This is one of those books that makes you smile - and keep on smiling. SUCH a feel-good factor! A lot of humour and teasing too. The secondary characters support Dougie & Eden perfectly. The setting is gorgeous and the "Will they?" "Won't they?" kept me reading until the wee small hours.

Loved it!!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas at Mistletoe Cove is the 3rd book set in Hope Island. It can easily be read as a standalone, but also really nice to read in order as we re-visit the other characters.

Eden has been in love with her best friend Dougie since she was a little girl, different types of love as the years have gone on but, love all the same. 12 years ago they shared a kiss at Mistletoe Cove which Eden thought was the start of something special, until the next day Dougie announced that he was moving to America with his parents and left her heart in tatters. Never having admitted her feelings to him, Eden has managed to deal with it by only seeing Dougie when he comes over for a short visit. Now, Dougie is moving back for good, though and everyone in Hope Island thinks he’s finally coming home for her.

Let’s be honest; it’s really not the Christmas season without a Christmas book from Holly Martin. There are a lot of Christmas books out there that have Christmas in the title but, when you open the book there is hardly anything Christmassy in the content. Not with Holly Martin – as soon as you open her books you are surrounded by all things Christmas; bright lights, Christmas markets, roaring fires, delicious festive food and smells, snowmen competitions, sleigh rides… it actually feels as though you’re reading a Christmas book.

I must say that friends to lovers stories are without doubt one of my favourite’s when reading romance books, so I knew I’d enjoy Dougie and Eden’s story regardless, these two are so at ease around each other and there are so many humorous and flirty moments between them, but at the same time they really don’t make it an easy journey. There’s also a bit of a magical air to this story and even if you’re a bit of a cynic about romance and magic (like me) you’ll still find that this book brings a smile to your face.

This book will make a perfect cosy day companion – weather your snuggled up on a rainy afternoon, or sat by your own twinkly Christmas tree.

Bringing a successful series to a satisfying conclusion seems like it might come with whole heap of pressure – luckily Holly Martin is more than up to the task.
Christmas At Mistletoe Cove is Eden Lancaster’s tale and, because it's been tasted in the two previous books, I have really been looking forward to it.
Best friends who fall in love is one of my all time favourite storylines but Eden and Dougie Harrison certainly don’t make it easy for themselves.
There are misunderstandings galore and it makes for a lively, fun and emotional read – even if I did want to shout at them at times.
It’s also lovely to get a mini update on the previous characters, although the book would work well as a standalone because their relationships are explained.
While my favourite is still book two, Rome and Freya, Eden and Dougie’s story brought the series to a happy finish.
For me, Holly’s writing is comparable to drinking the perfect cup of mint hot chocolate – it’s warm, enjoyable and leaves me feeling satisfied.
I’m sad to say goodbye to the residents of Hope Island, although I’m already looking forward to what comes next.

With best-friends Eden and Dougie's feelings for one another bubbling away throughout the previous books in the Hope Island series, I couldn't wait to see how their story would play out: as evident as it may be to us that their love for one another goes deeper than that of the closest friendship possible, the pair of them are completely oblivious as to how the other really feels.

"...you always believed in magic and dreams and wishes coming true."

A few pages in and Christmas at Mistletoe Cove gave me positive vibes—the way Dougie and Eden are at complete ease around each other, the looks they share, the secret glances when they don't think the other is watching, and the brief touches as they pass one another—it was all very romantic and they have something special. But after they venture to Mistletoe Cove, where it's rumoured wishes come true, for me it lost some of that charm, becoming too saccharine as Dougie begins to overdo it with his gestures of love, and a tad OTT with drama as Eden is riddled with doubt.

...we’ve been best friends all our lives and now everything has changed."

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a difficult read: there were moments I adored and I did like Dougie and Eden, I just didn't fall in love them as much as I'd hoped or as much as the couples in the previous books. But I can’t deny their story seemed a little on the far fetched side as opposed to magical. That said, the heated moments were passionate, there was once again laugh-out-loud humour courtesy of Eden's dad and overall this has been an enjoyable series with a great bunch of characters.

