Reviews - The Mistletoe Motive

3.04k reviews for:

first christmas book!!! omg this was sooo fun, it was like the hating game but better one of my new fav all time for sure, i loved their banter and their chemistry and i think it was paced very well, i didn’t care for the online pen pal story line just because it didn’t feel super necessary but was still cute!!

saraplanzreadz's review against another edition

4.0

This super adorable Christmas novella features inclusive characters (demi-sexual, neurodivergent, diabetic), and some of my favorite tropes including enemies to lovers, slow burn, and some very fun sexy times. Imagine You’ve Got Mail meets the Grinch and you’ve got a fun holiday read that will keep you as warm as peppermint hot chocolate!!!

swoonyspice's review against another edition

4.0

“This makes no sense. Jonathan Frost isn’t affectionate or tender. He doesn’t read the shit out of a romance novel that I love or look at me with need burning in his eyes. He doesn’t hold my hand or keep me warm or stare at me like everything he wants in the world is right in front of him.”

(A Kobo exclusive- you must have the *free* kobo app to read this novel.)

Oh man. All the smiles for this one. This was such a CUTE inclusive Christmas romance. I had a difficult time putting it down. Gabriella and Jonathan were sweet and real and their banter was so fun. The backdrop of the Holiday season in a bookstore was delightful. And when the gloves come off- that is when the swoony magic happens. It was the perfect length for this reader and just overall enjoyable.

“For fans of The Hating Game and You’ve Got Mail” is in the blurb and is an extremely accurate comparison. It reads like an inclusive retelling of The Hating Game with an ode to You’ve Got Mail. There were many plot point similarities- particularly to the Hating Game. If you love both of those things- you’ll enjoy this sweet romance.

“I hope she’s everything you wanted.” Johnathan stares down at me, searching my gaze. “I already know she is.”

Thanks to Valentine PR for an early release copy, all opinions are my own.

readingrainbowbright's review against another edition

5.0

'The Mistletoe Motive' is a happy little marriage of Sally Thorne's 'The Hating Game' and 'You've Got Mail.' Author Chloe Liese, known for her inclusive romance, delivers again with a heroine on the autism spectrum and a hero dealing with an invisible illness. Gabriella and Jonathan are grumpy/sunshine opposites in this enemies-to-lovers workplace romance. If that's not enough, it's also full of holiday charm.

tomesfortara's review against another edition

5.0

If you’re looking for a cozy inclusive holiday read - this is it.

samharlow85's review against another edition

5.0

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This cute novella was the jolt of holiday joy that I needed! Gabriella and Jonathan both work for Bailey’s bookstore, a failing shop in the heart of a city. They are also nemesis, competing for the same job for this struggling business. Gabriella loves the holidays, Jonathan hates them. But over the course of a holiday season, they work against each other and with one another to try and save the store and their jobs, with romance following. This book is a pure delight, like hot cocoa in the snow. It made me cry many times towards the end with the pure joy of the characters finding each other, communicating their love and figuring out their differences, and how they learned to support one another in the ways they contrast.

SPOILER: Gabriella is autistic and Jonathan has diabetes, and Liese wrote these characters with empathy and grace; I have read many books by this author and her extreme empathy and clear writing is always her strength. I recommend this book for anyone who likes romance, holiday fiction, neurodivergent characters by OWN voices, and happy endings.