If You Give a Grump a Holiday Wishlist

Aspen Grove #0.5

by Ann Einerson

Should I have trusted my tyrannical boss when he promised he’d get me home for the holidays? Absolutely not.

He gassed up his private jet and decided he’d be joining me so we could close this massive deal before the new year.

There are three conditions to him coming home with me:

1. My family can’t know that he’s my boss (See note above about him being a tyrant)
2. I will absolutely be getting a big fat raise
3. He has to help me with my holiday wishlist

What’s worse than my boss stealing Christmas? Him pretending to be my boyfriend.

Since he’s faking being in love with me, my mom put us together in my childhood bedroom with just one bed to share.

When the mistletoe comes out, I can’t help but wonder what would happen if my hot as coal boss and I were underneath.

Jack Sinclair is nothing but determined to get everything he wants this Christmas and it looks like I’m at the top of his list.

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Holiday, Fake Dating, Novella, Workplace Romance, Forced Proximity

202 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 7, 2023

About the author

Ann Einerson is the author of enchanting contemporary romance novels that will keep you hooked until the very last page, complete with heroes who fall hard and the heroines who keep them on their toes. She believes sometimes the best family is the one we find, curiosity is good for the soul, and a good book isn’t complete without banter.

You can find Ann surrounded by her ample supply of sticky notes ready for inspiration and ideas. When she’s not writing, Ann enjoys spoiling her chatty pet chickens, listening to her dysfunctional playlists, and going for late-night treadmill runs. She lives in Michigan with her husband.

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Reviews

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐
Genre ~ holiday Christmas novella
Setting ~ NYC & Maine
Publication date ~ December 7, 2023
Est page Count ~ 149 (p+ 14 chapters +e)
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ grump/sunshine, billionaire, boss/employee, fake relationship, age gap (23 & 32), forced proximity, one bed, some steamage

Presley & Jack
All Presley wants for Christmas is a very well deserved 2 weeks off from work, so she can spend it with her family. Jack has other plans that include work work work, so when Presley won't budge he invites himself along with her.

Eek, I loved this one! Jake was the perfect workaholic grump and quite possibly my favorite grump ever. He has a sad backstory, so I really loved how he was included in the holiday festivities with Presley's family. And let me tell you they go all out ~ gingerbread house making contests, ice skating, Christmas movie marathons...the works ~ and each of them truly enjoy spending time together, which was really nice to see.

Presley's mom, Johanna, was so welcoming and just a lovely person altogether. Of course the 3 brothers have to do their brotherly shenanigans to protect their sister. I can’t wait to read each of their books.

Overall, a true delight that'll be sure to get even the grinchiest Grinch's in the Christmas spirit.

Side note ~ the cover is so adorable and I'm pretty sure I know what shade of pink that is, which makes it extra adorable!

*Thanks to Ann Einerson for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

[DIVINITY🌙 · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨3.5✨

“You have captured my heart piece by piece, weaving your way into my very soul, and before I knew it, you had claimed all of me.” 😍💗

This novella is so cute and sweet!!! Does it give Hallmark vibes? Is it cheesy?? YES but who cares lol! If you want something sweet and spicy with sprinkled Christmas Yuletide and/or want a quick novella to make your yearly reading goal give this a shot❤️

(Dear Santa, please deliver me a grumpy billionaire with eyes just for me 🥹 I promise I haven’t been naughty this year 🤭🎅🏼)

Summary: Presley is leaving to go on her Christmas vacation when she gets an email from her grumpy boss asking her to clear her schedule for the following day. She tells him that will not be happening because she had a planned vacation. He decides to go with her to see her family in Maine.

Tropes(its a TON of them)
💓Age gap
💓forced proximity
💓billionaire romance
💓fake dating
💓grumpyXsunshine
💓 he falls first
💓one bed
💓found family

Jack is the grumpy billionaire boss who has a heart of gold despite his grinch attitude. His upbringing was difficult and he doesn’t like the holidays. Presley is hardworking, smart, sassy, and I absolutely adored her family they were super welcoming and warm. Christmas is super important to the family and I loved seeing everyone bond.

