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Bettencourt Brothers #1
To Do List
He wasn t part of her balance sheet. But one week in his bed could tip the scales.
Since she could pick up a pencil, Belle Taylor has used lists and charts to map out her life. When she achieves a goal, she marks it off her to do list. Simple. But now, just steps away from her corner-office, name-on-the-letterhead goal, she realizes that the life she thought she wanted may come at too high a price.
Exhausted, she retreats home for Christmas vacation to rethink her life, complete with all-new lists. What she hadn t expected is Rafe Bettencourt, her brother s best friend, the man who she thought only saw her as a pesky younger sister. But when he kisses her under the mistletoe, Belle finds herself with a whole new set of goals to balance with what she thought she always wanted.
Rafe knows Belle is trying to figure out what to do with her life. He also knows he s done loving her from afar, and he s not beneath making it as hard as possible for her to choose to return to San Francisco.
Because Rafe can make to-do lists too and his plan is to seduce Belle back home where she belongs. At his side. And in his bed.
Warning, this title contains the Smokin hot monkey love and naughty wish fulfillment, a few words you wouldn t say in your grandma s presence."
Since she could pick up a pencil, Belle Taylor has used lists and charts to map out her life. When she achieves a goal, she marks it off her to do list. Simple. But now, just steps away from her corner-office, name-on-the-letterhead goal, she realizes that the life she thought she wanted may come at too high a price.
Exhausted, she retreats home for Christmas vacation to rethink her life, complete with all-new lists. What she hadn t expected is Rafe Bettencourt, her brother s best friend, the man who she thought only saw her as a pesky younger sister. But when he kisses her under the mistletoe, Belle finds herself with a whole new set of goals to balance with what she thought she always wanted.
Rafe knows Belle is trying to figure out what to do with her life. He also knows he s done loving her from afar, and he s not beneath making it as hard as possible for her to choose to return to San Francisco.
Because Rafe can make to-do lists too and his plan is to seduce Belle back home where she belongs. At his side. And in his bed.
Warning, this title contains the Smokin hot monkey love and naughty wish fulfillment, a few words you wouldn t say in your grandma s presence."
98 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 11, 2007
52 people are currently reading
766 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Dane
111 books5,001 followersLauren Dane has been writing stories since she was able to use a pencil, and before that she used to tell them to people. Of course, she still talks nonstop, and through wonderful fate and good fortune, she’s now able to share what she writes with others. It’s a wonderful life!
The basics: Lauren is a mom, a partner, a best friend and a daughter. Living in the rainy but beautiful Pacific Northwest, she spends her late evenings writing like a fiend when she finally wrestles all of her kids to bed.
The basics: Lauren is a mom, a partner, a best friend and a daughter. Living in the rainy but beautiful Pacific Northwest, she spends her late evenings writing like a fiend when she finally wrestles all of her kids to bed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
July 10, 2025
I'll admit that my primary reason for reading this book was because it was set in Davis, CA. However, this book was NOT good. There was a lot of slut shaming language but also the speed at which these 2 got together and then got engaged is kind of ridiculous. Like I know he's known her for a long time since he's her brother's best friend but it also makes it abundantly clear that he hasn't seen her for the past year. Finally, there's a scene in which he's mad that she has to go back to San Francisco from Davis for work thing and he gets upset when she's not back in 2 hours. LOLOLOL. It's AT LEAST 3 hours roundtrip from Davis to SF not including her actual work thing. This was a ridiculously silly book. Also, didn't love how everyone in her life commented on how skinny she had gotten and forcing food on her. She's a grown woman of 28, let her live. She didn't have an ED, she was just overworked and tired. Secondly, all the commentary about how anal-retentive and controlling she was. Her work life was shitty with the toxic workplace environment but her family was also overwhelming and not in a great way.
December 31, 2024
Belle is a lawyer who has worked 80 hour weeks for the previous year to get ahead in her law firm. She wants the corner office with a view. One of the partners gives her a hard time when she goes on vacation for 5 days (for Christmas). She's slacking! She has a large supportive family who love and worry about her. She has also had a crush on her brother's best friend, Rafe for years. Rafe has also liked Belle and plans to do something about it.
I did like that this was not one of those "I can't, he is my brother's best friend!" or "I can't, she's my best friend's sister!" This was short, sweet, and spicy. The romance worked because of their prior friendship. Each chapter alternates between points of view.
I did like that this was not one of those "I can't, he is my brother's best friend!" or "I can't, she's my best friend's sister!" This was short, sweet, and spicy. The romance worked because of their prior friendship. Each chapter alternates between points of view.
May 17, 2013
I really like Lauren Dane's Contermpory Romances and I am excited to find out this is the start of a serie set in Davis, California. We have a big close family with wonderful parents on both sides. The heroine is quirky and uptight and going through a career crisis. The hero is yummy and knows himself. Snuggle up and enjoy!
December 1, 2011
A really great and HOT Christmas story. Love the families of both the hero and heroine and how close everyone is to each other. That's how families should be.
November 24, 2014
Bit of an abrupt ending, but still a nice little quickie.
November 25, 2014
This book was short and sweet..with a bit of hotness...
November 19, 2021
I started having problems with this read right away, so I took some notes, and they ended up being so extensive for such a short novella that I'm just going to use them as my book review directly:
Starting with a kiss between two people that haven't been introduced yet, beyond the blurb? And it's a mistletoe kiss? Unsatisfying.
Everyone is commenting on the exact same details about Belle: Rafe, her brother, her mother, and her sister, all in the space of a few pages. They all say at least two of the same three things: she's pale, she's lost too much weight, she has dark circles under her eyes. Her mom and sister comment separately on the dark circles four paragraphs apart. I GET IT ALREADY, BELLE IS TIRED.
Can we get commas, please? Some of these sentences go on forever, and they'd read better if I could more easily tell where clauses start and stop.
Aaaand a few pages later grandma has precisely the same complaints about Belle as everyone else. I know this isn't the point of the story so far, because Belle's absence from "the family" is attributed to her hours as a junior attorney, but could she also not want to come to visit because everyone in her family is awful to her about her appearance? Sheesh.
Oh, and later, when she's not even around, Rafe's brother takes it upon himself to make a joke about fattening her up so she can't leave. GROSS.
90%+ of the dialogue is either purely expository, or simply repetitive: either two people are talking about something they both already know so the author can inform the reader, or they're speaking out loud something that was just said in internal monologue, or they're saying something to one person that we already heard them say to another person.
Rafe brings up the idea of proposing (not in front of his lover, but in front of a family member) about two days after the story starts. Yes, they've known each other for most of their lives, but that's not a reasonable reaction to a romantic relationship that new (when it's not framed as a love-at-first-sight or other sort of "whirlwind" romance story, which this isn't billing itself as. Everything I see tells me that I'm supposed to be taking this utterly seriously as a concept.)
Rafe's page-long monologues where he spills his feelings in detail don't read as genuine. It's not even a "men don't talk that way" thing for me, it's simply a "people don't talk that way." That's true for everyone, to some extent, for the entire book, but Rafe monologues about Belle like three or four times to different people and it's just an info-dump of Telling Instead of Showing every single time.
Really abrupt ending--I actually turned the page on my Kindle and was surprised to see the end matter, turned back a page to make sure I hadn't missed something, no, I hadn't, it was just over with basically no warning.
Starting with a kiss between two people that haven't been introduced yet, beyond the blurb? And it's a mistletoe kiss? Unsatisfying.
Everyone is commenting on the exact same details about Belle: Rafe, her brother, her mother, and her sister, all in the space of a few pages. They all say at least two of the same three things: she's pale, she's lost too much weight, she has dark circles under her eyes. Her mom and sister comment separately on the dark circles four paragraphs apart. I GET IT ALREADY, BELLE IS TIRED.
Can we get commas, please? Some of these sentences go on forever, and they'd read better if I could more easily tell where clauses start and stop.
Aaaand a few pages later grandma has precisely the same complaints about Belle as everyone else. I know this isn't the point of the story so far, because Belle's absence from "the family" is attributed to her hours as a junior attorney, but could she also not want to come to visit because everyone in her family is awful to her about her appearance? Sheesh.
Oh, and later, when she's not even around, Rafe's brother takes it upon himself to make a joke about fattening her up so she can't leave. GROSS.
90%+ of the dialogue is either purely expository, or simply repetitive: either two people are talking about something they both already know so the author can inform the reader, or they're speaking out loud something that was just said in internal monologue, or they're saying something to one person that we already heard them say to another person.
Rafe brings up the idea of proposing (not in front of his lover, but in front of a family member) about two days after the story starts. Yes, they've known each other for most of their lives, but that's not a reasonable reaction to a romantic relationship that new (when it's not framed as a love-at-first-sight or other sort of "whirlwind" romance story, which this isn't billing itself as. Everything I see tells me that I'm supposed to be taking this utterly seriously as a concept.)
Rafe's page-long monologues where he spills his feelings in detail don't read as genuine. It's not even a "men don't talk that way" thing for me, it's simply a "people don't talk that way." That's true for everyone, to some extent, for the entire book, but Rafe monologues about Belle like three or four times to different people and it's just an info-dump of Telling Instead of Showing every single time.
Really abrupt ending--I actually turned the page on my Kindle and was surprised to see the end matter, turned back a page to make sure I hadn't missed something, no, I hadn't, it was just over with basically no warning.
December 10, 2021
Serviceable, albeit dated, Christmas romance. I didn’t like all the emphasis on Belle losing weight due to stress at work or her mom forcing her to eat more. The proposal after only a few days together defied belief. I don’t care that they’ve known each other since they were kids—they weren’t friends and they’ve barely seen each other since she became a lawyer. Truly wild that both their families thought that was a totally normal thing to do.
Characters: Belle is a 28 year old lawyer who is pro-organization. Rafe is a 32 year old Portuguese-white farmer. This is set in San Francisco and Davis, CA.
Content notes: workplace sexual harassment, toxic work environment, diet culture, frequent mentions of weight loss/body commentary, pregnant secondary character, on page sex, mutual masturbation, alcohol, slut-shaming language, ableist language, attorney hours compared to “working like slaves”, gender essentialist language, reference to grandfather dying in the Korean War
Characters: Belle is a 28 year old lawyer who is pro-organization. Rafe is a 32 year old Portuguese-white farmer. This is set in San Francisco and Davis, CA.
Content notes: workplace sexual harassment, toxic work environment, diet culture, frequent mentions of weight loss/body commentary, pregnant secondary character, on page sex, mutual masturbation, alcohol, slut-shaming language, ableist language, attorney hours compared to “working like slaves”, gender essentialist language, reference to grandfather dying in the Korean War
December 9, 2019
What a delightful little romance bonbon! Ms. Dane always delivers steamy scenes and characters to root for. This contemporary romance novella features two lovable, boisterous, interfering families who only want what's best for the hero and heroine. I loved watching Belle, a driven young attorney who can't seem to balance her life, and Rafe, a sweet, hunky farmer who's never gotten over his attraction to his best friend's sister, untangle their complicated past and find their way home together. As soothing as a cup of hot cocoa--with a shot of strong whiskey to get your pulse racing. Highly recommend.
January 17, 2022
Hot and spicy for Christmas!
Very sexy little read from Lauren Dane. Love the big brothers best friend trope and this one did the genre justice. Belle and Rafe what can I say, very sexy and hot scenes. Belle has crushed on him for 15 years and he has crushed on her for the past 5 years when he noticed that she’d all grown up. Another favourite trope, the large loving family, appears from both sides. Set during Christmas time makes you feel all warm and cosy. Great little book!
Very sexy little read from Lauren Dane. Love the big brothers best friend trope and this one did the genre justice. Belle and Rafe what can I say, very sexy and hot scenes. Belle has crushed on him for 15 years and he has crushed on her for the past 5 years when he noticed that she’d all grown up. Another favourite trope, the large loving family, appears from both sides. Set during Christmas time makes you feel all warm and cosy. Great little book!
December 24, 2017
What a To Do List
Belle has been gone from her small home town and family for far to long. She always wanted the corner office ibn the firm she worked at but was all those hours worth giving up who she was. Rafe has known Belle all his life but he just really noticed her about 5 years ago, but now she is back to visit family and this is his one chance to let her know what he feels and wants and he wants Her. This story has some steamy scenes so get ready.
Belle has been gone from her small home town and family for far to long. She always wanted the corner office ibn the firm she worked at but was all those hours worth giving up who she was. Rafe has known Belle all his life but he just really noticed her about 5 years ago, but now she is back to visit family and this is his one chance to let her know what he feels and wants and he wants Her. This story has some steamy scenes so get ready.
January 12, 2020
I loved the work-life balance conflict in this book; I wish it hadn’t ended so abruptly. The families in this story make you want to be adopted by charming people who own farms!
August 9, 2022
Uhhh sure, I guess that was a story…kinda. Skip.
July 5, 2023
A porny Hallmark Christmas movie. Big city lawyer returns to her home town for the holidays and re-connects with her brother’s best friend, who is not a Christmas tree farmer, but could have been.
November 13, 2011
I enjoyed this story, I really did. It was insta-love, but then again, they'd known each other since they were kids. Belle has had a crush on Rafe since she was 15; he realized five years ago that she wasn't just his best friend's bossy younger sister anymore. She has a high-stress job, and has come home for the Christmas holiday, and that's when their feelings really take it up a notch.
One thing I didn't like about this story is that there didn't seem to be any strife. It was too perfect. Since they grew up together, his family loved her and vice versa. Her job was a source of strife, but it wasn't enough of a problem to cause any real problem in their relationship. Her dickhead of a boss could have made a relationship more difficult, but that didn't even happen. Even her anal retentiveness was a moot point because it's one of the things Rafe loved about Bella.
Another thing... it seemed to just end. And one reason it felt that way is because of Samhain's penchant for filling space with excerpts. So here I am, reading along at 80%, thinking there's plenty of story left (there has to be -- there hasn't been any strife), and then it just ends... at 82%. I realize this isn't the author's fault, but if the ending was more "natural" or "complete", maybe I wouldn't feel like it ended abruptly.
Still a cute story. I'm not sorry I read it.
One thing I didn't like about this story is that there didn't seem to be any strife. It was too perfect. Since they grew up together, his family loved her and vice versa. Her job was a source of strife, but it wasn't enough of a problem to cause any real problem in their relationship. Her dickhead of a boss could have made a relationship more difficult, but that didn't even happen. Even her anal retentiveness was a moot point because it's one of the things Rafe loved about Bella.
Another thing... it seemed to just end. And one reason it felt that way is because of Samhain's penchant for filling space with excerpts. So here I am, reading along at 80%, thinking there's plenty of story left (there has to be -- there hasn't been any strife), and then it just ends... at 82%. I realize this isn't the author's fault, but if the ending was more "natural" or "complete", maybe I wouldn't feel like it ended abruptly.
Still a cute story. I'm not sorry I read it.
October 5, 2014
Contemp Christmas romance. It was... sweet. Sometimes a little bit repetitive. Mostly in the sense that every single member of her family had to tell her how much they hated her job and what it was doing to her etc. It was a bit whirlwind, but at the same time not, since they had known each other their entire lives. (They met when she was 4, he was 8) So it was a case of 'I've loved you forever.' and that made the whirlwind relationship bit not horrible. The sex was... ehhh nothing to blow your skirt up over. But then coming off reading so many non vanilla books recently, that isn't actually that surprising that it didn't blow my skirt up.
September 10, 2013
Short novella read, but really enjoyed the story and fell straight into the "big" family atmosphere of the two families - lots of characters and already felt comfortable with them. Belle and Rafe's kiss started the story off and only wish I had some mistletoe handy now!!! The relationship was very quick, but they grew up together from childhood, so it didn't need to be drawn out. I felt the story ended on an odd (happy) note, but the next book "Sweet Charity" is out (this also looks like a short novella read) so hopefully some questions will be answered there!
March 8, 2015
I usually like the works of Lauren Dane,but was disappointed by this one. I found it to be well written but boring as Hell. Plot: two people who have been in love with each other for years realize that they've been in love for years and decide to be together forever. Everything in their life falls perfectly into place in the most predictable of ways, and all of their friends and family support them 100%. There are no conflicts, no miscommunications, no tensions of any type, and no reason at all to waste time reading this story.
December 11, 2011
LOVED this book. I loved how Rafe really got her and didn't do the macho "I know what's best, little lady" thing that he so easily could have done. But then, Ms. Dane's heroes usually aren't that...moronic? Or if they are, it's VERY short lived, and they understand nearly immediately how wrong it was.
This was a charming story with lots of great family interaction. Looking forward to reading the other book in this duo.
This was a charming story with lots of great family interaction. Looking forward to reading the other book in this duo.
February 21, 2012
From one of my favourite romantica authors.
This was a sweet yet hot novella, where uber-organized Belle finally hooked up with Rafe, the boy next door who she’d crushed on for years. Enough tension to keep the story moving without getting stale, and plenty of hot loving. A great quick read - I just wish it had been longer :-)
This was a sweet yet hot novella, where uber-organized Belle finally hooked up with Rafe, the boy next door who she’d crushed on for years. Enough tension to keep the story moving without getting stale, and plenty of hot loving. A great quick read - I just wish it had been longer :-)
November 4, 2012
I have read a lot of love stories, but they are all different. This one didn't make me cry from sadness and from laughing to hard. If you are looking for a book to read just to lose yourself in another world for a few hours, this book is what you are looking for. It is a lovely story, with a happy ending.
August 19, 2011
3.5 stars. I really liked ths book because it was a swea story about a girl who was had a crush on her brothers best friend for over 13 years, but Rafe (her brothers friend) never noticed her because she was 4 years younger. Again, I loved the story, but I didn't feel like I got closure.
May 11, 2015
Read on Scribd. I'm usually a huge fan of Lauren Dane, but this one didn't do it for me. Everything seemed so rushed when it came to the hero and heroine. On the flip side, criticism of the heroine's career seemed really repetitive. Just not my favorite.
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November 20, 2008To Do List by Lauren Dane (2007)
February 25, 2009
To Do List by Lauren Dane (2007)
November 15, 2010
Freaking Loved it!!
October 3, 2010
Cute story, liked it a lot.
May 11, 2011
Liked it. It was very sweet.
September 23, 2011
Fun short read :)
September 29, 2011
loving this so far1!!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews