Mistletoe & Mr Right by Lyla Payne

Out Now
Published by Bloomsbury USA
Purchase from Amazon here

The Blurb:

From USA Today bestselling author Lyla Payne, a snowy and heartwarming new adult romance . . .

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring … but lust refused to settle in for a long winter's nap.She might be all nestled, snug in her bed, by why, oh why, do visions of the wrong guy dance in her head?

Jessica, (not Jessie), figures that nothing could be better than a trip to the Emerald Isle for Christmas break. So she takes a flying leap and follows her boyfriend home for the holidays, not only sure that he will finally agree they're destined for each other, but also that Ireland will provide the perfect backdrop to the beginning of their happily-ever-after.

But it turns out his family—and his gorgeous ex-girlfriend—don't feel the same way, and even the family goat seems to be conspiring against her well-laid plans. The only person making the trip worthwhile is the very last one she should be thinking about, but Grady, the local farmhand, has a way of showing up when Jessica needs him most . . . and least.
USA Today bestselling author Lyla Payne wraps up the perfect holiday novella, ties it with a ribbon of romance, and tops it with a light dusting of snow. Perfect to curl up with under the tree. Just add hot cocoa!


My Review:

I love Christmas, romance, and Ireland. So when I read the blurb for this book I was drawn to it, and having now finished it I was right. Ok, so you can guess pretty early on how the story will end, it is cute enough, and with enough substance to keep you interested.

Jessica and Brennan have been dating for a few months and in Jessica's mind it is all very serious and going great. Brennan has gone home to Ireland for Christmas when unbeknown to him, Jessica decides that she will surprise him and fly over to spend the festive season with him and his family.

Oh dear....Jessica is not quite met with the welcome she expected. Infact things start off in quite a calamitous way when she hits the family goat with the car. That's before she has even reached the front door! To say that the family are surprised and underwhelmed by her arrival may be a slight understatement.

Hooray for Grady, the farmhand who sounds not only like a lovely bloke, but I can imagine him being easy on the eye too! He comes to the rescue from the start and with the immediate attraction between them you can almost write the perfect ending from early on.

What kept me interested wasn't just the attraction between agency and Jessica, but also watching how the family, and particularly Brennan were treating Jessica. I felt quite angry on her behalf that they didn't seem to have any interest in her, and that Brennan didnt stand his ground more with them. I felt he was a weak and not very likeable. I really wanted Jessica to tell him what he could do with the relationship.

To complicate matters even more up pop Katie, Brennan's ex girlfriend who the family all adore. She is also staying for Christmas which makes Jessica feel more awkward, particularly as she knew nothing about her. We get to know Katie more and question whether she and Brennan are actually over eachother.

I swung between feeling sorry for Jessica and the way she was being treated, and wanting to shake her for allowing Brennan and the family be so mean to her. I felt like I could empathise with both of these. I had no time for Brennan who to me was a total waste of time. I felt quite angry on Jessica's behalf.

My saviour was Grady. You can see that Jessica tries not to like him, or feel any attraction, but they seem like they would be perfect together. Ok, I may be biased from the way he is portrayed and the fact he is Irish, my ideal for a man! But he just came across as a really nice and genuine guy, better than that horrible Brennan.

I was quite closed minded and had made up my mind on what I thought of each of the characters, and what I found really clever in the book, was how a turn of events made me start to change my mind. I thought it was really skilfully done and I felt quite emotional reading it. This changed it from being a run of the mill love story to something a bit different for me.

I really enjoyed this novella. It wasn't too long so it didn't feel like it was strung. It packed a punch as it was fast moving.  It is very well written with some real thought and emotion put into each to the characters and how they interact and relate to eachother. The ending was lovely and it left me feeling warm and fluffy. An easy, uplifting story perfect for the Christmas period.

Thank you to Bloomsbury USA for providing a copy in return for an honest review.