Secrets under the Christmas tree

by Shalini Sharma

Sometimes the heart's greatest gifts are found in the most unexpected places.

When Violet Myers, a spirited event planner, is tasked with organising her company’s annual holiday party, she's thrilled—until she learns her partner is the notoriously grumpy CFO, Grayson Blackwood. Known for his stoic demeanour and dislike for festive flair, Grayson wants to keep things strictly business, but Violet is determined to sprinkle in some holiday cheer.

As they clash over everything from decorations to the guest list, Violet is surprised to discover a hidden side to Grayson—a quiet, guarded man who hates crowds and holiday chaos. Despite his reluctance, he slowly warms up to Violet’s playful approach to the season, even joining her in baking cookies, decorating trees, and stealing glances when she is not looking at him. And as Grayson lets his guard down, Violet finds herself unexpectedly drawn to him.

What starts as a holiday project soon becomes something more, as Violet and Grayson discover that sometimes, the best gifts are the ones you never see coming.

*Secrets under the Christmas Tree is a steamy, full-length novel that will put you right in the holiday spirit.*

Genres: Christmas, Holiday, Romance

357 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 25, 2024

About the author

Shalini Sharma is an author whose writings vary from dark, deep romance to uplifting tales of love and healing. She writes a wide range of romance books, all brimming with too-hot-to-handle steamy encounters.

Reviews

[Shalini Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secrets under the Christmas tree is LIVE and FREE to read in Kindle unlimited! I'm so excited for you to meet Grayson and Violet, and I hope you fall in love with them as much as I did while writing their story!

Here's what to expect:

✔️HOLIDAY ROMANCE
✔️GRUMPY × SUNSHINE
✔️DISLIKE TO LOVE
✔️WORKPLACE ROMANCE
✔️OPPOSITES ATTRACT
✔️BILLIONAIRE
✔️OBSESSED MMC
✔️SLOW BURN
✔️DUAL POV

One-click: https://amzn.in/d/0vTHiYn

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this story was dragged out way longer than it needed to be. This could and should have been a novella in my opinion. The book was cute overall. However, the MMC was possessive in an almost creepy/uncomfortable way in a few spots and it made me feel not so good about the story as a whole since he was such a critical part of the book.

[Carla Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read this author before. Her writing style is improving. There are several phrases and words that have typos. It says her when it should say him, there is me when it should say my, phrases that say the when the word the shouldn't be there. There is a part in Chapter 5 that is confusing. Also in chapter 9 a bit of confusion. In chapter 38 it says proposal when it should say wedding. Other than that, the story plot and the rest of the writing was ok. It was a good story that left you smiling at the end. The writing itself needs to feel less mechanical and show more personal emotion. Overall it was a very good book. You should give it a try.

[Himani Rajhans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello 👋👋
I am big fan of your... I have read all the stories what ever you wrote in pratilipi app. I am literally waiting for your next story but you remove all the stories and finally you are here. Thank you for keep writing. I am waiting for your next story in pratilipi. I still have that app in my phone...
Keep writing 🫰🫰🥰

[Renee]

DNF at 39%
I really enjoyed the tension between the characters and the story was mostly fine, but I was unpleasantly surprised when we finally got to the anticipated christmas party and the story wasn’t even halfway through. The addition of the aunt was weird and out of left field, and I realized that I wasn’t that invested in reading on.
Also, there were a lot of inconsistencies in the story, and a lot of things that really didn’t make sense. The writing style could also use improvement, there was a lot of unneeded repetition, especially in the internal monologues.

[Vishnu Pingali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secrets Under the Christmas Tree is a sweet, steamy, and emotional holiday read that perfectly captures the charm of a grumpy-sunshine, dislike-to-love romance. Grayson and Violet have great chemistry, and their slow-burn relationship keeps you hooked till the end.

The story delivers on all its promises—holiday vibes, workplace tension, and plenty of heat. That said, a bit of editing would make it shine even more—there are some typos and a few confusing parts along the way. Still, the author’s writing has improved a lot and the emotional payoff is worth it.

If you love opposites attract and cozy Christmas love stories with a passionate edge, this one’s definitely worth a read!

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Steamy” is an understatement. I’m not sure how I’d describe so much raw and explicit sexual activity. Similar to 50 Shades of grey maybe? … but without the S&M aspect? I’m not sure. This is kind of a traditional romance / love story but with a lot of sex thrown in. The author threw in a lot of colorful language (literally) as they character’s names are Violet and Grayson Blackwood. I agree with other review that some editing is needed but overall the grammar errors and typos don’t really detract from the story. I’d suggest to the author to either hire an editor or use Grammarly.

[Susan Marie Ballain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story for the most part! The grumpy to sunshine is one of my favorite tropes! The story kind of dragged on and could have been shorter!