Mundie Moms

Friday, December 21, 2012

Flashback Friday - Mistletoe, Four Holiday Stories

Written by: Hailey Abbott, Melissa de la Cruz, Aimee Friedman and Nina Malkin
Published by: Scholastic
Release Date: October 1, 2006
Source: Purchased
Buy: amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Synopsis: Snuggle up beside the fire with this juicy collection of four different, but equally sizzling, winter romances.

Glittering white snowflakes. The handsome blond ski instructor. The sparkle on a cashmere skirt. Hot cocoa and kisses in front of a crackling fire. The holiday season is the ESSENCE of magic...and romance. Four of today's bestselling teen authors -- Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods series, The Au Pairs series), Aimee Friedman (Sea Change, South Beach), Hailey Abbott (Flirting with Boys, The Other Boy, Boy Crazy, Summer Boys), and Nina Malkin (Swoon, Swear, 6X) -- bring us delectable tales of love and lust and holiday cheers (and tears) in this one-of-a-kind collection that teens will devour faster than a plate of Christmas cookies.

Okay, so I picked this up at my favorite used bookstore. How could I resist a cover like that?  And yes, I made myself an eggnog latte and read these stories in one sitting.

Working in a Winter Wonderland by Aimee Friedman 
I love stories where the main character longs for a boy who was out of reach a while ago. And when we meet Maxine she's home from college and hoping (and planning) to meet up with Heath (the hot boy from her old high school). But things are not the same at home; her stepdad and mom are more annoying in their affection. Her best friend is away for the holidays with her own family. Most of all, that dress that she has to have for the big party where she's going to talk to Heath -- well, it's expensive. Just when all hope is lost, she runs into Heath and lands an interesting part-time job. The story of a Hannukah-kind-of-girl dressed up as an elf in an upscale department store warmed my heart.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Breakup by Hailey Abbott
Four long time friends are together for the holidays after one of them has been away at college. What happens when the paired off couples no longer click? Do they wander off their separate ways? A sweet story about growing apart and back together again (although not the way it was in the beginning).

Scenes from a Cinematic New Year's Eve by Nina Malkin 
Told in a cinematic fashion, the story moves sometimes disjointedly from scene to scene as we're introduced to some rather interesting Hollywood characters. It's a story that I didn't connect with and I found it hard to keep the larger cast of characters (for a short story) straight. On a positive note, I found myself reminiscing about the book, Less than Zero. The feeling of this story reminded me of Bret Easton Ellis' setting and characters.

The Christmas Choos by Melissa de la Cruz 
I enjoyed this take on a classic Christmas story (no, I won't tell you which one; you'll figure it out when you read it). Sometimes the product placement (name brands appear on almost every page) did pull me out of the story. But, the ending left me with a smile on my face.


This anthology is out of print; it's available as a used book (see links above). I enjoyed seeing these earlier writings from some of YA's most popular authors. I would say that this anthology is for people like me who just can't pass up anything remotely holiday related. Yes, I'm sipping my latte from a Santa mug. Of course, I am.





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