The Matchmaker’s Mistletoe Mission (Boots and Bouquets)

The Matchmaker’s Mistletoe Mission
by Jaci Burton
Release Date:  October 15, 2019
Publisher: InterMix
Book #0.5 in the Boots and Bouquets series
Number of Pages:  148
Kindle Edition
Source:  borrowed from MCL
Contemporary Romance M/F
Rating:  R
Read 3/16/21

Stranded at the Red Moss Vineyard a week before her best friend’s wedding, LA native and professional matchmaker Alice Weatherford is not pleased with her first trip to Oklahoma, or the epic snowstorm forcing her to stay. So much for Christmas cheer. What she needs is a project, something to distract her…and, oh, has she found one in neighboring rancher Clay Henry. Gorgeous, charming, and unlike any other man she’s ever met, finding the right woman for Clay should be easy….

Having grown up with the Bellini sisters, it’s no hardship for Clay to ride out the storm at their cozy family vineyard, especially since that means spending time with their savvy and smart houseguest. But despite Alice’s best efforts, he’s not the least bit interested in her matchmaking….

Alice is the only woman Clay wants. Now he just has to convince the matchmaker herself to give love a chance.

This is the first time I’ve picked up a Jaci Burton book in more than a year. In fact, it’s been almost two years! I just wasn’t having luck with her lately and didn’t want to keep going down a road of disappointment with an author I used to really like. I had actually seen book one in this series first and wanted to read it, but I still wasn’t quite sure. I decided to dive back into this author’s work with this novella instead. That can be risky since novellas don’t give much room for error. Thank goodness this was a hit and not a miss. And having met the characters for the next book in this story interact with one another for a very brief time, I cannot wait to read the next book either.

As I mentioned, this is a novella, so things move fast. But the relationship being built between Alice and Clay is believable because they have a great connection. They’re both wonderful people and are honest about their expectations from the start. It’s fun to watch Alice try to prove her matchmaking skills to Clay, although he’s only interested in her. To be fair, the feeling is mutual…she just doesn’t want to give in to the pull they have.

This story helps to set up future stories, I’m sure, with the Red Moss Vineyard as the backdrop. There are plenty of characters to pull from and I’d love to see them all get the HEA they deserve. Hopefully my feelings on this book will continue throughout the series and I’ll be official out of my Jaci Burton rut.

4 stars