f she has her way . . .

Willa Davis is wrangling puppies when Keane Winters stalks into her pet shop with frustration in his chocolate-brown eyes and a pink bedazzled cat carrier in his hand. He needs a kitty sitter, stat. But the last thing Willa needs is to rescue a guy who doesn’t even remember her . . .

 

He’ll get nothing but coal in his stocking.

Saddled with his great-aunt’s Feline from Hell, Keane is desperate to leave her in someone else’s capable hands. But in spite of the fact that he’s sure he’s never seen the drop-dead-gorgeous pet shop owner before, she seems to be mad at him . . .

 

Unless he tempers “naughty” with a special kind of nice . . .

Willa can’t deny that Keane’s changed since high school: he’s less arrogant, for one thing—but can she trust him not to break her heart again? It’s time to throw a coin in the fountain, make a Christmas wish—and let the mistletoe do its work . . .

I like to pick one Christmas story to read at the holiday and I picked this one.  Boy am I glad.  This book was typical Jill Shalvis...great characters...great story....great happy ending!

Willa Davis owns a pet shop and is one of the sweetest, nicest people anyone knows.  So imagine her surprise when Keane Winters comes to her shop with a pink bedazzled cat carrier asking for help and doesn't even recognize her, even though he broke her heart back in high school.

Keane is at his wits end.  His great aunt asked him to watch her crazy, possessed cat.  He tried taking her to work that didn't work out too well so now he is begging for help, even offering to pay more than normal.  Keane tends to spend all of his time working and not into relationships.  An occasional hookup is all he needs.  What he did not expect was to be drawn to Willa and her brightness.

After spending some time together, Willa starts to realize that Keane is not like the guy he was in high school.  When she confronts him about actually knowing her, she finds out something that she never really knew.  Her light is helping to remove his darkness in life and they start to realize that they could be good together.

I just adored all of Willa's friends.  They were such a hoot!  I loved how protective they were of her.  I really enjoyed the ride Willa and Keane went on to get to their happy ending.  This story had wonderful characters, a great story and a happy ever after that will tug at your heart!

Crystal's 5 Star Review
This was such an adorable book. Willa is the owner of a local pet store, the kind you can go to for all your needs, including grooming. She employs young people recently released from the Foster Care system because she herself knows what it’s like be in their shoes. She has an amazing group of friends who all take care of each other. The only thing seemingly missing is a relationship. Her last relationship ended badly and she doesn’t want to put herself out there again. Who can blame her after having an ex like hers.
One day an extremely handsome man has come in to Willa’s store to ask her to cat sit. He’s just been saddled with his great aunt’s hellion, a cat can’t handle. She doesn’t want to, you see, Keane Winters happens to be the one guy in high school a very shy Willa asked out, the one who stood her up. He doesn’t even seem to remember her at all.
If you are looking for a cute HEA full of laughter and fun, check out this book by Jill Shavis. It is part of a series, but I had not known that when I received this book. I am now interested in the whole series. I absolutely love this whole crew of characters and can’t wait to see what happens next! I did get this book in exchange for an honest review. And honestly, I will be reading the entire series based off this book.

So. Much. Fun. The Trouble with Mistletoe was a fantastic holiday romance that hit all of the bells and whistles I look for in a Jill Shalvis novel. It had humor, heart, loving but meddling friends, just enough drama to keep things interesting, and–thanks to Willa’s pet shop–lots of cute & quirky animals.

 

“You’re so beautiful, Willa.”
“Mew!”
“Quiet,” they both said at the same time, holding each other’s laughing gaze.
“I thought it was kids that were supposed to act like birth control,” he said.
Petunia actually sighed and stalked off, legs stiff, tail twitching.

 

Okay, so pretty much anything Jill Shalvis writes is a guaranteed good time. But there was something magical and sweet about how Keane and Willa fell for each other. They of course had an undeniable attraction that created entertaining sexy bantering and smoking hot love scenes. But it was the way they understood each other, having both grown up without a lot of love and support in their lives, that really sealed the deal for me.

 

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3.5 stars

Loved all of the animals, but the humans didn't always kept me enchanted. Willa's emotional reversals didn't ring true and oftentimes frustrated me. I did enjoy the banter between the protagonists, and Pita's disdain for Keane constantly amused. While this didn't keep me completely engaged from cover to cover, it was a cute diversion from real life stresses.