This holiday novella collection has three very different stories.

[Content warning: loss of loved one]

The first one is “Triple Dog Dare” by Georgia Beers (5 stars). This fake-dating story between Wolfe Realty owner Sasha Wolfe, who is Brooke’s boss in “16 Steps to Forever” and her neighbor Kennedy Davis, who is a drama teacher, is the best romance novella I have ever read! There is also a wonderful dog that is just the sweetest. Sasha and Kennedy’s romance development is incredibly cute. I laughed so many times and also smiled through the whole story. It has zero angst and completely adorable, making me go all mushy inside and lose all words except for “awwwwww.”

[Content warning: racial profiling?]

The second one is “Hustle & Bustle” by Maggie Cummings (3 stars). This is a meet-cute romance between NYPD officer Toby Beckett and shop owner Hannah Monroe. The pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, with most of the scenes happening in the heads of the characters. Overall, it is a cute story but a little dragging. There is mentioning of police brutality but it is more like acknowledging the system without any real actions. I do appreciate the inclusion of an off-page trans character and multiple POCs though.

The last one is “A Christmas Miracle” by Fiona Riley (2 stars). I couldn’t get into this one mainly because of my personal ambivalence toward the insta-lust between bar owner Mira Donahue and administrative assistant Courtney Rivers despite the story being mostly well-written. Their flirty scenes were bold and great, and both characters are pretty likable. However, there is also a very random one-sided reveal scene in the final chapter that unfortunately doesn’t read smoothly enough for me.

3.5 stars.

To start off, I should say that I’m new to the worlds of both Christmas (I’m a Jew lol) and Romance. But I’ve always been curious about both, and why not dip a toe in now?

Anyway, this book, a collection of 3 f/f romance novellas, is delightful and delightfully low stakes. They’re cozy, sweet, and more sort of slowly building than high drama, so you have to like that style.

I think a novella is the ideal length for me for a romance book? I often am on the edge of my seat during the lead-up, and then once they kiss/get together I’m thrilled for a sec and then get a little bored.

I loved the first one (I’m a sucker for a fake relationship). I didn’t love the second one (a cop romance, no thanks), although it ended up being slightly better than I expected. The third, which is a classic “hates Christmas”/“loves Christmas” is very cute, and the ~sexiest~ of the three. I don’t typically love when the leads meet and immediately flirt intensely (give me clueless pining plz), but this one did a good job of keeping the tension alive, and it also made me smile a whole lot.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It’s out now!

I loved these stories. It's such a nicely put together Christmas edition, and that the stories come from superb writers helps! I'm leaning towards saying that the first one was just a sliver better than the rest, but it might be completely biased opinion.
I'm recommending this to my friends.

Of the three short stories, I think I enjoyed the first one the most. But all three were good choices for a holiday anthology. Sweet with a side order of happy ending is the way to go!
Just what I needed during these messed up times.

Georgia Beers, Triple Dog Dare/ Sasha Wolfe loves her family, even her very nosy older sister. Sasha’s mother keeps waiting for Sasha to find the right one. You know her soul mate. She has been lying for a few months now telling them that she does indeed have a girlfriend, she doesn’t but when she makes plans to go home she is challenged by her sisters to bring this mystery woman home for the holiday. Now to find someone willing to play her GF.
Living in the same apartment complex is Kennedy Davis, super nice with nothing to do for the holiday so when Sasha approaches her with her plan she actually agrees. And that is how Sasha ends up taking the pretty neighbor along with her dog home for the holiday.
Again Ms Beers has given us a quick read filled with lots of fun. Great read.
Maggie Cummings, Hustle and Bustle/ Hannah Monroe has just set up her pop-up shop in the holiday market in New York City. Not too far from her home in Hudson she needs these sales to keep her and her best friend Priya’s business up and going. She meets a city cop, Toby Beckett and it isn’t long before the two women find time each day to flirt with each other. But how will this relationship ever work when they don’t even live in the same town. How oh how will they ever cope with this.
Ms Cummings has written a story set around Christmas with some very likeable characters. Fun Read.
Fiona Riley, A Christmas Miracle/ Another nice read. This one has Courtney Rivers who is given the job of arranging this year's event. Courtney Rivers hasn’t got a lot of time to plan this party. She needs a place to hold this event and the only place that isn’t booked is Mirage, Boston’s very busy bar. Even though she doesn't care about the holiday she knows it’s good business to host these parties . So we have one lady who hates the whole idea of Christmas and another who doesn’t understand how anyone else could hate it.
Ms Riley, along with Ms Beers and Ms Cummings should be happy with the way they all brought the season to life for their fans. All three books are nicely paced with great MC’s and supporting cast. Very, very enjoyable reads.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

The first few pages of this novella were my favourite, very witty, very snappy dialogue, loved it. Really nice, warm and fuzzy read and nice to have a guest appearance with Brooke and Macy from 16 Steps to Forever. I found it hard to get into Hustle and Bustle, just wasn't feeling the connection with Hannah and Toby, the premise for the storyline wasn't bad, it just wasn't for me. I loved A Christmas Miracle, I think Mira was my favourite character. Mira and Courtney had great chemistry and I loved their banter especially their first interaction at the bar. Overall a nice read to get into the Christmas

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

I requested this on a whim when I didn't have a book and then forgot about it by the time it was approved. I didn't realize at the time that all three novellas were LGBT, but love that. With this, Happiest Season and even Hallmark and Lifetime - I am here for the representation.

The stories themselves. The first one is definitely my favorite. It was nice to read a fake dating story that didn't devolve into miscommunications or someone outing their fake relationship and causing drama. This was just a super cute story.

The second one was pretty good too. I didn't LOVE Toby has a character. It just felt like they tried too hard to create a sympathetic cop character and it didn't feel true.

The last one - meh. And it's really why I'm only giving it three stars. This was just too flirty banter and lust and not enough of a connection for me.

I should state while I enjoy a good chicklit occasionally I only dabble and read borderline romance stuff. So I can see others really enjoying these stories more than me.

Like many collections of short or medium-length stories, this book has some that are better than others are. Of this one in particular, I only liked the first story, the other two have had some interesting parts but overall they have not been enough.

In addition, the first story is related to the latest book by the author Georgia Beers, 16 Steps to Forever, one of the secondary protagonists of the book, Brooke's boss, Sasha, stars here a story with a fake romance that becomes in a very sweet story.

Of the other two, the one in the middle is too bland and the one at the end has been fun especially by the spicy parts, but they are both average.

However, given that all three have Christmas as a common denominator and given this year’s situation, reading this book can be a great way to endure these days that this year will be so strange to many of us.

Three high quality Christmas novellas. I enjoyed all of them for different reasons and am actually struggling to decide on an overall rating so I’ve rated them all individually below:

Triple Dog Dare - Georgia Beers

5 stars - I loved this story. Sasha was interesting as Brooke’s boss in 16 Steps to Forever but she’s great in this. I love the premise of needing a fake girlfriend for Christmas in order to try and win a date from your sister. Sasha and Kennedy are great both as a fake couple and a real one. I loved the back any forth between Sasha’s sister and Kennedy as she tried to trip them up and how Beers deals with the grief of lost ones at Christmas, the emotions around really falling for one another and the guilt in lying without making this a heavy story. I’d have loved this if it was a full novel too.

