Holiday Affair

Single mom Karina Barrett is thrilled to treat her kids to a fairytale Christmas vacation... but will a sexy innkeeper make her own holiday dreams come true? For Karina, it's the chance of a lifetime: a free cocoa and gingerbread-filled holiday at a quaint Michigan B&B called The Christmas House. In return, Karina will play spy and report back to the company hoping to buy out the popular hotel. It's all too good to be true...especially when Karina meets innkeeper Reid Sullivan. The man is a walking talking Christmas miracle—and she's hoping to meet him under the mistletoe... Single dad turned globe-trotting adventurer, Reid isn't quite sure how he and his daughters got roped into helping out this year at his family's B&B. But once he arrives, it doesn't take long for a certain guest to catch his eye. Fun-loving California girl Karina is hard to miss, and Reid senses the attraction is mutual. As Christmas approaches and the weather grows colder, things between Reid and Karina heat up. But when the true reason behind Karina's visit is revealed, will the holiday magic disappear before the ball drops on New Year's Eve? Kudos & Honors * featured alternate selection of the Doubleday Book Club, Rhapsody Book Club, and BOMC2 * Top Pick/Romance of the Month from Bookpage magazine * awarded 4½ stars from Romantic Times magazine, 5 hearts from The Romance Reader, and 5 blue ribbons from Romance Junkies What People Are Saying... "Secrets and subterfuge add complexity and zing to this well-crafted, heartwarming story that features a wealth of engaging characters, including five remarkable, memorable children, and great sexual tension. A deliciously satisfying, cocoa-worthy holiday read." —Library Journal "A delightful story with utterly charming characters. It brings to life the sounds, smells, and tastes of Christmas as it brings together more than just the two main characters for a joyous holiday season." —Romantic Times (4½ stars!) "Lisa Plumley's latest holiday novel delivers. It has warm gooey holiday moments complete with happy children, Christmas traditions such as caroling and decorating Christmas cookies and, oh yeah, hot and steamy romance. Loaded with fun pop-culture references and witty dialogue, Holiday Affair delivers on entertainment!" —The Romance Reader (5 hearts!) "As is the case with most of Plumley's books, Holiday Affair has quirky characters that will make you smile and a fast-paced story that will make you hesitate to slip a bookmark between the pages. Holiday Affair is full of Christmas atmosphere and activities, which makes it a great read during the holidays." —Lezlie Patterson, McClatchy-Tribune News Service "I love a good romance for the holidays, and Lisa Plumley's latest "Holiday Affair" is a great one to celebrate all the good things about being in love at Christmas! With just the right amount of humor, a touch of mystery, and a lot of good, old-fashioned romance, "Holiday Affair" is sure to please any fan of romantic fiction!" —Sharon Galligar Chance

It was nothing more than a holiday fling...until he moved in next door. Staid professor Lissy McIntyre believes that choosing a mate should be based on common sense, not runaway passion. And she would certainly never pick a rolling stone like Nick Richards for long-term love. But a red-hot, tropical romance? Oh, yeah. He's got a body just made for sinning and his sizzling kisses leave her senseless. When Nick blows into town, he's stunned to discover that his no-nonsense new neighbor and co-worker is the same sultry creature he seduced for one night of forbidden island pleasure. He's unaccustomed to staying in one place for long, but he just can't seem to keep his hands off the multi-faceted woman. Will Nick break loyal Lissy's heart or will she be the one woman he simply can't walk away from?

A story in which revenge is extremely sweet to the person bitten. A story of two swinging married couples who meet on holiday.

JEFF SHAW EXPECTS A BLUE CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR Reeling from a broken engagement, Jeff doesn't feel like celebrating. Especially with his ex-fiancée's younger sister, Natasha Brickson. But Natasha is determined to immerse Jeff in Christmas cheer, and to his surprise, her tender care begins to mend his heart. Unlike his ex, Natasha is warm, compassionate and lovely inside and out. Natasha's always stood in her sister's shadow, so she doesn't expect the man of her dreams to notice her. But when their friendship becomes something more, can Jeff convince Natasha that he was engaged to the wrong sister…and give her the Christmas gift of a lifetime?

Holiday Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses: A Romance Sampler ** FREE DIGITAL SAMPLER FEATURING EXTENDED EXCERPTS FROM THIS SEASON'S BEST ROMANCE AUTHORS ** From rugged cowboysto hard-bodied Navy SEALs, there's something for every romance reader. So, curl up by thefireplace and settle in with some of the best holiday romances of the year with this freesampler featuring excerpts from ten new novels written by today's bestselling authors. Featuring extended excerpts from: • Sugar Pine Trail by RaeAnne Thayne • A Snow Country Christmas by Linda Lael Miller • Wyoming Winter by Diana Palmer • Christmastime Cowboy by Maisey Yates • Moonlight Over Manhattan by Sarah Morgan • A Chesapeake Shores Christmas by Sherryl Woods • Christmas in Icicle Falls by Sheila Roberts • His Secret Son by Brenda Jackson • Christmas on the Run by Shirlee McCoy • The Cowboy Seal's Christmas Baby by Laura Altom

We often get so busy around the holidays, we forget to take the time to enjoy them. This book guides readers through this hectic time of the year with helpful techniques on gift giving, family visits, overcoming the stress of entertaining, and more.

Film plays a vital role in the celebration of Christmas. For decades, it has taught audiences about what the celebration of the season looks like – from the decorations to the costumes and to the expected snowy weather – as well as mirrors our own festivities back to us. Films like It’s a Wonderful Life and Home Alone have come to play key roles in real-life domestic celebrations: watching such titles has become, for many families, every bit as important as tree-trimming and leaving cookies out for Santa. These films have exported the American take on the holiday far and wide and helped us conjure an image of the perfect holiday. Rather than settling the ‘what is a Christmas film?’ debate – indeed, Die Hard and Lethal Weapon are discussed within – Analyzing Christmas in Film: Santa to the Supernatural focuses on the how Christmas is presented on the deluge of occasions when it appears. While most Christmas films are secular, religion makes many cameos, appearing through Nativity references, storylines involving spiritual rebirth, the framing of Santa as a Christ-like figure and the all-importance of family, be it the Holy family or just those gathered around the dining table. Also explored are popular narratives involving battles with stress and melancholy, single parents and Christmas martyrs, visits from ghosts and angels, big cities and small towns, break-ups and make-ups and the ticking clock of mortality. Nearly 1000 films are analyzed in this volume to determine what the portrayal of Christmas reveals about culture, society and faith as well as sex roles, consumerism, aesthetics and aspiration.