Magic Beneath the Mistletoe, Vol. 1

Magic Beneath the Mistletoe, Volume 1, is the first of a pair of paranormal romance short story collections for charity. “100% of the proceeds from the anthology will go to Girls Write Now, an organization dedicated to breaking down barriers of gender, race, age and poverty to mentor the next generation of writers and leaders who are impacting businesses, shaping culture and creating change.” These two anthologies are a good introduction to some of the City Owl and Mystic Owl authors. Some of the stories are snippets from on-going series, others are introductions to new series or stand-alone stories. Most of the stories have a Christmas or Solstice theme. A couple are just winter based. “A Wickwood Christmas” is a fun ghost show more story with a hint of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. “Perfectly Magical” by Lisa Edmonds takes place between the latest two books in the Alice Worth Series, and is a romantic interlude for the main characters. “Thaw” by Lilla Glass is a lovely winter fairy tale.

I liked the touch of having holiday recipes after every story. I decided to read this book, in spite of the cover, because I have read other books by City Owl authors, particularly Lisa Edmonds, and because I enjoy Christmas anthologies. Only the last story was more about the sex than the plot. This anthology is a good introduction to 8 of the authors from City Owl and Mystic Owl Press. Some explicit sexual content in a few of the stories. show less

Overall, I enjoyed these 8 short stories involving supernal characters (vampires, ghosts, witches, werewolves, etc.) in the Christmas/holiday setting. The majority had a good amount of well developed plot with a little bit of spice that contributed to the plot. Given the spice level of the other stories I was NOT expecting story #8 “Seduction & the Winter Solstice to be a BDSM story. Also, I feel like the cover of the book is misleading and cheapens the book. The majority of the short stories are well written, and for the most part not solely smut (with the exception of #8). Overall, enjoyed this book and would read these short stories if they were turned into longer novels.

Title: Magic Beneath the Mistletoe
Authors: (Author), Lily Riley (Author), Heather McCorkle (Author), J. E. McDonald (Author), Gabrielle Ash (Author), Lisa Edmonds (Author), Leslie O'Sullivan (Author), Lilla Glass (Author), Lauren Connolly (Author)
Publisher: City Owl Press: Mystic Owl
Series: A Mystic Owl Anthology, Vol 1
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Magic Beneath the Mistletoe" by Authors: (Author), Lily Riley (Author), Heather McCorkle (Author), J. E. McDonald (Author), Gabrielle Ash (Author), Lisa Edmonds (Author), Leslie O'Sullivan (Author), Lilla Glass (Author), Lauren Connolly (Author)

My Assessment:

Welcome to eight Mystic Owl Anthologies...

Be ready for eight collections of 'A mystic Owl Anthologies' stories that show more will give one some reading about some supernal characters...' vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches, and more, all during the holiday of Christmas. Mostly, the stories were fantasy sex stories, well-written if this is one's type of reading.

Oh, and I don't want to leave out some good Christmas recipes each author added at the end of their story. show less

I especially liked the recipes after each story. I love romance; I love paranormal novels; I love the holidays; give me all of the vampires and werewolves; this collection was exactly what I needed! The stories flowed easily and hit each need I was looking for in a romance anthology.

What a misleading mess. Cover is not representative of content. Seven stories are included. Some just happen in the cold or winter season, not really related to mistletoe anything.
Outstanding stories/authors: A Wickwood Christmas by J. E. McDonald (5 star), The Twelfth Bite of Christmas by Gabrielle Ash (4 star) - not sure if HEA or not, Thaw by Lilla Glass (4 star) - angst but not sure if HEA or not.
One's about buying gifts - not real mistletoe or paranormal stuff, one's about a shooting star - not real paranormal. Overall a disappointment, trying to fit stories that don't relate to topic and some with questionable content. I'm hard pressed to give a full numbered rating but I'll be kind and do a 3 star.

A great mix of romance and fantasy in these sexy stories Fast read short stories well written and made to hold your interest. Couldn’t wait to get through each story. Be ready for magical adventures with wear wolves, ghosts and vampires. Highly recommended. I received a free copy on Library Thing.

A great collection of short stories that are quick and easy to read. Perfect lengths to read a story before bed or if you have a little break! The best thing is that a recipe is included at the end of each story! Perfect for the Holidays! The stories all seem to be connected to an already published series, but they can all be read as a standalone. It is good to preview an authors writing style and characters before trying the series! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.