Review: Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Suzanne Enoch, Amelia Grey, and Anna Bennett

Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Suzanne Enoch, Amelia Grey, and Anna Bennett
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Genre: Historical Romance 

ISBN: 9781250797445
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

From the Scottish highlands, to the bustle and tussle of London, to a hotel on the outskirts of town, three unforgettable authors bring the joy of Christmas romance in Kissing Under the Mistletoe.

Great Scot! by Suzanne Enoch
Miss Jane Bansil knows she will never have a fairy-tale moment. Well past the marriageable age, she’s taken a position as a companion and is now stuck in Scotland for Christmas, alone even in the middle of the boisterous MacTaggert family. But when Brennan Andrews, an architect and cousin to the MacTaggerts, arrives to draw up plans for a new family home, Jane must decide if she will take a chance at a happily-ever-after, or settle into her small, safe life for good.

Christmas at Dewberry Hollow by Amelia Grey
Miss Isabelle Reed has no plans to ever fall in love. She has a perfectly acceptable life with her mother at the Dewberry Hollow Inn, thank you very much. But when Gate, the Duke of Notsgrave’s grandson, appears at Dewberry Hollow searching for a carving on a tree, Isabelle cannot help but get involved. But Gate’s charm and their instant attraction makes Isabelle question if she’s willing to take her chance at love once again.

My Mistletoe Beau by Anna Bennett
Miss Eva Tiding is determined to cheer her widowed father with the perfect Christmas gift. Even if it means breaking into the home of the rakish Earl of Frostbough who swindled Papa out of his pocket watch. But when the earl, Jack Hardwick, catches her in the act, they strike a deal: she’ll pose as his fiancée in exchange for the watch. Falling in love is not part of the plan—but with a little Christmas magic, anything is possible…

“Great Scot!” (The Wild Wicked Highlanders, Book 3.5) by Suzanne Enoch
The MacTaggert family has returned home to Scotland for the holidays and Jane Bansil, cousin and former companion to the first MacTaggert bride, is along for the ride. Jane is at a crossroads in her life. She was tossed out of her family home for helping her cousin elope and the MacTaggerts have taken her in even though they don’t really need her services as a companion. Jane is over thirty and has never had a suitor so it surprises her when a handsome MacTaggert cousin, Brennan Andrews, takes her breath away. The one time Jane chose risk over safety it burned her, so should she really take a risk again and open her heart to the handsome Scottish architect?

“Great Scot!” sees a quiet, bookish spinster find love. Jane has been out of place among the boisterous MacTaggert family since taking shelter with them. There’s a melancholy about Jane that broke my heart and made her feel relatable. She doesn’t think fairytales are for people like her and she would rather curl up with a book than be social. I really wanted to see Jane find love and she does with a man who truly sees her. I loved that Brennan was instantly taken with Jane, that he didn’t want her to be anything other than who she was. He’s a widower who lives a quiet life and though he loves his cousins he’s definitely tamer than them. He and Jane fall in love so quickly that even for a Christmastime novella (which usually speeds things up) it felt a bit too rushed.

If you’re a fan of The Wild Wicked Highlanders you’ll delight in seeing Jane find her happily ever after. It was nice to revisit the MacTaggerts and see how they’re doing after they’re all wed. If you haven’t read the trilogy, you can jump in with “Great Scot!” but be warned that there are major spoilers for the full-length books. All in all, I found the love story to be rushed but sweet and I enjoy any time spent with Suzanne Enoch’s MacTaggert family.



“Christmas at Dewberry Hollow” by Amelia Grey
Isabelle Reed is quite happy running the Dewberry Hollow Inn with her mother and has no need to act like a highborn lady. She’d much rather focus on making the inn sustainable rather than find a husband. But sparks fly when a man on a mission crosses her path and sweeps her off her feet.

“Christmas at Dewberry Hollow” is a story of finding love when you aren’t expecting it. Isabelle is afraid to love because as a child her heart was broken by the man she thought would be her stepfather leaving. She’s put all her energy into making the family inn a success and sometimes clashes with her mother who wants her to be more ladylike. I enjoyed seeing Isabelle’s life at the inn and how she takes care of her guests. The romance, however, left me wanting a bit more.

Gate is the grandson of the Duke of Notsgrave. He’s wealthy but aimless as he’s not the heir. His grandfather is determined to find a particular tree he had carved his and his late wife’s initials in when staying at the Dewberry Hollow Inn years ago. Gate is equally determined to help him but finding a lone tree in a forest isn’t exactly easy. He needs Isabelle’s help and the two of them are instantly drawn to one another. Gate fits in at the inn and I can see why he and Isabelle would be a good match, but there’s something about Amelia Grey’s writing that never captured my attention. The story felt flat and the romance was not believable. The characters fell in love so fast I got whiplash and I just couldn’t find it in me to become invested in this tale.



“My Mistletoe Beau” by Anna Bennett
Eva Tiding is determined to recover her father’s pocket watch, even if she has to break into a rake’s dwelling to do so. Except when she’s caught by the scandalous Earl of Frostbough, he offers her an interesting proposition: pretend to be his fiancée in exchange for the watch. But what happens when a fake relationship starts to feel all-too-real?

“My Mistletoe Beau” was my favorite story of this anthology. Anna Bennett’s writing carried me away in this delightful Christmastime romance. Eva and Jack have instant chemistry and their banter made me grin. Jack wants to appease his grandmother by pretending to be ready to settle down and the would-be-thief in his bedroom is the perfect woman to pose as his fiancée. She wants the pocket watch and will do whatever it takes to get it back. It should be a simple arrangement, except as it turns out, Eva and Jack are truly perfect for one another. I loved watching their romance grow as Jack made peace with his ghosts and Eva decided to take a chance on love. Flirty and fun, filled with endearing characters and sprightly banter, “My Mistletoe Beau” is perfect for anyone looking for a charming and warm romance.



Kissing Under the Mistletoe is a bit of a mixed bag. I adored Anna Bennett’s installment and think this book is worth it just for Eva and Jack’s story. I liked Suzanne Enoch’s contribution, mostly because Jane’s quiet sadness and bookishness called to me. I haven’t read Amelia Grey’s writing before so I can’t say if this is her usual style but it simply wasn’t my cup of tea. If you enjoy fast-paced love stories with Christmas cheer, or if you’re a fan of any of these authors, there’s something for you to enjoy in this book.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Hit Me With Your Best Scot by Suzanne Enoch

Hit Me With Your Best Scot by Suzanne Enoch
Series: The Wild Wicked Highlanders, Book 3
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Genre: Historical Romance 

ISBN: 9781250296429
Release Date: February 9, 2021
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

The MacTaggert brothers have one task:
Find English brides or lose their land!

Coll MacTaggert, Viscount Glendarril, is a big, brawny Highlander who doesn’t like being told what to do—not even by his exasperated English mother who is determined to see her eldest son wedded and bedded. However, when he comes to the rescue of an irresistibly beautiful woman, Coll discovers that he may have found his perfect match…

The challenge isn’t that Persephone Jones is famous, wealthy, independent, and smarter than anyone he knows. The problem is that she isn't interested in marrying any man—especially not a hot-headed Scot—even if he is the only man who seems to understand who she really is even when she’s not sure herself. When Coll learns that Persephone is actually a lady-in-hiding and someone is willing to kill her for what she stands to inherit…Well, Coll has never been one to turn down a fight. When hearts are involved, nothing comes between a Highlander and his lady.

Hit Me With Your Best Scot is a delightful read. I had my reservations going into the eldest MacTaggert’s story because Coll was a lot to handle in his brothers’ books, but Suzanne Enoch showed him to be a wonderful hero without changing him into someone else. Coll is blunt, brash, and brawny, his keen mind hidden beneath the exterior he uses to fool people who don’t want to look deeper. He has no patience for the rules of society and even less for his mother’s demand that he wed an Englishwoman within the next month or lose the funding for their family’s home and tenants. To stop his mother from meddling, Coll claims he’s engaged to Persephone Jones, the famous actress. He doesn’t really intend to wed her, but Persephone is the first woman who actually makes Coll want something more. Her wit matches his own and sparks fly between the two immediately. And when he finds out Persephone is in danger…well, nothing will stop him from protecting the woman who is fast capturing his heart.

Persephone is taken with Coll from the start as well. The handsome, straightforward Highlander sees the woman she is instead of the roles she plays. Persephone is a self-made woman who carries a secret and I liked her right from the start. She’s a woman who isn’t afraid of going for what she wants and desire isn’t something she’s afraid of. She and Coll are incredibly well-suited despite their different stations. I was rooting for them to get their happily ever after but first Persephone has to survive the attempts on her life. I enjoyed watching Coll learn the pieces of her past though I don’t believe the mystery is all that, well, mysterious. What I enjoyed more was the love story. Coll and Persephone fit into each other’s lives perfectly and their banter made the pages of Hit Me With Your Best Scot fly by. I enjoyed watching Coll charm her household (especially her cat, Hades). And though I felt like the climax of the book was a bit rushed, I was still so charmed by the book overall that I can forgive the hurried wrap up.

Hit Me With Your Best Scot is the third book in the Wild Wicked Highlanders series but it can easily be read as a standalone. Coll’s family members all play supporting roles and man, did Enoch make me want a novella for his parents. The Earl and Countess Aldriss are flawed characters who have definitely made bad calls as parents and as husband and wife but they have an undeniable chemistry that makes me yearn for their story. All in all, Coll and Persephone’s book was energetic, exciting, and wholly entertaining.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Scot Under the Covers by Suzanne Enoch

Scot Under the Covers by Suzanne Enoch
Series: The Wild Wicked Highlanders, Book 2
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Genre: Historical Romance

ISBN: 9781250296405
Release Date: January 28, 2020
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

When a resourceful English lady and a hot-blooded Highlander join forces to trick a scoundrel, every rule will be broken!

Miranda Harris is known for her charm, wit, and ability to solve any problem she encounters. But when her brother lands neck-deep in gambling debt to a crafty villain and Miranda is subsequently blackmailed into marrying him, she must enlist the help of the devil himself to save the family honor―and herself.

Devilishly handsome Highlander Aden MacTaggert knows next to nothing about the ways of the ton, but he most certainly knows his way around gaming halls and womens’ hearts. Still, Aden is not sure how he’ll manage to find a Sassenach bride in time to save his family’s inheritance. When his almost sister-in-law Miranda comes to him for assistance, he proposes a partnership: She will help him navigate London society and he’ll teach her everything about wagering…and winning back her freedom. The beautiful, clever lass intrigues Aden―but is she playing her own game, or are the sparks between them real? He is accustomed to risking his pocket. But betting on Miranda’s love is a game he can’t afford to lose…

Scot Under the Covers is a true delight! It’s fast-paced and fun with characters who are easy to adore and a romance that will leave you smiling.

Aden is known as the “elusive MacTaggert brother.” He’s got a quick mind and skilled fingers that serve him well both in the cardroom and the bedroom, and he’s not unwilling to let the English’s dim views of Scotsmen work to his advantage. His mother’s decree that he marry an Englishwoman suddenly becomes a very appealing prospect when he meets Miranda Harris. Miranda’s brother is engaged to Aden’s sister, but that’s not why the beautiful lass seeks him out. Her brother has gotten into a massive debt he cannot repay and the villain is demanding Miranda’s hand in marriage as payment. To outwit a gambler Miranda needs the help of one. It’s not just her plight but her fiery spirit that captures Aden’s interest. When the two join forces the banter flies and the pages of Scot Under the Covers fairly crackle with energy.

Aden and Miranda are both incredibly easy to like. They’ve got good hearts, quick wits, and spines of steel. They’re a perfect match in every way, but with the proverbial noose quickly tightening around Miranda’s neck, the two of them have to work fast to free her. Miranda enjoys maneuvering through society and knows how to play the game, but it’s fun to watch her start to break the rules with Aden. I’ve said it before but it bears repeating that Aden and Miranda are simply a lot of fun together. Though Aden knows she’s the one for him pretty quickly, Miranda’s unwilling attraction develops into love as she learns Aden is a man she can trust and rely on. I’ve read the book twice now and both times I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every step of their journey.

Romance, passion, and a very crafty villain make the pages of Scot Under the Covers fly by. Aden and Miranda are at the heart of the story, but their families play strong supporting roles and bring warmth and humor to the tale. Aden’s mother is particularly fascinating as she continues to try to regain her sons’ trust and affection. And surprisingly (because I didn’t like him very much in the first Wild Wicked Highlanders book), I’m very much looking forward to Coll MacTaggert’s book. I cannot wait to see what Suzanne Enoch has in store for the brash and bold MacTaggert brother. Until then, I’m happy to revisit both It’s Getting Scot in Here and Scot Under the Covers. Both are vibrant, charming romantic romps full of heart.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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