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What We Left Under The Tree

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While Elijah is away on a work trip, Bonnie stumbles upon a group chat between friends, where unkind comments about her fly like snowflakes on a winter’s day. Hurt and left feeling betrayed, Bonnie begins to question not only her worth but also the reality and strength of her relationship with Elijah. To make matters worse, another encounter raises doubts of infidelity, leading her to believe that Elijah may not be the man she thought he was.

As Christmas approaches, Elijah realizes that his quiet demeanor is about to cost him everything. Desperate to win Bonnie back and prove his love, he embarks on a journey to right his wrongs. Can he clear the air before the holiday magic fades away?

Love and misunderstandings collide in a charming tale of redemption, forgiveness and second chances.



This is a fast paced novella length story (21k words) with betrayal and grovel that includes romcom vibes that includes the following themes.

Sassy FMC

Obsessed MMC

An over read betrayal

Gut punch

OW drama

Perceived cheating (there is no physical or emotional cheating in this story)

On his knees OTT sniveling grovel

Some spice

Happily ever after between the main characters.

Please do not read if any of these would upset you.



89 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 19, 2025

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About the author

Kris M. Davey

7 books104 followers
Hi all!

New indie author here,
I write betrayal and grovel tropes with HEA
My work isn’t for everyone, I’m good with that, are you?
If not, that’s cool too!
It’s a welcome mat for most, and those are my people!

-most of my stories have triggers, mind them, or don’t, either way, I’ll still be here-

Happy reading, or happy rage.
😉

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5 stars
275 (29%)
4 stars
273 (29%)
3 stars
266 (28%)
2 stars
88 (9%)
1 star
38 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
Profile Image for Jac K.
2,564 reviews516 followers
Read
January 14, 2026
DNF @40%

I read this because it was Christmas and cheating themed, but it didn’t work for me. I’ll admit I almost returned it when I saw the author’s note of “On his knees OTT sniveling grovel” because I don’t find enjoyment in either of my mc’s sniveling on their knees, but I thought maybe he really screwed up.

I had two issues…

❌ The author tried to make something out of nothing, so there was no angst or drama.

❌ The bigger issue for me was that Bonnie completely overreacted because she was insecure (as we were told repeatedly) that she was plump and couldn’t believe she landed the smoking hot H with a six-pack. There was no text evidence that Elijah gave her any reason to doubt him, so if she had been self-confident, she wouldn’t have given a shit what some idiots said about her and would’ve used her words to ask her boyfriend about the misleading text.

Bottom Line- I don’t enjoy reading a book where one character creates an infraction to force the other to basically validate them into feeling better about themself. Self-worth should come from within not by forcing someone to get “on their knees and sniveling grovel” … I find that off-putting. If authors are hellbent on putting an emphasis on the h’s body types, then make them self-assured, positive, and damn confident they deserve their uber sexy dude.
Profile Image for Serialbookstarter:Marla.
1,304 reviews96 followers
December 26, 2025
No cheating. H is totally in love. No gut punch. Bland and boring. Like another reviewer said… the author tries to make something out of nothing.
Profile Image for Izzie d.
4,378 reviews376 followers
Read
December 20, 2025
Perceived cheating (there is no physical or emotional cheating in this book). Overread betrayal (messages). Gut punch. OW Drama. On his knees OTT sniveling grovel. Some spice. Sassy FMC Obsessed MMC. A happily ever after between the main characters. Author's note.

This wasn't for me.
Something made out of nothing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
6 reviews1 follower
December 13, 2025
Loved this cute novella!
Bonnie and Elijah are such an adorable couple!

Throw in a sometimes slightly TSTL but Bonnie obsessed Elijah, OW shenanigans and some hurtful and gut punching messages and you have the perfect set up for an over-read mishap!
Bonnie is perfectly sassy and heartfelt. Her bff is the ride or die friend you want in your corner, and don’t worry she’ll pay for the tarp!
The gut punch stings, the grovel and redemption is on point and the humour wraps it all up perfectly.
A short, sweet and fun novella with a little bit of spice. A perfect holiday read
Profile Image for Joanne Farley.
1,407 reviews36 followers
December 19, 2025
Bonnie and Elijah are happly in love at least that is what she thought until she saw a text thread with his friends. They say really awful things about her and he doesn't defend her.
She packs her bags and leaves. Elijah quickly realises he should have stood up for Bonnie and that he now needs to do whatever it takes to win her back.
Profile Image for Val.
375 reviews22 followers
December 24, 2025
3.75⭐️
I usually hate reading books like this with any type of cheating or perceived cheating between MCs because why is the MMC putting himself in that situation in the first place. But If I did have to read one though it would be a book like this. Because if I’m being honest, I did like this novella. The FMC did what was necessary. Love how she didn’t forgive the MMC right away. The MMC put himself in that situation by staying silent and ignoring the messages that his coworkers said about FMC instead of speaking up. Same thing with OW instead of just harshly rejecting her so she would get the hint he stayed silent and ignored her thinking she would go away, but guess what she didn’t. While I did like him, he was such an idiot and kind of a coward but he did make things right in the end.

Perceived cheating (there is no physical or emotional cheating in this book)
Overread betrayal (messages)
Sassy FMC
Obsessed MMC
No OMD
OW Drama.
On his knees OTT sniveling grovel.
Dual POV (First Person)
HEA
Less than 100 p.
Profile Image for I’m a Paula too… Thompson.
1,642 reviews10 followers
December 24, 2025
Dumb women are the worst…

I’m sorry. She went immediately to the worst possible scenario. Didn’t talk to him and ask what in the hell is going on. Didn’t ask him about Tiffany. Barely noticed that he never responded, and never thought that he wasn’t reading any of those people’s shit. Just went directly to “he’s cheating” and didn’t collect $200 dollars.

I hate characters written like this. Plus she gets drunk. Alcohol is absolutely the worst thing you can have because it totally screws up your ability to process properly.

KU and this should have been fun and cute, but it wasn’t.

I forgot to add that what really angered me the most was that she didn’t trust him at all.
Profile Image for V.
429 reviews6 followers
Did Not Finish
March 9, 2026
DNF @ 64%.
Profile Image for Debbie DiFiore.
2,928 reviews326 followers
December 27, 2025
I think quitting your pilot job just to show your girlfriend you love her was hasty. Get another job. I know he was,showing.her that she mattered most but it was kind of silly. And way too short. He really really loved her and I was glad to.see that. I'm so sick of cheaters!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
59 reviews2 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
December 13, 2025
Absolutely loved Bonnie and Elijah. Bonnie is hilarious from start to finish- we see her heartache but also her sense of humor and self-worth remaining strong. I love a good grovel and this fast paced novella was perfect. We quickly get Elijah’s POV so we can understand the love he has for his woman and how everything got so tangled so quickly. Amazing quick read
Profile Image for Jill Stewart.
386 reviews9 followers
December 19, 2025
Possibly the blandest of the author's books. The gut punch was pretty mild. The FMC was no doormat, which I liked, but the explanation took the righteousness out of her fury.
Profile Image for Mona.
431 reviews5 followers
May 15, 2026
No. I was done with the fmc as soon as she saw those messages and didn’t say a damn thing or even hear him out.
Profile Image for Jordan Bailey.
978 reviews2 followers
December 31, 2025
exactly as described

“My mouth was parted in shock and awe, yet I was half pissed that he was such a dumb man.”


I usually love Kris M Davey reads. I read some reviews, but I really just needed a quick read to finish out the year and this certainly delivered.

I will say, Bonnie hurt her own feelings by snooping. He absolutely should’ve defended her, but Bonnie seemed to really go from 0 to 60 in a pedal to the metal kind of way.

It was quick, I liked the characters even if the plot was light.

He really blew up his career as a way to make amends and that’s something.
Profile Image for Kiley.
2,056 reviews61 followers
January 28, 2026
Author's Notes & Warnings: "This book contains elements of betrayal and other elements that some might find distressing. Please take care of your mental health, and do not read if any of these would upset you. There is: Perceived cheating (there is no physical or emotional cheating in this book).
Overread betrayal (messages). Gut punch. OW Drama. On his knees, OTT sniveling grovel. Some spice. Sassy FMC Obsessed MMC. A happily ever after between the main characters. Please do not read if any of these would upset you. This is also a fast-paced novella-length story (21k words), so elements will move faster."

What We Left Under The Tree was about Elijah Hanson, an airline pilot, and Bonnie (no last name for her), a masseuse and the owner of the Driftwood Massage Parlor. (No ages given for either of them.)

The prologue started two years earlier with Elijah being late for an appointment (for what, it wasn't stated until chapter 1, although it still wasn't clear as to whether he was scheduled for a massage or whatever) with Bonnie. Whatever it was, it was how their relationship began. Six months later, they were living together.

Two years later, still not married but living together for the past 18 months, they honestly didn't know each other any better than they had in the beginning. So, uncertain once again as to what to give Elijah for Christmas, Bonnie thought she'd look at his Amazon account on his iPad to see if he had anything listed there. However, what she encountered was some group text messages between Elijah and some of his coworkers, including a flight attendant named "Tiff" (a woman he'd been intimate with ONE time...years before meeting Bonnie). Apparently, the coworkers were making fun of Elijah because of Bonnie. From that point on, she didn't answer his calls or messages. When she got a different call... from Elijah, using Tiffany's phone (although Bonnie didn't know whose phone it was at the time), she hung up on him.

This was a short story with quite a bit of angst, drama, and an emotional rollercoaster, with the typical twists and turns. The conflict was more of the same, with another woman who wanted to (and did) cause problems for the MMC and FMC. The misunderstanding/miscommunication was questionable as to whether or not the accusations were valid, but without them, the book wouldn't have been written, right?

Whether or not the two main characters were well-developed was in doubt for most of the novella. Mainly because it was so short and there wasn't any room for character development or growth. There also wasn't a whole lot of backstory or world creation for the reader to become a part of. As for their relationship, once again, the author didn't provide a lot of insight into it, so it came across as not believable, and the thought that it wouldn't last long.

I couldn't give this more than a two-star rating because, in all honesty, it just didn't earn it.
Profile Image for BAG of Books.
1,205 reviews45 followers
December 27, 2025
Elijah, a pilot, and Bonnie, a massage therapist, met 2 years ago and moved in together 6 months ago. She loves Christmas and can't wait to decorate their apartment.

While he's out of town flying, Bonnie goes on his iPad to look at his Amazon wish list, to find him the perfect Christmas present. She sees a message pop up from a coworker, Tiff, inviting Elijah to her hotel room. Then she looks at the group chat with all his coworkers and sees a bunch of texts from Tiff with different room numbers, every time they flew together. And a bunch of other messages of other pilots shit talking Bonnie.

Bonnie's BFF points out that Elijah never responds or agrees with what they're saying, but Bonnie breaks up with him because he should have defended her. She leaves all the texts messages printed out, hanging on his Xmas tree, and goes to stay with her BFF.

Elijah is not actually cheating and is obsessed with Bonnie. But it's true he never defended Bonnie, and the texts from Tiff make it look like he's cheating.

When he flies home, he goes to the BFF's house to talk to Bonnie. He has to admit he actually did have a ONS with Tiff before he met Bonnie, that he never told Bonnie about. He knows if Bonnie worked with an ex-ONS, he would want to have open communication about that, so he knows he's a hypocrite. Now Bonnie can't trust him when he says he wasn't meeting up in Tiff's room every time she texted him, so he tells him they're done.

He goes to Tiff's apartment and convinces her to leave with him. He takes her to where Bonnie is staying and makes her confess that they were never alone together when they stayed at hotels for work.

He confronts his "friends" and quits his job.

She doesn't really think he cheated, but she doesn't know if she can get over him not defending her and just being so passive about everything. They met when he booked a message with her on Xmas Eve 2 years ago. So he books a message for Xmas Eve this year.

This story was short and sweet, but kind of repetitive. We find out pretty quickly at the beginning he wasn't really cheating, so there wasn't much angst.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Joanne.
75 reviews
January 1, 2026
I didn't really like the grovel part or the story. The premise of the story is interesting, but I would have loved to see Bonnie actually divorce Elijah, or made him sweat a bit more. Personally, I found that Bonnie took him back too soon.
We also don't really see what becomes of Elijah after punching Justin and turning in his credentials - does he explain himself, does he tell the company why, does he find another job?
Personally, I find that the story could have been fleshed out a bit more than just being "spouse finds partner cheating on them, kicks them out for a few chapters, and then takes them back". There was little to no character growth I found, and I liked the best friend more than any of the characters because they were willing to go and get their hands dirty to support Bonnie.
All we ever find out of Bonnie and Elijah is that Elijah is a pilot in training, punches one of his coworkers, and leaves the company, and Bonnie is (seemingly) a stay at home spouse who is the target of Elijah's coworkers. We don't really know anything else about her. Elijah's coworkers make fun of her, he tries (and my personal opinion, fails at making it up to her because he forces a coworker to apologize) and doesn't really know why.
We also don't really know much about either character, other than Elijah is a pilot in training and Bonnie (is seemingly) a stay at home spouse too with one friend who supports her, and no way to escape.
I've read a bunch of "grovel" stories and they all follow a format - husband cheats, wife debates whether to stay or leave, friend supports her decision, and wife stays. Usually the wife lets the cheating partner stay but there's really no growth in either character. Here, as stated before, the husband punches the ringleader of those who made fun of Bonnie, but that's it. Other than leaving the company, there are no repercussions for either Elijah or the ringleader other than leaving the company. It would have been better if the company said "because you did xyz, you have to leave, and the other person will be punished as well."
TL;DR - not my cup of tea, characters aren't fleshed out, and the plot could have been better.
417 reviews1 follower
March 2, 2026
Resumen:

En este libro tenemos como pareja a Bonnie, una masajista que 2 años atrás conoció a Elijah, quien ahora es su esposo. Elijah es piloto y tiene un viaje, así que se va. Deja su iPad y es cuando Bonnie lee unos mensajes de una Tiffany. Una azafata, que le dice lo espera en su habitación. Está dolida e ignora los mensajes de Elijah. Él sabe que algo anda mal. Más tarde, ve que Tiffany le mandó más mensajes con el número de la habitación a Elijah y la lastima más. Lee las conversaciones de él con sus compañeros de trabajo y ve como siempre la menosprecian y dicen cosas de ella, Elijah nunca dijo nada. Se va de la casa, así que cuando Elijah regresa se encuentra la casa vacía. Elijah va a casa de Bonnie, le dice que nunca la ha engañado pero obviamente las dudas, la decepción y el dolor también por las cosas que dicen de ella y que nunca la defendió, están en la mente de Bonnie. Ella pregunta si alguna vez se acostó con Tiffany y él dice que si, pero antes de conocerla, Bonnie lo corre, pues nunca se lo contó y es una mujer que sigue en su vida, trabaja con ella. Tiffany le mandó unas fotos de Elijah en el hotel y él no sabe cómo las consiguió, pues aunque si fue a verlo, él la echó. Termina golpeando a un compañero, para que lo echen y si, lo despiden. Elijah le tiende una trampa a Tiffany dónde confiesa que las fotos y eso de que estuvieron juntos es mentirosa, ella confiesa toda la verdad. Bonnie le pide tiempo. Ya después, él hace una cita de masaje, ella acepta, hablan y van a casa. Se reconcilian y quieren expandir la familia. Fin.



Es un libro muy cortito y aunque estoy de acuerdo con Bonnie en su enojo, sentí feo por Elijah, ya que él realmente nunca le fue infiel. Lo que si, es que nunca les ponía un alto a sus compañeros ni defendía a Bonnie de sus insultos y eso sí fue horrible, pues para cuando reaccionó, Bonnie ya lo había dejado. Aún así, ella pide tiempo y el tiempo los hace volver a estar juntos, me pareció bien. Está entretenido, tiene drama de otra mujer, humillación, y sobre todo que él lucha por reconquistarla y convencerla de que vale la pena arriesgarse nuevamente con él.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for MiSsE.
245 reviews5 followers
December 23, 2025
A Cute Read, But the FMC Was a Tough Sell

I have to admit, this story fell into the "unlikable FMC" category for me. I found Bonnie to be quite childish; instead of confronting her partner like an adult, she chose to communicate by decorating a Christmas tree with reminders of her heartbreak. It felt unnecessary and immature.

In fact, I actually felt bad for Elijah. He was left completely in the dark, unable to focus on work, which is a major issue considering he had an actual airplane to fly! He was spiraling with worry, and honestly, if anyone deserved to grovel, it was Bonnie. Elijah’s only "mistake" was staying silent instead of defending her in one specific moment, but it hardly justified her reaction.

The logic behind her anger also baffled me. She gets upset when he admits to sleeping with the "Other Woman" (OW) years before he even met Bonnie. It happened way before she was even in the picture.

As for the ending, the groveling felt OTT. I didn’t understand why he felt the need to throw his entire career away; it seemed like an extreme sacrifice for a relatively small misunderstanding.

Overall Thoughts:
Despite my complaints, this was a cute, short read. There wasn’t a massive "gut punch," and the OW drama was fairly mild. I did love the way he apologized, it was sweet and proved how much he cared (even though he never actually stopped caring).

I’m a huge fan of this author’s work, which is why I’m still giving this 4 stars!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ꭿຖᥲ·♡ ྀི.
2,363 reviews235 followers
December 24, 2025
3.5✯

-dual POV
-the MCs have been together for 2 years (neither were virgins when they met)
-no om drama
-no cheating (the h thinks the hero cheated on her but he never did)
-the H was completely obsessed and in love with the h but he was very dumb -and passive- man, he let his "friends" make fun of the h and instead of defending her he decided to ignore them bc he worked with these people and didn't want to make it an issue
-separation: few days
-ow: one of his co-workers caused drama but he had zero interest in her (he slept with her only once, years before he met the h, the h wasn't aware of this )
-lame epilogue: 1 year later -no marriage, engagement, babies or pregnancy
Profile Image for Makenzie Goodson.
55 reviews
December 24, 2025
I loved this!! 10/10. If you want a betrayal during the christmas time in a bite-sized package, then this is for you.

It has Bonnie and Elijah meeting on christmas eve and having a insta love. Let me tell you Eli is obsessed with our Girl Bonnie. BUT he’s a little stupid in the sense that his “friends” who are now just his coworkers once he’s realized how awful they are, talk crap about bonnie. And yes instead of telling them off Eli thinks it’s easier to just ignore them cause he doesn’t really care about them. But once Bonnie tries to surprise him and sees these messages along with the ones from another woman he works with, Elijah has some groveling to do.

An in my opinion grovel he does and more. As like I’ve said before Eli is a golden retriever obsessed with Bon bon. He literally sits outside the bonnie’s best friends door. Left me tell you I love this best friend, she gave great advice when needed. He blocked these guys and left that job. This was so a good book and it left on the cutest note ever.

But I do wonder if Ellie is getting a book 👀
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
853 reviews9 followers
December 19, 2025
A short story that managed to avoid some cliches. One newish idea that resonated with me was the advice that her best friend gives the h. She suggests that the h doesn't have to decide to take the H back so much as she has to decide if she wants to find a way to forgive. In most books the h starts to focus on all the positives in the H's changes in order to take the leap of faith in reuniting. The h finds group chats on the H's iPad with dismissive comments about the h and no posts from the H in support of the h. She also finds messages with her hotel room number from a female coworker. The H is a pilot and these posts were made during his trips. The h redecorates their Christmas tree with pictures of them and unflattering posts from the group chat written over them as a way to tell the H why she left him. The H quits his job to leave his toxic coworkers.
Profile Image for Jen.
631 reviews4 followers
February 5, 2026
Not For me


I didn’t like this one. I think if I read it earlier I would have liked it better but after reading about 5-6 other books in this trope I can’t enjoy it the same.

This book isn’t really a second chance after B/I it’s more of a misconception/miscommunication read and I really don’t like drama that could be resolved in a simple conversation.

