High Heat Picks
There’s just something about fake dating at Christmas that hits different—fake dating in general is one of my favorite tropes. One minute it’s “this is strictly for the family photos”… and the next it’s a stolen kiss in a hallway that smells like pine needles and champagne, and you’re sitting there like, welp—so much for pretending.
If you want spicy holiday romance books, steamy fake relationship stories, and Christmas rom-coms with real heat, this list of 6 Spicy Fake-Dating Christmas Romance Books is perfect for you.
Heat key: all picks are 4–5 🔥 (open-door + explicit vibes), so grab your spraybottle.
1) My Favorite Holidate — Lauren Blakely
A holiday fake-dating romance with a billionaire boss, a week-long Christmas competition, and “pretend” feelings that refuse to stay pretend.
Blurb
Fable needs a plus-one situation that screams “I’m thriving” (and yes, she wants her cheating ex to see it). Her solution? Team up with her billionaire boss, Wilder, and turn him into her holiday boyfriend—just in time for a Christmas wedding and a festive competition that keeps pushing them closer than “professional” should allow.
Why it’s worth reading
Because boss/employee + fake dating + holiday events is basically a recipe for forced proximity.
I’ll be posting my full review of My Favorite Holidate soon, including my favorite scenes and heat rating—stay tuned!
What you’ll get
Holiday competition chaos, jealous-ex energy, billionaire boss charm, wedding-week tension
Read if you like
boss romance, forced proximity, book boyfriend energy, holiday wedding setting, “we’re just pretending… right?”
Heat & mood
🔥🔥🔥🔥 — Flirty, festive, and spicy-with-feelings
2) Merry Little Kissmas — Lauren Blakely
Fake dating + brother’s best friend + grumpy hockey single dad + matchmaker heroine… during peak Christmas chaos.
Blurb
Isla’s a matchmaker, so her holiday job should be easy: find a date for her newest client—a grumpy, sexy hockey star who happens to be her brother’s best friend. Except the plan takes a turn into fake dating, mistletoe moments, and a whole lot of chemistry that refuses to behave.
Why it’s worth reading
That “we shouldn’t do this” tension hits extra hard when it’s wrapped in twinkle lights and small-town holiday events.
What you’ll get
Grumpy/sunshine energy, holiday gala vibes, single dad softness + spice, fake dating escalation
Read if you like
brother’s best friend, sports romance, holiday rom-coms, small-town Christmas atmosphere
Heat & mood
🔥🔥🔥🔥 — Swoony, funny, and seriously steamy
3) A Very Bossy Christmas — Kayley Loring
Executive assistant agrees to be her boss’s fake girlfriend for multiple family Christmas gatherings. And yes… it gets messy.
Blurb
A “simple” deal turns into holiday weekends, family pressure, and chemistry that’s been sitting under the surface way too long. It’s office romance + fake relationship + Christmas gatherings that keep forcing them into couple-mode… until it stops feeling like acting.
Why it’s worth reading
It has that delicious workplace tension that snaps the minute they cross the line.
What you’ll get
boss/assistant dynamic, holiday parties, secret hookup energy, chaotic-funny moments
Read if you like
Office romance, “we can’t do this,” forced proximity, and holiday family events
Heat & mood
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 — Bold, funny, and very explicit (open door)
4) The Fake Wedding Project — Pippa Grant
A fake engagement in a Christmas-themed hometown that’s basically allergic to calm.
Blurb
He goes home for a quick visit. She announces they’re engaged. And suddenly they’re stuck playing happy couple to calm a long-running family feud in a town that treats Christmas like a competitive sport.
Why it’s worth reading
It’s peak holiday rom-com energy, but still brings the heat.
What you’ll get
fake engagement, small-town Christmas antics, family feud drama, “oops… feelings” arc
Read if you like
Hallmark vibes with spice, enemies-to-lovers tension, chaotic holiday towns
Heat & mood
🔥🔥🔥🔥 — Steamy, funny, and festive (explicit open door)
5) A Very Merry Mistake — Lyra Parish
Small-town holiday romance with a cozy cabin… and a fake boyfriend situation that turns real fast.
Blurb
A cinnamon-roll lumberjack gives her a ride, a place to stay, and a whole lot of temptation. Their “rules” (no strings, no falling) don’t stand a chance once she ends up with a fake boyfriend, a secret she can’t afford to spill, and holiday closeness that keeps turning up the temperature.
Why it’s worth reading
If you love cozy winter settings + filthy mistletoe kisses, this one understood the assignment.
What you’ll get
Cabin vibes, fake boyfriend, protective hero energy, small-town Christmas feels.
Read if you like
Forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine touches, “rules we definitely won’t follow.”
Heat & mood
🔥🔥🔥🔥 — Holiday-sweet with explicit spice (open door)
6) The Christmas Playbook — S. Massery & S.J. Sylvis
One cabin, one week, one fake relationship… and a mistletoe kiss that stops being “for show.”
Blurb
A winter trip goes sideways when the cabin gets double-booked—and he ends up stuck with his childhood crush. She needs a fake boyfriend to survive her family. He agrees. It’s supposed to be simple: hold hands, steal a kiss, play the part. The longer they pretend, the more real it feels.
Why it’s worth reading
It’s short, spicy, and has that “we’re running out of time” holiday intensity.
What you’ll get
forced proximity, cabin winter break vibes, childhood crush, fake boyfriend deal
Read if you like
Quick reads, holiday novellas, “this is temporary… right?” tension
Heat & mood
🔥🔥🔥🔥 — Spicy, sweet, and snowy (explicit open door)
Helpful Resources
- Want more books like these? Browse Romance.io’s fake relationship + Christmas picks for more spicy holiday romance recs.
- If you love listening, start an Audible free trial and grab one of the full-cast holiday romances from this list.
- If you’re in the mood for snowy-setting comfort with plenty of swoon (and spice options), you’ll love my Best Cozy Winter Romance Book Recs—it’s basically a warm blanket in book form.
- And if you want that together-at-Christmas feeling—friends who become family, messy group dynamics, and all the heart—check out my Best Found Family Christmas Recs next.
- For more twinkle lights, nosy neighbors, and holiday magic in charming settings, head over to my Best Small Town Christmas Romances Books list.
- If you love a protective parent, soft family moments, and chemistry that hits extra hard, my Best Spicy Single-Parent Christmas Romance Recs is the one to read after this.
- And when you’re ready to trade cozy for twisted, Blood on the Snow: Best Dark Christmas Romance Books has the darker holiday reads—danger, obsession, and winter-night intensity.
Final Thoughts
If you’re in the mood for fake dating Christmas romance books that actually bring the spice, start with My Favorite Holidate or A Very Bossy Christmas—then work your way into the small-town chaos and cabin-week tension from there. Watch out for My Favorite Holidate review—coming soon.
Love hard, read harder—and always choose the wild ones.
~Kay~
