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A review by mackenzierm
Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss
2.5
2.5 stars.
Elinor runs a secondhand bookshop in London and is forever torn by her working-class upbringing and her private school classmate’s extravagant lifestyles. Two of Elinor’s oldest friends invite her and all their school friend group to spend time together at a castle near their old school leading up to their wedding. The reunion brings back fond memories and leads Elinor to spend time with the castle’s head gardener, Isaac who holds plenty of contempt for the ‘snobby prep school kids’. As Elinor and Isaac get to know each other better, Elinor must decide the kind of life she wants to live.
MEET ME UNDER THE MISTLETOE has been on my TBR for several holiday seasons but this is the first year I was finally able to read it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly what I had expected and I probably should have DNF’d it.
That said, I did enjoy the story to an extent. The setting in the cozy English countryside during Christmastime was so sweet. The downside was that though its set at Christmas, it doesn’t feel like a Christmas novel. The atmosphere and overall vibes are not what I would have expected for a holiday romance.
Elinor (Nory) is the main character and narrator of this novel. She was raised in a working class family but attended a posh private school on scholarship, leaving her caught between the two different worlds. The romance that builds between Nory and Isaac was cute. Isaac is a kind man who knows his own mind. I didn’t love the third act breakup.
The main plot surrounding the romance would have been enough for me; however, I feel like the author tried to tackle too many difficult topics in one book which resulted in a lot of side plots and wasted pages that were wholly unnecessary. Overall, a light romance with some holiday cheer and extra food for thought.
Elinor runs a secondhand bookshop in London and is forever torn by her working-class upbringing and her private school classmate’s extravagant lifestyles. Two of Elinor’s oldest friends invite her and all their school friend group to spend time together at a castle near their old school leading up to their wedding. The reunion brings back fond memories and leads Elinor to spend time with the castle’s head gardener, Isaac who holds plenty of contempt for the ‘snobby prep school kids’. As Elinor and Isaac get to know each other better, Elinor must decide the kind of life she wants to live.
MEET ME UNDER THE MISTLETOE has been on my TBR for several holiday seasons but this is the first year I was finally able to read it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly what I had expected and I probably should have DNF’d it.
That said, I did enjoy the story to an extent. The setting in the cozy English countryside during Christmastime was so sweet. The downside was that though its set at Christmas, it doesn’t feel like a Christmas novel. The atmosphere and overall vibes are not what I would have expected for a holiday romance.
Elinor (Nory) is the main character and narrator of this novel. She was raised in a working class family but attended a posh private school on scholarship, leaving her caught between the two different worlds. The romance that builds between Nory and Isaac was cute. Isaac is a kind man who knows his own mind. I didn’t love the third act breakup.
The main plot surrounding the romance would have been enough for me; however, I feel like the author tried to tackle too many difficult topics in one book which resulted in a lot of side plots and wasted pages that were wholly unnecessary. Overall, a light romance with some holiday cheer and extra food for thought.