She was a summer mistake. Now she’s standing under his mistletoe.

Ellie Springer never planned to fall for her ethics professor. Especially not before she knew who he really was. Now, with her grad school future uncertain and grief weighing heavy on her heart, she’s returned home for the holidays to help save her family’s struggling bakery—and avoid thinking about Gabriel Kane.

Gabriel doesn’t do Christmas. He doesn’t do emotions. And he definitely doesn’t do second chances. But when he walks into The Sugarplum Bakery and finds Ellie behind the counter—in flour-dusted aprons and flower crowns—he realizes some ghosts don’t stay buried.

As peppermint mochas brew and regrets resurface, old feelings begin to thaw. But with town gossip swirling and boundaries blurring, Ellie and Gabriel must decide: can love survive the rules they’ve broken—or will holiday magic melt away with the snow?

Titles in the Evergreen Hollow Christmas Romance series include: Mistletoe & Motor Oil ~ Yuletide & Yearnings ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with age-gap, Grumpy/Shunshine tropes, with either closed doors or fade to black.

Title:  Yuletide & Yearnings
Series:  Evergreen Hollow Christmas Romance #2
Author:  Harper Pugh (Heather C. Myers)
Published:  July 28, 2025
My Rating:  4 stars

Yuletide & Yearnings is the second title in the Evergreen Hollow Christmas Romance series.  Ellie was usually a follower of rules, but this night, she’d had enough and set out to have just one night, one night where the lines could blur for a bit.  She’s in her final year of grad school, dealing with issues, and the last thing she expected was her one night to be with a man who would turn out to be one of her professors at school.  Gabriel is a man who normally does not take chances; to say he’s a bit of a grump would be an understatement.  Yet, this night, he shoved all of those voices of caution and doom in his head aside to enjoy an encounter with a charming woman.  Mistake, maybe.  But the best mistake he’d ever made, if they both can survive the backlash.

I enjoyed Ellie and Gabriel as they navigated an age gap, definitely a Sunshine/Grumpy relationship that so many in their small community would see as forbidden.  There are problems to be dealt with, Gabriel’s hesitancy, yet as a couple, they work, they fit, no matter the opinions of anyone else.  If you love your heroines’ sassy and your heroes grumpy, then you’ll love Yuletide & Yearnings by Harper Pugh.  I had a good time in this world, and would recommend it for the Christmas season vibe, the bit of taboo feelings, and the love of two unlikely lovers who take on the world on their own terms.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)