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The Après-Ski Proposal
She came for a fresh start... Not a fake boyfriend.
When Claire Riley gets dumped on the eve of her 30th birthday, she’s blindsided. A spur-of-the-moment ski trip seems like the perfect escape, until she runs into her ex... With his new girlfriend. Shocked and desperate for a lifeline, Claire accepts a proposal from a charming stranger to pose as her fake-boyfriend. What begins as a simple act of saving face turns into a journey that reveals a fresh start in life and love—the kind that only God could have planned.
When Claire Riley gets dumped on the eve of her 30th birthday, she’s blindsided. A spur-of-the-moment ski trip seems like the perfect escape, until she runs into her ex... With his new girlfriend. Shocked and desperate for a lifeline, Claire accepts a proposal from a charming stranger to pose as her fake-boyfriend. What begins as a simple act of saving face turns into a journey that reveals a fresh start in life and love—the kind that only God could have planned.
- GenresChristmas
262 pages, Paperback
Published December 3, 2024
11 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 12, 2026
This is was my first book by Cassandra Joelle and it was very good! I know the characters are fictional, but I found myself at times relating to Claire, when she realizes she needs to put Jesus above everything, including pleasing others! Such a great Christian romance. Great first read of 2026!
January 31, 2025
Claire Riley had high hopes for thirty. She just knew her longtime boyfriend would propose and she’d get to oversee a huge new project at work. Instead, she finds herself dumped the night before her 30th birthday and fired not too long after.
When she has the opportunity to get away with her church for a ski retreat, she’s thrilled. Until she finds out her ex frequents the resort for skiing—and her ski instructor is his new girlfriend! 🫠
Thank goodness for the handsome stranger who seems to come to the rescue at the best times. After their third chance encounter, he proposes to pose as her fake boyfriend—but it leaves her wondering how much is fake and how much is real.
This was such a cute read! It kept me turning the pages to see what happened next. I loved how the story evolved and how faith was integrated so organically into it. It was encouraging to see Claire pressing into her relationship with the Lord when two of the hardest things in her life happened within days of one another.
If you’re looking for a sweet rom-com with winter vibes, a strong faith thread, and great characters, check this one out!
So grateful to @cassandrajoelle for the gifted copy (and the sweet goodies she sent along with it)! All opinions are my own.
When she has the opportunity to get away with her church for a ski retreat, she’s thrilled. Until she finds out her ex frequents the resort for skiing—and her ski instructor is his new girlfriend! 🫠
Thank goodness for the handsome stranger who seems to come to the rescue at the best times. After their third chance encounter, he proposes to pose as her fake boyfriend—but it leaves her wondering how much is fake and how much is real.
This was such a cute read! It kept me turning the pages to see what happened next. I loved how the story evolved and how faith was integrated so organically into it. It was encouraging to see Claire pressing into her relationship with the Lord when two of the hardest things in her life happened within days of one another.
If you’re looking for a sweet rom-com with winter vibes, a strong faith thread, and great characters, check this one out!
So grateful to @cassandrajoelle for the gifted copy (and the sweet goodies she sent along with it)! All opinions are my own.
February 24, 2025
My first book by Cassandra Joelle and it was delightful! Truly a fun read. Claire‘s heart has been broken and she just wants to get away and reevaluate her life. Maybe try something new. She never sets out to have any sort of relationship and certainly not a fake one. But life takes a turn and she ends up doing just that with Blake. What ensues is funny and sweet and endearing.
January 16, 2025
This was cute! I loved the setting; it made me want to go up north for some snow and skiing! It also had one of my favorite tropes which is fake dating. Faith is interwoven through the whole thing. Overall, it was a good read!
January 19, 2025
Lovely Christian Romance
The Apres-Ski Proposal is a squeaky clean, single POV, slow burn, Christian romance.
You will particularly like this book if you enjoy reading a heroine’s journey to love-the ups and downs, the missteps and heartaches as she unravels and discovers what is real and important to her.
There are many beautifully descriptive passages about everything from clothing to architecture to the beauty of the mountains.
The authentic details about skiing plus the prayers and faith elements woven seamlessly throughout the story make this a unique and lovely read.
The Apres-Ski Proposal is a squeaky clean, single POV, slow burn, Christian romance.
You will particularly like this book if you enjoy reading a heroine’s journey to love-the ups and downs, the missteps and heartaches as she unravels and discovers what is real and important to her.
There are many beautifully descriptive passages about everything from clothing to architecture to the beauty of the mountains.
The authentic details about skiing plus the prayers and faith elements woven seamlessly throughout the story make this a unique and lovely read.
December 12, 2024
Such a fun ride! I've only been 🎿 once in my entire life but this book made me want to go again. Joelle writes such great characters, their development and growth is always seen and felt. Her romcoms are top notch clean, fun, funny, realistic and Faith inspiring. Highly recommend!
November 21, 2025
I really like that all her books I’ve read up to this point have had little references to each other. It’s like a fun scavenger hunt finding them. This book also had a much clearer layout and very few typos. I liked The Chalet Next Door more, but this one was also super cutsie
March 21, 2025
This book is wonderful! It has the perfect amount of romance and comedy. This book is exactly the romance I was looking for!
April 10, 2025
This was a great book to read right before my ski trip this week! It was exactly what I was looking for to get me in the skiing mood.
I also enjoyed the prayers and faith throughout.
I did think some aspects of the writing could be improved. For instance, I felt like there were too many characters to keep track of and some where introduced in the last chapter, so I wasn't invested in their lives - I was wanting to wrap up stories not add new ones. And, although this was a fake dating scenario, we really don't see much fake dating happen except for maybe one scene. I wanted more built out between the two main characters. I felt like a lot more was built out about the ex boyfriend than the main guy.
That being said, it was a fun quick vacation read for me and I did enjoy it!
I also enjoyed the prayers and faith throughout.
I did think some aspects of the writing could be improved. For instance, I felt like there were too many characters to keep track of and some where introduced in the last chapter, so I wasn't invested in their lives - I was wanting to wrap up stories not add new ones. And, although this was a fake dating scenario, we really don't see much fake dating happen except for maybe one scene. I wanted more built out between the two main characters. I felt like a lot more was built out about the ex boyfriend than the main guy.
That being said, it was a fun quick vacation read for me and I did enjoy it!
September 20, 2025
❄️❄️
TL;DR - If you enjoy Christian, clean romances with wholesome themes, you’ll probably find more here than I did. But if you’re looking for sharp dialogue, strong pacing, and a fully developed fake-dating storyline, this one might leave you frustrated.
I really struggled with The Après-Ski Proposal. On paper, it sounded like my kind of cosy winter read: a fake-dating romance set against the backdrop of skiing, with themes of healing after heartbreak. But the reality didn’t quite live up to the promise for me.
The biggest sticking point was the writing style. The dialogue often felt stiff and unnatural — packed with words like “misconstrued” or “tremendously” that people just don’t use in everyday speech. It pulled me out of the story and made conversations feel clunky.
I did appreciate some of the character development. It was refreshing to see Claire going to therapy to unpack her failed relationship. A grounded and realistic touch you don’t always find in romances. But even here, the therapist felt more like a bossy narrator telling her how it is, rather than someone guiding her to find her own way.
I feel like this relationship/conversation with the therapist would have been better if she had a female bestie to talk to.
The faith element was another challenge for me. I’m not religious, so I found it difficult to connect with the Christian mindset the book leans on. For example, Claire’s therapist tells her: “You need to take charge of your life by giving Jesus the reins.” For me, that felt contradictory. How is surrendering control the same as taking responsibility? I imagine readers who enjoy Christian romance will connect with this, but it didn’t resonate personally.
As for the plot and structure, the fake-dating setup had potential, but it wasn’t developed as much as I’d hoped. The romance was cute at times, but lacked tension. And the epilogue was a real head-scratcher: instead of focusing on tying up the central love story, it introduced a whole “new team” of people, which felt irrelevant and misplaced.
Also - how many designers does it take to design an airport lounge..?
That said, there were glimmers I enjoyed. The ski setting is fun escapism, and the little romance at its heart is sweet in places. But overall, I found the execution awkward, and it didn’t deliver the satisfying, uplifting rom-com experience I was expecting.
TL;DR - If you enjoy Christian, clean romances with wholesome themes, you’ll probably find more here than I did. But if you’re looking for sharp dialogue, strong pacing, and a fully developed fake-dating storyline, this one might leave you frustrated.
I really struggled with The Après-Ski Proposal. On paper, it sounded like my kind of cosy winter read: a fake-dating romance set against the backdrop of skiing, with themes of healing after heartbreak. But the reality didn’t quite live up to the promise for me.
The biggest sticking point was the writing style. The dialogue often felt stiff and unnatural — packed with words like “misconstrued” or “tremendously” that people just don’t use in everyday speech. It pulled me out of the story and made conversations feel clunky.
I did appreciate some of the character development. It was refreshing to see Claire going to therapy to unpack her failed relationship. A grounded and realistic touch you don’t always find in romances. But even here, the therapist felt more like a bossy narrator telling her how it is, rather than someone guiding her to find her own way.
I feel like this relationship/conversation with the therapist would have been better if she had a female bestie to talk to.
The faith element was another challenge for me. I’m not religious, so I found it difficult to connect with the Christian mindset the book leans on. For example, Claire’s therapist tells her: “You need to take charge of your life by giving Jesus the reins.” For me, that felt contradictory. How is surrendering control the same as taking responsibility? I imagine readers who enjoy Christian romance will connect with this, but it didn’t resonate personally.
As for the plot and structure, the fake-dating setup had potential, but it wasn’t developed as much as I’d hoped. The romance was cute at times, but lacked tension. And the epilogue was a real head-scratcher: instead of focusing on tying up the central love story, it introduced a whole “new team” of people, which felt irrelevant and misplaced.
Also - how many designers does it take to design an airport lounge..?
That said, there were glimmers I enjoyed. The ski setting is fun escapism, and the little romance at its heart is sweet in places. But overall, I found the execution awkward, and it didn’t deliver the satisfying, uplifting rom-com experience I was expecting.
November 13, 2025
This was such a cute read. I absolutely loved the atmosphere. Been checking out luxurious ski resorts haha and wishing to be there now.
The Christian element was super sweet and loved the idea of a christian therapist.
The relationship was quite sweet and I loved how Claire found herself and enjoyed the blessings from God. Everything turned out so well.
This is a perfect book to cheer you up ❤️
The Christian element was super sweet and loved the idea of a christian therapist.
The relationship was quite sweet and I loved how Claire found herself and enjoyed the blessings from God. Everything turned out so well.
This is a perfect book to cheer you up ❤️
January 8, 2026
This book actually turned out pretty good. I didn’t love how slow the beginning was and I have never been a fan of the trope fake relationships but it ended well. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend to a friend, but any coherent christian romance that talks about the Lord makes me happy.
November 14, 2025
This was just such a sweet winter romance. I love Cassandra’s books.
January 11, 2026
I enjoyed this book. A quick and easy light hearted read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews