Wall Street financial wizard Christopher Winters might be the undisputed ruler of every stock market he plays in on the planet, but behind the ice-cold tough facade and the brainy bravado, he keeps hidden a heart that hasn’t belonged to him in fourteen years and his charming smiles never reach his eyes. He was lucky to meet his one true love early in life, but there’s a problem: she has never … never seen him as anything more than her nerdy childhood friend.
Now every year in December he gets to spend an entire week in close quarters with her, since their families are tighter than ever, relaxing in the snowy Aspen by occupying every waking moment obsessing about what he can’t have, avoiding awkward moments all over the place and being constantly scolded by his matchmaking mother about how bad it is of him to insist on being single while they all celebrate Christmas together.
Isn’t that nice?
Hope Snow loves the Season to be Jolly with all her heart. Every year she can’t wait to leave San Francisco and the fancy art dealing world behind to go spend time with her family and the Winters during their traditional 7-days-of-Total-Christmas-holiday in their usual frosty paradise.
The best part is that she gets to see Chris, her dearest friend in the whole world, but, of course, there’s also a worst part and that is being constantly nagged by her mom about finding the one, settling down and having half a ton of babies, as if she needs a yearly-reminder about how broken she must be for being unable to fall in love!
Not this year, though.
She has a plan this time around or better yet: she has a deal in mind and the only thing she needs is for Chris to play along.
And Christopher?
Well, he loves her too much to refuse, but how far can you push a man in love before his control finally snaps?
Dear Reader:
This is a standalone, No-cheating and HEA-guaranteed sensually-sweet holiday novella that features an obsessed OTT Alpha at the end of his twinkling-lights-rope, a sassy but totally clueless curvy heroine who’s been waiting under the mistletoe all her life for her first kiss and plenty of naughty times that would make the baddest of Santas blush.
These two may have no idea of what’s going on in their hearts, but oh boy: when they do catch up, even the snow-capped Aspen gets tropical ho-ho-hot , so you might want to ditch the hot cocoa in favor of some icy beverage while you read this, fair warning!
*Please note that A Holly Jolly Deal is book 12 in the ’A Forever Safe Christmas’ multi-author collection, each one of the stories is set in its own universe so the books can be read in any order and also as standalones.
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This was a good story. It had lots of angst at the beginning (I was ready to shake the two of them) and then lots of heat when they finally got together. Sweet story.
This is another good read from Ember Flint ,,,,,
Christopher Winters is a Wall Street financial wizard ,,,,, but his heart hasn’t been his own for 14 years ,,,, see, he is so in love with his best friend, Hope Snow ,,,,, see their father’s are best friends, have been since 2nd grade ,,, they own Snow & Winters Construction Company until they retired 2 years ago ,,,, the fathers actually married best friends and they have been together for years ,,,, Hope Snow has been in love with her bestie, Christopher Winters, but she is too much of a chicken to tell him, afraid of rejection and afraid of losing his friendship,,,, until things between them started to heat up,,,,,
I really enjoyed this story by Ember Flint ,,,,, there was some action and adventure along with some great steamy scenes between these 2 characters ,,,,, I would so totally recommend this book to anyone,,,,, I have gotten this ARC voluntarily to do an honest review ,,,,
Wow this book get so hot you may need a cold shower I absolutely could not get enough of this I was hooked from the first page great writing job bravo loved it and if anyone is looking a steamy wonderful read then add this one to your list you will not be disappointed I was not, I loved it
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An amazing and entertaining fast pace best-friends holiday romance! The story line is well-developed, emotionally deep, witty, funny, steamy, well written, and relatable. Likeable characters; their chemistry is intense and off the charts! Definitely recommended!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is book twelve in the A Forever Safe Christmas series. This is a multi author series and each is it’s own book. This is Chris and Hope’s story. They have been childhood friends forever and its another holiday vacation. Their families get together in Aspen for a winter holiday for seven solid days which each of these characters view differently. Chris’s plan this year is to survive the vacation without doing something embarrassing, like.confessing his love for Hope. Hope has a plan to make a deal Chris to be secretly dating. What could go wrong? What a sweet and steamy holiday read. Enjoy!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love a good friends to lovers book and this was definitely that. I liked that Chris and Hope were friends but each had feelings for the other they were worried about sharing. This was a good short holiday read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Chris has been in love with Hope since he turned sixteen but never thought she would feel the same. Hope is tired of her mother’s nonstop match making so even though they have grown apart she reaches out to Chris. She asks him to meet her in an airport so they can go to the resort together and that they pretend to be together so they would be able to enjoy the holiday. However what she hadn’t counted on was that one kiss with Chris would rock her world and make her realize her feelings for him. She doesn’t think he feels the same so she acts like its all pretend but will it cost her the man? Will Chris give up trying to get Hope to see him as something more?
This is an amazing holiday story that will get you in the spirit. The chemistry between them is blazing hot. This is a well written and very entertaining story. I would recommend this book to any book lover.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There’s never a dull moment when reading one of Ember Flint’s novels. This one is full of meddling mamas…and siblings. They even resort to using the children to execute their plans…smh lol!! It’s a wonder Hope and Christopher lasted as long as they did!! I’m all for a good…and steamy…love story that ends in a HEA!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Seven days of total Christmas holiday.
Christopher has had a massive crush on Hope for 14 years, but never had the berries to tell her so.
At 29 and 28, He and Hope are VCards. It’s so sweet! And tots kind of hot.
Hope is clueless and hasn’t ever been in love.
This Christmas, they are gonna fake couple it, until just hours in, it’s the real deal.
How do I like my Christmas fantasy? With two best friends, both vCards finally falling in love, with a double helping of sweetness and a side of steam.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a short friends to lovers holiday romance. Chris has loved Hope since they were teenagers but never told her. now 14 years later hope has a plan to get their mothers off their backs. Will the plan backfire or work out for the best?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Book twelve in the A Best Friends to Lovers Holiday Romance/A Forever Safe Christmas series. A well written story with a very good storyline, it kept me turning pages. Wall Street financial wizard Christopher Winters has been in love with Hope Snow for fourteen years. When they pretend to be together so their parents will leave them alone about dating someone seriously, Holly might just see what Chris means to her. I enjoyed reading their story and seeing how they get their happy ending. This book comes with two Epilogues. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If you have real feelings for someone, playing with a faux romance is playing with fire. Either things get hot, or someone gets burned- occasionally both.
Friends to lovers sweet romance
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a wonderful seasonal friends to lovers romance
Chris and Hope where childhood friends as where their families but by the time he was sixteen Chris knew that he wanted more than friendship so he pulled away from Hope to protect himself Now fifteen years later neither has married and their parents are determined to marry them off So to give themselves a break from the match making Hope suggests that they pretend that they are a couple only problem is it is starting to feel far to real Will these two finally admit what they mean to one another and start to plan the future they deserve You will have to read to see
As per usual, Ember Flint knocks it out of the park. This is such a sweet book!! Chris and Hope are so cute and I fell in love with them immediately. They had such a beautiful romance with the perfect amount of steam. Loved this!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Chris and Hope have been friends forever because their families are best friends but when Chris develops feelings for Hope their friendship is strained. Years later to stop their moms from nagging them to settle down Hope comes up with a deal that they pretend to be a couple. Chris reluctantly agrees but things turn real fast. I loved this book! I loved that they both waited for each other. The epilogues were adorable! I loved that Hope had been in love with Chris the whole time too but took him admitting it to realize. Ember does a great job coming up with characters that you fall in love with. You root for them and can’t wait to see what happens. I couldn’t put the book down. I highly recommend this book. This book was also part of the forever safe Christmas series but can be read as a standalone but I recommend all the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Hope has never been kissed or in a real relationship. Her mother is pushing her to get married and have babies, but she’s not ready yet. Chris has been in love with her for years, but she doesn’t know it. And his mother is after him to get married and have kids. They were best friends as children, their fathers are best friends since second grade, and they married women who are best friends, so the families spend every Christmas together. Hope has an idea – if she and Chris pretend to be in a relationship, the moms will leave them alone for a while. How hard could this be? This is a very sweet book, and steamy at the same time. Chris is so in love with Hope, yet unable to let her know. And she’s so inexperienced that she doesn’t realize what’s going on between them. I loved seeing her plan backfire, as they head for their happy ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Truly a fun book to read, love the storyline and characters who have know each other all their lives only to reluctant to act on their feelings. Outrageous moms who give the best guilt trips, to help their single children to find that someone special. Wonderful epilogues give a fitting end to this merry little tale.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4 1/2 Stars!!
I loved this second chance story with zero drama and one hundred percent romance and feel good vibes!
The dual POVs were well written with easy to follow inner dialogue that enhanced the storyline.
Sweet touch with having Chris loving Holly secretly for fourteen years before breaking under the pressure of being her pretend boyfriend. Lots of unbelievable little details dealing with their mutual innocence, but made it more of a fairytale with a super sweet HEA that was very satisfying.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Adorable Christmas story about finally finding love when its been right under your nose the entire time. Chris has loved Hope for the past 14 years but she only seen him as her friends. Can he finally convince her that they are meant to be or will he go back to New York broken hearted?
-safe read
-dual virgins (he has kissed one other person trying to get over her)
-no om/ow drama
-epilogue 1 year and 5 years after that
This was such a perfectly balances sweet & spicy Christmas treat! The characters had wonderful background, personalities, a mixture of strength and vulnerability, and the incorporation of family was the best (crazy, goofy group). Flint, as always, makes the reader feel more like part of the interplay rather than a casual observer or voyeur.
Chris and Hope have spent Christmas together for as long as they can remember because their parents are so close. The two were the closest kind of best friends. That was until, after spending nearly a year separated, Chris realized he felt more for Hope than friendship. She still saw him as her BF, and his heart could not take it. (Not to mention the physical reaction he got when he was around her!) His need to maintain their friendship, while protecting his heart, resulted in him moving across the US for school & work. Hope really did not understand, she only knew she was loosing her best friend.
At Christmas, in order to avoid her mother’s matchmaking (and help Chris avoid his, too), Hope suggests a pretend fiancé situation. Though it will kill him, Chris agrees. The sparks, and eventual explosion, that follow are best first hand – no spoilers here!
Find out if Chris survived the 7 days of Christmas with ‘fiancé’ Hope.
I was gifted with a early Christmas present, an ARC of this book! This is my honest and unbiased opinion/review.