Corporate Mandated Holiday Romance

by Nellie Wilson

It's the most wonderful time of the year......to take down a billionaire.Brooklyn Peters has finally landed a spot at her dream company which will allow her to use her boring marketing skills to live her dream of saving the planet. When she catches the attention of the CEO, who happens to be her idol, she gets a close up peek at what is going on behind closed doors. Not only is the corporate wunderkind a creep, but he’s also actively working against everything Brooklyn believes in.

Good thing she recently made the acquaintance of Max Matuschansky, a journalist who specializes in corporate reporting. The Christmas season provides a convenient excuse for Max to snoop around…as long as he’s comfortable being Brooklyn’s date to corporate “holiday” events. Which, as a proud Jewish man, he isn’t. But something about this story and Brooklyn makes him reconsider.

Between Brooklyn’s crash course in teaching Max about Christmas traditions and late night writing sessions, the attraction between the two gets harder to ignore and maintaining their journalistic ethics is key to keeping them off the naughty list. There’s more at stake than just their hearts, because this season, it’s time to actually make the world a better place.

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Holiday, Novella, Contemporary, Fake Dating, Contemporary Romance

219 pages, ebook

Published November 21, 2023

About the author

Nellie Wilson is the pen name of a teacher and historian in her 30s who doesn't want her students to read her spicy books. Originally from western Pennsylvania, Nellie spent time in Ohio and Colorado before settling in San Diego. She enjoys drinking beer, talking about true crime and medical history, listening to emo music from the 2000s, and making up songs about her dog. When not writing books, she teaches sixth grade. When not doing that, she studies the history of San Diego city planning. When not doing that, she pours beer. "Need S'more Time" is her first book, but she has many more planned. You can find her on Instagram at @woahnelliewrites.

Reviews

[SK · Rating 2 out of 5]

She's a pick me girl + believes she's not like other girls + delulu is the only solulu for her.

[Tarah DeWitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

So clever!

The author is sharp and this shows! What a refreshing angle for a holiday romance, wrapped up with a romance for characters I rooted for from the jump. Adored every page.

[Kat · Rating 1 out of 5]

Somehow, Brooklyn wore a jumpsuit, a dress, and a skirt to one holiday party… and then she changed into basketball shorts but is somehow wearing jeans when the love interest is making out with her 2 pages later. This desperately needed more editing.

Also, “Wakey wakey eggs and bakey” as an opening line was certainly a choice (and not a good one.)

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

“No, Brooklyn.” He takes my chin between his thumb and his forefinger and lifts my gaze to look at him. His face is intense, serious, and his eyes are scanning my face. “I. Don’t. Lie. To. You.” And then he kisses me.


Holiday novella with a nerdy, cat loving journalist as the love interest instead of the billionaire?? SIGN ME UP

[kelseyandherbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Corporate Mandated Holiday Romance and subsequently binged the whole thing in less than 24 hours.

If you’ve read Nellie Wilson’s work prior to this release, this is exactly the kind of holiday romance you’d expect her to write! It’s smart, it’s sexy, it’s self-aware, and I think it’ll appeal to a wide variety of readers.

Brooklyn is a very different female character for Nellie to write, and I really loved watching her grow throughout the story. She starts off timid and unsure, but really finds her confidence as the novella progresses. Max was fantastic at encouraging her and at helping her learn how to trust herself.

I had a great time reading this book and can’t wait to reread leading up to the holidays next month!

[Rasa || beviltiska_romantike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romantinė linija labai patiko, o štai korporacijos nusikaltimų įrodymo linija nelabai. Šiaip daug fainų gerų dalykų - ir priminimas, kad ne visas pasaulis švenčia Kalėdas, ir daug visokių pamąstymų apie svajonių siekimą ir prisitaikėliškumą, korporacinę kultūrą, etiką, aplikosaugą ir kitokių, ir pagrindinis veikėjas buvo labai mielas, vien ko verti bučiniai į ranką (taip senamadiška ir taip žavu), bet visuma kažkodėl nederėjo, kažkas kliuvo. Ir vis tiek būčiau davus 3.5-4, nu bet blem, nesikeikiant, t.y. keikiantis, sunervino beprasmiškas, nesuprantamas 3rd act breakup ir nurėžiau balą be jokio gailesčio. Oops.

