Book picks similar to
The Christmas Wife by Elizabeth Kelly


romance
contemporary-romance
marriage-of-convenience
christmas

To Have and to Hate


R.S. Grey - 2021
    Walt didn’t crack smiles or pepper in pleasantries as we exchanged hollow vows in front of the judge. His disdain for me was so palpable I assumed we’d walk out of that ceremony and resume our regularly scheduled programming. But then fate was like, Hold my beer. I got this.In desperate need of help and with nowhere else to turn, I had no choice but to ignore a crucial rule in our contract: I shall only contact Mr. Jennings II in case of emergency. But hey, what’s a little fine print between husband and wife?Turns out, Walt’s a stickler for legalese—I think it might be his love language. Oh, and his attitude at the courthouse wasn’t a put-on. My so-called husband is a jerk. He takes what he wants without giving any consideration to other people—specifically ME, his blushing, contractually-obligated bride!I knew life with Walt would be no honeymoon, but a marriage of any sort should still come with a few standard guarantees:To have and to hold.For richer or poorer.In sickness and in health.But after experiencing Walt’s version of wedded bliss, I say let’s forget about all that lovey-dovey crap and just take me straight to death do us part.

The Sham


Stella Gray - 2020
    I'm the first to admit it. Only privately, of course. Notorious playboy Luka Zoric needs a wife, and the good PR it brings. I just need the career boost being his top model will give me. It's a win-win--on paper. But since when has real life been simple? His jealousy makes me crazy. The control he maintains over my body is unacceptable. I really shouldn't be so turned on by it. But there's more to both me and my husband than meets the eye. And it isn't long before I'm wondering--which of us has made the bigger mistake? Book one of three.

Holding You


Jewel E. Ann - 2014
    It contains explicit language and sexual content. Deep breath … I am peaceful, I am strong. Free-spirited Addy Brecken is Milwaukee’s most talented vegan chef and co-owner of Sage Leaf Café. She has a genius IQ, a padded savings account, an amazing view of Lake Michigan, and a heart that won’t stop beating. Deep breath … I am peaceful, I am strong. An early April morning finds her drowning in the seductive fragrance of lilacs and the warmth of the morning sun when she’s nearly hit by a car in front of her café. The peaceful existence she’s desperately tried to maintain after the horrific loss of her family is suddenly shaken by the Range Rover driving, arrogant, sex-on-legs Quinn Cohen. Deep breath … I am peaceful, I am strong. A successful, Latino businessman from New York, Quinn has a taste for the finer things in life. A typical playboy, he has the money, the houses, the cars, and the women. Quinn is everything Addy avoids. Where she lives simply and prefers to help the less fortunate, he has no problem spending an obscene amount of money on a briefcase. Their opposite personalities lend to several heated encounters, and Addy finds herself propositioning Quinn for the one thing she never imagined needing … sex. Offering only her body, Addy tries to keep Quinn at a safe distance from her heart and a world away from her past. Their passion-filled connection makes Addy feel something unfamiliar, alive. But with passion comes more feelings: anger, jealousy, love. When Addy surrenders to the unimaginable and lets go of her past, she’s faced with the impossible … holding on to her future. Deep breath … I am peaceful, I am strong.

Shameless


Lex Martin - 2016
    Brady… What the hell do I know about raising a baby? Nothing. Not a goddamn thing. Yet here I am, the sole guardian of my niece. I’d be lost if it weren’t for Katherine, the beautiful girl who seems to have all the answers. Katherine, who’s slowly finding her way into my cynical heart. I keep reminding myself that I can’t fall for someone when we don’t have a future. But telling myself this lie and believing it are two different things. Katherine… When Brady shows up on a Harley, looking like an avenging angel—six feet, three inches of chiseled muscle, eyes the color of wild sage, and sun-kissed skin emblazoned with tattoos—I’m not sure if I should fall at his feet or run like hell. Because if I tell him what happened the night his family died, he might hate me. What I don’t count on are the nights we spend together trying to forget the heartache that brought us here. I promise him it won’t mean anything, that I won’t fall in love. I shouldn’t make promises I can’t keep.SHAMELESS is a standalone companion novel in the Texas Nights series. BREATHLESS, Joey and Logan's book, releases Feb. 18, 2020!

