Just One Date

Billionaire Barons of Texas #1

by Chris Keniston

Home for a family wedding, Chase Baron has a plan to avoid his grandfather’s matchmaking—hire an actress to be his date. No strings and no commitments is just the ticket for no complications. When CJ Lawson’s ditzy sister takes a last minute acting role out of town, CJ has to take over her sister’s local job —cozying up to a wealthy and sinfully handsome billionaire. What could possibly go wrong?

USA Today bestselling author Chris Keniston is back with another page turning series set in the rolling hills of Texas Ranch country. Meet the Barons; handsome, beautiful, smart, ambitious, and did we mention wealthy? If you love big families, fast cars, romance, and puppies, then join us at Paradise Ridge, but be warned, once you fall in love with the Barons of Texas, you may never want to leave.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Billionaires, Contemporary Romance, Novella, M F Romance, Fiction

155 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2023

About the author

A native New Yorker, Chris Keniston was on her way to Australia when she fell in love with North Texas. Little did she know the balmy seventy-degree October days would turn into fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk heat in August!

Twenty years later, she started scribbling short stories about her favorite TV shows, giving them lives more to her liking - and the elusive happy ending. Not long after, a dear friend dragged her to a local writers’ meeting. After winning multiple writing contests and making the finals in the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart contest, she now spends her days, and nights, writing contemporary romantic fiction with lots of emotion, plenty of surprises, and, of course, the happily ever after.

Chris lives in suburban Dallas with her husband, two human children, and two canine children. Though she loves her puppies equally, she admits being especially attached to her German Shepherd rescue named Gunny. After all, even dogs deserve a happily ever after.

Die gebürtige New Yorkerin Chris Keniston war auf dem Weg nach Australien, als sie sich in Nord-Texas verliebte. Damals wusste sie noch nicht, dass die milden einundzwanzig Grad des Oktobers sich im August in eine Hitze verwandeln würden, in der man ein Ei auf dem Asphalt braten könnte. Zwanzig Jahre später verbringt sie ihre Tage und Nächte mit dem Schreiben von zeitgenössischen Liebesromanen mit viel Gefühl, einigen Überraschungen und natürlich mit Happy End.

Als stolze Mutter von zwei menschlichen Kindern lebt Chris mit ihrem Mann und ihren beiden Hundekindern in einem Vorort von Dallas. Obwohl sie ihre vierbeinigen Familienmitglieder gleichermaßen liebt, gibt sie zu, dass sie eine ganz besondere Bindung zu ihrem Deutschen Schäferhund Gunny aus dem Tierheim hat. Schließlich verdienen auch Hunde ein Happy End.

https://www.chriskeniston.com/deutsch...

Reviews

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25 stars - English Ebook

Sweet romance. First book off this family.

[Becky Claxon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chase was the oldest of the Barron billionaire brothers. The brothers’ grandfather ruled their clan and wanted them all to get married and give him and his wife great grandchildren. I loved how Chase thought he could outsmart his grandfather when his cousin was getting married and needed a date for the weeklong wedding activities, and hired an actress to be his date. It was funny when his ‘date’ showed up and it was the woman’s sister who came as a favor to her sister. The whole family was so much fun to watch and how they all interacted. CJ who was Chase’s date was not a girly girl but for me was so much better. You will love watching the two get to know one another. There was also a scary time that had me on the edge of my seat. I encourage you to read the book.

[Melody Tregear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cinderella retelling

This was a very cute story. 3 1/2 stars or more. Unfortunately, and much to my surprise, there are several uses of 'God' or 'Lord' used as expletives...hence the reason for 2 stars. No matter how good the writing, blasphemy spoils the story for me. It's like nails on a chalkboard. The ending was ok. The reason it felt just 'ok' is because the author seemed to be setting the stage for the next Baron - which distracted from the actual couple's ending.

[Sydney]

Less boring than I thought

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book of this series and from what I can tell they will all be standalone stories. This is Chase and CJ's story and I loved it. It was fast paced and I read it in one day!

Chase Baron is a very successful businessman and is home for the wedding of one of his cousins. (This is a huge family so be prepared for that!). His grandfather wants to see all of his grandsons married and does not hesitate to resort to matchmaking. So Chase has a plan to hire an actress to be his date for the week. No strings attached, simple and he gets to avoid any commitment. Only problem...the woman that shows up is not the one he hired...

CJ Lawson is a Naval nurse and home from her final deployment and is currently "in between jobs". She is staying with her sister Bev. She has always been there for her sister and would do just about anything for her. Bev double booked jobs and now needs CJ to take her place as a billionaire's date for the week at a family wedding. CJ has no choice because this is a lot of money and they need it, so she finds herself standing in a restaurant meeting the man who will be her boyfriend for the week.

Chase and CJ's connection was almost instant. They of course tried to deny their connection, but Chase (and his siblings) saw something special in CJ. She was not like anyone he has ever been out with before and when secrets are revealed it makes Chase appreciate her even more. CJ sees past Chase's wealth and actually treats him like a normal person. She has seen too much in her life to focus on things that don't matter. This is a short story, but is moves fast and seamless. Although there is instant love, it seems to make sense for them. This story has good characters, a good storyline, and a clean romance. I really enjoyed it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Jessie Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just One Date Billionaire Barons of Texas 1
Chris Keniston
Have been reading Chris Keniston books for several years now. She writes great stories that keep you interested and wanting to turn the next page. The intro book to this new series is right on target. Male- female antics and shenanigans abound. All Chase wanted to do is keep himself off the “radar” of his grandfather, clan patriarch and Former Governor of Texas, James Earnest Baron. Matchmaking and wanting grandchildren are his special edict for all his progeny. Chase thought that by bringing a “Date” to his cousins wedding, he would be in the “all clear”. A business arrangement, no complications, a strategic move thought Chase. Being head of Baron Enterprises, a confirmed bachelor, he hid out away from the grandparents. Except you can’t hide at a family wedding!
Cassandra Jane Lawson, CJ, was trying to get sister Beverly to explain what she had signed up for. A week staying with Chase Baron as his girlfriend? Only Bev was not doing it, she was conning C. J into taking her place! Let the antics commence!
Chase and CJ have a rocky start. Old school wealthy bachelor meets strong no nonsense alpha conservative female. Good thing his siblings are around. They play a buffer for the grands and are in on the secret! Only thing is how do I deal with his good looks and waning to be around her all the time? Well you need to read Just One Date!

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just One Date by Chris Keniston is the first book in a new series called Billionaire Barons of Texas. The premise of all the books follows a group of men - brothers (?) who have money, power and influence. This novel focuses on Chase Baron.

Chase does not want to be forced into a situation by his family with a date, so he hires an actress to play his girlfriend for a family wedding. The problem is the woman he hired has gone off for a role and convinced her sister to cover for her. CJ is a different person than her sister. She is no nonsense, not flighty and a person Chase doesn’t usually choose.

The story and the characters were enjoyable. I love how CJ and Chase found each other, eventually. I like how they didn’t gel quickly but really found each other. I enjoyed the character of the Governor the best! I loved the book completely! Just One Date by Chris Keniston is a great read.

[KateZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not my usual romance novel - very clean. But I liked the ratings and didn't read any of the reviews.

Yes it was a quick and easy read but I was drawn in from the second chapter. lol
The first chapter didn't quite grab me, maybe because CJ's sister came across as such a dumb blond that I hoped the rest of the book didn't follow.

But the writing was good and the chapters raced by. I was involved in how the two would end up together. I must admit that I kept glancing at the % read to get to the half way mark, thinking that it was going to get all sexy.

Unfortunately there was hardly a kiss in sight. But in the end it didn't really matter. I enjoyed the book that much that I didn't need detailed descriptions of the seduction.

I wish there had been a few passionate kisses in there though.

[Denise Vasak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was better than I thought it would be, but also about as deep as a puddle. CJ was half of a character and Chase, while better, was still kind of shallowly developed. The military connection was also only barely touched on and I feel like Chase would have done a deep dive background check on ANYONE he was bringing to a family event.

The big "action" that happens near the end of the book comes out of left field and makes no sense. Then the miraculous "everything's going to be fine" and "maybe we'll get out on the yacht in a few days" was insane. Even if everything was going to be fine, guess what? There's still and ENORMOUS amount of healing to do. Everybody just went on their merry ways like it was nothing.

Still, I enjoyed this book enough. I won't read the others in the series, but I didn't hate this one.

[Bette Stanek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series starter and I can tell this is going to be a very fun series. The Barons are a family you’ll quickly fall in love with. Chase is the oldest of his 4 siblings and their father is the youngest of the Governor’s children. Their father is also the black sheep of the family. Who is the Governor? Well, he is the grandfather and patriarch of the Baron dynasty. However, he feels that the grandchildren are not doing their part to further the dynasty and he is on a mission. Chase figures he can stay one step ahead of the Governor, but can he really?

Chris Keniston is an author I know that I can always count on for a warm and entertaining story. Her characters come to life on the pages and you are easily assimilated into their world.

[Cait M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 🌟
Just what I needed. The perfect palate-cleanser. A sweet, quick read with a good set-up (a Billionaire CEO organises a fake-dating arrangement to appease his old-fashioned grandparents).

The heroine CJ is a returned servicewoman who is trying to decide what to do with her civilian life after 3 overseas tours with the Navy's medical corps. Her sister (a cute, wannabe actress) is approached by Chase (theCEO) to pretend to be his girlfriend during his cousin's weeklong wedding celebration. She agrees, but when she is offered a movie role at the last minute begs CJ to take her place as the fake girlfriend.

This author knows the job, and she delivered a nicely balanced, sweet read. This gave me Bella Andre's "big family" vibes but without any intimate scenes.

[Gwen S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

CB & CJ 's Game Tryst! 4.2*****/5 Spoiler Alert

CJ, former nurse-medic in the USNavy-Marine, unwillingly subbed for her actress sister Bev's one week wedding commitment to be wealthy Chase Baron's date/ foil. Together he was surprised at CJ ( Cassandra Jane) confidence and how well she blended in with his General grandfather, and brothers, especially after saving his step sister's, Siobahn's, life and leg. My favorite scene was the street truck experience for Chase, unbelievable though.... Yes HEA at the end of the week's contract, but we were left hanging if she took the Bethesda job with Debra!?! A Fair but expect outcome to this novel.

04/19/25-04/21/25. COVID-19 AOTrfWrs

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good writing and characters that I totally enjoyed reading about. Amazingly, the whole story occurs in about a week yet everything felt natural and never did the romance and connection between the H and h feel rushed or forced.

CJ is a wonderful character. A nurse who served in the military in 3 tours, she's suffering a bit from PTSD. She's no nonsense and doesn't think of herself or let herself be frilly or frivolous having had to work twice as hard as men to be accepted in her work.

No unnecessary angst, misunderstandings over inconsequential, totally avoidable issues.

Recommended and I'm definitely looking to read more of this author.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Keniston is an author that I read on rare occasions. She's an excellent author. It's always easy to get into the story. But the last book I read by her really pushed the limits of what I'm OK with in a romance novel. This one was better. I liked the hero and how he paced himself. The heroine was interesting and I feel she came across in a believable way. The way the love between the characters built up was also believable to me. I think there might've been one or two cuss words, but those were mild and understandable. (It's been a couple days since I finished this, I think, so I could be wrong. Time is something I don't necessarily pay attention to when it comes to things like this.)
If you enjoy well-paced romance free of graphic sex, with believable characters and a good, solid story, then you might enjoy this book.

[J Stryker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Keniston is at her best when she writes family stores of love happening with the help of scheming grandparents and or kids that want to trick their families so they can be left alone to find love on their own. Just One Date is the first in a new series about just that. C J and Chase meet when C J's sister has agreed to be paid as a weekend date for Chase only to back out at the last minute. As her sister, C J agrees to take her place and craziness occurs. Funny, sweet, and just awesome I loved this book and look forward to the rest of the series

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yummy, rich men! Chase James is the eldest Baron millionaire brother. His grandfather, a former Marine has a goal of all his grandchildren having six kids each. After all, that's what him and his wife did.

Chase, thinking he's found way around his grandfather's match making ways, he hires a date to play his girlfriend when he attends his cousin's wedding. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?

Another wonderful story by Chris Keniston! I've been reading her stories for years and they never disappoint! I'm always drawn into these families and feel like I'm a part of them!

[Lesley Barklay]

A clean billionaire romance.

If you like stories about big, rich families, with heart, you might enjoy this book. All the Barons are not only wealthy, but also intensely loyal, wonderfully attractive (because, of course they are), generous, and kind (if you exclude the meddling grandparents, of course). CJ is a former marine home after dealing with the trauma of her deployment. She's about as real as you can get, and for a man who's looking for someone to love him (not his money), maybe real is what he needs.

[Carol Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It has a distinct “Pretty Woman” vibe, from the scene in the clothing shop where the girl who is helping CJ claps her hands and says “ Are you ready to have some fun?” Down to the fact that CJ takes Chase to a playground and shows him what happiness can be found outside of being a billionaire. Although billionaires are rare, CJ is not intimidated for long and her strength garnered from her military career shows through especially when she reacts to the carnage of the accident scene.

[MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. He needed a date and that was that. The last thing Chase wanted was a set up from his grandfather the Former Governor of Texas. He loved his grandfather but it seemed he wanted all of his grandkids married off. Well he’d find his own date thank you very much. The only thing is something happened with the date he had. What he didn’t expect was the person who showed up. It just wouldn’t work. He did get a big surprise that night. C.J. Showed instead of her sister Bev.
So much more to come.

[Ursula Rommel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die Familie Baron wird vom General mit fester Hand geführt. Der will alle seine 6 Kinder verheiratet sehen und sie sollen alle 6 Kinder bekommen. In diesem ersten Band geht es mit einer Hochzeitsfeier los.
Natürlich braucht auch Chase eine Begleitung. Daher besorgt er sich eine Schauspielerin die seine Freundin spielen soll.
Da diese aber lieber auf ein Filmset will, spannt sie ihre Schwester CJ dafür ein.

Ein reizender Liebesroman in dem es nie langweilig wird, da es eine Menge Trubel gibt.
Ich freue mich schon auf den nächsten Band.

[SHARON HALL · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS A BARNES & NOBLE FREE E-BOOK.

THE BILLIONAIRE BARONS OF TEXAS SERIES - BOOK 1 - JUST ONE DATE BY CHRIS KENISTON - 128 PAGES

I JUST LOVED THIS STORY. I REALLY LOVED THE CHARACTERS OF THIS STORY. WE LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, AND MY HUSBAND IS A RETIRED MILITARY MEDIC, SO IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I COULD REALLY RELATE TO. I REALLY LOVED THE ENDING, AND IT WAS EXACTLY HOW I WANTED IT TO END. AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO READING MORE OF CHRIS KENISTON'S BOOKS. I LOVE HER WRITING STYLE. I FINISHED READING THIS E-BOOK ON 3/3/2024.

[Lois Hinderliter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Chase hires an actress to play his girlfriend. When she can't do it she has her sister go instead. CJ is a marine who left the military. She is a nurse not sure she wants to continue being a nurse. She meets all of Chase's family including the colonel who trolls her. She quickly becomes part of the family. She saves a life and rides on a racing boat. Chase realizes he no longer wants his agreement to end after The wedding and CJ doesn't want it to end either.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this story, it was a happy full of love ending. CJ is a nurse who was deployed in some terrifying places. Chase is the oldest son in his family. He's a successful business man in his Billionaire status large family. He's trying to avoid getting set up by his grandfather at his cousins wedding so he's decided to hire a date for the occasion. It was a nice escape from reality read for me.

[Conna N Condon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun, clean, charming and totally improbable romance. The sister he hires goes off to be in a show so he ends up with the former military medic as his date to his brother’s wedding to keep grandpa former military and Governor and billionaire off his case. In a week she has charmed any and all … entire family is totally in love with her. Nice progression in the story … many aw shucks moments. Many warm and cozy moments… temptations.

[Judi Easley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a little too pat.

Love at first sight. Do you believe in it? Well, that's what we have here. We have handsome rich man and combat veteran medic falling in love in one week. And there are no missteps. That's what makes it a little too pat. No misunderstandings or disagreements. The only arguments are going on in her head during the shopping. Everything was so smooth. That said, I enjoyed the characters and the storyline.

[Eliza Lagonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It has tropes I like: fake dating and close proximity. These are very sweet, no spice romances. I'd have liked a little more spice and extra kiss or two. Maybe a few near kisses.

The only big issue I had was CJ is military, a naval officer working in a Marine unit. From the beginning we know this. The problem is Grandpa Governor. He's a General he'd have recognize the military aspects in CJ.

[Bonnie Schooler · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you do when your grandparents just won’t let up on marrying off all their grandchildren!? And you have to attend a party with them and you don’t have date? How about hiring one? Enjoy this lovely family and their spirited grandson who thinks he can fool them and not fall in love! Another hit from Chris!

[Debbie Borthwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another fabulous book in the Billionaire Barons of Texas series! I love this family and the story of Chase & CJ's love. They are perfect for each other and they make me believe in love at first sight. I'm looking forward to the next love story in this family. I was gifted an ARC and I'm voluntarily sharing my honest opinion.

[Heather Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking her sister's place seems unreal, but it's life changing for CJ

Chase Baron tries to fool everyone and avoid his grandfather's matchmaking ways. He hires an actress, Bev, who ends up sending her sister in her place. Do they have anything in common? Will they get a HEA?
Learning about each other in a game packed week, anything is possible

[Marilynn Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clean Romance

I enjoyed reading this store about a CEO of the business of an exceedingly wealthy family and the young woman he hires to be his date to a family wedding. There is laughter and tears enough to guarantee an intriguing story. I look forward to reading more of this series.