[Caitlin Uhlmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will always support CEO/billionaire romance slander

[Nakia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was a very quick read (felt more like a novella than a novel). I love everything this author puts out & this book wasn’t an exception. As someone who does not believe billionaires should exist, I do have the guilty pleasure of occasionally reading billionaire romance novels, so when an ANTI billionaire romance novel was being published my heart leapt with excitement.

As always, I love the inclusivity of this author’s writing style. Its both easy & intentional & that’s so important to me. It’s one of the things that will ALWAYS make her an instaread for me. I loved learning a little about Jewish culture as a gentile & learning about the Pickles being Jewish made me smile. I grew up with that show & though I don’t remember I’m definitely going back to look.

Despite the fact that I enjoyed this book there were a few things that I felt like could have been better. First of all, I wanted more from this book. This book being a single POV wasn’t an issue for me but with it being so short I just felt like I didn’t get enough development of the plot or even the relationship. Because Wilson has been so intentional with this in her other books, (also because of the age of the characters) I like to see what the characters want out of life/a relationship. Like if they want to get married, if they want to have kids, etc. Secondly, I really don’t understand why Max & Brooklyn needed to take a break when the story was published. I truly didn’t get it. Like needing to “figure things out on your own”, what needed figuring out? And this last point please take with a grain of salt, because I don’t know when the book was finalized to be published, but it felt a little awkward to talk about things that are SO recent with no mention of the Palestinian genocide occurring in Gaza/Israel despite having a Jewish main character. I don’t know this authors stance on the topic but she doesn’t seem to be afraid of big/divisive topics & I’ve seem so many jewish people on tiktok talk condemn violence occurring in Gaza.

There were also a few grammar/spelling errors throughout the novel. Not that many (I’ve read wayyyy worse) but enough that I was surprised by them.

This was not my favorite book by this author but I don’t regret reading it & don’t think you will either if you’re a fan of hers.

[The Reading Hammock | Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this year isn't the perfect year to take down a billionaire, I don't know if we'll ever find one. I saved this read for a full year, just to read it for the holiday season, and it was the perfect holiday slump buster read I needed it to be.

Brooklyn is so relatable in her 30-something, post-COVID, adulthood-needs-better-marketing feelings. Max embodied every comeback to, "You can't even say Merry Christmas anymore without someone being offended" in the best way. He never compromised his identity as a proud Jewish man while still maintaining an open mind to learning about Christmas just as much as to teaching Brooklyn about Jewish traditions and journalism and reporting.

Plus when the spice hits, it hits good. And with the payoff being the success is breaking this story?? Even better.

[Katie Shipe-Lenox · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot overstate how BAD this was… The character development was non-existent because the reader was only *told* what happened instead of *shown.* I understand this is a novella so the story needs to move quickly, but time moved WAY too fast and too many details were just skimmed over.

For example, shortly after Brooklyn and Max team up to take down her billionaire boss, it’s mentioned that they have been hanging out every night for a couple weeks to draft their news story. And then the characters are suddenly acting more comfortable with each other because time has passed and their relationship had clearly progressed with their hangouts, but the readers are just expected to go along with it. The only details we get are told in a weird passive/past-tense voice, like “Max and I have been doing *insert activity here* together a lot” but the reader never actually gets to read about it, so I was left wondering when the hell these things happened. Even the few glimpses we get into Brooklyn and Max actually spending time together were more cringey than cute. The characters annoyed me.

The book is also littered with inconsistencies, which is impressive for how short it is. For example, Brooklyn wears a jumpsuit to the company party but then when she fools around with Max, suddenly she’s wearing a dress. Then they go home and she says her dress is uncomfortable so he gives her a pair of his basketball shorts, and they start fooling around again, but suddenly she’s wearing jeans.

I was very excited for an anti-billionaire holiday romance but this was such a letdown.

