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The Waitress
Loosely inspired by the delightfully cynical 1981 Christmas hit 'Christmas Wrapping' by The Waitresses.
Eve is too busy for Christmas. As a waitress working at a local restaurant, she barely has the time to sit down, never mind enjoy the festivities.
Peter has the world's worst work–life balance. Working in the financial sector and spending most of his time at the Dubai office, he's rarely in the country for more than a few months a year.
When they meet one fateful Christmas Eve, neither of them expect to feel an instant attraction. A phone number scrawled at the bottom of a receipt paves the way for an entire year of failed attempts to get together.
Will Peter and Eve be able to wrangle their schedules and their bad luck under control to finally bring Christmas to a very happy ending?
Eve is too busy for Christmas. As a waitress working at a local restaurant, she barely has the time to sit down, never mind enjoy the festivities.
Peter has the world's worst work–life balance. Working in the financial sector and spending most of his time at the Dubai office, he's rarely in the country for more than a few months a year.
When they meet one fateful Christmas Eve, neither of them expect to feel an instant attraction. A phone number scrawled at the bottom of a receipt paves the way for an entire year of failed attempts to get together.
Will Peter and Eve be able to wrangle their schedules and their bad luck under control to finally bring Christmas to a very happy ending?
93 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2025
About the author
K.L. Thorne
24 books80 followersUK-born romance writer, filth aficionado and fantasy fanatic. Self-published author of the Hestaesia series.
No AI, ever.
No AI, ever.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 3, 2025
Eve and Peter meet at the restaurant she works at on Christmas Eve, they flirt a bit and she leaves her number. They start messaging and calling but their schedules never align. Peter travels a lot for work and every time they make plans, something happens on both ends. This goes on for almost a year and suddenly it's Christmas time again and they still haven't seen each other in person since that first night. Can that change with the help of Christmas magic?
December 10, 2025
3.5 Stars ⭐️
This was such a cute short Christmas novella. After that insta-attraction between Peter and Eve and all the difficulties they faced meeting up, finally seeing them get together was so good. Everything seemed to keep them apart, but they still held on, and we got to watch their relationship grow through their texts and phone calls.
This was such a cute short Christmas novella. After that insta-attraction between Peter and Eve and all the difficulties they faced meeting up, finally seeing them get together was so good. Everything seemed to keep them apart, but they still held on, and we got to watch their relationship grow through their texts and phone calls.
December 11, 2025
FREAKING YES! This was so hot. Like omg lol! I could not stand the distance & all the bad luck but it was the PERFECT build up. Amazing, cute, short holiday read! Honestly I’d read it at any time in the year.
April 16, 2026
This one has such a different feel compared to heavier romances it’s lighter on the surface, but there’s this underlying thread of almost that keeps tugging at you the entire time.
From the beginning, there’s this spark between Eve and Peter that feels effortless, but what really makes it stand out is how quickly it turns into something just out of reach. Not in a frustrating way, but in that so close you can feel it kind of way that keeps you invested without even realizing it.
Eve feels very real in that grounded, slightly overwhelmed way. She’s juggling everything, constantly moving, and you can feel that exhaustion mixed with a bit of stubborn independence. She doesn’t have time to romanticize things, which makes the moments where she does let herself feel something hit a little harder.
Peter, on the other hand, brings in this contrast of being just as busy, just as pulled in a million directions but in a completely different world. There’s a steadiness to him though, something intentional in the way he keeps showing up, even when things don’t go as planned. It never feels like he’s forcing anything, more like he’s quietly choosing her over and over again.
Their dynamic is what really carries this story. It’s not built on constant proximity, it's built on anticipation. On conversations that stretch longer than expected, on plans that never quite land, on that steady build of something real without the usual timeline to follow. There’s humor in it too, especially in how they handle everything going wrong, which keeps it from ever feeling too heavy.
The atmosphere leans into that cozy, slightly chaotic energy of life just… not lining up the way you want it to. It’s festive without being over-the-top, more about the feeling of time passing, seasons changing, and something quietly growing in the background despite all the interruptions.
