A feel good well written romantic story. There are lots of threads to the plot, none of which are dealt with in any great depth which add interest to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Welcome to a Middledip Christmas!

As a fan of the author's work for a good while now, I was delighted to find this year's 2nd novel was set in her wonderful construction of, Middledip. All the characters she's populated this village with are back, and it feels like we're back home.

This story contains all the usual humour we've come to expect from Ms Moorcroft, together with a healthy dish of mental and physical bullying to be conquered, as well as dealing with the issue of agoraphobia. This is a beautifully written read which effortlessly switches between laugh out loud moments to those where you find tears streaming down your face without realising it.

Effortlessly drawing you in, this is a book you will find yourself coming back to time and again; and not just at Christmas.

My thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the reading ARC.

This book was such a lovely Christmas read. What set it apart from others of its kind was the plot addressing some important issues like moving past assault, infertility and Agra phobia. The characters were engaging and I read this book in one sitting. It’s a must read!!

I enjoyed reading Under the Mistletoe, it is a lovely, well-written story. Although it is a romance it does touch on a lot of issues too, which adds substance to the story. Set in the town of Middledip, where Sue Moorcroft other books have been set, this book has everything you want for a Christmas story, plenty of snow, village events and colourful characters. Add in some drama, misunderstanding and you have a very good read.

The backstories for the characters are well developed and I had an instant connection with them. Laurel is an artist who is returning to the village following her divorce, to help out her agoraphobic sister and niece. I did like Laurel, though at times she was rather annoying and intransigent. I liked Grady, her long-ago boyfriend, he was lovely; very kind and patient too, There are some real personalities in Middledip and they are all involved in making this story come to life.


This is a story of forgiveness and letting go of the past to be able to move on. This is a really good book and a very sweet romance, with a good Christmas vibe and one definitely worth a read.

I was given this copy of the book by netgalley for an honest review.

The book is mainly about a sexual assualt that happens to the main character Laurel nineteen years ago and how it affects her and those around her when she has to return to her hometown.

The book provides great detail about the Christmas festivities and there are some very interesting ideas being mentioned. However, I found it a bit too descriptive at times.

Also, although thankfully I never experienced such a trauma, and probably cannot be the one to talk about this, the decisions which had to be made by the main character seemed to be too lengthy and unreasonable at times.

All in all I enjoyed this book and could not wait to see how it will eventually end.

This was a very enjoyable Christmas read. Different and with more depth than the typical Christmas books. Under the Mistletoe tackles forgiveness, agoraphobia and sexual assault but with plenty of Christmassy fun and scenes to soften the tough subjects.
Lauren is a successful artist who returns to Middledip to help her sister, who is suffering from agoraphobia. Coming back to the village means that Lauren has to face a traumatic event from her teens and learn how to move on.
If you like Christmas, snow and romance but prefer strong storylines to predictability, this is worth a read.

This was an enjoyable Christmas read. Definitely slightly different to the typical ones I read at this time, with our character not being in her twenties, which was great for me. A pleasant change.

If you enjoy small town vibes, you'll like this one, I definitely do.

The entire stories is about forgiveness, letting go of the past, finding a way to move on.

It's also about family and family ties, which is always beautiful, and I don't think I could imagine a book about Christmas without this aspect.

It was fast-paced, easy to read, and a great way to spend a day, especially with Christmas coming up.

I do like more wholesome moments in my Christmas reads, and a little bit less drama and tension, and I sort of felt like this was at times too tense for me. I think I would have to be in a certain mood for this one.

Laura has to return to her childhood home of Middledip to help her sister Rea who is in the grips of Agrophobia. Rea cannot leave the house and her daughter Daisy is having problems at school but Rea cannot deal with them or give her daughter the life she needs,

The last place Laura wants to go is back to her home village. Something dramatic and very hurtful happened to Laura there on her last year at school and she fled.
Laura knows she is sure to come into contact with her first love Grady as well as his brother and it is a reunion she is not looking forward to.

What a lovely story this is . It's about love and family. It's about fear and hope. It's about owning up to your mistakes but not expecting forgiveness.
And finally it's about accepting that past mistakes can't be undone but they can be learned from and then you have to move on.
Sue Moorcroft is becoming one of my favourite authors . I could feel Laura's pain and anguish and also that of her sister. Although two different types of pain to recover from both equally as difficult.
They both have a lot to go through before they can find happiness on the other side.
I just fall into Sue's books and immerse myself in other places and other lives. Love them.

So cute!! I really loved this one. I got the feeling I was right there. Christmas vibes in September are always welcome. What drew me in was the cover but the story didn't disappoint. I loved the relationship, it was so wholesome and heartwearming.

I’m really enjoying Sue Moorcroft books especially returning to Middledip, it feels like home.
Laurel returns to Middledip to help her sister, Rea and niece, she is apprehensive but also comforted with familiar surroundings.
Laurel bumps into Grady, her childhood sweetheart, and his brother Mac, helping them out but also not wanting to be near Mac because of something he did before she left.
Typical village life everyone knows you and your business but equally are well meaning and mostly friendly, set around Christmas time with the Xmas lights, fair and family, will Laurel stay or go?

When her marriage ends after years battling infertility, Laurel temporarily moves back to the village of Middledip to help her sister and niece. She lived in Middledip until she was 16, when she fled after being assaulted.

Laurel's sister, Rea, suffers from agoraphobia and hasn't left the house in a year which has led to Laurel's14 year old niece, Daisy, being bullied at school. Laurel plans to help Rea to go outside and to begin to move past the garden gate, so she can begin to get her life back and help Daisy be a teenager. Laurel has no plan to rekindle her romance with Grady Cassidy, the boyfriend she left behind without a word 19 years ago, but the more they see each other the more the feelings she had at 16 intensify.

