Ellie Hall – лучшие книги

Would you rather be stranded in a snowstorm with Miss All-things Christmas or the Grinch?

Ivy
If you ever find yourself on the run, do not, I repeat, do not drive off the road and into an icy pond. Should you have such an accident, do not wander into the woods to a chalet with a blazing fire. But if you lose feeling in your toes and go inside to warm up, do not, I repeat, do not, doze off.

Luca
I came up to the mountains to escape: myself, responsibility, and most of all women. So when I return home to find one snoozing in front of my fire, I can’t be blamed for being ticked off. Did I threaten her? Absolutely not. Did I offer her a warm meal? Probably should’ve. As for a place to stay? No way.

Ivy
With a blizzard raging outside, I’m stuck with a grumpy, gruff, grouchy huntsman who hates Christmas. Who doesn’t love the most wonderful time of the year? A beast, that’s who. Although Luca would be a hot beast if he’d tame his beard.

But that’s the least of my problems. Actually, it’s one I’m determined to solve (the Christmas thing and the wild facial hair) because the actual issue is a problem for tomorrow...if there is a tomorrow, seeing as my “ex” is after me and all. Time to seize the holiday!

Luca
Just because I run a Christmas tree farm, doesn’t mean I have to put one up, trim it, or expect Santa to pop out of the chimney and deliver presents. That’s for people who have holly, jolly cheer. Who still have hope. People like the woman who appeared in my life.

Come to think of it, Ivy is kind of like Mrs. Claus, if old Saint Nick’s missus were a knockout. Haunted by ghosts of the past, I’ll need a Christmas miracle to enjoy the season. Then again, maybe the biggest gift is already sitting in my living room.

Get married to save Christmas? Why not, I don’t have anything else to lose.

Hope
My Cinderella story is stuck on the part before the fairy Godmother comes to her aid. You know, when the stepmother and sisters torment her. To appease them, I work four jobs with no magical transformations or windfalls in sight, especially not in time for Christmas.

Nico
When a singing Christmas-wish-o-gram girl does her charming song and dance, I have no doubt my brothers are behind the goofy gift. I’m the baby in the family, but by no means tiny. Sure, I’m the youngest and most inexperienced when it comes to women, but I can find my own dates, thanks very much.

Hope
The guy from the pizza shop who I accompanied to the Christmas Market in town was cute, sweet, and someone I wouldn’t mind seeing again if I had time for a life of my own—and wasn’t trying to stop a vandal from ruining our town’s Winter Wonderland extravaganza.

Nico
When it turns out she’s my neighbor and her stepmother and stepsisters are shrews, I do the only sensible thing—offer to be her fake husband to free her from their clutches. Unfortunately, I’ve never kissed a woman. She’s quick to give me lessons, and I’m starting to think there’s nothing fake about this. Nothing at all.

It’s just a Christmas crush. Like a gingerbread house, it can’t last forever. Right?

Joy
I got a big fat lump of coal in my stocking, and it’s not even Christmas yet. In the span of three days:
• I’m laid off from a premier architectural firm
• The guy I thought was my forever dumped me. Then again, he couldn’t eat cheese, so maybe it wasn’t meant to be. But it was better than being alone
• Oh, and I lost my apartment to a parrot (you read that right)

Gio
How I went from an in-demand globe-trotting photographer to peddling pizza at my family’s new shop may have been because:
• Women in most major European cities have officially banned me
• I have more speeding tickets in Monaco than I can count. Unfortunately, I’m only fluent in English and Italian
• Maintaining my reputation is exhausting. Though, most would argue my life is one big weekend

Joy
Not only am I down on my luck but got demoted to pizza girl. And what’s worse is I have to work with my best friend’s brother, who I’ve liked since I still had braces. But he’s a flirt, so I know to keep my expectations at rock bottom. (By the way, hello from down here!)

On the upside, the view of my pizza-flinging co-worker isn’t half bad.

Gio
The new cashier is a refreshing joy to be around. When we’re tasked with building a gingerbread house for a charity fundraiser, I find myself yearning to put down roots (and maybe even a foundation). The only problem is these French women won’t leave me alone.

