Deadbeat Holiday

He was supposed to be her fake fiancé for one snowy Christmas week. He turned out to be the billionaire judge who could make or break her dreams. Desperate to save her failing small town bakery, Elodie Voss enters the Hart Holiday Bake-off, a nationally televised competition with a $500,000 grand prize. There’s only one problem, it’s time for her family’s yearly Christmas retreat and they are determined to find someone for her to marry. Solution? Hire her grumpy, very hot neighbour Cassian Hart as a pretend fiancé to keep them off her back. Cassian agrees instantly, anything to escape his own family’s matchmaking. What Elodie doesn’t know, Cassian isn't just rich. He’s the reserved heir to the Hart Estate of Cuisines empire-the secret major sponsor and final judge of the very contest she’s competing to win. When Elodie's vicious step-sister uncovers the truth and threatens to expose them on live television, one fake relationship becomes terrifyingly real. This Christmas the sweetest prize isn’t the trophy. It's deciding whether to trust the man who could ruin her…or the heart he’s determined to win.

After spending the past month working overtime and burning the midnight oil every day, I finally closed a business deal that's worth 50 million dollars before the company's annual dinner. My boss, William Lewis, begins giving away the end-of-the-year bonuses with a wide smile on his face. "The finance director helped our company save three million dollars worth of taxes. He will receive a villa by the river as a gift." "The head of IT led the team and solved various difficult problems. He shall receive 200 thousand dollars in cash." "Lily Lane, the receptionist, has always shown a great attitude whenever she greets the clients. She shall receive a Hermes bag." When it's my turn, I wipe the sweat off my palms before accepting my bonus. But upon opening the giftbox, I see three entrance tickets to the local zoo instead. "You must be sick of receiving commissions all the time as the sales director. Why don't you take advantage of this holiday to spend some quality time with your family?" On the way home, I dial a number. "Mr. Skylar, there's a problem with the 50-million-dollar contract. Let's discuss it later."

Isabel was devastated and distraught after receiving a sincere rejection from her boyfriend. Although she had intended to spend the holiday at her grandmother's house, she ended up becoming involved with a stranger and having a one-night stand with him. When her mom introduced her fiance to Isabel, she was shocked to discover that her step father, Mr Walton had a son who turned out to be Derek– the guy she had a one night stand with. Isabel struggled with her affections for Derek and the knowledge that he would one day become her stepbrother. Anticipating her first shift, she hoped to find her mate and get over her feelings for Derek. What happens when an unexpected twist occured and she discovered that Derek was her true mate? As she tried hard to distance herself from him because she saw him as nothing more than her stepbrother, will she continue to ignore the bond with him? What happens when Derek's true identity as the Alpha's son was finally revealed? And what happens when more secrets come to light about why he and Isabel were fated together?

A year ago, twenty eight year old Lisa Armstrong Reed 'princess of Oakenville', lost her husband, Keith. And now, she just got invited to her aunt's wedding at Miami. Determined to forget her dead husband for good, Lisa takes a chance at a holiday and hops into the next available flight to the Florida city, in anticipation for a well-deserved vacation. What she doesn't expect is to find herself in the same room with Keith's handsome, half naked brother for whom she harbours a yearlong crush! Damien Reed 'kinda kissed' his brother's wife last year, and she shut him out almost immediately. Now with his brother dead, and Lisa miraculously turns up as a bridesmaid at his friend's wedding, he's more than prepared to let her know how he feels about her. When a simple wedding getaway turns to a war zone, with stalkers and greeting cards claiming to be from Keith, wyill the two finally find a happily ever after together or is a second chance at romance too hot to handle? [Cover design by Mikael]

Arthur Dalton, a billionaire businessman with leading electronic technology in all over New York, is in desperate need for a nanny who can take care of his five year old mischievous daughter, Hayley. Having lost the love of his life at child-birth, he isn’t looking for any kind of romantic relationship until Kathleen Moore shows up at his house and he mistakenly put her in jail for an attempted kidnapping of his daughter. Kathleen is a delivery girl at her family owned restaurant, but negative her first meeting with Arthur puts them at odd with each other right from the beginning, even though Hayley suddenly develops a fondness towards Kathleen that Arthur had never expected. Now, he must comply to his daughter’s wishes and hire Kathleen as a nanny, but what happens when the holiday seasons arrive and the close proximity makes Arthur’s heart skip a beat for Kathleen, a heart that he swore he would never give to anyone else? And what happens when his daughter demands that the only thing she wants as a present this Christmas is a new mommy?

It was Christmas Eve. Once again, my parents left me alone at home, chasing triple pay at work. However, after twenty years of the same lonely holiday, I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t want to sit in the quiet house by myself again, so I packed up some sandwiches and went to them. What I didn’t expect was to see them stepping out of a luxury car, arms linked with a boy who looked about my age, laughing like they didn’t have a care in the world, heading straight into a five-star hotel. “Mom, Dad, is it okay to leave Suzie all alone at home like that?” My mom waved it off and said, “It’s fine. She’s used to it.” My dad just brushed it off with a chuckle. “She’s nothing like you. You're our real treasure.” Upon hearing that, I turned and walked away. They'd been pretending to be broke all these years, lying to me about working overtime, about scraping by. Well, fine. If they don’t want me, I’m done wanting them, too.

During the holiday, a hashtag related to honeymoon trips goes viral on social media. The topic is, "How are you planning to spend your honeymoon?" One of the threads that has the most replies reads, "I have to bring my mistress along, of course." "Wow! That's crazy. Can you teach us how to pull that off?" I frown as I scroll down the thread and find the reply. "There are a lot of poor, female backpackers these days. As long as the mistress acts pitiful enough, you can pull the wool over your wife's eyes. And just like that, a couple's haven will become a world of three. "My wife and I will be going on our honeymoon trip tomorrow. I'll give everyone live updates in this thread." Feeling disgusted, I close the thread. … The next day, my husband, Sean Clifford, and I meet a poor, female backpacker on the road. She has no car, money, or any suitcases with her. Sprawling herself across the windshield, she begs, "Can you give me a ride, sir? I have blisters all over my feet. I can't walk anymore."

Three years ago, Venessa's husband, Marcus, married her to take revenge on his rich brother, Oren Weiss, who had an obsessive crush on Venessa. Now three years later, Venessa is stuck with a deadbeat husband and she just discovered that he is on a romantic vacation with another woman after she borrowed a substantial loan to fund his dying business. Deeply heartbroken and in desperate need for emotional support, she calls her best friend, Bianca, who suggests to meet her at the city's most luxurious bar. As Venessa waits for her friend inside the expensive bar reserved for elite rich, she finds herself in the company of an incredibly charming and most handsome stranger her eyes has ever gazed at. Oren Weiss also seems to treat her better than any man ever has. Drunk and eager to rid herself of the heart wrenching stress, she ends up having a night of passion with the irresistibly gorgeous man. A week later, Venessa realizes that she is pregnant with the strangers child. She decides to keep it a secret and escorts her husband to his family's reunion. She is utterly shocked to see the dazzlingly handsome stranger met at the bar, Oren Weiss, among the members of Wessington family. Turns out that her one-night-stand is her husband's filthy rich mafia brother, who inherited his father's entire fortune and wisely multiplied it through strategic dealings. Oren Weiss has returned to the city more powerful than ever before. He has had fantasies about Venessa, the girl he desired since childhood, every night and day of his life. He has returned to reclaim her from his envious brother, and he will use every twisted, ruthless and stupefying means to end the crumbling marriage and take the woman he has always wanted.

Alyssa paused, "You don't believe in love at first sight," she said. "I do not believe in love," the man shot back. He pulled out the ring she had given him. "I do not need this either." "What if I make you fall in love?" Alyssa blurted out. "Give me 30 days to make you fall in love. Let me marry you." Alyssa bit her lips. Harrison zeroed his eyes on her lips. "30 days and if you fail, you'd do whatever I want?" "YES!" Christmas takes a wild turn when Alyssa Rodriguez finds herself in a marriage with multi-billionaire Harrison Alexander the Fifth. At first it's silly, because she just met him. Who marries a stranger? But after the massive betrayal of her fiancé and her step-sister, Alyssa would do anything to fill the hole in her heart. Then it becomes a wild game of romance, tension, mini golf, beachy escapades, secret babies, and the ultimate clash of clans. Experts say you can't form a long lasting relationship in just one month. However, Alyssa sets out to defy the impossible. And Ultra billionaire CEO Harrison? He hates Christmas, romance, and everything love related. But this particular Christmas Holiday would turn out to be quite memorable.

Can Christmas magic help her hear the music again? Melody Murphy shared her love of music with her father, but after tragically loosing him on Christmas Eve two years ago, she no longer has any interest in music or Christmas. She returns to her hometown of Charles Town, West Virginia, to help her mother save the family antique business, content to stay focused on her work. However, when a chance encounter with an adorable five-year-old leads her to befriend an attractive single dad, Melody begins to realize she's been putting her life on hold, something her father would've never wished for her. Will she learn to hear the song in the falling snow again? Reid has recently moved to Charles Town to start over after his wife walked out, leaving him alone to raise their son, Michael. When Michael decides he needs Melody Murphy in his life, Reid needs to find out what it is that has his son drawn to the young woman like a magnet. The closer he gets to Melody, the more he begins to believe he might get a second chance at love after all. This is a sweet contemporary romance with Christian themes, perfect for holiday reading.