Book picks similar to
Bittersweet by Christina C. Jones


romance
novella
contemporary-romance
holiday-romance

The Left of Love


Love Belvin - 2017
    But that's not enough. Kennedi wants to experience the full benefits of her femininity at the tender age of twenty-one, a task she takes on at college, and one she’s more than determined to fulfill. He's an aspiring entertainer from the dark side of the inner city. Survival for Isaak is very much an option he plans to conquer. He has to make it out of his impossible circumstances, and sacrifice is definitely the name of the game, even if it means running the risk of sacrificing one of the most delicate and positively influential bonds he’s ever made. A social experiment has never been so revealing and frightening for either one of these unassuming individuals. How could two people from the starkest contrast of rearing build an impenetrable bond in just three months? How long will it take for them to dig through their differences to understand those forces that connect them? At what cost will they find harmony to coexist? Note: This is the first installment of a three book series. It contains expletive language, sexual content, and ends on a cliffhanger. If you do not wish to have these elements in your reads, this is not the venture for you.

Under His Kilt


Melissa Blue - 2013
    Her imagination runs wild and then fixates on Ian Baird. He'll be working at the Langston Museum for a short stint as a consulting curator. He's Scottish. He believes sex is fun to be had. He's the perfect choice for a fling. She only has to get him break his rule about sleeping with co-workers. Seducing a man was on her bucket list...Ian is no one's fool and knows exactly what Jocelyn wants—him. If she didn't work for the Langston Museum, he'd be more than happy to oblige any and every fantasy she desired, but she's the curator. She's sweet, inexperienced and well liked by everyone including the museum owner and director. Ian can't risk losing such an important contact for his consulting business. Not even when everything within in him craves a taste of her.When Jocelyn sets her sights on him, there's no way Ian can deny her. They agree their affair will end in thirty days. No emotions, no entanglements, just sex. The closer the end date looms, they start to question if it's possible to walk away. They'll either have to come to terms of what they've become or stick to their original agreement.

The Werewolf's Christmas Wish


Kristen Painter - 2016
    The tourists think it's all a show: the vampires, the werewolves, the witches, the occasional gargoyle flying through the sky. But the supernaturals populating the town know better.Living in Nocturne Falls means being yourself. Fangs, fur, and all.Bridget Merrow has almost everything a werewolf could wish for. And it’s not that her awesome family and popular business aren’t enough – she just wants someone to share it all with this Christmas. Too bad the someone she wants doesn’t want her. Or does he?Also in Hex the Halls anthology

Can't Escape Love


Alyssa Cole - 2019
    She's finally taking her pop culture-centered media enterprise, Girls with Glasses, to the next level, but the stress is forcing her to face a familiar supervillain: insomnia. The only thing that helps her sleep when things get this bad is the deep, soothing voice of puzzle-obsessed live streamer Gustave Nguyen. The problem? His archive has been deleted.Gus has been tasked with creating an escape room themed around a romance anime…except he knows nothing about romance or anime. Then mega-nerd and anime expert Reggie comes calling, and they make a trade: his voice for her knowledge. But when their online friendship has IRL chemistry, will they be able to escape love?

Come Home to Me


Jessica Scott - 2014
    But Captain Samantha Egan has come back from the war a different woman than the one who left - and she doesn't know if she can love him anymore.But neither of them counted on the determination of a little girl they both call daughter and if Natalie has her wish, her parents may have no idea what's coming for them. It's going to take Christmas miracle to bring these two wounded warriors back from the edge of a broken heart.This story has been featured in Home For Christmas: A Holiday Duet with JoAnn Ross.

Fire Night


Penelope Douglas - 2020
    It was special."The clock at St. Killian’s chimes as whispers float in the dark staircase above. Snow falls from the black sky beyond the windows, and candles glow, the flames lighting up the longest night of the year.⁣⁣Devil’s Night isn’t the only holiday we celebrate. Tonight, we’re pulling on a different mask.⁣⁣Some call it Midwinter.⁣⁣Others call it Yule.⁣⁣We call it Fire Night.⁣⁣***⁣FIRE NIGHT is a 28K word holiday novella.

