Not my favorite book from Jaimie Admans. The relationship felt unnatural and rushed. Not enough time in the book with the supporting villager characters. The plot was predictable sadly. Ess was kind of a wet dishrag doormat character and Joss was just plain nasty to people. Speaking of nasty Essie’s mom was super rude to everyone, not at all charming.

This wasn’t a bad read, it just felt forced.

Utterly delightful and the perfect little holiday romance.

Easie and Joss. I loved watching them fall for each other while being completely in denial. The way they support and lift each other up is wonderful. I also really loved the slow burn of it all. Overall, an adorable, low angst gem with maybe, just maybe, the tiniest hint of holiday magic.

If you're looking for a sweet, kissing only, swoony, tug at your heart strings, small town, grumpy/sunshine holiday romance, get yourself a copy of this one.

I couldn’t put this book down. The story line, the characters, the descriptions all were joyful to read. If you’re looking for a book to fill you with the Christmas feels this is it!

I absolutely loved this! I’m not sure where to start with reviewing this as I don’t want to give away any of the magic you are about to read and can’t sum up into words how I felt reading this story.
Be sure to clear your schedule or prepare for a sleepless night when you start this one as you won’t want to put it down.
This author pulled me right into the book and held me there until the very last sentence.
The true magic of Christmas is wrapped up in an unsuspecting romance between two seemingly very different characters.
I loved all the characters in this and the author certainly knew how to bring them all to life as well as their village and the very special Mistletoe Gardens.
It is an emotional rollercoaster as developments are made throughout the book.
All I can say is read it! You won’t be disappointed. It’s a truly magical Christmas read, which now I’ve finished I want to be able to start again. I also want to visit Mistletoe Gardens and especially the gingerbread house.
I hope there will be a follow up so we can catch up with all these characters again.

Jaimie Admans is the queen of Christmas romance!

It always amazes me how, although we know the recipe for a great romance story, jaimie’s story lines always keep me gripped throughout the emotional rollercoaster! I also never knew that a guy in a dinosaur costume was an essential part of a romance story…but it seems it is!

As always I love the quirky characters, the wonderful Christmas theme, and the expected will they/won’t they aspect.

The genius is that it seems such a simple story, but it is so beautifully told with just the right element of humour.

The Gingerbread House in Mistletoe Gardens is my first novel by Jaimie Admans and definitely won't be the last! Essie is at town meeting when it is announced that the council will be demolishing the local Mistletoe Gardens where it is thought that the mistletoe growing there has magical powers. She is incensed and wants to do something big and different: her spur of the moment idea is a life-sized gingerbread house in the Gardens. At every first contact she is knocked back until she goes to meet reluctant builder, Joss. He also initially turns her away but then visits to tell her what she needs and together they begin building. The characters are fabulous, some are really quirky and fun; Essie is so compassionate but determined while Joss is broken and lacking in self-belief. I really wish they were members of our town council! Maybe things would get done! I couldn't put it down.

I love every book I have read by this author and this was no exception. I found the setting idyllic - definitely somewhere I would love to visit and the characters both charming and realistic.
The story takes place in a small town which has a green space known as Mistletoe gardens - the locals believe that any couple who kiss under the mistletoe her will stay deeply in love for the next twelve months. However, at a town meeting they find out that the council do not have the money to decorate the gardens for Christmas this year (this brings in much needed tourists and visitors) and in the new year they plan to knock it down. Essie Brown (daughter of the local baker) volunteers to build a life size gingerbread house and asks the community to help her decorate the garden to make its last Christmas, one to remember. The problem is although Essie can make gingerbread she has no idea how to construct a house of this size. She needs a builder and her last hope is Joss - a local known for being grumpy and a bit of a mix between scrooge and the grinch. Can Essie (the spirit of Christmas) persuade him to help and how will she get on with bar-humbug man ?
This story made me want to start Christmas shopping (I read it in August) and make gingerbread. A really beautiful festive read.

Omg Jaimie Admans has done it again with this beautifully written Christmas book The Gingerbread House in Mistletoe Gardens.
This time we join Essie who jas returned from France to work with her mum at their family bakery when she finds out their beloved mistletoe gardens could be demolished she works with builder and constructor Joss to save it

Omg Joss is absolutely beautiful and the whole idea of the gingerbread house is incredible. This story was gorgeous and Christmassy and made me feel cosy even in August. I absolutely adored it and can't wait to read more by her. Hopefully joss will be included he was my favourite character. The other village characters were quirky and interesting and I want to visit this village immediately at Christmas to meet them all

Another fun and cute book from Jaimie, I absolutely love her stories! Well written and really enjoyable to sit down with, always full of quirky characters who you’d love to meet in real life! I would highly recommend this and hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy x

I absolutely loved this story! It is such a feel good Christmas story! I loved both Essie and Joss! Even when Joss was cranky and hated everyone and everything. I knew the more time he spend with Essie, the softer he would become!
It all starts with saving the mistletoe gardens! They need something big and Essie shouts out a life size gingerbread house! No one believes she can do it. And of Joss thinks the idea is also dumb! But Essie gets to him and hr decides to help! From there, their love story starts! Both Essie and Joss have painful pasts, but when you find the right person, everything just lights up in the world!
Grab this story! You won’t regret it! You will want to build a gingerbread house and find some mistletoe!

