Book picks similar to
The December Deal by Dana Volney


romance
netgalley
short-less-than-130
fiction

One Night of Sin


Elle Kennedy - 2014
    She doesn’t do one-night-stands, but one look at sinfully sexy Gage Holt and she’s willing to reconsider. He makes her want to be bad for once in her life, and she’s prepared to take what she wants.Danger follows former MMA fighter Gage Holt like a shadow. Despite his successes as part owner of Sin, an exclusive nightclub in Boston, Gage can’t risk getting involved with a woman, especially one as sweet as Skyler. Still, he can’t resist a taste—and it’s so damn good he has to see her again. As addicted as he is to her, Gage knows there’s no future for him and Skyler—not with his past lurking in the dark corners of an MMA cage. But Skylar’s tougher than she looks, and she’s ready to fight for her man.

Almost Matched


A.O. Peart - 2013
    SECOND EDITION released in Sept 2016Would you take another shot at love? Or just settle on a friend with benefits?THEIR HEARTBREAKING PAST WILL MOVE YOU. THEIR PASSION WILL MAKE YOU BLUSH. THEIR ANTICS WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD. Twenty-five-year-old Natalie Davenport lugs substantial baggage. One boyfriend after the next has been a total disaster, leaving Natalie distrustful toward the male population in general. So when Colin Hampton crosses her path, she’s cautious. Her heart (and some other body parts!) nudges her to go for it, while her head wants her to run for the hills.Colin is one of those gorgeous guys who attract women, no matter the age or marital status. With a successful career at a popular Seattle radio station, hard body, and charming personality, he is the complete package. But something dark lurks in the corners of his soul; some murky experience that has changed him—maybe for the better, but maybe for the worse.Will he steal her heart and stomp over it like other guys did? Will she let him into her heavily fortified world despite herself?Or will they settle somewhere in the middle—establishing the emotional boundaries to protect them from falling in love?***********************************This dark romantic comedy blends humor, sensuality, and angst, with zany characters and witty dialogue. ***Warning: contains sexual situations (some quite vivid!), profanity, and a high dose of sarcasm. Oh, and there is a lot of appletini and beer drinking. May not be appropriate for readers under 18 years old. Not intended for prudes and killjoys with no sense of humor***THE SERIES:The Almost Bad Boys series are the stories of four feisty twenty-something women who refuse to let their past drag them down.***The books in the Almost Bad Boys series are best read in order. They are not stand-alone books, although these are three different stories/no cliffhangers:Almost Matched (book 1)Almost Broken Up (book 2)Almost Too Far (book 3)***

Talk Bookish to Me


Kate Bromley - 2021
    Kara Sullivan’s life is full of love—albeit fictional. As a bestselling romance novelist and influential bookstagrammer, she’s fine with getting her happily-ever-after fix between the covers of a book. But right now? Not only is Kara’s best friend getting married next week—which means big wedding stress—but the deadline for her next novel is looming, and she hasn’t written a single word. The last thing she needs is for her infuriating first love, Ryan Thompson, to suddenly appear in the wedding party. But Ryan’s unexpected arrival sparks a creative awakening in Kara that inspires the steamy historical romance she desperately needs to deliver. With her wedding duties intensifying, her deadline getting closer by the second and her bills not paying themselves, Kara knows there’s only one way for her to finish her book and to give her characters the ever-after they deserve. But can she embrace the unlikely, ruggedly handsome muse—who pushes every one of her buttons—to save the wedding, her career and, just maybe, write her own happy ending?"A fun and sexy romp, with chemistry that gave me all the feels!" —Jennifer Probst, New York Times bestselling author of Our Italian Summer"Add this book to your TBR list immediately!" —Sarah Smith, author of Faker

Merry Inkmas


Talia Hibbert - 2017
    Christmas just got sexy…"There's a beast inside of me. I keep it caged. You drive it wild.”Cash Evans has come a long way since his troubled childhood, but all the wealth he's earned as a tattoo artist can't fix the hole in his heart. He knows that the sweet barista who haunts his dreams is off-limits... But life doesn't always go to plan.”There isn’t a man on earth who could ruin me.”Bailey Cooper is determined to learn from her mother's mistakes. She's seen how cruel love can be, and she's not about to sacrifice her self-respect for a relationship. But when a bad boy with a heart of gold comes to her rescue, she finds herself wondering if this beast might just be her Prince Charming.Will these two lost souls find a happy ending under the tree this Christmas?Or is their love doomed to wither with the mistletoe?Merry Inkmas is a steamy Christmas romance starring a brooding, bad boy hero and a Black, BBW heroine. Be warned: this love is hot enough to melt any winter frost!