What stood out most to me is how much this plays with timing. Not in a dramatic, high-stakes way, but in that very real, very relatable sense of life getting in the way. And instead of breaking the connection, it kind of deepens it, making every near-miss feel like it matters just a little bit more.
Overall, this is one of those reads that feels easy to slip into but still leaves an impression. If you like slow-burn energy built through missed chances, playful tension, and characters who keep choosing each other even when it’s inconvenient, this one fits that mood perfectly.
As always be mindful of any trigger warnings, what I like you may not.
Happy Reading! ✨📚
From the beginning, there’s this spark between Eve and Peter that feels effortless, but what really makes it stand out is how quickly it turns into something just out of reach. Not in a frustrating way, but in that so close you can feel it kind of way that keeps you invested without even realizing it.
Eve feels very real in that grounded, slightly overwhelmed way. She’s juggling everything, constantly moving, and you can feel that exhaustion mixed with a bit of stubborn independence. She doesn’t have time to romanticize things, which makes the moments where she does let herself feel something hit a little harder.
Peter, on the other hand, brings in this contrast of being just as busy, just as pulled in a million directions but in a completely different world. There’s a steadiness to him though, something intentional in the way he keeps showing up, even when things don’t go as planned. It never feels like he’s forcing anything, more like he’s quietly choosing her over and over again.
Their dynamic is what really carries this story. It’s not built on constant proximity, it's built on anticipation. On conversations that stretch longer than expected, on plans that never quite land, on that steady build of something real without the usual timeline to follow. There’s humor in it too, especially in how they handle everything going wrong, which keeps it from ever feeling too heavy.
The atmosphere leans into that cozy, slightly chaotic energy of life just… not lining up the way you want it to. It’s festive without being over-the-top, more about the feeling of time passing, seasons changing, and something quietly growing in the background despite all the interruptions.
What stood out most to me is how much this plays with timing. Not in a dramatic, high-stakes way, but in that very real, very relatable sense of life getting in the way. And instead of breaking the connection, it kind of deepens it, making every near-miss feel like it matters just a little bit more.
Overall, this is one of those reads that feels easy to slip into but still leaves an impression. If you like slow-burn energy built through missed chances, playful tension, and characters who keep choosing each other even when it’s inconvenient, this one fits that mood perfectly.
As always be mindful of any trigger warnings, what I like you may not.
Happy Reading! ✨📚
December 12, 2025
The Waitress was a story about love finding a way even though it seems impossible. The story was such a slow burn though, it was driving me insane.
What started with a joke turned into a year of longing, wanting, banter, and tension. Eve and Peter meet by chance on Christmas Eve while she's waitressing. She takes a chance and goes out on a limb and gives Peter her number. He works back and forth from Dubai, so he's not always in town and through this whole story, they spent almost a year trying to see each other again, but every time they try to plan a meeting, something comes up that prevents them from being able to meet. The fact that they were patient enough to wait it out a year proves how strong their connection was because I would have given up a long time ago.
The story itself is great and I love a good slow burn. The tension build up made the story that much more captivating.
What started with a joke turned into a year of longing, wanting, banter, and tension. Eve and Peter meet by chance on Christmas Eve while she's waitressing. She takes a chance and goes out on a limb and gives Peter her number. He works back and forth from Dubai, so he's not always in town and through this whole story, they spent almost a year trying to see each other again, but every time they try to plan a meeting, something comes up that prevents them from being able to meet. The fact that they were patient enough to wait it out a year proves how strong their connection was because I would have given up a long time ago.
The story itself is great and I love a good slow burn. The tension build up made the story that much more captivating.
December 10, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ // 🌶🌶🌶
The Waitress by K.L. Thorne is the third novella in The Christmas Playlist.
This story had me absolutely frustrated. It follows a Waitress named Eve and a patron named Peter. She finds him attractive enough to give him her number, and afterward they go through the struggles of a long distance relationship where they want to meet up but fate always has other plans.
However, when they do finally get a chance to meet at that pent up tension between the two pays off, K.L Thorne presents her readers with a spicy scene that was well worth all the frustrations and tension.
The Waitress by K.L. Thorne is the third novella in The Christmas Playlist.
