Review: The perfect story to curl up with this winter
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 4, 2012
Mia's plan for a bright and joyful Christmas comes screeching to a halt when her boyfriend, Nick, refuses to come to Lucky Harbor and meet her family. Heartbroken, Mia travels to Lucky Harbor to lick her wounds and celebrate her aunt's wedding. What she doesn't expect is Nick to follow hot on her heels, begging for forgiveness.Like Mia, Nick was given up for adoption at birth. Unlike Mia, he wasn't adopted by loving parents and never connected with equally loving birth parents. Family, acceptance, and love are foreign to him, but he learns they're things he wants. Now he just has to convince Mia to give him a second chance. Because for this Christmas and every holiday after, her heart, her love, is the only gift he'll ever need.Everyone deserves a second chance, and Nick gets his in this sweet, romantic Lucky Harbor story. Mia and Nick are young, smart, likeable protagonists who fit each other like lock and key. The similar issues they have because of their pasts might have been what initially drew them together, but Jill Shalvis clearly shows it's not the sole reason they make such a powerful couple. Whenever Nick and Mia share a scene the chemistry between them is easy to see. I loved them together, and because I did I practically devoured Under the Mistletoe.Under the Mistletoe can be read as a standalone, but for maximum enjoyment I recommend reading the first three Lucky Harbor books. Mia's birth parents, aunts, and uncles are the heroines and heroes of Simply Irresistible, The Sweetest Thing, and Head Over Heels and they all play strong supporting roles in Under the Mistletoe. In addition, fans of The Sweetest Thing will recognize Carlos, Mia's first love, as a supporting character and Ms. Shalvis gives a brief update on his love life that made me smile and want to know a bit more about the woman who captured his heart.The only niggle I had when reading Under the Mistletoe was Mia's wish to be "picked." I understood her desire to be picked by someone instead of her always doing the chasing and choosing, but given that this need stems from her being given up for adoption, it bothered me a bit that she never addressed the fact that she was picked, by her adoptive parents, who clearly love her. Given that Under the Mistletoe is a Lucky Harbor story, I understand the focus on Mia's birth family. I just wish there had been a bit more acknowledgment for Mia's adoptive parents.Overall, Under the Mistletoe was a delightful read that made me smile and fall in love with some of my favorite Lucky Harbor characters all over again. Under the Mistletoe is the perfect story to curl up with this winter, for Mia and Nick's romance is simply lovely.KimberlyReview courtesy of Wit and Sin