Hustle & Bustle - Maggie Cummings

4 stars - Toby is a cop with a social work background. She’s sweet and romantic at heart. She meets Hannah at Central Park Christmas market where she’s running a stall. I liked the diversity snuck into the story and enjoyed spending time in New York during the Christmas season. I enjoyed this storyline but I’m not sure I’d have enjoyed it as much without the New York setting. The narrative is sweet and sincere, with as much of a slow burn sweetness as is possible to get in a novella. The epilogue left me sated with a nice ending to Toby and

A Christmas Miracle - Fiona Riley

3.5 stars - I haven’t had the opportunity to read Bet on Me yet, so I’m only aware that Mira is a character in the novel and am coming to this not knowing anything else about her. I enjoyed this story but wasn’t able to connect with it as much as the other two works. I liked both Mira and Courtney as characters and they work well together on the page. This had more angst in it than the other stories due to the tensions at work for Courtney and the issues Mira was having her bar due to staffing so I felt pulled out of the Christmas fantasy a little. The humour was enjoyable though and I liked the journey both characters took in the short period of time the story covered.

I’d happily recommend this collection to anyone looking for some fun wlw Christmas reads.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What fun! I love all these authors and was not disappointed, great stories. Sometimes themed storeys can be a bit difficult to get through but these were seamless. You will not be disappointed!

I love holiday novellas, just gets me into the spirit of the season and the 3 stories by Ms. Beers, Ms. Riley and Ms. Cummings hit the mark, or should I say hit the holly.

Ms. Beers writes about how Sasha has painted herself into a corner with her family in regards to a girlfriend that doesn't exist. After her sisters basically call her bluff on having a girlfriend, Sasha now has to find someone to take home for the holidays. I am a sucker for the fake girlfriend storyline, and this story is just a fun read, with a cute dog thrown in.

Ms. Riley writes about a holiday party planning effort that gives the mistletoe a bit of a workout. Courtney lands a prime venue for the party and Mira, the owner of the venue/bar, is one that isn't the biggest Christmas fan. I really hope there may be a longer story in the future for Mira and Courtney, I feel in love with these two from the get-go. I really felt for Courtney having to deal with a sleazy boss, but how Mira steps and gets her through the rough spot is just adorable, and hey a great birthday present as well.

Ms. Cummings writes about a NYC Christmas theme and not having ever been to New York, this story makes me want to visit the city sometime during the season. When Toby and Hannah meet at a Christmas market, there is some misconceptions on Hannah's part, but over the weeks she learns there is more to Toby then just the cop uniform. I loved how Toby has such a positive attitude with life and people, I feel in love with her myself. I definitely could read more about this couple in the future to see how Toby makes out in her career.

All 3 of these stories were just a fun read, and the book overall makes a great stocking stuffer for the love in your life if they enjoy warm relationships and holiday cheer. And as I noted above, I wouldn't mind seeing these characters in their own stand-alone books in the future <smile>. I give all 3 of these authors 5 stars for Christmas cheer and romance.

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, but would have written the same opinion if I had come across this author on my own.

To see my Amazon review, it is under CC-3 great authors in 1 book

A cute mix of heartwarming shorts.

All in all this is a great heartwarming Christmas LGBT+ anthology, with lots of fairly quick reads to warm your soul in the cold Arctic that is December.

Triple Dog Dare (4.5 stars) was easily my favourite in the series. It’s a fresh take on the ‘pretend date’ trope and the characters are interesting to follow (it also warmed my Scrooge of a heart!). I really enjoyed this short.

Hustle & Bustle (3 stars) I didn’t enjoy this quite as much as it’s fairly cliched, and does follow a bit of a conventional plot line. I did however enjoy the writing style but didn’t gel with the characters quite as much.

A Christmas Miracle (3.5 stars) This had a pretty interesting story to follow initially, I just didn’t feel it worked as a short, and would have worked better in a longer piece. Whilst I really appreciate Fiona’s writing style, I felt like the characters and end of plot needed a little more context and room to grow.

All in all a winter warming romcom anthology ! Great read for LGBT folk!

Triple Dog dare-a very cute story where Sasha needs to get a fake girlfriend to prove to her sister that she isn’t lying about being a relationship, conveniently meets Kennedy the attractive actress across the hall. This story was so cute! Anything you’d want in a fake dating novella, there is chemistry between the characters and some fun sibling rivalry as well as how people handle holidays after a major loss in the family.

