“Fresh, fun and romantic.”—SARAH MORGAN, USA Today bestselling author of A Wedding in December
How the moose (almost) stole Christmas.
Lana Montgomery is everything the quirky small town of Moose Springs, Alaska can’t stand: a rich socialite with dreams of changing things for the better. But Lana’s determined to prove that she belongs…even if it means trading her stilettos for snow boots and … means trading her stilettos for snow boots and tracking one of the town’s hairiest Christmas mysteries: the Santa Moose, an antlered Grinch hell-bent on destroying every bit of holiday cheer (and tinsel) it can sink its teeth into.
And really…how hard could it be?
The last few years have been tough on Rick Harding, and it’s not getting any easier now that his dream girl’s back in town. When Lana accidentally tranquilizes him instead of the Santa Moose, it’s clear she needs help, fast…and this could be his chance to finally catch her eye. It’s an all-out Christmas war, but if they can nab that darn moose before it destroys the town, Rick and Lana might finally find a place where they both belong…together.
Readers are falling in love with The Tourist Attraction:
“Utterly charming—a delightful debut.”—LAUREN LAYNE, New York Times bestselling author of the Central Park Pact series
“An enchanting romcom debut! I loved it.” —TERI WILSON, award-winning author of The Accidental Beauty Queen
“After reading Sarah Morgenthaler’s darling debut, I wanted to hop a plane to Alaska and find my own grumpy cinnamon roll hero!”—MELONIE JOHNSON, award-winning author of Smitten by the Brit
“Prediction: Readers will stampede to Alaska looking for The Tourist Trap and their own Graham after they read the first chapter of The Tourist Attraction. Sarah Morgenthaler’s Alaska is so vivid and amusing that it really should be a real place in the world!”—SARINA BOWEN, USA Today bestselling author of the True North series
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Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casa for the e-arch of this title.
Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler is an absolute joy. I loved The Tourist Attraction and Mistletoe and Mr. Right is a sequel that replicates all the things that made the original book special and adds some holiday magic to the mix. In my opinion Morgenthaler has pinpointed all the things that make a successful rom com.
Some things I loved about this book:
– Lana is a standout heroine. She’s a fierce business woman who is vulnerable and caring and has a wacky family.
– Rick is a strong, quiet hero with a heart of gold. You’ve got to love a guy who continues taking responsibility for his ex-wife’s nephew and menagerie of stray animals, even after she abandons him.
– A small town with all the quirky characters I expect from a small town romance.
– The Alaska setting – I am a sucker for an Alaskan setting and this one delivers.
– And finally the animals! Sarah Morgenthaler always has the best animals in her book. I mean moose, cats, dogs, and even a hedge hog! (I am in love with the hedge hog in the story.)
As far as steaminess goes this is a fade to black romance. I tend to like steam but I think there is enough sexual tension between Lana and Rick that I didn’t really miss it.
So what are you waiting for – go get your copy today!
Morgenthaler has created one of my favorite small towns. Her characters are memorable and she takes rom-com to new levels. She’s earned a spot on my auto-buy list.
4.5 Stars
Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Mistletoe And Mr. Right
Moose Springs, Alaska #2
By: Sarah Morgenthaler
REVIEW
From The Tourist Attraction to Mistletoe And Mr. Right, Sarah Morgenthaler transports her readers back to Moose Springs, Alaska. Lana and Rick take center stage this time, but you can expect cameos and side stories of your favorite characters.
Lana has my sympathy. As a socialite, she is obviously viewed as snobbish and self centered, especially by the residents of Moose Springs, who want no part in her development to save the town. Despite doing her level best in earnest, Lana is a rich outsider. It will take a miracle for Lana to convince these people that her intentions are good.
Rick owns a pool hall, and the poor guy has been seriously burned by love. He sees Lana, sassy and beautiful, and Rick knows she is out of his league. But, tis the season when the universe throws you for a loop, and anything can happen. Lana and Rick might have potential, or they might not. I’m not going to tell you!
Mistletoe and Mr. Right is a delightful holiday treat, just a bit early. I’m a fan of romcoms and chicklit because of their lighthearted and quirky hijinks. Reading heavy material all the time isn’t good for anyone. If you need a laugh, all the feels or charming everything, Mistletoe And Mr. Right is the perfect choice. Enjoy with cocoa or coffee and a warm blanket!
And, on a side note, Northern Exposure, anyone?
