Holidate Scramble

A fake holiday date shouldn’t feel this real. Or this right.

PIPER:

When celebrity chef Buzz Romano cancels on my “12 Days of Christmas Challenge” at the last minute, I’m desperate for a replacement judge for our charity cookie contest. Enter Dr. Everett “Rhett” Thornton—distinguished surgeon, devoted son, and the grumpiest (yet somehow hottest) man in Starlight Bay. When I overhear him complaining about needing a date for the hospital’s Christmas gala, the perfect solution presents itself: I’ll be his plus-one if he’ll judge my contest. Simple, right? Except nothing about the way his rare smiles make my stomach flip or how his brown eyes turn warm when he looks at me feels simple. Twelve holiday events, twelve chances to pretend we’re a couple. But somewhere between gingerbread houses and ice skating, I’m not pretending anymore.

RHETT:

At forty-seven, I know better than to agree to fake-date a woman eighteen years younger who attacks life like it’s a piñata full of glitter. But Piper Summers doesn’t just talk me into eating cookies—she talks me into attending every holiday event Starlight Bay can dream up. She’s chaos in a Christmas sweater, turning my orderly world upside down with her infectious laugh and ridiculous optimism. I should keep my distance. I have responsibilities, complications, an ex-wife circling like a shark. Instead, I find myself counting down to each event, just to see her light up another room. This was supposed to be a business arrangement. So why am I falling for my fake girlfriend like I’m the lead in the latest holiday rom-com?

Return to charming Starlight Bay where Christmas magic is real and fake dates have a way of becoming true love!