Author: Carrie Aarons
Release date: 2 December 2022
Synopsis
Everyone lies around the holidays. We lie about the money we’re spending. We lie that we’re following our diets.
What am I lying about this year? The fact that my workplace nemesis has become my friend-with-benefits.
Collin Machlan and I have been each other’s competition since we joined our college’s radio station freshman year. Six years later, we’re both hosting shows for the country’s most popular podcast network.
Just as everything starts turning red and green, our boss announces a promotion, and whoever gets the most listens during this merry season will be crowned the winner.
There is just one catch; the only way to draw an audience in December is to theme every episode around Christmas. For a woman who typically celebrates alone with takeout and slasher flicks, I’m at a big disadvantage.
Going toe-to-toe with the guy I’ve never been able to intimidate is only made harder by the fact that Collin doesn’t seem to want to play our usual games. Add in some mistletoe and a Secret Santa swap, and I finally give in to his shameless flirting.
Maybe it’s the delusion of cuffing season, but suddenly I’m spending every night with him. No one at work knows. Neither does his family, or my friends. I lie that it’s just physical. That me, a self-proclaimed bachelorette, couldn’t possibly be on the brink of a relationship. I lie that we’re still competing for a job he doesn’t even want.
Until one too many lies threatens to topple my life like a crooked tree with poorly-distributed ornaments. And I’m left to decide between my lonely and blue traditions, or a love that lasts all year round.
What am I lying about this year? The fact that my workplace nemesis has become my friend-with-benefits.
Collin Machlan and I have been each other’s competition since we joined our college’s radio station freshman year. Six years later, we’re both hosting shows for the country’s most popular podcast network.
Just as everything starts turning red and green, our boss announces a promotion, and whoever gets the most listens during this merry season will be crowned the winner.
There is just one catch; the only way to draw an audience in December is to theme every episode around Christmas. For a woman who typically celebrates alone with takeout and slasher flicks, I’m at a big disadvantage.
Going toe-to-toe with the guy I’ve never been able to intimidate is only made harder by the fact that Collin doesn’t seem to want to play our usual games. Add in some mistletoe and a Secret Santa swap, and I finally give in to his shameless flirting.
Maybe it’s the delusion of cuffing season, but suddenly I’m spending every night with him. No one at work knows. Neither does his family, or my friends. I lie that it’s just physical. That me, a self-proclaimed bachelorette, couldn’t possibly be on the brink of a relationship. I lie that we’re still competing for a job he doesn’t even want.
Until one too many lies threatens to topple my life like a crooked tree with poorly-distributed ornaments. And I’m left to decide between my lonely and blue traditions, or a love that lasts all year round.
About the author
Author of romance novels such as The Tenth Girl and Privileged, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the stories she dreams up, and the yoga pant dress code, much better.
When she isn't writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She lives in the suburbs of New Jersey with her husband, daughter and dog.
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