This is the first time I have read a book by Sarah Morgenthaler and it will not be the last. I laughed off and on throughout the book and the first line of the book was certainly an attention getter. I want to say thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and here is my honest review.
The book was fun and exciting. I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline was good. Lana’s family used to come to Moose Springs when she was younger. Now she is working for the Montgomery Group which her family owns and she is trying to help the town by buying their buildings. What she wasn’t counting on was a crazy moose destroying Christmas decorations, falling in love with a business owner who doesn’t like tourists, and she is trying to bring more to town, and her family’s idea of what should be done with the town.
It was a fun read and I think you will enjoy it as well.
The 2nd book in The Moose Springs series is a Christmas romance set in the small Alaskan town. It’s full of funny hijinks and mishaps, that includes some squirrel taxidermy, a moose that is terrorizing the town and alcohol caused tranquilizer dart accident.
Lana is a rich business woman who has fallen in love with the town of Moose Springs. She loves the town so much that she wants to share its charm with others. With help from her family’s business, Lana plans to build luxury condos that feel like a resort, overlooking the beautiful Alaskan landscape. Sounds amazing, right? Well, not to everyone. Not to the town of Moose Springs. Not only are the town’s residents against the condos being built, they are against Lana.
Desperate to win over the town. Lana declares that she will find and stop the menace that has been wreaking havoc on the town for so long, Santa Moose. The elusive moose has been the bane of the town’s existence for many Christmases.
Along with the hope of gaining the residents’ approval/love, Lana also sets her sights on Rick. The shy, handsome, local pool hall owner. It should be a match made in rom-com heaven, but it wasn’t. The relationship was stiff. Every interaction between the two was supposed to be sweet and endearing, but I just found it awkward and lacking. The two lacked chemistry.
For the most part it was a very PG romance novel. Definitely has a Hallmark movie feel to it. Especially the “intimate” moments. I am not a fan of the fade away or … (dot, dot, dot,) when it comes to sex in romance novels. It doesn’t have to be extremely graphic with the descriptions, but what is a romance novel without a little bit of smut?
While it didn’t hit the mark for me, overall it is a sweet, goofy, Christmas romance.
Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for gifting me this E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
With the first book from this series being a near DNF for me, I wanted to give it another go. And for me, I think it comes down to that I’m not much of a holiday romance reader. I keep trying every single year, but they’re just not for me.
This was definitely an enjoyable read and the story was adorable. Many holiday romance fans, Mistletoe and Mr. Right will absolutely check off a lot of boxes for them. Sarah definitely packed in the emotions towards to the end and it really got to me.
Even though it wasn’t quite a win for me, I’m glad I gave this series another chance. If you’re a holiday romance fan, I definitely recommend this.
I have to say when I was asked to read the second book in the Moose Springs, Alaska series I was hesitant. I wasn’t a big fan of book one and I wasn’t sure I was interested in reading a second book.
Lana has loved Moose Springs since she was a child, but she’s never fit in. After she bought the town to save it her popularity has sunk to an all-time low. Now she’s juggling trying to keep the financial safety of the town with trying to catch a feisty reindeer.
Rick has had a thing for Lana for a while now, but after his divorce a couple of years ago he doesn’t want to put himself out there. However, more and more he’s finding time to spend with her, and learning her sunny and cheery demeanor is a facade for loneliness.
Rick and Lana were so cute together. I loved it. I was happy that Lana got a happy ending after she got her best friends together. It was nice to finally see behind the cheery party girl exterior.
I did have an issue with this story being such a slow build and then cutting off in the end with no resolution.
I enjoyed Mistletoe & Mr. Right a lot more than book one. I enjoyed the characters and seeing how Moose Springs was doing. If you enjoyed book one, I think you’ll definitely enjoy book two, although I think you should wait until the holidays to read it.
I was so excited to return to Moose Springs! The Tourist Attraction was such a lovely surprise, and I knew I already adored all the characters that it introduced, so I didn’t have any doubts that I would enjoy Mistletoe & Mr. Right.
Lana is such a strong character, and she absolutely deserves her own story. She may seem like the opposite of Rick in every way, but the one thing they share for sure is they are lonely. They are two lonely people that deserve to be happy. Lana is having a hard time getting the locals to warm up to her, but she never gives up. And watching her try again and again is sweet, but also made me a little angry at the people of Moose Springs.
Rick has his flaws—he’s a bit stuck in his ways and at times painfully shy—but one thing he is not, is scared off easily. His unwavering loyalty is refreshing. And I loved that he allowed himself to be vulnerable, too.
