Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

A winter wedding of school friends should be the highlight of Nory Noel’s festive calendar. But that group has long since drifted apart, and Nory is dreading the lavish, week long affair. Still, she supposes, being the only single person means she gets a king size bed in the idyllic castle venue all to herself.

As the champagne flows, the years roll back and soon the air is alive with old sparks and old tensions. Desperate for a moment of peace, Nory escapes and crashes into Isaac, the castle’s gardener and her former school rival.

Nory and Isaac have more in common these days than they could ever have imagined. But as she steals more time away to spend with him, Isaac reveals an astonishing secret about his past. Nory is in a unique position to help right this wrong but uncovering the truth might mean pushing Isaac away once more .

Really enjoyable read totally recommend thank You NetGalley And Pen MacMillan
I just reviewed Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss. #MeetMeUndertheMistletoe #NetGalley

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I've enjoyed Bayliss' other books so was pleased to be given an advance copy of her latest novel to read - I do love a Christmassy romance. This did not disappoint, I was invested in the characters and thought the setting and descriptions were beautiful.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited when I saw that Jenny Bayliss had a new Christmas book due out, as I have loved her previous stories. And I'm delighted to say this was no exception, another incredibly enjoyable story, that grew on me a lot as it progressed.

It take a bit of time to get to know the whole of Nory's old friendship group, for they were originally a very tight eight, best for friends at their private school, and with the exception of Nory, born to a life of privilege (something that is a contentious point for others in the story).

Getting all together for the first time in years, we get to see them in the week leading up to Jenna and Charles' wedding, all staying in a castle in their home town, and taking a trip down memory lane, falling into old patterns and even the gardener in the castle is a familiar face to them all. For Nory and Isaac used to be rivals when they were at school.

I loved seeing Nory's developing friendship with Isaac as adults, and Ameera's with Dev who has a lot more going for him than the normal "man barbies" she normally dates. I also enjoyed despising Guy's despicable behaviour, while feeling sorry for his wife.

Between a bridezilla, some hidden secrets, a fabulous bookshop (Nory is a bookseller that doesn't like parting with her books even when going to a good home), some gorgeous gardens, and some festive fun and games - not to mention Snowball Croquet - and of course remembering Tristan who was a integral part of the group - we have a very pleasing to read story that I thoroughly loved.

There is a lot going on in only a short space of time, and the pacing is spot on. So many characters some I adored, others I 'd love to see more from (I need more Dev in my life), and a few that you hope will redeem themselves given it's Christmas.

I will say though this isn't the most festive feelings of books, so easily one you could read at any point in the year, especially winter, as although it's set in the run up to Christmas, far more of the focus was on the wedding than the season. A joy to read .

Thank you to Pan and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Glorious! A good romantic, feel good, happy every aftery book that I devoured. It wasn’t saccarine sweet though and had a good dose of sarcasm, some sibling rivalry and a good punch up in the stables. Some likeable, and not so likeable characters and everyone described and dealt with perfectly.

Loved this book and thought the build up of the romance was particularly well written. The explaining of the different relationships within the group of friends was fascinating as well, a really interesting and thought provoking read.

This book is a great read if you are looking for something cosy with a winter feeling. The book focuses on the friendship dynamics and the romance is simply a part of the plot which I could really appreciate. I enjoyed the different themes that were brought into the story such as class, misoginy, mental health, motherhood and the challenges of running your own business.

I was really excited when I saw that Jenny Bayliss had a new Christmas book out, she has become a staple author that I read every year. I have loved her previous stories because of the way that she builds her female characters. They are often creative and natural leaders but also not your typical romance protagonist. Meet me under the Mistletoe was an enjoyable story that grew on me a lot as it progressed.

I personally wish we would have spend most of the book at the bookstore and not as much in their wedding / friendship reunion, but that is simply because I love books and It's a beautiful setting. Hopefully we will get even more of it in some of her future works.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read and review this book before the release date.

