A Christmas Date
A Festive Holidays Romantic Comedy
by Camilla Isley
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Pub Date Oct 25 2018 | Archive Date Nov 30 2018
Kobo Writing Life | Pink Bloom Press
Description
No one wants to be single at the holidays.
Even Little Miss Grinch, Nikki, a successful and independent woman, must face her bachelorette status at the most horrible time of the year.
December is her personal version of holly-jolly hell: a merry torture made of couples kissing at every corner, forced vacation days, and an inescapable family reunion.
And when her baby sister announces she’s engaged—to Paul, the man Nikki is secretly in love with—and that he’s spending the holidays with them, Christmas starts looking bluer than ever.
Nikki can’t possibly survive an entire week trapped home as the family’s spinster. But she has no time to meet men or to try the newest dating app, she’s too busy working as a video producer for an advertising agency.
So what’s a girl to do?
Nikki has the perfect solution: to hire a fake boyfriend.
Luckily, her job gives her access to an endless catalog of gorgeous actors to choose from.
But Nikki will soon discover that keeping business and pleasure from mixing isn’t so easy, and that she might not be immune to a little mistletoe magic. Especially not when she picked out the perfect man as her Christmas date...
A fun, festive romantic comedy with lots of bad behavior and Christmas spirit. Like a creamy hot chocolate with marshmallows, you won’t want to put this deliciously hilarious novel down. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Sally Thorne, and Jo Watson.
First Comes Love is a series of interconnected romantic novels. However, each book in the series can be read as a standalone.
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9788887269253 |
PRICE | $2.99 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
This book is exactly what you’d think: cheesy, over-the-top instalove and yet, incredibly sweet and likeable.
We’ve heard this story before: older sister feels pitiful that her younger sister is engaged before her so she “hires” a boyfriend to accompany her to the family’s Christmas. The author even makes a comparison to The Wedding Date! But with some quick wit, a steadfast best friend and the magic of Christmas, this book deserves 4 stars.
I wish the author developed Diego’s character a little more than just a starving artist. He needed more.
This book was provided to me by Netgalley for an honest review.
I didn't know this book was part of a series, and I don't think it matters if you haven't read the read of them.
An entertaining festive read!
I loved this book. It was a cute Christmas read. I couldn’t put the book down. Even though you can guess how it will end, it was still a fun read.
So so good! I’m feeling the Christmas spirit in November and this is not like me. Camilla Isley won me over and I’m totally in love with my new book boyfriend Diego (Mr Perfect).
I’m a fan of fake relationships and this one is perfectly executed. Nikki is very successful in her career. She is not very lucky when it comes to love. In fact, her sister is dating the man of her dreams and Nikki just wants to get through the holidays unscathed. In the run-up to Christmas Nikki tries to avoid long conversations with her family in the hope of not being roped into too many unpleasant memories. Unfortunately this year her sister is about to spring the ultimate unbearable news. Paul is coming home for Christmas with her and they are getting married. Nikki wants to make it through the holidays without all the synthetic family members wondering when she’s going to settle down. After the idea is given to her she decides to get herself a little Christmas present. A man for Christmas.
Diego O’Donnell is a struggling actor picked right out of a catalogue. He’s tall, dark and half Italian. He has green smouldering eyes and a badass bike. He’s Nikki’s sister's dream man and perfect for the job. Little does Nikki know he is also sweet, caring and a beautiful person.
A Christmas date is fun, festive and loveable. I was hooked on every minute. Yes, it’s cliche and maybe Diego is too perfect for the real world but isn’t that what Christmas is all about? This is the perfect heartwarming Christmas read and I loved it. I will definitely be looking at this author's other books. I think I’ve just become a new fan. Fingers crossed.
5 out of 5. It’s great.
*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.
Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end.
Well written which kept me captivated throughout.
I will definitely be reading other books by this author
Thank you for a copy of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was exactly what was promised, a fun, lighthearted read for the holidays.
I've read another of Camilla Isley's books, I wish for you, and found this one much more gratifying. It helps that there isn’t much unnecessary drama and all the characters you’re introduced to are likeable. Diego, a man who values personality above appearances is a rare gem indeed and is attractive despite his looks, his nature shining through in the dialogue.
In a way it is slightly predictable, however it’s exactly what you need; a happy ending for all involved.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I really enjoyed this book- it was a light and fun read for the holiday season! The characters were pretty standard for chick lit, but it is wonderful to relax with a book and not have to think too hard about everything. I particularly enjoyed that the drama was not with her romantic interest, as it makes for a more realistic and interesting read.
