ARC Review: Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Bella Andre

KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE is just like a hot cocoa in the winter. It’s sweet, comforting and makes you want more.  ~ Under the Covers

All of the Sullivans have been paired up and have found their happily ever afters. So what now? Fans of the series have always been interested in Mary and Jack Sullivan, the parents who created our favorite characters in this series. Bella Andre has listened to her fans and has created a holiday themed story for Mary and Jack that will warm your hearts this winter.

I wondered how Andre would pull this off. How would she go back in time and retell the story that was the beginning of a journey for Mary and Jack. I thought she would simply spring into the past and begin there, but no. Andre’s storytelling abilities go beyond that and she integrates the holiday theme effortlessly as she opens the story up with Mary decorating their Christmas tree with ornaments made by her children over the years. This scene just warms me right up. It’s so heartfelt and emotional, that you can sense Mary’s pride in all her children. Her love transcends through Andre’s words. You can’t help but smile as you read the words.

It’s from there that Andre flows into Jack and Mary’s love story and boy is it a good one. I loved reading about Mary’s time as a model and how Jack and her met for the first time. Jack is an engineer and he has invented the Pocket Planner, but in order to have it hit the market for Christmas time, they need to add some sex appeal to the product. This is where Mary enters the picture. She’s sweet, sexy and intelligent, the perfect face for the product.

However, despite being a temptation that Jack can’t resist, Mary sets down the rules. As long as she is working with him, they cannot have an affair. She has been burned in the past when she mixed business and pleasure before and she will not do it again and suffer the consequences a second time. Not enough time has passed for her to forget that hurt. But Jack is resilient and patient, which further proves just how perfect he is for Mary.

KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE is just like a hot cocoa in the winter. It’s sweet, comforting and makes you want more. I found it impossible to stop reading once I started. Mary and Jack’s story just reels you in and it helps that Andre’s writing always feels so effortless to me. I know just how much work goes into writing a book, but every time I pick up a new Bella Andre novel, I feel as if it takes no effort on her part. It’s such a natural extension to the series. Simply put, I loved it!

*ARC provided by publisher

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[about-author author=”Anya Wylde”]