Book picks similar to
Not So Merry by Lark Anderson
rom-com
arc
opposites-attract
sweet-romance
The Opposite of You
Rachel Higginson - 2017
All men. Famous last words, right? You’re expecting some epic tale of reluctant love and my dramatic change of heart? Well, you’re not going to get it. I’m stubborn. And headstrong. And I’ve just survived the worst three years of my life. After escaping an abusive boyfriend to live in hostels and cheap hotels while I worked my way across Europe, I’ve come to two conclusions. The first? Now that I’m back home, I’m going to squander my expensive culinary degree on a food truck that caters to the late night drunk crowd. The second? I’m going to prove to the bastard across the plaza that my street food is better than his fussy five course monstrosities.Killian Quinn might be Food and Wine’s Chef to Watch Out For. He might have a Michelin Star. He might have every food critic in the city wrapped around his too-large fingers. But he’s also pretentious and unbearably arrogant and the very opposite of me. So he can keep his unsolicited advice and his late night visits and his cocky smiles. I want none of it. Or him. I want the opposite.
Silver-Tongued Devil
Rosalind James - 2016
No more wild side. Blake Orbison’s pro football career with the Portland Devils may have come crashing to an end, but not calling the signals anymore just gives him more time to devote to his business enterprises, including the latest and greatest: the opening of the Wild Horse Resort in scenic north Idaho. And that other one, too. Blake’s on the marriage track now, and he’s got a game plan. But when he runs into a trespasser leaping from his shoreline boulders into his lake, what’s a good ol’ boy to do but strip down and join her? Dakota Savage is nobody’s temporary diversion, least of all the man responsible for her family’s semi-desperate circumstances. Some people may think she has a piercing too many, but she’s had more than enough of being called trash in this town. She’s come home to Wild Horse to run her stepfather’s painting business, and any extra time she has goes into creating her stained glass. An overpaid, entitled, infuriating NFL quarterback is no part of her life plan, no matter how sweet he talks. No matter how slow he smiles. No matter what.
A Very Merry Alpha Christmas
Logan Chance - 2019
North owns a store for the celebrity babies of Hollywood. When Holly accepts a job there, she is immediately intrigued by her Scrooge of a boss. THIS BOOK IS FUN. (No celebrities were harmed in the making of this book)EVEREST:Ginger Darling hates her boss. Meredith Taylor is a mean, overbearing tyrant controlling Ginger's holiday plans in the palm of her greedy hands. Ginger decides her boss needs to get laid, and the stranger she met in the elevator earlier this morning is the perfect choice to stuff Meredith’s stockings. He was handsome enough. Not that she noticed.Everest Snow has a secret, and a mission. He won't let some redhead angel ruin his plans. Date her boss? Gladly, it only helps him achieve his goal...but why can't he get his little matchmaker out of his head? And why is he going along with her ridiculous ideas instead of making a move on her under the mistletoe? Everest and Ginger will liven up your holiday. Get ready.GRAHAM:Graham Steele is the owner of the Mountain Goat Resort and Zoe would love nothing more than to get her handmade soaps in every room. "It was only supposed to be one night of bliss before my big meeting. But, I never expected to run into my one-night stand the next morning as I pitched my proposal. And I never expected his counter proposal...a fake engagement."(Graham is a Holiday Novella previously published in 2018 and will include new bonus material.)
Delivered (A Christmas Novella)
Laura Dunaway - 2014
When she finds herself in labor and stranded in a snowstorm, it seems like her timing couldn't be worse.Doctor Jase Rollins is a well respected doctor who has a knack for being right where he needs to be. When his right place collides with Andi's wrong time, an unlikely and unexpected connection is made that neither can ignore.This Christmas may deliver the best gift of all … a second chance for the woman who lost it all and the man who wants to give her everything.