All of the key characters were fleshed out, which I very much appreciated- Nikki's sister Julia is one of the most realistic characters I've read this entire year! I do wish that the setting had been slightly more detailed (it plays a big role for me in holiday reads especially), but this didn't distract my reading.
I didn't realise until after reading that this was the third in a series until after reading, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything at all! I also went and purchased the first two to save for some snow day reading.
No two things go together quite like love and Christmas! Meet Nikki, a successful woman that is sick of being defined by her relationship status. She has spent one too many holidays with family members giving her flack for being single and is not the least bit excited about her sister's recent engagement. Enter Diego, the *perfect* guy to bring home for the holidays-- straight out of a catalog!
This was a sweet and wonderfully cliche read-- perfect to get you in the holiday spirit! While it is the third book in a series, it works perfectly as a stand-alone. This book was hard to put down and easy to fly through, proving to be a great romance novel! Looking forward to checking out the other books in the series!
**I received this ARC for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Four stars: A funny holiday tale with some hilarious developments.
Nikki hates the holiday season, especially since a trip home is looming over her head. She keeps trying to avoid her mother and sister, but then her sister, Julia, shows up wanting to take her to lunch. Things go from bad to the worst when Julia brings Paul, Nikki’s best friend from college, whom she has been crushing on for years. Over lunch, Julia and Paul announce their engagement. The prospect of the holidays just got a whole lot unmerrier as Nikki grapples with the thought of returning home as a spinster and having to watch Julia and Paul together. Desperate, Nikki does something bold and brazen, she hires a boyfriend for the holidays. Diego is smoking hot and he has all the characteristics that Julia longs for in a boyfriend. Will Nikki pull off her fake boyfriend scheme?
What I Liked:
*The Christmas Date ended up being a delightful holiday read. I admit, it started off a bit rocky as I wasn’t a fan of prickly Nikki, but thankfully I stuck with it and was rewarded. This book is hilarious. It has fun characters, a charming romance and some family brawling. This one made me giggle.
*Nikki starts out as a holiday grinch. She has no patience for her mother and sister and she is sick of being single. I wasn’t a big fan of her in the beginning, especially in the way she treated her mom. Thankfully, I warmed up to her character. What I did like about her was her insecurity and her vulnerable side. She is complicated, but as the book goes on I warmed up to her as I saw her grapple with her insecurities. She truly transforms by the end of the book. I loved her at the end.
*Diego is the perfect love interest. He is genuine, kind, handsome and he sees through Nikki’s tough exterior to the vulnerable and sweet woman underneath. He handles all the uncomfortable situations with grace and charm. Loved him!
*What I loved the most about this one was the complex family dynamics. I thought the author captured the competitive sister relationship perfectly. Julia and Nikki definitely have some sister issues. In fact, they get down right bitchy with one another. No one can needle you like a sibling, and *I loved how the author conveyed the complicated parts of Julia and Nikki’s relationship. The kitchen scene was outstanding. When the food settles, Nikki makes it right because that is what sisters do. Loved this!
*The romance is adorable. It starts out under strange circumstances, but over time a friendship is formed before blooming into something more. I loved the heat and chemistry and how things progressed. It was perfect, even with the big stumble.
*This book is part of a series, but no worries, it is a companion book and it can be read as a stand alone so jump in.
*The ending was sweet and satisfying. It left me with a big, happy grin. This was the best holiday book I read this season.
And The Not So Much:
*As I mentioned, I was put off by Nikki during the first part of the book. She is jealous, self centered and she doesn’t appreciate her family. Thankfully, over time she gets it and evolves.
*This is the type of romance where I kept wanting the male perspective. I so wanted to get into *Diego’s head and see Nikki and her messed up family through his eyes.
I wished there was a tiny bit more progression in Nikki’s relationship with her mom.
The Christmas Date is a hilarious book that chronicles one woman’s desperate attempt to one up her younger sister. This one has romance, family fights, growth, holiday cheer and a food fight. What more do you need for the holidays?
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
The story of two sisters relationship, both with each other and with their current love interest. A trip home for Christmas, her sisters recent engagement to her college crush Paul pushes Nikki to hire an actor/model to be her boyfriend. Diego will be her saving grace this Christmas. No more snide remarks about aging eggs or not being a spring chicken by her mother and relatives.
It all falls apart after the food fight, that is when Nikki realizes she really has feelings for Diego.
This is exactly the light, comic chicklit romance that I adore reading around this time of year! A Christmas Date was exactly what I was looking for to kick off the holiday season. Even though the storyline was cliche (Nikki is a holiday scrooge...sister's fiance turns out to be her old old college crush...she hires a boyfriend and we all know the rest), the book was so easy and delightful to read, I didn't mind the trope. Its all about the humor and the holidays and Camilla Isley hit the nail on the head!
A Christmas Date by Camilla Isley is a sweet little romantic comedy. Nikki has never been fond of the Christmas season but this year is a special level of torture. Her baby sister has just announced her engagement to her boyfriend, a man Nikki has longed after for years. Nikki panics during a conversation with her mom and announces that she is bringing her boyfriend with her to meet the family. Problem is, Nikki is single and in her rush to find someone the play her pretend boyfriend she finds Diego, an actor scraping by on commercials and part-time jobs as he pursues his dream of performing on stage.
Nikki’s tendency to revert to juvenile habits when around her sister and parents made me laugh and certainly made her relatable. I’m sure we all have fallen victim to that once or twice as adults. I loved how laid back Diego was and took everything in stride after accepting the job as a fake boyfriend. I can’t imagine how I would react if my new boss’s best friend went to the protective lengths that Blair did.
If I was asked to point out a scene that indicated to me that Diego and Nikki had fallen for each other I would have a tough time choosing any one moment that stood out. This story creeps dangerously close to insta-love and fails to highlight the character’s emotions and the relationship growth from contract to the real deal. I suspect this is due to the very quick pace of the book. I would have liked to see more detailed interactions with Nikki and Diego one on one before going out to meet the parents to allow more time for that relationship to truly blossom and for Diego to become a more three-dimensional character. Overall, the story was awfully cute, if a little predictable.
Even with the few issues I had, I found Ms. Isley’s book to be the perfect seasonal romance to ease myself into the holiday season.
A CHRISTMAS DATE is my first book by Camilla Isley. An absolutely wonderful Christmas romance. With lots of laugh out loud moments. You will love this story! I'm definitely going to go back and read the first two books in this series!
What a fun read! I devoured it in a matter of three days. I really enjoyed this romantic comedy set at Christmastime with all the fuss and family feud it can entail. Granted I thought Nikki’s mother and sister were a bit over the top and quite unfair in the way they treated her, I still liked the way the plot unfolded and the incredible chemistry between the heroine and handsome Diego. It all happens at a quick pace. You can easily visualise the action like your typical Hollywood romcom.
If you enjoy feel-good, heartwarming Christmas romances with the right dosage of humour, comedy and happy-ever-after, then A Christmas Date won’t disappoint. It is part of a series of interconnected novels, but it can be read as a standalone.
Being single at Christmas is always the pits but sometimes the solution might be a fake boyfriend in this hilarious romp! Frothy and fun!Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.
This book was very cute and a quick read. I liked the characters, the conflict wasn't over the top, and the story moved at a pace that felt satisfying. The ending felt a tiny bit abrupt but it's easily forgiven when in general it felt like a light, pleasant read for the holiday season.
A fat-free sweet treat!
Camilla Isley is a new to me author. She is a wonderful new find! I truly laughed and enjoyed this novel. Even though this trope has been done many times over, the dynamics within Nikki’s family made this different. Nikki is enamoured with Paul who is now her perfect sister, Julia’s boyfriend! So Nikki decides to get herself a perfect fake boyfriend (Diego) to make her family leave her be. If it makes Julia jealous, that’s just icing on the cake.
I found this novel a fun, fast read.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lovely festive Christmas read. Perfect for over the long winter nights. Magical storyline. Great characters that pull it all together
I love Christmas and I am not ashamed to admit that I love reading Christmas books or watching Christmas movies well before December. That being said, A Christmas Date was honestly the perfect Christmas read.
Some key features that I love in holiday movies/books are: a) a fair bit of shenanigans and a funny/weird/slightly unrealistic situation, b) a cheesy romance, c) a bit of comedy, d) animals, and e) a crazy family. A Christmas Date easily checked off all these boxes. Nikki is 30 and has been dreading the holidays since that means going back home for Christmas and having her family members tell her she should have a boyfriend, get married, settle down, etc. To top it off, her younger sister (also the more attractive and popular one) just announced she is engaged to a man that Nikki has had a crush on for years. The comical situation comes into play when Nikki decides to hire an actor, Diego, to pose as her boyfriend. He also just so happens to be her sister’s fantasy man (dark, tall, handsome, can speak Italian, is a struggling artist, and rides a motorcycle). The romance was cheesy, but cute and lighthearted. The family antics were enjoyable without being too crazy and there were some wonderfully festive scenes. The story also includes a fair number of pets, which always adds a coziness that’s perfect for the holidays.
A Christmas Date was a quick and lighthearted read filled with romance, humour, and holiday spirit.
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General Fiction (Adult), Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction