The Naughty List - Ellie Mae MacGregor
This short and steamy holiday romance follows single mom Kate alone on Christmas Eve night when Nikolai (the real-deal Santa) comes to deliver presents for Kate's kids. This was a really fun short read. I loved how MacGregor put so much thought into how Santa works in this universe and how he isn't an overly-cheery grandpa type character. Who knew Santa would have a pierced nipple and tattoos. This was a nice mix of light BDSM but overall had a lot of heart and sweetness - perfect for a holiday read. Of course, since it is a 56 page story it is insta-love city which isn't my usual preference but Kate and Nikolai did feel really perfect for each other so I'm overall really happy with the reading experience.
The Geek Who Saved Christmas - Annabeth Albert
This story follow Gideon and Paul who have been neighbors for a few years. Gideon has always wanted to get closer to Paul but his grumpy neighbor has always kept his distance. This year when Paul's younger brother is coming to visit for Christmas and Paul needs Gideon's help to make his house a festive holiday home. I really enjoyed this cute and low-angst Christmas romance. Both Paul and Gideon are in their 40s so they're both pretty set in their lives. I really loved how both of them thought they were fine with their lives but then being together makes them realize just how much they both want to be together long term. I liked the amount of side characters we get to see (family and other neighbors) but I do wish we could see more of Gideon and Paul in their separate lives like going to work or doing stuff around the house alone. We see a smidge of that in the beginning, but once they agree to work together on Paul's situation they are pretty much together for the rest of the book. I really enjoyed how low-angst this was and how the characters were pretty good at communicating their feelings so I think the 'third act breakup' lasted all of 12 hours which I really liked.
Gifting Me to His Best Friend - Katee Robert
This MMF novella is the second in the A Touch of Taboo series and follows Emma, Grayson, and Derek on a snowy Christmas holiday in a cabin. This year, Grayson wants to give his friend an unconventional present for Christmas - Emma and thirty six hours to spend doing whatever they decide. A surprise snowstorm traps the group for some extra time and by the time the roads clear, all three are surprised at how close and how right the time at the cabin felt and maybe they can continue into the New Year. This gave me everything I was expecting - fantastic characters, lots of spicy steamy scenes, and MMF Katee Robert sword cross guarantee. But I honestly wasn't expecting this to have as much emotion as I got from the book - I teared up multiple times. The layering of history and years of friendship between all three of them was wonderfully done and the chemistry was popping off the page.
Jingle Bell Beard - Julie Kriss
This is book #3 in the Kringle Family Christmas series and follows NHL star Matt Kringle and PR manager Jasmine. The two were high school sweethearts until Jasmine broke up with Matt when they were seventeen. Now, Jasmine has been hired for PR by the Kringle family business and she wants to get Matt to help. This was a really cute, small town, first love/second chance romance. I haven't read any of the other books in the series but I wasn't lost at all. I really loved the Kringle family dynamic between all the siblings and I love a good grumpy hero with a heart of gold. Second chance romances are a bit of a hard sell for me, so I liked how the first relationship was all the way back in high school and the reason for that breakup was pretty mild so it didn't bother me that much. Matt has been compared to Roy Kent from Ted Lasso and I haven't seen that show but it seems to be a real big selling point for people so I wanted to include it here as well.
Santa Daddy - Keira Andrews
This MM romance follows recent college grad Hunter returning to his high school job of being an elf for Santa at the local mall while he's trying to figure out what he wants to do with the rest of his life. Nick got roped into playing Santa at the mall this year and he would much rather be at his cabin on his tree farm. At least, he thinks that until he meets Hunter. The two have a rough start to their relationship but when Hunter's car goes off the road during a snowstorm and he ends up at Nick's cabin for the night, they can't deny the chemistry between them (or the shared Daddy kink). This read had a lot of heart and I really liked Hunter and Nick together - they really worked well as a couple despite their age gap. I do wish we saw them interact with more of the secondary characters but we do see enough interaction to know people are happy for them.
