There are always an abundance of holiday books once October rolls around. It seems the closer it gets to December, there are even more holiday short stories that pop up. Here are a few I read in December. (Note: They’re not necessarily published in 2022. That’s just when I read them.)
My Present This Year
by Sierra Simone
Release Date: December 16, 2022
Number of Pages: approx. 30
Holiday Novella/Erotic Romance
Ages 16 and up
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Nick is coming home for Christmas, and he only wants two things:
1) a cup of coffee, hot enough to reglaze the inside of his cermaic mug.
2) not to see his far-too-gorgeous, far-too-forbidden stepsister.
But it’s none other than his stepsister opening the door to welcome him home, and there’s not enough hot coffee in the world to distract Nick from how much he’s tempted to make Nora his own…
In the world of obscure fandoms, there lies an unlikely candidate: the 2009 Folgers commercial titled, innocuously, “Coming Home.” Having been a fan of this commercial and its V.C. Andrews-ian subtext for many years, I decided to at last enter the halls of the vaunted “Coming Home” fandom this year and submit my own take on the story…
The holiday commercials Folger’s Coffee has put out through the years have often made me cry. Not the one this short holiday story is loosely based on. This is the brother/sister Folger’s commercial that has had a lot of romance readers speculating throughout the year. (If you’re not in a country where Folger’s coffee is a thing, click here to see the commercial I’m referencing.) It’s no surprise Sierra Simone would spin this infamous commercial into a steamy tale of step-siblings finally giving in to their desires.
This story is quick and fun and brings the heat. It does exactly what it’s supposed to do. Were there issues and a plot hole or two? Yes. Did that matter in the grand scheme of things? No. I enjoyed it nonetheless. There were no high stakes, it was a story I could relax into reading and know that I could finish in one sitting. Which was perfect for when I was in the middle of the holiday rush.
3.5 stars
Gifting Me To His Best Friend
by Katee Robert
Release Date: July 30, 2020
Book #2 in the A Touch of Taboo series
Number of Pages: 113
Erotic Romance/Holiday Novella
Ages 17 and up
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This Christmas, my husband is going with an unconventional gift for his best friend.
Me.
It’s only supposed to be for one night… But one night becomes two, becomes our entire vacation. There are no rules except the ones we make, and sharing me brings both Derek and Grayson closer than any of us could have imagined.
This year, what happens in our bedroom will put all three of us on Santa’s Naughty List.
*Sword-cross guarantee*
The title says it all. Grayson has always had a special connection to his friend Derek. He’s also always noticed how attracted his wife and Derek are to one another. Although Grayson won’t admit he wants Derek, he figures the next best thing is to allow Emma and Derek 24 hours to do whatever they want with each other. Of course, he’d also like to watch.
Emma loves her husband and wants him to be completely fulfilled. Who says a relationship has to be between only two people? With this opportunity to get both men in the same room sans clothes, Emma hatches her own plan to get Grayson and Derek to finally admit to what they really want.
There is great chemistry all around in this story, and a lot more heart and reflection than I had anticipated for its length and subject matter. I appreciated the sentimentality the author included. I feel as if this story would be a great introduction to menage romance for someone looking to see if it’s a genre they would enjoy.
4 stars
Running Into You
aka A Very Paisley Christmas
by Tara Crescent
Release Date: December 9, 2015
Book #2 in the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun series
Number of Pages: 45
Erotic Romance/Holiday Novella
Ages 15 and up
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Paisley’s been teased about her name – Paisley Meadows – her entire life. She’s stuck working the day before Christmas, and in what is the last straw, an incoming winter storm causes all flights out of Peoria to be canceled, stranding her in the airport on Christmas Eve.
When she meets hot contractor Christopher, she’s convinced it’s the universe’s way of restoring balance. He’s really good looking, he’s nice and he’s attracted to her. Thanks, Santa!
Of course, the universe has one final trick up its sleeve…
First, I got this book under the title Running Into You. But most of the activity on Goodreads seems to be for this story under the title A Very Paisley Christmas. They’re the same story, but just in case you go looking you know what you’re looking for.
This is a really quick read. Paisley gets stranded at the airport on Christmas Eve and runs into a man she had met in passing in her aunt’s office earlier in the day. There had been an instant attraction between Paisley and Christopher in that office, but they were both there for different reasons and didn’t interact too much. Now, here they are stuck in a snowstorm and decide to team up to find lodging. Of course, there’s only one room left. But wait…there are two beds in that room! What?!?
Never fear, they only use one of those beds. This story has good-natured banter and some very low-key, playful dominance. It’s sweet and sexy and fun.
3 stars
All In Good Time 
I’ve only read Robert’s book and I thought it was fun. I wish she’d write more in that series.
It’s the only one I read in the series. But I’ll probably try to read more of them. Short stories with the sexy element are great for me sometimes.
The first was my favorite.