Ad-girl Nora and student doctor Ashton meet at an office ‘Christmukkah’ party and have an encounter under the mistletoe. Eight years later they meet again in almost identical circumstances, but with one difference: Nora is very wary of the charming and handsome surgeon, who also happens to be her boss’s brother. And Nora has good reason for her reservations – after a great night together, Ashton simply disappears from her life. Unsurprisingly, Nora is once bitten, twice shy.
Isabel Jolie’s MISPLACED MISTLETOE, is narrated in the first person by Nora and Ashton in turn, allowing insight into the feelings and thoughts of both characters. Nora is naturally self-protective; she has grown up in foster care from the age of three. Moving to New York, she is lucky enough to land her dream job at an advertising agency and start building a life for herself. She has never enjoyed Christmas, “a season that always underscored the things [she] didn’t have”, a feeling that is only compounded by Ashton’s shabby treatment of her. On Ashton’s part, the reader’s initial impression of him as something of a rake is gradually tempered as his true intentions are incrementally disclosed.
The predictability of the plot – there is never any doubt as to how this one will end – is less of a criticism and more something that adds to its uplifting appeal.
Nora and Ashton’S story is lifted by a backdrop of easily recognizable characters and the romance of the festive season: the hot chocolate, the green velvet dress, the lights on the tree, and even the “chocolate brown dog” that accompanies Ashton to Nora’s apartment lends charm to his attempt to rekindle their spark from eight years earlier. Using titles of Christmas songs as chapter headings adds to the overall seasonal vibe, almost inviting the reader to sing along. In fact, these titles in themselves offer a skeletal overview of the novella’s plot. And the title of the book itself is gloriously transparent and interested readers will know exactly what they’re getting. Saccharine platitudes such as “Our kiss was a present” are precisely the kind of detail expected in a light-hearted Christmas romance – although be warned that this one does come with a few steamy moments too!
MISPLACED MISTLETOE is a feel-good festive romance: heart-warming, uncomplicated, and highly agreeable.
~Amanda Ellison for IndieReader