Hustle & Bustle- Not going to lie, not a huge fan of storylines revolving around cops and painting them in better light, and while it was (briefly) addressed, it was hardly discussed at all and I was not a fan of the conclusion they came to.. I believe a phrase used was “inherent Prejudice” which made me smh and nearly skip ahead to the next novella..but other than that, I’m not really sure what the storyline was, it was all just fluff and in comparison to the other two novellas really just fell flat in my opinion.

A Christmas Miracle- a bit of a grinch who shares their birthday with Christmas learns to love the holiday through love and the magic of Christmas. This one, while light, was just a really nice hallmark-esque story. The characters have a ton chemistry, despite it being a novella without much time to develop their personalities.

All in all, totally worthwhile for this time of year and if you like some lighthearted romance during the holiday season, it’s totally for you!

ARC Provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

<b><i>Triple Dog Dare</i> by Georgia Beers</b>: 5 stars!! This is by far my favorite novella in the collection. Sasha is fascinating in Beers’ <i>16 Steps to Forever</i>, so being inside her head (this novella is in first-person) was a real treat. I love how Sasha is accomplished and put-together, but also kind of a hot mess at the same time?? I mean, she’s been faking a girlfriend for months, which is hilarious. So, of course, a fake-dating situation ensues, and it is DIVINE. This almost reads like a rom-com (serious <i>Written in the Stars</i> vibes over here!). Kennedy, the love interest, is the kind of warm person you just want to hug. For such a short story, there’s an unbelievable number of cute moments. And since this is Beers, there is a lovable canine protagonist too. <3

<b><i>Hustle and Bustle</i> by Maggie Cummings</b>: 3 stars. This one is sweet, but it wasn’t magical for me, and that was mostly due to the pacing. The buildup to the MCs’ romance is slow for a novella – almost on par with a full-length romance. When the romance finally takes off, I feel like things happen way too fast. The characters rush into love, and (my biggest complaint) the holiday events with Hannah’s family are just glossed over! This novella is well-written, though, and both MC’s are sweet and likable. I also appreciated that police brutality was addressed.

<b><i>A Christmas Miracle</i> by Fiona Riley</b>: 3.5 stars. This one is cute and has several funny moments. It’s more, um, insta-sexual than I normally enjoy, but that’s just personal preference. My main complaint is the meet-cute, wherein one of the MC’s acts OOC and unprofessional (imo). However, I enjoyed this more than I didn’t, and there’s a certain moment in the final scene that turned me into a pile of goo!

This is probably one of the better collection of stories I have read to date. All three authors are great at crafting stories in their full length romances and they really do a good job with creating a novella that gives the reader enough to make the story feel complete. All three of these stories gave the right amount. Honestly, I was expecting Beers to give us a full length story about Sasha Wolfe, but after reading Triple Dog Dare I found it to be perfect. Hustle and Bustle and A Christmas Miracle were just as good as Triple Dog Dare.

I for sure recommend these three novellas. 4.25 stars

Christmas produces a lot of books and movies, with some blurring together as benign background noise. Even a week after reading this collection, I can still close my eyes and imagine each separate f/f romance by Georgia Beers, Maggie Cummings, and Fiona Riley, their Northeast settings, romantic pairings, and writing styles distinct: A small family gathering, a bustling city market, and a lively bar. Great seasonal reading, whether you're super busy, or are snuggling hygge-style by the fire.

I also appreciate how short stories collections like this can introduce me to an author I haven't read yet. Cummings' creates natural sounding dialogue and charming character rapport that unfolds at just the right pace for the story's length.

This book was All I Wanted it to be. It was the perfect thing to put me in the holiday spirit. The three novellas worked wonderfully in an anthology, different enough to not get confused or seem repetitive yet all were light hearted, romantic, and sexy.

