BLAME IT ON THE MISTLETOE by Nicole Michaels is a stand- alone story that introduces the town and some of the characters in the author's upcoming series. Book one in this series will be called Start Me Up. After reading BLAME IT ON THE MISTLETOE, I am looking forward to future books by Nicole Michaels. I am a sucker for good dialogue in a story and this story has it in spades.

After reading the first few pages of BLAME IT ON THE MISTLETOE, I was immediately impressed by how real Nicole Michaels makes her main characters. They are not perfect and they know it. This self-awareness makes me like them more and they appear more sympathetic. I also love the fluidity and rhythm Michaels establishes right away. Part of what makes the romance that develops between Brooke Abbott and Alex Coleman so fascinating is because they are such well-developed characters with several layers to their personalities.

There is an interesting dynamic in BLAME IT ON THE MISTLETOE because of how Brooke and Alex knew each other in the past and how they reconnect now after several years have passed. Back then, she was his best friend's kid sister. Now they are both adults and have matured greatly over the years and can look at each other with new eyes. Although the way they meet again is somewhat inauspicious, the chemistry between them and the heat they generate is phenomenal. For me, BLAME IT ON THE MISTLETOE is incredibly romantic. In addition to the usual sexiness, there's the magic of getting to know someone all over again.

BLAME IT ON THE MISTLETOE is a delight -- sexy, romantic, full of Christmas magic and great characters! The supporting characters -- like Callie, Anne, & Aiden -- make great additions and I hope to read about them in future stories. I was happy that the tender and sweet moments rang true without seeming artificial. I look forward to reading more books by Nicole Michaels.