Review: An easy and enjoyable read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 5, 2012
REVIEWED BY SUNNYI should mention before sharing my review that even though UNDER THE MISTLETOE can be read as a stand-alone novel, I believe I enjoyed it more after reading books 1-3 of the Lucky Harbor series. The characters that I grew to love were in prime form throughout this novella and it was fun to reconnect with all of them again.Mia is a grad student living in New York. Mia is adopted, which creates somewhat of a flaw in her character - she is obsessed with being "picked." She has fallen for two guys in her short dating life and in both relationships has had only had one desire: for them to pick her. She is driven by this and it makes her somewhat shortsighted in relationships.Nick just passed the bar exam and is in search of a job. The one he has an eye on will force him to travel extensively, which is fine with him. He was put up for adoption and was passed from place to place in his youth, so he really has no roots. His lack of desire for family gets in his way of really building loving relationships. I enjoyed how Nick physically showed affection (it is H-O-T), but it was frustrating how he lacked the know-how to be more than that in a relationship.Carlos is a sweet and tender-hearted young man who works at the Lucky Harbor Bed and Breakfast for Mia's family. He was Mia's first love and he selflessly let her go because he thought that was best at the time. He lacks confidence and therefore risks not having her. Noble, yes, but darn it Carlos, man up!So how do these great, yet flawed characters all fit together? Well, we have a bit of love here, a lot of jealousy there, and we experience how Mia's obsession with being picked, Nick's lackluster family life, and Carlos's selflessness all lead to an intriguing love story. Shalvis intertwines these three characters together beautifully. She uses each character's flaws to her advantage in making them seem weak one moment, then forcing them to be strong in the next moment. I enjoyed how each character developed through the novella.I loved traveling back to Lucky Harbor for a holiday wedding. One of the best parts of the book for me was remembering what made each and every one of the Lucky Harbor characters tick. The banter between the Lucky Harbor B&B; family members didn't let me down, and it even gave me a special glimpse of what has been happening in their lives! For those that have read Lucky Harbor books 1-3, you will be pleased to know that Lucille even makes an appearance in the novella. :)I enjoyed how Shalvis pulled the story together, although it seemed to come to an abrupt ending (this may have something to do with my Kindle app telling me I was only 67% complete - the other 33% was dedicated to previews and excerpts from other Shalvis books). I was tricked and therefore disappointed that I didn't get to read more. It really is a good problem--being left wanting more from an author--but at the time, I was a little ticked! Once I came to grips that the story had really ended, I realized it was a great read and I will be much more careful in the future not to be tricked again!BOTTOM LINEI really enjoyed UNDER THE MISTLETOE! If you are a fan of the Lucky Harbor series and/or Jill Shalvis, this book is for you! If you like novellas, holiday-themed stories, or weddings, this is an easy and enjoyable read.RATING: B+ (4.5 stars)Note: I received a review copy of this title courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.