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to it would be Maggie Cummings’ Hustle & Bustle where two people not looking for love forge a friendship that quickly turns romantic against the backdrop of New York City at Christmastime.

But there's nothing but good things to say about all three stories. Georgia Beers’ Triple Dog Dare is the most thought through fake romance story I’ve ever read. All of the possible pitfalls were planned for, except for the biggest one: what happens when you start to fall for the person you’re paying to pretend to love you? Because this story was told in the first person that tension really built.

And speaking of tension, Fiona Riley, the “queen of steam,” definitely created some in Christmas Miracle. Intense flirting and promising sexual encounters keep being cut short to finally culminate in an unexpected yet wonderful Christmas Eve.

If you’re looking for some festive romance this holiday season, All I Want For Christmas won’t disappoint.

If you are looking for something to read this holiday season, then check out All I Want for Christmas by Georgia Beers, Maggie Cummings, and Fiona Riley. This is a collection of three novellas, each written by one of the authors.

In ‘Triple Dog Dare’ by Georgia Beers, Sasha Wolfe must find someone to be her faux girlfriend over Christmas to convince her family that she is not alone in the world. In ‘Hustle and Bustle’ by Maggie Cummings, Hannah Monroe, an entrepreneur with a pop-up shop at New York’s winter holiday market meets a NYPD cop named Toby Beckett who just might be the one to rock her New Year for years to come. Finally there is ‘A Christmas Miracle’ by Fiona Riley. This novella is about Mira Donahue, who hates Christmas, even though she owns Mirage, the hottest Christmas party venue in Boston, but maybe Courtney Rivers, the Queen of Carols, can change her mind.

All three novellas are lovely stories with well-developed characters and great holiday settings. They are long enough to allow you to connect with the characters and their stories, and short enough to allow you to read each one in one sitting. I loved all three novellas, and they helped put me in a holiday mood. If you need a little boost to help start this festive season, then try this collection.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

4.5⭐️ – These are novellas so get ready for things to go fast. No worries though, Georgia Beers, Maggie Cummings and Fiona Riley are talented writers and the romance feels real but never rushed.

I enjoyed all three stories and I love how they fit together. They’re very different, both in tone and level of heat (Fiona Riley has not been dubbed Queen of Steam by accident) and balance each other really well.

Georgia Beers gets the ball rolling with Triple Dog Dare, and it’s a beauty, probably one of my favourite Christmas novellas ever. And, seriously, who doesn’t like a Christmas fake romance novella?

Sasha (Brooke’s boss in 16 Steps to Forever) has been lying for months to her mother about having a girlfriend but when her older sister dares her to bring her non-existent girlfriend to their mother’s for Christmas, Sasha can’t resist proving her wrong. Even if she’s right. Lucky for her, her very attractive neighbour, Kennedy, is an actress and needs money. Who better than a gorgeous woman who is totally Sasha’s type to play her girlfriend for a couple of days? Really, what could go wrong?

From the first time they talk, the connection between Sasha and the younger woman is there. As usual with Beers, it’s not overstated, it just is. It’s organic. Kennedy is smart and funny and yes, she needs the money but that’s not her main motivation to agree to Sasha’s bound-to-fail plan. She genuinely wants to help. The story is told in first person from Sasha’s point of view, which allows the reader to fall in love with Kennedy in real time, as we only see her through Sasha’s eyes. I absolutely love Kennedy and Sasha together, and I also really enjoyed the whole family dynamics. 5⭐️

Maggie Cummings’ Hustle & Bustle tells a very different story. Hannah and her best friend and business partner Priya are in New York for the winter holiday market, where they’re showcasing their organic beauty products. As they finish setting up their booth, Hannah stumbles into Toby, one of the cops working the market. Hannah never thought she could fall for a cop but life is full of surprises and so is Toby, who doesn’t fit any of Hannah’s preconceived ideas of New York police officers.

