Therefore, it’s unnecessary to read the Under the Mistletoe books in order.[1-5] However, they may be read in the order listed by the publisher,[6-10] as follows:
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Cruel Winter with You | 2024[6] | A Christmas Eve blizzard strands Jamie with her best friend’s younger brother. |
| 2 |  | Merry Ever After | 2024[7] | A single mother building a clothing business attracts the attention of a Texas farmer. |
| 3 |  | All by My Elf | 2024[8] | Two adjunct instructors are snowbound during a holiday promotional road trip. |
| 4 |  | Merriment and Mayhem | 2024[9] | Holiday mishaps bring a visiting designer into repeated contact with a local firefighter. |
| 5 |  | Only Santas in the Building | 2024[10] | An illustrator receives anonymous ornaments while nursing a crush on her upstairs neighbor. |
Works in sequence
Cruel Winter with You is the default starting point because its Christmas Eve setting and forced proximity represent the collection’s holiday-romance premise, while its flashbacks provide the background needed to understand Jamie and Marc. Readers drawn to a firefighter romance can continue with Merriment and Mayhem, which follows Everleigh and Griffin through a series of holiday emergencies in Port Angeles.[1][4]
For a romance centered on single parenthood, Merry Ever After offers a different entry point. Readers interested in an academic workplace crush can choose All by My Elf. Those who prefer a neighbors-to-lovers story can begin with Only Santas in the Building. Any of these books can be read first without losing context from the others.[2-3][5]
1. Cruel Winter with You
Cruel Winter with You (2024)[6] strands pediatric resident Jamie Malek with her childhood best friend’s younger brother, Marc Compton, during a Christmas Eve blizzard. Their uncomfortable reunion draws on years of shared history and a recent falling-out that neither has put behind them.[1]
The series opens with a self-contained reunion romance, using flashbacks within the book to explain the relationship.[1]
2. Merry Ever After
Merry Ever After (2024)[7] follows single mother Evie Crowe as she raises her infant son and sells upcycled clothing in a small Texas town. Making custom jeans for farmer Luke Ward brings them closer, despite their different expectations about commitment.[2]
It contributes the series’ single-parent romance, with a separate cast and a courtship shaped by the role a new partner might play in Evie’s family.[2]
3. All by My Elf
All by My Elf (2024)[8] traps adjunct history instructors Nina and William in a mincemeat-themed promotional vehicle during a Christmas Eve snowstorm. Nina’s belief that William is involved with their colleague Claudia complicates the attraction she has been trying to conceal.[3]
This book brings a self-contained workplace romance to the series, as a seasonal side job moves the colleagues beyond their university setting.[3]
4. Merriment and Mayhem
Merriment and Mayhem (2024)[9] follows designer Everleigh Dangerfield to Port Angeles, where she is preparing her late grandmother’s house for sale. A succession of holiday mishaps brings firefighter Griffin Brantley into her life, but her planned return to Seattle discourages her from pursuing him.[4]
The series’ firefighter romance is self-contained, with no earlier book needed to explain Everleigh’s visit or her growing connection with Griffin.[4]
5. Only Santas in the Building
Only Santas in the Building (2024)[10] follows comic book illustrator Ivelisse “Evie” Cruz as anonymous handmade ornaments begin appearing outside her Manhattan apartment. A building Christmas party offers a chance to act on her crush on upstairs neighbor Theo Winters while she adjusts to life after her grandmother’s death.[5]
It rounds out the series with a neighbors-to-lovers romance.[5]
References
- Cruel Winter with You. Amazon Original Stories. ISBN: 9781662528392.
- Merry Ever After. Amazon Original Stories. ISBN: 9781662528736.
- All by My Elf. Amazon Original Stories. ISBN: 9781662528231.
- Merriment and Mayhem. Amazon Original Stories. ISBN: 9781662529344.
- Only Santas in the Building. Amazon Original Stories. ISBN: 9781662529375.
- Cruel Winter with You (Under the Mistletoe collection) – Kindle edition by Hazelwood, Ali. Romance Kindle eBooks. Amazon.com.
- Merry Ever After (Under the Mistletoe collection) eBook : Bailey, Tessa: Kindle Store. Amazon.com.
- All by My Elf (Under the Mistletoe collection) eBook : Dade, Olivia: Kindle Store. Amazon.com.
- Merriment and Mayhem (Under the Mistletoe collection) eBook : Bellefleur, Alexandria: Kindle Store. Amazon.com.
- Only Santas in the Building (Under the Mistletoe collection) eBook : Daria, Alexis: Kindle Store. Amazon.com.