December Book Club Pick/First Line Friday — The Mistletoe Countess

2 Dec

Happy first Friday in December! Wow, where did the year go? I am so behind on my Christmas prep partly due to having my 3 year old granddaughter with us for 2 weeks. We are half way through the visit, and I know why God designed people to have their children young. LOL. I’m old and she doesn’t nap — interesting combo. 😉 But seriously, I wouldn’t trade this time of endless pleas of Oma, read me a book, painting projects, and baking forays. This time has been a real Christmas treat.

Because of the busyness of this week, I am combining two posts — BTB’s December book club pick and First Line Friday. My book club tries to read a Christmas book every December and we chose a historical romance, The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham. If you have read it, we would love to know your thoughts.

Here’s the first line:

Gracelynn Ferguson gripped the Model T’s window frame and leaned forward, breath caught in a suppressed gasp.

Will the magic of Christmas bring these two newlyweds closer together, or will the ghosts of the past lead them into a destructive discovery from which not even a Dickens’s Christmas can save them?

Mistletoe is beautiful and dangerous, much like the woman from Lord Frederick’s Percy’s past, so when he turns over a new leaf and arranges to marry for his estate, instead of his heart, he never expects the wrong bride to be the right choice. Gracelynn Ferguson never expected to take her elder sister’s place as a Christmas bride, but when she’s thrust into the choice, she will trust in her faithful novels and overactive imagination to help her not only win Frederick’s heart but also to solve the murder mystery of Havensbrook Hall before the ghosts from Frederick’s past ruin her fairytale future. 

8 Responses to “December Book Club Pick/First Line Friday — The Mistletoe Countess”

  1. Cindy Davis December 2, 2022 at 11:07 am #

    I LOVED this story!! I hope you all do as well. Great choice. I have started looking for a Christian book club here (in OH), so far no luck, but hopeful to find one 😉 Have a great weekend!

    • rbclibrary December 2, 2022 at 6:53 pm #

      Everyone is saying this! Can’t wait to discuss it.

  2. Nicole Santana December 2, 2022 at 3:10 pm #

    I loved Pepper’s book SO much!

    Happy Friday!

    I’m just starting Christmas Baggage by Deborah M. Hathaway.
    “Work was hectic, as usual, but adding the Christmas party on top of that made [Claire] run back and forth like a chicken with its head cut off.”
    I hope you have a great weekend!

    • rbclibrary December 2, 2022 at 6:54 pm #

      🙂

  3. Paula Shreckhise December 2, 2022 at 4:00 pm #

    Loved The Mistletoe Countess!
    My first line is from book three in the Waters of Time series by Jody Hedlund.
    Stay With Me
    Someone or something was watching her.

    • rbclibrary December 2, 2022 at 6:54 pm #

      🙂

  4. Danielle Grandinetti December 4, 2022 at 10:00 am #

    I loved this one! I’m currently reading Five & Dime Christmas, a novella collection set in 1881. The first line from the first story, “A Merry Little Christmas” by Susanne Dietze, is: “One false move, and Hattie Scott would surely ruin Christmas.” ~ Hope you have a great week!

  5. Jen@GracetoGrow December 5, 2022 at 7:48 pm #

    I really liked this one – marriage of convenience is my favorite trope! My first line this week was from Pretty Little Pieces by Carmen Schober. “‘There. Done.’
    Georgina smiles in the mirror as Margot finishes styling the last strand.”

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