Crave


Monica Murphy - 2013
    Being forbidden and untouchable only makes her more tempting. When a million-dollar bet with his friends throws down a challenge—last bachelor standing takes all—Archer knows he can win. That is, until one enchanted evening with Ivy takes his heart for a ride.Ivy knows Archer is nothing but bad news: Infuriating, arrogant…and completely intoxicating. But despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to keep away. When a stolen kiss leads to a night of heated passion, Ivy realizes she’s in trouble and in head over heels.But in the light of day, everything seems clearer and Archer’s not so sure a one-night stand is all he wants. Concocting a plan to keep Ivy by his side, Archer might just be willing to lose this bet…and win the jackpot instead.

Toward the Sound of Chaos


Carmen Jenner - 2016
    At twenty-two, he went in to the Marine Corps a naïve, troubled youth. Nine years and four tours later, Jake finds himself back on US soil, though his mind remains firmly planted in the sands of Afghanistan with the men he left behind.Wounded, chewed up and spat out by war, Jake has only his dog, Nuke, PTSD, and survivor’s guilt to keep him company. He’s lived every day for nine years wondering when it will be his last, but there’s little comfort in the fact that he’s still standing when his platoon isn’t.Ellie Mason doesn’t have time for broken. She’s too busy trying to put food on the table. And keeping up with the demands of her autistic son, Spencer, is sometimes like fighting behind enemy lines. As if navigating the minefields of single parenthood isn’t enough, Ellie finds herself drawn to the quiet Marine who’s just as lonely as she is. But she’s loved damaged men before, and it left her wounded.Set against the picturesque backdrop of Fairhope, Alabama, Ellie and Jake find themselves running toward the sound of chaos.Love is war.Only the strong survive, and surrender is inevitable.

The Office Party


Whitney G. - 2020
    I tear the tag off whatever my sister gifts me, add a five-dollar amazon gift card, and hand it off to him.It’s not until my sister sends me a text that I realize how terrible of a decision that was.Georgia: Why haven’t you sent me a 'LOL' about the brand-new vibrator I got you? I really do hope that you use your boss’s face as a muse, like my note says. :-)If that’s not bad enough, this year’s "luxury trip" will be in my hometown--the place I've avoided for years. At the resort that my grandmother owns...If the universe gets me out of this, I will never ‘regift’ anything ever again…

Studmuffin Santa


Tawna Fenske - 2017
    Not a fan. So why am I wearing a Santa suit and letting frisky moms paw me at a reindeer ranch?It might have something to do with the family crisis that drew me home between tours as a career Marine. Or maybe it’s my urge to cozy up with the prickly reindeer rancher whose curves give me visions of something way hotter than sugarplums.Jade King isn’t thrilled I’m here, and she’d be less thrilled to know her sister hired me to keep an eye on things. Someone’s set on sabotaging the ranch, so I’ve got a built-in excuse to get close to Jade.I could swear the attraction’s mutual, but something’s holding her back. Some secret in her past that has her pushing me away like a bad batch of eggnog. It’s almost as baffling as all these accidents at the King sisters’ place. Seriously, who’d screw with a reindeer ranch?Between sexy Santa suit malfunctions and risqué Christmas cookies, Jade and I keep ending up under the mistletoe together. Is there any chance we can mesh our Christmas wish lists, or will it all crash down like a fat man in an iron sleigh?

How the Hitman Stole Christmas


Sam Mariano - 2020
    I was just doing a good deed. I saw a car stranded on the side of the road in the middle of a snowstorm and decided to help—didn’t expect to get anything out of it.Even criminals can do nice things every once in a while. When I approached the driver, my motives were as pure as the snowflakes clinging to the silky strands of her long, dark hair. Her tire had popped and she didn’t know how to change it. Clearly, the damsel was in distress. Unfortunately for her, I’m no white knight. Now, I’m a decisive man. Once I make a decision, it’s pretty much a done deal—and it didn’t take me long to decide Autumn was going home with me for the holidays, whether she wanted to or not. I was prepared for stealing Autumn to change my plans, but I wasn’t prepared for her to be such a quick study. I may be the one who stole a girlfriend for Christmas, but if I’m not careful, this pretty little snowflake just might steal my heart. **How the Hitman Stole Christmas is a full-length, standalone novel.

Ensnared


J.S. Scott - 2018
    Scott. Wildlife conservationist Jade Sinclair isn’t used to having money. But when she and her siblings learned they were part of the mega-rich Sinclair dynasty, they became billionaires overnight. Jade doesn’t even know how to act rich, especially when she’s dealing with an arrogant, privileged, unreasonably sexy snob like Eli Stone.Unlike Jade, Eli grew up rich, and he just keeps getting richer. Eli is always looking for an adventure, and he’s found an inviting one in Jade—as resistant as she is irresistible. His less-than-honorable plan? Get her alone in the wilderness by buying out all the spots in her survival class.Calling a truce, they strike a bargain: Jade will teach Eli basic survival skills, and he’ll teach her how to navigate the world of the wealthy elite. Jade has only one condition—she will not let herself be seduced by him. But some things are easier said than done…

Dipped In Holly


Dana Isaly - 2021
    Less than a week before Christmas. In public. Dressed as a slutty Mrs. Claus. All she wants is to hide in the bathroom and have a breakdown in peace. But the Silver Fox who owns the bar has other plans. The moment Nick takes in Holly’s grey eyes and sassy attitude, he’s hooked. There’s no denying the attraction that has sparked between them. And when that tension finally snaps, he finds himself taking Holly to bed. A kinky one night stand later, and they’re left questioning if it was enough.

Wait for It


Mariana Zapata - 2016
    Diana Casillas can admit it: she doesn't know what the hell she's doing half the time. How she's made it through the last two years of her life without killing anyone is nothing short of a miracle. Being a grown-up wasn't supposed to be so hard. With a new house, two little boys she inherited the most painful possible way, a giant dog, a job she usually loves, more than enough family, and friends, she has almost everything she could ever ask for. Except for a boyfriend. Or a husband. But who needs either one of those?

Wind Chime Café


Sophie Moss - 2014
    Hearing rumors that a developer is about to build a five-star resort on the sleepy Chesapeake Bay island, she plans to transform the café into a premier upscale bistro. But Annie’s life is about to get a lot more complicated.Back on Heron Island for the first time in ten years, Navy SEAL Will Dozier has no intention of selling his grandparents’ property to a developer. As he works on renovating the house and trying to find another buyer, he’s forced to face a painful reality—that he’s secretly struggling with PTSD. Determined to hide his troubles from the rest of the islanders, Will decides that a fling with the new girl is the perfect way to help him “get his head straight.” The last thing Will expects is to fall in love…with his hometown and with Annie. But Will’s life and career are in San Diego with the SEALs. Can Annie’s love and the healing magic of the island be enough to convince him to stay?

On One Condition


Diane Alberts - 2012
    She hates romance, hates commercialism, and definitely hates her school’s annual charity date auction. She never expects her pre- auction night of drinking to land a sexy Brit in her bed. Or for that Brit to show up at the auction, bid thousands just to talk to her again, and get down on one knee in front of everyone and ask her to marry him.Viscount Damon Hayes has never met anyone like Johanna. She’s neurotic, fascinating, and fun. She also doesn’t care about his title and doesn’t want his money, which makes Johanna perfect to fulfill a surprise clause in his father’s will: marry within three months and remain married for a year, or lose his fortune. A relationship is out of the question, but when passions ignite and the two fall in love, their marriage of convenience becomes anything but.Previously released on Entangled’s Ever After imprint in February 2012

Unwrapping Her Perfect Match


Kat Latham - 2014
    She’s a calm, capable nurse saving lives in a busy London hospital, but healthy men give her heart palpitations. When larger-than-life rugby player “Little” John Sheldon convinces her to bid on him in his team’s fundraising auction, she discovers how pleasurable heart palpitations can be.A rugby player was stirring, with desire no one could douse…John has wanted Gwen since he first saw her, but when he’s injured in a match just before Christmas he suddenly needs her too. Not only can the sexy nurse help him recover, but she might be able to help him look after his daughter—a shy ten-year-old who speaks only French.But will it be a Happy Christmas for all, and for all a good night?From decorating the Christmas tree to ice skating at the Tower of London, Gwen helps father and daughter open up and bond with each other—and she bonds right along with them. But when John’s agent calls with a life-changing offer, Gwen has to decide how far she’s willing to go for her perfect match. Will their first Noël also be their last?