Review: The Mistletoe Countess

 

The Mistletoe Countess

by Pepper Basham

About the Book

Will the magic of Christmas bring these two newlyweds closer together, or will the ghosts of the past lead them into a destructive discovery from which not even a Dickens’s Christmas can save them?

Mistletoe is beautiful and dangerous, much like the woman from Lord Frederick’s Percy’s past, so when he turns over a new leaf and arranges to marry for his estate, instead of his heart, he never expects the wrong bride to be the right choice. Gracelynn Ferguson never expected to take her elder sister’s place as a Christmas bride, but when she’s thrust into the choice, she will trust in her faithful novels and overactive imagination to help her not only win Frederick’s heart but also to solve the murder mystery of Havensbrook Hall before the ghosts from Frederick’s past ruin her fairytale future.

My Thoughts

I’ve read several of Pepper Basham’s novels and have enjoyed them all. I really like her style of writing, her true appreciation for literature, and her combination of Blue Ridge Mountain and English settings. When I learned that she was writing a Christmas novel, I was all kinds of excited. In many ways, this book did live up to my expectations.

I loved Grace; she was a very original heroine full of whimsy and adventure. I can definitely relate to her enthusiasm over all things bookish. She was a really fun character to read about, making her my favorite part of the book. Fredrick was a decent hero. Leaning more on “the strong and silent” type, he was perhaps not my favorite sort of hero, but I thought he was a good juxtaposition to Grace. There’s a varied cast of supporting characters, from women that help and support Grace through this sudden transformation in her life, to a wicked stepmother, providing a solid backdrop for the story.

Of course, I love that this book took place at Christmas. I adore Christmas stories and the idea of Havensbrooke during the holiday season was just enchanting. Really, the setting as a whole was just lovely.

What I didn’t like about this book is that there are some rather steamy moments between Grace and Fredrick. I get that it’s the marriage of convenience trope and all, but it just pushed things a little too far for my taste. I would have rather there’d been more focus on them getting to know each other personally and not delved so far into their physical relationship.

The Mistletoe Countess is a nice historical romance with a lovely holiday setting. While there are some parts I didn’t care for, I like the book as a whole and think many fans of Christian fiction will enjoy it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.