Review - The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans

The Mistletoe Inn

by Richard Paul Evans

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pub. Date: November 17, 2015

Retail: $19.99

ISBN: 978-1501119798

Pages: 300

Buy Link: Amazon

Book Description:

At thirty-two Kimberly Rossi, a finance officer at a Lexus car dealership, has had her heart broken more times than she wants to remember. With two failed engagements, a divorce and again alone with no prospects, she hardly seems the type to dream of being a published romance author. Dreading another holiday alone, she signs up for The Mistletoe Retreat, a nine-day writing retreat in Burlington, VT. Deep inside Kimberly knows she’s at a junction in her life and it’s time to either fulfill her dream or let it go. The other reason she decides to attend the conference is because famed romance writer, H.T. Cowell, once the best selling romance writer in America, and the author whose books instilled in her the desire to be a writer, will be speaking in public for the first time in more than a decade.

In one of her breakout sessions Kimberly meets another aspiring writer, and one of the few men at the conference, Zeke, an intelligent man with a wry wit who seems as interested in Kimberly as he is in the retreat. As Kimberly begins to open up to him about her stories and dreams, she inadvertently reveals her own troubled past. As Zeke helps her to discover why her books fail to live up to their potential she begins to wonder if he’s really talking more about her life than her literature. But as she grows closer to him, she realizes that Zeke has his own darkness, a past he’s unwilling to talk about.


About the Author:

Richard Paul Evans is the #1 bestselling author of The Christmas Box. Each of his more than twenty-five novels has been a New York Times bestseller. There are more than twenty million copies of his books in print worldwide, translated into more than twenty-four languages. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the American Mothers Book Award, the Romantic Times Best Women’s Novel of the Year Award, the German Audience Gold Award for Romance, two Religion Communicators Council Wilbur Awards, the Washington Times Humanitarian of the Century Award and the Volunteers of America National Empathy Award. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife, Keri, and their five children. You can learn more about Richard on Facebook at  Facebook.com/RPEFans, or visit his website, RichardPaulEvans.com. 


Billy's Thoughts:

New Christmas titles are a dime a dozen this time of year. One the most popular author of holiday romances is Richard Paul Evans. His newest book, titled The Mistletoe Inn, was released to bookstores last month. It's the second installment in The Mistletoe Collection, though each book will be standalone tales.

The Mistletoe Inn centers on an aspiring writer, Kimberly Rossi, who is currently employed as a finance officer at a car dealership. She has had a rocky life with her mother's suicide on Christmas Day when she just a child, and many years later with horrible marriage to her college professor. To make her life even more stressful, she learns that her father has cancer.

The one dream that Kimberly has always had is to publish a romance novel. Unfortunately, the only book she has actually written was rejected by a publisher. After learning about the upcoming writing workshop at the Vermont's famous Mistletoe Inn, where her favorite author H.T. Cowell is supposed to speak at, she signs up to attend the retreat.

Shortly after arriving, Kimberly befriends several other writers, including Zeke, but she soon realizes that she might be way out of her league here as it seems every writer is already a published author. More disappointment comes her way when it's announced that H.T. Cowell might not speak at the event.

I've been a fan of Richard Paul Evan's writings ever since I stumbled upon the paperback of The Christmas Box Trilogy year ago. I loved it so much that I purchased copies for my grandmothers. At only 300 pages, The Mistletoe Inn was a quick read for me. The main character, Kimberly, is very likable, and I instantly felt sorry for at the very beginning, where it's explained what has happened to her mother. The plot of attending a writing conference is pretty simple and, unfortunately, there are a few predictable moments, especially with the true identity of H.T. Cowell. Overall, while not exactly perfect, The Mistletoe Inn is a cute, fast-paced read. It would make a great gift the holiday season for any romance reader.

*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.