I like when the MMC grovels and fights to repair a broken relationship but redemption has to match the offense. In this story the MMC didn’t really do anything wrong. He avoid confrontation and drama and was essentially a perfect BF. The FMC broke up with him off of an assumption that he did something and never gave him the opportunity to explain. If she would have talked to him, there wouldn’t have been an issue. So I ended up quitting 75% in. I just didn’t like the direction of the story.
Profile Image for kall.
72 reviews2 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
December 15, 2025
ARC Review

I really enjoyed this book, It was super cute and a fun Christmas Novella.

The story follows Bonnie & Elijah who are super cute together and lovable characters. When Bonnie goes on search for the perfect gift for Elijah she stumbles onto messages with his friends that breaks her heart and starts to make her question their whole relationship.

I actually liked Elijah and loved his POV where we get to see his complete obsession with Bonnie and to see him lose him mind as she ghost's him. It was a super quick novella that I devoured in a couple of hours, it has it all Betrayal, Grovel, humour and an amazing side character with an obsession with tarp! Just a super sweet Christmas Novella
Profile Image for Birty.
731 reviews7 followers
December 19, 2025
Short story romance

The author calls this a short story and with that the reader gets little development of the story and a fast telling.

Elijah and Bonnie have been together awhile when Bonnie finds a message string on his IPad that makes her think he is cheating while he is out of town. But, instead of talking to him, even after he returns home, she refuses to communicate. He has basically ignored his coworkers’ messages but did not defend any negative comments made by them about Bonnie. He does try to make things right, even going so far as to quit his job and damage his career. Is Bonnie concerned? No. She’s too busy being sorry for herself and wallowing in her self pity. I’m really sorry that I paid for this book.
Profile Image for Surille.
137 reviews1 follower
December 20, 2025
Rounding up. I could be reading a cozy low angst Christmas romance, but maybe I want a lot of groveling and high emotions instead. I was able to get that in this short novel. The drama was just right for the holiday season...not too overwhelming, but not mild either.

It was wonderful how desperate Elijah was in coming home to Bonnie and proving his faithfulness. It's definitely very fictional for me because I've never encountered that in the real world.

Though this story was another one of those occasions where I preferred the FMC's best friend over the FMC. I always like the super snarky ones.

The revenge massage was a good idea. And I'm glad the couple made up. But does Ellie get her own story?
Profile Image for Tania  Harris.
53 reviews4 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
December 14, 2025
This is such a fun Christmas novella from Ms Davey.

The H and the h are both so likeable. The h overhears what she thinks is a deliberate betrayal from the H. In the meantime the H, is completely confused as to what is going on with his beloved. This is all mixed in with the holiday spirit. While the overheard betrayal is not as it seems, there is some misleading by omission that our H works wonders at grovel to redeem himself.

The h BF is a forced to be reckoned with, a bf that every gal wishes they had!

I received an advanced copy of this novella from the author. A quick enjoyable read, one I will read again many times. Grab yourself a copy, you won't be disappointed
Profile Image for L.
1 review
Review of advance copy received from Author
December 15, 2025
ARC Review

This was such a fun and sweet holiday novella! I loved Bonnie and Elijah from the start. The overheard trope had a fresh twist, and I appreciated getting both POVs so the misunderstanding never felt frustrating.

Bonnie is funny, strong, and relatable, while Elijah is completely devoted—even if he’s a little TSTL at times 😅. Thankfully, he more than makes up for it with heartfelt groveling that was absolutely worth it. The holiday vibes, humor, and romance make this a perfect cozy, one-sitting read.

I received an advanced copy from the author and truly loved it. A festive novella that will leave you smiling!
69 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
December 15, 2025
This was such a cute story! It packed quite the punch while still managing to be a quick fun read. I love that the groveling takes place in real time. The story has an amazing pace, keeping you on your toes and dying to get to the end. I have never been more sympathetic for an H in a story. I was rooting for him the whole time and really appreciated how far he went to make things right with Bonnie, right away. There was no reflection or denial, just pure panic over losing his woman. Delightful holiday story that has all the angst without the anxiety. Loved it.

Elijah, Bonnie and Charlie 4ever.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews