While her own relationships always end up doomed, Emily Colt is still determined to create happily-ever-afters through her wedding and event planning business. In hopes of expanding, she enters her latest project–staging the Christmas wedding of the year–into a town-wide contest. But between crossing paths with the first man to break her heart and dodging a saboteur, she doubts success is … within her grasp.
Jilted pastor, Luca Wilson, fled to the mission field to escape a broken heart. All the hurt rushes back when he returns home to officiate his cousin’s wedding, and he finds Emily–the girl to whom he once promised forever–organizing the celebration.
Despite Luca’s lost faith in love, their unforeseen reunion rekindles a spark, and Luca vows to help Emily save her struggling business. But to succeed, they will have to learn what it means to trust each other and believe in the God of Christmas miracles.
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Another overtly Christian short read.
This one adds a dash of mystery and suspense. Someone is sabotaging the wedding plans.
Emily is doing a great job of recovering from each occurrence, but her nerves are on the verge of fraying. Plus, she fears she’s falling in love with Luca again and he’s not planning on staying after the wedding.
Luca, in the mean time, is supporting her as best he can, trying not to fall back in love with her as he waits for God’s leading for his next step.
I really liked this story and can’t wait for the next.
What I think you should know:
Mistletoe Mission is a contemporary inspirational romance novella. It is set in a charming town that loves all things Christmas and Mistletoe. The town’s commerce centers around The Mistletoe Mile. This story has new characters, but also brings back Characters from Mistletoe Melody, while this story can be read as a stand alone I recommend starting with Mistletoe Melody.
What I enjoyed about this story:
Mistletoe Mission starts with wedding planner, Emily being forced to spend time with Luca, the officiant for the ceremony and the groom’s cousin. Unfortunately for Emily his is also her first love and the man who called off their engagement, this made for an interesting dynamic. Alice was definitely a character that I could have done without, but it may have been because I know a few who could be Alice. I found myself laughing at the superstistions. I also like how Stacey Weeks, the author showed how we can struggle to discern God’s will for our lives. I enjoyed this story and would read more from the author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
Mistletoe Mission
“I don’t know what God is doing, but He has a purpose in this”
“Stuff like this, Em, is your strength. Watching you pull the details of this wedding together has been like watching you come alive. All the ways God has gifted you meet right here in moments like this.”
It is books like this I wish were longer.
Life had tossed Em around for a while. I enjoyed reading about her strength and determination to make things work despite the obstacles. I loved how she tackled the problems which came her way with prayers and trust in God.
Luca! I loved that he wanted to make up for the past. His patience and support to those around him was very admirable. His character showed a man that has a personal, deep walk with God.
Even in the right times God has a plan and only his purposes come to pass. That to me is the strongest theme of this book.
I received a copy of the book and this is my honest opinion.
One of the things I liked about this story was getting to know more details about the town. I would jump at the chance to visit a town like this and tour each shop. I loved that the author included characters from Mistletoe Melody in this story. Emily is determined to get her shop off the ground. All she needs is to win the contest and get a shop on Mission Main Street.
It is a bit ironic that Emily has a business dealing with weddings and event planning. After all, she is doesn’t have the best track record in the marriage department. Okay maybe she doesn’t have the best record in the love department either. Everything is riding on the Christmas Eve wedding she is in charge of. Not everyone in the town wants her to win so she has to really trust God to open doors for her.
I laughed when her ex fiance Luca shows up to perform the wedding Emily is in charge of. I have heard that brides can be difficult, but in this story it is the brides mother. What a handful this lady is with all her superstitions and nasty attitude. I think I would have to tell her to go away and show up only on the day of the wedding. It is hard to believe that Emily hasn’t pulled her hair out with all the chaos going on.
Emily and Luca are both having trust issues and it makes for a great story. Luca feels like he may have wandered from God a bit and it was interesting to read how he deals with it. I loved learning about Morse code bracelets. What a unique gift to give someone or get one for yourself. The author does a great job of giving us a look into Luca’s mission work. His overwhelming feeling of failure is written all over his face.
The story is a reminder to not run away from our problems but to trust God in everything. The ending is wonderful and I loved how Emily and Luca find a way to work together. The details of the wedding Emily has been in charge of is inspiring and shows how God knits people together .
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
Generally speaking, short stories are not my choice of reading material. Charles Dickens is one of my favorite authors, after all. For the most part I gravitate toward full-length novels because I love detail and I want to spend enough time with the characters to get to know them and to hear their story in its entirety. As a result, short stories rarely satisfy me. However, since these two stories were both Christmas-themed, I wanted to read them in-season and decided to sign up to review them.
To my surprise, I enjoyed both “Mistletoe Melody” and “Mistletoe Mission” very much! Author Stacey Weeks has created the festive town of Mistletoe Meadows, complete with mistletoe tea and the Mistletoe Mile row of shops that are open year-round. What better time to go there, though, than Christmas? Of the two stories, my favorite was “Mistletoe Melody”, which should be read before “Mistletoe Mission” because otherwise the latter will contain spoilers. Even though “Mistletoe Melody” was predictable, I found myself absorbed by the story, and I loved the Staff family’s focus on courting rather than dating. Melody Staff’s recent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis struck a chord with me as someone who has multiple chronic illnesses. The spiritual healing that she experiences as she comes to realize that her (and our) hope is in God and that a “sacrifice of praise…is the best kind of worship” spoke to my heart. I loved how Melody works with Janie and, in doing so, helps heal herself too. Melody’s insight into how God reaches out to us when we find ourselves metaphorically paralyzed by fear and grief is one of the best explanations I’ve read: “This is how God pursued us, but we didn’t listen to Him. God called us from heaven and mankind resisted. God sent prophets, but we closed our ears. Finally, God sent Jesus, God in the flesh. Only then, when He came and dwelt with us in difficulty and pain did we have the courage to reach for His hand and accept the forgiveness that comes only through Him. That’s why Jesus came. He meets us in our pain and leads us out toward God.”
Both stories felt complete and unrushed, which is often not the case in my experience with short stories. “Mistletoe Mission” is also a contemporary romance but is gratifyingly different, featuring some of the same characters but focusing on new ones. Emily’s perseverance in trying to win a spot on Mistletoe Mile for her business, Magical Mistletoe Marriages, is inspiring. Battling superstitions and sabotage, she also struggles with her own heart at the reappearance of her first love: “What an odd pair they made, a wounded event planner and a jilted minister. What was God thinking putting a Christmas Eve wedding in their hands?” I did not predict how this story would play out, and I was delighted by the ending. I also appreciated that, through the narrative, Weeks speaks about missionary work and practical aide for missions. At the end of both stories is a note from the author, and “Mistletoe Mission” also includes a short devotional. Although both are Christmas stories, the lessons within reach far beyond December and are worthy of reading and pondering regardless of the season.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through CelebrateLit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
Stacey Weeks brings readers back to Mistletoe Meadows and adds a wedding into the mix. One where everything is falling apart.
I enjoyed catching up with a few characters from the previous novella (Mistletoe Melody) throughout this quick read.
Eighty pages don’t give an author much wiggle room to work with, and while I would have liked more development of the romance, Weeks lays out this story well. And after reading both of her Christmas novellas, I’ll be digging into some of her lengthier reads.
Mistletoe Mission carries the reminder that even when our lives seem to be falling down around us, God is working.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.