Problem Number One – Getting There Old childhood friends each fly separately to join their families on what’s been an annual holiday themed yacht adventure. Secret ex-lovers, Hannah and James are determined to make the best of things… snarl, it leaves them stuck together for four days, making Hannah’s already problematic trip a whole lot harder to face. Especially because she comes bearing more than just gifts…
Problem Number Three — Falling In Love (again)
As the former lovers try to make the best of the Christmas snafu, they soon realize that the best things in life can’t be planned and sometimes love is sweeter the second time around.
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Another great read from Jill Shalvis, this time in novella form. She’s one of the few authors who I feel can tell a complete story in a shorter amount of pages. Do I wish that I had more time with Hannah and James? Absolutely. Do I feel like I was missing anything, other than time spent with them, no.
This is a sweet, second chance romance that’s perfect for an evening where you’re looking for a quick, fulfilling story but your short on time.
Hannah and James have been in love with one another for years. But life has other plans in store for them to bring them together this time around. This second chance love story by Jill Shalvis is a perfect novella and a great start to the Christmas season.
Her books always are extremely well written and full of family, love, and life lessons along the way. You’ll really enjoy this fun quick read in Mistletoe in Paradise!
It’s that time of year that I love a sweet Christmas romance and Mistletoe in Paradise was perfect! It is a second chance romance for two lifelong childhood friends that took a wrong turn 6 years ago and it is time to get it right. James and Hannah spent vacations together growing up because their mothers were best friends who lived on opposite sides of the country but still found time to get their families together. As they grew older and real life intruded and burst their young love bubble they each went on different paths. Now it’s time to heal old wounds and get it right. Mistletoe in Paradise is a standalone novella and was sweet, low angst, funny, heartwarming with just a bit of heat. It was told from dual POV and can easily be read in one evening sitting by the fireplace to enjoy.
A sweet Christmas romance. I’m not typically a fan of second chance romance but I should have known Jill’s book would be the exception!
I admit, I did not like the starting premise of the heroine being “the messenger” (keeping it vague for avoid spoilers), but as things went along I came to empathize with her and was rooting for her to get back with the hero. The couple’s chemistry is a flame that still burns after all these years and I’m here for it!
Definitely a must read if you’re looking for a feel good holiday romance… and one that doesn’t take place in the snow!
Hannah & James have a long, rocky, history – a little manipulation and things get heated between them.
I got this early…and Jill Shalvis kicked my holiday reading off amazingly. Second chance stories are a favorite, and with Ms.Shalvis’ ability to deliver solid, lovable, characters – this is a Win!!!
This novella has it all – quick, easy read –
Great novella to get you ready for the Christmas season. Hannah and James’s story was a wonderful second chance romance. I loved how Hannah’s step father does a little of his own matchmaking with these 2, but they do have a past that needs put to rest. Short sweet and heart warming. Jill always does a wonderful job on anything she writes.
A second chance at love? Always with Jill Shalvis.
Hannah and James were in love secretly as teenagers but things changed and they moved on with their lives. Growing up, their families had always gone away on a cruise for the holidays. Thanks to some trickery on the part of their parents, they are stuck together on a sailboat at Christmas time to work out their issues and hopefully realize they are still in love with each other.
This is a fast paced book since it is a novella. (A novella is normally under 200 pages.) But the characters are well developed and thought out. The scenery is amazing like always. This is the perfect escape from the stress of current everyday life for a few hours. If you need something to put you into the holiday mood, this book is it.
I will be honest and admit it isn’t one of my favorites in the Wildstone series but you aren’t going to love each book you read. Some pull you in more than others. But it is definitely worth a read.
I did receive a copy of this novel in advance from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
4 star
I was pulled right into this short story. The story has secrets, and second chances.
If you have not read the below I would recommend reading those books(s) first
Lost and Found Sisters (Wildstone, #1)
The Good Luck Sister (Wildstone #1.5)
Rainy Day Friends (Wildstone #2)
The Lemon Sisters (Wildstone #3)
Almost Just Friends (Wildstone #4)
The Summer Deal (Wildstone #5)
This is Hannah and James’s story. James and Hannah were in love but too much baggage got in the way. Now they are on a yacht and are trying to work through all the past feelings and the baggage. Can they work it out or should they be apart? You get more in this short story then really expected out of a novella. It was short but packed in a whole lotta story. It didn’t focus on the holiday part but more leaned toward the baggage side of things. But in this case that helped you understand the couple and bring the story together.
I loved these characters and the side characters. I felt I could connect with the characters and the story was a great read.
I recommend this book and can’t wait for the next story from this author.
Mistletoe in Paradise isn’t your normal Christmas story. I loved it because of that. What happens when you are stuck on a sailboat with the one person who wrecked you when you were younger is the last person you ever want to see again? Throw in parents that are stuck and will catch up with the bot days later, a mom that sends her daughter to do her dirty work and a meddling dad and Hannah and James. Sounds like a great Christmas right?
This story is about facing the past and things you did in a time of pain and moving forward. It’s about love lasting and unbreakable bonds.
I loved how Hannah and James grow and grow together through this book. It’s full of feels and there is plenty of heat as well. You could and should read this story anytime of the year but it’s an awesome Christmas treat!
“Mistletoe in Paradise” is the perfect novella to spend a cozy afternoon with – taking your mind off reality and instead – transport you to a Caribbean vacation on a boat. The main characters are fun to read- sassy and witty banter between these two childhood friends who fell in love once and are trying hard to fight against the pull that they have for each other.
