Did she seriously use the insult “poo brain”?!? The maturity level is this high. Overall, a little fluffy, a little cringy, and a look at the difference between social classes. ( )

I really wanted to love this one. On the surface, it had so many cozy details that I love: British countryside, a castle, a bookseller with a cute bookshop, plants and gardens, and quirky friendships. Sadly, this was all overshadowed by the horrible school friends that Nory continued to defend. The constant defense or ignoring of Guy's disgusting behavior and everyone covering for him to Camille, made my skin crawl. I also despise the trope of finding a character in a comprising situation and the other person doesn't give them a chance to explain. It's lazy writing. Sadly, the book was also way too long and became a slog to get through. ( )

Nora owns and runs a secondhand bookshop. She vacillates between this working class niche that she inhabits and the upper class friends she made during her years at a private school which she attended on scholarship. Back at the castle for a friend’s wedding, she meets up with another of the working class - this one is a guy she crushed on in her younger years. It turns out that that crush never really went away. Yes, this is a romance, but really, it is more involved that just that. It deals with some fairly serious issues, including suicide, alcohol abuse, plagiarism, and unfaithfulness. The characters are well developed, even though not all are always likable. A few actually show some growth of character as the book winds down. It’s an interesting read, though not terribly Christmasy. ( )

I can hear it now....A Christmas book? So early?! Well, technically, Christmas is only 92 days from today! Jenny Bayliss's latest book is Meet Me Under the Mistletoe.

Elinor (Nory) Noel is the lead character in this novel, but she is one of a large cast of players. There's a core of old school friends reuniting for a wedding. The wedding is taking place at the castle in the village. Many of those who live in the village are also part of that supporting cast.

There's a lot of baggage with this group - and I'm not talking suitcases. There's still a line between the haves and the have nots, after so long. Themes of friendship, duty, love, loss, family and more all bubble up to the surface over the week as old wounds, slights and hurts and more see daylight again.

Nory is very likable as are her family, closest friend and her employee Andrew. Andrew and Nory work in Nory's second hand book store. I appreciated her love of second hand books and her ability to find just the right book for a reader. Definitely a store I would be frequenting!

On the flip side, there are some of the 'old gang' that are not so attractive. The bridezilla grew a bit tiresome. And there's one male characters that is truly horrible. I get that there always needs a negative player, but his behaviour is tolerated more than once, when I would be calling the local constabulary.
'Nuff said.

I'm sure you'll guess the romantic thread if I mention that the castle has a handsome, single gardener on the payroll... I did enjoy this bit of the plot and thought it played out well.

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe weighs in at 432 pages, which is quite long for this genre. I do think things could have pared down a bit. I've enjoyed Bayliss's books in the past. This one didn't grab me like those previous novels. It became somewhat repetitive. And I think that one male character's actions and the response left a sour taste in my mouth.

While the title promises a Christmas read, it's not as Christmassy as I expected - if that makes sense. ( )