Navidad con Mi Esposo Falso: Un Romance Navideño de Opuestos que se Atraen

The Mistletoe Book Club #2

by Susan Hatler

Una novela romántica navideña, reconfortante y con encanto de pueblo pequeño, llena de la chispa de los opuestos que se atraen, segundas oportunidades y la alegría de abrir el corazón al amor.

Macy Wilcox es una empresaria práctica de un pequeño pueblo que cree en la estructura y en jugar a lo seguro. Por eso, cuando acepta ser la señora Claus, espera que su Santa sea igual de fiable. Pero Cal Bradley —un instructor de esquí aventurero y con espíritu juguetón— llega tarde, con botas de nieve y grandes sueños navideños.

Chocan en todo, desde las recetas de galletas hasta las promesas hechas a niños de ojos abiertos. Pero a medida que la calidez y la alegría de Cal comienzan a derretir el corazón reservado de Macy, ella se pregunta si el amor es lo único por lo que vale la pena arriesgarse.

De una autora superventas del New York Times, no te pierdas esta acogedora y limpia novela romántica navideña sobre creer en el amor y confiar en que el amor llega cuando menos te lo esperas en NAVIDAD CON MI ESPOSO FALSO.

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Holiday, Ebooks, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

223 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 3, 2025

About the author

SUSAN HATLER is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, who writes humorous and emotional contemporary romance and young adult novels. Many of Susan’s books have been translated into German, Spanish, French, and Italian. A natural optimist, she believes life is amazing, people are fascinating, and imagination is endless. She loves spending time with her characters and hopes you do, too.

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Blog: susanhatler.com/category/susans-blog

Reviews

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macy and Cal's Christmas . . .

Macy Wilcox and Cal Bradley really do seem to be complete opposite personalities. Macy is a sweet person wanting to do all she can for everyone, but losing customers and struggling to save her cookie business which has been hurt by heavy competition. Yet when asked by a friend to be Christmas Mountain’s Mrs. Santa Claus for the Christmas season, she immediately drops everything and agrees to help them, not wanting any child to be disappointed. Cal is an awesome (occasionally frustrating), charming and fun character who doesn’t stick to a schedule, shows up in odd places, and makes promises to the children that Macy is certain cannot be achieved, causing her to jump in and try to make such promises more realistic.

As the two work together, they find more in common and the chemistry that begins to sizzle moves them toward a promising relationship, at least until a misunderstanding threatens to end things for them. Standing alone on stage to talk to the families and children for the last event, can Macy adjust her strong expectations and learn to go with the flow like Cal does when that appears more effective? Could things work out for them? Will she and Cal find happiness together as he suddenly arrives (late) to fulfill the promises made to the children? Grab your copy and enjoy a story that will open your heart to the love of Christmas and allow you to share the joy.

[Erralee Hendrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone knows Mr. Claus needs a Mrs. Claus and that they need to be married. I just adore Christmas stories especially when they have characters spreading Christmas cheer and learning life lessons to boot. This story is a different take on the fake husband concept since usually it happens at the spur of a moment thought without being thought through what that entails. As always, this author has a great combination of humor and romance through out the story making it so hard to put down. The characters are so likeable and the concept is wonderful; definitely can be a stand alone story. This is such an enjoyable read.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally loved this story. Macy is trying to keep her cookie business successful but competition is making it difficult. She is such a sweet person that when needed to play Mrs. Clause, she just couldn’t say no. Even when she finds that Santa is a gorgeous hunk by the name of Cal and makes all these promises to the kids that he would deliver their Christmas wishes, she tries to make him see how disappointed they will be when he can’t deliver. His special name for her made me chuckle every time he used it.

[Sharon S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Hatler has another fun book in this series.
“Magic only comes to those who believe.”
Macy owns and runs her cookie business in her small hometown. She’s looking forward to opening her store in the building with Snowflake Skating Rink instead of running it out of her home. Even though she’s super busy and worried about possibly losing her biggest customer, she agrees to be Mrs. Claus.
Cal is playing Santa but seems very irresponsible. Macy is attracted to him but doesn’t need to get involved with someone like him. The more time she spends with him the more her opinion improves.
This should make everyone believe in magic again!
*I received this book as an ARC reader and am leaving my unbiased review.

