❄️ Book Review: Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood (Kindle Edition, Under the Mistletoe Collection #1)
A snowbound second-chance romance with sizzling tension and emotional depth—Ali Hazelwood brings her signature wit and vulnerability to this holiday novella, where old flames reignite under a blizzard’s hush.
🧠 Overview
Published on November 12, 2024, Cruel Winter with You is the opening story in Amazon’s Under the Mistletoe collection, a series of holiday-themed romances by bestselling authors.
The story follows Jamie Malek, a newly minted pediatrician who just wants to borrow a roasting pan for Christmas dinner. But when she knocks on the door of her childhood best friend’s house, she’s greeted not by the family—but by Marc Compton, her best friend’s brother and the man whose heart she broke. Now a tech billionaire, Marc is brooding, bitter, and still very much affected by their past.
A blizzard traps them together, forcing Jamie and Marc to confront their shared history, lingering feelings, and the pain of unresolved love.
💘 Key Themes & Highlights
- 🌨️ Forced proximity – A classic snowstorm setup that fuels romantic tension.
- 💔 Second-chance romance – Jamie and Marc’s past is messy, tender, and ripe for redemption.
- 🧠 Emotional vulnerability – Hazelwood explores abandonment, regret, and the fear of intimacy.
- 🗣️ Sparkling dialogue – The Truth or Drink game is a standout scene, blending humor with raw honesty.
- 🧬 STEM-adjacent heroine – Jamie’s medical background adds depth and continuity with Hazelwood’s usual academic heroines.
“Outside, a howling blizzard. Inside, a crackling fire. Suddenly, being snowbound with the man she never expected to see again might not be such a bad way to spend a winter’s night.”
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: ~3.72/5 from over 82,000 ratings
- 📖 Readers praise the emotional payoff, cozy setting, and Hazelwood’s ability to pack depth into a short format.
- 🧾 Some felt the story was too brief to fully explore the characters’ history, and a few noted that Hazelwood’s style may work better in full-length novels.
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Novella length – At 73 pages, it’s a quick read best suited for fans of short-form romance.
- 📚 Part of a collection – Can be read independently, but complements other Under the Mistletoe stories.
- 🧠 Emotional focus – Prioritizes character introspection over external plot twists.
🏁 Final Verdict
Cruel Winter with You is a cozy, emotionally charged holiday romance that blends Hazelwood’s trademark banter with heartfelt introspection. Perfect for fans of snowed-in love stories, second chances, and characters who learn that sometimes the heart needs a little winter to thaw.
