You know that email from HR that shows up in your inbox and reads:
“Attendance at the annual holiday party is strongly encouraged.”
Basically, it means you’ll be standing around in uncomfortable shoes, pretending the punch tastes better than it does.
Actual office parties are just okay. The drinks are lukewarm, the small talk feels forced, and there’s always someone from another department sharing too much by the spinach dip.
But in romance novels?
It’s a whole different story.
The boss who hardly notices you in meetings suddenly can’t stop looking at you—or even keeping his hands to himself.
Mistletoe seems to appear in all the most suspicious spots.
One accidental kiss under the fairy lights quickly turns into a full-on love story before New Year’s.
If that sounds more exciting than your real work party, this list is for you. Here are short, spicy office and holiday romances where the Christmas party or the whole festive season at work gives everyone a reason to finally let loose.
Why Office Holiday Party Romances Work So Well
Work already creates tension for you.
- You see each other every day.
- You have a history together: late nights, shared projects, and inside jokes.
- Both of you act like you haven’t noticed the chemistry.
Then December arrives, bringing:
- Casual dress days
- Free drinks
- Fairy lights everywhere
And suddenly, being off the clock feels exciting in the best way.
In books, you get:
- Forbidden feelings without any real-life consequences
- Bad ideas that end up being the best decisions
- A guaranteed happy ending instead of a meeting with HR
So, let’s talk about books.
Spicy Office Christmas Party Romance Recs
1. Christmas on the Thirteenth Floor by Lee Jacquot
Blurb
She’s tired, overworked, and would rather go home than attend the corporate holiday party. Her boss is rich, demanding, and grumpy, and he doesn’t ask—he tells her to show up. The party on the thirteenth floor starts out stiff and awkward, but quickly turns into boss-and-assistant tension, praise kink, and explicit scenes that have nothing to do with work.
Why it’s worth reading
This one feels like someone cracked open the “my boss is a problem” fantasy and just went for it. No pretending. No slow build. Just sharp banter, power play, and the moment he finally stops acting like he doesn’t see her.
What you’ll get
- A grumpy boss and a sunshine assistant dynamic
- A forced party invitation that quickly gets out of hand
- Plenty of praise, kink, and strong ‘yes, sir’ energy
- A curvy heroine who gives him attitude instead of just heart eyes
Read if you like
- “I hate him, but I also want him”
- Stories you can finish in one sitting that are mostly about the heat
- Holiday stories that feel like a guilty pleasure, not a Hallmark movie
Heat & mood
Flames: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Heat: Very explicit, fully open-door
Mood: Filthy, fast, and absolutely not work-safe reading material.
You can grab Christmas on the Thirteenth Floor on Amazon, and if you’d rather have Mr. Chen in your headphones, link the audiobook on Audible so readers can “listen at work” with their earbuds in.
2. His Bossy Christmas Contract by Celia Skye
Blurb
He’s the older, grumpy boss with too much family expectation on his shoulders. She’s the younger employee who somehow ends up signing a Christmas contract and agrees to be his fake fiancée. What starts out as a neat little arrangement turns messy fast once the lines between “pretend” and “mine” blur in and out of the office.
Why it’s worth reading
This one is pure drama and fun. It’s quick, it’s bossy, and the hero does that thing where he tries to stay professional and fails miserably the second feelings get involved. If you enjoy a man who goes from “we’ll keep this simple” to “I’m not sharing,” this hits.
What you’ll get
- Boss/employee + age gap tension
- Fake fiancée trope with holiday family gatherings
- Lots of “this is just for the contract” that obviously isn’t
- A hero who is in charge everywhere, not just in the boardroom
Read if you like
- Signed contracts with dirty fine print
- Short reads you can knock out in one night
- Possessive, over-the-top heroes who don’t do chill
Heat & mood
Flames: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Heat: Open-door, frequent, and not shy
Mood: Dramatic, indulgent, and a little bit unhinged in a fun way.
If age gap and bossy energy are your thing, grab His Bossy Christmas Contract on Amazon.
3. Office Christmas Party: A Prescott Industries Novella by Scerina Elizabeth
Blurb
At Prescott Industries, the annual office Christmas party isn’t about team-building—it’s about finally acting on all the looks and almost-moments that have built up over the year. Co-workers who’ve been toeing the line let the music, the drinks, and the “no one’s watching” vibe push everything over the edge.
Why it’s worth reading
This feels like one wild night stretched into a novella. It doesn’t try to overcomplicate anything: there’s tension, there’s a party, and then there’s the moment when they stop pretending to be just colleagues.
What you’ll get
- Big corporate setting with that “upper floors and glass walls” feel
- Flirty banter that turns hot fast
- A tight, to-the-point story that leans into the steam
- Holiday backdrop without a ton of slow emotional build
Read if you like
- Co-worker hook-ups that finally happen
- Party scenes with “we’re absolutely going to regret this… or maybe not” energy
- Quick, naughty reads when you don’t want to commit to a full-length novel
Heat & mood
Flames: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Heat: Explicit and body-focused
Mood: Bold, reckless, fun, and very much “HR would not approve.”
For a one-night-only kind of story, you can snag Office Christmas Party on Amazon—and if there’s an audiobook, link it on Audible for readers who want a spicy “work podcast” on their commute.
