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Santa, Baby
Get ready for a holiday season you'll never forget with three of today's most sensational writers who know what every woman wants for the holidays. You'll believe in Santa all over again with these seductive stories from:
JENNIFER CRUSIE
Mayhem ensues under the mistletoe as a determined shopper grabs the very last hot toy action figure off the shelf, only to find herself plunged into the middle of a real-life spy game--in the arms of a sexy secret agent. . .
LORI FOSTER
Two dedicated coworkers with a lot of secrets (and fantasies!) between them must plan a Christmas party side by side--and discover a love worth celebrating--in this steamy office romance.
CARLY PHILLIPS
A "mistletoe moment" begins when a no-nonsense lawyer intent on seducing her boss meets his twin instead--after giving him a scintillating kiss that leaves him begging for more. . .
JENNIFER CRUSIE
Mayhem ensues under the mistletoe as a determined shopper grabs the very last hot toy action figure off the shelf, only to find herself plunged into the middle of a real-life spy game--in the arms of a sexy secret agent. . .
LORI FOSTER
Two dedicated coworkers with a lot of secrets (and fantasies!) between them must plan a Christmas party side by side--and discover a love worth celebrating--in this steamy office romance.
CARLY PHILLIPS
A "mistletoe moment" begins when a no-nonsense lawyer intent on seducing her boss meets his twin instead--after giving him a scintillating kiss that leaves him begging for more. . .
328 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 31, 2006
30 people are currently reading
2318 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Crusie
80 books7,792 followersJennifer Crusie is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of twenty-three novels, one book of literary criticism, miscellaneous articles, essays, novellas, and short stories, and the editor of three essay anthologies.
She was born in Wapakoneta, a small town in Ohio, and then went on to live in a succession of other small towns in Ohio and New Jersey until her last move to a small town in Pennsylvania. This may have had an impact on her work.
She has a BS in Art Education, an MA in literature, an MFA in fiction, and was ABD on her PhD when she started reading romances as part of her research into the differences between the ways men and women tell stories. Writing a romance sounded like more fun than writing a dissertation, so she switched to fiction and never looked back. Her collaborations with Bob Mayer have pretty much proved everything she was going to say in her dissertation anyway, so really, no need to finish that.
For more information, see JenniferCrusie.com and her blog, Argh Ink.
She was born in Wapakoneta, a small town in Ohio, and then went on to live in a succession of other small towns in Ohio and New Jersey until her last move to a small town in Pennsylvania. This may have had an impact on her work.
She has a BS in Art Education, an MA in literature, an MFA in fiction, and was ABD on her PhD when she started reading romances as part of her research into the differences between the ways men and women tell stories. Writing a romance sounded like more fun than writing a dissertation, so she switched to fiction and never looked back. Her collaborations with Bob Mayer have pretty much proved everything she was going to say in her dissertation anyway, so really, no need to finish that.
For more information, see JenniferCrusie.com and her blog, Argh Ink.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
November 9, 2008
This book contained three novellas that take place near Christmas. The first story, Hot Toy, by Jennifer Crusie, I found to be disappointing. The hero and heroine had briefly dated, but the hero ended their budding relationship. In the story, he tells the heroine that he did so because she was boring on their dates. This didn't endear him to me. I really didn't feel any heat or chemistry between the hero and heroine. They share one brief kiss on the last page of the story. For me, this story rated a two. Christmas Bonus, by Lori Foster, was better than the first story, but it wasn't as good as some of the other novellas I have read by her. The characters were likeable, and the story felt like more of a romance than the first one. It rated a three with me. I enjoyed the last story, Naughty Under the Mistletoe, by Carly Phillips, more than the previous two. I liked the characters and felt that this story was better developed than the others. I would give it 3.5 stars.