If the Fates Allow: A Short Story


Rainbow Rowell - 2021
    Maybe a little too easily. She’s always liked people better from afar. But Reagan doesn’t want her grandpa to be alone for Christmas this year—he’s already spent too much time on his own in 2020. So she heads back to her hometown with a dish of holiday Jell-O salad, hoping they can have a little normalcy. Hoping it will be safe…She isn’t expecting to run into the boy next door. Mason is all grown up now. He’s considerate. He’s funny. He doesn’t mind how prickly Reagan is—he maybe even likes it. And it makes Reagan feel like her defenses are falling. She needs her defenses, doesn’t she? In a time when six feet is close enough, how long can they keep their distance?

The Bed Mate


Kendall Ryan - 2017
    From crazy ex-girlfriends to one night stands who are stage-five clingers, my relationships go bad faster than the milk in your fridge. The only constant has been my best friend Maggie.Fresh off a bad breakup of her own, I invite Maggie to my guy’s skiing weekend knowing she needs an escape from reality. But then something funny starts to happen. I start noticing things about her that I never noticed before. She’s beautiful and doesn’t know it, she’s funny without even trying, and now she’s suddenly single for the first time in forever. Sharing a hotel room with her proves to be the tipping point in our very platonic friendship. Suddenly I want to put my hands, my mouth, and my ... other parts ... all over her gorgeous body. I want to claim her, make sure no man touches her ever again. But then her groveling ex shows up, and Maggie’s torn. Am I ready to screw up the best relationship I’ve ever had for a shot at something more?

The Plus One


Sophia Money-Coutts - 2018
    She’s single, turning thirty and only managed to have sex twice last year (both times with a Swedish banker called Fred), but seriously, she’s fine. Even if she’s still stuck at Posh! magazine writing about royal babies and the chances of finding a plus one to her best friend’s summer wedding are looking worryingly slim.But it’s a New Year, a new leaf and all that. Polly’s determined that over the next 365 days she’ll remember to shave her legs, drink less wine and generally get her s**t together. Her latest piece is on the infamous Jasper, Marquess of Milton, undoubtedly neither a plus one nor ‘the one’. She’s heard the stories, there’s no way she’ll succumb to his charms…A laugh-out-loud, toe-curlingly honest debut for fans of Helen Fielding, Bryony Gordon and Jilly Cooper. Don’t miss the hottest book of 2018!

Too Good to Be Real


Melonie Johnson - 2021
    Swiping right has replaced getting swept off your feet and good old-fashioned romance has become, well, old-fashioned.A writer for a popular website, love becomes the last thing on her mind when impending layoffs threaten her job. As Julia searches for the ultimate pitch to impress her boss, she stumbles upon a resort offering guests a chance to live out their romantic comedy dreams. Real life dating is so bleak, who wouldn't want to spend a week in a fantasy rom-com world with your best friends?At the resort, Julia literally falls into a not-quite-meet-cute involving an aggressive seagull and an adorably awkward guy named Luke who is also participating in the rom-com experience. Julia hides the fact she is there to do a story, but Luke harbors a few secrets of his own. Among further encounters with thieving seagulls, a gaggle of corgis, kisses in the rain, and even a karaoke serenade, their feelings deepen quickly. But could their love be real when they haven't been honest about their true identities? Once the fantasy is over, can they have a relationship in the real world?