I enjoyed this Christmas novel. It was well written and the story flowed. The descriptions of the setting was beautiful and I enjoyed reading and meeting the different characters.

I so enjoyed reading this Christmas story.

Elinor Noel, known as Nory has her own second hand book shop, and absolutely delights in the feel and smell of old books.
She is part of a gang of friends from school days, and two of the gang are having a winter wedding at a grand Castle, next to their former school, and the village Nory was born and raised.
It’s been a few years since she has seen some members of the gang, but she has been invited for a week of fun and get togethers at the Castle leading up to the wedding.
Will she or won’t she go for the week?
She isn’t looking forward to seeing one of them after what happened after their last get together.

I very much enjoyed reading this book, and the dynamics of their gang, not living in each other’s pockets, but can pick up after a few years, like they’ve never been apart.
Just a heads up though that there is mentions of a suicide, carefully and sensitively handled in my opinion.
Without giving away the plot of the book the friends gang are from privileged backgrounds, not so much Nory, but in my opinion though working class, she wasn’t from poverty.
It’s an interesting read little snatches of school days pomp and comp, because sadly that happens in life.
It was an interesting bunch of characters, some I warmed to, a couple I didn’t, but that’s life.
When the book shop was being described I could feel it, warm cosy, and smell the books too.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an e-book copy. Opinions are my own.

A sweepingly beautiful read. Full of romance, Christmas joy, spirit and a wonderfully uplifting story. I adored this book.

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe was a good read. It had a nice romantic story but also touched on friendship, loss, misogyny and racism. It involved Christmas, snow and a secondhand bookshop; how much more romantic could you get! I recommend reading it while drinking a big mug of hot chocolate.

4.5 stars
This is the first Jenny Bayliss book that I've read but it certainly won't be the last.
I loved that this book transported me to the castle and small village, even if we only get the occasional Christmassy vibes.
I will admit, there are a lot of characters to get to grips with, with it taking a bit to pin down exactly who is who.
But once you do, this was a really enjoyable story of friendship, reunions, romance and what life is like more generally when you are at this point in your life.
Even though this is technically an Insta-love style story, the connection that the two characters had when they were teens made this feel actually believable to me.
I also liked the tension that is built up and the longing that we get over the few days at the castle, so that when they do finally get together it feels like it has been earned.
I adored all of the scenes in Nory's secondhand bookshop and seeing her genuine love for books and what she does. Those were some of the strongest scenes for me and greedily, I would have liked even more of them.
I also liked that, despite this being marketed as a festive read, it touched on bigger and more important topics like depression, suicide, infidelity, misogyny and appropriation, in a sensitive manner.
I did get a little bit bored of how often the 'us versus them' narrative, of the Pomp versus the Comp, is brought up. I get bringing it up a few times but it felt like a constant throughout the book, which got a little tiring to keep reading over and over again.
But I definitely enjoyed this cosy trip to Nory's bookshop, the castle and her childhood home/family business.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m sorry, but books + Christmas + love? Are we sure Jenny didn’t write this book solely for me?

I haven’t identified with a character as much as I did Nory. Every new thing she reveals, I can feel myself nodding. Her looks, her persona, her family life, it’s all me, and I think it would be quite nice to live her life in her world.

The chemistry between Nory and Isaac just springs from the page. They’re delightful separately and together, I was rooting for them from the off. I had mixed feelings about the rest of the characters. I liked Ameerah, Jenna and Camille, not so much the male characters (apart from Isaac of course, and Dev, Andrew and Seb were also in my good books), but the others, I found them to be so up themselves and pretentious that they had their work cut out to impress me. But for me, this really was a story for the girls - and Lettuce the dog obviously.

I liked the exploration of low privilege and high privilege. It led to several interesting scenes and interactions, and makes you think about how you would react in that situation. If you were in a privileged position, would you look down on others? And if you were not in a privileged position, would you hate the success of others?