4. The Office Christmas Party by Aimee Duffy
Blurb
Natalie works as an event planner, but after her mother passes away, she just can’t face hosting Christmas. Looking for a bit of happiness, she sneaks into other people’s office parties. Dean, a tech millionaire with his own troubles, is doing the same. They keep running into each other at parties filled with twinkle lights and questionable music, and soon, their party-hopping leads to something more.
Why it’s worth reading
This one feels more emotional. It still has energy, but there’s also grief, burnout, and the loneliness that can surface during the holidays. Seeing them find comfort together, even while blending into other people’s celebrations, is quietly beautiful.
What you’ll get
- Two serial party-crashers with real chemistry
- A heroine trying to outrun her own sadness
- A hero who’s been burned but keeps showing up anyway
- A balance of heart, humor, and heat
Read if you like
- Spice with actual feelings behind it
- Holiday romances that don’t pretend everything is perfect
- Characters who aren’t “Christmas people” but still earn a soft, warm ending
Heat & mood
Flames: 🔥🔥🔥
Heat: Open-door, but romance-first
Mood: Emotional, hopeful, still cozy in the end.
If you want a little more heart with your holiday chaos, grab The Office Christmas Party on Amazon.
5. Merry Elfing Xmas by Loni Ree
Blurb
A grumpy businessman swoops in to take over a small toy company right before Christmas. He hates the decorations, the noise, the office party… basically everything. One stubborn, festive employee refuses to let him sulk in his office, and their clashes turn into chemistry that’s way too strong to ignore.
Why it’s worth reading
This one is chaotic in a fun way. It’s toys, tinsel, a total Scrooge of a hero, and a heroine who keeps pushing back until his walls crack. It’s silly, dirty, and surprisingly sweet under all the snark and spice.
What you’ll get
- Grumpy vs sunshine dynamic in a toy factory
- Office party turning point (because of course)
- Short, punchy chapters focused on the fun stuff
- A hero who goes from ice-cold to “I will burn the world down for you” fast
Read if you like
- Scrooge-style heroes getting dragged into feelings
- Holiday novellas that don’t take themselves too seriously
- A mix of playful and filthy in the same story
Heat & mood
Flames: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Heat: Explicit, open-door, plenty of action
Mood: Campy, dirty, secretly soft underneath the growling.
For a ridiculous, spicy toy-factory fantasy, pick up Merry Elfing Xmas on Amazon.
6. The Ugly Sweater Party by Aurora Alba & Odessa Alba
Blurb
Manhattan. December. An office ugly sweater party on the thirty-second floor. On the way up, the elevator breaks down and traps “Nasty Nate” DuPont—grinchy, sharp-tongued VP—with Twila Henderson, the stubborn Director of Finance who still hasn’t forgiven him for a certain copy-room kiss in their past.
While their co-workers in horrific sweaters are partying just beyond the stuck doors, Twila and Nate are stuck in overheated, cramped, way-too-close forced proximity. Old feelings flare, tempers snap, and all that buried attraction has nowhere to go but out. This one is forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers, second-chance, grumpy boss, holiday workplace romance with a lot of steam and a lot of snarks.
Why it’s worth reading
This feels like being trapped in an elevator with all the tension you’ve been pretending doesn’t exist—plus ugly sweaters and office gossip as background noise. It’s funny, fast, and surprisingly sweet by the end. The banter is sharp, the chemistry is undeniable, and the elevator setting keeps everything intense.
What you’ll get
- Forced proximity in a broken elevator during the office party
- Grumpy VP vs. stubborn finance queen who remembers everything
- A “we’re stuck here, might as well deal with this” emotional showdown
- Holiday humor, profanity, hideous sweaters, and zero cheating
Read if you like
- Enemies-to-lovers with history (that one kiss they never got over)
- Office party chaos you get to watch, not endure
- Steamy, slightly unhinged holiday novellas that still land a warm ending
Heat & mood
Heat: Explicit, open-door, and not shy about it
Mood: Funny, snarky, a bit chaotic, with a warm HFN that still feels satisfying.
Flames: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
If you love a good “stuck in the elevator with my grumpy boss” moment, you can grab The Ugly Sweater Party on Amazon—and there’s also an audiobook version narrated by one of the authors on Audible.
Helpful Resources & Link Ideas
- If you need something softer after all this workplace sin, my cozy small-town Christmas romance list is like a blanket and a mug of cocoa.
- New to audiobooks? This little pile of messy office Christmas romances is the perfect test drive. If the Audible 3-month challenge (around $0.99 for the first three months) is running when you’re reading this, you can check out the offer here and pack your trial with nothing but spicy holiday chaos. Or you can try the 0.00 free 30-day trial.
Final Thoughts on Naughty Office Parties
In real life, I’m the person who sticks by the snack table, hoping I don’t say something I’ll regret later.
But in books?
I love stories with bad decisions made under fairy lights, secret kisses by the copy machine, flirty bosses, wild coworkers, and a happy ending before the year wraps up.
If December already feels overwhelming with money worries, family issues, and endless to-do lists, these office party romances offer a fun escape into drama that stays safely in the story.
Love hard, read harder—and always choose the wild ones.
~Kay~