I was given a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review, but I’d gladly pay full price for this one as it’s a great addition to any book collection.
Happy Reading…enjoy!
This second chance friends to lovers romance is short and sweet and takes about an hour to read. I couldn’t quite figure out why it’s part of the Wildstone series because other than the Epilogue it features none of the characters, none of the stories we’ve come to love and not one of the characters involved in the story has been involved in another story. I don’t remember either of the characters in any of the other books before so maybe they were really short side characters. This was a really cute story with a serious storyline that attacked real-life stuff and I found this to be more in the women’s fiction genre than that of contemporary fiction. I find that this has been happening a lot and it’s not a bad thing but a bunch of authors are crossing the line between the two genres. This book was really short and I would have loved if it was longer. I didn’t feel like the emotional development and connection could be felt in the shorter length with this novel that could have been felt in her longer novels. Overall, she did a good job and I enjoyed it, i just wish it was longer.
I Loved this Christmas second chance novella set in the Wildstone series.
In the spirit of the holidays, Jill Shalvis offers us this fun, sweet, and fast paced novella. Set on a yacht traveling the Caribbean from Florida to St. Thomas Island, the annual trip brings together two families. But this year, it gives once upon a time young lovers, Hannah and James, a second chance.
When Hannah steps on her stepfather Harry’s boat for a Christmas holiday, her nerves are frayed. This intensifies when she discover childhood friend James is joining them. Neither are happy to find themselves there, together. But they must make the most of it, and they do. The trip is filled with high seas hi-jinx, laughter and passion.
While the two reconcile their differences, they are forced to confront what a possible future together would look like. They lead such opposing lifestyles, which is what tore them apart. Hannah craves stability, maintaining success in her work, and being a home. While James is a wanderer, a man of adventure, home is wherever he finds a pillow. This is also where his success is founded. But with this time together, they gain so much.
With Jill Shalvis’ amazing flirty and dazzling dialogue, situations and settings, I gobbled this book right up. I experienced all the feels, as I felt the swell of the waves, the sand in my toes, and the taste of the ocean. 4.5 Stars and recommendation.
Favorite excerpts:
“And in that moment, there wasn’t anything she wanted than more— more of this, more of him, more of them . . . All of which she tried to convey with her kiss, something he returned with a heat and hunger that stole her breath.”
“I’d never cheat.” But she laughed.
“Uh-huh,” he said, unable to keep from laughing with her. She was . . . infectious. “So when you had a quick bikini-top malfunction out there and flashed me, that was entirely by accident?”
She lifted her chin, but her eyes revealed both heat and humor. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mistletoe in Paradise was a quick, easy read. It’s a sweet second chance romance that had me tearing up in a couple spots.
I loved the history between Hannah and James. The fact that they were childhood friends and knew so much about each other, had always been there for each other, gave the story an emotional punch.
It always amazes how an author can create such well developed characters in a novella, and Ms. Shalvis did just that with MiP. I found myself quite invested in Hannah and James, and their families. I wasn’t expecting to become so invested in these characters, but I found myself rooting for their hea!
Hannah Banfield and James Weber have known each other most of their lives and have vacationed together with their parents and James’s younger brother Jason during the Christmas holidays most of those years. This year is different . . . Hannah and James have not seen each other for 6 years . . . Ever since their romance broke apart . . . Jason is now gone and James has struggled to accept his death . . . Hannah has arrived with divorce papers to deliver to her step-father for her mother . . . And James has arrived to let his father know that he has no interest in maintaining the family business . . . And neither James nor Hannah expects the other to be there this year! Let the fun begin! This story holds your interest throughout but I would consider it a novelette rather than a novel because it is only about 80 pages long.
3.5 stars
I love Jill Shalvis and highly recommend her books to anyone but this novella wasn’t one of my favorites. I liked both Hannah and James but didn’t love either. They both had little things about them that just bugged me but Jill Shalvis’s writing still managed to keep me involved in the story. A quick read but not one I’d probably go back and re-read.
I couldn’t put this one down and I didn’t want to stop reading, but sleep beckoned. LOL
Hannah and James have so much history and love for each other. Being able to see them work through everything and realize what’s most important is fabulous.
I needed a sweet romance to keep me going this week, and that’s what I got with Mistletoe in Paradise! Hannah and James. I also got to travel on a boat in the Caribbean, in nice, warm weather. I got chemistry, friendship, family ties, work pressure, and I got my happily ever after.
I loved Hannah and James, they got a chance at love after being apart from years. Having spent vacations together since they were children, they had always had feelings for each other, but they have very different plans for their futures.
I loved that Hannah felt trapped by coming to the boat again this Christmas, and even more so once she realized that for a while, only James was another passenger. Between her busy job, and her mother tasking her with serving her step-dad with divorce papers, she was unable to leave the stress behind.
Even if this is a novella, there was a lot of character development in the story. Hannah had to re-adjust her life goals, she had to decide what was important to her, without necessarily having her childhood color her perception of what would be good for her future.
Shalvis wrote another winner, and it was exactly what I needed right now. Romance, beautiful lights, the Caribbean sea, family, and a lot of hope.
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed Hannah and James story and wish it could have been longer! But as is, it’s a wonderful short story about two people who have been friends for a lifetime, had incredible loss and found each other.
Mistletoe in Paradise
Jill Shalvis.
Second chance lovers and Jill Shalvis. What more can you ask for !! I love everything about this book !!
She always sucks me into her stories. I love small town romance and she is top of this list one of my faves !!!
Another 5 star book of greatness !!!