If you prefer your holiday romances lighter on Christmas, this one would probably fit the bill. It wasn’t overly Christmas-y, but still left me warm and fuzzy. Not to mention there’s an assortment of animals—including an elusive moose, a cute hedgehog, and an irresistible kitten.
It was nice getting to catch up with Graham and Zoey, as well. And while I enjoyed Mistletoe & Mr. Right, The Tourist Attraction still edges it out a bit as my favorite. Lana and Rick were a fun couple to root for, and I was sad to see this one end. I’ll be looking forward to the next book set in Moose Springs!
Thank you to the publisher Sourcebooks and Netgalley for an advanced copy!
Thank you to Sourcebooks for the review copy
With the state of the world, I just want to fast-forward to Christmas and the end of the year. Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to read Mistletoe and Mr Right by Sarah Morgenthaler as an advanced copy – Sourcebooks basically brought Christmas early to my Kindle. Needless to say, I dove straight into it, and back into the small town of Moose Springs.
After reading (and adoring) The Tourist Attraction earlier this month, it was pretty much a forgone conclusion that I would be reading the rest of the Moose Springs series. Sarah Morgenthaler really nailed the whole small-town vibe – even from the first couple of pages, I could smell the reindeer dogs cooking in the Tourist Trap and see the snow on the mountains. If the Moose Springs series doesn’t make you want to visit Alaska, I don’t know what will. Her world building skills were strong – and her ability to build chemistry was even stronger.
In terms of the story itself, one of the major plotlines was about Lana fighting with her family over her controversial acquisition of most of the commercial properties in Moose Springs. Though she made the purchase with good intentions, she faced opposition from both the townspeople and the people on the board of her company. The biggest source of tension is her cousin Silas, who is vying to become the heir of their family’s company and to undermine Lana’s decisions at every turn. My one issue with this book was the lack of resolution of this family company drama – it was left very open ended. I’m hoping the next book tackles the resolution.
Lana is everything I look for in a leading lady – she was a strong bad ass with realistic flaws and a really good heart. Her main struggle throughout the book was trying to find a balance between her work life (and familial obligations) and her blooming romance with Moose Springs resident Rick. Honestly, what I liked most about this book was how well Rick and Lana fit together – they constantly supported each other, didn’t try to take more than the other was willing to give, and were generally very respectful of each other’s boundaries. Even their major conflicts were fueled by misguided attempts to do what was right for the other person. Their chemistry was off the charts, and they definitely gave Graham and Zoey a run for their money.
Mistletoe and Mr Right is perfect fare for this holiday season – reading it is like stepping in front of a fireplace after being out in the snow – it’s warm and cozy and perfect at the end of a long day. It’s a great follow up to The Tourist Attraction – and a great set up for the upcoming Enjoy the View. I can’t wait to read Easton’s love story (hello quiet gruff male lead) this January. 4/5
Four months ago, I had the pleasure of reading a copy of Sarah Morgenthaler’s first book (The Tourist Attraction), and I adored it. I was beyond delighted when I also received a review copy of Mistletoe and Mr. Right, which releases next month.
I’ll start off by saying that even if I hadn’t read The Tourist Attraction, that I would have still happily read this book, because I have a HUGE weakness for holiday romance. The fact that I already knew I liked this author’s writing style and the world she created only made me even more excited to curl up with my Kindle and devour this book-and it did not disappoint.
I know this book is categorized as a romantic comedy, but it was so much more to me than that. Don’t get me wrong- it has the perfect amount of hilarious moments, but this story also dealt with real-life issues, and gave me all the feelings.
Lana Montgomery is first introduced in The Tourist Attraction- as Zoey’s super-rich, work-comes-first, dresses-wrong-for-the-Alaskan-weather best friend. While it was made clear that Lana was a good friend with a good heart, I wasn’t completely sold on her character, didn’t quite trust her.
This book changed that. Getting to see her perspective on her life, which looks perfect and glamorous on the surface, is actually quite lonely and very lacking of any true happiness. She’s truly willing to do anything for this town and its people- whether that be throwing all her heart and effort into throwing a beautiful and extravagant Christmas party for Moose Springs (only for no one to show up) or promising to capture the elusive and destructive Santa Moose.
When she accidentally shoots Rick Harding with a tranquilizer dart is when we really start to see their relationship develop. Sure, we see them exchange some restrained flirty banter before this point, but this is truly the starting point of something more between them.