Typical Hallmark movie storyline. Fun, sweet, romance, and predictable ending. I had fun reading it just to see what Essie and Joss would do next and how they would finally declare love. It got he into the spirit of at least Christmas baking, and the different notes about gingerbread at the beginning of each chapter where fascinating.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This is such a lovely Christmas romance. Baker Essie Browne is going to do all she can to stop Mistletoe Gardens being demolished by the local council. She comes up with the idea of making a life size gingerbread house to bring in the crowds and advertise how amazing the gardens are. Although she can make gingerbread with her eyes closed, she has no idea on how to do this so enlists the help of local builder Joss Hallissey. Unfortunately Joss comes across as moody, a grinch and acts like he’d rather be doing anything but helping the community. Essie can see that there is more going on with Joss but can she crack the barrier he has put round himself? This made me laugh and cry, with it being both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I loved all the characters, some being more quirky than others, and how some of their backgrounds were explored. A great festive read. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

True love can break down the walls that are built around a heart to keep it safe from being hurt again.

Sometimes a grumpy attitude is just a shield. Essie doesn’t let Joss’s shield keep her away. Great for both of them, since they need each other.

This is the second book I read by Jaimie Admans and it certainly will not be the last. I enjoy her writing style, love her characters and her plots go straight to my heart. This book definitely puts me in the Christmas spirit, even though it is very warm outside. I’m ready to start baking my own gingerbread!

I want to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

This is a sweet, holiday romance about giving life a second chance.
Essie has had heartbreak and financial disasters in her past, and her mother, now her boss, never seems to let her forget. When she volunteers to build a life size ginger bread house, in the hopes of saving the town's beloved park, no one believes in her, especially her mom. But Joss, a local contractor and complete Scrooge, offers to help. Little by little the two form a friendship, each learning to trust the other and delve deeper than what people see from the outside. But can they build the gingerbread house? And when Essies faith in Joss is questioned, will she give him a second chance?
Fun story with lots of quirky characters that make for a fun, holiday read.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved every story of Jaimie's but this one certainly gave me the warm, fuzzy, christmassy feels, following Essie and Joss on their journey towards Christmas love, I might even become a bit more Roman myself 😉

Yet another lovely read from this author. Great Christmas setting and idea and lots of drama along the way, A lovely festive read.

Local baker Essie Browne finds out that Mistletoe Gardens is going to be demolished after the end of the holidays, so she proposes a way to keep the place alive. After all, legend exists that anyone who kisses under the mistletoe is guaranteed good luck in love for the next year.

She comes up with a plan to build a literal gingerbread house to keep the tourists and the tradition alive. How hard can it be? Well, enter local builder Joss Hallissey to help! Of course, Joss hates Christmas, so Essie needs to convince him to help.

This is a really cute holiday romance, very Hallmark-esque. Perfect if you are in the mood for a light Christmas read to curl up with by the fire. Or under the mistletoe! 🌿🎄

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Folkhornton has always been known for its beautiful Mistletoe Gardens, where if you kissed your loved under under the mistletoe you’re guaranteed a year full of love and happiness. Essie is the only one in her family to have never kissed a special someone under the mistletoe.

Essie is determined to make this her year, but unfortunately Mistletoe Gardens is due to be leveled due to financial reasons, and the land sold. Everyone in town is devastated but Essie most of all. She quickly comes up with an ELABORATE way to save the gardens, a GIANT (Santa sized) Gingerbread house.

Enter Grumpy construction worker Joss, who the town tries to rope into helping Essie make her plan a success. These two are the most unlikely pair, who reluctantly come together to build the gingerbread house, and ultimately save Mistletoe Gardens. What happens when “Mr. grump” isn’t so grumpy after all, will they share the magic of a first kiss under the mistletoe and save the gardens? Find out in this adorably, cozy, winter read. You’ll find yourself rooting for the town in no time!

ARC in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.

Jaimie Admans’ The Gingerbread House in Mistletoe Gardens is a festive and heartwarming story, focusing on romance and the importance of community. Set in a small town in South Wales at Christmastime with a gaggle of eccentric local characters, this tale was sweet and uplifting. Fewer house building details and trimming some of the more repetitive bits would have made for a more impactful story, in my humble opinion. But it is still filled with plenty of Christmas cheer and magic, and was a fun read. And I loved the historical details about gingerbread that began each chapter!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own,

A lovely heart warming easy read. I loved the idea of the gingerbread house and the mistletoe trees. I loved the characters and felt like I was watching a film because they were so well portryed. I lovely book to curl up with and drink hot chocolate, eat gingerbread and enjoy the romance.