Synopsis:~

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. 

Necee’s take:~

‘“I’ve been on treasure hunts, solved mysteries, been captured by pirates, but my favorite stories are romances.”’

Mystery, romance and kissing, oh my! Basham knocked this historical romance out of the park with an intriguing mystery and truly romantic scenes. The Mistletoe Countess had all the things that made my heart happy when reading. The romance was sweet, the mystery was intriguing, and the marital devotion was beautiful.  I was riveted by the entire storyline. Every time I thought I had it figured out, something else unfolded that just grabbed my reader’s heart.

‘“He’d never known love until her. He’d been a man as untouched in his heart as Grace’s lips had been with a kiss.”’

I found it hard to describe the intrigue of this book as there were so many layers to it.  I felt like I was opening a Christmas box with so many presents revealed in it. Basham really brought out a hero and a heroine that gripped me as a reader. I enjoyed seeing more of their story unfold in every page I turned. Where many books end with “the guy gets the girl and lived happily every after,” Basham brought out the beauty before and after in this marriage of convenience story. The banter was witty and the heroine had this intriguing quality that had me laughing one moment and amazed by her boldness the next. I loved everything about this book!

‘“You think I’m strong enough for this?” “Of course I do, but not only I. God doesn’t go about placing people haphazardly into their stories. He must think you are strong enough too.”’

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and are given honestly.

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with a southern Appalachian flair. Her books have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inpsys, and the ACFW Carol Awards, with The Thorn Healer selected as a 2018 finalist in the RT awards. Both her contemporary and historical romance novels consistently receive high ratings from Romantic Times, with Just the Way You Are as a Top Pick. Most recently she’s introduced readers to Bath, UK through her novellas, Second Impressions and Jane by the Book, and taken readers into the exciting world of WW2 espionage in her novella, Façade. Her books are seasoned with her Appalachian heritage and love for family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

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Buy at Amazon: The Mistletoe Countess or Koorong