Rick Harding is a divorced man, who lives with his orphaned nephew and pet cat and pet hedgehog. He spends his nights eating cereal for dinner and worrying about being behind on his pool hall rent. He is a working-class man who is instantly enamored with Lana…but a guy like him has no chance with a girl like her…right?
The more time they spend together, the more they realize that there is something real and exciting between them. Because Lana is never in one place for long, they decide to have a holiday fling- with a clear expiration date. Each thinks they’re only destined to break the other’s heart and believe that by setting an end date, that both with escape unscathed. Love doesn’t follow rules, though, as they soon discover.
I loved so many things about this book. I loved that despite appearing very different that Lana and Rick actually had a lot in common. They’re both lonely people who would do absolutely anything for the ones important to them. It’s clear from the beginning how much Rick adores Lana, and it’s so painfully obvious of how unaccustomed she is to people truly caring about her and having her best interests at heart without a hidden agenda.
Lana and Rick go through a lot together, including an unsettling but hilarious date at a taxidermied squirrel riddled B&B, Lana’s insecurities about never fitting in in the one place she feels at home, some issues with Rick’s surly nephew, and more. Through it all, the way they’re there for each other makes it undoubtedly clear that these two are absolutely meant to be.
This was a charming small-town romance that had cozy, wintery, Christmastime vibes. While Lana and Rick falling in love was a big part of the book, it wasn’t the only one. There were several side stories- the Santa Moose, Diego, and Lana’s cringeworthy family that stirred things up and kept the story interesting and gave it more of a real feel.
I highly recommend this to anyone who has read and enjoyed The Tourist Attraction, people who prefer to read romances that focus more on attraction, feelings, and relationship development than sex, and to anyone that enjoys holiday and/or small town romances with a dash of humor.
I now consider this author one of my favorites, and cannot wait to read more of her work in the future.
Just like it’s predecessor, Mistletoe & Mr. Right is like a hug you didn’t even know you needed. But adding some Christmas magic to the mix made it even more special.
Morgenthaler’s books are the joy you need in your life. I’ll keep recommending these books to people and I’m grateful they were recommended to me.
When you want to get butterflies in your stomach, or if you want to shed a few tears, these are the books for you.
Mistletoe and Mr. Right is the perfect combination of laugh loud moments and tender, heartwarming scenes. Lana and Rick seem mismatched, but they come together so sweetly, with humor and poignancy that makes their feelings seem so genuine and lovely. The setting of Moose Springs, the town’s endearing and quirky residents, and a rogue moose add to the hilarity and poignancy of this wonderful Christmas romance.
This series makes me so happy and want to pack my bags for Alaska. Lana is a fierce businesswoman who puts up a brave front that masquerades her loneliness and the challenges of her family business. She meets her match in Rick, the pool hall owner who secretly pines for her and is willing to help her save their small Alaskan town from the moose trying to destroy the holiday cheer. Rick can’t help but taking care of those around him, including Lana. Their mutual crushes are sweet and they are quickly able to see beyond one another’s facade.
I LOVE the animal characters in these books and Morgenthaler has me cracking up reading about each one of them. We get returning appearances from Jake, the best dressed blind border collie, but also meet Darla, a well-dressed (and furnished) hedgehog, Roger the upside-down grumpy cat, a Christmas-hating moose, and a whole village of taxidermy squirrels.
If you’re a fan of Hallmark movies that warm your heart then pick up Mistletoe and Mr. Right!
I’m having trouble placing this book. Parts of it I loved and parts I really didn’t.
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My main issues:
• Lana’s stilted way of speaking. I assume it was meant to show how “old money” and classy she is but none of her family spoke that way and it just didn’t work for me.
• Lana and Rick had no real conflict for over 90% of the book and then out of nowhere they had conflict. The other 90% was outside conflict — Lana and her family, and Rick and his family.
• The first half of the book felt overly slow while the second half was action packed. I think part of it was the re-intro of Moose Springs as if the reader hadn’t read The Tourist Attraction. But the no-conflict insta-love into mutual-pining love story wasn’t too exciting for me so I enjoyed the second half more when they passed that point.
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Over all, it was a cute read and enjoyed the small town bits but would have liked more consistent pacing and less stilted dialogue.
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Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this holiday treat! Returning to Moose Springs felt like coming home. Highly recommended.
This is such a cute book, especially for Christmas time. I loved the humor and chemistry between Lana and Rick. You could sense their attraction to each other while reading.
Though this book wasn’t heavily focused on the steamy part of romamce, you still saw the love between the characters. This book had a much more serious tone and theme about loving yourself and finding a place in which you feel comfortable with yourself.
Lana is one of the most hardworking characters I’ve ever read from. She has privilege, but she does not shove that privilege down people’s throats. She uses her wealth and resources to help others and to save the town that she loves the most, even if the town’s people don’t care for her.
Rick is a man of loyalty and sweetness. I enjoyed his character’s shyness, but also protective demeanor. But he had to do something stupid at the end to almost ruined his relationship with Lana. That was my only true negative about this book.
This book is about hope, love, friendship and trust. Absolutely adored this book and cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
This was a sweet friends to lovers romcom. It featured lots of slapstick moments that had me laughing out loud (and rolling my eyes a bit). I enjoyed it overall, but I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t love it. The hero, Rick, is pure cinnamon roll goodness and the heroine, Lana, is caring, smart, and driven. I’m just not sure why they didn’t mesh well together for me. I was certainly rooting for them, but I just didn’t feel that spark or connection. There were a few too many side stories and characters that made the story a bit too drawn out as well. The romance built up very slowly and though I don’t mind that it was closed door, I think I needed more chemistry and fire in their interactions overall. Fans of the first book will love the appearances and updates on Zoey and Graham as well as the other residents of Moose Springs. I am definitely excited that the elusive Easton is the next book in the series.
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
Mistletoe and Mr. Right surprised me a little. I liked The Tourist Attraction but wasn’t over the moon about Lana in that book. She was a wealthy socialite who loves Moose Springs and is trying to “fix” it. I wasn’t sure how I felt about her character and relationship to the town. Then we have Rick, a divorced pool hall owner who has a crush on Lana and wants to help her win over the townspeople.
I’ll admit that Lana grew on me in this book. I still didn’t like her when I started reading this one, but throughout the story, her intentions became clear and I really started to like her. She did, however, overuse the “darling” pet name for literally everyone. I liked Rick from the very beginning. Falling for Lana only made me like him more…slightly more than Graham from the first book. He was sweet and vulnerable.
On the formatting side of things, the chapters were just as long as the first book in the series and did make it harder to read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
5 star review of Mistletoe & Mr Right (Moose Springs, Alaska #2) by Sarah Morgenthaler
I love stories based around Christmas, it’s my most favourite holiday of the year. I also love stories based in small towns so Mistletoe & Mr Right is a win/win for me. Sarah Morgenthaler is a new author to me and I enjoyed her writing style.
The writing was descriptive and I could easily see myself in Moose Springs, Alaska. Lana Montgomery and Rick Harding could not be more opposite and yet their is a connection between them that neither can ignore.
I liked the quirkiness of the story line and found the secondary characters just as entertaining as Lana and Rick. Getting to know one another , the chemistry between them intensifies. I really liked them both, particularly Rick, there was something about him that ticked the boxes for me. The story also had some numerous laugh put loud moments.
This is a feel good book that left me with a smile on my face and certainly got me in the mood for the holiday season.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Welcome back to Moose Springs, everybody! We’ve got creepy taxidermized squirrel B&B’s, giant penises carved out of snow, Moose that rival the Grinch Who Stole Christmas in lack of holiday spirit, and one evil overload who maybe has the hots for the handsome pool hall owner…
In the sequel to the wonderfully quirky yet romantic The Tourist Attraction, we’re privy to Lana’s love story. Lana was one of my favorite characters from The Tourist Attraction (I may of even shipped her and Graham a little–don’t hate me!), so I was EXTREMELY excited for her to get her own book. She’s the #girlboss I aspire to be, ruling the world one tiny Alaskan town at a time. But it gets difficult, mixing business with pleasure. Lana’s got her eye on a place she can call home and maybe a sexy divorcé she can make a home with, but when her Moose Springs condos project seems to be stalling and the town’s dislike of her is more potent than ever, what will she do?
I LOVED this book. I know I’ve been seeing a lot of mixed reviews, and I think it’s just people comparing it to the excellent original in the series. Mistletoe and Mr. Right definitely is as quirky as the first book, and the banter isn’t quite as strong, but the loveable characters, exciting plot, and same old Moose Springs antics kept me hooked until the end! And Lana is a goddess we do not deserve. We get the conclusion to a happy love story, but there’s still enough unfinished business in the town that I am SO ready for a book three …or four? This is a great read all year ’round, but especially in the holiday season!
Thank you to SourcebooksCasa and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!