4.5⭐️ – The opening of this Christmas novella is definitely in my top 10. It sets the tone from the start, and I knew I’d laugh and be happy by the end of the story (which was kind of a given since it’s a Christmas novella but still, I like it when stories keep their promises).
Tia is not a big fan of Christmas, not only because her given name, Poinsettia, was pretty tough to carry as a child but also because the love of her life broke her heart on Christmas Eve. She has nevertheless agreed to take on her great-aunt’s cousin’s Christmas tree farm after he died. Already drowning in too much Christmas-y stuff, the last person she expects to see on her doorstep is the woman who cheated on her twenty years ago.
Thinking she could visit her parents over Christmas, Meg arrived at their home only to find out they were on a cruise. To shake her feelings of loneliness and melancholy, she goes on a walk around town and discovers a kitten in a mailbox. Which happens to be Tia’s mailbox.
Peppermint Kiss is more than a second chance romance, it’s also about deserving that second chance. The events that led to Tia’s broken heart are not as clear-cut as she thought and she realizes that she might be the one who needs to make amends. In the holiday spirit, Peppermint Kiss is all about forgiveness, towards others and towards oneself, love, trust and, that most crucial element in any relationship, communication.
As I wrote recently in another review, what I love about Christmas novellas is how they embody all that I love about the holidays, and winter: the smells, the lights, the warmth inside vs. the cold outside. Heartwarming is the best word for them, and when they’re done well, as Peppermint Kiss is, it’s almost physically true.
Jude in the Stars 