The wishlist was cheesy but so fun for them to complete together and do festivities with each other like ice skating, Christmas markets, gingerbread houses and kissing under the mistletoe 😉

The 3rd act breakup was kind of dramatic 🙄🙄

Spice Rating
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Spice develops after 50%

[fey ⋆˙⟡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

꒰ ── 𐙚 2.5 stars
minor spoiler .ᐟ
ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ⟡ ₊ ݁ "your favorite color is lemonade pink not ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ magenta not fuchsia, lemonade. you hate raw ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ tomatoes, have an unhealthy obsession with ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ seasonal coffee creamers"

꒰ ⌗ 💐┊ thoughts
first of all i think this was not cute christmas book i thought it was a sweet romance novel but it’s not. i started with high expectations but was disappointed. i thought the characters would kiss under the mistletoe and confess their love to each other.
my high expectation was that it would be fake dating and not used well. I also thought the female character would complete the last item on her list when she fell in love. they were also doing fake dating, but all they did was have s*x. 🙄


꒰ ⌗ 🫧┊ characters

┊ ⤿ 🌷 ⌗ presley stafford.
I actually liked her, she's a sweet character, but you deserve better than jack, girl. liked that she's hardworking, but i think she's playing the role of a slightly unapproachable girl.

┊ ⤿ ❄️ ⌗ jack sinclair.
i didn't like him, and he is red flag and i think he didn’t love presley. all he said was that she was very pretty also, he never said he was in love with her from the beginning, and he only wanted her sexually.

ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ⟡ ₊ ݁ "you have captured my heart piece by piece, ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ weaving your way into my very soul, and before i ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ knew it, you had claimed all of me."



𓏲࣪ ּ  ֗ ִ 🎄 ⟡ ₊ ⋆ ⤿ reading time [24/12/25] → [28/12/25] ⊹

゛ ── ₍ 🗒 ₎ pre-read ࿔ ₊˚ .ᐟ
fake dating also boss & employee relationship i’m already here 🤚🏼😫

[krys ~♡~ (scarlett's version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

My trip home to Aspen Grove didn’t turn out how I had planned, but
now I know what happens if I give a grump a holiday wish list…
He falls in love.

I'm a wh0re for over-protective brothers 😋

Even tho the miscommunication was KILLING me it was still saur cuteee 🥹

-----~~~~-----

did i read the blurb?? No.
did i read any of the reviews?? Also no.
have i picked this one up only bec of the name and cover?! Yes.

will I regret it?!! Keep watching to find out...

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

HO HO HO I think I’ve got another Christmas novella to add to my favorites list!!! This one was so cute & holy jolly, but will knock your gingerbread pants right off with all the heat & tension!

Presley has been planning for MONTHs to go home to see her family for the holidays, but plans almost get messed up when her grumpy bootyhole of a boss, Jack, tells her no & prioritizes work. After arguing it out, Jack & Presley find themselves agreeing to go to her family home together, & somehow end up fake dating. What started out as a ruse turns out to actually reveal some very real feelings that we loveeeee to see!! Such hallmark vibes *swoon*

AND THERES A CHRISTMAS WISHLIST TO BE COMPLETED! I just love it.

I’m definitely feeling the Christmas spirit after this one!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
Age gap
Grumpy x sunshine
Forced proximity
Fake dating
Boss x employee
Found family
Only one bed
Small town

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was cute and sexy! I love a fake dating romance and going home for Christmas trope. This one did it so well!

When Jack Sinclair can't slow down his business for the holidays, he invites himself to his assistant Presley's family Christmas. He's supposed to stay at a hotel but when he ups the stakes and says he's her boyfriend.. well, now he's staying in her childhood bedroom, in her bed with her.

So not only is Presley now lying to her family, she's having to resist him. Which has never been a problem before but seeing him act human and build gingerbread houses with her niece is doing things to her heart.

What Presley doesn't know, is Jack isn't as frosty as he's kept himself for the last three years and being in such close proximity to her is thawing him rather quickly.

I am not always the Christmas novella kind of gal, but this was just the right amount of Hallmark goodness with a dash of overprotective Billionaire brothers. I hope to see more of them very soon. We had all the goods: hot chocolate, warm snuggles and Christmas tree chopping. It's the perfect quick read and will leave you with all the fuzzies.


4.5 Stars
3 on the spice scale

[Sammie Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww this was super cute! Presley is the sassy assistant to Jack Sinclair, a grumpy workaholic with a face of gold and abs that won’t quit. Even so, she’s less than thrilled when he invites himself to her Christmas with her family, all so that he can continue to work them both to death. But when her mom starts talking about Presley’s tyrannical boss, Jack realizes he needs a cover. Imagine Presley’s surprise-and his-when he blurts out that he’s her boyfriend. What could go wrong?

One bed, forced proximity, a grumpy protective dad and three protective brothers, a holiday loving mom who treats everyone like they’re her own, and an adorable kid named Lola…all of this and more are packed into this sweet little novella. I had a great time reading…one may even say that makes me a good girl, no?

[alli☀️]

Dnf at 22%
The way the boss/employee dynamic is🤚he is so rude and disgusting🙅‍♀️Jack just rubs me the wrong way🤺

[Lorena ♡ (semi-ia) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah... no. The premise was kinda silly (but you know, tis the season so whatever, I still went for it), but it could've worked if it was well-developed... which it wasn't. The way it all started was so ridiculous that there's no way this would make sense even in fiction (but I kept reading because I had faith okay? and the cover is so pink and cute). Adding to that, the writing was weird, the relationship development felt so anticlimactic and out of nowhere, the sex scenes were... something, and I ultimately didn't care about these characters.

Also, it's so interesting that he claims to have paid attention to her and had been slowly falling for her all these years when his actions don't align with his words at all. He was an ass to her and he kept being an ass to her.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A grumpy boss going home with his secretary for Christmas?? This one starts out so fun! The banter between the hero and heroine was really cute and this definitely screamed a Christmas romance. The heroine has a Christmas list she makes her boss help her complete since he insists on going home with her for Christmas to get work done. Maybe it's because it was a novella, but a lot of the plot and character development felt rushed and very surface level; it was checking boxes but not fully digging in and executing them. I felt like the romance was pretty insta-love because I was told more than shown that the characters were really falling for each other and had been for years. There was also a third act conflict I found more annoying and over-reacting than believable. The heroine's family was a lot of fun, though, and this definitely gave me all the Christmas feels!

[jada]

dnf at 54% 🥴

jack was just too rude to be forgiven. also double standards is wild - she hasn’t been with anyone in 2 years bc he has her working waaaay too much but he’s been finding time for that at the same time he’s been fighting attraction to his assistant for 3 years and thinking of her all the time. no thanks

[Ruth♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Desde la primera vez que Jack vio a Presley quedó flechado lo malo es que ella iba a ser su secretaria así que no podía permitirse sentir algo por ella por eso los siguientes años se comporta de forma cortante con ella hasta que por cosas de trabajo le toca ir a pasar las vacaciones con ella y nada volverá a ser como antes.

Estuvo bien, siento que en si los personajes no me encantaron, no me hicieron sentir mucho, un poco mehh con ellos pero la historia fue linda y me reí con algunas cosas que pasaron, no fue muy memorable pero tengo más expectativas para los que se vienen.

[Michelle Cuéllar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ay amistades, ¿qué les digo? A pesar de que busco este tipo de libros para entretenerme, incluso en ello necesito de algunos elementos para sentir que la historia tiene sentido o que me lleva a alguna parte y en esta ocasión, no fue así.

Todo fue muy apresurado, de la nada y las escenas spicy me incomodaron algo por algunas situaciones medio extrañas en las que comienzan.

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Jack is the grinch all year round, lol. Until he meets Presley, but he's still a grinch just respects her way more. It's been 3 years since he hired her, and he kinda denys her that 2 weeks Christmas away with her family. He has a deadline with a company, so he informs her they can work during Christmas.

Big mistake because Presley keeps saying no, but her boss tags along to her hometown. And Jack tells her family there together, lol. He's going to work and spend time with her, knocking out those wishlists on her list.

We meet the 3 brothers who play some pranks on Jack, and it's a dozzy, lol. A cute little niece, a neighbor for one of the brothers and a bunches of Christmas fun.


No ow/om drama, no cheating, slight secondary character, Sexy times, no virgins

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶

Prologue
Age gap
32H/23h
Praise kink
Pinning (3 years I believe he wasn't celibate)
One Bed
No condom
Hea
Epilogue

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
there is something about a boss who realizes he's loved his assistant for years during a Christmas novella that's gonna do it for me every single time. did they say I love you too quickly? sure. but ill look past it for the stellar dirty talk and wonderful family dynamic that BETTER have been the introduction to more books.

[drew :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5✨, this was so adorable! read this in one sitting and was kicking my feet and giggling. great holiday novella!

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If You Give a Grump a Holiday Wishlist is a new holiday novella. This has age gap (she’s 23, he’s 32), forced proximity (spending the holidays at her parents), fake dating, billionaire boss + employee, grumpy + sunshine, and is small town!

Jack is a busy, workaholic, CEO of his global investment firm. And he’s been pulled towards his assistant Presley since she was hired on 3 years ago. But he’s kept things professional ever since, even if he secretly wishes they were together. He keeps her busy working for him, but this year she has requested time off for the holidays to go back to her small town in Maine. Jack requests her to stay in the city to work and to cancel her holiday plans, but she isn’t budging, so he decides he’s going to join her so they can work while there!

Every year Presley has made a list of things to do during the holiday season, some are longstanding traditions and others are new things to try. She tells Jack he can join her for her holiday vacation if he helps her with checking items off her holiday wishlist. She also doesn’t want her family to know he’s her boss and then he blurts out they’re dating and gets himself an invite to stay in Presley’s childhood room with her.

This was cute and fun. It definitely gives off Hallmark vibes and is exactly what you’d expect from a read with this setup. Plus I appreciated that it was a novella and didn’t try and do too much/get too long.

[s.a.v · Rating 3 out of 5]

тропи:
▫️ бос/підлегла;
▫️ буркотун/сонечко;
▫️ фейкові стосунки;
▫️ вимушена близькість;
▫️ open door.

не скажу, що мені дуже сподобалось. це було нормально.

спочатку мені зовсім не заходило, бо головний герой здався якимось збоченим чоловіком (вперше бачить дівчину і хоче нагнути її над столом). головна героїня та її родина - в саме сердечко.

сюжет зрозумілий і легко прописаний. сама книжуля невеличка, тому прочитала її швидко.

але на свій розмір (140 сторінок) - досить велика кількість сцен 18+

ставлю цій історії 3/5

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Тропи:
- різдвяна новела
- бос і асистентка
- фальшиві стосунки
- різниця у віці (9 років)
- одне ліжко

Це була дуже мила і тепла новела.
Можливо сюжет і головні герої передбачувані, але це не завадило мені насолоджуватися читанням. Чудова атмосфера Різдва🎄 і така затишна сімʼя Стаффорд. Буду читати про братів Преслі 😌

[Gianna Lian · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc… but overall rating: 4/5⭐️s!!

[ashley ౨ৎ (so back!!) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ★

"My trip home to Aspen Grove didn’t turn out how I had planned, but now I know what happens if I give a grump a holiday wishlist..."

– i'm sauuuurrr sorry, i tried to like this much as i could but i just couldn't 😭 this is gonna be short because the book is short and there's honestly not much to write buttt it just fell so flat for me 🥲 it had potential but it just went the way i didn't want it to run 😃

i have no thought about this book

↪ we have our grumpy like annoying ass rude man CEO jack and our hardworking girlboss assistant of that demon man, presley. he refuses to accept that she's the perfect woman for this job and our fmc here refuses to get trampled on by our mmc. he apparently felt the need to go with her back to her hometown and just HAD to pretend to be her bf and boom we're here.

character debrief

presley
– i like her in the sense that she is determined, hardworking and doesn't let a tall man walk all over her. she knows her worth and i like that. she's super close with her family all like 500 of them celebrating together was so wholesome. this gave so much christmas vibes it got me excited for this year. she's so smart and yes tell him what you deserve, get your raise, promotion, and everything else because for someone who put you through hell for three years he should be buying you a whole island and more.

jack the grinch
– he was just terrible, i would usually like grumpy, tall men but he was MISERABLE. for someone who claims that he loves her sure as hell knows how to act like it after putting her through torture. presley is fr stronger than me because i would've left if he didn't let me GO HOME??? i just didn't like him in the sense that he says so much but never really shows it 🤷🏻‍♀️ he's just rude at times and there were never really any redeemable points for me

non-existent brain rot

– their chemistry was lacking for me unfortunately :/. I found it super hard to connect and care about the characters because the only thing about them is that they're hot. i wish that love part never happened because she even mentioned how it was weird anyways. i also think the smut is really cringey there was not much buildup that i'd like even though i shouldn't expect much from a novella of less than 150 pages but i feel like with the right plot and writing, it can be perfectly executed and it just didn't do it for me.

despite me being pessimistic, i thought it gave all the christmas vibes with the mistletoe and the wishlist, and everyone getting together everyday. the setting, vibes, feels i got was great but there was a little miss in the romance aspect. it gave me the holiday-ey feels for sure 💌

book playlist ⊹☾⋆⁺₊🎧✩°｡
buy me presents by sabrina carpenter
like it's christmas by jonas brothers
mistletoe by justin bieber

[Bookswithchar · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐

Jack and Presley 💓

I really bloody enjoyed this. It was sweet, sprinkled with spice, and was just delicious all around. I love both Jack and Presley, they are fab! Her whole family is great too 🥹

I am a sucker for an office romance and grumpy x sunshine so hello 🤤

Short, but it packed a punch 😊

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ — A very cute and quick Christmas novella!

[ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ lia.]

this better be good ✨ let’s go

[Canan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kısa bir hikâyeye göre oldukça güzeldi. Huysuz bir patron ve her şeye cevap veren ve kendini ezdirmeyen bir asistan temasına sahip.

Presley patronunu tanıyor olduğu için tam bir yıl öncesinden noel tatilini her fırsatta hatırlatır. Noel bir aile geleneğidir ve bunu kesinlikle kaçıramaz. Ama bilin bakalım kim son dakika da sorun çıkartıyor? Mr. Sinclair!!!!

Jack iş odaklı birisi. Zaten kiminle tatillerini geçirecek ki? İlk andan beri etkilendiği asistanı tatil için bastırınca çareyi onunla birlikte gitmekte bulur. Zira hâlâ çözülmesi gereken iş meseleleri vardır. Yersen 🙄😂

Sanırım yazar bu kitabı seri hâle getirecek.Presley'in abilerinin de kitapları gelecek gibi. Yazarın tarzı fena değildi. Bekar baba Dylan ve muhteşem köpeği ile Marlow kısacık bir anda bile okumaya değer sahneler sundu. Yine huysuz ve gün ışığı teması olacak gibi 😅

Noelde yapılacaklar listesi, sıcak aile ortamı ve sahte ilişki temaları seviyorsanız bakın derim. Kısa ve tadındaydı.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was such a CUTE and PERF christmas novella!!! this was adorable and fun with good spice! easy fast read.

our fmc’s name is presley and she has 3 brothers …dylan, cash, and harrison - they were named after their parents favorite singers. so cute!!!!! the end sets up the next brother’s book nicely 😏

he’s her boss
small town romance
fake dating
omg only one bed!
spice and praise!

[Karla ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sigo en modo navideño.⛄🎄❄️
Me encantan las historias de relaciones falsas, con jefes gruñones y demasiado sexis.
Con una protagonista fuerte y sin miedo a enfrentar al jefe que de vez en cuando le hace la vida pesada.
Jack y Presley ❤️

[Büşra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tatlıydı..bu yazar yeni favorilerim içine giriyor olabilir.🤌🏻💖

[Anastasiia · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️
тепло. ось так я почуваюся після прочитання історії

[Catbytheseareads ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!! Fake relationship, Billionaire Boss & Employee, Age Gap, Forced Proximity, One Bed, Steamage.