[•.~*Izzy*~.• · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ i loved the premise of this NOT being a billionaire romance bc i relate in the sense that billionaires are awful and shouldn’t exist at all. i liked how progressive it was and addressed multiple forms of marginalization as well as the political points are all topics i agree wholeheartedly on.

now as for some of the smaller details…. well they were pretty inconsistent. i never mind if books mention what clothes someone wears, i personally feel like it helps me pick up on their vibe more, but here it was just yeah like i said inconsistent, is she wearing jeans or shorts or a dress or a jumper who really knows?

overall it was just okay

[Lorena ♡ (semi-ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

max feels very much like the love interest in a 2000s romcom (including him being a journalist, that was like the profession in those movies). that made me center the story and imagine everything around that time and ignore any reference (like the pandemic) that made it more modern, which helped me enjoy it even more.

[Cassie O · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this story. It came recommended/hyped by a few of my favorite indie authors as well as a Boostagrammer I trust. But it had some issues. The story is cute, the premise is fun, it's a great length for a holiday read, but there are plot inconsistencies that drove even me, an all-vibes/no-thoughts reader, insane. Specifically, starting in chapter 18, Brooklyn is described wearing a jumpsuit at the holiday party. By the time they go back to Max's apartment to write, she complains that her dress is uncomfortable so he offers her basketball shorts and a hoodie. Not two pages later he makes a comment about Levi Strauss and grabs her by the belt loop of her jeans. I get that we're forwarding the plot and story, but four outfits in like two chapters and none of them match? I unfortunately expected more.

All that aside, the story was cute, I liked the corporate premise with the billionaire being the villain instead of the love interest and the cute nerdy journalist getting to take center stage. Slow burn, not overly detailed, but definitely open-door romance.

[linnea · Rating 1 out of 5]

not vibing with the main character or how she interacts with the world. the dialogue and internal monologue are giving robots pretending to be humans in the year 2023. it also has several grammar errors and missing punctuation marks

[Julia Arciga · Rating 1 out of 5]

- this book doesn't know what "off the record" means and it's handling of the recording situation would not hold up IMO (source: i was a journalist)
- some parts of the spicy scenes were fine but others had me laugh out loud, ridic and cringe
- "stage whisper" ... lol

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

they are both so “pick me” and unbearable. did lol though when brooklyn compares max to a shelter dog she’s preparing for a new home 💀

also the 🌶️ scenes dialogue was so cringe

[guiltless pleasures · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any romance where the billionaire is NOT the love interest and where the protagonists are actively working to take him down gets an automatic three stars from me.

That said, this book has a lot of other stuff going for it.

Idealistic Brooklyn Peters gets her dream job in the marketing department of ConservTech, an LA environmental services company founded by hottie Aron Callahan. But she soon finds out it’s all too good to be true — and teams up with journalist Max Matuschansky to work undercover to expose Callahan’s dirty dealings.

There’s a lot going on here: the undercover journalism plot, Brooklyn’s journey to establishing new friendships, her growing relationship with Max, and the exploration of Jewishness and Christian privilege around the “holidays.”

It was funny and sexy and easy to read, and I really liked it, especially the light Nellie Wilson sheds on how America pays lip service to “happy holidays” but really they’re talking about Christmas, not Hanukkah, or Diwali, or Kwanzaa, or the Lunar New Year, or Yule. And Max was a DELIGHT. So smart and sweet and funny and sexy.

“Aron’s body language screams domination and control. Max’s body language screams shenanigans. And, god help me, I’ve always been up for shenanigans.”

My biggest criticism would be that in focusing (appealingly) on the Christian privilege/Jewishness aspect of the story, the undercover reporting/greenwashing storyline feels rushed and glossed over. I was kind of craving more tension there—maybe even some thrills? It almost felt like these could have been two separate books, which would have given the greenwashing storyline more room to develop.

Still, this was an entertaining read that raises some important issues. More anti-billionaire romances pls!

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about this one. I liked it, but then I thought why and I came to this conclusion: the main female character was kinda bland enough that I could put myself in her shoes, kinda desperate enough that I believed the romance and the kind of delulu I sometimes feel myself lol.

That's to say the novella needs heavy editing because Max and Brooklyn pretend to be dating (for reasons) and they invent a fake work for him (as a Finance guy bc it's boring enough that people won't ask more questions, which, wrong!) but then they talk about him being a journalist with Brook's friends from work?? Like they didn't JUST LIE to them all???

Me is confusion but I like that the book mention the COVID pandemic.

[jlawfosho · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had NO RIGHT being this good!

I had a girlfriend message me and tell me her friend wrote a book that I might like. She knows my fav tropes but I expected it to be more like “support my friend” and less THIS AUTHOR IS ACTUALLY SPECTACULAR.

This book gives you the holiday vibe, is culturally sensitive and an all around smart romance. You can *feel* the attraction to Max. You yearn for the next moment he feeds her a morsel of warmth. The references, the turn of phrase is all like listening to a friend tell a story. I’m just shocked at how much I loved this.

[Mai | mai.readingnook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sure we all have that certain group of friends that we gravitate to, over and over, cause there's just something about them that *clicks* with who we are, right? That's how I feel about Nellie's books.

I think she writes some of the best contemporary romances, particularly for us older millennials. They're smart, witty, and funny. Also very sexy.

Reading Nellie's books always makes my heart smile. CMHR did just that. 🧡

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

This was a delightful quick read overall! It was very short, and so that leads to my main issue--that I just wish it had taken a bit more space to breathe and flesh out some plot lines. Another 50-75 pages could have really sharpened the plot element in my opinion. However, this was definitely refreshing in the Christmas romance genre, including both Jewish representation and critiques of rampant capitalism. The characters were likable overall, though the length did cause some characterizations to rely on tropes. Overall I really enjoyed this, and will be returning to other Nellie Wilson books.

[Mike Olive · Rating 5 out of 5]

My fav holiday romance so far!

I simply could not put this book down! I love Max’s personality nd what he stands for. I could not get enough! Every single time I read anything by Nellie, I feel such strong connections to her characters. This book is no exception. I appreciate the nostalgic nods to Lisa Frank, Rugrats, and Eliza Thornberry so much!

What I love even more about Nellie’s work is that I always grow and connect to her characters on a deeper level throughout the story. For example, questioning one’s current career path. Starting new. Making friends in your 30’s. Post-pandemic circumstances. All situations that are very relatable.

Nellie’s books are auto purchases. I can’t wait to reread. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Shannon]

Corporate Mandated Holiday Romance by Nellie Wilson brought joy. I think this book expresses the root of what the holiday season should stand for more than any other holiday romance I’ve read. First of all, our MC, Brooklyn, realizes there is some shady business going on at the higher levels of management at her new job. We’ve got a corrupt, unethical slimebag of a CEO on our hands, people, and Brooklyn is ready to hold him accountable. To do this, she seeks the help of an eco-conscious journalist, Max, and they hatch a plot to fake date through the corporate holiday festivities so they can get proper evidence and share the truth about Brooklyn’s company. First rule: cite all claims. Second rule: no compromising the integrity of the mission (aka no acting on real romantic feelings). And yet— the emotions between Brooklyn and Max build such a beautiful emotional suspense and they are so kind and considerate to one another. I swoon hard for that 🥹

Another thing I swooned hard for was how Wilson succinctly questions and calls attention to how Western society re-brands things in the name of inclusion, but there is very little substance behind the gesture. Max is a proud Jewish man and through his eyes, we see how corporations especially do very little to understand, acknowledge, and honor all faiths with major holidays at this time of year. This resonates with me. I believe that those who practice a Christian faith or celebrate Christmas can & should do better. It’s our job to speak up and act where and how we can to ensure all voices and faiths are respected and included in these spaces. That’s part of the season’s call to community and kindness. It’s a step toward a better future 💕

I love that this book felt like a warm hug AND enlightened and inspired me to look more critically at society. I loved that there’s goodwill toward others in the form of the characters seeking justice and working to expose harm done in order for corporations to show up better for the communities they serve, to remain ethical and accountable. I love that Brooklyn and Max display opportunities for differences and misunderstandings to be met and navigated with consideration and grace. And I LOVE that someone finally called out how terrifying Elf on the Shelf is!!

I think this is just such a wonderful book. I think it encompasses the meaning of the season. I think the characters are wonderfully realistic and extremely lovable. And if you are looking for a cozy, inspiring hug this winter, I highly encourage you to pick up this book. Obviously I cannot shut up about it, so that kind of says it all 😂🙈

[Bethany Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nellie Wilson is one of my fave author discoveries this year. She consistently delivers romances that are filled with relatable plots, zingy banter, realistic love stories, and characters that feel like friends.

And with her latest, Corporate Mandated Holiday Romance, she taps into all her strengths, delivering a story of fake dating for the holidays to take down a billionaire that made my little journalist school-grad heart go pitter-patter.

The story folllows thirtysomethings Brooklyn, a woman who gets her dream job working for an eco-tech company and quickly realizes something is very, very wrong, and Max, an investigative journalist who suggests he and Brooklyn fake date to get the story and expose the CEO for the scumbug he is.

And y’all: fake dating for journalism is The Best. You get the tension and all the burgeoning feelings as well as the intoxicating chase of a story – which includes many late nights, sneaky office antics, a lot of holiday parties, figure skating (!!), and karaoke (!!!).

Brooklyn is adorable and relatable, especially as she does her due diligence when falling for Max, who is Jewish, because she doesn’t want to commit any faux pas and is also genuinely interested. And Max is heavy on Seth Cohen and NPR nerd vibes, and he paraphrases Pride & Prejudice – which basically means he’s perfect.

I had such a blast reading this – I definitely giggled and kicked my feet several times, and will absolutely be adding Max Matuschansky to my roster of book boyfriends.🤓

4.75🌟
2🌶️

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corporate Mandated Holiday Romance is Nellie’s second stand-alone novella. Although there is a connection between one of the MCs (Max) and a side character in Educated (Lina), you do not have to read one before the other.

Brooklyn is starting a new job in marketing for an environmental company, ConservTech, working for someone she’s idolized forever. It turns out he isn’t the man she’d hoped he’d be. Not only is he an HR nightmare (and I mean ICK *shudders*), but his environmentally friendly persona is also a façade.

What happens when your idol doesn't turn out to be who you'd hoped they'd be?

You enlist the help of a corporate environmental journalist to take him down.

In order for Max to get on the inside, Brooklyn suggests they fake a relationship and have him attend all of the mandatory holiday functions the company holds. One problem. “Holiday” parties tend to be Christmas parties and Max is Jewish. He doesn’t know any traditional Christmas anything, so Brooklyn offers to teach him.

I dunno how she did it, but Nellie has essentially written a Christmas book about being Jewish. It really is a holiday book (others are mentioned also). While Max is learning about Christmas, Brooklyn is learning about the traditions of those who don’t celebrate Christmas. And they’re both really sweet and patient with each other about it.

This one was a bit of a slow burn, but with a payoff. There’s tension that slowly builds to it and it’s definitely worth it. She likes to mess with him to get him to smile or laugh, so the flirtation helps with the build as well. I have decided to dub Nellie the “Queen of Consent” because it’s important to have enthusiastic consent on all sides of every intimate relationship and she includes it in everything she writes.

Overall, I really loved this novella. It’s not your traditional Christmas story and I’m glad because I’m not generally a fan unless it’s super unique and it is.

Thank you to Nellie for the ARC. I voluntarily read an early copy of this novella.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was thoroughly entertaining! If you don’t go in with super high expectations, this can be a good time.

I was amused by the premise and anticapitalist take, but the characters aren’t super well written or fully fleshed out. Max is very stereotypically Jewish, and I was repeatedly shocked by how Brooklyn knew NOTHING about Judaism. Not mazel tov, chutzpah, or Shabbat? Max was charmed when she looked up Shabbat? Wow, the bar is literally on the floor. The evil villain CEO is also a caricature.

I enjoyed Max and Brooklyn’s banter at times, and was definitely rooting for them to get together. Other times, I was annoyed and found myself thinking THAT’S NOT HOW ANY OF THIS WORKS. The author clearly has no understanding of marketing or journalism. As a marketer, I was both laughing and rolling eyes at things like “my whole job is figuring out kerning for Instagram graphics.” Literally not how marketing works but okay.

