C2’s review of The Trouble with Mistletoe (Heartbreaker Bay, Book 2) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary romance published by Avon 27 Sep 16

Well, it’s never to early for Christmas books, is it? NOPE. When Christmas books start hitting our shelves, you know the holidays are practically upon us! I tend to enjoy holiday themed books, myself – any holiday – especially Halloween and Christmas. And when you combine holidays with one of my favorite authors? All the yays!

In The Trouble with Mistletoe, Ms. Shalvis takes us back to the Pacific Heights building she introduced in Sweet Little Lies. This book’s victimheroine is Willa Davis, owner of the South Bark Mutt Shop. After a less-than-stable childhood, Willa made a home she loves and found a family of friends she adores. The last person she expects to show up with a cat problem is the star of one of her most embarrassing high school memories.

Keane Winters is in desperate need of help. His great aunt dumped her cat on his doorstep and disappeared. Keane is juggling several projects and doesn’t have time to cat-sit. The solution? The pet shop he passes during his morning run, obviously. He doesn’t expect to be intrigued by the adorable (Christmas-obsessed) strawberry-blonde owner. The fly in the ointment? She is overtly hostile toward him – for no reason, since they have never met.

Oh, faithful reader, when you combine a heroine who loves animals and her friends and thinks she’s ready to settle down (but is she??) and a hero who is focused on his career and doesn’t know anything about family (but is that true??) with a bunch of cute animals, nosy friends and Christmas…how can you end up with anything except a delightful book?

The main characters are both dealing with issues instilled in them during their very different childhoods. And over the course of the book, they both realize things aren’t quite the way they thought. Their attitudes toward commitment and family and life are not as clear cut. As the relationship between Willa and Keane develops, they each gain a deeper understanding of themselves.

Not that this book is all deep insight and internal monologs – this is a Jill Shalvis book, for crying out loud! The characters are funny and silly and entertaining – full of jokes and quips and friendship. The supporting cast is enjoyable – and we get to see updates on established relationships and hints of future relationships, too.

If you enjoy books with chemistry and laughter and romance and friendships galore, The Trouble with Mistletoe is just what you are looking for. Does it stand alone? I’m gonna say yes, mostly – but please read the first book, first. It’s the right thing to do! Plus you get some background on the building where everyone lives and the legend of the fountain (see what I did there? I’m tempting you to read the first book – LEGENDARY FOUNTAIN FTW!!).

Grade: B

Summary:

If she has her way…

Willa Davis is wrangling puppies when Keane Winters stalks into her pet shop with frustration in his chocolate-brown eyes and a pink bedazzled cat carrier in his hand. He needs a kitty sitter, stat. But the last thing Willa needs is to rescue a guy who doesn’t even remember her…

…He’ll get nothing but coal in his stocking.

Saddled with his great-aunt’s Feline from Hell, Keane is desperate to leave her in someone else’s capable hands. But in spite of the fact that he’s sure he’s never seen the drop-dead gorgeous pet shop owner before, she seems to be mad at him…

Unless he tempers “naughty” with a special kind of nice…

Willa can’t deny that Keane’s changed since high school: he’s less arrogant, for one thing—but he doesn’t even remember her. How can she trust him not to break her heart again? It’s time to throw a coin in the fountain, make a Christmas wish–and let the mistletoe do its work…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: