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A review by wordsofclover
Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
When Elienor 'Nory' Noel travels back to her hometown to attend a school friend's wedding, she's both dreading and looking forward to the reunion with her group of best friends for a myriad of reasons. But Nory also ends up bumping into her old childhood enemy, Isaac and sparks fly immediately.
I really enjoy having a Jenny Bayliss book to look forward to every Christmas, and her characters and stories have kept me company the last three years and Meet Me Under the Mistletoe was exactly what I needed to get me into the Christmas spirit. Similar to A Season for Second Chances, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe isn't necessarily a Christmas read - more so a perfect Winter read as it starts the end of November, and leads up to the Christmas season.
I have said before that Jenny Bayliss is just an expert at creating book settings and locations - particularly small towns and villages you want to live in yourself. I didn't feel this so much in this book but I think the setting of the castle was still really good, and in particular Nory's secondhand bookshop came alive in the pages from the descriptions of the gorgeous Christmas window display and the vintage books up for grabs, to all the cosy armchairs and fairy lights decorating the shop.
The group of friends were all an interesting bunch, all made of money and reeking of privilege yet at the same time all good people who cared for Nory - even Guy, eventually. The story did lean heavily on how friends can be like family, and you love them even when you hate them, and this was made more poignant in the story by the storyline of Tristan, a friend who died by suicide. I thought Tristan's storyline was gently and respectfully done, showcasing the devastation left behind when someone dies in such a way and how friends and family live with that forever. Each time Tristan was mentioned or talked about when the friends were together (particularly in the epilogue) made me well up.
The romance is very sweet, and the third act conflict was an interesting one in terms of not something I had seen before and while part of me didn't like it as I felt Isaac was being stubborn and Nory was too rash with things, I also appreciated that it wasn't a case of silly miscommunication as normally seen in such novels. It was a conflict with a depth and a history to it, and an importance to.
Lots in this I really enjoyed, and it was a pleasant Christmas read to keep me company beside the Christmas tree.
I really enjoy having a Jenny Bayliss book to look forward to every Christmas, and her characters and stories have kept me company the last three years and Meet Me Under the Mistletoe was exactly what I needed to get me into the Christmas spirit. Similar to A Season for Second Chances, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe isn't necessarily a Christmas read - more so a perfect Winter read as it starts the end of November, and leads up to the Christmas season.
I have said before that Jenny Bayliss is just an expert at creating book settings and locations - particularly small towns and villages you want to live in yourself. I didn't feel this so much in this book but I think the setting of the castle was still really good, and in particular Nory's secondhand bookshop came alive in the pages from the descriptions of the gorgeous Christmas window display and the vintage books up for grabs, to all the cosy armchairs and fairy lights decorating the shop.
The group of friends were all an interesting bunch, all made of money and reeking of privilege yet at the same time all good people who cared for Nory - even Guy, eventually. The story did lean heavily on how friends can be like family, and you love them even when you hate them, and this was made more poignant in the story by the storyline of Tristan, a friend who died by suicide. I thought Tristan's storyline was gently and respectfully done, showcasing the devastation left behind when someone dies in such a way and how friends and family live with that forever. Each time Tristan was mentioned or talked about when the friends were together (particularly in the epilogue) made me well up.
The romance is very sweet, and the third act conflict was an interesting one in terms of not something I had seen before and while part of me didn't like it as I felt Isaac was being stubborn and Nory was too rash with things, I also appreciated that it wasn't a case of silly miscommunication as normally seen in such novels. It was a conflict with a depth and a history to it, and an importance to.
Lots in this I really enjoyed, and it was a pleasant Christmas read to keep me company beside the Christmas tree.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide