The Mrs Clause

by Bet Milner

Jodie Webb has a fake a wife, charm an eccentric billionaire, and secure the deal of her career—all while surviving a Christmas retreat in the Swiss Alps that looks like it exploded out of a snow globe. But when her boss’s “brilliant” idea of a fake marriage ropes in her friend, Kim Carter—a carefree artist with zero filter and a flair for holiday chaos—Jodie realizes her plan might need more than a little Christmas magic.



Pretending to be married was supposed to be hold hands, smile for the cameras, and avoid strangling each other over who gets the best side of the bed. But between rival couples, bizarre holiday challenges, and some surprisingly steamy moments under the mistletoe, Jodie’s carefully controlled heart starts to unwrap..

Set between London and a winter wonderland in Switzerland, *The Mrs. Clause* is a laugh-out-loud, slow-burn lesbian romantic comedy that will warm even the coldest hearts. With witty banter, festive mishaps, and a love story that sneaks up on you, this holiday romance is the perfect cozy escape for fans of fake relationship tropes, holiday hijinks, and happily-ever-afters.



Get ready to fall in love with Jodie and Kim in this heartwarming rom-com packed with holiday cheer, laugh-out-loud moments, and just the right amount of mistletoe magic!

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Lesbian, Adult, Friends To Lovers

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 22, 2024

About the author

Bet Milner is an independent author of romance, comedy, and fantasy fiction mainly in the LGBT categories.

She began writing at an early age, initially through poetry, song lyrics and the odd short story. She made many attempts to write a novel prior to the first. All were unfinished and she gave up on the idea for many years.
She found her style and in March 2020, she published her first romance novel, In Her Heels, shortly followed by Better than Fiction.

By October 2020, Bet published her third novel, WAG's to Bitches, and began writing full-time around her other commitments.

Bet enjoys bending genres, and is currently working on a number of titles in the fantasy and science-fiction, and paranormal genres.

Bet is currently writing the third installment of a four part series set to be called The Stone Agents. It is a tale of magic, mystery, parallel worlds, worlds within worlds, and draws extensively on myth and folklore, as well as occult and religious writing. It's a mammoth of a story which crosses fantasy, science-fiction and lesbian romance.

Another project, as yet unnamed, though likely to be her fifth release has thriller elements, an ice-queen trope, a fake relationship, crime, science fiction, and mythology. It is safe to say, at this point, Bet's mind is no longer in this realm!

Bet is a British woman now living in Brazil. When she isn't writing stories, she writes and produces music, sings and performs with her band, and takes care of her young son, family and chickens.

Instagram: @betmilner
Twitter: @betmilner

Reviews

[Cael Bass · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the plot and the descriptions of place. I haven't read many books set in Switzerland, and getting to appreciate the winter setting and learn more about Lucerne drew me in. I liked the premise of a retreat where the couples were required to be married driving the story, though I do feel like that does require a suspension of disbelief, and I appreciate how that is acknowledged in the text. The main thing I had a problem with in this work is it starts off in what is seemingly a third person limited perspective and then we get bits and pieces of third person omniscient which expands further in later chapters. It just felt hard to navigate and confusing. It could have been successful either way, but the inconsistent execution detracts from the whole.

[Robin Kenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no place more magical than Switzerland at Christmas time!

Bet Milner has given us a treat with this story. The beautifully visualized setting, the well developed characters and a believable story all in one package. The only flaw was in the editing. There are many repetitive words, sentences and even a few spelling errors that marred the reading for me. I still recommend the book because it touched my imagination with happiness and joy.

[Ashleigh Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

I love a good Christmas story and this is a great one. The challenges sometimes were frightful, the setting is most delightful, throw in some mistletoe, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Will be reading this one again and possibly again and again.

[Anna Furtado · Rating 2 out of 5]

Premise was unique and interesting. characters were endearing (most of them 😉). Could have benifited from much better editing - some locations didn't jive ‐ some were just plain wrong, as were some other details. Finally, I'm not a fan of referring to characters by their hair color - you have to remember who's the blonde and who's the brunette and stopping to figure that out takes me right out of the story. This one has some potential just beware it has its flaws.

[Lindsey Wallace-Galli · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not vibe with this book much because the characters that were together in the end, there was no chemistry throughout the whole book then bam, they are married.

[Gina L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Story That Goes Haywire With Lies & Truths!

I enjoyed this book. It had something in it for everyone. Laughter, Tears, Heartwarming, Excitement & Love. Jodie is the serious one, especially when it comes to her work. The project her boss has her on involves a company that requires all participants to pitch her new product but at a winter retreat For a week with their husbands or wives. The owner of the retreat will be engaging all participants in games and questions to get to know the people she might be doing business with. Jodie decides to take Kim. A long time friend who no one knows she had an eye on a while ago. Kim however has wanted Jodie for so long. What happens on this trip is crazy fun, exciting challenges but when another couple try and sabotage Jodie & Kim, the hurt and heartbreak is felt by many. A really sweet story.

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jodie Webb needs to go to a event for her job, but a requirement is the attendants have to be married. So she needs a fake wife, and fast.

Kim Carter has known Jodie for years, but because Kim had been seeing one of J's friends, she's been off limits. Now they are both single, and Kim is willing to go to the event as it's off at a ski resort.

Two minor gripes. SPOILERS. If the CEO behind all this actually intended it not to be competitive, BOY did she handle that badly as most of them went in there ready to backstab. Also, again, it would have been nice to tell everyone this was also a test run of their couples retreat concept.

Good, fun romance. Very light read, but it mostly bought it, and the various complications.

[Jeimy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Mrs. Clause offers a festive setting and fun premise, but unfortunately doesn’t deliver on all fronts. While the slow-burn romance might appeal to readers looking for a sweet rather than steamy holiday read, the story struggles under the weight of its underdeveloped plot mechanics. The couple’s retreat challenges are a delightful addition, adding some levity and charm, but the central conceit—that a billionaire would require business reps to bring spouses to a Swiss Alps retreat—feels implausible at best. The rationale behind why the main characters haven’t dated before also feels thin and immature, making it difficult to suspend disbelief. Despite a few enjoyable moments, this rom-com never quite finds its footing.

[Susan Ferrante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fake Marriage Leads to Love

Good story about long time friends faking they are married in order to win a contract to market a new product. The story takes place in Switzerland at a new lodge, which is a retreat for married couples. The scenery and story of several couples competing for the right to market the product makes for a great story.
The main characters are very believable and they realize maybe they don’t have to fake a relationship.

[Sandi D · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute Christmas novel..

Jodie and Kim had a long history together. Their timing just never seemed to be right. Then Jodie needed a wife for a work proposal / week adventure a requirement to bid on the contract married couples only. Her boss convinced her to get a fake wife and she asked Kim. Well we knew this was going to cause issues.

This was a cute story good characters with a lot of laughs.

[AF · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a cute premise and the characters are more or less developed, but there are dozens of proofreading mistakes—mostly typos, but a number of formatting and punctuation errors as well. After a good cleanup this could be a fun little romance.

[Nh lakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Loved the cover page, drew me in…

[KJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. This one was okay. I liked the story but there were a couple things here and there that i had to overlook. All in all, it was an easy read that was a nice way to escape for a bit.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know it's spring, but I'm all for a heartfelt cozy story no matter the season. This rom-com holiday story is not too long, but it doesn't feel rushed, and it's really cute. Jodie’s big career move depends on the approval of an eccentric investor who has invited her prospects and their respective wives to a getaway retreat to participate in a series of activities designed for couples. Jodie and Kim are high school friends, and after volunteering to help Jodie land the investor's account, the two fake their marriage.

Perfect for fans of slow burns, fake dating, and wintery love stories. These two had me smiling, with Kim being outgoing and Jodie uptight.