The Mistletoe Motive

Finished December 19

The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese

This Christmas romance takes place at a bookstore. The store is not doing as well financially since a chain opened a location nearby. It is down to only two staff: Gabriella (Gabby) Di Natale and Jonathan Frost, who are co-managers. Gabby was promoted to manager when the owners stepped back from being in the store, but she found it a lot to juggle and they noticed. They hired Jonathan who is more focused on the financial side of things, and Gabby has not been as aware of that since. 

When they realize that unless they manage a Christmas sales period miracle, one of them will likely be gone come January, Gabby suggest the decision of who gets to stay should be based on sales. Jonathan reluctantly agrees. 

Gabby is very good at sales and marketing and she has a lot of ideas to increase sales. She also is very good at customer relationships and creating a welcoming atmosphere. Jonathan has his own passions regarding books, but he doesn't give off a welcoming vibe. 

Gabby struggles with anxiety, but tries to hide it. She is autistic and is also very sensitive to sounds and smells and uses a variety of tools and actions to control that, including wearing noise-cancelling headphones when out in public (although not in the store). 

Jonathan is aware of some of her sensitivities since he is very observant, but hasn't made all the connections yet. This means that he tries to protect her from some things, but not always to good effect. He also has some personal secrets, which gradually come to light through the novel. 

She has a strong family connection, with her parents particularly. Her father is a famous ice hockey player, but she doesn't advertise her connection with him. It does mean that she knows a lot about hockey though. 

She has two roommates, and spends a lot of time with them. She also has a friend she's made online and has an ongoing conversation in the late evenings with him, talking about books and literature. 

I found the characters interesting, particularly Gabby, who see most of here. I enjoyed learning about her coping mechanisms and how I might interpret others I see in public differently based on learning about her sensitivities. This is an Own Voices novel, since the author is autistic as well. 

The book also includes a playlist, with a different song for each chapter. The playlist is also available on Spotify, so that's an interesting added element. Especially since music is very important to Gabby. 

A very enjoyable holiday read.