With this shortcoming, I also thought that the pacing was pretty off, especially for a story so short. I want to make it clear that I have no problem with erotic fiction, I just thought it felt really out of place in what is otherwise a very tame Christmas fantasy romance. Back to PG-rated once again until two back to back erotica scenes in the epilogue.

Then, it’s back to Hallmark territory until a really out of nowhere scene that’s just a graphic description of Jamie masturbating. That’s what it was, for the most part, until the elf gets sauced and Jamie and Diana start picturing each other sexually after their kiss.

It starts with a scene of Santa and his elves, so I settled in for a fantastical, wholesome romance. The weirdest part of the story were the jarring shifts in tone that happened throughout. For me, the characters were the strongest part of the novella, although it is worth mentioning that they were not a very diverse ensemble. My personal favorite was Diana’s Aunt Brenda, who took her in after her parents passed away. Jamie and Diana’s friends, the side characters, were also interesting in and of themselves. It’s always cool to see that in a queer romance. I also love that they actually ended up together long term. It kept me reading to see how each of them would react to different situations. Their dynamic was very interesting and they complemented each other well. Diana was sweet and kind, while Jamie was bolder. Both of the two love interests were very distinct from one another. Remember that this is basically a Christmas movie in novella form, so neither of them were super fleshed out, and that’s okay. One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the characters. Hijinks ensue as the two women meet and fall in love. Together with an elf named Percy, the two set out to set Diana up with her soulmate Jamie. Diana’s an adult now, and Santa isn’t about to let anyone’s wish go unanswered. It was from a little girl named Diana who recently lost her parents and wants to find her soulmate. Calamity strikes when one of Santa’s elves realizes that, many years ago, he missed one child’s Christmas wish. Yes, you heard that right, Santa is a real person and so are all his elves in this novella about two grown women. This romantic comedy starts with Santa Claus. The novella I read wasn’t entirely the wholesome love story I was expecting, but it was very festive and fun. So when I saw Mistletoe on sale on the iBooks store, I jumped at the chance to read what seemed like a sapphic Hallmark movie. Christmas music, holiday movies, and baking are the distractions I need this year. After this dumpster fire of a year, I am very much looking forward to the holiday season.

Mistletoe by Lyn Gardner