Smoochin' Under the Mistletoe by Madison Love

 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When the Heart of the Town Needs a Jump start

Lucy is the type of woman who spends her life pouring into everyone else’s cup, only to have her own diner—and livelihood—reduced to ashes just in time for the holidays. When the insurance company does what insurance companies do best (refuse to pay), Lucy is forced to face the heavy question of whether Baggersville is still home or just a memory.

It is a familiar crossroads: that moment of hardship where faith feels less like a comfort and more like a nudge toward the exit. While Lucy contemplates a new direction, the town scrambles to prove she belongs. The irony, of course, is that it takes a catastrophe for people to finally show the appreciation they should have been expressing all along.

The community’s effort to keep her is moving, and the collective grace shown by the residents is staggering. While the story hits every emotional beat you’d expect from a small-town Christmas, its strength lies in that community inspiration. It’s a warm reminder that while you can’t bank on insurance, you can—occasionally—bank on your neighbors.

Smoochin' the Reticent Rancher by Madison Love

 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Better Late Than Never, Though Late is an Understatement

Ace follows the standard Special Forces playbook: get injured, retreat into a cave of self-pity, and push away everyone who actually matters. After two years of ghosting his family and his fiance, he returns to find that Elise hasn’t spent her life paused in a vacuum.

As the local cosmetologist, Elise has more backbone than the man who ran away. She tries to bridge the gap, but Ace is too busy playing the martyr over a broken promise to notice she’s still standing there. Naturally, it takes the threat of another man’s interest to finally snap him out of his brooding. It's a classic case of not knowing what you have until someone else tries to claim it.

This story hits home personally, but it lacks the impact of the previous book. While the sentiment is true and Elise’s loyalty is the heart of the story, the execution feels a bit muted. It’s a solid entry, but Ace’s return to reality took a few chapters too many for my liking.

The Duke’s Bargain Bride by Alianna Brookes

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

Thawing the Duke, But Drowning in the Sugar

There is nothing quite as satisfying as a Duke whose heart is a veritable frozen tundra, and this story delivers that icy tension with exquisite precision. The plot is sturdy, and the characters are sculpted with enough depth to make their social maneuverings feel genuinely high-stakes—a rarity in a season often crowded with paper-thin caricatures. Watching the "Ducal Frost" melt into a man of warmth and affection was a journey well worth the price of the carriage ride.

However, as the ton well knows, the only thing worse than a scandal is a bore. While the momentum built beautifully toward a clever conclusion, the climax was unfortunately smothered by an excess of dialogue and an inexcusably long epilogue.

It is a pity when a sharp narrative loses its edge to the modern trend of dragging out the "happily ever after" until it dissolves into saccharine. Had the author trusted the strength of the actual ending and closed the book a chapter earlier, this would have been an undisputed triumph. As it stands, it is a lovely dance that simply doesn't know when to leave the ballroom.

Smoochin' the Right Twin by Madison Love

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Grace, Lawsuits, and the Hard Lesson of Letting Go

If only every legal entanglement in this world could be settled with the grace found in Merdy’s journey, our courthouses would be empty and our hearts would be full. Merdy finds herself in a bind that most would find paralyzing, but she is blessed with a plaintiff who shares her faith and a circle of friends who truly embody the "right kind" of community. The narrative beautifully illustrates that accepting a helping hand doesn't diminish our strength; rather, it empowers us to do even more for the Lord.

We often carry the heavy burden of thinking that if a mistake is ours, we alone must pay the penance. Merdy learns, however, that through humility and cooperation, a solution can be reached where everyone involved benefits more than a financial payout ever could have provided. Parallel to this legal drama is her personal journey with Hunter. She is forced to learn the difficult task of accepting him—and his love—without conditions, mirroring the profound way God loves us in all our imperfection.

The story does take a startling turn at the climax, and I found myself questioning the narrative direction. The medical hurdles Hunter faces seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving the doctor’s warnings feeling a bit "washed over" and unresolved. It felt as though the author was so intent on having God teach Hunter a specific lesson that the consistency of the plot suffered for it. Despite this abrupt shift, the message of communal support remains powerful. It is a thoughtful look at how our mistakes don't have to define us when we allow God—and our friends—to help rewrite the ending.

Smochin’ the Surly CEO by Madison Love

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cornhole, CEOs, and One Big Identity Crisis

Gabby has a full-blown identity crisis on her hands, and she’s handling it by hiding her true self from everyone who matters. While she’s busy playing a part, Tim—the CEO of Cornhole for a Cause—is gearing up for a Valentine Fundraiser Gala and trying for a third chance to prove he’s worth the risk.The real struggle here isn't just the romance; it’s how these two handle life when things get messy. Gabby’s decision to manipulate Tim into opening up about his father is a hard pill to swallow. You can’t build a healthy relationship on mind games and curated secrets.Ultimately, this story is a loud reminder that honest communication is the only way to build a life that actually works. Tim is at a major crossroads, facing heavy decisions about his career, his father, and his walk with Jesus. It’s a sobering, direct look at the difference between the image we project and the authenticity required to make a relationship last. If you’re looking for a story about big life choices and the messy reality of faith and family, this hits the mark—just be prepared to want to give Gabby a piece of your mind.

Smoothin' the Wrong Twin by Madison Love

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Biddies Might Gossip, but God’s Got a Better Playlist

Honey, pull up a rocking chair, because Connie Jo’s return to Baggersville is the sweet tea your soul has been craving. If you’ve ever felt like your life was a demo track over-produced by a committee of strangers, you’ll feel for our girl. Somewhere between the glitter of the pop charts and the pressure to be anything but a Christian artist, she stopped singing her own truth. It takes a ten-year cornhole tournament to pull her back to the Texas dirt—because nothing says "spiritual recalibration" like tossing beanbags for charity while the town watches from the sidelines.

The real kicker is the Miller twins. Hayden has traded his billionaire tech empire for the family ranch to help his brother after their daddy’s stroke—a move the city folk might call "crazy," but we just call "doing the right thing." In a move as bold as it is misguided, Connie Jo mistakes Hayden for his brother and recruits him to be her fake boyfriend to draw out a stalker. Watching her pine for the "wrong" twin while the "right" one is standing right there is like watching someone try to ride a mechanical bull after three margaritas—hilarious, a little messy, and you just can't look away.

This story is a sharp-witted look at how we get blinded by our own preconceived ideas, searching so hard for the life we planned that we walk right past the blessing God actually put in front of us. The author even recorded the songs mentioned in the book; while one is admittedly as corny as a Baggersville field in July, the others are powerful enough to make you pull over on a backroad just to listen. Ultimately, it’s a beautiful reminder that God is the ultimate sound engineer, always ready to correct our course when we start singing off-key. It’s a heartwarming, holy mess of a journey that proves the path back home is usually paved with old friends and the kind of love that doesn't need a spotlight to be seen.

Unexpectedly Engaged to the Duke by Emily Honeyfield

 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

       Two cowards and a very flawed plan

I enjoyed the story well enough, but the character logic was exhausting. Penelope is allegedly "highly intelligent," yet she can’t see the bigger picture and cowers before the Duchess despite standing up to the Duke. She and Sebastian deserve each other—they are both cowards in their own way.

The plot also falls apart under historical scrutiny. The Duchess’s plan was nonsensical given that Regency marriage laws favored men, and the Ton kept a tight watch on inheritance. Has the author never heard of Debrett’s? Everyone would have known James’s identity. A decent read, but the inconsistencies are hard to overlook.