The Mistletoe Trap by Cindi Madsen Series: Heart in the Game #2
Published by Entangled: Amara in November 2020
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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From the moment Julie sees her best friend, Gavin, in the airport, it’s like no time at all has gone by instead of months and months. No matter how long they’ve been apart, their relationship has always been steady, comfortable, and decidedly just friends. Even though their meddling parents have hung what seems like unlimited amounts of mistletoe everywhere she goes this holiday season, Julie knows some things will never change.
Gavin is well-aware his family’s wanted him and Julie to get together since forever, even though he’s been friend-zoned since they could talk—and he’s been happy to play that role. After all, as the new starting quarterback for the San Antonio Mustangs, he’s got enough on his plate without adding romance to the mix.
But between playing elves in the holiday bazaar to nights spent one-on-one watching rom-coms or soaking in their town’s hot springs, suddenly the “reverse parent trap” they’ve fallen into is actually starting to work. But this could be one scheme where letting themselves get trapped might be way too dangerous.
Note: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions shared are my own.
The Mistletoe Trap by Cindi Madsen is the perfect holiday read, especially if you enjoy friends-to-lovers romances. It has two best friends trying to spend as much time together over the Christmas holiday before heading back to their respective jobs states apart, a lot of meddling family members, and lots of laughs.
What I loved most about The Mistletoe Trap was that although Julie is an introverted scientist and Gavin is a pro football player, the story is simply about two best friends falling in love. I honestly think that their careers could have been anything, and the story would have still worked out. It’s also refreshing to see a story where a person’s popularity factors fairly little in the relationship, which often happens when one of the characters is considered famous. Julie and Gavin’s relationship and their chemistry truly made the story great, and it left me puzzled as to why it took them so long to fall in love.
The situation where Julie went on a date with Kory, a guy their parents set her up with, didn’t quite work for me. Although I understood how it factored into the overall storyline, he was a boring secondary character and felt almost like a throwaway character. I wish there was a bit more to him before his involvement with Julie towards the end of the story.
Anyway, I highly recommend The Mistletoe Trap by Cindi Madsen, if you enjoy friends-to-lovers romances, holiday romances, Hallmark movies, etc. It truly is a fun story to add to your holiday TBR if you like to read seasonal books.
