Under the Mistletoe with You by Lizzie Huxley-Jones - Review

I read Make You Mine This Christmas a couple of years ago and really liked it, so I was thrilled to hear that Lizzie was writing a follow up novel starring Christopher, Haf's pretend boyfriend and Kit's sister from the first novel. I requested it on Netgalley and was thrilled to get it. I was provided with an electronic copy of this book for review purposes but was not otherwise compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

I saved this for just before Christmas, again, and I loved it. It was just so fun and joyful and although I'm not much of a rom com fan I just love them at Christmas because they give me a nice warm feeling. This just felt so festive. 

So, at the end of the first book, Christopher decided he wanted to open a bakery and that is where we find him at the beginning of this book. He's moved to north Wales and has a bakery cum cafe. He has one employee, young Tegan. He has a couple of friends but he hasn't really settled into the community much. He seems to be living a bit of a lonely life. He has been obsessed with Netflix start Nash Nadeau who stars in rom com films. He is still close to his sister and Haf, and Lauren and Ambrose; they have a properly hilarious group chat. Christopher is supposed to be heading off to York to spend Christmas with Haf and Kit, I think, and he has let out his flat above the bakery to someone on like Airbnb. It's all set. 

However, the weather then sets in, and Christopher is snowed in and can't get out of Wales. As he's trying to get out, his tenant arrives. Except, it's not the woman he was expecting, but it's... Nash Nadeau. In the flesh. In the quite irritating princely flesh. 

Christopher pretends he doesn't know who Nash is. He realises they need to share the flat as he is stuck for Christmas. He generously gives Nash his bed and then the next day the two of them end up getting involved in helping people in the community by preparing food and such like. They bicker endlessly but there obviously are sparks between them. I loved how hot this book was too - the sexi s great. 

Nash is a trans man and I really liked the discussion he and Christopher had about sex and what they would each want and need from it. He also has a disability and I really loved how this was portrayed too. I liked how Christopher got to know himself a bit more, too. I'm giving this five out of five because it was just the cutest festive read!

Make You Mine This Christmas by Lizzie Huxley-Jones - Review

I follow Lizzie on Twitter and was so intrigued by their new romantic novel which is set at Christmas. So I requested it on Netgalley and was so thrilled to have it granted. Make You Mine This Christmas was published by Hodder & Stoughton on the 13th of October 2022. I was provided with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes but was not otherwise compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

I'm not usually much of a rom com fan but I loved the disaster queers nature of this book after I'd read Lizzie talking about it on Twitter. I saved it for just a couple of weeks before Christmas and it was so cosy and cute. I loved it! 

So, the hero of the story is Haf. She has had a difficult year, including a move to York and a new career. She lives with Ambrose, who is a bit of an influencer and is non-binary. Ambrose is off to their family for Christmas, but due to a mix up with Haf's parents she will be alone. She agrees to go to a party with Ambrose (they totally crash it) and while there she meets Christopher. They are outside in the garden under some mistletoe and end up kissing, when they're interrupted by Lauren, who happens to be Christopher's ex girlfriend. She's got her new boyfriend with her, who is insufferable, and the two of them end up assuming that Haf and Christopher are together. The two of them kind of go along with it, and then Lauren says she'll love to see Haf in Oxlea for Christmas with Christopher's family.

Then Haf and Christopher chat and sort of decide it would be good to have Haf alongside Christopher at the family home, because then his parents won't get on to him and stuff. Haf has nothing better to do, so she agrees to her. They arrange to meet in London. Haf travels down by herself, and is at St Pancras station in the bookshop when she has a meet cute with a very beautiful girl. This girl is disabled and they bond over the book Carol, which Haf buys. The bookseller notices how cute they are but they both have to get their trains, so nothing else comes of it.

Haf and Christopher arrive in Oxlea and Haf is surprised by how rich the family is and how huge the house is. Then of course the twist - the meet cute girl is Christopher's sister, Kit! It's all awkward and many, many shenanigans ensue. This book is so daft, with so many funny bits happening. I loved the stuff at the local fair, and I loved the stuff with the black tie ball and Lauren. The ending is so happy, despite everything that happens before it. I really liked this cute, fluffy book. I loved Kit, she was such a good love interest. I liked Christopher, who learns to stand up to his family and who is really well rounded. And I really liked Haf, who is heavily coded as autistic (something which the author mentions at the end). She is excellent. 

I'm giving this four out of five and am so glad I read it!