Bette Hansen
I truly enjoyed this fun holiday read which kicks off a new series from this author. It is wonderfully written with some pretty amazing characters. Kaitlyn Russo comes home to Sweetwater Springs after her job and life in the city implodes. With her Grandmother's recent passing she expected to inherit the family b&b. What she didn't expect is the rundown condition the place was in or the fact that she had to share ownership with Mitch Hargrove. Mitch just wants to sell the place and be done with it but the conditions of the will don't allow for that. Since he has two months to kill before his new job starts he agrees to stay and help get the old place up and running again. Never did he expect the bossy Kaitlyn to get under his skin and have him rethinking his future. I highly recommend this one.
Sandy S.
CHRISTMAS ON MISTLETOE LANE is the first instalment in Annie Rains’ contemporary, adult SWEETWATER SPRINGS romance series focusing on the small town of Sweetwater Springs, North Carolina. This is interior designer Kaitlyn Russo, and retired US Marine Mitch Hargrove’s story line. Told from dual third person perspectives (Mitch and Kaitlyn) CHRISTMAS ON MISTLETOE LANE focuses on the building relationship between interior designer Kaitlyn Russo, and retired US Marine Mitch Hargrove. The recent death of her grandmother Mable pulled Kaitlyn Russo to the small town of Sweetwater Springs, North Carolina where our heroine inherited her grandmother’s beloved Sweetwater B&B, an inheritance that came with a questionable caveat. Enter retired US Marine Mitch Hargrove, one-time B&B caretaker and friend to Henry and Mable Russo, and the new co-owner of the Sweetwater B&B. A two month ‘obligatory business arrangement ‘ in order to inherit or sell the B&B finds our couple working together to make the small hotel into a thriving business. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Kaitlyn and Mitch, and the potential fall-out as Mitch struggles with memories of the past, and the perceived sins of a teenaged boy. Mitch Hargrove wants nothing to do with Sweetwater Springs, a town that brings too many fractured memories of long ago. Aside from him mother, there is nothing and no one that calls to his heart. Preparing for a security assignment in the new year Mitch is surprised to discover that Ms. Mable has ‘arranged’ a two-month assignment of her own. Kaitlyn Russo was a successful New York interior designer but a designer whose career was destroyed by a professional fall-out and the accusations of a celebrity extraordinaire. Hoping to restart her life Kaitlyn is shocked when she is forced to work alongside a man who wants nothing to do with the Sweetwater B&B. If they cannot find a way to work together, the B&B will be sold, and everything will go to charity. The relationship between Mitch and Kaitlyn begins as a forced business arrangement, an arrangement neither one is happy to oblige. Mitch’s plans do not include running a run-down B&B, and Kaitlyn hopes to rebuild her grandmother’s once-successful business. The sexual attraction between Kaitlyn and Mitch is palpable and immediate. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate but mostly implied. We are introduced to the colorful and charismatic people and places of Sweetwater Springs including attorney Jacob Garrison; police chief Alex Logan; Mitch’s mother Gina Hargrove, and aunt Nettie, and longtime friend Tucker Locklear; Fudge Shop owner Dawanda; bookstore owner Julia Kent; Kaitlyn’s best friend and journalist Josie; as well as a number of Sweetwater B&B guests including graphic designer and biker Paris. I am definitely hoping to read a happily ever after for Paris. CHRISTMAS ON MISTLETOE LANE is a sweet and sexy story line; a small-town romance focusing on two people who lives are interrupted by a meddling but well-meaning old lady. The premise is entertaining, engaging and endearing; the characters are dynamic and lively, especially the B&B guest; the romance is tender and dramatic as Mitch continues to pull away giving mixed signals with every encounter. A wonderful holiday read, CHRISTMAS ON MISTLETOE LANE is a great start to the holiday season.
Laura Fidorowicz
This book has totally put me in the mood for Christmas!! Kaitlyn and Mitch have inherited her grandparents' B&B. Kaitlyn is thrilled to start over. Mitch isn't looking to come home. Kaitlyn's grandmother had a plan in mind for these two: run the B&B together for six months or neither gets to inherit it. Sweetwater Springs is such a cute town and I loved getting to know some of its quirky residents. This town is going to be an amazing place to visit during this series. I loved everything about Kaitlyn and Mitch and all of their friends. I can't wait for the next book in this series!! *This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*