Faking Under the Mistletoe by Ashley Shepherd ~ Review

Source: KindleUnlimited.

Faking Under the Mistletoe by Ashley Shepherd

Olivia Langley is the human embodiment of Christmas cheer, and she has absolutely no problem spreading it around for all to hear.

Christmas sweaters? She has twenty. Christmas cookies? She’ll take three dozen. Christmas movies? Yeah, she’s seen them all.

So it’s no surprise when she’s put in charge of Loveridge & McGowan’s holiday festivities. Secret Santas? Yep. Ice skating? Of course. Holiday trivia? Duh. Christmas-themed bar crawl? That’s one big jingle bell hell yes.

Kissing her boss at a Christmas tree lighting in front of his ex-girlfriend? Well… it is the season of giving.

And Olivia does not come with a gift receipt. No exchanges. No returns. No refunds. All sales are final.

In an effort to ungrinch the grinchiest man she’s ever met, Olivia enlists herself, Santa’s Executive Helper, to scheme up a plan that includes sleigh rides, snow days, and one too many mistletoe kisses, which certainly gets Asher’s tinsel in a tangle.

She’s pretty sure that she sleighed this whole fake relationship thing.

Well… until she realizes there’s nothing fake about her feelings for Asher, and suddenly tangled tinsel, unsolicited Christmas trees, and celebrity heartthrobs are the least of her worries.

A fake relationship to lovers holiday romance!

Goodreads | Amazon 

*Available through KindleUnlimited*

After seeing this one mentioned on Instagram a couple of times, I decided to download a sample from Amazon to check it out. Once I finished the sample, I downloaded the entire book from KU. Then I proceeded to read the entire book in one night. It was SO GOOD.

It was the perfect read to kick off the week of Christmas. It got me happy and in the spirit. But also, even without the holiday vibes, it was a solid romance novel in and of itself. It featured the fake relationship trope and a grumpy hero, both of which were done well--and goodness knows that's my kryptonite.

The characters were great. Olivia and her cheerful enthusiasm was entertaining. Asher was, as I said, a bit of a grump, but that just meant I got to love him warming up as the story progressed. Their banter was top notch. Hilarious and cute and I never wanted it to end.

For the most part, this was a fun, lighthearted holiday read. But there was also an aspect that pulled in a more serious topic. I thought this was done in a way that was balanced enough to keep the tone of the book from getting too heavy while also giving respect to the situation. I was especially a fan of the time Olivia took to get herself sorted through it all, and how Asher was persistent but also respectful. As I said, there was a good balance.

Overall, Faking Under the Mistletoe slipped in at the last minute as one of the best books I read this year. It's a charming holiday read full of banter and cheer. If you enjoy fake relationships and grumpy heroes, I definitely recommend picking this one up!

5 stars - A charming fake relationship to lovers romance!