His Banana
Penelope Bloom - 2018
Seriously. The guy is like a potassium addict. Of course, I touched it. If you want to get technical, I actually put it in my mouth. I chewed it up, too... I even swallowed.I know. Bad, bad, girl.Then I saw him, and believe it or not, choking on a guy's banana does not make the best first impression. I should backtrack a little here. Before I ever touched a billionaire’s banana, I got my first real assignment as a business reporter. This wasn’t the same old bottom-of-the-barrel assignment I always got. I wasn’t going to interview a garbage man about his favorite routes or write a piece on how picking up dog poop from people’s yards is the next big thing. Nope. None of the above, thank you very much.This was my big break. My chance to prove I wasn’t a bumbling, clumsy, accident-prone walking disaster. I was infiltrating Galleon Enterprises to follow up on suspicions of corruption. Cue the James Bond music.I could do this. All I had to do was land the position as an intern and nail my interview with Bruce Chamberson.Forget the fact that he looked like somebody carved him out of liquid female desire, then sprinkled on some "makes men question their sexuality" for good measure. I needed to make this work. No accidents. No disasters. No clumsiness. All I needed to do was hold it together for less than an hour.Fast forward to the conference room before the interview, and that's where you would find me with a banana in my hand. A banana that literally had his name on it in big, black sharpie. It was a few seconds later when he walked in and caught me yellow-handed. A few seconds after that was when he hired me. Yeah. I know. It didn't seem like a good sign to me, either.
Sweet Dreams
Nina Lane - 2016
Sugar Rush Candy Company CEO Luke Stone is a devoted businessman who doesn't do relationships. He does short-term affairs with clearly defined rules. But when a sexy bohemian angel propositions him in a bar, Luke is tempted to want more. Polly Lockhart is horrified when she wakes the morning after her twenty-third birthday to realize she made a fool of herself with a sinfully delicious man. She tells herself she doesn't have time for romance anyway, as she's fighting to keep her mother's beloved bakery afloat and finish her culinary studies. That all changes when her class tours the famed Sugar Rush headquarters, and Polly collides with her dream man again. As she succumbs to their hot attraction, Polly soon realizes her bakery isn't the only thing that needs saving. Luke, driven and unyielding, will burn out unless someone convinces him to taste the sweetness of life. But can Polly remember this sugar rush is only temporary?
Bringing Down the House
A.R. Casella - 2022
Good thing they don’t believe in words like “should.”NicolePeople think I’m crazy…especially my ex-boyfriends. I prefer the term misunderstood. Still, there’s no denying I have a stunning ability to make bad decisions…like seducing the lead actor of the theater company where I just accepted a job.An HR job.In my defense, Damien Mitchell is the most gorgeous man alive, and worse, he’s interesting. Besides, I’m ninety percent sure my new boss is up to something shady. Why should I behave if she won’t? I fully intend to find out what she’s doing, but in the meantime I’m reeled in by Damien. The thing is, it turns out he isn’t just a fantastic actor at a crappy theater. He's—Well, it’s his secret. But I promise it's a good one. I’m going to help him with that and with saving the theater. Whether he wants me to or not.***DamienI’m the only child of two rich narcissists. I’m used to being alone. I like it.But Nicole’s not the kind of woman who can be kept at a distance, and to my surprise, I don’t want to stay away. She sets my blood on fire and pisses me off…and makes me feel alive in a way I’d previously only experienced onstage.I tell her my secrets. I show her my scars. I let her in.We’re both screwed up, so there’s every chance we’ll destroy each other, but she’s not the only one who’s prone to bad decisions.A full-length standalone prequel to the Bad Luck Club series!
Under the Mistletoe
Jill Shalvis - 2012
And the Lucky Harbor Bed & Breakfast is bursting with festive lights and good cheer. But for Mia, Christmas is turning out to be anything other than merry and bright. Her recent break-up with her boyfriend Nick has made her return bittersweet. But then a surprise arrives, when Nick follows her to town bearing gifts-and asking for forgiveness.Nick grew up without a family of his own so he's overwhelmed by the love that Mia receives from all her relatives, gathered together to celebrate the season. Under their watchful eyes, Nick finds earning back her trust the hardest thing he's ever had to do. If he succeeds, he will receive the greatest gift of all, Mia's love for a lifetime.14,000 words
Let it Snow
Delancey Stewart - 2019
I like to know what’s coming next. I plan my days, my holidays, my love life.Which is why, when my fiancé, Paul, unplanned our holiday—and our entire future—just before Christmas, it felt like everything was slipping out of my control.But I didn’t panic. Instead? I planned.I figured a trip home to Oregon to see my family for the holidays would help me forget my failed engagement. Or at provide distraction in the form of Mom’s sugar cookies.The only thing is—you can’t plan the weather. And as soon as I checked in for my flight, my plans were screwed again, and instead of going home for Christmas, it looked like I’d be spending Christmas eve snowed in and all alone at the airport.When a tall, rugged Irishman offers to distract me, first with chocolate, and then with a drink, and then with… other things… I realize that maybe it’s okay to leave things a little unplanned now and then.Let it Snow is a standalone holiday novella that was first published as A Holiday Delay. It has been rewritten and re-edited.
