The Mistletoe Countess

Title: The Mistletoe Countess

Author: Pepper Basham

Publisher: Barbour

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Christmas

Source: Net Galley

My review:

I absolutely adore Pepper Basham's writing. I do not know if all her books have literary references and bookish quotes, but the ones that I have read, do, and I LOVE it!!

Social engagements interfered with the most delightful bookish discoveries.

 Grace is an absolute delight. She is all things bookish, preferring her nose in a book rather than making mundane conversations or engaging in other social engagements. She is witty, talkative, awkward, naive, and thinks without speaking. Her joy and enthusiasm are contagious.

Besides, there were so many things to look forward to instead of regret. Regret seemed a terrible waste of mental energy with no real outcome besides a headache.

Lord Frederick Percy is handsome, charming, tight-lipped, patient, and unwilling to marry for love. His heart has been broken, he has made mistakes and he prefers not to walk that road again. However, nothing had prepared him for Grace and the effect she would have on him and his household.

The horizon of mountains and sky beckoned her heart to trust in One who weaved the patterns of life and death and adventures and romances together in the tapestry of eternity. 

 This is an amazing story. I could not put it down. I loved the dialogue, chemistry between characters, story line, and mystery that was thread throughout! The faith element is natural and authentic. I could gush all day about this book, I want to reread it already! There is just so much to take in and it evokes so many feelings!!!

...fall beneath the weight of regret and lose her own story, or grasp with both hands and full heard the story God had placed before her.

While this has the makings of a Christmas story it is a perfect for an "anytime" story! Especially if you need something that is not too deep and has quite a bit of fun and humor in it...with romance, of course. 

Thank you to Net Galley and Barbour Publishing for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review but am happy to do so. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

★★★★★/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Will the magic of Christmas bring these two newlyweds closer together, or will the ghosts of the past lead them into a destructive discovery from which not even a Dickens’s Christmas can save them?

Mistletoe is beautiful and dangerous, much like the woman from Lord Frederick’s Percy’s past, so when he turns over a new leaf and arranges to marry for his estate, instead of his heart, he never expects the wrong bride to be the right choice. Gracelynn Ferguson never expected to take her elder sister’s place as a Christmas bride, but when she’s thrust into the choice, she will trust in her faithful novels and overactive imagination to help her not only win Frederick’s heart but also to solve the murder mystery of Havensbrook Hall before the ghosts from Frederick’s past ruin her fairytale future.