of friends staying in a fancy castle/estate in the week leading up to two of those friends getting married. Even though Nory is the main character, we spend a significant amount of time with all those random ass snobby friends and their different problems/personalities. I’m not going to lie there were so many different people that sometimes it would take a minute to remember who was who. (I legit kept forgetting Pippa existed) None of the friends were really that great either, they were either completely garbage or we just got snippets and not full bites of their personalities. Amira was fun but everyone else was a blur. Because of the need to get to know all these people, Nory and Issac didn’t get as much time as they needed for me to care about their romance.
It wasn’t bad. It just also turned out to be a fade to black, and I’ve got to many books on my tbr to keep going on something that only has half my attention
We followed a group of friends staying in a fancy castle/estate in the week leading up to two of those friends getting married. Even though Nory is the main character, we spend a significant amount of time with all those random ass snobby friends and their different problems/personalities. I’m not going to lie there were so many different people that sometimes it would take a minute to remember who was who. (I legit kept forgetting Pippa existed) None of the friends were really that great either, they were either completely garbage or we just got snippets and not full bites of their personalities. Amira was fun but everyone else was a blur. Because of the need to get to know all these people, Nory and Issac didn’t get as much time as they needed for me to care about their romance.
It wasn’t bad. It just also turned out to be a fade to black, and I’ve got to many books on my tbr to keep going on something that only has half my attention
November 1, 2022
This is the worst book I’ve read all year. If I could rate it lower, I would. I struggled to finish it, I never got into it, I truly hated it. It was 100 pages too long, predictable AF, boring as hell, had zero plot, depth, or anything interesting within it. The characters lacked dimension, as did their relationships, and there was nary a redeeming quality among them. This book could have used an editor or seven. Ooof and good riddance.
August 11, 2023
This is a really cute book.
I was into it from the start. It was easy to get into. It did feel slow at some parts. The plot twist close to the end is what made it a 3 star read for me. I felt like there could have been more build up. I wanted a little more from this book.
Overall, a cute holiday read.
I was into it from the start. It was easy to get into. It did feel slow at some parts. The plot twist close to the end is what made it a 3 star read for me. I felt like there could have been more build up. I wanted a little more from this book.
Overall, a cute holiday read.
December 15, 2022
I enjoyed this one. It dealt with heavier topics than expected, but it was an easy audiobook to follow along with and I liked the main character's journey.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 12, 2022
Meet Me Under the Mistletoe
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 9/27/22
Author: Jenny Bayliss
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Pages: 448
GR: 3.42
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Elinor Noel – Nory for short – is quite content running her second-hand bookshop in London. So, when her oldest friends invite their school gang to spend the days leading up to their wedding together at the school castle, Nory must prepare herself for an emotionally complicated few days. Nory falls quite literally into the arms of Isaac, the head gardener with nothing but contempt for the ‘snobby prep school kids’, the attraction between them is undeniable. As Nory and Isaac explore their common ground, pressures mount on all sides and Nory must decide what kind of life she wants to live and what sort of love is worth the risk.
My Thoughts: The romance felt as an afterthought. This felt more of a contemporary fiction, if anything. I would liked to have seen more Christmas in the book as well, especially being marketed as a Christmas novel. It was a little on the long side and more of a slow burn. Don’t get me wrong, this was still a wonderful book. There are a lot of characters but as the story progresses, you get the sense of who is who. The relationships that develop are sincere and authentic. And Snowball Croquet? Who knew. Fabulous. The characters were well developed with passion, depth, and creatively done. The author’s writing style was complex, endearing, and intriguing. This book could be read anytime of the year and was a good read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 9/27/22
Author: Jenny Bayliss
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Pages: 448
GR: 3.42
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Elinor Noel – Nory for short – is quite content running her second-hand bookshop in London. So, when her oldest friends invite their school gang to spend the days leading up to their wedding together at the school castle, Nory must prepare herself for an emotionally complicated few days. Nory falls quite literally into the arms of Isaac, the head gardener with nothing but contempt for the ‘snobby prep school kids’, the attraction between them is undeniable. As Nory and Isaac explore their common ground, pressures mount on all sides and Nory must decide what kind of life she wants to live and what sort of love is worth the risk.
My Thoughts: The romance felt as an afterthought. This felt more of a contemporary fiction, if anything. I would liked to have seen more Christmas in the book as well, especially being marketed as a Christmas novel. It was a little on the long side and more of a slow burn. Don’t get me wrong, this was still a wonderful book. There are a lot of characters but as the story progresses, you get the sense of who is who. The relationships that develop are sincere and authentic. And Snowball Croquet? Who knew. Fabulous. The characters were well developed with passion, depth, and creatively done. The author’s writing style was complex, endearing, and intriguing. This book could be read anytime of the year and was a good read.
September 26, 2022
Snowball croquet, secondhand bookstores, mulled wine, tree lightings in the square. If Elin Hilderbrand reigns over summer, then Jenny Bayliss is the queen of winter.
I was pulled in from the moment we meet Elinor Noel in her secondhand bookshop, Serendipitous Seconds, Nory, as she is known affectionately throughout the book, has been putting off RSVP’ing to her childhood best friends wedding because of an unfortunate tryst with Guy, another friend in their circle, years ago. This hookup (did I mention that said friend was married — unbeknownst to Nory!) happened after the funeral of another member of their friend group. Eesh!
After prodding from her best friend Ameerah, Nory reluctantly agrees to spend the wedding and the week leading up to it holed up with her friend group at the castle on the grounds of their posh private school. After Guy hits on Nory on the first night (with his wife in the next room!) she escapes to the castle gardens and has a run-in with Isaac, a nemisis from her childhood, and head gardener at the castle. What follows is a most beautiful, heartwarming — and heart tugging! — story.
4.5 rounded up to 5 — there was one piece of the ending that was frustrating for me, and thats why it’s not a perfect 5.
Trigger warning: suicide grieving
I was pulled in from the moment we meet Elinor Noel in her secondhand bookshop, Serendipitous Seconds, Nory, as she is known affectionately throughout the book, has been putting off RSVP’ing to her childhood best friends wedding because of an unfortunate tryst with Guy, another friend in their circle, years ago. This hookup (did I mention that said friend was married — unbeknownst to Nory!) happened after the funeral of another member of their friend group. Eesh!
After prodding from her best friend Ameerah, Nory reluctantly agrees to spend the wedding and the week leading up to it holed up with her friend group at the castle on the grounds of their posh private school. After Guy hits on Nory on the first night (with his wife in the next room!) she escapes to the castle gardens and has a run-in with Isaac, a nemisis from her childhood, and head gardener at the castle. What follows is a most beautiful, heartwarming — and heart tugging! — story.
4.5 rounded up to 5 — there was one piece of the ending that was frustrating for me, and thats why it’s not a perfect 5.
Trigger warning: suicide grieving
October 6, 2022
Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss is a sweet story. Eleanor is meeting her old friends from private school for a week-long wedding celebration at a castle. We learn about their history, life long friendship, and how they each fit into the social strata in the story. Isaac is a childhood friend who studies horticulture and is now the gardener at the castle.
I loved Nory and learning about her secondhand book store. Her store and love of books resonated with me. I was invested in the secondary characters at her bookstore, her friends from school, and Nory’s family. The author does a nice job talking about heavier topics such as suicide, race and classism without being too heavy. Isaac is a sweet hero who gets Eleanor and I found myself easily rooting for him.
Meet Me Under the Mistletoe is the perfect story as you get ready for the holidays. I loved the setting in London and the British countryside. The story has wonderful characters, a touch of romance, and pulls at your heart. I recommend it.
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
I loved Nory and learning about her secondhand book store. Her store and love of books resonated with me. I was invested in the secondary characters at her bookstore, her friends from school, and Nory’s family. The author does a nice job talking about heavier topics such as suicide, race and classism without being too heavy. Isaac is a sweet hero who gets Eleanor and I found myself easily rooting for him.
Meet Me Under the Mistletoe is the perfect story as you get ready for the holidays. I loved the setting in London and the British countryside. The story has wonderful characters, a touch of romance, and pulls at your heart. I recommend it.
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
January 19, 2023
Nory works in a bookstore in London and likes her quiet life. She lives a very normal life despite the fact that she was a scholarship student at a very prestigious private school and in turn, many of her friends live an entirely different lifestyle than herself. Nory gets invited to a wedding at her old private school, and when she returns, it brings up a lot of memories surrounding bullies, grief, romance, and poor decisions. Her group of friends also feels bad about bullying the gardener's son, Issac, when they were students at the school. Well, Isaac just so happens to be working at the school as the head gardener. He, surprisingly, forgives Nory and they have an undeniable connection. Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss is a cute holiday romance that can be enjoyed all winter season.
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
December 7, 2022
What in the Taylor-Swift White Feminism was this…. DNF. Nory and Isaac were likeable enough but Nory went on and on to defend her privileged asshole friends who had literally no redeeming qualities. Especially the men in the friend group who were the epitome of toxically masculine, rich cis het white men. And to remain friends with a mysoginist is just so beyond ridiculous; Nory needed a backbone. I liked the romantic moments and the Christmas backdrop but I could not get behind Nory’s sad attempts to defend ppl who need no defense, and to attack and belittle those who do. You can’t be friends with problematic ppl and I couldn’t keep reading a book in their defense.
January 1, 2023
There are a lot of characters and a lot going on in this emotional but feel-good holiday romance. Warm, sweet entertaining read.
Pub Date 27 Sep 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
Pub Date 27 Sep 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
December 27, 2023
This is my first book by this author. The heroine is Nory who lives in London and owns a second hand bookstore.
She goes to spend a week at a castle in the UK countryside for a vacation and to attend a wedding.
The title made me think that this would be more of a Christmas romance. And while the book does take place in December only the last chapters really focus on Christmas.
The book focuses a lot on family. And even more on friendships. I thought that the friend group was very interesting.
The romance was fun. But there are serious topics too including suicide (which was mentioned a lot) and adultery.
Overall this book was quite long. But I did enjoy it.
She goes to spend a week at a castle in the UK countryside for a vacation and to attend a wedding.
The title made me think that this would be more of a Christmas romance. And while the book does take place in December only the last chapters really focus on Christmas.
The book focuses a lot on family. And even more on friendships. I thought that the friend group was very interesting.
The romance was fun. But there are serious topics too including suicide (which was mentioned a lot) and adultery.
Overall this book was quite long. But I did enjoy it.
December 17, 2022
4.5 stars! Cozy English Christmas Delight!
November 14, 2022
I wanted to like this one, but it didn’t have the warm fuzzy Christmas feel I was expecting. Lots of heavy topics, and the story meandered too much. I really like Jenny Bayliss’s other books so I’m looking forward to her next one.
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