Mistletoe Mix-Up

 

This novella is a cute story about a college student with nowhere to go for Christmas and an opportunity to house-sit and make a little money between terms. The problem is he goes to the wrong house--owned by people with similar names and a similar address in two different towns. 

Evan Edwards is a music major at East Texas University whose mother is on another honeymoon with another stepfather in a long line of stepfathers in Evan's life.  When Francis Cartier posts a flyer at the college for a house-sitter, Evan's professor suggests Evan call and ask about it.  Everything is copacetic.  Evan has a place to go and a job to do.  The only problem is he goes to Candle, Texas, instead of Crandall, Texas.  

In Candle, he meets George and Rise' (George's daughter), who are neighbors of Fin and Carol Carter.  With Rise's help, he decorates the Carter's home for them, gets roped into playing the piano for the children's Christmas pageant on Christmas Eve at the church where George and Rise' attend, and then finds out he's been at the wrong house the whole time.  With little time to spare and not a whole lot of energy, he hies himself over to Crandall to do the correct house. He gets it done in time for Francis and Caroline to come home.  He finds out that the Cartier's are hosting a benefit gala to honor Francis' sister, Dominique Miller, who was his original piano teacher from the time he was nine years old until he went to college. 

In the beginning of the book, Evan doesn't have much faith in anything--even himself.  He doesn't know what he's going to do when he finishes college, although he'd like to pursue an advanced degree. 

This comedy of errors book is a delight to read and won't take much time. Jody Bailey Day has created characters with flaws that make them all the more relatable and real.  The settings are easily imagined, and the premise promises a lot of fun to be had while reading the story.  It takes less than two hours to read which makes it perfect for curling up on the sofa with a comfy blanket and a mug of hot chocolate. 

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a peppermint stick to stir the cocoa. 

Pelican Book Group and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.