READ-2-REVIEW - HOLIDAY CONTEMPORARY - FAKE IT 'TIL CHRISTMAS by Claudia Burgoa

Fake it 'Til Christmas
by Claudia Burgoa
November 19th 2025

From USA Today Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa comes a fake-dating holiday romance filled with slow-burn tension, awkward family dinners, and one grumpy man who might just ruin Christmas for anyone else.

BLURB

All I agreed to was a fake relationship.

A weekend of pretending I’m in love with my grumpy, emotionally constipated, private-jet-commuting neighbor.

Easy, right?

Except nothing about Soren Thorn is easy.

He doesn’t believe in horoscopes, hates throw pillows, and treats feelings like they’re contagious.

He’s all sighs, black coffee, and unreadable expressions—and for reasons I still don’t understand, he needs me to be his girlfriend for one very public, very awkward family event.

I thought I could handle it.

Play the part. Make it cute.

But then he started trusting me—with real pieces of himself.

Now I know his favorite coffee, some of his secrets, and the exact look he gives when he's about to self-destruct but pretends he’s fine.

And I’m starting to realize this whole fake dating thing might be getting too . . . well, not fake.

Because I don’t just want to survive the weekend.

I want to know what it would feel like if none of it were pretend.

 What to expect:

 Grumpy/Sunshine

 Neighbors to Lovers

 Fake Dating Shenanigans

 Holiday Mayhem

 Frenemies-to-Lovers

 Romeo & Juliet vives (minus the tragedy)

 All the cozy, spicy, small-town romance feels

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . FAKIN IT TIL CHRISTMAS . . . The Only Thing Fake Is Their Relationship!

Get ready to snuggle up with a mug of black coffee (Soren's choice, of course) and a whole lot of holiday shenanigans! Fake it 'Til Christmas is a deliciously witty, fabulously detailed, and profoundly heartfelt slow-burn romance that perfectly captures the chaos and cozy magic of the season.

This story is built on the most electric of foundations: Frenemies-to-Lovers, Fake Dating, and Grumpy/Sunshine. Our heroine is the wonderfully ambitious Winnifred Wendalyn Wolfcraft, aka Fred, the lovable "black sheep" who is determined to win her family’s annual Holiday Olympics title. Her grand plan hits a snag, however, leaving her desperate for a solution before heading back to their rival hometown, Winterberry Cove.

Enter her annoying, private-jet-commuting neighbor, Soren Thorn. Soren is the embodiment of "grumpy," a man who hates throw pillows, thinks feelings are contagious, and is dreading the engagement party with his demanding family. When Fred throws out the ridiculous idea, a lightbulb moment strikes: they’ll be each other’s fake dates to survive their respective family rivalries and holiday obligations!

The genius of this book lies in the execution of the slow burn. What begins as hilarious "frenemies, neighbor edition" head-bonking quickly morphs into something deep and real. As Fred and Soren navigate the awkward family dinners and Christmas mayhem, they start to trust each other with the real, vulnerable pieces of themselves. Watching the prickly Soren melt for the sunny, determined Fred is so worth the wait. This cleverly plotted journey is the perfect balance of drama, laugh-out-loud humor, emotional shenanigans, and a genuinely earned Happily Ever After.

The audio production turns this fabulous story into a five-star immersive experience.

• Jason Clark is flawless as the grumpy, emotionally constipated Soren Thorn. Clark’s delivery of Soren’s sighs, his disdain for throw pillows, and the subtle shift in his tone as he allows Fred past his massive walls is pure magic. He expertly handles the reserved side of the slow burn.

• Grace Grant brings the warmth and determination necessary for Fred. She captures the fun of the sunshine dynamic and makes Fred's desire to win and her struggle with family expectations relatable and deeply emotional.

Together, Clark and Grant master the witty banter and the escalating sexual tension, making the inevitable moment when their "fake" feelings turn real feel explosive and genuinely earned. This is a must-listen holiday treat!

 Ready to binge? One-click on Amazon or start reading for free in Kindle Unlimited:

 https://geni.us/fitxmaszon

 ➺ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FHF8JS6Z

 ➺ https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FHF8JS6Z

 ➺ https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0F5GDSFF5

 ➺ https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0F5GDSFF5

 Audio lovers, you’re gonna love this one. Narrated by @msgracegrant and @jasonclarkereads: https://geni.us/FiTCAudio 

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READ-2-REVIEW - CONTEMPORARY - IRRESISTIBLY WICKED (The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside) by Melissa Foster

Irresistibly Wicked: Zander Wicked
The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside, #7
by Melissa Foster

November 19th 2025

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Get ready to fall hard for everyone’s favorite playboy, Zander Wicked, in Irresistibly Wicked. When the woman who helps save his life needs a little saving herself, Zander takes on a role he never saw himself playing—husband of convenience. Irresistibly Wicked may be enjoyed as a standalone romance or as part of the larger series.

Zander Wicked lives life fast, on his bike, on the job, and with women. But one split second shatters his world and forces him to face truths he’s spent a lifetime outrunning. His family doubts he can change, but Zander knows better, and when the woman who helped save him needs more than a little help herself, he sets out to prove everyone wrong.

Shauna Flores knows what it means to fight for survival. As an EMT and a person in recovery, she’s rebuilt her life piece by piece while carrying the weight of a best friend she refuses to give up on. The last thing she expects is to end up bound to a man like Zander Wicked, or to find herself in a marriage of convenience that blurs every line between right and wrong.

Two people with checkered pasts, an arrangement that ties them together, and a future neither sees coming—one that will test their limits, their loyalties, and the lengths they’re willing to go to for the people they love.

Marriage of Convenience

Forced Proximity

Found Family

She's an EMT

He Falls First

Biker/ Blue Collar

ALL THE FEELS

That Opening Chapter

SHOP: https://shop.melissafoster.com/collections/irresistibly-wicked-collection
KINDLE: https://lnk.to/IW_Kindle
APPLE BOOKS: https://lnk.to/IW_Apple
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GPLAY: https://lnk.to/IW_GPlay

Audio narrated by Aiden Snow and Erin Mallon
EXCLUSIVE PRE-ORDER SHOP: https://shop.melissafoster.com/products/irresistibly-wicked-audiobook

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . IRRESISTIBLEY WICKED (The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside) . . . The Reckless Playboy's Redemption: A High-Stakes Marriage Of Convenience That Forges A Dark Knight's Fiercest Love.

That blurb for Irresistibly Wicked: Zander Wicked is loaded with high-stakes emotional potential and classic Melissa Foster charm! Knowing you love her characters and communities makes this analysis and review particularly fun.

For those of us who consider Melissa Foster's characters family and her communities true homes, Irresistibly Wicked delivers an intense, scorching, and profoundly healing chapter that demands your attention from the very first page. This is Zander Wicked’s redemption story, and it is glorious.

The tropes—Marriage of Convenience, Reformed Playboy, Protective Alpha—are executed with signature Foster depth. Zander, the notorious playboy, is forced to confront a lifetime of avoidance after a crisis shatters his world. He's fighting to prove to his doubting family and himself that he can change. His chance comes in the form of Shauna Flores, the strong, resilient EMT who helped save his life.

Shauna is a deeply relatable heroine, having rebuilt her life piece by piece while battling her own checkered past and carrying the burden of helping her best friend. The marriage of convenience that binds them is born of necessity, but quickly explodes into something far too real. Zander, the alpha biker/blue-collar hero, falls first, and you can feel the intensity of his realization as his protective instinct shifts from a necessity to a fierce, abiding love.

This book is ALL THE FEELS. It’s more than just Forced Proximity; it’s two wounded souls finding sanctuary in the last place they ever expected. The unbreakable family bonds of the Dark Knights at Bayside and the Cape Cod community provide the perfect backdrop for this intense journey of healing. Zander is wickedly alpha, intensely loyal, and seeing him fight for Shauna—and for his own redemption—is the kind of high-stakes, deeply satisfying romance only Melissa Foster can deliver. This story will test their limits and their loyalties, guaranteeing an intense emotional rollercoaster that leaves you breathless.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:

Easy-to-read Entertaining Great world building Page-turner Steamy Wonderful characters Family Community

Tropes: Small-town, found family, MC / biker romance, close proximity, protective hero, alpha hero, he falls first, strangers to lovers, chance meeting, reformed playboy, marriage of convenience.

About The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside
Set on the sandy shores of Cape Cod, the Wickeds feature fiercely protective heroes, strong heroines, and unbreakable family bonds. If you think bikers are all the same, you haven’t met the Dark Knights. The Dark Knights are a motorcycle club, not a gang. Their members stick together like family and will stop at nothing to keep their communities safe. These men are wickedly alpha and intensely loyal, but they are not alphaholes.

Be sure to check out Melissa’s other Dark Knights series and stories.

Get more WICKED sexy love stories

A Little Bit Wicked

The Wicked Aftermath

Crazy, Wicked Love

The Wicked Truth

His Wicked Ways

Talk Wicked to Me

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