I liked Brooklyn’s friends and appreciated that there was a nonbinary character. I wish the concept of what the company was doing that was so evil and unethical was clearer and shown more—it’s half baked at best, presented quickly, and whisked away. Also, it was WILD how fast Brooklyn gave up on her dream job and concluded it was all a sham and she should burn it to the ground. Unrealistic much? Also unrealistic: that Max NEVER WOULD HAVE HEARD ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU?!?

Complaints aside, I did have fun bingeing this book! It was a silly time.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so this was really cute and a fun romantic read! The MCs had a quirky chemistry that was awkward at times but endearing overall. I also appreciated how it highlighted how isolating and lonely the holidays can feel for people who don’t celebrate Christmas.

I think what kept it from being a 4 star book for me is some of it felt unbelievable. For example, the millionaire boss was like and over the top asshole with seemingly no filter at all which doesn’t make sense to me? Like how is he this overtly shitty but still this successful and how did he not get caught already?

Also the time the FMC takes at the end to figure things out felt pointless especially since she just spent it moping and watching romcoms. Like what was the point when she said it was time to figure stuff out on her own? Maybe I’m judging her too harshly lol

The only other cringe part was when the MMC shows his TB test records from his phones cuz he’s organized and she makes a comment like “I wonder what other test results he has on his phone. Shit” haha 😆 are STD tests sexy? Is that supposed to be a turnon? Lmao idk it was weird.

[thelittlereaderthatcould · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wild Thornberry’s reference?!?!!?? I was (and probably still am if I’m being honest ) obsessed with this show so I was really giddy when I saw this 🤭💙

Holiday season, romance and corporate espionage shenanigans? I didn’t know I needed that kind of combination but mannnnnn I liked it. I liked that it was a short form, like the perfect little bite of a good snack. I really liked Max and Brooklyn and how they slowly but surely got together. It was refreshing to not have the usual third act breakup but rather a….i don’t actually know what to call it but i enjoyed the lack of unnecessary drama !
I loved learning a little bit about Judaism, it was very interesting and I liked the quirkiness added into the ridiculousness of the holiday (Christmas?) season. Overall, a sweet and funny book with 2 very spicy and steamy scenes 😶✌🏽

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a romance author who also believes that billionaires are unethical and shouldn't exist. Nellie is so clever here, setting up the book like a classic workplace billionaire romance, but instead of the heroine swooning at everything he does, Brooklyn gets the ick. Max is a great hero here too, willing to fake date for a takedown story, and smitten with Brooklyn from the beginning. I deeply appreciated the commentary throughout the book about how oppressive a Christian holiday based workplace is for everyone else. And there is a really delightful romance woven through that commentary, that I believed in and definitely rooted for. This was one of the better holiday novellas I read this year.

[Chera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hereby demand more books where the billionaire is the bad guy!

Nellie Wilson is quickly becoming one of my go-to's for romance with a thoughtful and intelligent look at larger issues within society (see my review of Needs S'More Time for how hard that one hit me). This book finds two millennials grappling with the realities of corporate life, late-stage capitalism, and the collapse of print journalism.

Brooklyn Peters has finally landed a job where she thinks she can make a difference. After putting aside her Captain Planet dreams for safe jobs in marketing, she's about to start with a conservation company helmed by the charismatic billionaire she's always had a professional crush on. But, when her first days on the job reveal he's both a creep and a fraud, she's ready to take down the whole thing. She turns to Max, a freelance journalist with a history of taking on big environmental investigations. To get him in the door, and able to talk to her colleagues, they agree to fake date. However, as the two work together closely, they begin to develop very real feelings for each other, even though those feelings push against Max's journalistic ethics.

This is a single POV, fake dating, slow burn, interfaith, no ethical billionaires *fun* read that you should be able to finish in no time. As I noted above, Wilson is able to grapple with serious issues in a way that doesn't bog down the storyline and she captures a lot of the millennial ennui of post-pandemic life in a way that continues to make me feel seen.