Hot Toy has Trudy Maxwell desperate to find the hot toy of the year on Christamas Eve for a Santa gift for her five year old nephew. In the toy store, she encounters Nolan Mitchell, a professor of Chinese literature whom she briefly dated. She thought that Nolan might be "The One," until he dumped her without ever even kissing her. Trudy's Christmas Eve toy shopping expedition turns into a misadventure involving secret agents and Chinese double agents, with Nolan Mitchell in the middle of it all. Just as Trudy is starting to again believe that Nolan might be a good guy, his actions anger and distress her. She will have to find out what kind of man he truly is.
In Christmas Bonus, Eric Bragg feels as if he let an important opportunity pass him by. He has been in love with Maggie for several years. As Maggie was his employer's daughter who was ten years younger than himself, he knew that he needed to let her grow up before declaring himself. At age twenty-two, Maggie's father dies and she suddenly becomes Eric's boss. Now he believes if he tells her his feelings and asks her to marry him, the others in the office will believe he is angling to run the company. As Christmas nears, Eric begins to see that the attraction is not all one sided and he and Maggie confess their feelings to one another.
Toni Larson is a good girl who doesn't often have relationships. In Naughty Under the Mistletoe, she is an attorney who is getting ready to move to her company's new office. As Christmas approaches, she decides that it is time to act on her attraction to the senior partner's son, Stephan Corbin. She feels that since she will be in a different office, a one night stand with Stephan won't compromise her integrity at work. When Toni catches Stephan under the mistletoe at the company party and kisses him, she immediately realizes that she has mistaken this man's identity. It is not Stephan, but his twin brother, Maxwell Corbin, private investigator. Toni and Maxwell are overwhelmingly attracted to one another, and they go to his apartment after the party. After spending a passionate night together, which Toni still intends as a one night stand, a phone message leaves her feeling devastated. She runs from Maxwell's apartment, and he has to track her down and force her to confront the feelings that have so quickly developed between them.
These Christmas novellas were not as good as I expected, based on who the authors were. Naughty Under the Mistletoe was my favorite, but I didn't find any of them to be truly special.
Hot Toy has Trudy Maxwell desperate to find the hot toy of the year on Christamas Eve for a Santa gift for her five year old nephew. In the toy store, she encounters Nolan Mitchell, a professor of Chinese literature whom she briefly dated. She thought that Nolan might be "The One," until he dumped her without ever even kissing her. Trudy's Christmas Eve toy shopping expedition turns into a misadventure involving secret agents and Chinese double agents, with Nolan Mitchell in the middle of it all. Just as Trudy is starting to again believe that Nolan might be a good guy, his actions anger and distress her. She will have to find out what kind of man he truly is.
In Christmas Bonus, Eric Bragg feels as if he let an important opportunity pass him by. He has been in love with Maggie for several years. As Maggie was his employer's daughter who was ten years younger than himself, he knew that he needed to let her grow up before declaring himself. At age twenty-two, Maggie's father dies and she suddenly becomes Eric's boss. Now he believes if he tells her his feelings and asks her to marry him, the others in the office will believe he is angling to run the company. As Christmas nears, Eric begins to see that the attraction is not all one sided and he and Maggie confess their feelings to one another.
Toni Larson is a good girl who doesn't often have relationships. In Naughty Under the Mistletoe, she is an attorney who is getting ready to move to her company's new office. As Christmas approaches, she decides that it is time to act on her attraction to the senior partner's son, Stephan Corbin. She feels that since she will be in a different office, a one night stand with Stephan won't compromise her integrity at work. When Toni catches Stephan under the mistletoe at the company party and kisses him, she immediately realizes that she has mistaken this man's identity. It is not Stephan, but his twin brother, Maxwell Corbin, private investigator. Toni and Maxwell are overwhelmingly attracted to one another, and they go to his apartment after the party. After spending a passionate night together, which Toni still intends as a one night stand, a phone message leaves her feeling devastated. She runs from Maxwell's apartment, and he has to track her down and force her to confront the feelings that have so quickly developed between them.
These Christmas novellas were not as good as I expected, based on who the authors were. Naughty Under the Mistletoe was my favorite, but I didn't find any of them to be truly special.
February 17, 2014
Why did I read this? I have no idea. Maybe because it only cost like, a quarter. Crusie's story is mildly interesting, but the other two are TERRIBLE, so on balance? Blerg.
July 19, 2020
Cute, quick holiday stories. I really liked Hot Toy by Ms. Crusie.
December 4, 2015
5 stars for the Crusie novella by itself! "Hot Toy" is one of the funniest Christmas stories ever. Crusie's dialog is, as usual, sharp and witty and keeps the story moving along... and only Crusie can bring the Magic of Christmas together with gin, a shootout, international spies, the desperate search for this year's hot toy- which is disgusting- for a beloved nephew who's had a horrible year- AND make it laugh-out-loud funny! This story alone makes the book worthwhile, especially since one can buy it for a penny plus postage.
Unfortunately, the other 2 stories were not as good.
Foster's "Christmas Bonus" was unreadable for me; maybe 2 stars. I suppose it'd be worth reading if you need insight into how a Nice GuyTM thinks the world works, but Eric is a loathsome creature and we spend way too much time in his putrid head. He is resentful that his crush has become his boss, and is determined to act professionally- but his definition of "professional" includes calling his boss "sweetheart" and "honey" etc. on a regular basis, while ogling her. Because this is fiction, she is smitten rather than repulsed.
Phillips's "Naughty Under the Mistletoe" was decent- 3-4 stars. Toni is a workaholic who has decided she needs a fling- and her almost-ex-boss is the guy she picks, because he's pretty much the only bachelor she knows. At the Christmas party, though, she mistakenly puts the moves on his twin brother, and they are mutually smitten. Love at first sight has a deservedly bad rep, but I think it worked OK here. The one bit that i could not get my head around is how Toni fled Max's place after a misunderstanding, when he drove her there and it was at least 40 min away from her home...! Anyway, it was cute and I liked the characters.
HIGHLY recommended just for the Crusie story, if you like crime capers, excellent banter, and/or holiday humor!
Unfortunately, the other 2 stories were not as good.
Foster's "Christmas Bonus" was unreadable for me; maybe 2 stars. I suppose it'd be worth reading if you need insight into how a Nice GuyTM thinks the world works, but Eric is a loathsome creature and we spend way too much time in his putrid head. He is resentful that his crush has become his boss, and is determined to act professionally- but his definition of "professional" includes calling his boss "sweetheart" and "honey" etc. on a regular basis, while ogling her. Because this is fiction, she is smitten rather than repulsed.
Phillips's "Naughty Under the Mistletoe" was decent- 3-4 stars. Toni is a workaholic who has decided she needs a fling- and her almost-ex-boss is the guy she picks, because he's pretty much the only bachelor she knows. At the Christmas party, though, she mistakenly puts the moves on his twin brother, and they are mutually smitten. Love at first sight has a deservedly bad rep, but I think it worked OK here. The one bit that i could not get my head around is how Toni fled Max's place after a misunderstanding, when he drove her there and it was at least 40 min away from her home...! Anyway, it was cute and I liked the characters.
HIGHLY recommended just for the Crusie story, if you like crime capers, excellent banter, and/or holiday humor!
December 30, 2013
I love Jennifer Crusie and her short story in this compilation was fun, inventive, and rich with characters. What she was able to do with a short story is incredible. The other two stories however were repetative sexual drivel. There was nothing unique about them and they were utterly forgetable. Every other paragraph was a character's inner monologue that merely restated an emotion/action that had already been made clear. It was useless filler. Definitely not worth what I paid for it.
December 31, 2019
Protagonistas: Trudy & Nolan
Protagonistas: Eric & Maggie
Protagonistas: Toni & Stephan
Pais: USA
Protagonistas: Eric & Maggie
Protagonistas: Toni & Stephan
Pais: USA
December 5, 2021
Three short stories. Too much sexual description in the second and third. First one was cute.
December 7, 2021
Three stories in one book. First one was an action/mystery and the other two were more racy.
November 24, 2013
One of these things is not like the others...
I like ALL three novellas, very much but while Hot Toy is hilarious and very light on the romance, Christmas Boner, er, Bonus, and Naughty Under the Mistletoe are explicitly erotic romances. So, if you're like me and like to mix it up, you'll enjoy this set; if you prefer to enjoy your pleasures one at a time, you may be jarred by the combination.
Hot Toy by Jennifer Crusie
Trudy Maxwell is determined to score her five year-old nephew THE hot toy of the season, the Major MacGuffin. WITH toxic waste. As she roots through the shelves of the messy local toy store she is joined by allies/adversaries: Nolan Mitchell, professor of Chinese literature and jerk who dated Trudy three times and then didn't call her again; and Reese Daniels, her father's onetime research assistant.
Trudy's persistence pays off, somewhat; she locates one of LAST year's MacGuffins (with gun, without toxic waste). Both men seems interested in dating her - or do they just want to grab her MacGuffin? The conversations that Trudy carries on while in line to pay, with both men, other shoppers, AND her sister via phone, all simultaneously, had me laughing out loud. The bizarre spy-theme secret code in the doll boxes was over the top ridiculous, but then, the whole scrambling for THE hot toy at Christmas is over the top ridiculous.
Christmas Bonus by Lori Foster is also featured in a collection called All I Want for Christmas
Eric Bragg had disguised his lust for his boss's sexy daughter, beginning when Maggie hung around the office at age 17. He always meant to make a move on her, in a few years when the time was right, perhaps when he himself took over managing the company. He didn't count on his boss dying and leaving the company to Maggie, when she was only 22. Maggie doesn't want the company, she wants Eric to look at her like a desirable WOMAN, and works out a plan to seduce him, starting with him being designated to help her plan the company Christmas party.
Eric decides to start the party early, when he finds out that at least on paper, Maggie is more experienced than she seems. Hot hot hot.
Naughty Under the Mistletoe by Carly Phillips is also featured in a collection called Naughty or Nice?
Lawyer Toni Larson has decided to seduce her colleague Stephan Corbin, since she finds him attractive and she's about to move to a different office location, so it won't become uncomfortable between them, whether it's a fling or something that lasts a little longer. She lures a man she thinks is Stephan under the mistletoe, but the sizzling kiss she gets from his twin brother Max blows all thoughts of whats-his-name out of her mind.
Includes an incredibly hot game of strip pool. I'm not a huge fan of insta-love, but the author pulls it off well.
Applause to the authors for always wrappin' it like a present (i.e., condoms) in the sex scenes.
I like ALL three novellas, very much but while Hot Toy is hilarious and very light on the romance, Christmas Boner, er, Bonus, and Naughty Under the Mistletoe are explicitly erotic romances. So, if you're like me and like to mix it up, you'll enjoy this set; if you prefer to enjoy your pleasures one at a time, you may be jarred by the combination.
Hot Toy by Jennifer Crusie
Trudy Maxwell is determined to score her five year-old nephew THE hot toy of the season, the Major MacGuffin. WITH toxic waste. As she roots through the shelves of the messy local toy store she is joined by allies/adversaries: Nolan Mitchell, professor of Chinese literature and jerk who dated Trudy three times and then didn't call her again; and Reese Daniels, her father's onetime research assistant.
Trudy's persistence pays off, somewhat; she locates one of LAST year's MacGuffins (with gun, without toxic waste). Both men seems interested in dating her - or do they just want to grab her MacGuffin? The conversations that Trudy carries on while in line to pay, with both men, other shoppers, AND her sister via phone, all simultaneously, had me laughing out loud. The bizarre spy-theme secret code in the doll boxes was over the top ridiculous, but then, the whole scrambling for THE hot toy at Christmas is over the top ridiculous.