All I Want For Christmas (12 Days of Christmas Book 2)
Hadley Raydeen - 2019
However, when I knew him, all those years ago, I was only his nerd tutor in high school whom everyone hated, including his spiteful girlfriend. But, we all have to grow up sometime. I'm not that young girl anymore. I own a lingerie store in the mall Bryson's family development company owns. Maybe he will come down and play Sexy Santa to bring in the female shoppers and help keep the store open after the holiday—that is if he even remembers me.Jamilya Hawkins was my shy, cute tutor back in high school—even after a couple of negative run-ins we had because of my girlfriend at the time. I was not expecting to see her again, almost twenty years later, not looking like this, hot as hell, owning a lingerie store in my mall development project. When I go down to her store, to say 'hello,' I fall into this Sexy Santa gig to help save her shop and provide Christmas toys for kids. I can't pass up on the chance to get to know her again and discover if she might be All I Want for Christmas.
25 Days 'Til Christmas
Poppy Alexander - 2019
A few years ago, she would have been wrapping her presents in September and baking mince pies on Halloween, counting down the days and hours to Christmas. But that was before Kate’s husband left for the army and never came home. Now she can hardly stand December at all.Kate can’t deny she’s lonely, yet she doesn’t think she’s ready for romance. She knows that her son, Jack, needs a Christmas to remember—just like Kate needs a miracle to help her finally move forward with her life. So she’s decided if there isn’t a miracle on its way, she’ll just have to make her own.As Kate’s advent countdown to the best Christmas ever begins, she soon realizes that even with the best laid plans, you can’t plan for the unexpected. For when the path of the loneliest woman in town crosses with that of the loneliest man, these two destined hearts might find a way to save the holiday for both of them.
Tease Me (Titans: The Reserve #1)
Sierra Cartwright - 2022
Forever.Covert operator and former military officer Nathaniel Stratton has one focus, protecting his country. His dedication to his job means he has no time for relationships, and there’s no place in his life for love.While he’s home on leave, helping run the BDSM club he co-owns, Nathaniel is captivated by the vulnerable and beautifully submissive Alani Dane, one of his employees.For years, Alani has been hiding a secret. She trusts no one, and especially not the overbearing and tempting billionaire who is determined to earn her trust even as he destroys the fortress she’s built around her life, and her heart.When things spiral out of control, and her worst nightmare is realized, Alani has no choice but to count on the persistent alpha protector. Will the price he demands be too high to pay?
The Wedding Date
Kelly Eadon - 2016
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Kate Massie has big dreams-they just haven't worked out. Yet. In the meantime, she spends her days clerking for a judge and her nights fantasizing about her tall, dark, and sexy gym crush. So when she runs into him one night, she's shocked to realize he was her shy, nerdy junior-prom date. But that isn't where the surprises end . . .James Abell needs a date to his sister's wedding. So when Kate agrees, he's relieved . . . until one little lie turns their wedding date into a full-blown fake relationship. Only it doesn't feel fake-not the toe-curling kisses and definitely not the electricity. Neither of them is looking for something real . . . but they just might fall for their own little white lie.
In a Holidaze
Christina Lauren - 2020
She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.
The Wedding Night
Kati Wilde - 2019
The trick is getting her attention. So he approaches the infamous ice queen with an unusual proposition: marriage. The odds of a snowball surviving in hell are better than the chances of a rich, classy lady like Audrey Clarke marrying a mechanic from the wrong side of the tracks. He only hopes that she might consider a business partnership when she’s finished laughing at his marriage proposal. He never expects her to say yes — or that the ice queen could burn so hot. Because Audrey Clarke isn’t cold at all. And if Caleb’s not careful, the only thing he’ll give her for Christmas…is a broken heart.