Perfume Therapy


Kirsty McManus - 2016
    Sure, she’s leaving behind an office that doesn’t seem to be able to run without her, and Mia has invited a bunch of her narcissistic friends along to join them, but a holiday is a holiday, right? Wrong. Pickpocketed on her first night and separated from everyone, Chloe soon finds herself stranded in the back streets of Bangkok. Fortunately, her saviour arrives in the form of charismatic perfumer Daniel Richards, whose Scottish accent and amiable nature immediately put her at ease. With Daniel’s help, Chloe is soon back on the metaphorical horse. But with several more unfortunate events befalling her over the following days, she is forced to rely on Daniel again and again to help bail her out. Throw in a jealous absentee boyfriend, a wild neighbour with the propensity to meddle, and a strangely aggressive staff member at Daniel’s perfumery, and Chloe finds herself on the trip of a lifetime. It’s not quite the one she was expecting, but it might just be the shake-up she needs.

Seven Day Loan


Tiffany Reisz - 2010
    Daniel has been a recluse since his wife's death, and Eleanor's lover thinks spending time with her will be therapeutic--especially since Daniel is also a Dom.Despite her defiant streak, Eleanor can't resist giving in to Daniel's erotic demands. But while she'll let him have her body, she's determined to keep a guard around her heart. Even if Daniel wants to make Eleanor his permanently....THE GIFT (ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AS SEVEN DAY LOAN)

Kissmas Eve


M.E. Carter - 2016
    What he does love is sports, the thrill of a competition and the mysterious identity of the woman he’s been flirting with on the company messanger… Meg McClane loves everything about Christmas, from her festive Ugly Sweaters, down to her candy-cane striped toenails. But not everyone appreciates her holiday cheer; not her co-workers, not her bosses, and certainly not Adam Roberts—especially the night they get stranded in the elevators on their way to the company Christmas party…

Her Valentine Fantasy


Nancy Warren - 2014
    And it's not the dessert in front of her–it's her waiter. A guy with dark, intense eyes that suggest he wants to slowly lick whipped cream off her skin. A smile so wicked it makes her insides lava–cake gooey. And a too–hot–to–handle body that was meant to be tasted Yup, Sam The Waiter is better than chocolate.But what Jessica doesn't know is that her one–night–waiter is actually Sam Benedict, Upscale Restaurateur. And that her little lie about being from out of town is going to turn into a Big Deal. Now Jessica is in deep hot chocolate because her Valentine Fantasy is starting to look a lot like a red–hot reality!

Sleigh Bells in the Snow


Sarah Morgan - 2013
    Once upon a time Kayla loved Christmas Now she’s more dedicated to her job than decking the halls, and can’t wait for the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ to be over.Until she arrives at the enchanting Snow Crystal ski resort, determined to win gorgeous owner Jackson as a marketing client.But wooing Jackson professionally quickly turns personal as they spend flirty festive nights in this glittering winter wonderland.With snowflakes swirling and sleigh bells ringing…could Jackson be the one to make Kayla fall back under the Christmas spell?

Hoops Holiday


Kennedy Ryan - 2018
    Years later, they've climbed so high and lost so much, but one thing hasn't changed. The attraction that simmered between them in a locker room before is still there. With success like theirs, everything has been possible... except them.That was then.But what about now?*Hoops Holiday Collection consists of FULL-COURT PRESS, a HOOPS novella originally published in the TEAM PLAYER Anthology. It has been expanded with all-new, never-before-published content & epilogue.It also includes Christmas-themed short stories for characters from LONG SHOT and BLOCK SHOT, books 1 and 2 of the series.

Forbidden Surrender


Priscilla West - 2013
    Billionaire. Bad boy. And dangerously sexy. He was everything I craved, and nothing I needed. Unfortunately, I couldn’t just avoid him. The higher ups at my company decided they needed his business, and I was on the team to bring him in. Vincent Sorenson didn’t seem as interested in business as he was in me, but I knew that was a door better left unopened. If I got involved with him, it would only unearth the pain I spent years trying to bury.I thought I had it under control, but I seriously underestimated Vincent’s seductive charm and silver-tongue. I would soon find out how delicious it would feel to let myself fall into this forbidden surrender.