The Mistletoe Game

It’s short and sweet and spicy. This story introduces us to Ellie and Adrian and sets the stage for the rest of the story to come. She’s having a crisis of self-confidence thanks to the jerk she’s been dating and he’s just alpha-hole enough to believe he can solve her problem. I really liked these two, but there are some of their idiosyncrasies that made me want to bang their heads together. I know it’s a hard-won attitude, but Ellie’s so negative, and she believes the worst about nearly all of Adrian’s actions. And Adrian is just the tiniest bit too cocky for my peace of mind. I’d like to see him learn some humility and for her to let go of the bitterness. I’m very interested to know what will happen next in their story.

Poor, sweet, cheated-upon Ellie, has no idea that she has been tricked into playing the Mistletoe Game with Adrian, a guy that she just refused to have a drink with. Adrian, a member of La Petite Mort Club is looking around for a sure thing, when he spots the beautiufl but sad-looking Ellie, talking on her cell phone. Her soon-to-be ex, Marc, comments that Adrian is welcome to Ellie because she is cold in bed. To prove Marc wrong, Ellie decides to play the game leading to her spending the night in Adrian’s bed. The fact that there was an attraction between them helped her make that decision. In the morning, she hurries off because she has to be home for Christmas, but Marc has her car. Adrian offers to drive her even though it is out of his way. He wants to see more of her but she thinks he is like all the other guys she has dated; being so good-looking she is sure he is going to be a cheater. Adrian constantly calls her a liar becuse she refuses to admit to his pleasuring her in bed. Their constant bickering back and forth, make this book not only an amusing read but an excellent on too.
It has been a while since I have read anything by this author and had forgotten how good she is at writing clever and snappy dialogue. The banter betweeen Addrian and Ellie is laugh-out-loud funny. And who would have thought that the acutal mistletoe game would be so sexy het hilarious. The car ride to Ellie’s paarent’s home makes each see something else in the other’s character. Feeling begin to change.
There are so many things brought up in this book that cotinue on to books 2 and 3. Adrian’s meeting of Ellie’s mom and dad, Liz and Craig and realizing that he knows them, and from where; the folding and saving of the wrapping paper from the Christmas present; Ellie’s failing to deny herself the want to be with Adrian; her always wanting to be in charge in the bedroom and failing at that too; quick showers; his arrogance, her lying.
Ellis O. Day has a knack for keeping the reader on their toes and wanting more. Her words flow rhythmically from page to page and I could not put the book down because I had to know what happened next. Her characters are genuine yet passionate, confusing yet honest. Although Adrian is caring, he is also cocky, but in a fun way, and Ellie has a spunky yet sweet side that makes her always fall for the wrong guy. Is Adrian the wrong guy? Are their differences going to keep them apart?
Kudos to you Ellis O. Day, for wriing this beautiful, romantic, yet jam-packed, fun story.

I really enjoyed this book about two people meeting up and then hooking up. I never felt that this plot was forced or awkward even though the heroine Ellie is definitely not the type who would have sex with a guy on the first date. She doesn’t even want to date but Ellis O. Day carries the situations along so well that I never felt like it was completely unbelievable. I also liked the progression of Adrian’s thoughts and feelings go from just wanting to get Ellie into his bed to wanting to see her again and explore a relationship. I have read some of the other La Petite Mort Club books and found similar believable situations in them whereas some books about sex clubs that I have read are a bit over the top. I appreciate that these are about relationships with great sex scenes not just an excuse to write sex scenes. I can’t wait to read more about this interesting couple.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.