Love Around the Corner


Sally Malcolm - 2018
    Two lonely men, destined for each other—if only they knew it.Alfie Carter grew up in New Milton, caring for his sick father and keeping their auto repair shop on its feet. He’s touchy about his poor education and doesn’t take kindly to snide remarks from the town’s prickly bookstore owner—no matter how cute he looks in his skinny jeans. Left to run the family business alone, Alfie spends his lonely evenings indulging his secret passion for classic fiction and chatting online with witty, romantic ‘LLB’ as they fall in love over literature.Leo Novak’s new life as owner of Bayside Books is floundering. And he could do without the town’s gorgeous, moody mechanic holding a grudge against him after an unfortunate—and totally not his fault— encounter last Christmas. Still reeling from a bad breakup and struggling to make friends in New Milton, Leo seeks comfort in his blossoming online romance with thoughtful, bookish ‘Camaro89’. But as the holidays approach, ‘LLB’ and ‘Camaro89’ are planning to meet, and realities are about to collide… This novella is approximately 39,000 words and comes with a HEA guaranteed.

Christmas in the City


L.J. ShenPenny Reid - 2019
    Travel through six cities and fall in love with these enchanting love stories. L.J. Shen & Helena Hunting Just The Tip  It’s not every day you meet a stranger who knows how to jingle your bells… Corinne Michaels & Melanie Harlow Baby it’s Cold Outside My Christmas list did not include a broken heart, freezing temperatures, or my tree stuck in the door to my apartment building, but that’s what I got. Just when I thought Santa had failed me, I got something I never thought to ask for … Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward Kissmas in New York It was just supposed to be a simple kiss with a stranger.  I'd done it to prove a point--that I hadn't lost my sense of adventure. But you know what they say about the best laid plans. Maybe I'd get something in my stocking after all this holiday season... Sierra Simone & Kennedy Ryan The Christmas Crown Noelani, queen of Manaroa, has one mission on her diplomatic visit to the States: forge strategic alliances for her homeland. When she meets brooding security specialist Brock Grimsby, their unexpected alliance heats up the holiday. One night. No promises, but come Christmas, will either be able to walk away? Penny Reid & L.H. Cosway Songbird Two lonely souls find companionship in Dublin for one magical night. Broderick Adams doesn't mind his solitude, until she walks in. Ophelia Kelly sings to heal her heart, but has no idea he's listening. Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy EPIC Jamie and Wes are having a blast living and working in Toronto. Until a scout for another team swoops in to make one of them an offer that might complicate the life they've built together.

Bad Boy Bachelor Claus


Ali Parker - 2021
    Our sprawling chain of department stores are a cash cow like the world has never seen.And it’s all mine.New York’s hottest bachelor is on the hunt, dressed up as Mr. Claus and he’s looking for an elf that’ll hop off the shelf and entertain him.Just my luck that she’s cute, spicy, and doesn’t put up with me. Thankfully she looks stunning in a tutu and elf shoes.Too bad she hates my guts.My playboy ways and smart-mouth remarks haven’t won me any favors with her over the last ten years and that’s not ever going to change.Or is it? It is Christmas after all.The world thinks I’m calling the shots, but they have no idea my little elf has me wrapped around her pointed little finger.

A Kiss for Christmas


Melody Grace - 2013
    In Unexpectedly Yours… Sophie has been dreaming of a magical winter holiday in New York City. Can a chance encounter with musician Austin bring her festive dreams to life?In Holiday Kisses… Writer Dash needs peace and quiet to finish his new script, but he wasn’t betting on inn-keeper Ellie and the local Starbright festival to give him a jolt of holiday inspiration.

Red Dirt Christmas


N.R. Walker - 2015
    We were technically engaged, not that we’d told anyone. He was happy just knowin’ I’d said yes, and I had some head-clearin’ stuff to work through. Knowing I was good enough for Trav was one thing, but knowing if I was good enough to be a husband and father was somethin’ else entirely.Life at Sutton Station had never been better. Business was strong, Trudy and Bacon’s little baby, Gracie, was a few weeks old now and as cute as a button, Ma’s health was good, and my relationship with Laura and Sam was in a pretty good place. And Travis? Well, life with him was still all kinds of perfect.But, to Travis’s dismay, Christmas at the Station was just another day. Another day of getting up before the sun, feeding animals, fixin’ what needed fixin’, and checking water troughs all while tryin’ to keep out of the blistering heat.And this year weren’t much different. Only that it was Travis’s first Sutton Station Christmas. The fact we didn’t go all out with decorations and celebrations baffled him, and if I was bein’ truthful, it disappointed him too.Which was why I had to make it a special kind of Christmas…NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:This book uses Australian English spelling and grammar. There will be words like brumbies (wild horses) Macca’s (McDonald’s) and a serious lack of g’s on most ing words. There are also run-on hyphenated sentences. It’s just how Charlie speaks.TIMELINE ACKNOWLEDGMENT:(beware of spoilers for book 4 below!)Anyone familiar with the Red Dirt Heart series, will know it spans the seasons. In RDH1 when Travis arrives, it’s summer, RDH2 is autumn/winter, RDH3 is spring and RDH4, being Trav’s pov, is back to summer and spans another year. Christmas in Australia is in summer, so according to the actual timeline of the series, Travis’ first Christmas falls between RDH3 and RDH4, though it is not mentioned.So, like a small snippet of something that didn’t technically happen, this Christmas story is of Travis’ first Christmas at Sutton Station, therefore falls between books 3 and 4. They’re not married, there’s no Milly.A small reminder of where the storyline was up to… Travis has asked Charlie to marry him, but they’ve not told anyone yet. Trudy and Bacon have just had their first baby, Gracie, and Nugget still steals every scene he’s in.

#Holiday


Cambria Hebert - 2015
    They clung to the roads, concealing everything with white. It was a beautiful #holiday sight. The paparazzi were out without any care, In hopes to catch Romeo and Rimmel, rumored to be there. When out on the road there arose such a clatter. The Hellcat spun out, but it shouldn’t matter. I pulled out my cell to dial in a flash. But the battery was dead. What useless trash. The moonlight glistening on the new fallen snow Made us forget we needed a tow. For the season was upon us. Our family was alight. Our #holiday was destined to be merry and bright. Bonus content features FIVE #holiday recipes to make and share!

A Very Bossy Christmas


Kayley Loring - 2020
    Me too.And yet, here we are. This isn’t even the most unprofessional thing that’s happened between us in the past couple of weeks.The first was when I agreed to let her have Christmas Day off, but only if she goes with me to three family gatherings as my fake girlfriend.The second was when she caught me belting out a Christmas song on stage in the awful hotel bar.The third was the hot, drunk, angry sex that followed, but I do not regret it.And she hasn’t even found out the real reason I need her by my side this holiday season.I need to pull it together before I do the dumbest, most unprofessional thing of all—fall head over heels in love with the only assistant who’s lasted more than a month at the job and claims to hate me and my moods more than she hates eggnog. And I’ve seen how much she hates eggnog.

Love Next Door


Helena Hunting - 2021
    But when her brother gets into trouble, Dillion reluctantly agrees to return home to take her place at the family business.Being back in Pearl Lake after all these years feels familiar, but also brings a few surprises. She’s quick to notice that someone new has shown up at the cottage next door. Dillion gets more than an eyeful when she goes to check out the newcomer and meets Donovan “Van” Firestone—her beloved neighbor’s grandson—in all his unclothed glory.Having gotten off to a rocky start, it’s not long before they begin bickering with each other all over town. All that back and forth inevitably sparks an undeniable attraction. But Dillion’s family has issues, Van’s family resents him, and neither Dillion nor Van feels truly at ease in the small town. For these Pearl Lake exiles, home isn’t just where the heart is—it’s where things get complicated.

Lovelight Farms


B.K. Borison - 2021
    A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams.In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since she was a kid, she enters a contest with instafamous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, she might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on the application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only … there is no boyfriend.Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just came home for some hot chocolate, and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process.Lovelight Farms is a romantic comedy featuring a handsome, freckled data analyst, a messy, optimistic Christmas tree farm owner, and a small town with the best hazelnut lattes on the east coast. This sweet and steamy romance is a holiday happily ever after.