Faking For The Holidays

by Zahra Woods

A mistaken identity. A desperate lie. A Christmas that changes everything.

Gabriel Winters has everything - a successful company, a corner office, a life meticulously controlled. What he doesn't have is time for love, and certainly not the emotional availability his worried mother keeps pestering him about.

So when she asks if he's bringing someone to Christmas, he does what any reasonable man would he lies.

Zoe Carter wasn't supposed to be part of the plan. A case of mistaken identity at a coffee shop - she's not the professional companion Gabriel was expecting. But when she agrees to play along, something shifts. Between stolen glances and genuine conversations, the line between pretending and reality blurs.

As Gabriel's careful walls crumble and Zoe finds herself falling harder than she ever thought possible, the lie becomes impossible to maintain. Now, trapped in a Montana snowstorm with a family desperate for answers, Gabriel and Zoe must Is what they've found real enough to fight for? Or will one carefully constructed lie destroy everything when the truth comes out?

But sometimes the people worth keeping are the ones worth fighting for—even when everything's on the line.

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 3, 2025

About the author

🌟 Meet Zahra Woods: The Quirky Cupid of Steamy Stories! 🌟
Hey there, sultry souls and literary lovers! I'm Zahra Woods, your friendly neighborhood wordsmith, sprinkling a dash of romance and a pinch of passion into the literary scene. Picture a caffeine-fueled ninja with a laptop, and you've pretty much nailed my writing style, quick, seductive, and leaving you breathless (and possibly blushing).
By day, I'm just your average person, navigating life with the grace of a caffeinated penguin on roller skates. But when the moon rises and the stars align, I transform into a romance virtuoso, spinning tales that make your heart race faster than a toddler on a sugar high.
They say I have a knack for crafting characters with chemistry hotter than a salsa dance-off in the tropics. Whether it's love at first sight or the slow burn of a forbidden love, I'm here to deliver the kind of literary escapades that leave you reaching for an extra-large ice cream tub to cool down.
Now, don't be fooled by my pen name, I'm not just any Woods; I'm the dense forest of desires, where every tree whisper sweet nothings, and every leaf rustles with the sound of unbridled passion. If you're looking for love, lust, and laughter all rolled into one, you've stumbled upon the right author bio.
When I'm not lost in the world of steamy scenes and heated exchanges, you might find me sipping on Pepsi, contemplating the mysteries of the universe, or perfecting my ninja moves in the grocery store (because you never know when you'll need to dodge a rogue shopping cart).
So, grab a comfy seat, a cozy blanket, and maybe a fire extinguisher, because my stories are about to set your imagination ablaze. Join me on this rollercoaster of emotions, where love and laughter intertwine, and the only safe word is "more."
Welcome to the den of Zahra, where the pen is mightier than the sword, and the ink is hotter than a summer romance. Buckle up, buttercup; it's going to be a wild, witty, and wickedly wonderful ride! 🔥📚💋

Reviews

[Shandalyn GodnBooksnThings · Rating 5 out of 5]

MUST READ! 💕 The way they met wasn’t ideal, but I loved that Zoe didn’t allow Gabe to scare her off with his arrogance. It was such a delight to read how they slowly started to fall for one another. All of the emotions that filled this book from Gabe confronting his emotions with his family and especially his dad. How loving and accepting the Winters were to Zoe. This books makes me want to be in love lol.

[Kashauna Pointer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book! I felt myself getting worked up about the missed opportunities to come clean about the whole dating situation 😅 This book definitely will get you into the holiday spirit! The author is also very sweet! I originally found her from a free Black book event and look forward to reading more!

[Daj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story. I thought it was a bit repetitive, but I still mostly enjoyed it. I'd read more from this author.

[CLorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: Found Family, Fake Relationship, Secret Identity, Holiday Romance
Faking for the Holidays by Zahra Woods is the second book that I have read by this truly promising new author. In this book and the previous book, I read, Campaigning for Her Heart, Ms. Woods creates such beautifully rendered families that they become a focal part of the romance also😊.
Businessman Gabriel Winters is estranged from his family and dreads going home for the holidays, especially alone. Reluctantly, he decides to contract with an agency and take a “fake girlfriend” home with him. Graphic artist Zoe Carter thinks she is meeting a client when she has an encounter with Gabriel in a coffee shop. Before she can set him straight, he is rude and dismissive. Having no family to visit for the holidays, Zoe makes the ill-conceived decision to go with Gabriel to his family’s holiday celebration, revenge adjacent. After all, what could possibly go awry? Soon Zoe has fallen for both Gabriel AND his family; Gabriel finds himself growing closer to his family and wishes that Zoe was really his girlfriend. Who will tell the truth first and how will TRUTH affect the love they are growing?
Conclusion:
As noted, I love how Ms. Woods incorporates families and their dynamics in her narratives. Gabriel was blessed to have a wonderful family while Zoe was without family support. In a short time, the already bubbly Zoe blossomed and grew as she became close to the Winters family. A portion of the guilt she felt at her role in Gabriel’s subterfuge came from her part in fooling this lovely family. As readers we watched and winced waiting for the fallout and it was massive and timed for maximum damage. I thought that Zoe, unfairly, agonized MORE than Gabriel, the author of the hoax. He reacted as if Zoe concocted the plan in a vacuum and frankly, Zoe deserved more groveling than he produced😊. Final words, Ms. Woods has given us another sweet story made more poignant by the holidays and Zoe’s orphan state. Gabriel was a good man, but I think he had a bit of tunnel vision when looking at the optics of Zoe’s actions against his own. And it was lovely to see them down the road in a beautiful epilogue!
Favorite Lines:
Either way, it was going to be one hell of a Christmas.
Zoe had stared at her reflection in the mirror across from her bed. "You're an idiot," she'd told herself. "A complete and utter idiot."
She was a spark. That's the only way he could describe it. Like someone had taken pure joy and given it human form and sent it directly into his life to upend everything he thought he knew about himself.
Gabriel turned, and George saw the slight tension in his shoulders, the way his son always seemed braced for criticism even when none was coming.
Like she's grounding you in a way you need. Don't let that go, son. Don't make the same mistakes I did."
https://theretiredreader.com/f/faking...