Christmas by Design: a holiday novella

by Allie Samberts

They don’t have a blueprint for love, but can they build a foundation together this Christmas?

Interior designer Beckett Camdon is decidedly not full of Christmas cheer. His idea of a perfect holiday is sitting by his sleek, gas fireplace with a brandy, a good book, and his cat. But when his boss asks him to pair up with Gemma, the resident ray of light and lover of all things Christmas, he has his work cut out for him.

Gemma Woodard is a project manager for flipping houses, and she’s damn good at it. Not that any of the men she works with notice. Her abilities are overshadowed by the fact that she’s a woman—and a single mom to two-year-old Nova. She won’t let that get her down, though. She’s determined to take on this flip, even if it means she has to do it with grouchy Beckett Camdon.

As they work together more and more, an undeniable attraction grows. And when they find themselves snowed in at the house they’re supposed to be flipping, that spark gets harder to ignore.

Will Beckett and Gemma’s desire melt away after just one night, or will it snowball into something more? One thing’s for sure—this Christmas, they might find themselves wrapped up in more than just holiday decorations.

If you love grumpy/sunshine, adversaries to lovers, workplace romances where they get snowed in and swear it's "just for one night," you'll love this fun, quick burst of Christmas happiness this holiday season.

Genres: Christmas, Holiday, Romance, Novella, Holiday Romance, Workplace Romance, Enemies To Lovers

1 pages, Audio CD

Published August 5, 2025

About the author

Allie Samberts is a romance writer, book lover, and high school English teacher. She was voted funniest teacher of the year for 2023 by her students, which is probably her highest honor to date. She is also a runner, and enjoys knitting and sewing. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, two kids, and a very loud beagle. You can follow her on Instagram @alliesambertswrites, read her blog at alliesamberts.substack.com, and get other updates at www.alliesamberts.com.

Reviews

[Sandy (Sandy.Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars

One thing I love about Allie’s writing is that I can always count on a sweet story with just the right sprinkling of spice — and characters who are actually closer to my age, which makes it even better.

Christmas by Design was the cutest Christmas novella, truly the perfect little holiday snack. It had all the cozy, festive vibes I wanted, with a charming romance that never felt rushed despite the shorter length. The characters were warm, fun, and easy to root for, and the chemistry was just enough to make you smile without overpowering the sweetness of the story.

If you’re looking for a quick, heartwarming read to slip into your December TBR, this one absolutely delivers.

[Caitsbooknook]

Beta read! This novella is spicy and swoony! Can’t wait for everyone to read 🫶🏻

[Hannah Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to beta read this one and loved it!! All the spicy, swoony, snowed-in goodness you could ask for😍

[Kremena Koleva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Мила и трогателна празнична книга, през която преминах за няколко часа! Беше увлекателна, носеща настроение и връщаща усещането, че дните около Коледа могат да са изпълнени с оптимизъм, равносметка и нови планове. Когато някой много иска нещо, то рано или късно се сбъдва. Малко по малко или с пълни шепи, сърцата ни могат да бъдат освободени от тежките преживявания и да се стоплят от усещането за близкото щастие. Всяка една от 129 - те страници топлеха гърдите ми и представиха симпатични герои в обстановката на приближаващите празници.

* " I wish I were better at small talk. Forty years old, and I’ve never been able to master the skill. If anything, it’s gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. Probably because I see less and less of a need to make other people comfortable the longer I’m on this planet."
( Ха ! Колко познато за мен! )
* " But does taking care of yourself mean you can never let anyone do anything nice for you?”

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick holiday read at only 129 pages. As a designer and project manager who typically work together on house flips get stranded in a house during a winter storm. He comforts her through an anxiety attack, which was one of my favorite scenes. Beckett showed his soft side during Gemma’s vulnerable time.

While I like it I wasn’t quite sure what they saw in each other. They didn’t seem to view each other in a positive light so it was hard for me to find their connection.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

ARC Review

𝑰𝒏 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔, 𝑮𝒆𝒎𝒎𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒅𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰’𝒎 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆.

Guys. Read this Christmas book. It's frickin adorable This book felt like reading a Hallmark Christmas movie. The characters were fantastic, the story was cozy, and I could so vividly picture every detail from the Macy's Christmas windows to the fire blazing in the Dash house.

I was immediately invested in the relationship between Gemma and Beckett. Their grumpy x sunshine dynamic was fantastic. The way she intentionally tried to get under his skin was so much fun and I could not get enough of their banter.

“𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒍𝒊𝒓𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖?” 𝑰 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒇.
𝑯𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅. “𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒖𝒑 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑯𝑹.”

Gemma is possibly my favorites of Allie's FMCs. I just related to her so much. Her feelings and anxiety surrounding being a mom spoke to me on a soul level. And Beckett Camden 😮‍💨 He is in my top 3 of Allie's MMCs. This grump is such a secret sweetheart. He is a caretaker at his core and I loved all his little acts of service.

This novella is a spicy little treat, and while it is a great time, the spice in this story is also essential to the plot. These two learn so much about themselves and what they want during their "one night only". They are raw and vulnerable and I love them so much.

Allie has also managed to squeeze a few cute little cameos in here, and I may have squealed out loud. 😆

𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒇𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆? 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝑨𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒍, 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰’𝒎 𝒂 𝒑𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆.

Read November 29, 2024

[Tay_is_reading_again · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was such a cute, well written holiday novella! This one felt like an HGTV home renovation show (which I LOVE) meets a hallmark Christmas movie. Allie always writes and develops her FMC so well, and Gemma is no exception. I really appreciated the anxiety and single mom rep. This book felt way longer than a short 120ish page novella in the best way. This is my third book by Allie and my second time reading an ARC, and I hope to continue on her ARC team! Thank you for the opportunity to read this early eARC!

❄️single mom
🔨silver fox man
❄️coworkers
🔨anxiety rep
❄️HGTV meets Hallmark
🔨grumpy MMC with a soft spot for her

[erikoreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute little novella!! I love a good grumpy x sunshine, adversaries to lovers story, and this one includes a cameo by everyone’s fav barista and coffee shop ☕️ 💕 It’s a sweet, bite-sized, feel good story with more loveable characters (including a secret cinnamon roll pretending to be a grinch)🎄🎁📚

💖 Thank you for my eARC!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a new reno project comes up at their firm, Gemma sees it as an opportunity to give her woeful finances a boost so she can get her and her daughter out from under her parents’ roof. She requests that Beckett, the older stoic interior designer in the firm, be assigned to work with her on it, mostly cause he’s the lesser of all evils. He reluctantly agrees to do the project with her even though the two of them have never really gotten on well. As they begin to work on this restoration project together, their relationship starts to evolve into one neither of them expects. Then they get snowed in together and that seals the deal.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Liked
* this book was adorable. A perfectly balanced holiday novella
* I loved all of her nicknames for Beckett
* On a personal note, my husband and I met at work when I was a project manager and he was a designer and we are ten years apart so I felt like there was a little bit of my own story written in here and it was very pleasing.

Disliked
* I never like a savior complex but she also needed help, and I find that resistance to be a little annoying too
* We really should have done more about all the shit head men in her office!

🫡 Tropes deployed: age gap, workplace romance, enemies to lovers, single mom

[🧸🎀Tiff (honeydukesbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness gracious, this novella was so adorable and gave me all the warm & fuzzies just when I needed them the most!🥹 Gemma & Beckett are so cute, their chemistry is off the charts. It did kinda move a bit fast for me, but that’s pretty much a given with a novella, so I moved past that pretty quickly. I really loved how Beckett became a teddy bear for Gemma’s daughter, Nova. He turns into a cuddly cuddle bear and it was adorable. I already knewwwww when they got stuck in that winter snowstorm that sh!t was gonna get real, but nothing could’ve prepared me for that🥵 all in all, this was a really cute and quick holiday read!

[jenniferlea · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Gemma & Beckett were fun….
I loved that Beckett really understood Gemma based on personal experience even if she did know or understand why
Nova of course stole the show…I love when there are small children in a book & authors don’t write them as more grown than they are
If you are looking for a Christmas novella give this one a read….the characters make you want to pull your hair out in the beginning….it doesn’t take long for that to change before you wish for more hot cocoa dates

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a charming, lovely Christmas novella that finds a single mom snowed in on a project with her solitary-living coworker the night before Christmas Eve. From the build up to the snowed in night that established their relationship dynamic to the night of to the days after, it was a perfect combination of sweet and spicy emotion with all the festive feels. I loved this one.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute Christmas novella, I must say it didnt have a lot of Christmas content just more so the time of year it took place. I was surpsried how much I liked the characters for being a novellas as you dont get a lot of character content usually but Allie did well with this one adn I will be seeking out other books by her in the future.

[Aly ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️⭐️⭐️this was quick and cute!

[Alyssa Lindstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a short sweet spicy novella! I love Sambert’s writing and this was the perfect little holiday romance for me.

[Karina | KooksBookNook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun, spicy holiday novella!!

I love Allie’s writing.

The last line of the epilogue though 🥺

Themes and tropes:
-single mom
-snowed in
-coworkers!!
-Christmas time

[angelpompom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gave the same feeling as shaking a snow globe🤭💕

3.5 stars✨

[Deyanira💫 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estuvo tierno, pero siento que algo falto.

[Ash • wewineaboutbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

Hallmark meets HGTV in this short and sweet co-workers to lovers romance. What is better than an adorable romance story that also involves house flipping? I mean really…
The ideal combination of sweet and spicy and added festive feels made for a cozy, feel-good read that is perfect for curling up under a blanket, by the fire and by the Christmas tree! 🎄

[Sandra Raya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Christmas novella I didn’t know I needed ✨

ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The dynamic between these two main characters was everything I needed. The absolute acceptance Beckett had for Gemma was everything! The way Beckett handled Gemma’s panic attack drew me to tears, the tenderness and the vulnerability was handled with such delicacy. If you want a heart warming, grumpy x sunshine , work place romance please pick this up!! It’s available now on KU!!

[Jill (readinginpjs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a snowed in story, and this was so good!

📖 Christmas By Design by Allie Samberts
🎄 holiday novella
⭐️: 4.5/5
🌶️: open door

💭 overall thoughts:
Project manager Gemma & designer Beckett are paired together on a project at the house flipping firm where they work. They are opposites in many ways, but also a perfect balance.
I loved their connection and banter!

Allie did such a fantastic job at creating depth with her characters in such a short novella! This one is only 128 pages, but it felt like a full story.

I adored Gemma, I found her super relatable as a fellow mom, and a bit of a hot mess 😅
I also deal with anxiety and appreciated the rep!

My slight hesitation in giving this 5 stars is in elements of the story, but not about the relationship with the main couple.
I would have loved to have seen more of what happened regarding the misogyny Gemma experiences in the workplace, and more of a followup with the project/home owner.

read if you love:
🏚️ workplace - house flipping firm
🧑‍🧒 single mom
💘 dislike to love
✨ age gap (10 years - 30 + 40)
❄️ snowed in/forced proximity
🧠 anxiety rep
💞 dual 1st person pov

Thank you to author Allie Samberts for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍

[Jillian Coleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh what a delicious treat of swoony holiday love! More review to come but suffice to say Allie gets better every time and you won’t want to miss this one ❤️

[Susan Ha · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you love HGTV but with a holiday romance, this is for you!

Christmas by Design follows project manager, Gemma Woodard (30) and interior designer, Beckett Camdon 40) as they get snowed in alone during a house renovation project before Christmas. They do not get along. With the father of her child out of the picture, Gemma constantly has stains on her clothes and her hair in disarray. Beckett never has a wrinkle or lint in place. She’s still trying to get her life together, and he’s set up. She likes color, he likes creams and whites. She gives him petty nicknames, and he annoyingly addresses her by her last name. Although, they do have a common ground: both are fantastic at their jobs. Too bad Gemma’s male coworkers (except Beckett) don’t seem to notice other than the fact that she’s a woman and a single mother. But she needs this project to go well. Will they be able to put their differences aside to finish the project peacefully?

3⭐️ this was somewhat enjoyable, but with a few flaws. My main one being falsely advertised as a grumpy x sunshine. Beckett was the definition of a grump. But I wouldn’t describe Gemma as a sunshine on her best day. Sunshine characters are described as radiating warmth, cheer, and happiness. She was antagonizing to Beckett, constantly stressed about her daughter and financial stability, and experienced sexism and misogyny in the workplace so she understandably wasn’t cheery or smiley at work.

With this being 171 pages, I was expecting somewhat of an insta-love (commonly written in spicy novellas), but was pleasantly surprised with their couple build-up. However, I felt the chemistry was a bit forced at times. Beckett was sweet though. You could tell acts of service is how he shows his love. And I think that’s the perfect kind of love for Gemma. Someone who has the world’s weight on their shoulders, but has someone in their corner to lighten the load. They balanced each other well. You could tell her ice was slowly melting away around Beckett. The whole scene of Beckett smoothly handling Gemma’s panic attack was perfect. However, Gemma needed to raise a bar if she swooned at him putting his crusts on her plate for her. “Beckett scoops up his discarded crusts and deposits them on my plate. And I don’t know why, but it strikes me as such a sweet thing to do—to give me more of something I like, even if he didn’t want it anyway.”

Overall, I had an okay time!

🏚️ adversaries to lovers
🏚️ age gap (decade)
🏚️ opposites attract
🏚️ colleague romance

Spice level: 2

TW: Gemma experiences a lot of anxiety. Symptoms of it is shown throughout the book. She has a panic attack on page.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️/5

Gemma is an independent woman. Proving to herself and those she works with that just because she’s a woman she can work in this industry as well. Now, Beckett is what Gemma would consider a grump. But they have playful banter from beginning to end. Gemma has nicknames for Beckett it’s rarely ever Beckett that she will call him. Of course, she does this just to get under his skin.

Gemma has a project she wants to do, she needs to do. She request Beckett be the one to assist her with this project. But in true Beckett fashion he just isn’t into the idea. Until, he runs into Gemma at a coffee shop and helps her pay for her coffee and a cake pop for Nova. Because, well Gemma is a single mother and living with her parents. Beckett might just feel like after this moment spreading some Christmas cheer.

Beckett agrees to do this project but then gets push back from Gemma because as I said she is independent and doesn’t need hand outs despite her struggles it’s hard for her to accept help. Eventually they do agree to do the project together. Many different emotions take place during this for both of them. Why she chose Beckett to do this project with? Are they flirting with each other?

Well they get snowed in together for a night. How will Gemma and Beckett handle this? What will happen? The story is wrapped up perfectly for the Christmas holiday.

This is the perfect holiday read if you are looking for just a bit of spice, storyline, funny, heart warming moments and just a cozy read than this is for you.

[Laraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited when this hit my Kindle this morning! I could’ve read an entire novel about Gemma and Beckett—they’re that good! This delightful little novella delivers all the Hallmark Christmas charm and HGTV home renovation fun you could possibly want. Coworkers teaming up to renovate a house, only to get snowed in together? Sign me up!

Allie has a gift for creating characters that feel real and endearing. Gemma is a single mom navigating life with a mix of determination and chaos—a true “hot mess express” with a heart of gold. Beckett, on the other hand, is the classic grump who secretly has a marshmallow-soft center. Their dynamic is irresistible, and the way their relationship evolves is as heartwarming as it is entertaining.

Throw in all the cozy Christmas vibes—twinkling lights, snowy nights, and the magic of the season—and you have a festive, feel-good read that’s perfect for curling up with under a blanket. If you love charming romances with equal parts humor and heart, this novella is a must-read for your holiday TBR!

[Holly Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is honestly the perfect holiday novella. Beckett and Gemma are SO SWEET! There is something about a grumpy but sweet cinnamon roll man who just falls so easily for the sunshine girl who loves Christmas! Their banter was so easy and fun. And not to mention all the cute little moments between Beckett and Nova! My heart was melting right along side Gemma’s!!

Gemma’s anxiety was written so well. And Beckett never made her feel less because of it. He asked questions and observed and was able to meet her where she was and help her the way she needed. It was SO sweet.

This is the first book I’ve read of Allie’s but it won’t be the last!! I’ve been wanting to read her books forever but so many books so little time 😭 but this is me officially committing to reading her books inn the new year!!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ 1🌶️ Gemma + Beckett

Dislikes:
- Gemma wants to be super independent to the point it was annoying. Like girl, it’s ok for people of the opposite sex to help you, unless it’s something you can easily do yourself, but in her case it wasn’t, the girl needed the help.
- the attraction between the two was not natural and felt forced/inappropriate at times. He was comforting her after an anxiety attack and when he went to hold her he had to hold back a moan. Like really bro? Now is not the time. He even said it was a shitty thing to think of when she’s panicking and he was right.

Likes:
- Gemma realizing that spending the night away from her baby girl for the first time was much needed and helped her get a bit of her life back. I love love loved that revelation for her! This was the one scene where I actually connected with the character.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allie Sambert is quickly becoming a favorite author. Her sweet romance stories are the perfect escape when you need something low angst and feel good. This holiday novella was no exception. The characters are in their 30s and 40s, and this one had some of my favorite tropes, grumpy/sunshine, coworkers, banter, and forced proximity.

Gemma is a hot mess single mom to a toddler and working in a male dominated field. She is feisty, loves Christmas, and is a bit disheveled... all of the things Beckett doesn't want. Beckett is clean, quiet, and set in his ways... tho total opposite of Gemma, and she pesters him relentlessly for it.

The banter and chemistry between these two made it hard to put the book down. The way Allie writes her characters is so relatable and just makes you immediately love them. Christmas by Design was the perfect way to end this year!

[Cassie O · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is ADORABLE (and spicy). Beckett and Gemma work together and end up stranded in a snowstorm just before Christmas. Fighting chemistry and bantering the entire time, these two have such a fun rapport. He doesn’t back down over her being a single mom, she’s not bothered by their age gap (10 years and 30-40). A great start to the holiday season for me, only given a four because you do have to suspend reason a bit here and there (they stay in the house that’s under construction with no okay from the owner, drink her whiskey, and sleep on the hard floor without waking up in severe pain haha).

Spice rating: 3/5
Overall rating: 4/5

I received a free advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Karen B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed every book I’ve read by this author but this holiday, workplace romance novella has moved to the coveted top spot! The character development of and connection between the MCs (Gemma, a single mom and project manager and her co-worker Beckett, a somewhat grumpy and uptight interior designer) is absolutely fantastic-not a small feat for a novella that comes in at just over 100 pages. The characters are above 30 and so relatable, there is award-winning witty banter, clever nicknames, dual PoV, a well-done steamy scene…all wrapped up together with a Christmastime based plot and topped off with a cute little side character named Nova. I highly recommend this novella for all the smiles, feel good moments (and a few blushes too) and holiday vibes.