MEET ME UNDER THE MISTLETOE is a standalone contemporary romance by Jenny Bayliss. This story definitely gives off The Big Chill and Four Weddings and a Funeral vibe. Elinor “Nory” Noel is preparing to leave her beloved London bookshop to spend a few days at a castle with old school chums. Most of these friends she hasn’t seen or had any meaningful encounter with in years. They’re getting together for their mutual friend’s wedding extravaganza to another of their old friends. Nory has mixed feelings. Part of her is looking forward to it, and part of her is dreading seeing her old friend guy after he screwed her over (literally). Her BFF Ameerah finally convinces her to take a chance. I found MEET ME UNDER THE MISTLETOE thoroughly entertaining from start to finish.

One thing I really appreciate about this story is that the female protagonist doesn’t spend time agonizing over the “nice guy” and the handsome jerk or wind up having a fling with the jerk in order to finally realize the defects in his character. Nory pretty much knows whom she likes and doesn’t like, and the obvious reasons why. The friends are all realistically flawed – some more than others. Nobody’s entirely good or entirely bad. Ameerah is my favorite of the friend group. She’s a hoot and always supportive for Nory. Isaac is a delightful and unexpected blast from the past. While at school, Isaac was on the outside of Nory’s friend group – having not attended her posh school – and a misunderstanding kept them from ever forming any type of deep attachment. Now Isaac has taken over for his late father as head gardener and the two of them are thrown together in all sorts of delicious ways. They find they have many similar interests and are wildly attracted to each other. Sigh. The sexual tension and flirting is superbly written.  

MEET ME UNDER THE MISTLETOE has a healthy mix of holiday magic, the messy minutia of everyday life, and a swoon-worthy romance. I loved it! The dysfunctional family dynamic between Nory and her brother felt very authentic and added another layer of depth to these characters. Jenny Bayliss does a wonderful job of creating complex characters and having relationships that seem to evolve very organically. I look forward to reading Jenny Bayliss’ next book.

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