The first words that come to mind when I think of Maggie Cummings’ novella are gentle and cute. Hannah and Toby are both shy, each in her own way. They ease into what both think is friendship, both wary of hoping for more as they live in different cities, but it steadily does anyway and of course, they’ll work it out, in their own mellow way. 4⭐️

Fiona Riley brings up the rear with A Christmas Miracle. Why am I not surprised hers is the novella featuring a Grinch? Mira – yes, you’ve met her in Bet Against Me – hates Christmas, all the more so as it’s also her birthday (she’s not happy having to share it “with a fat man in a red suit”). This year especially, everything seems to conspire against her: her best friend and events coordinator is going on maternity leave and for the first time since she was born, her mother won’t be there either. Enters Courtney, a lover of all things Christmas. Courtney is hoping to be promoted to the events department of her company and organizing this year’s holiday party should help prove she’s worthy of the promotion. She has booked Mira’s bar, Mirage, Boston’s hottest bar, but despite sizzling chemistry as soon as they lay eyes on each other, Courtney and Mira disagree on the party plans. Not for long, however, as Mira can’t resist Courtney’s enthusiasm and joyful enjoyment of fake snow and garlands and the way she morphs from innocent to flirty in a blink. Add a snowstorm and let Christmas magic do its thing… A Christmas Miracle is light and sexy and the perfect way to conclude this anthology. 4.5⭐️

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

So, this was the first Christmas themed book of the year for me and it worked perfectly! I immediately decided to decorate my house afterwards :-) All three stories are well written and make an enjoyable holiday read.

After reading some reviews I decided to read the stories in the opposite order, so first the story by Riley, then Cummings and finishing with the story by Beers. This worked well for me (and I recommend to read them in this order), as this is the order I would place them in if I were to rate them separately, saving the best for last. That being said, they all bring something else to the table, a different feeling and a different experience (while all being Christmas themed stories) and I enjoyed this diversity.

A Christmas Miracle – Fiona Riley
This story was light, fun, and super flirty, and it had the most prominent Christmas vibe. The latter is caused by Courtney who’s is the biggest fan of Christmas, in contrast to Mira, who sort of hates Christmas. They meet when Courtney is organizing a Christmas party at Mira’s bar. It is written in the third person with POVs of Courtney and Mira. I wouldn’t describe this as a love story with a whole lot of character development, but there was excellent chemistry (definitely a case of insta-lust) and I enjoyed it for the fun story it is. I do think the blurb gives away too much of the story, so I would recommend not reading the blurb.

Hustle & Bustle – Maggie Cummings
As mentioned all stories bring different feelings, this one is definitely a love story and is all about the characters. So sweet and honest, and I had the feeling of having read almost a full-length novel. Nothing felt rushed or skipped and I loved the epilogue that gives the story the ending it deserves. Toby and Hannah meet at a Christmas market where they both work. They are hesitant about dating as Hannah is only in the city temporarily, but they slowly give in to dating and I totally believed in their HEA.
The story is told in the third person with POVs of Toby and Hannah and the characters are wonderful, Toby is sweet, gallant, sometimes a bit shy, but has a very open personality. Hannah is smart, has some anxiety problems, and is unconsciously sometimes a bit prejudiced. The latter does actually lead to some interesting discussions and I liked that Cummings doesn’t shy away from touching upon loaded topics like police brutality in a light and easy manner without becoming preachy.

Triple Dog Dare – Georgia Beers
We’ve had fun and flirty, we’ve had love, then this is excitement. I love a good fauxmance and this one is a fine example. The planning stage of Sasha’s fauxmance, the start of the holidays with her family and her fake girlfriend and finally the stage where she realizes she’s totally falling for said fake girlfriend, it’s so entertaining to read. Written in the first person from Sasha’s POV I connected very well with Sasha and swooned with her over her fake girlfriend. I liked how there was no insta-love, but the epilogue is an excellent addition to the love department.
I also enjoyed the family feeling in this book, especially Sasha’s mom is so sweet and sad and her interactions with the dog in the story are super cute!