This story had me absolutely frustrated. It follows a Waitress named Eve and a patron named Peter. She finds him attractive enough to give him her number, and afterward they go through the struggles of a long distance relationship where they want to meet up but fate always has other plans.
However, when they do finally get a chance to meet at that pent up tension between the two pays off, K.L Thorne presents her readers with a spicy scene that was well worth all the frustrations and tension.
December 14, 2025
This is a short romance filled with banter and flirting. Eve is a waitress that doesn't have time for Christmas, she's working a Christmas Eve shift, when a guy over hears her cursing. He quickly responds back with the same comment, they are then making eyes at each other all night. Eve decides to make a move and give him her phone number. The start texting, then calling and trying to plan dates. Every time they have plans to go on a proper date something always comes up. A year later, they still haven't had their first date. Eve is alone and working and Peter is in Dubai. Will they ever get to have their date and will it be everything they've hoped for after a year?
December 20, 2025
Quick read. This was about a waitress named Eve. She was working on Christmas Eve and while she was walking up to a table that she was about to clean she was upset at the condition of the table and said a few choice words. Well the guys at the next table heard her and one of the guys repeated what she said. She was embarrassed. The guy Peter as his friend called him couldn’t take his eyes off her. At the end of the night she cashed them out and wrote her number down and put the check closest to Peter. When he opened the booklet he saw why she did that. This book made me laugh. I loved Eve and Peter’s text exchanges.
November 30, 2025
The Waitress is a cozy, charming, and quietly electric slow-burn novella that delivers all the warm fuzzies of a holiday romance with the delicious tension of a months-long will-they-won’t-they connection. KL Thorne leans into the magic of chance encounters and the ache of anticipation, creating a story that feels both intimate and wildly romantic.
Eve, a London pub waitress with a soft heart and quietly fierce courage, makes one bold move that changes everything—scribbling her number on the tab of the handsome stranger she can’t stop thinking about. Peter, the hot—and surprisingly sweet—patron, takes that spark and turns it into something real. What unfolds is a months-long texting connection full of flirtation, mishaps, and missed opportunities. Every canceled plan, every delayed meetup, only makes their digital chemistry burn hotter.
Thorne captures that uniquely modern tension of knowing someone deeply through messages yet never quite managing to cross paths. And when it starts to feel like fate is working against them, Peter’s surprise appearance on Christmas Eve becomes the kind of moment guaranteed to melt even the frostiest reader. Their in-person collision is worth every slow-burn page, with sexual tension that simmers beautifully before finally delivering.
Sweet, steamy, and full of heart, The Waitress is a novella about courage, timing, and why some connections are worth the wait. A perfect quick holiday read for anyone who loves strangers-to-lovers, texting romances, and a slow burn that pays off exactly when it should.
Eve, a London pub waitress with a soft heart and quietly fierce courage, makes one bold move that changes everything—scribbling her number on the tab of the handsome stranger she can’t stop thinking about. Peter, the hot—and surprisingly sweet—patron, takes that spark and turns it into something real. What unfolds is a months-long texting connection full of flirtation, mishaps, and missed opportunities. Every canceled plan, every delayed meetup, only makes their digital chemistry burn hotter.
Thorne captures that uniquely modern tension of knowing someone deeply through messages yet never quite managing to cross paths. And when it starts to feel like fate is working against them, Peter’s surprise appearance on Christmas Eve becomes the kind of moment guaranteed to melt even the frostiest reader. Their in-person collision is worth every slow-burn page, with sexual tension that simmers beautifully before finally delivering.
Sweet, steamy, and full of heart, The Waitress is a novella about courage, timing, and why some connections are worth the wait. A perfect quick holiday read for anyone who loves strangers-to-lovers, texting romances, and a slow burn that pays off exactly when it should.
December 1, 2025
Don’t let the 90 pages fool you this book is packed full of yearning, teasing and flirtation. These to MCs have terrible luck trying to get together for their first day but with a little holiday magic and mutual pining these two will find their was to a happy ending. This book was cute and fun and full of flirtation, if you like a physical slow burn with lots of buildup and teasing then grab your next adorable and spicy holiday read. I was provided this book by twisted chaos pa and have provided my own thoughts and opinions by choice.
Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
December 12, 2025
The Waitress had an interesting setup that pulled me in at first—there’s something about a mysterious small-town diner and the secrets behind the counter that always get my attention. I liked the main character’s determination and the way she handled the pressure around her, and a few of the twists kept me guessing.
But overall, the story didn’t fully hook me the way I hoped. Some moments felt rushed, and I wanted a bit more connection with the characters and their motives. It had potential, and there were parts I enjoyed, but it just didn’t give me that “can’t put it down” feeling.
But overall, the story didn’t fully hook me the way I hoped. Some moments felt rushed, and I wanted a bit more connection with the characters and their motives. It had potential, and there were parts I enjoyed, but it just didn’t give me that “can’t put it down” feeling.
December 1, 2025
*ARC Review*
This was a cute holiday novella! It delivered exactly what you want in a short, festive read... likable characters, a clear beginning–middle–end, and a sweet HEA. Add in a little spice and it becomes a fun, feel-good escape. It’s a meet-cute mixed with a playful “missed connections” twist, thanks to their constantly clashing schedules. The author packed a lot of charm, humor, and genuinely enjoyable characters into such a short story.
This was a cute holiday novella! It delivered exactly what you want in a short, festive read... likable characters, a clear beginning–middle–end, and a sweet HEA. Add in a little spice and it becomes a fun, feel-good escape. It’s a meet-cute mixed with a playful “missed connections” twist, thanks to their constantly clashing schedules. The author packed a lot of charm, humor, and genuinely enjoyable characters into such a short story.
December 5, 2025
The Waitress is book three of The Christmas Playlist Series.
Get ready for a true story of will they won't they, but with a different meaning. Eve and Peter meet on Christmas Eve and over the course of the next year, they have many opportunities to meet up but something always gets in the way of them accomplishing this. We have to wonder if they will ever get to see each other again. However, Christmas is a magical time of year and we see some miracles can happen. Super cute read!
Get ready for a true story of will they won't they, but with a different meaning. Eve and Peter meet on Christmas Eve and over the course of the next year, they have many opportunities to meet up but something always gets in the way of them accomplishing this. We have to wonder if they will ever get to see each other again. However, Christmas is a magical time of year and we see some miracles can happen. Super cute read!
December 10, 2025
Loosely inspired by the delightfully cynical 1981 Christmas hit 'Christmas Wrapping' by The Waitresses.
Eve is too busy for Christmas. As a waitress working at a local restaurant, she barely has the time to sit down, never mind enjoy the festivities.
Peter has the world's worst work–life balance. Working in the financial sector and spending most of his time at the Dubai office, he's rarely in the country for more than a few months a year.
When they meet one fateful Christmas Eve, neither of them expect to feel an instant attraction. A phone number scrawled at the bottom of a receipt paves the way for an entire year of failed attempts to get together.
Will Peter and Eve be able to wrangle their schedules and their bad luck under control to finally bring Christmas to a very happy ending?
Tropes: Christmas, Waitress, Hospitality, Restaurant, Work-Life Balance, Christmas Eve Meeting, Instant Attraction, HEA,
The Waitress is the 3rd book in The Christmas Playlist an interconnected world by multiple authors. This installment was brought to us by K.L. Thorne.
K.L. Thorne has given us a charming, sweet, spicy, and addictive holiday novella about two strangers, a chance meeting, and a year of horrible year of dating luck.
Eve is a waitress who happens to meet Peter one Christmas Eve and takes the chance and scrawls her number at the bottom of his receipt. They find they have an amazing connection through their texting conversations that’s full of intense flirting, pining, and many attempts at finding a chance at a date when Peter is in town.
I loved Eve so much. She might just be a London pub waitress. But she has this heart of gold with a quiet fierce courage. And I found her to be so sweet and kind. And I loved how she couldn’t stop thinking about Peter after giving him her number.
Peter, oh my lord, he is the thing dreams are made of. And yet, he is shockingly sweet and he grabs the sparks that she feels between him and Eve and turns them into something real by texting her. And with every canceled or delayed meetup it just makes their digital chemistry burn all that much hotter.
Yet they both find that life and fate constantly throws any and every obstacle possible in their way to prevent them from ever having that first date over that year of intense texting. K.L. Thorne weaves this masterful physical slow burn, intensifying the tension and chemistry in each and every delayed meetup.
