A rising country star is stranded with her handsome bandmate when they take an unplanned trip across the country over the holidays. The most wonderful time of the year? Bah humbug. Charlie London’s picture perfect life gets turned upside down just in time for Christmas. First, her band gets bumped from its spot on a primetime broadcast—by Jolly Old St. Nick, no less. Then, her band mutinies and … less. Then, her band mutinies and votes to take an unplanned hiatus until the new year. To add insult to injury, the Internet is covered with photos of her movie star boyfriend locking lips with his co-star OFF camera.
Bah humbug, indeed.
If that wasn’t enough, Charlie finds her holiday travel plans thrown off track courtesy of winter weather. When her bandmate, Flint, offers to drive her across the country, she can’t resist. Before long, that isn’t the only thing she’s finding it hard to resist.
Charlie has always looked for bigger and better—in her music career and love. This Christmas, she might find she’s had both all along.
From the award-winning author of Playing House and Counting on You, Who Needs Mistletoe? is romantic women’s fiction full of holiday spirit, laugh-out-loud moments, and the beauty of finding that you already have everything your heart desires.
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Charlie was so focused on becoming famous and a successful singer that was willing to stay with a cheating boyfriend with connections rather than be with the one who really loved her. I wanted to shake her at times in this book. Flint wasn’t perfect, but I don’t blame him for not wanting to be a dirty secret in her life. Unlike like her boyfriend, he wanted to be exclusive and didn’t care about fame. There were some funny moments in the book. I laughed when they tried fruitcake, which I think is a disgusting waste of calories too and dressed up in funny disguises to sing and raise money for charity. I like their band mates and would love to read about their romances in a future book.
Not All My Cuppa Tea, But Decent in the End
I typically don’t read music or movie star romance because I find it too shallow and unrelated to anything whatsoever in real life as lived by us lesser mortals. But I am a sucker for just about any type of Christmas romance, which is why I picked up this book when I saw it at one of my favorite book review sites. I have mixed feelings about it, probably because I am not a fan of celebrity-style romance. The first part of the book was all that I didn’t want it to be: the publicist, the failed Big Show, the Hollywood boyfriend, gossip mags, etc. More unreal than most romances, and that’s saying something! I didn’t even particularly like the hero, who is not the boyfriend, in the way he first treated the heroine. Things did improve, though, when we got to the road trip. Then it felt less “celebrity romance” and more friends to lovers, which is a trope I enjoy. Flint improved for me over time, and the road trip was a perfect way for the romance to unfold. In the end, I enjoyed the book despite the Hollywood and Grand Ole Opry trappings.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Such a cute story! I had such fun reading it and was disappointed when it ended. I loved getting to know Charlie and Flint, and was rooting for them the entire time. Everything seems to be going wrong for Charlie, but when Flint comes to the rescue, maybe this is finally something that goes right! Both characters were well developed and believable with the right amount of wit and humor. The fun and witty banter kept me smiling all the way through. This is definitely a feel-good book that’s sure to warm your heart. Loved this book and I’m looking forward to reading more by Ms. Chapman. A beautifully written romantic comedy that I would definitely recommend!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved Charlie and Flint as a couple from the beginning. However being in the same band they kept it professional. A snow storm, a cheating ex, a road trip with plenty of detours sure made this an amazing and fun storyline that I could sink my teeth into.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It’s Christmas in July! I love a good Christmas romance even if it is in the summer months. A nice, heartwarming and romantic story with fantastic characters. You’ll love getting to know them and they’ll feel like family before you’re done reading. The story line captures you and holds your attention from the first words to the last words.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed reading Who Needs Mistletoe? this month! Nothing like reading about Christmas in July! Laura Chapman writes relatable characters, and I really enjoyed how she wrote Charlie and Flint. I also love books where the characters are forced to travel together somewhere so they are forced to really get to know each other, in this case due to nasty cold weather issues! There is not just romance, but also a good bit of humor in this one, which I also love!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Love a good Christmas based romance! Wonderful and entertaining characters tell an enchanting story of romance. Good read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Charlie is lead singer in a well-known music group. When they are removed from a live Christmas Concert she wants to surprise her boyfriend, a well-known actor. Until now they had not been exclusive, but she wants to take the next step. When she gets stranded in Chicago Airport on her way to Jackson Hole, her band mate Flint, who was on the same plane, offers her a seat in the car he rented to get home to his family.
This trip becomes cataclysmic in many ways and Charlie needs to make a choice.
A good book, with in-depth character descriptions of the two main characters in the book. The others are a little flat, but as they are not really that important to the story, it feels okay.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Charlie is in an up-and-coming country band. Her boyfriend, a famous actor. appears to be straying. When the band’s Christmas gig is cancelled, she decides to surprise Hunter on location. Her band mate, Flint, is headed to the same area for a family Christmas celebration. When their flight is cancelled, a road trip is their only alternative. But even that is not without challenges – lost luggage, online pics (and more online pics) of her boyfriend and his leading lady, a flat tire, detours, and an unexpected side trip to visit relatives. They spend their time in the car eating junk food and getting to know each other better. I read another book by this author several months ago, and it was an incredible story. So of course, I grabbed the opportunity to read this book as well. I just love a feel-good Christmas story, and this one does it for me. Charlie is maybe a bit too ambitious, but Flint’s laid-back attitude is a nice counter-balance. When everything seems like it’s going south, Charlie learns an important lesson about what’s really important, both at Christmas and in life.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Charlie London and Flint Randal are members of the band Country Bombshell. Things start to go wrong for Charlie when their performance gets bumped from a TV holiday spot, and her Hollywood boyfriend is photographed messing around with someone else. So she heads to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to straighten things out with him and get her life back in order. But bad luck was still not through with her as the snow storm now grounds her.
Guitarist Flint Randal has been interested in Charlie from the first time he met her. But she has a policy of not dating her bandmates, so he never said anything. Now he gets his chance as they head out alone on a cross-country road trip, Flint to visit his family for Christmas and Charlie to connect with her cheating boyfriend. The road trip likewise does not go smoothly! But as they deal with detours and disasters along the way, they get closer to each other. Will Christmas magic help them to fall in love? Or will Charlie put up her shields again and refuse to let Flint in?
This was a cute story and pulls the reader right in as we fall in love with Charlie and Flint. Will she make the right choice by the end of the trip? Grab your copy and see where she’s heading with this. And enjoy the fun road trip on the way!
I really enjoyed this story a lot. It was cute, fun, and had great characters in Charlie and Flint, who are part of a band called Country Bombshell. It even had a horrible boyfriend, who cheated on Charlie.
I enjoyed how everything seemed to go wrong for Charlie and so she ended up going on a road trip with Flint to Wyoming so she could see her boyfriend and Flint could spend Christmas with his family. The road trip was so much fun to read about! It really made the story and made me want to take a trip.
I liked that Charlie realized love was more important than fame. One of my favorite lines was “He’d found the woman of his dreams and she’d found him back.” I now want to read more books by Laura Chapman.
I really wanted to like this story a lot more than I did. It had some charm but I also feel that just maybe it was for a much younger age group than mine. It didn’t feel all that deep. Although it was a clean story with no wild sex scenes which was refreshing.
Charlie London is definitely a girl with goals and a list. She is very career oriented and has sacrificed a lot to try to get to the top. But there were quite a few times that I felt like she was a brat. It made it hard for me to like her at times. The author did a good job though of showing some of the reasons for her behaviors.
Flint is the long suffering good guy of the piece. I liked that he did allow some of his frustration and irritations with Charlie to show from time to time. A man with a backbone, talent and an INCREDIBLE amount of patience.
The reason for the title of this book does show up in the story and then it made sense.
There is a H.E.A. which makes for a good Christmas story. Or just a good ending for romance lovers no matter what the season.
I did really like the attractive eBook cover.
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
CHRISTMAS – ANY TIME
WHO NEEDS MISTLETOE? Is a stand-alone contemporary Christmas-themed romance.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I love Christmas time stories. I can read them any time of the year. I love the positivity, the feel-good, the charity, and the over-all sparkly of magic that is I hope will be present. This book had all of that and makes me so glad I read it.
I don’t follow any of the star-gossip magazines, blogs, or tweets. I, personally, don’t care about their personal lives. I love music, movies, books, etc., but I don’t believe the artists have a voice in my political, purchasing, or personal life. So, reading a story where the people’s lives are steered by worries about those issues gave me concern at the beginning. As it turns out, Charlie and Flint don’t actually want to be concerned with the gossip-mags during their cross-country journey.
I loved getting to know Charlie and Flint as they got to know each other during their road trip. They were fantastic character and this story was filled with the holiday spirit. Forget “Christmas in July,” I had “Christmas in June” while reading this.
This was the first book I read from this author – I picked it up because of the Christmas theme. I would gladly read more from her.
Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC via Booksprout, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
Title: WHO NEEDS MISTLETOE?
Series: N/A
Category /Genre: Contemporary Romance
Recommended for: 18+ due to sexual content
Grammar/editing: received as an unedited ARC / errors excused
Received from: Laura Chapman
Charlie is the lead singer of Country Bombshell and she’s dating Hunter, Hollywood’s golden boy. She was going to work over the band’s Christmas break, but when pictures surface of Hunter and his female co-star, she decides to pay him a visit. Flint is going to Wyoming too, so he can visit his family. Charlie and Flint end up traveling together. I won’t leave any spoilers, but I loved meeting these characters and I look forward to reading more of Laura Chapman’s books.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
5 happy, feel-good stars!
What an absolutely charming and heart-warming novella! I adored both Charlie and Flint, and I enjoyed seeing them both grow and change over the course of their unplanned road trip together.
What a wonderful book that totally got me into the Christmas spirit! From carols to fruitcake to Santa to unforgettable Christmas kisses, this Christmas romance has it all! It is sweet with some sizzle, a brilliant mixture of down-home love and values interwoven with grit and ambition in the glaring lights of celebrity. Can Charlie have it all? She’s working so hard to make that happen. But Flint was never part of her more personal plans. That is, not until their impromptu road-trip just days before Christmas. It’s a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, and a little bit like the adorable movie Leap Year. I highly recommend this empowering Christmas romance novel!
I love reading holiday books and what an awesome one to start the season with! Laura Chapman crafts a fabulous love story that will warm your heart!
A seriously swoonworthy Christmas story! Flint and Charlie have serious chemistry onstage. It takes a cancelled show, an eventful road trip and the help of a little boy to help Charlie understand what’s really important.