Review: Mistletoe and Mayhem by Catherine Ferguson

Lola Plumpton can’t believe her luck.

Christmas is coming and her gorgeous boyfriend, Nathan, has offered up his swanky apartment to host the Plumpton family’s festive celebrations. It looks set to be a Christmas to remember. And it is – but for all the wrong reasons.

As the 25th December draws closer, Lola unexpectedly finds herself missing some key components:

1. A job (but who needs one of those anyway, when you’ve got the ultimate family Christmas to prepare for?)
2. Money (no job equals no money, it turns out.)
3. A boyfriend (yup, Nathan the hunk has said adios to Lola – and in the *most* embarrassing way possible…)
4. Somewhere to host her fabulous family Christmas (because of course, no Nathan means no des res apartment.)

Lola’s at a loss about what to do. But one way or another, she’s going to make this the best Christmas her family’s ever had…

Mistletoe and Mayhem is the first book that I have read from this author and it was a fun festive read that highlighted problems that would happen to anyone, in any normal family.

The main character is Lola, she was likeable from the start but it was obvious that she puts everyone else's feelings in front of her own. She has a hunky, personal trainer of a boyfriend in Nathan and an adorably witty house mate in Barb.

As Christmas approaches, Lola somehow manages to agree to host the festivities for her family. Panicking about how she will fit everyone in at her flat, Nathan agrees to let her use his swanky apartment. 

All that changes when, after deciding to go for promotion, Lola is suddenly made redundant and she is dumped by Nathan. The way Nathan did this was awful, I wont ruin it and tell you how, and I know that I shouldn't laugh if this was a real life scenario, but I did. It was cruel and humiliating but hilariously written.

So with no boyfriend, no job or swanky place to host Christmas, Lola starts to panic even more so. Barb is great and offers to help Lola make this a Christmas her family will remember, but expectations are high as they normal go to Lola's brothers for Christmas and Rob's wife Justine is a total control freak and perfectionist!

Whilst Lola manages to get things in place, she has also volunteered to attend choir practise run by her neighbour Jasper, albeit she cant sing! Everyone thinks that Lola and Jasper have a thing when in truth its his flat mate Seb she likes, especially when helps pull out all the stops to help Lola make everything perfect.

Only things don't quite go according to plan. Lola's sister and nephew, Rosie and Josh, are also coming home from Spain for the festive period which means Lola as to find two more beds, and Rob and Justine arrive bringing their frosty marital issues with them. To top all that, there's one dark secret affecting Lola and her excitement for Christmas, all of which comes to ahead when her Dad walks out on Lola's anxiety suffering mum.

Its safe to say that the Mayhem part of the books title is completely accurate!

Most of the characters had huge personalities and you felt like you actually knew them and could picture the family together.

Although ultimately this book was a fun festive read,with a big romantic element (everyone needs a Seb in their lives!!) it did cover some deep issues and although the author didn't go into too much detail on them, what she did cover was done in a sensitive manor to keep the lightness and humour of the book.