inconceivably

You guys, I am more than a little obsessed with Christmas-themed books this year. It seems like almost every day lately that I hop onto g-chat to tell April about another one (or five) purchased on Amazon. So, when I saw No Mistletoe Required by Jeanette Murray available to review on NetGalley, it was a no brainer.Anna Smith loves Christmas – and she especially loves helping orchestrate a Winter Wonderland display at the local hospital. She has a deeper connection to the hospital than most people realize. This year, Dan Beckins shows up as one of the volunteers to help build the stage. It doesn’t take long for his true personality to shine – and that personality? SCROOGE.It is slowly revealed as No Mistletoe Required continues that while Anna has a strong connection to the hospital and the magic of Christmas – Dan has equally strong aversion to Christmas. Something horrible happened in his past that basically has him refusing to accept any kind of positive feelings in regards to the holiday.All this emotional drama is where the story loses me. Y’all, No Mistletoe Required is just a fairly short novella. I felt like way too much was being packed into the pages. Instead of getting to know the characters with easy Christmas-y vibes paving the way, I was constantly bombarded with personal revelations and emotional drama.Since I didn’t have enough time to connect with the characters in any real way, their stories didn’t really resonate with me. To be blunt: I didn’t really care about them or their pasts. The writing and plotting just didn’t work for me in this one.So, if you feel like diving into a deeper and more emotional Christmas story that is a super quick read – definitely give this a try. I think you’ll enjoy it more than I did! If you prefer to keep your Christmas reading light – or, like me, prefer emotional stories to be longer with more character development, you might be a little disappointed with No Mistletoe Required. (Either way, the ebook is only $2.50!)To Sum it Up:-I’m completely obsessed with Christmas novellas this year! Unfortunately, this one definitely left me feeling underwhelmed.-Short length + lots of emotional baggage = Allison no happy. I need a full length story to allow for more development with my drama.-Should definitely interest those looking for a quick read with characters that have a lot to overcome from their pasts.