Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Lyla Payne

Title: Mistletoe and Mr. Right
Author: Lyla Payne
Date Published: November 20, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury

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!

This is the first book that I've read by Lyla Payne, and I am now looking forward to reading more books written by her. Mistletoe and Mr. Right was a fun, quick read. I thought it was really interesting that this story took place in Ireland, as we got to experience an Irish Christmas, and I enjoyed learning about some of the customs.

To be honest, I could not relate to Jessie at first. She flew all the way to England to share Christmas with a guy who she had barely started dating. I thought that she was crazy at first!  I was also baffled that, with the limited time she had, she barely seemed to spend any time with Brennan.

My favorite parts of the story was Jessie's banter with Grady. I really liked him, and appreciated that he didn't put up with much crap!  It was super refreshing. I have to say, I wanted more at the end of this story. I would have liked to see how things played out in the future, as opposed to where it left off.

All in all, I definitely recommend Mistletoe and Mr. Right to anyone looking for a clean New Adult, Christmas story, filled with both humor and serious content.



Rating: 4 Stars

Short Review: The Shape of My Heart by Ann Aguirre

Title: The Shape of My Heart
Series: 2B Trilogy, #3
Author Ann Aguirre
Date Published: December 1, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin

Some people wait decades to meet their soul mate. Courtney Kaufman suspects she met hers in high school only to lose him at seventeen. Since then, Courtney's social life has been a series of meaningless encounters, though she's made a few close friends along the way. Especially her roommate, Max Cooper, who oozes damaged bad-boy vibes from every pore.
Max knows about feeling lost he's been on his own since he was sixteen. Now it's time to find out if he can ever go home again, and Courtney's the only one he trusts to go with him. But the trip to Providence could change everything….
It started out so simple. One misfit helping another. Now Max will do anything to show Courtney that for every heart that's ever been broken, there's another that can make it complete.

Quick Thoughts:

Unfortunately, I could not really get into The Shape of My Heart. I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, and was really looking forward to reading this. I loved Max and really wanted to know more about him. The pacing of this story seemed very slow, and I found myself losing interest in the plot. I really did not care for the main character, Courtney, and she really frustrated me more often than not. This was really sad because I adored Max in The Shape of My Heart, and really respected his character.



Rating: 2 Stars