Christmas Bonus by Lori Foster is also featured in a collection called All I Want for Christmas
Eric Bragg had disguised his lust for his boss's sexy daughter, beginning when Maggie hung around the office at age 17. He always meant to make a move on her, in a few years when the time was right, perhaps when he himself took over managing the company. He didn't count on his boss dying and leaving the company to Maggie, when she was only 22. Maggie doesn't want the company, she wants Eric to look at her like a desirable WOMAN, and works out a plan to seduce him, starting with him being designated to help her plan the company Christmas party.
Eric decides to start the party early, when he finds out that at least on paper, Maggie is more experienced than she seems. Hot hot hot.
Naughty Under the Mistletoe by Carly Phillips is also featured in a collection called Naughty or Nice?
Lawyer Toni Larson has decided to seduce her colleague Stephan Corbin, since she finds him attractive and she's about to move to a different office location, so it won't become uncomfortable between them, whether it's a fling or something that lasts a little longer. She lures a man she thinks is Stephan under the mistletoe, but the sizzling kiss she gets from his twin brother Max blows all thoughts of whats-his-name out of her mind.
Includes an incredibly hot game of strip pool. I'm not a huge fan of insta-love, but the author pulls it off well.
Applause to the authors for always wrappin' it like a present (i.e., condoms) in the sex scenes.
April 10, 2013
Three novellas set at Christmas time. The first by Jennifer Cruise was fun. Trudy runs into her former boring boyfriend Nolan, while Christmas shopping for her nephew. When she finds the very last hot toy of the year, she can't figure out why Nolan wants it so badly. Then she sees Reese, her father's research assistant who also seems taken by the toy. Turns out Nolan is an undercover agent and the toy contains secret Chinese codes. Danger, intrigue, and a little romance ensues.
The second one by Lori Foster was a disappointment. The characters have no depth and the plot is barely there. The story is full of sex and it goes on forever. You don't care if Maggie and Eric end up together or how he will continue to work for her, after she seduces him.
The third one by Carly Phillips is also quite spicy but the plot is plausible, much like a chick lit movie. Toni thinks she'd seducing her former boss, only he turns out to be his twin brother. Both Toni and Max are real people and sizzle well together. And you hope they have a great happily ever after
The second one by Lori Foster was a disappointment. The characters have no depth and the plot is barely there. The story is full of sex and it goes on forever. You don't care if Maggie and Eric end up together or how he will continue to work for her, after she seduces him.
The third one by Carly Phillips is also quite spicy but the plot is plausible, much like a chick lit movie. Toni thinks she'd seducing her former boss, only he turns out to be his twin brother. Both Toni and Max are real people and sizzle well together. And you hope they have a great happily ever after
December 7, 2015
Hot Toy (2/5 stars):
-I did not like this story at all. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be a romance, comedy or action? It probably could have been all three but in a novella it just wasn't possible.
Christmas Bonus (3/5 stars):
-This was the best story out of all of them, I did enjoy it. The romance story had it's good parts and it's bad parts. It was also a bit unrealistic but it's a erotica/romance so I guess that's to be expected.
Naughty under the Mistletoe (2/5 stars):
-I didn't like it, 90% of it was sex which would have been fine if the story wasn't meant to be romantic. I didn't enjoy it.
Overall, I was disappointed with this book. I really was hoping for a fun Christmas read, but none of these stories were very christmas-y at all. In fact, the only one that I even remembered was holiday-themed was Hot Toy, the rest just seemed like erotica/romance that happened to take place during Christmas. I wouldn't recommenced this book.
-I did not like this story at all. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be a romance, comedy or action? It probably could have been all three but in a novella it just wasn't possible.
Christmas Bonus (3/5 stars):
-This was the best story out of all of them, I did enjoy it. The romance story had it's good parts and it's bad parts. It was also a bit unrealistic but it's a erotica/romance so I guess that's to be expected.
Naughty under the Mistletoe (2/5 stars):
-I didn't like it, 90% of it was sex which would have been fine if the story wasn't meant to be romantic. I didn't enjoy it.
Overall, I was disappointed with this book. I really was hoping for a fun Christmas read, but none of these stories were very christmas-y at all. In fact, the only one that I even remembered was holiday-themed was Hot Toy, the rest just seemed like erotica/romance that happened to take place during Christmas. I wouldn't recommenced this book.
May 20, 2015
"Santa Baby" Loved the JC novella. The banter is so quick and clever and amazing. I read in awe, sometimes. At one point in time Trudy is talking with her sister on the phone while two men argue about her over her head, and you know who is saying what and how it all matches up and it is great. Revolves around a desperate Christmas Eve search for a specific toy, which turns out to have something to do with Chinese spies and nuclear launch codes and such. Didn't really care much about the plot...loved the characterization.
"Christmas Bonus" by Lori Foster. Not bad. Another 'I've loved you from afar' storyline, this time with the boss's daughter and the boss's right hand man.
"Christmas Bonus" by Lori Foster. Not bad. Another 'I've loved you from afar' storyline, this time with the boss's daughter and the boss's right hand man.
March 28, 2012
Three small novelas by different authors. All three stories are doing the Christmas season and are funny and exciting. My favorite of course is Jennifer Crusie's story about going out on Christmas eve to save her newphew's hope in Santa and her sister from truly believing that she is the worst mother ever for not getting her child the have-to-have gift this year. This simple trip leads to spys, undercover agents, and one ugly toy that everyone wants to take from her. Fast, funny, and I loved it.
November 15, 2008
I have read most of what Jennifer Crusie has written and I picked this one up because of that. It really wasn't that good. Not so bad that you can't finish it, but not good enough to lure you from the TV set. I liked the other authors stories well enough to think I wouldn't mind trying their books - but over all I thought this was kind of weak.
October 2, 2012
This rating is for the Jennifer Crusie story only. Its short and fun. I know of no other author who could mix a doting aunt trying to buy an out of stock toy for her nephew for Christmas with an NSA agent, a Chinese double agent, and her drunk sister and make it this good. I will read the other two stories eventually.
July 9, 2014
essentially Jingle all the Way
January 13, 2019
The first story in here was very good. The second was just an excuse for a sex scene.The third was not bad.
That's the trouble with these anthologies. The middle story drags the rating down.
That's the trouble with these anthologies. The middle story drags the rating down.
October 27, 2023
Three authors (Jennifer Crusie, Lori Foster, and Carly Phillips), three novellas set during the Christmas holidays.
Hot Toy by J. Crusie--a young woman looking for the hot toy of the season becomes involved in an international spy ring. Can Trudy give her nephew the gift of his dreams or will she end up dead in a game of cat and mouse?
Christmas Bonus by L. Foster--Eric has a thing for the (younger) boss's daughter, Maggie. He's just waiting for her to graduate from college before he asks her out. Before that happens, her father dies and she becomes his boss (his very proper boss, no longer the flirty woman he once knew). How can he ask her out now? He thought he'd become the boss, so what next for them?
Naughty Under the Mistletoe by C. Phillips--A buttoned-down lawyer lets down her hair at the Christmas party. Toni has seduction on her mind because she knows she's going to one of the other offices, and this is her chance. She kisses, however, the wrong man, his twin. Sparks ignite between Max and Toni, but neither wants a one-night stand, yet she finds out he might become her new boss. So much for her job, or is it?
Three cute contemporary romances by three very different authors. Of course, there are some what-the-tuck trends, but hey, it's the holidays!
Hot Toy by J. Crusie--a young woman looking for the hot toy of the season becomes involved in an international spy ring. Can Trudy give her nephew the gift of his dreams or will she end up dead in a game of cat and mouse?
Christmas Bonus by L. Foster--Eric has a thing for the (younger) boss's daughter, Maggie. He's just waiting for her to graduate from college before he asks her out. Before that happens, her father dies and she becomes his boss (his very proper boss, no longer the flirty woman he once knew). How can he ask her out now? He thought he'd become the boss, so what next for them?
Naughty Under the Mistletoe by C. Phillips--A buttoned-down lawyer lets down her hair at the Christmas party. Toni has seduction on her mind because she knows she's going to one of the other offices, and this is her chance. She kisses, however, the wrong man, his twin. Sparks ignite between Max and Toni, but neither wants a one-night stand, yet she finds out he might become her new boss. So much for her job, or is it?
Three cute contemporary romances by three very different authors. Of course, there are some what-the-tuck trends, but hey, it's the holidays!
December 22, 2022
I actually enjoyed the first story - Hot Toy - it was giving me Jingle All The Way vibes with some twists. If Hot Toy was the only story of this book, and they built it out, I would have really liked it!
The other two stories were pretty trash.
Christmas Bonus was about a creepy coworker who went after his colleague once her father died, who was also his boss. And the baby names he kept calling her made me cringe.
Naughty Under The Mistletoe was a boring, office romance during Christmas time where she happened to kiss the wrong twin under the mistletoe.
The other two stories were pretty trash.
Christmas Bonus was about a creepy coworker who went after his colleague once her father died, who was also his boss. And the baby names he kept calling her made me cringe.
Naughty Under The Mistletoe was a boring, office romance during Christmas time where she happened to kiss the wrong twin under the mistletoe.
December 15, 2017
This book is comprised of 3 novellas that all have a Christmas theme. I guess. It felt kind of forced a little bit. They're barely ok. The authors wrote them very quickly and without much thought. I feel pretty confident that they were told by the publisher "we want a Christmas novella" and they replied "I'll let you read what I've come up with by the day after tomorrow." I didn't expect this to be great, but I'd hoped it would have been a little bit better than it was.
July 1, 2023
This one was hard to rate because it's three novellas in one book. The first one I really enjoyed. But the other two were not for me. The second one was basically just 50 shades of mistletoe and I couldn't even get all the way through the third one. Really badly written, no plot, degrading, soft core trash.
December 14, 2025
I only read the first story, Santa Baby, and it was exactly the romantic Christmas story I needed. Classic Crusie characters rush through last minute Christmas Eve shopping to get the hot toy of the year. Trudy is a spunky chatter mouth and Nolan is big, strong, and steady. Perfect Crusie couple.
November 25, 2020
I enjoy all three of these authors, and tend to revisit this book during the holidays... all have writing books I adore, so it’s hard to compare these quick reads, but for a fun, low commitment, winter night, it’s kinda perfect.
November 13, 2023
There were three very differently written stories in this book. I just didn’t personally like any of these short stories. There really wasn’t Christmas plot and the characters didn’t have any depth in them because of being such a sort and quickly written stories.
April 2, 2024
This was not good. The first story- Hot Toy was super disjointed and confusing. And I never felt like any of the characters actually liked each other. What a mess.
The other two were fine, but I can’t say that this book was worth the time.
The other two were fine, but I can’t say that this book was worth the time.
December 14, 2025
Grabbed this at a used book store because I used to really like Jennifer Cruise, still do but this trio of novellas was not my favorite. Her novella was SO DIFFERENT then the others that I am not sure how they all got together.
November 19, 2018
Hot Toy - Jennifer Crusie ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Christmas Bonus - Lori Foster ⭐️
Naughty Under the Mistletoe - Carly Phillips ⭐️⭐️
Christmas Bonus - Lori Foster ⭐️
Naughty Under the Mistletoe - Carly Phillips ⭐️⭐️
December 19, 2018
A very cute and fun holiday read!
December 27, 2019
I liked the first story best. It was fun and funny. The other two were just OK. Overall it was a pleasant diversion from Christmas craziness.
January 4, 2020
Cute book by 3 authors I enjoy
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