[Doni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fake Husband For Christmas, is a good story.
I truly enjoyed reading it.
Macy, had been hurt when she was young.
Because of it, it was hard for her to trust people.
When she agreed to play Mrs. Claus,
Macy, met the newest resident in town,
Cal, who was going to play Santa.
He's a great guy, but Macy knew there was
more to Cal, then Mr. happy go lucky.
It a feel-good & moving Christmas romance.
A MUST READ!!

[Quinn Fforde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Macy and Cal appear to be polar opposites when the book starts. He is fun and runs late for things. She is driven and worried. As they get to know one another, though, they find out that they have many things in common. But Macy will have to change the way she sees other people in order to open herself up to a relationship with Cal. Can she do it?

[Jo-Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet, heartwarming tale about Macy, a struggling business owner who craves order and is wary of love. At first, she’s a bit hard to connect with, but when she’s asked to play Mrs. Claus for the season, she reluctantly accepts. Cal, a laid-back ski instructor who agrees to be Santa, is more likely to be caught in a snowball fight than to show up on time. Despite their differences, they connect over the magic of the season. For a quick and charming read, this book is a great pick.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Macy agrees to play Mrs. Claus, with Cal—a town newcomer—as Santa. She's practical where he's optimistic. But despite their differences, the chemistry between them is undeniable. Will they remain a couple after the season ends?

This is a cute, upbeat Christmas story. Cal is a genuinely nice guy who challenges Macy's view of the world. I also enjoyed the subplot of Macy competing for business with her former high school rival. I appreciated the little twist at the end.

Thanks to the author for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fake Husband for Christmas is an easy and entertaining read that'll warm hearts. She did not want to be Mrs. Claus but was convinced to do it especially after she met Santa. Will a fake relationship become a real one? WIll she be able to overcome her fears and work on her communication skills and really talk to people and understand what drew them apart so she can save her business and her friends? Lovely story!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michaela | Reading in the Heartland · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I got this book I devoured it. Honestly. I loved getting all caught up in the same emotions and reactions as Macy. I was living this Christmas story with her. While we never did anything relating to Santa growing up and we still don’t, that didn’t dim the enjoyment of having such a strong Santa theme. I really enjoyed all the children and the stops and the experiences!

[Jacqueline Johnston Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet Christmas romance! This book has a great story line and full of heart and charm. I loved Cal and Macy, so much humor in their being opposites. The best part is they were both so good with the kids. The book is well written and such a joy to read. Everyone will enjoy this fun, entertaining holiday story.

[Anita Rohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fake husband for Christmas is full of Christmas magic and a town where everyone know everyone and there are no secrets. It is a charming sweet story full of laughter and emotions too that boil over occasionally. Animals,and kids complete the warm cozy wish you were there feelings.

[Lisa A · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny, sweet, Christmas Mountain Romance…
Macy Wilcox, owner operator of Macy’s Morsels, reluctantly agreed to play Mrs. Claus for the seasons festivities. Ski instructor Cal Bradley would be starring as Santa. Right away Cal’s laid back, easy going, promise the moon attitude drives Macy crazy. She’s a realist with trust issues but Cal’s gradually working his way into her heart… I received a free copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily.

[Pamela A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆? 𝑨 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒔 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆!! 🤩🤩🤩

𝑪𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒄𝒚 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂 𝒂 𝒎𝒓𝒔 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒚. 😘😘😘 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒄𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒄𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒂 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒂𝒘𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆!! 𝑰 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍-𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔. 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆!!! 🥳🥳🥳

[Bookworm-hev · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic Christmassy story :) amazing characters.

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot is a swiss cheese filled with holes and silliness. Skimmed the last 40% just to keep from.DNFing it

[Tami Willard · Rating 5 out of 5]

She's trying to expand her business outside of her home, but for some reason her biggest clients are canceling their orders. What is going on? When she is asked to fill in as Mrs. Santa she wasn't expecting Santa to start referring to her as his wife everywhere all the time. Will a joke turn into more? How does she solve the problem with her business?.

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenn (YeahOrNeighReviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect blend of romance and holiday magic! A wonderful romcom filled with snowball fights, saving a cookie business and dressing up as Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

Cal Bradley is definitely the scene-stealer of this story, with his witty charm, clever nicknames, and unfailing devotion to make sure every child has their Christmas wish fulfilled.

Macy Wilcox is completely flustered when she's paired up with Cal to play the holiday Claus couple, with his perpetual tardiness and always showing up at the most random places.

These two were such a delight to watch interact and grow. I found myself smiling so much that my cheeks hurt the next day. This is a must read for anyone looking for a clean romance with a whimsical holiday spirit!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Susan Hatler and Hatco Publishing for the copy of Fake Husband for Christmas. This is my personal review.
This is one of the books in the Christmas Mountain Clean Romance series.
Macy Wilcox has agreed to play Mrs. Claus even with her cookie business seems to be crumbling.
Cal Bradley turns up and he plays Santa. Cal does not fit the profile of being a Santa, but Macy will be fine with that because he is one good looking Santa.
This is one fantastic book. I loved the connection between Macy and Cal especially when he calls her “wifey”. The chemistry is there between the two even with them being completely opposite.
Susan Hatler has written another great addition to this series.

[Ms. Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macy Wilcox has been on her own for a while. Her mom, Addie, raised Macy as a single parent after her father left them. Addie is known as the town gossip. Macy owns Macy’s Morsels. She bakes cookies out of her condo but is hoping to secure a storefront by the new year. One day, she gets a letter that the Christmas Mountain Country Club was cancelling all future orders with her business. She is devastated because they are one of her biggest clients. That same day, her friend Harmony gets her to agree to be Mrs. Claus for the Christmas season. When walking out of the café with Harmony, Macy is hit by three snowballs.

The man who threw the third snowball was aiming for Harmony. He apologizes and introduces himself as Cal Bradley. He is new to Christmas Mountain and is one of the ski instructors. Harmony excitedly tells them that they are Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Cal starts teasing Macy by calling her wifey. At Silver Bells Luxury Tours, there is a cabin called The Claus Cabin where the kids come to meet Santa.

Macy’s feelings were all over the place. She was worried about her business and worried that she was starting to like Cal too much. Plus, she had trust issues. Poor Cal was working through some personal issues of his own and was trying to be a cheerful presence. I was rooting for everything to turn out okay.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Fanny Reads ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

¿Me estás diciendo que este fake daiting es solamente porque iban a hacer el papa y mama noel en la plaza del pueblo? PERO QUE CHINGADOS JAJAJAJA
Ya sabes a lo que vas: luces navideñas, nieve cayendo, galletas recién horneadas y eso, si el primero era predecible pero lindo, este… bueno, este fue más una prueba de paciencia que una lectura cozy.

El protagonista masculino me cayó bastante bien, tiene su encanto, es divertido y le da un poco de chispa a la historia, pero la protagonista… ay, Dios mío. Insoportable. Se la pasa victimizándose por absolutamente todo, en cada escena, en cada diálogo, en cada pensamiento 😩. Llega un punto en el que ya no sabes si seguir leyendo o mandarla de vuelta a la ciudad para que piense en sus decisiones.

Lo terminé solo por obligación, navideño sí, romántico meh, pero aburrido como ver derretirse un muñeco de nieve ☃️📖.

[Richard Goodrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome, Christmas romance. Macy Wilcox is the daughter of the town gossip. Cal Bradley is a newcomer to the town. They agree to be Santa and Mrs. Claus for the season. She's an organized to-the-last-deal type of person, while he's very phlegmatic. These opposite personalities offer fun and stress to the story.

Eventually, the stress comes to a boiling-over point, as should be naturally expected. A few words of wisdom from family and friends have the Claus's reconsidering their perspectives. The end is spectacular.

Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Happily Ever After. Romantic. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.

I received a review copy of this book from a third party. This is my honest review.

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macy has known a life without a father after hers left her at a young age, saying that he didn't want a kid. She has never trusted that a man would stick around for her. She meets Cal as they become Santa and Mrs. Claus for the town celebrations. His joy and love of teaching kids how to ski wakes her up to possibilities, until a secret filters to her and all bets are off.
Wonderful characters, backstories with major pain, plenty of new feelings for all, both friends and the couple. The storyline sets a quick pace with issues coming from all sides. Can they trust each other? Can everyone forgive each other and make their relationships stronger? Loved the way they work toward the ending.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gail G · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not finish this book because it was weird. The hero had no depth and was happy go lucky, a ski bum, late all the time, and I guess fell into instant love with the heroine. The heroine loved Christmas and was totally passive aggressive and I did not like her. She was bossy toward the hero and had a lot of mental and financial angst throughout the book. And yet she continued to give away dog cookies and people cookies to and couldn't say no to people. It was like reading a middle school romance with no spice. Finally baffled at the poor writing quality and sweetness and light themes gave up reading it.

I got the book free from kindle and I have read books I loved by this author before but the last few have been free and not worth it.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this just in time for the holiday edition, opposites attract when Macy, convinced to play Mrs. Claus finds herself attracted to her fake husband Cal playing Santa. Before long, it no longer seems as if they are playing a role. But with her past history with men running out on her, is she willing to let her guard down and trust or will she self-sabotage as she is left to deal with other past hurts when her former best friend Cara returns to town.

A great holiday read that will make you believe in the magic of Christmas yet again.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. and Mrs. Claus - the perfect way to marriage! This is about Macy and Cal. Macy finally agrees to help and be Mrs. Claus, but she never thought Mr. Claus wouldn't fit the bill. Now, she seems to be doing more work because he shows up late, doesn't wear the proper boots, and makes all these promises that Mr. Santa wouldn't do.

I loved this book, especially the characters of Marcy and Cal. These two are funny, especially as he always calls her wifey! In the end, there is a mix-up, which almost ruins what they have going on.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fake Husband for Christmas was a light, enjoyable story that made me smile. To me, it didn’t deal with in-depth analysis of the actual challenges of the characters but instead, talked about how they lived thru them. I did enjoy it and loved Macy (Wilcox) and Cal (Bradley). They were both lost souls who happened upon each other at just the right time in their lives.

Macy and Cal are Mr. and Mrs. Claus for the season and I adored their interactions with the kids. As Cal would say, you gotta believe! Great read that delivers a lot of cheer.

[Sandra Hartzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a free copy of this book, but this is my voluntary and honest opinion. Macy Wilcox agrees to play Mrs Santa, and Cal Bradly plays Santa. They are different and he’s often late due to interacting with children along the way. He tries to give the children hope for their extravagant gifts, and she tries to pull him back. In the end, things work out and children get the gifts they wanted, but Macy things Cal is taking a job in another state and moving. An uplifting book and a great look at Christmas traditions.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled through this book. The heroine was meant to be nearly 30 but spoke like a teenager - so not hot, totally, sigh being the main cringe culprits. She held onto a grudge from high school which was very quickly resolved at the end, almost like an afterthought. There was no growth from the hero because apparently he was perfect - even if he did call the heroine 'wifey'. I'm sure there are people that will so like this book but it's totally not for me. Sigh.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macy and Cal are the perfect Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus at the Christmas Mountain resort. This story is lighthearted, entertaining and with much merriment. Macy is a realist and Cal is fun loving Santa and calls her wifey. Their relationship makes you smile and laugh and you root for a HEA for them. There is something special about the Christmas Mountain townsfolk; they support and care about everything that goes on in the town and its people. You will totally enjoy reading this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.