Mistletoe'd! - Lisa Cach

Welp.

 

When I finished this collection of three Christmas novellas, two set in historical times and one in current times, I seriously thought I might need to book a dentist appointment, just to get rid of all the cavities I got while reading this.

 

Don't get me wrong. I love reading sweet romances but sometimes, it's TOO MUCH SWEETNESS. I started counting the amount of time the words "pure" appeared in each novella and found at least 3 to 4. Sure, it isn't much but I just kept finding them and it bugged me. We get it. They all want someone pure of heart and intention and of the body too if it were possible.

 

After reading something as good as Unteachable by Leah Raeder, I was afraid everything else would fall short and as far as this book is concerned, it has. The writing here was clunky and formulaic at best. Some scenarios, particularly in the last story "Return to Sender", bordered on ridiculous and unbelievable. I felt tempted to roll my eyes and just drop the book. Then I remembered my reading challenge and pushed forward.

 

The heroines had one trait in common: low self-esteem. All seem preoccupied with that the world thought of them or that they weren't good enough for anything. At times, I won't lie, it felt like reading about the same heroine just in a different get up and setting. Bo-ring. In the end, the heroes made it tolerable for me. For one, they didn't feel like they've been cut from the same cloth. All had distinct personalities.

 

However, it must be said that my favorite hero (Ian from "Return to Sender") spoke like a woman's fantasy of what a man should say. Some of his words didn't ring true to me.

 

 

Like, at the end, when Ian finds Tessa at her parent's home after not leaving on a jet plane to London and says:

 

"I realized that I didn't want to remember you: I wanted to be with you. My life suddenly felt false, like it was a poor copy of something that could have been much better. I realized I was never going to find someone who could make me feel as happy and alive as you do, Tessa. I was never going to find someone so real, so true. You challenge me. You surprise me. You make me laugh. And it feels so damn good when I see you smile."

 

I don't want to be a spoil sport but... when did she challenge him exactly? She did nothing out of the ordinary. She remained tightly ensconced in her insecurities until almost the very end. The part about making him laugh I can believe because she's a klutz but everything else? Nope. No dice.

(show spoiler)

 

 

Overall, a mild read: mildly entertaining and mildly annoying.