There is something utterly delightful about a holiday romance especially when it's Christmas. I don't know if it's due to Christmas being the season of giving but there is something so fun about picking up a Christmas-themed romance.
That's why it was so great to see Amazon working with some popular and massively talented romance authors for its Under the Mistletoe collection. If you recall, Amazon released its Busybodies collection around Halloween.
Looking ahead at Christmas, this collection features 5 different stories with a mix of different tropes and pairings which honestly makes for an ideal read. Plus having these authors write short stories allows readers to try out someone new or give an author a second chance.
Thankfully as a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, I was able to use Kindle's Read and Listen feature so I ended up listening to all of these stories. That's something I always like to mention as I can't speak to the ebook version of these titles but the audiobooks were delightful.
Ranking the Under the Mistletoe collection from worst to best
Before getting into the rankings, let's get into the stories featured in this collection which are Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood, Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey, All by My Elf by Olivia Dade, Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur and Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria. I have read all of these authors before so there was a lot of excitement going into this collection.
5. Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey
Coming in at the #5 spot on my list is Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey. Most of these stories are under 100 pages and Tessa's is less than 60. However, this story was truly one of the most ridiculous Christmas romances I've ever read. It follows a woman working in a thrift store who is trying to help a customer who is huge, big, large, ginormous. You can use any of those words as his size is mentioned a lot throughout the story.
However, the reason it ended up at the bottom of my list was because of how raunchy it was. I know that sometimes a sex scene can spice things up in a novella yet this was too much. The dirty talk felt out of place and it just felt like too much in such a short page-length. If you're craving something from Tessa Bailey, may I suggest Window Shopping instead?
4. All by My Elf by Olivia Dade
This next one was tough, but the title I'm putting at #4 is All by My Elf. While I enjoy Olivia Dade's work, this felt like a little too under-developed. We're following two adjunct professors who are working together on a food truck and she believes he'd never have a crush on her. Meanwhile, he's been yearning for her from the very beginning. Of course, the two end up alone without her best friend there.
While I enjoyed learning about their backstory, this one just felt a little too rushed. If this book would have had 10 to 20 more pages, it probably would've been higher up on my list. Sadly, All by My Elf is at the #4 spot.
3. Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur
At the #3 spot is Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur. This story follows Everleigh Dangerfield who lives up to her last name as she can't seem to stop attracting danger. She's trying to get in the Christmas spirit after losing her grandmother yet the fire department keeps getting called as nothing seems to work out for her.
As you might imagine, Everleigh catches the attention of one of the firefighters: Griffin and it's clear the flames between them are only heightening. While this one was a little bit absurd, it played out like a Hallmark movie and sometimes, that's exactly what you're looking for.
2. Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria
As we get closer to Santa's nice list, it'd only be right to rank the title with Santa's name in it near the top which is Only Santas in the Building. While that was a little joke, Alexis Daria served up an adorable tale about Evie, a comic book illustrator who has a crush on her neighbor, Theo. While she can't imagine he'd feel the same, she decides to shoot her shot at the apartment's Christmas party.
The only story we're following is Evie piecing together who is leaving her homemade ornaments to put on her bare Christmas tree. I'm sure you can figure out who but this book was just too cute and had the perfect amount of sweetness and steam. If you haven't picked up something from Alexis Daria before, this is an excellent place to start.
1. Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood
No doubt most readers saw this one coming, but Ali Hazelwood started out this collection and frankly, she wrapped it up. Ali Hazelwood didn't play when it came to this title. We're following Jamie who is forced to go out to get a pan from her neighbors for her father but she ends up running into Marc, her best friend's brother. It's clear something happened between the two and as the story unfolds, we find out what happened and the unlikely miscommunication.
Of all the stories, Ali Hazelwood's was the longest but it was just so dang good. There was so much context and backstory that you couldn't help but root for these two to get together. If you love Ali Hazelwood, then Cruel Winter with You will have you ready to deck the halls.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the Under the Mistletoe collection. Truly, the only book I actively disliked was Merry Ever After but I'm in the majority as the Goodreads rating is horrid. If you're looking to try out this collection for the holiday season, then give it a try and proceed with caution when it comes to Tessa Bailey's contribution.
The Under the Mistletoe collection is currently available to purchase on Amazon.