A Holiday Affair

by Shay Jinx

A few months after her breakup after mentioning wanting to try a Dom sub dynamic, Ashley tries to find the “perfect man”. When her holiday vacation finally comes around she remembers that her boss is currently going through a divorce, she invites him to join her. From the start, tension between them is high. Ronnie shows back and forth interest in her, causing her to be cold towards him. As the vacation continues they grow warmer towards each other, and learn about each other. Will she mention her struggles with finding the “perfect man” and will he step up to fill that role? Or will he just push her away for the fact that he’s her boss? And will one man be enough?


⚠️A Holiday Affair contains dark or disturbing scenes, PLEASE read the trigger warnings below before deciding if this is a book for you⚠️


🩵Dual POV
🤍Forbidden Romance (Boss/ Employee)
🩵Fake Identity
🤍Dom/ Sub
🩵Close Proximity
🤍Why Choose
🩵Age Gap
🤍obsessive MMC’s

CW’
🩶BD$M
🩵🍷 mentions
🩶Dubcon/ CNC
🩵3some’s
🩶Predator/ Prey scenes
🩵Praise
🩶Degradation
🩵Sp@nking
🩶Ch0king
🩵Edging

63 pages, Paperback

Published November 29, 2024

Reviews

[MashPie Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy this one was spicy and I devoured every second of it!

I prefer Novellas for a Holiday themed book because it gets me in the mood for Christmas but I don’t feel rushed to finish them. Often with full length novels I just don’t get time to read them before the season is over! This is definitely a great one to read that’s quick and has a good mix of spice and festive cuteness. I only wished I could read a little more of Ashley and Ronnie’s story.

Tropes:
❄️ Forbidden Romance
❄️ Forced Proximity
❄️ Age Gap
❄️ Multi POV
❄️ Dom/Sub

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was sent to me as an ARC however all opinions are honest and my own 🖤

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book so badly but the writing felt a little flat to me. I understand that it’s a super short book but every scene was so rushed and it was a struggle to understand who was saying what.

There were some errors with descriptions as well, she was wearing a bodycon dress that were her pyjamas but then she went out in the dress which actually ended up being trousers? It got a little confusing.

[Alex Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A divorced male, a sexy local cowboy, and a desperate sub go to a cabin in Colorado. (Insert punch line here)

I’ll tell you what happens, dirty good stuff.
This is a quick easy read and it’s perfect for the holiday season. Short, sweet, and full of corn(🌽).

The characters are quick to attach to and this novella is good for a book hangover. Dive into a world where subs get what they deserve and doms take what’s there’s.
Read your trigger warnings and be safe out there. 💋

[Ashley Willard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a super fast, smutty, holiday read! I’m going to impatiently be waiting for the 2nd book, because this did end on a cliffhanger. If you’re looking for a good gap filler, or something to get you out of a book slump add this to your tbr!

[Kim Merkenhof · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short christmas pure smut novella. Not much plot(but who needs that).

It's fun, it's short, it's smut, so what's not to like

It's a prequel to a full novel?????

[Krystina · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Oh baby!🥵 A Holiday Affair is the perfect read that will get you in the Christmas spirit! This is a short why choose that has no shortage of spice! What happens when you get a cabin in the middle of no where with your boss? Well let’s just say things can get a little intense! Especially when you end up meeting a good looking guy at the bar to bring back home to join in on the fun! Absolutely loved reading this!

[Kenzie May · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review <3

Tropes: forbidden romance (boss/employee), dom/sub, close proximity, why choose, age gap, obsessive MMCs, dual POV

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Ok so I’ve been reading the reviews for this book and I have an issue I would like to address…

I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH do not read/apply for an ARC of a novella if you are expecting it to be a full length book. A novella is supposed to be short and fast paced and if that’s not for you, then that is completely ok, but I hate reading reviews for novellas that are 2-3 stars and say “this book could really benefit from being a full length novel” or “this book was extremely short and things happened so quickly”. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE *sings Sabrina Carpenter song* rate a novella based on the writing, plot, and characters, not on the length because again, novellas are supposed to be short. I have seen this happen to so many authors lately and it really affects the overall ratings of the books and makes the authors feel shitty.

Anyways onto the review…

SHAY WTF DID YOU JUST DO TO ME!? I was CRAZY vibing. This book is like a spicy hallmark movie and I lived for every second. The spice SPICED like no other (THE NUTCRACKER SCENE 🥵) and I’m desperately hoping that Shay will make this into a novella series for every holiday..? 👀 I’m really hoping so because that ending ruined me and I need more. HALLMARK MOVIES HAVE HAPPY ENDINGS SHAY WDYM “for now.” 😡

I WAS ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING for a majority of this book. Ashley is sassy in the best way possible and I love her for it! Out of the guys, it’s a close call, but I think Sean was my favorite? The way that man dirty talks. 🤤 BUT ALSO THE WAY RONNIE TEXTED HER AND WENT TO THE BAR. Yeah never mind it’s a tie. Anyways, I finished this book in one sitting and will definitely re-read around Christmas time!

[Amber Greco · Rating 3 out of 5]

All I can say is 🥵🥵. Reading the first few pages, you wonder what the story is leading up to and what the pacing will be like. By only one chapter in, you are diving deep and quickly into a steamy, spicy dom/sub relationship.

Ashley is a hardworking employee that is in search of a dom after her previous relationship ending. She plans a vacation to Colorado but who may you ask is joining her?? HER BOSS!!

After years of watching Ashley work her tail off, boss man (Ronnie) decides to entertain the thought of going on vacation with her. Little do they know how much they want each other until Ashley feeds nothing but sass to her boss. Can he handle it on his own??

This novella was such a speedy read that I hope there will be a prequel. I am left with so many questions and want to more details about Ashley and Ronnie's relationship. What happens when they get back to NY? Do they stay in a monogamous relationship?? There was also a time that I felt confused due to the surface/basic information that was given, but I was able to work through it and really enjoy this read.

I recommend this book to anyone that is in a book slump or needs a cleansing read! This will surely help you dive back into stories!

[That Lady Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

HANG ON!! That’s it 🥵🥵🥵🥵 No give me more, I don’t understand.

The only thing wrong with this book was how short it was. I was so upset when I got to end. I devoured this book in an hour, it was so good, I need more from Shay.

Please tell me that this is going to be a series, I’m BEGGING you! 🎄

This is a spicy little Christmas treat for all, the story follows Ashley(aka snowflake/little rabbit), Ronnie and Sean (aka Mr Wolfie), P.S the little red riding hood reference was absolutely perfection. Our home girl Ashley is on the look for a dom as a first time sub, she recently got cheated and dumped by her ex after bringing this up to him and so she and her best friend Carly start going to TER, a sec club in New York City. Ashley doesn’t meet anybody there because she always has one person in the back of her mind, a hot, older man who is completely off limits. Why you ask, oh because it’s her BOSS! So what happens when these two go on a little Christmas vacation and they meet Sean, (*insert shock gasp 😨) scandalous.

And yes she tickles their jingle balls, while these two both cum down and up her chimney 😂, I’m sorry I called it a chimney.

Banger, enjoy my library! 📚

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me tell you, I'm a particular kind of reader. I got this book for free and wanted to enjoy a little spicy read. The writing gives me the impression that the author is still quite young, and has rushed into the process of writing this. Maybe if it was polished, edited, formatted better, it would have turned out okay.

Although it is not my intention to bad mouth the author, it is true that they need someone to tell them the truth. Ms./mrs. Jinx, polish your writing first, don't surround yourself with people who lie to you and say your work is brilliant despite whatever. Because first, before a work is brilliant, it has to be good. Not saying this to be mean. Saying this so you can improve.

[Theresse (Tess) Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spice: 4/5

This Christmas Novella was HOT!! The spice is the perfect thing to warm readers up during the cold season that is coming. From the dedication alone, I knew that this book was going to be *chef’s kiss*. Ashley was such an amusing FMC with her sassy, bratty attitude that I did not anticipate from the beginning of the novella. Ronnie was the perfect complement for her as a dom, providing everything she needed while being obsessed with her (for longer than she even realized). I also really enjoyed Mr. Wolfie (aka Sean) and thought that he was a great third for their relationship as he rounded out the group perfectly! I will say that this novella is 85% spice, 15% plot, so if you are looking for a novella that is more balanced, this is probably not your cup of hot cocoa. But, Shay did great with this novella and of course, she had to kill me with an ending that left the door wide open for continuing the story. She is slowly solidifying herself as the QUEEN OF CLIFFHANGERS on my TBR and I am here for it. 🖤I really hope this is a prequel novella because I want more Ashley, Ronnie, and Mr. Wolfie!

Tropes Include:
- Obsessed MMC
- Dual POV
- Dom/Sub Relationship
- Forbidden, Age-Gap Romance
- Why Choose

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received "A Holiday Affair" by Shay Jinx as an advance reader copy, and while it wasn’t bad, it felt like there could be more to the story. The book follows Ashley, who, a few months after her breakup, decides to explore a Dom/sub dynamic. During her holiday vacation, she invites her boss, Ronnie, who is going through a divorce, to join her. Tension is high from the start, but as the vacation progresses, they grow closer and learn more about each other.

Several aspects were a bit spotty for me. For instance, what happened to Mr. Wolfie? The book didn’t cover any safe words, and the protagonist was intoxicated the first night, which is concerning since most won't do over a 2-drink max in such situations. Additionally, it was a little hard to follow who was saying what at times. Despite these issues, the steam level was incredibly hot, which added to the overall enjoyment of the book. Perhaps the brevity of the story contributed to some of these gaps. Overall, it was an okay read, but it left me wanting more depth and clarity.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The spice was SPICY 🌶️

I really wanted to LOVE this book, but there were many details that were missing. I found myself having to go back 2/3 pages to reread things to make sureI didn't miss a detail to where I was at. It was definitely a good read to start off my holiday reading🎄

This book has a lot of potential to be developed into more! Right off the back you can tell that there was going to be a strong dom/sub relationship between Ashley & Ronnie; where it lacks was the details that lead to their dom/sub side. Ashley expresses her wanting of a dom and learning the lifestyle from the get go and there is development on that side of the story but we are missing the details of Ronnie's dom side besides him saying hes always been a dom and really wants to make Ashley submit to him. I feel like it is important to add in some of the lessons that go into dom/sub relationships instead of going full fledge into the spice without the importance of safe words, limits, etc.

[Brit.Readz · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a short this was incredibly written.
Ashley is in need of something that only the right person can fulfill.. but when she invites her boos on her holiday she's in for a new brand of spicy she didnt know she wanted or needed.

I want to read 1000 pages of this book. I was excited to get going with it only to realize it ends so terribly quickly. From the first page it captivated me on a whole different level. While yes it has Christmas/holiday vibes it isn't all about Christmas. It is more about a choice. Rather why choose when you can say yes and have everything you never knew you wanted. I want to keep reading their story and find out what happens next not only with "Old man" but "Mr. Wolfie". I have to know what happens!!

The spice is SPICING! I loved every thing about it. Ill never look at a nutcracker the same again but hey thats ok. I can't wait to follow along with this and hopefully read so much more super soon!!

[Katie | Untitledbookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This quick holiday novella was the perfect palate cleanser for the season, light on plot and heavy on spice. While I appreciated the steamy moments, I found myself wanting more depth in the BDSM elements. It would have been great to see Ashley explore and learn more about the dynamics of a Dom/Sub relationship, as well as to dive deeper into the world of the club itself. However, given the novella’s length, I understand why these elements were only lightly touched upon. As for the nickname "Snowflake," it didn't quite resonate with me, but it’s a minor detail in the grand scheme.

Overall, it delivered what I expected: a spicy, fast-paced holiday escape. Thank you Naughty Nook PR and the author for the chance to read this ARC.

[Jessica Martens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but sweet! A smutty/why choose christmas novella is always a good way to start off the holidays! The banter and smut were amazing. Hidden identity, insta love, boss/employee dynamic is awesome!

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This was so good! I loved it!

I am speechless! This was amazing! I was so into it! This was super spicy and it made me feel so many different things.


I received this as an advanced reader copy and I'm writing this review voluntarily

[Doonut · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful Affair I have a read😘😘😘!!
This is miraculously beautiful and the spice is extremely spicy 😍 👌 🔥!! It was soo freaking hot with an epic forbidden plot, loved it soo much and it was a cute AF novella ☺️☺️

[MrsKaysLibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to live this book. I do understand it’s a very short book, but it felt a little rushed to me. I just didn’t “ get lost “ in the story line like I would have hoped.

[Smutty Professor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Holiday Affair is a sizzling, quick-paced novella that packs a punch with its steamy romance and undeniable chemistry. Ashley and Ronnie’s dynamic is full of tension from the start, with Ashley's bratty behavior and Ronnie’s 'professionalism' creating a fun and intense push-pull. Ashley's BDSM desires add an exciting layer to their connection and once they finally give in, the spice doesn't let up! It's a perfect short read for anyone looking for a holiday-themed, steamy escape. While the plot is light, the characters' growth and the chemistry between them make this novella an enjoyable, spicy indulgence.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a cute story! a little plot and a lot of smut! if you need a short reset for the holidays, here is your book!

ashley and her best friend carly go to a bdsm club at least once a month. she recently broke up with her boyfriend after she caught him cheating. she is kinda taking it slow in finding someone new who will fulfill her needs. while at work the next day she decides to invite her yummy boss, who is going through a divorce, on vacation with her (it was supposed to be her and her bf but they broke up). one thing leads to another and not only has she found her dom…but they bring in sean who she met at the bar while on vacay. freak fest 2024 happens. such a great book!

[Tori Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing subtle about this romance novella. No easing into anything. It just goes straight in and doesn't stop till the very end. The ending I did not see coming, though. You must read it to find out the goss. It is sexy. It is confronting. It is so much more than you need but that's what makes it exciting. Exciting and thrilling to the bitter end. Shay, I didn't know you had it in you, you raunchy storyteller you. Some bits made me feel her pain and the rest made me feel all those feelings she felt. I can't wait to read more from you in the future.

[Jess Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

The spice in this book to much to fit under the Christmas tree!!! Such a quick read and a sweet naughty billionaire romance.
Ashley is a hard working bratty sub looking for the prefect dom. Ronnie is a man who fully takes control of everything!
The plot in this novella is a little thin but the spice makes up for it !

[Shyanne Blankenship · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a whirlwind

First off, it could’ve benefited from being twice as long as it was. Like heavily.

I would’ve loved to see a little more of their relationship before they went to the cabin. Some parts just felt like you missed something

The smut was fucking amazing. So if you care zero about plot and just want hot sex then look no further

[April Tankersley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot and steamy short read that you won't be able to put down! I really hope there will be more to this story because.... What happened to Mr. Wolfie??

[Miasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smut: 5

Read the trigger warnings

I wanted to love this book but I felt more confused throughout the entire book than anything. I understood that it was suppose to be a short quick holiday book but the details and storyline changed so often and important information was either left out or shortened that it was just confusing. It was definitely a whirlwind holiday love affair and the smut was most definitely smutting lol definitely my favorite part.

Fair warning the end is extremely rushed and slightly confusing.

[Michelle Partridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect holiday novella! This was definitely a fast why chose, smutty, holiday read.

The spice was definitely S P I C I N G 😈 ❤️‍🔥 I mean what could possibly happen staying in cabin with your boss and a stranger from the bar??

It ended way too soon for me & on a cliffhanger even 😩 I need to know what happens next 💚❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

** PS: I don’t think I will ever look at a nutcracker the same** 😂😂

[Ariel Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light easy read that had a ton of spicy scenes. The smut was awesome!

Ronnie is smooth, Sean is hot, Ashley is hard working and sweet. If you are looking for a why-choose Christmas Novella to warm your kindle, this book is perfect for you!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶

[Kimberley Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎄💚ARC Review💚🎄

Holy Smut!! This book was spicccyyyy! If you are looking for a quick ready with a whole lotta spicy this is prefect for your Smutmas list!

Please check your TWs

[Kristian Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book by this author I have read.
I had the pleasure of reading as an arc and its was a cute little read with some triggers so please check triggers before reading

I would say slow to medium 🔥
4 star but not a solid 4 for me but deserves 4

The story flowed, writing style was good.