FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog earns a small commission at no extra cost to you from any purchases made through these links. You can read the full disclosure underneath the Privacy Policy.
Mistletoe All the Way
by Lauren BlakelySeries: Evergreen Falls #3
Published by Atria Books on October 6, 2026
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 384
Source: the publisher via NetGalley
Audience: 18+/Adult
Add to Goodreads
Purchase at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Google Play | Kobo | Libro.fm
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely, a small-town spicy, holiday romance about a guarded cowboy veterinarian and a Christmas-loving optimist who team up for a town holiday pageant.
Dr. Noah Lennox has three Christmas rules—avoid his hometown, avoid being mistaken for his internet-famous twin, and definitely avoid his smug cousin, Stephen. But when his beloved grandfather announces he’s retiring and leaving the family’s beloved sleigh-ride horse farm to either Noah or Stephen, Noah finds himself snowed in back home in Evergreen Falls and determined to fight for the place that means everything to him. The problem is, the town doesn’t exactly welcome its resident Scrooge with open arms.
Eloise Langston, a sunny Tourism Bureau hopeful, needs a win to land her dream job—and health insurance. Her Hail Mary plan? Turn Noah into Mr. Christmas to help the town’s Mr. Holiday Pageant draw record crowds. Transforming a camera-shy cowboy vet into a small-town sweetheart isn’t exactly in her job description—but neither is falling for him.
As sleigh bells ring and sparks fly, Noah and Eloise find themselves tangled in twinkle lights, fake pageants, and one very real attraction. But with the farm’s future at stake, Stephen's scheming, and Eloise’s own career on the line, there’s a blizzard of reasons to put their growing feelings on ice. Then again, if you can’t fight for love at the most wonderful time of the year, you don’t deserve the kiss waiting under the mistletoe.
Do you enjoy reading Holiday/Christmas books year-round, even when it is not Christmas? If so, I recommend Lauren Blakely’s Mistletoe All The Way, a holiday read that gave me the dopamine fix I craved and put me in the holiday spirit early. It’s the third installment in her Evergreen Falls series, but it can be read as an interconnected standalone with no need to read the prior books. (But as someone who has read them, you should definitely check those out too.)
Mistletoe All The Way features lovable opposites who meet unexpectedly, though they do not hit it off at first. But later on, Eloise convinces Noah to compete in the Evergreen Falls Mr. Holiday competition. However, Noah isn’t much of a lover of Christmas time for reasons that will be found out in the book; but he will do anything to win over his grandfather, especially when his grandfather is retiring and wants to give the family farm to someone in the family. However, Noah must compete with his cousin, Stephen, who is loved by the town. Noah is only in town for a short period and knows he’s not loved by everyone due to his grumpiness and the fact that he hasn’t been back to town for a while. But he’ll do whatever is necessary to win over his Grandfather, so the farm goes to him, which means he’ll have to do things he’s uncomfortable with due to the competition. He’ll also need not to fall for Eloise, but that will be hard not to do when she’s a lovable, fun person.
I thoroughly enjoyed this low-tension holiday read that mixes sweet and spicy moments with humorous moments with the characters. I really adored both characters and felt for them individually, especially Eloise, who grew up with parents who expected her life to mirror theirs, but she wanted something else. In my opinion, she does her job very well, and it fits her perfectly. No way could I see her being what her parents expected. She’s a character that I wish was real because she would be a great friend to have.
Then there is Noah, who may be grumpy and did not like Christmas at first, but he already had my heart with his love of animals. (Anyone who does the things he did in this book wins me over immediately.) Not only is he a vet, but he also works to find animals homes. He also realizes how important it is to keep his grandfather’s farm in the family, while remembering what his mother always wanted for it. He is a sweet golden retriever, and I loved how he went with Eloise’s ideas, even when he was uncomfortable speaking in front of people and doing things he was not used to doing.
Eloise and Noah were meant to meet the way they did, and I adored reading how they fell in love, even though they had one hiccup near the end of the book. But don’t worry, things work out. As I mentioned earlier, it is not a tense book. It is a fun, sweet read with some added spiciness. It is a slow burn, which I definitely enjoyed, and I liked the lead-up to them getting together.
I did not like Stephen, Noah’s cousin, and that is all I am going to say about him. I loved Noah’s twin brother, Chris, who I hope gets his own book, and both sets of grandparents made the story very enjoyable.
I will always love that Lauren Blakely puts her love of animals in books because we truly need more people to realize how special animals are. This is coming from someone who has two dogs and two cats, and they are my whole world, and they know it.
Overall, it was such a holiday-filled read with predictable moments; however, it gave me such a dopamine fix that I was smiling the whole time I was reading it. I give it four stars and look forward to reading more holiday romance stories from Lauren Blakely.
POV: Dual POV (First Person)
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you are looking for a holiday read that has an adorable Grumpy/Sunshine storyline, then check out Mistletoe All The Way by Lauren Blakely. (P.S. It has a fun holiday competition that the hero competes in and the heroine helps him with, so you are definitely going to want to read it.)
What to Expect:
🎄Holiday Romance
🎄Small Town Romance
🎄Grumpy/Sunshine
🎄Opposites Attract
🎄Found Family
🎄Slow Burn
About Lauren Blakely
A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s cute but spicy. Lauren likes dogs, cake, and show tunes and is the vegetarian at your dinner party.
Related Posts
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
- Book Blitz + Giveaway: ‘Death Hits the High Note’ by GG Calpo - October 11, 2026
- Book Blitz + Giveaway: ‘Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead’ by H.J. Ramsay - October 10, 2026
- Book Blitz + Giveaway: ‘Jingle Bells, Wedding Vows’ by Paula Dombrowiak - October 9, 2026