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Taylor Epperson

Good books + Good living (formerly Bookish Tay)

Categories: Book Review

Review: Faking Under the Mistletoe by Ashley Shepherd – #MeToo and Christmas Romance

This post may contain affiliate links.

Looking for a charming, holiday romance? Look no further!


Faking Under the mistletoe book cover

As soon as I finished reading Faking Under the Mistletoe, I immediately started it again because I wasn’t ready to be finished with this novel. It seems fairly sweet and simple and Hallmark-y, but there was more to that in this book that I absolutely appreciated.

What I liked:

  • Olivia’s character. Hi, yes, in case you didn’t know I’m a huge fanatic about all things Christmas, so I loved her bubbly personality and how much she loved Christmas time. She was definitely way out there in terms of personality and sometimes a little bit much (like buying her boss a Christmas tree for his apartment) but I still loved her.

  • The love interest. ????? Oh hey Asher! I didn’t think I’d like you after the first chapter, but you proved me wrong. He was great for Olivia and she for him.

  • How they discussed/handled sexual assault. The very beginning of the book comes with a trigger warning about sexual assault (more books should do that!). As a survivor, I’m always a bit tentative going into books because I never know what to exepct. But I thought this was handled well and I loved how justice comes into play near the end of this book.

What I didn’t like as much:

  • To be honest, there wasn’t much about this novel that I didn’t like. I think the biggest thing was the characters who knew about this guy who was making sexual advances and how some of the higher-ups in the company were paying him off (but hey welcome to the real world) so that wasn’t really an issue with the book, more of an issue with how things happen in the world.

All in all, I’d definitely recommend Faking Under the Mistletoe if you want fake dating, lots of Christmas feelings, and some real and raw emotion. I gave Faking Under the Mistletoe 5/5 stars.

I should also note that this book is fairly steamy, but those parts are easy to skip if you don’t want to read them.

I read this book on KindleUnlimited, which you can try for free!

About Faking Under the Mistletoe

Olivia Langley is the human embodiment of Christmas cheer, and she has absolutely no problem spreading it around for all to hear.

Christmas sweaters? She has twenty. Christmas cookies? She’ll take three dozen. Christmas movies? Yeah, she’s seen them all.

So it’s no surprise when she’s put in charge of Loveridge & McGowan’s holiday festivities. Secret Santas? Yep. Ice skating? Of course. Holiday trivia? Duh. Christmas-themed bar crawl? That’s one big jingle bell hell yes.

Kissing her boss at a Christmas tree lighting in front of his ex-girlfriend? Well… it is the season of giving.

And Olivia does not come with a gift receipt. No exchanges. No returns. No refunds. All sales are final.

In an effort to ungrinch the grinchiest man she’s ever met, Olivia enlists herself, Santa’s Executive Helper, to scheme up a plan that includes sleigh rides, snow days, and one too many mistletoe kisses, which certainly gets Asher’s tinsel in a tangle.

She’s pretty sure that she sleighed this whole fake dating thing.

Well… until she realizes there’s nothing fake about her feelings for Asher, and suddenly tangled tinsel, unsolicited Christmas trees, and celebrity heartthrobs are the least of her worries.

Goodreads | Bookshop.org | Amazon


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About Taylor

Taylor is an aspiring author, stay at home mom, and avid reader. She loves reading books and talking about them. Because life is short and you should have good books to read.

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Hi there! I'm Taylor! I'm an aspiring author and book lover. On my blog, you'll find great book recommendations and tips for following your dreams! I'm so glad you're here!

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