I loved the family and friend dynamics, it felt very real. Every relationship, be it romantic, platonic or familial, has its ups and downs, it’s flaws and it’s triumphs, nothing is perfect. And I find, quite often, characters in books are made out to be perfect, because they’re fictional, so they can be anything the author wants. But the characters in this are not perfect and that’s what makes them identifiable.

From one ‘bigger’ girl to another, it was refreshing to see a curvier main character, and for her size not to be a plot point. She’s successful, has a large group of friends, and is in love. It shouldn’t be a thing that needs mentioning, but sadly it still is, so it was lovely to see a main character who just so happened to be on the larger size, rather than just being the large character.

There are topics you may not expect in a jolly festive read, including classism, racism, theft, adultery, fidelity and suicide. They’re not just thrown in haphazardly to shock the reader. They’re things that everyone goes through, be them fictional or real, and they really helped frame the main story and main relationships.

I did read another early review that said they would have preferred more of the story to be set in Nory’s bookshop and less in the castle at the reunion and I do agree. That’s not because those scenes are bad or boring or anything, they were very good. But, unsurprisingly, I love books and bookshops and book collecting and antique books and I would have quite happily read 400 pages of a bookshop at Christmas.

This was my first Jenny Bayliss festive novel and it was delightful. It’s an enjoyable read and exactly what I wanted from a Christmas book.

This was such a fabulous Christmas story and definitely gave me exactly what I look for in a festive book. Highly recommend for the upcoming festive season!

Really enjoyed this story and the sub stories that ran through it at the same time. You could really feel the emotions of the characters.

This os one of those books that puts you into the right mood and helps you get out of the slump. I already see myself re-reading it. There’s something so intriguingly special about this book; from the vibes, atmosphere, characters, story and the ending. I can’t get enough of it. Would highly recommend everyone. All in all, it deserves 5 stars and so much more

I was very invested in the story arc and character development in this wonderful Christmas story. It felt quite unique in how many different people were involved, with it being a school reunion/ wedding party, and the different elements really kept things interesting. I adored Isaac and Nory's backstory and how things fizzed between them as the story grew. The only thing that threw me initially at the start was the constant swap between using Nory/ Elinor almost like they were different characters until I got to grips with it, I'm not sure using both names in the narrative was necessary.
It's a great feelgood wintery party of a book with lots of love and joy

Lovely warm Christmas novel. Nory and her old school friends get together at a castle for a wedding. Full of detail about Nory and the other characters, with a ruggedly handsome lover thrown in. Of course the path of true love doesn’t run smoothly, but there’s a HEA to warm your heart.

I love this author, her Christmas books are perfect for the winter season! Nory comes from a homey family and was lucky enough to get a scholarship to the local private school in her youth. With that comes posh friends and local friends and a feeling of displacement when they eventually finish school. The pressures that come with the expectation of her education lead to Nory starting to crack and after a tragedy in their friendship group Nory gains some perspective. Cut to the present and she has her dream job owning her own book shop, and when she returns home for a friends wedding sparks fly with her brothers best friend, the head gardener of the wedding venue.

I adored this book! Nory and Isaac have some delicious chemistry with their kiss anticipation. This book is not a steamy romance but all the fizzle and feelings are there in the build ups which make for a gorgeous read!

A must-buy Christmassy read out on September 29th in ebook and November 10th in paperback! Get your preorders in now!

I have read Jenny Bayliss previous Christmas novels and thoroughly enjoyed them, so I had high hopes for her latest Christmas novel and it did not disappoint..
Nory and her friends are attending a week long pre wedding get together in a castle where she and her boarded at school. During the week, Nory meets Isaac, someone who she knew from school and they begin to develop a relationship.
There are also issues with Nory's friends and as the week progresses we get to see what happens to the characters.
An enjoyable , warm, cosy read ideal for the Christmas season,
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.

Returning home but with a group of friends. Not just any friends but your friends from the local private school.
Old divisions between brother and sister, and old attractions reignite.
The dynamics and issues are still there simmering below the surface ready to irrupt..
An interesting and entertaining tale. Enjoy I did.

Ahhh a lovely feel good festive read with PLENTY of drama along the way. I really enjoyed all the different characters in this book and could identify with the group of school friends that feel like family in a lovely way but also in a way that drives you barmy. They all had complex stuff going on, especially Guy, and with the memory of Tristan present for them being so close to their old school.
The wedding set up, the castle setting, the book shop… all vividly described and worked well together in this story line. Isaac sounded like a dream boat and the de veer storyline was a great diversion to what is a traditional festive romance story. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Having read the authors 2021 Christmas book, the twelve dates of Christmas, I was sure this wouldn't disappoint. I absolutely loved it, the characters are so endearing, the settings evoke a lovely warm christmassy feel. And of course everyone wants to find love at Christmas. Another brilliant book by Jenny baylis, I already can't wait for the next one! Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for my arc

I have loved the is authors previous books so was looking forward to this one which didn’t disappoint.

Although this one has a Christmassy title it isn’t really an overly Christmas book so could be ready anytime of the year and is so much more than just a holiday romance novel as it covers a lot of sensitive topics throughout the story such as suicide, marriage breakups, bullying and the class divide.

The story focused around the main character Elinor (nory) who owns a second hand bookshop in London going back to the place where she grew up in the countryside to be reunited with her friends and the events which follow. I enjoyed the bookshop descriptions and the talk of books this also drew me in. As the story progresses we get to meet the rest of the characters and delve more into how events of the past shape the future. And the complexities of friendships are explored.

There were some humorous laugh out loud moments in the book as well as a few deeper and darker moments.

Looking forward to seeing what this author writes next.

I really enjoyed this book, very
good cast of characters all with their own particular faults and foibles. Extremely well written, I could see the bookshop and feel the snow. Lovely feel-good read, with drama , romance , family and friends. Highly recommended.

I love the way that Jenny Bayliss writes. This is not my first and will not be my last. This book gave me soo many Christmassy vibes I loves it.

The book is written in a way that you just flow along at a pace where everything is timed perfectly. The characters (and there are a lot of them) are all parts of the story, it does take some time to get to know them all . Nory is the main character and I liked how her friendship with Isaac developed it made me feel all warm inside! I liked the kind of enemy to friends thing that Jenny creates in this story through these two.

It was a fun read, with some low moments but I liked that there was a focus around loved ones and loss. Especially at Christmas this is nice to have been included.

This book ticks all the boxes for me for a festive romantic comedy and more!

It's got snow, a bookshop, flowers, a wedding, castle, picture perfect small village, interesting mix of childhood friends, quirky family, love interests, hidden secrets, laugh out loud and make you cry moments.

Nory and her childhood friends are all back in the area where they went to school for Jenna and Charles's wedding. Nora bumps into Isaac (literally) an old adversary, sparks fly and they realise they have more in common than they thought.

There are so many great characters in this book and the settings are perfect.

Another great book by Jenny Bayliss who is fast becoming one of my favourite authors for this genre.

Thank you to Netflix and Pan MacMillan for the ARC.

Whilst there is definitely Christmassy vibes, this book really centres on the wedding and pre-wedding holiday of a group of friends who used to attend the private school close to the castle. The dynamics of the group were really interesting and there was quite a lot of discussion surrounding 'old' money, 'new' money, school bullying, racism and also how Nory, who won a scholarship, fitted in. I also thought that Tristan's suicide and the impact this had had on the group, was dealt with sensitively.
I LOVED the characters of Dev and Ameerah - it wasn't just Nory and Issac's romance that you were invested in. I also loved the description of Nory's secondhand bookshop - dreamworthy! Overall, highly recommended read!

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **