Meet Me Under The Mistletoe

5 star review of Meet Me Under The Mistletoe by Stacey Kennedy AUDIO REVIEW: I love stories based around Christmas, it’s my most favourite holiday of the year. I also love stories based in small towns so Meet Me Under The Mistletoe is a win/win for me. Stacey Kennedy is a new author to me although I have listened to a couple of books from the narrator by Kelsey Navarro. This was a story that pulled me in and kept me engaged right from the start with great narration which certainly enhanced my enjoyment of the story. I loved the build up in Penelope and Darryl’s relationship as the chemistry between them intensifies. This sis a second chance at love story that is a feel good book that left me with a smile on my face and certainly got me in the mood for the holiday season.

Meet Me Under The Mistletoe is a fun holiday romance by Stacey Kennedy. This is a fairly quick read, perfect for those with limited reading time. Ms. Kennedy has given readers a well-written book populated with outstanding characters. Penelope and Darryl shared a kiss at the camp they were working at. The next day Penelope was gone. Fast forward ten years and drunken Penelope is skating on the town fountain and Officer Darryl is sent to put an end to the show. Penelope and Darryl's story is packed with drama, humor, angst and sizzle. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Stacey Kennedy in the future. Meet Me Under The Mistletoe is book 4 of the Kinky Spurs Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliffhanger.

The perfect segue from the Kinky Spurs series into her new series Three Chicks Brewery, Stacey nails this one right to the wall. I really wanted to see the Blackshaw brothers best friend Daryl, town police officer and the stand up, do right guy get his own book and true to her writing Stacey delivers one heck of a story bringing us Daryl and Penelope. 10 years after a scorcher of a kiss at summer camp Penelope disappears on Daryl and hasn't been seen or heard from since. Until now, when he's called to find a highly intoxicated woman skating in her high heels on the town fountain. A crowd has gathered and phones are out videoing the lovely now grown up Penelope singing and skating (quite well mind you) in her sky high heels. Penelope hates Christmas. Not a good time of year for her at all. Daryl sighs, breaking up the crowd and coaxing Pen down off the fountain. Unsure of what to do with her and not knowing she's staying at her cousins house at the brewery he takes her home and tucks her in, the perfect gentleman. He's still confused as to why she disappeared all those years ago and was never seen or heard from again, until now. He's since married and amicably divorced. Still does the right thing. Still has a thing for Penelope. Surprisingly Penelope opens up to Daryl about where she's been and what's she's been doing and why. Hating the holidays the way she does, her cousins coax her into one Christmas back in town with them, a place she's always loved since she was a child before she embarks on yet her next job. Slinging drinks on a cruise ship. She prefers not to stay in one place and changes jobs often. Safer that way. Her three cousins should not be more different, the oldest is judge, jury and a grump and has a young son, middle is the happy medium and the youngest is the brewmeister in the group. They're working on getting their product out to a growing population of consumers and working on new brews. All Pen is trying to do is not cause any trouble for the sisters, after she's duly reminder of that by Claire. She already feels guilty enough. So Pen is still not done with her law breaking behavior and Daryl trying to keep things in order because he's up for a promotion he badly wants, and doesn't need anything ruffling the waters for him. He blew his last shot after his divorce. Pen is given the option of community service for the police departments Christmas programs which Daryl is the head of this year. Otherwise it's jail and a fine... Pen agrees, despite hating the holidays, the reasons unfold during the story. That said, Pen surprises the heck out of Daryl by going above and beyond at every event they are scheduled for. Meanwhile the relationship unfolds between the two and when the rubber hits the road with these two, in true Stacey Kennedy form, kindles may smoke or spontaneously combust. Yeegad the woman writes the best steam. Daryl wants her to stay, Pen can't make any promises. Everyone loves Penelope, she's endeared the whole town to her charm and gracious manner. Despite her misgivings about herself and the endless nagging self doubt. Daryl always seems to sense when she was foundering. Damn I love that guy. At the final event of her Christmas duties which falls on Christmas Eve, Daryl takes one more chance to get Pen to stay. Will she or won't she? The night doesn't quite go off as planned for Penelope and she does what she does best. Knocks a few back. What happens after that? Read the book. You get to see those Blackshaw brothers again, meet the women of Three Chicks Brewery and some of the other folks in town. Warm, funny, relatable characters, solid plot line, checks every box on the list. I'll read anything that Stacey writes, she never disappoints. Stellar as always! Another must read!