This novella is a short read that’s packed with yearning and anticipation. And Peter’s surprise Christmas Eve arrival, that moment is the satisfying, perfectly timed collision that delivers the spiciest heartfelt happy ending that you wanted more than anything.
The Waitress is a must-read for anyone who loves strangers-to-lovers and get a big payoff in a small package.
Eve is too busy for Christmas. As a waitress working at a local restaurant, she barely has the time to sit down, never mind enjoy the festivities.
Peter has the world's worst work–life balance. Working in the financial sector and spending most of his time at the Dubai office, he's rarely in the country for more than a few months a year.
When they meet one fateful Christmas Eve, neither of them expect to feel an instant attraction. A phone number scrawled at the bottom of a receipt paves the way for an entire year of failed attempts to get together.
Will Peter and Eve be able to wrangle their schedules and their bad luck under control to finally bring Christmas to a very happy ending?
Tropes: Christmas, Waitress, Hospitality, Restaurant, Work-Life Balance, Christmas Eve Meeting, Instant Attraction, HEA,
The Waitress is the 3rd book in The Christmas Playlist an interconnected world by multiple authors. This installment was brought to us by K.L. Thorne.
K.L. Thorne has given us a charming, sweet, spicy, and addictive holiday novella about two strangers, a chance meeting, and a year of horrible year of dating luck.
Eve is a waitress who happens to meet Peter one Christmas Eve and takes the chance and scrawls her number at the bottom of his receipt. They find they have an amazing connection through their texting conversations that’s full of intense flirting, pining, and many attempts at finding a chance at a date when Peter is in town.
I loved Eve so much. She might just be a London pub waitress. But she has this heart of gold with a quiet fierce courage. And I found her to be so sweet and kind. And I loved how she couldn’t stop thinking about Peter after giving him her number.
Peter, oh my lord, he is the thing dreams are made of. And yet, he is shockingly sweet and he grabs the sparks that she feels between him and Eve and turns them into something real by texting her. And with every canceled or delayed meetup it just makes their digital chemistry burn all that much hotter.
Yet they both find that life and fate constantly throws any and every obstacle possible in their way to prevent them from ever having that first date over that year of intense texting. K.L. Thorne weaves this masterful physical slow burn, intensifying the tension and chemistry in each and every delayed meetup.
This novella is a short read that’s packed with yearning and anticipation. And Peter’s surprise Christmas Eve arrival, that moment is the satisfying, perfectly timed collision that delivers the spiciest heartfelt happy ending that you wanted more than anything.
The Waitress is a must-read for anyone who loves strangers-to-lovers and get a big payoff in a small package.
December 20, 2025
The Waitress is a cozy, addictive slow-burn that made the wait hurt in the best way. What starts as a chance Christmas Eve encounter turns into months of banter, longing, and sizzling tension through texts that feel achingly real. Eve and Peter’s connection is sweet, modern, and impossible to forget, and when fate finally lets them collide, it’s absolutely worth it. A perfect quick holiday read for anyone who loves strangers-to-lovers, texting romance, and a slow burn that pays off beautifully.
December 23, 2025
This was such a good slow burn romance. It’s full of banter and flirting. The characters aren’t perfect and that makes it all the more relatable. It shows how real the connection is that they went back and forth so long to find their way to each other. I couldn’t put it down and read straight through. I just had to know what shenanigan was coming next and what was going to happen. Very well written and great characters.
November 29, 2025
This was a cute little story that takes two strangers on a year long trip of missed dates, missed opportunities. Peter and Eve have tried everything for a year to go out on one date! The crazy thing is no one can expect the craziness these two went through just to have that one date. It was a good meet cute book.
December 6, 2025
Eve and Peter meet at Christmas, and they were very cute.
This novella spans an entire year and documents their journey, with ups and downs, challenges, crossed wires and missed opportunities.
Short, sweet, a little steamy, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks K. L. Thorne for the opportunity to read in advance.
This novella spans an entire year and documents their journey, with ups and downs, challenges, crossed wires and missed opportunities.
Short, sweet, a little steamy, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks K. L. Thorne for the opportunity to read in advance.
December 14, 2025
Peter & Eve
What a cute novella by K.L. You can never go wrong with her books. This was a meet cute turned into a looooooonnnnnnggggg text session turned phone calls and a lot of failed plans. Long distance has been known to blow a relationship, what will happen here???? Read to see.
What a cute novella by K.L. You can never go wrong with her books. This was a meet cute turned into a looooooonnnnnnggggg text session turned phone calls and a lot of failed plans. Long distance has been known to blow a relationship, what will happen here???? Read to see.
December 19, 2025
Oh my heart! This is one of the cutest short books I’ve read all year! I’m a sucker for butterflies at first site. KL Thorne delivers the yearning and perseverance Peter and Eve have for each other in their relationship and it keeps you on the edge of your seat! I love the way their story develops. When you know, you know! Don’t sleep on this short but oh so mighty Christmas story this year!
December 27, 2025
3.5 stars
The waitress is a sweet and spicy holiday novella about two strangers, a chance meeting, and a year of horrible dating luck.
I liked that this book was relatable everyday kinda sitution however i have to be honest in terms of feeling that it lacked something to help keep the readers attention
The waitress is a sweet and spicy holiday novella about two strangers, a chance meeting, and a year of horrible dating luck.
I liked that this book was relatable everyday kinda sitution however i have to be honest in terms of feeling that it lacked something to help keep the readers attention
December 29, 2025
4 Stars
1 Chili Pepper
Book 3 in The Christmas Playlist
This was the first story I read off The Christmas Playlist. I thought it was cute and I liked the characters enough. I felt bad when every time they tried to get together something inevitably would happen; however, I liked the ending. Great start to the series.
1 Chili Pepper
Book 3 in The Christmas Playlist
This was the first story I read off The Christmas Playlist. I thought it was cute and I liked the characters enough. I felt bad when every time they tried to get together something inevitably would happen; however, I liked the ending. Great start to the series.
June 3, 2026
This was such a great read, nice and cosy and just what you want for the holidays.
Our FMC is super relatable and our MMC?? Love, Love Love!
Honestly, relatable with them constantly missing each other and life always getting in the way.
I honestly don't think I'll ever fault any of this authors work.
Our FMC is super relatable and our MMC?? Love, Love Love!
Honestly, relatable with them constantly missing each other and life always getting in the way.
I honestly don't think I'll ever fault any of this authors work.
August 19, 2026
Slow Burn Christmas Love Story!!!
This is a slow burn at its finest! The way this author weaves the tension through the story is truly amazing and had me at the edge of my seat the entire time.
I loved this quick read and would love the author to extend it so that we can truly see how things turn out for Peter and Eve. Highly recommend this and all books by this author!
This is a slow burn at its finest! The way this author weaves the tension through the story is truly amazing and had me at the edge of my seat the entire time.
I loved this quick read and would love the author to extend it so that we can truly see how things turn out for Peter and Eve. Highly recommend this and all books by this author!
December 10, 2025
The was a cute novella full of longing and tension. Eva and Peter had that insta-connection on Christmas Eve. But life has a fun way of throwing out obstacles that keep them apart, so in a very slow-burn way (well for a novella) they spend their time living through near misses.
December 15, 2025
Thank you Twisted Chaos for this ARC of The Waitress!! The perfect cozy holiday read! I loved the strong start and their sense of humor/banter had me screaming and kicking my feet! The yearning was FELT! Perfect ending!
December 25, 2025
Such a quick and very interesting novella that I couldn't stop reading. I liked eve and peters story, there connection was everywhere and instant.
It's action packed and you really don't want to miss it. Highly recommend.
It's action packed and you really don't want to miss it. Highly recommend.
December 1, 2025
This was just a series of misses on the path of dating but it shows of you want it to long distance does work.
A fun short Christmas read
A fun short Christmas read
December 13, 2025
This is definitely a slow burn. Peter and Eve's chemistry were amazing. I really saw myself in Eve with her comebacks and sarcasm. I just wished there was a bit more to the story.
December 22, 2025
This was such a fun and cute story! It was a quick read for me but it did not disappoint!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews