The Mistletoe Bet

Strawberry Hollow, Book 1

De: Maren Moore

Narrado por: Desireé Ketchum

Everyone says, "There's no place like home." Well, not for me.

When I'm forced to spend the holidays at home with my family in Strawberry Hollow, I have no idea how I'm even going to survive the week, let alone make it through my least favorite holiday… Christmas.

That is until I run into my childhood crush and my brother's best friend, Parker Grant. Now, he's the sexy, off-limits doctor in our small town and nothing like the man I left behind six years ago.

While I hate the holidays, there is nothing he loves more. Well, other than a good bet. Which is exactly what happens when we end up together under the mistletoe. A bet that changes everything.

He asks for the next seven days to change my mind about Christmas. But seven days alone with Parker is more than either of us bargained for. Now, there's much more at stake than a silly mistletoe bet.

The Mistletoe Bet is a complete standalone novella in the Strawberry Hollow universe with lots of banter, even more laughter, and a heartwarming HEA.

©2022 Maren Moore (P)2024 Podium Audio

3.5 stars

This was a short funny story. Yes it’s technically a brother’s best friend but he was also her friend growing up. They have known each other for years and she went way to New York and they lost touch but when she goes back to town. He finally makes his move. It had great banter, funny even a little spicy. I love it, and it a curvy lady like myself with lots of Christmas in this one! Would definitely recommend.

Quick Christmas story

Cute and quick, easy to get through and a fun story line. Great if you need something that is fast to get through.

Brother’s Best Friend Holiday Novella

A holiday novella with grumpy Quinn who hates the holiday’s. She’s back home in Strawberry Hollow for a week of Christmas festivities. At the holiday party she runs into her brother’s best friend, Parker. She’s always crushed on Parker and he makes a bet with her. She will fall in love with their hometown and the holidays before she has to leave. She gives in. That is just the beginning of the snow ball of feelings she is faced.

Tropes:
Holiday Novella
Brother’s Best Friend
Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine
Small Town

Cute Holiday Novella

The Mistletoe Bet is a cute and sweet Christmas novella. The story follows Quinn, who returns to her hometown of Strawberry Hollow to spend Christmas with her family. Quinn is the typical Grinch, dreading every festive moment until she encounters Parker, her brother’s best friend, the local doctor, and childhood crush. Parker, known for his holiday spirit and charming ways, makes a bet with Quinn under the mistletoe: he believes he can make her fall in love with Christmas again before she leaves. The story unfolds as Parker uses all his charm and some steamy romantic tactics to change Quinn's view on the holiday season. As they spend more time together, Quinn's frosty attitude begins to melt, Parker and Quinn lean into their feelings, and new love blossoms. This novella blends a feel-good, romantic storyline with delicious steam, making it a perfect quick holiday read. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the solo narration performance by Desireé Ketchum. She did a wonderful job distinguishing the characters. The narration elevated my experience with the story.

LOVED IT!

One can never go wrong with a brother's best friend story and I am so glad I took a chance and listened to this as that is one of my favorite tropes.

Desiree Ketchum is always an automatic listen for me. She is one of the few female narrators that can handle both the female and male characters and sound good doing it!

Spicy, Fun Holiday Novella

✨ The Mistletoe Bet ✨

You're home for the holidays with a bad attitude and your brother's very sexy best friend bets you that he can convince you to love Christmas?? After kissing you under a mistletoe!?!? YES PLEASE!! This was such a fun, easy, spicy holiday novella. I had so much fun listening to this and it was the perfect thing to put me in the holiday spirit.

✨ Small Town
✨ Brother’s Best Friend
✨ Reverse Grumpy Sunshine
✨ Insta-Lust
✨ Plus Size Heroine

📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥Spice Rating: ❤️ to ❤️‍🔥

🎧 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼...
Desiree Ketchum did such a great job reading this book! She made this book even more fun.

Spice Rating
🤍 clean romance
💗 closed door/ fade to black
❤️ spicy content (a few detailed scenes)
❤️‍🔥 explicit, play-by-play (major part of the plot)
🖤 graphic, more than vanilla

Spicy hallmark vibes 🤭❤️‍🔥

✨❤️‍🔥📖 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐞
🎧 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞é 𝐊𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐦

“𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘘𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘯. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦… 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴.” 🎁

I have been SLEEPING on 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 y’all. I did the audiobook for this book and it was so good!

This story was the perfect combination between ‘Cozy Hallmark’ and ‘Hallmark After Dark”. 🎄 I am 100% continuing on with the next story in this series. This was the perfect little shot of joy I needed today.

I literally loved everything about this story. The holiday vibes were spot on and I loved our grinch FMC, Quinn. She’s always had a crush on her older brother’s best friend, Parker. When he suddenly kisses her under the mistletoe and bets her he can make her fall in love with Christmas again she doesn’t know how to feel. Parker went ALL IN to help her find her holiday spirit and I loved it.

“𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘘𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘯. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

Maren gifted us with this wickedly spicy fast burn romance and we all need to send her thank you cards. 🤣❤️‍🔥

If you love “hallmark after dark” romances brimming with the best holiday vibes, you HAVE to add 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐞, to your TBR today!

I’m diving straight into the next book, 𝑨 𝑭𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑭𝒆𝒖𝒅! I’m definitely going to do the audiobook because this one was so well done!

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
✨ 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥
🫶🏼 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘴 𝘊𝘺𝘯𝘪𝘤
🎁 𝘈 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘵
💞 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘺 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘦
🎄 𝘍𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘰𝘸𝘯
🤭 “𝘍 𝘪𝘵” 𝘔𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵
❤️‍🔥 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯

fun, cute and romantic!

Desireé Ketchum has such a great voice, this isn't the first time I've tried books she narrated
this is a sweet and joyful novella and I recommend it
I also bought the next novella in the series
can't wait to try it soon

Tis the season

I love any book centred around d the holidays. It’s the most magical time of the year. A time when family and friends get together to celebrate.

Although a quick read Ms. Moore packed lots into it. I love the sound of Stawberry Hollow and when Quinn. Returns to spend the holidays there she is not looking forward to it until she re connects with the man she once crushed on Dr. Parker Grant.

The fact that Parker loves Christmas and she hates it isn’t lost on Quinn. When he convinces her to give him 7 days to change her mind, she had no idea how her life will change.

I fell hard and fast for Parker. He is everything I want in a book boyfriend. This was an entertaining g and well written story that ticked numerous boxes for me.

The narration by Desiree Ketchum was good although I do prefer male narrators reading g male parts. Having said that though her voice is pleasant and easy to listen to.

Spicy and festive novella

Fun, festive, and feel-good- The Mistletoe Bet is the perfect holiday treat! With just the right dash of naught and nice, this sweet novella is like a sexy Hallmark movie and is brimming with holiday feels and romantic swoons. All of that Maren magic I adore- PLUS some festive shenanigans. I just adored this charming little story and couldn’t stop grinning the entire time. FA LA LA LA LA and HO HO HO!

I wish we had a dual POV a on this one, but the narration was great!