Customer Reviews

Holly and Mistletoe

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's five in the morning and I just finished this book! It was so good I could not put it down! The love story between Holly and Jordan was so sweet. I guess I liked it so much because I own my own business ina small town and I met my husband when he walked in to my shop one day. I like Susan Mallery's writing. The way she makes you fall in love with the characters, and understand what they are going through is simply magical. Read this book and all five in the "Hometown Heartbreakers" series. You will not be disappointed!

I really enjoyed this book! I could totally relate with Holly...I laughed and cried right along with her. :)

I didn't realize this book was part of a series when I bought it, but I figured it out as I went along. Needless to say, I will be buying the other books!

Back Cover description: Holly Garrett was in trouble. The handsome stranger who'd saved her from a storm was now asking her for help. And he was inviting her to live with him. Sure, she could prepare evening meals and give him sponge baths, but nothing had prepared her for those sexy glances he threw her way...Jordan Haynes couldn't let Holly be alone for Christmas. Not when visions of her were dancing in his head night after night. No, he could play the needy patient as well as anyone...and convince her to keep him company through the holidays-- if not longer.

This is the last book in this series about the brothers. There is one more about the half sister. Likeable lead characters and the story does progress OK, but talk about a guy that broods. The cat really annoyed me however. Jordan risked his life for the cat, and as much as it might annoy cat lovers out there--a man's life is worth more. I would have felt better if he had risked his life for her. This is where you find out why he dislikes Louise (housekeeper). This is also the reason I didn't give it another star. Even Jordan had to have realized at his age that his dad, an adult, seduced a 17 year old with no experience. His dad did it a lot to just about any one in a skirt. Why blame Louise? This part annoyed me. Holly is carrying around her own 'baggage'-- but at least she's willing to take a risk. If you have read the others, you'll read this.

This is Hometown Heartbreakers #5, but the earliest in the series available on Kindle. Most of Mallery's back list is being issued for the K, so it is probably only a matter of time before #1-4 also become available.

I REALLY didn't like this book.

It started with the usual sweet and fun Mallery style. But quickly, the heroine became this Diana Palmer-ish character, Poor Pitiful Pearl. She just lost everything she owned when a storm takes out her apartment, but that is never mentioned. Instead, all the Alas's and Woe-is-Me's have to do with nebulous self pity. Every thought and conversation just became painful to wade through. And I don't even know how many thousands of Categories I've read with the improbably aged Virgin, but the "innocence" for this character came across as pathological, even impaired. For comparison, check out Mallery's Completely Smitten: you can read the same fairy tale level of Innocent Virgin in a much more fun way.

The hero was OK. He had been holding on to a secret since he was 16, and when he finally blew up with it, he reverted to a teenager. This rings true; he didn't process it before, so he has to go through it now. But on top of the whiny leading lady, I didn't have any patience for it.

I don't think the author liked her own characters, either, since SO much of the book was scenes with his brothers and sisters-in-law. I thought almost every conversation involving them was forced and awkward. If I were one of those wives, I would be praying that the couple did NOT end up together, so I wouldn't be forced to deal with the leading lady forever.

The cat hating the hero was funny. And the dialogues between family friend Louise and the heroine were actually the most honest and realistic in the book.

Even if you are a fan of Mallery and specifically this series, I don't think you are going to get anything from this book. I would recommend you try anything else by her instead.

I thought this was originally written in the 40's. That is how innocent our heroine was. Puh-leeze! It was beyond unbelievable how stupid whats her name behaved. I didn't like how the book wrapped up, giving no hint to whats her names father or the half sister. Started off nicely enough, but then it was skim city.