Under the Mistletoe has everything I want in a book. The characters are great, the conversations are witty, the problems the characters have seem real and the reader routes for solutions. I really wanted Rea to go for a walk down the lane to feed the horse, Daisy to confront her bullies, and Laurel to let go of the bad things that happened to her before she left the village.

I completely recommend this Christmas themed book which I got from NetGalley.

#NetGalley #SueMoorcroft #HarperCollinsPublishers #HarperCollinsUK #agoraphobia #bullying #infertility #Christmas #ARC

I really struggled to get into this book and I so wanted to love it.
Very sorry, it would be unfair of me to review this book as it simply wasn't for me and I love Sue Moorcroft.

I found this book difficult to get into I had to keep going back over the first few chapters to get all the names sorted to the characters there was so much information that I got lost and I was ready to give in. Once I got my head round it I really enjoyed it.
I found it to be a very emotional story covering a lot of issues from bullies to love, family issues, medical problems, revenge, and forgiveness.
The story line has been written extremely well and it certainly engaged me.
The main character Laurel has her own problems and demonds to sort out but also has to help her sister who has agoraphobia. She left her home in a small village at the age of 16 but had to return 19 years later because her sister needed her help. It was a hard decision she had to make going back to a place where her memories were not good.
I would definitely recommend this book. And I hope there will be another book to follow on the story.

A lovely festive tale with a twist on how the past can come back and find its way into your present. Likeable characters and you were rooting for them all even the ones who had done the bad deeds in the past!

I really enjoyed this book. Laurel had left her childhood home several years ago after suffering a trauma she felt unable to tell anyone about. Her sister is suffering from agoraphobia and needs help not only with her illness but with her troubled teenage daughter. Laurel reluctantly returns but is expecting to move on after a few months. She has an encounter with an old flame who she had left all those years ago without an explanation. She had hoped to avoid this situation but it is in fact the core of the story. There are many issues covered throughout and at times I was not sure what the outcome could be. This book held my attention to the very last page and is one that I would recommend.

Under The Mistletoe
Sue Moorcroft
Avon
Under The Mistletoe sends us on a trip to Middledip, a gorgeous village filled with community spirit. Newly single Laurel returns reluctantly to the place which holds some bad memories due to an attack on her while she was a teenager. Laurel is needed as her sister Rea has agoraphobia and it is affecting 14 year old Daisy, Rea's daughter, as she is skipping school and clearly having a hard time.
Although Laurel is dealing with her own demons especially when she comes face to face with her attackers she is set on getting her family back on track by supporting them both. Laurel has a huge quandary when a spark is re-ignited with her old boyfriend Grady.
This story is full of festive fun with the decorated homes of the residents, Christmas fairs, snowy weather and of course the mistletoe. It certainly put me in the Christmas mood even in August!
My thanks to Net Galley and Avon Books for this lovely story that warmed my heart.

The cute, cheery cover drew me to this book. I am new to the author and she is clearly talented. But from the cover I expected a lighter Christmas romance. This book covers some serious topics including bullying, sexual assault, infertility, agoraphobia and more. After nineteen years Laurel returns to her hometown in Middledip, England. She is there to help her sister Rea whose agoraphobia has steadily gotten worse. Her niece Daisy also needs guidance as she is ditching classes at school. Laurel makes a decent living selling her paintings and can work from anywhere. Coming home stirs old memories. Sparks fly when she meets up with her old boyfriend Grady who never knew why she left town. But also memories of bullying and a physical assault are stirred by her returning. And unfortunately Grady's brother Mac is tied to the assault and she wants nothing to do with him.

Laurel is clear in her motives and thinking. Another person may choose a different way to deal with their past. She is willing to be with Grady but wants no contact with Mac. I have issues with how this conflict is resolved. <spoiler> Mac never admits his part in the attack on his own. He lies twice to his brother and only confirms the truth when a third party, not Laurel, tells Grady about the episode. When given the opportunity again lies to his wife only telling a minimal account of the event and not his part of it. So when the wife tells Laurel she hopes old feelings can be let go it isn't fair because the Laurel has been told the wife only knows part of the story. It makes her complicit in his coverup. I understand that he was sixteen and drunk but she isn't threatening to tell the authorities or cost him his job and he still can't man up. And then to have the ending be that she has to let go so the brothers can be brothers is ridiculous. I wouldn't care if she chose to forgive for her own sake and to move on but that isn't mentioned. Also the analogy that her niece is bullied but tries to understand and befriends the bully is not a fare comparison. It's apples and oranges. Her niece isn't still having nightmares 19 years later. The moreI'm typing, the more I'm realizing how actually worked up this book made me.</spoiler>

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings for: sexual assault, infertility, agoraphobia, panic attacks, bullying

I have to admit that I'm sat here 24 hours after finishing this book still unsure how I feel about it hence the 3 star rating. Its beautifully written but there's no denying that it deals with some tough subjects (sexual assault, bullying and mental health) and while it deals with them sensitively, it doesn't make them any easier to read about and I think if you've ever experienced one of the 3 subjects then this will be a hard read for you.

I do love the fact that crafting is a huge part of this book though. I had to Google one particular craft as I wasn't sure what it was and found it quite interesting.

I'd say this is quite a powerful and thought provoking book by Sue Moorcroft but unfortunately for me it's not my favourite by her.

wow! such an amazing story, never normally go for Christmassy books but this one has made me fall in love with them! Can't wait to re-read this at Christmas time, 5/5!!!

A fabulous festive read, quite gritty and emotional at times, Sue always likes to take her readers on a emotional journey with her characters!
Uplifting and exciting, this lovely book captured my imagination and interest throughout.