Licking Her Christmas Cookies - Alina Jacobs
This is book #4 in the Frost Brothers series and follows Matt Frost - a certifiable Grinch - and Merrie - the embodiment of Christmas spirit. Merrie opened up a Christmas ornament shop in a small town and now she's behind on her rent, a fact which her landlord Matt constantly reminds her. He gives her until December 24th to pay her rent or else he's evicting her. Merrie enters into a local baking competition but when she's paired up with Matt, the sparks and sprinkles start flying. I enjoyed the premise and the characters immensely and with a title like this, there are a ton of Christmas/Holiday related sexual innuendos. Matt is a mix of Ebeneezer Scrooge and The Grinch and Merrie is extremely bubbly and optimistic so this is a really solid grumpy/sunshine read. I also loved the small town and the amount of characters we meet. This was a long read (500 pages!) and I did feel like there was a bit too much repetition for my liking without much plot or character development as a result.
TW/CW: infidelity
Her Night With Santa - Adriana Herrera
This FF romance is the first book in the Toy Runners series and follows adult toy designer
Farnaz Castillo spending a night alone at Santa's beach mansion. Or, spending alone was the plan until Santa, herself (Kristina Kringle), shows up. Farnaz and Kristina have an instant connection and spend a few hot days and nights together. This was a really great short and steamy read that ends with the promise of these characters spending more time together. My favorite part of the book was the world building that Herrera crafted and I've been hearing good things about the second book in the series as well so I'll probably put that one on my list for next year.Pink Christmas - Tabatha Kiss
This is book #2 in the Pink Series and takes place 1 year after the first book. Phoebe and her two boyfriends - Max and Thad - are spending their first big Christmas together and Phoebe is looking forward to her parents visiting. But when they call and say they can't support her 'lifestyle' she's understandably upset so Max and Thad join forces to give Phoebe a Christmas she'll never forget. This was a really great follow up to the first book (which you should read before this one) and just showed how strong the relationship between all the characters are. Max and Thad are best friends since childhood and their dynamic together and with Phoebe is really great. This really read like an extended epilogue and was filled with steamy MFM scenes and a whole lot more heart than I was expecting.
Charming Co Worker - Lauren Runow and Jeannine Colette
This is book #2 in the Falling for the Stars series and follows office friends and co-workers Hunter and Katie. Katie has been nursing a pretty major crush on her boss for years and is finally ready to admit her feelings. She asks Hunter to help her become a Christmas vixen and he agrees, only to sweep in later and declare the two of them are dating - in front of Katie's boss. Now, the plan is to fake date and show the boss what he's been missing all these years. Only, the more time Katie spends with Hunter and begins to see beyond his playboy reputation, the less sure she's becoming that her boss is the one she wants. This was a great friends to lovers, fake dating, office romance. I loved Hunter and Katie and their chemistry works really well. I really liked how slow of a burn this is but it was a little infuriating to be in Katie's head when she's frequently putting herself down. This book is primarily from Katie's POV, but we do get one chapter toward the end from Hunter that lets the reader in on his history with Katie and that chapter really made me swoon.
Faking Under the Mistletoe - Ashley Shepherd
This grumpy/sunshine romance follows Olivia and Asher. She's an intern at a PR company and since she's the embodiment of holiday cheer, she's put in charge of the company's holiday festivities. She's also Asher's assistant and when she's not out getting his very specific coffee order or writing up emails for him, the two are bickering like cats and dogs. But when they run into Asher's ex during one of the holiday events, Olivia volunteers herself as Asher's fake girlfriend. Asher protests, but Olivia is not swayed and as the two spend more and more time together, the bickering turns to banter turns to flirting. As Christmas approaches, everything seems to be going well until rumors about a particular client of the PR firm start gaining traction and Olivia finds out some of the dark secrets of the PR industry that not even her Christmas spirit can clear up. I loved the amount of banter and bickering in this book! It is a pretty slow burn read but the gradual changes in their interactions really show how their feelings are developing. I loved the amount of secondary characters our main characters interacted with and how much insight that gave the reader into the world and the relationship. The subject matter does get pretty heavy but there is a good resolution by the end.
TW/CW: sexual assault, cover-ups
Dipped in Holly - Dana Isaly
This short and steamy follows Holly just after she is dumped right before Christmas in a bar filled with her supposed friends. She's hiding in the bathroom until the bartender/owner Nick comes to get her out so other patrons can use the facilities. He insists on her staying and showing her good-for-nothing ex what he's missing and the two have a kinky and fun one night together. The next day, both are wondering if one night is really enough. I usually prefer my reads longer, but I'm finding these short reads that don't try to force an entire plot arc into the pages are my favorite. I really loved Nick and Holly together and how their connection seemed completely genuine and not some sort of rebound situation. I would have liked to get a better sense of both of their personalities because it really seemed like their connection was mostly physical so maybe a few more conversations between them to see more of that personality connection would have really been great.
Window Shopping - Tessa Bailey
This story follows Stella and Aiden who meet in front of a department store window display. Aiden asks what she thinks of it and Stella doesn't hold back. She finds out too late that Aiden is the owner of the department store but he wants her to apply for their new decorator position. Stella is an ex-con who always dreamed of creating window displays before her life got a bit off track. Now, she's focused taking the lessons she's leaned to move forward in a positive way for her future and find the person she is outside of the toxic friendship she's been caught up in for years. The chemistry between the two is undeniable but they both try to keep their distance. Aiden may seem like a cheerful elf on the outside with his many holiday themed bowties but he's got a naughty streak a mile wide that he's desperate to show to Stella if she'll have him. Stella isn't sure who she is at this point and is even less sure if starting a new relationship with her boss is the best choice for her right now. I really liked the way Aiden and Stella worked through their own relationship hangups together in a way that stayed true to themselves. I really loved Aiden's naughty and nice sides and was so thrilled that Stella loved both sides of him as well. This really felt like a case where both characters worked together so well.
The Christmas Blanket - Kandi Steiner
This second chance romance follows Eliza and River - high school sweethearts married after graduation. They were happy for a while until they weren't and ended up divorced and Eliza left town for years. Now, she's back for the first time in 4 years and when her car goes off the road in a snowstorm, the only person around is her ex husband and his small cabin. The tension while snowed in the cabin is thick but when they start rehashing their past together and learning about the past 4 years apart, it becomes clear that the never stopped loving each other. This was a really sweet second chance romance that I enjoyed. I thought the relationship (past and present) between Eliza and River was really well developed. I loved the almost claustrophobic atmosphere Steiner created in the cabin when the tension was at a high between the two of them. Like I said before, second chance romances are a hard sell for me but I did like the idea that they both had to become their own people before they could come back together even better than before.
Santa Material - MINK
This novella follows Mac and Jocelyn who are neighbors and both in love with each other but thinks the other could never see them that way. Until Jocelyn accidentally kills Santa and is tasked with finding the replacement Santa in time for Christmas. The two team up and quickly fall to the chemistry between them. Turns out, maybe the next Santa is closer than they think. I really enjoyed the world building in this story - there were some great details like the Jingle Phone. This was an entire romance book arc in only 120ish pages so as a result the pacing was really fast and this felt very insta-love central. I did love how Mac and Jocelyn were so oblivious to how the other felt about them (idiots to lovers might be a new trope to explore in 2022). I, of course, would have preferred a longer read if we were going to get a full plot arc but this was a really cute and surprisingly steamy read.
Sugar and Spice - Rebel Carter
This enemies to lovers romance follows feuding bakers Daisy and Austin - the whole town knows them as enemies since childhood. Only now, thanks to Daisy's assistant, they need to convince the town they're actually in love and married to win a reality show that will be filming in town. Daisy is shocked at her assistant, more shocked when Austin agrees to go along with the plan, and even more shocked at herself when being with Austin feels so natural. This was a really cute, low angst read with a great love confession by Austin. There are some cute small town moments and I loved the interactions between Daisy and Austin. There are some really great emotional moments as well which really makes the HEA hit that much better.
Santa's Helper - Shae Sanders
This holiday short follows Felina and Julian. Felina is newly-divorced and takes her kids to the one Black Santa in the area, expecting to see the same man sitting in the chair she's seen over the years. Only the Santa she was expecting has passed away and his son, Julian, has taken over. The same Julian that Felina went on a few dates with in high school who is now a firefighter and she's newly single. This was a really cute story where the two characters reconnect after so many years and find out they work much better together now than they did back in high school. Their backstory was really well fleshed out and I loved how easy their chemistry and relationship developed.
Merry Inkmas - Talia Hibbert
This story follows Bailey and Cash. She's a barista at the local coffee house and he's the mysterious stranger who has been coming in for weeks and only orders a 'surprise me' from Bailey. After an incident at the coffee shop, Bailey finds herself in need of employment and Cash needs a receptionist at his tattoo parlor. Working together, the two of them grow closer, but each of them have their own relationship baggage to work through. I really enjoyed this read but had a hard time with the very hot/cold dynamic of the main couple. Sure, they both had pretty significant relationship trauma from their childhood but it was so significant that when the story ended, I didn't feel confident that these characters were going to have a HEA The epilogue did confirm they were happy and had a family 5 years later but they both read so differently in the epilogue than in the main story that I'm assuming there had to be some pretty significant therapy happening off page. I did love all the side characters and it was refreshing to have a 'Christmas romance' not be so heavy on the stereotypical Christmas side (like many of the other books in this post)
TW/CW: domestic abuse
The Fake Santa Apology Tour - Julie Olivia
This enemies to lovers romance follows Birdie Mae and Nic. The two met twenty years ago on a Christmas Eve that changed both their lives. Now, in a snowy small town, they reconnect. Birdie Mae says Nic is the person who cursed Christmas for the past twenty years and he's doing his best to get her forgiveness because she turned Christmas around for the better for him after that one meeting. This was a really cute read and I loved the small town aspect to it. I loved Birdie Mae's interesting dating history and how complicated her feelings are around Christmas and Santa. I did feel the chemistry between the two main characters was a little on the light side for me, but I loved the ending and how both of them rekindled Christmas magic for the other.
Lovelight Farms - B.K. Borison
This fake dating romance follows Stella and Luka - long time friends who start fake dating to win a competition with a large cash prize that Stella needs to keep her struggling Christmas tree farm running. Stella has a significant fear of abandonment and the one thing she doesn't want is for anything to change between her and Luka that might push him away. This is friends to lovers slow burn perfection. I absolutely loved how effortless and genuine their friendship came across and how easy transitioning it to a full relationship was. This story is told primarily through Stella's POV and we don't find out until later just how deep Luka's feelings go. I can see why Borison would choose to keep this only from Stella's perspective but I would have loved to see more from Luka's side of the situation. That being said, I think it was incredibly clear from the beginning of their arrangement just how head over heels Luka is for Stella and how happy he is for this opportunity to see if maybe she feels the same. I really loved how their friendship stayed central to their relationship and how important it was for both of them.
Merry Ever After - Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward, Lucy Score, Tijan, Kennedy Ryan, Marie Force
This collection of holiday short stories was really great. There's a fantastic range of tropes that made for a very fun and varied reading experience. All of these stories were great, low angst romances that
Hot Item by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward - Getting into a fight with a sexy stranger over the last hot toy on the shelf was not the way I intended to spend Christmas Eve
Very cute single parent romance, really read like a Hallmark movie (4/5)
One Night Only by Lucy Score - After a Christmas Eve concert mishap, divorced Brooke finds herself snowed in with the silver fox retiring rocker she’s been trying to interview.
Steamy rock-star romance that took some surprisingly emotional turns. (5/5)
A Kellan Holiday by Tijan - Humans are so simple with their holiday traditions. They are ignorant of the powerful and majestic creatures among them, like me. I am the most powerful demon above the surface. Nothing can stop me...except, well, some stupid prophecy.
This is a sequel to Tijan's novel Evil. I haven't read Evil and found the worldbuilding and explanations given in this story to be pretty sufficient but I do think I was missing out on some of the emotional background. It was a good paranormal romantic suspense and I might pick up Evil down the line. (3/5)
Holiday Swing by Kennedy Ryan - After trying everything with little improvement, our marriage counselor suggests we experiment to reignite our sex life. A swing party is my husband’s adventure of choice. Once inside, I can’t go through with it. Seeing him walk off with someone else, I realize we want very different things. Our marriage is over, and I have no intention of having a random hook up with a stranger. But then away from the noise and revelry, I find him.
HOT HOT HOT one night stand (5/5)
Nochebuena by Marie Force - Nochebuena is the Cuban community’s Christmas Eve celebration, and in this short story, the cast of Marie Force’s Miami Nights Series comes together to mark the holiday after a year of change that's touched nearly every member of the family.
I haven't read any of Force's Miami Nights series but there was enogh background information provided that I had a good understanding of these characters. It was nice to have such a family-focused story and the character dynamics were great so I'm putting the Miami Nights series on my TBR. (4/5)
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