"...there’s a whole world out there to explore. I want to explore it with you."

A totally gorgeous, romantic story!!
I haven’t read the other books from this series but it didn’t make any difference. It can definitely be read as a stand-alone. I’ve read a few other books by Holly Martin and they are all equally good.
The author paints the perfect picture of the landscape, the beaches, the pretty village. It had me Googling the Scilly Isles and looking in awe at their beauty.
I loved the ‘too much information’ from Eden’s Dad, it gave me a giggle and cringe in equal measure.
Of course I fell in love with Eden and Dougie, such lovely characters and they’ve been best friends since they were kids.
I totally recommend this. I think Holly is a fab author, this book made me feel all fuzzy, goosebumpy and emotional.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the early copy in return for an honest review.

Loved this story. Made me laugh and cry in equal amounts as Eden and Dougie's story unfolded in a bizzare and romantic rollercoaster ride.
Truly magical in every sense

I LOVED being back on Hope Island with the Lancaster family again, I have so enjoyed getting to know them and getting to revise them across these three books, I really hope this is not the end and we get to hear more from these siblings! I was so pleased to finally get caught up with Eden and Dougie's story because we have got to know a lot about them and about their friendship and so it was great to spend some more time with them to see the 'will they? won't they?' aspect of their relationship play out.

These are both great characters and because we have met them both before, it doesn't take too long to get to know them in more detail. I love Eden as a person and really wan t the best for her because she is so good to her friends and family and deserves all the happiness in the world. I know what it must be like for Dougie being back in the UK after being in America for so long and trying to fall back into a friendship after that friendship being mostly long distance, and it was great to find out just what sort of a person he was too. These are very likeable characters and so you will definitely find yourself rooting for them the whole way through this book.

As with the other books in this Hope Island series, there is an element of, perhaps there is something more than friendship here, perhaps there isn't, are they going to get together or not and that definitely makes for a real page turner, you have to keep going to find out what is going to happen and what the consequences of certain actions and events are going to be. Holly Martin is awesome at writing romantic male leads, I don't know what's in the water on Hope Island but Holly really should bottle it so we can all have this kind of romance in our lives! As I have mentioned before, she also knows how to write a seriously hot sex scene, hold onto your hats because this will have you more than a little bit hot under the collar!

Because this is the third book in a series, surrounding three siblings who live in Hope Island, if you start with this book, you will be spoiled for the other tow, so I would definitely recommend reading the books in order. If you are in the mood for some truly lovely characters and the ultimate in romantic reads though, I would recommend spending the week reading all three back to back and swooning over these hunky males and flirty females-you won't be sorry. This will also give you a taste for Island life and the sea air so don't be too surprised if you find yourself planning a trip to Hope Island, or its nearest equivalent as soon as you start reading!

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

What a sweet holiday story. I loved that even though Eden has loved Dougie for as long as she can remember when he comes back to the island she makes him work for it. The scene is set perfectly for a Christmas story and while it is not really a second chance at love story it is a friend to lovers story.

This will put you in the holiday mood so grab a hot tea, start a fire and wrap up in a warm blanket…. And enjoy.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

From the festive cover to the magical story contained within this was an absolute delight to read.

Eden has loved Dougie for most of her life, when they were 18 and had their first kiss at Mistletoe Cove Eden thought that love with Dougie was in her future. When he emigrated to New York with his family, her heart lost a little of the magic she believes in.

Dougie has now returned to Hope Island with the sole intention of making Eden fall in love with him, he has loved her from afar for years, not knowing that Eden actually feels the same way about him. Dougie wants to make all Eden’s wishes come true and to bring the magic back into her life. He tells her to write out three wishes and throw them into the wishing well at Mistletoe Cove. Eden is sceptical but when her wishes start to come true she has doubts that Dougie’s feeling towards her are genuine, Dougie then has to convince Eden that he really is in love with her.

This book is a magical love story, it has plenty of romance with some lovely characters, one of my favourites being Finn who is Eden’s dad, his slightly inappropriate musings about love and marriage were great. Christmas at Mistletoe Cove is an excellent book which is well worth reading.

Eden Lancaster has loved Dougie Harrison for nearly all her life but he has never seemed to have the same feelings for her except for one amazing kiss shared at mistletoe cove followed by him leaving her to live in America. He's returned to Hope Island for good 12 years later. Eden is too scared to let him know how she feels in case she loses her friendship but can't bear the thought of him with someone else. Can her three wishes change things for the better? Or is it a Mistake to believe in fairytales?

Such a lovely Christmassy story, I must say that from the beginning I knew where it was going and I must say it wasn't a bad thing as the story is lovely.

If you're looking for an easy romantic story with lots of Christmas thrown in then this is perfect for you!

It's Christmas on Hope Island. Having spent Spring and Summer with Bella, Freya, Isaac and Rome this is a continuation of course of their story but this book focuses very much on Eden and Dougie.

Eden has been in love with Dougie since forever. But he broke her heart when he moved to America,

Trouble is Dougie did not know this at the time but he did know the one person that he was best friends with was the reason he kept returning to Hope Island.

Eden is settled in her Pottery Cafe and whilst she has dreams of making it bigger and doing more of what she loves, she is very content with Hope Island. Until Dougie returns.

Dougie is not just returning for a visit, for Christmas he is planning on staying a lot longer. How will Eden manage this unrequited love when he is going to be living right next door?

It all moves very fast for Eden, even left me in its wake. Romance and wishes are the way to her heart and it seems that Dougie has all the right answers. But it can it be too good to be true?

No of course not, it is simply the magic of love and the magical time of year. Christmas is bringing everyone together but can it keep them that way?

I loved this book, there was something so romantic about Dougie that I admit to shedding a tear or two and was probably secretly in love with him a little bit. That is the elegance of Holly Martin's writing taking you straight into the heart of the novel and she has you hooked with her writing and her setting.

She can do humour just as well and I have to confess Lucy and Finn, Eden's parents were hilariously embarrassing with an innocence about them which made me forgive there not so subtle comments or indiscretions.

Combine this with a lovely setting, the coldness of winter, the brightness of the stars, the warmth of the fire as Eden and Dougie find some common ground.

If you want snowmen, hot chocolate, roaring fires, lots of layers of clothing, romance, Christmas, weddings and bucket loads of romance, this is the book for you. It works as a standalone novel, but if you have the time get the whole Hope Island experience.

Another excellent novel from Holly Martin.

So Holly Martin is always the perfect way to start the Christmas season. And with the night's drawing in this is the perfect book to read with a glass of mulled wine and a roaring fire.

I loved the fairy tale elements of the book with the wishing well. Whether you choose to believe or not this adds a lovely bit of magical sparkle to the story. And it provides for some of the most important points in the book. And creates a bit of tension...

Dougie is the perfect book boyfriend as he tried to tick everything off Eden's romantic wish-list.  But Eden seems resistant to his charms and Dougie must pull out all the stops to prove his love for her. He even manages to get a unicorn. I told you magic was involved.

Christmas at Mistletoe Cove is filled with old-fashioned wooing, Christmas cheer and more than a few hot scenes. This is a book filled with a great friendship, witty moments and good feelings. This is one book that was hard to put down and it made me more excited for Christmas than ever before.

I also loved that we got to see how the others were doing. Rome and Freya planning for a baby, and Issac and Bella have wedding drama. In a way I wish that we could visit Hope Island again and again.

This is a magical and sweet romance that puts a smile on our face and hope in your heart. It is a satisfying and endearing read, one that I can read over and over again. Bring on the next book!

Lovely second chance romance chick lit! Eden and Dougie - will they or won't they? Eden's still carrying a torch for Dougie, who left years ago to move to New York but when he comes back to the island (love the setting), she's not a sure thing. Dougie actually sets about romancing her. It's fun to watch how she reacts, as well as her interactions with friends and family. The Christmas festival was a bit much but I'm sure others won't find it as twee as I did. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I read this on a warm day; it's the perfect harbinger for the holiday season. Martin has a nice storytelling style so try this if you'd like a relaxing, positive read.

Holly Martin is one of my favorite chick lit authors. She writes these warm novels with fantastic characters and enjoyable plots. So it's no wonder that this is another excellent book by her- one that I personally read from start to finish in one day! It even made me want to go ahead and start decorating for the holidays because the cheer and love oozed out of the pages. Sigh. I simply cannot get enough of her, these books, and the fantastic setting for which they all take place.

I highly recommend this read.

I was extremely excited to start reading this book, and I wasn't let down it contained everything that I love about Holly Martin book's.

Firstly that fabulous cover is so festive and magical, as soon as you see it you just want to curl up in front of the warm fire and a huge cuppa and delve right in.

Then onto the story itself, from that very first chapter you are hooked in and you aren't able to put the book down it is that good. It is another beautifully written romantic book, based on Eden & Dougie.

They have a bit of a history together, after sharing a kiss when they were young, then Dougie left for America now he is back and they start to spend a lot of time together, its clear they are both in love with each other but they don't want to jeapordise their friendship by admitting their true feelings to each other.

I really enjoyed the fairytale element to the book, the whole wishing well and the fairy dust made it really exciting and interesting to see if the wishes came true.

I really loved the return of previous characters that I adored from other books by Holly Martin and seeing what they are up to and how their lives have changed, it really makes the book feel familiar and easy to read.

A real contendar for the best christmas book 2017!

Christmas at Mistletoe Cove, Holly Martin

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Women's fiction, Romance

I'm just writing my review after finishing this yesterday. though I love Holly's stories, first one I read was the wonderful 100 Proposals, still the best IMO. Sadly this one didn't really work for me.

Its a good story, Holly tells a good tale but the characters and their actions, well I just felt they were so juvenile at times, that the "magic" was just a bit too twee and some parts were so sweet it made my teeth ache.
I found myself skimming parts, just couldn't really get into what was going on with them, was losing patience that neither could see what everyone else could.
Douggie, well, he was just so *good* but what man in love with a sexy, fabulous lady could really get so close without giving in to trying for just a bit more. They slept together - yep, just sleeping, no euphemism there - and Douggie didn't even seem to get the usual male almost involuntary hard on. Either he was kidding himself about how he felt, he had incredible control or the poor guy needs a bit of chemical help....

Eden, she's been in love with him since her early teens and yet he's still oblivious, despite his frequent returns to the island over the years where he stays with Eden. Is she really that good an actress? Hard to believe since it seems everyone else can spot her feelings. 

I really expected to love this story, I adore Christmas, its such a romantic time but this novel fell short for me :-( 
I wasn't convinced of the romance between them, could see what was coming a mile off in the plots and the sickliness was just too much for me. It seemed to me each were in love with the idea of love more than each other.
Ah well, some you win some you lose.
 
Stars: 2.5/3. Its a great read for many romance lovers, but sadly not one for me. 

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

This book is so full of loveliness I didn't want to put it down!! It is full of Christmas love, glitter and sparkle and I just I adore Dougie - he is most definitely one of my favourite book characters. The whole story is brilliant, I loved the relationships created and how all the different characters interacted and the setting for the book is spot on - a warm and cosy 5 stars from me for this one, I loved it from the front cover! Just perfect for a warm and cosy winter evening :)

First and foremost, I absolutely love Holly Martin's book, which meant that I had really high hopes for this one. Unfortunately however, I found that the plot was so very similar to two of her other books, almost as though she had a template story and then interchanges the names and details.

The story ended exactly how I expected the story to end, and although sometimes I enjoy the predictability and romance of books like this, on this occasion it was TOO predictable. Not only that, but Eden and Dougie, a likeable as they were as the main protagonists, also were far too sickly sweet. Dougie's approach to Eden was at times vomit-inducing! This isn't a story I could relate to for that reason alone.

I was even more put off about 70% of the way through when Eden's wish came true and a huge amount of money appeared in her bank account. It all became a bit fantastic at this point, which just resulted in a lot of eye-rolling from me! I think Holly's writing style is brilliant, and her books are so easy to get wrapped up in, but I had hoped for a different plot this time. Hopefully her next book will mix things up a bit.