Mistletoe Magic

By: Melissa McClone

Narrated by: Loretta Rawlins

Length: 1 hr and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Spending a quiet Christmas housesitting and reading novels about hot cowboys sounds perfect to Caitlin--until a stray kitten brings her face to face with Noah, her crush from college. Watching the handsome vet in action melts Caitlin's heart and brings back long-forgotten emotion. She would be safer back at the house, lost in the pages of a book. But a toe-curling mistletoe kiss tempts her to stay. Maybe she won't be spending this Christmas alone.

Veterinarian Noah Sullivan isn't a Scrooge, but the Christmas Eve tradition of hanging mistletoe in the clinic's waiting room annoys him. Kissing doesn't belong at the Copper Mountain Animal Hospital. Noah rethinks his position when Caitlin Butler arrives with a stray kitten she found freezing in the snow. All he wants now is to maneuver the pretty preschool teacher under the mistletoe. If he's not careful, he'll wind up on Santa's naughty list.

©2013 Melissa McClone (P)2015 Audible Inc.

A sweet little Christmas story

What did you like best about Mistletoe Magic? What did you like least?

Having just listened to several lengthy audiobooks, I wanted a short and sweet Christmas story. Who could resist a Christmas story about a woman who saves an adorable kitten (that she names Mistletoe) and ends up reconnecting with the vet who broke her heart years ago? It was exactly what I wanted at the time.

Novellas and short stories in romance are tricky beasts because you don't get a lot of time to set up the romance and the characters. The "second chance" trope is an easy way around that. In this case, the hero thinks of the heroine as "the one who got away" and almost immediately starts letting her know he wants to rekindle their relationship. So the "tension" is just the heroine almost deliberately misinterpreting his interest for some vague fear that he's not saying he wants to try their relationship again; he's just saying he'd like to be friends now that they've reconnected. It didn't bother me much since it wasn't as melodramatic or overdone (i.e., the lady doth protest too much) as some romances I've read. But having read some really stellar novellas/short stories, I know this could have been done better.

Would you be willing to try another book from Melissa McClone? Why or why not?

Absolutely! There is a time and a place for sweet Christmas romances and I very much appreciated that neither character was overcoming serious doubts or reservations and neither lost their agency or changed who they were to be with the other. I hope her other books are just as good!

Would you listen to another book narrated by Loretta Rawlins?

Yes. I wasn't sure about her at first, but she grew on me. I think she might struggle with multiple male characters in a book, but she was okay for this story which didn't feature multiple male characters in a single scene.

Could you see Mistletoe Magic being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Actually...I would kind of like that. It would definitely be a Hallmark movie and would need to be fleshed out story-wise since it's so short, but I can see it. Although I'm sure there is probably already a Hallmark movie about a sick kitten bringing two people together at Christmas.

Any additional comments?

Know what you're getting into and you'll enjoy this book!

The Vet should know Mistletoe is Poisonous To Cats!!

First off, Mistletoe is Toxic to Cats and Dogs and these two didn’t even mention it. If your going to write a story (short or not) about sick cats then please do your research. The Vet wouldn’t have Mistletoe in it. It may be fake but they should say so. They should at least mention it! Ughhh. Ok, other than that this was a little romantic Christmas story that was sweet but a little too sweet. I got tired of the woman’s voice a bit (sorry) but it was short. I liked the story and could relate to it, but you could sum it up in one sentence. It has a good ending although the a bit soon for the two involved. I wouldn’t listen to this reader or author again it’s just not for me.

Second Chanced

The story was short and sweet. Although to me the main character was the kitten, Mistletoe! 😍

Magnificient

Loved it. A really great love story to read, or listen to anytime. Of course, all the characters are great. That Veronica character is funny but good.

Should Have Been Longer

Mistletoe Magic by Melissa McClone
Bar V5 Ranch/Bar V5 Dude Ranch #2
Copper Mountain Christmas #3
1h 5m narrated by Loretta Rawlins, 41 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Holiday > Christmas; Western Romance

Featuring: Montana, Kitten, Veterinarian, Preschool Teacher, Second Chance Trope

Rating as a movie: PG-13

Songs for the soundtrack: "Deck The Halls/Silent Night" by Whitney Houston, "Miss You Most (at Christmas Time)" by Mariah Carey, "Wrapped in Red" by Kelly Clarkson

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½🧑‍⚕️🐈🎄

My thoughts: I wish it was longer. It was good but it felt rushed and a bit incomplete.

Recommend to others: Yes. Nice quick story.

Bar V5 Ranch
1. Home For Christmas (2013)
2. Mistletoe Magic (2013)
3. Kiss Me, Cowboy (2014)
4. Mistletoe Wedding (2014)
5. A Christmas Homecoming (2015)

Copper Mountain Christmas
1. A Cowboy For Christmas - Katherine Garbera
2. Home For Christmas - Melissa McClone
3. Mistletoe Magic - Melissa McClone
4. Christmas at Copper Mountain - Jane Porter

Loved it!

Great, quick, uplifting story! Wish it was longer. Such a sweet love story. A part 2 please!

Cute

Super short and OK story. No extra fluff. Could have used a little more detail. Everything took place in less than half a day. But a kitten involved made it cute.

Cute and short

This story is so cute and a great short story! Perfect for a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day treat!

Second listen and still love it

I heard this last year and it was so sweet I had to listen again. It was funny how it was in the same town and people as the cowboy Christmas books that I listen to a few weeks ago. I really love this book. Short and sweet and with a kitten in it!

Sweet Second Chance Romance

This was a good short romantic story. Caitlin and Noah are good people who get a second chance to fall in love thanks to a found kitten.