But the only person I don’t want to ignore me hardly looks my way.

No matter which way you slice it, pizza and pie are delicious, but love is complicated.

Merry
My lifelong dream is to open a pie shop in my hometown. But because I’m flat broke, to defray the liability, the leasing agent insists I go into business with what’s sure to be a pimply pizza boy.

Problem 1: He’s more like an Italian Stallion. Problem 2: That tossing action really builds the biceps. Is it hot in here? I’ll blame it on the oven. Problem 3: I knew Tommy in college and he still bakes my buns.

Tommy
To reunite my family, I’m opening a pizza place. The catch is I have to share the space with a pie baker. Not going to happen. As a former fireman, I’m all about teamwork, but I’m not sharing the dough.

Problem 1: Back in college, as a joke, we made a marriage pact. Problem 2: Like a pair of responsible adults, we agreed not to mix business and pleasure. Problem 3: Ten years later, Merry is still a cutie pie.

Merry
With a flurry of orders, twelve families in need, and a pie thief on the loose, it’s hard to know if we can crust each other. Trust. That was supposed to be trust each other. I’ve got pie (and Tommy) on my mind...and heart.

Tommy
Actually, those are the least of our problems. With only twelve days until Christmas, we have to prove to the building owner that we’re the best business for the spot or risk losing it to a chain coffee shop...and with all the pressure and stress, we also risk losing each other.

Christmas may be a time of miracles but getting back together won’t be one of them.

Noella
It’s my first Christmas alone. No hubby-boo. No fam. No one eating the cookies I bake. More for me, right? Well, it’s kind of lonely without my beloved boxer-boo. And I miss my parents something fierce. Also, cookies taste better when shared. When I enter a small-town pizza shop, I have a case of déjà boo.

Paulo
I had it all—married to a beautiful woman, plans to start a family, and success as a boxing coach after I retired from the ring. When work took up too much of my time, it was splitz-ville. After a sudden tragedy, my brother drags me to nowhere-ville. Then I inherit two kids. Yup. I had the same reaction.

Noella
It was bad enough that my ex was more devoted to work than to me, but it turns out he has two secret (and adorable) children. What’s worse is he wants me to be their nanny. Ha! I think he took one too many blows to the head.

Paulo
I don’t know who thought I’d be qualified to be a dad. But here I am and I need my ex’s help. Maybe I need her too. I don’t think I’m the only one who hopes Santa Claus is going to grant these kids their Christmas wish...for us to be a family.

It’s not at all awkward when it turns out that you have to work with your blind date the next day.

Gloria
Going on a date was a risk I took so I wouldn’t be alone this Christmas. He was handsome, charming, and slightly preoccupied, but in his defense, I had spinach in my teeth. (The artichoke dip appetizer was too good to pass up. We’ll pretend I wasn’t mortified when I discovered it later.)

Bruno
I watched a movie where the guy fake dated a woman so he didn’t show up at the family holiday gathering single. Seemed like something worth trying. She was pretty and sweet, but slightly distracted. In her defense, she mentioned starting a new job the next day, so she gets a pass on the jitters.

Gloria
Turns out last night’s date is my new boss. Let’s just say we do not get off on the right foot. Nope, a klutz in high heels, I broke his left little toe. I think. I make an executive decision and switch to my sequined Christmas elf slippers. The accident wasn’t because I swooned when I saw him in that tailored suit. Not this biz babe.

Bruno
Never mind figuring out a way to force myself to stay in this small town, working together every day is proving impossible. With the Christmas party coming up, how will I manage to balance the books at my family’s pizza shop while keeping my eyes (and hands) off Santa’s top elf? Help! Save me from myself.

She’s single and not ready to mingle. He’s a military hero playing nanny to his niece and nephew. Will these enemies survive summer pretending to be a couple?

Katy
You know those love songs that chorus, Only You? My jam is, Anyone But Him. And guess who recently rolled into town? The guy who ditched me in high school and there’s no avoiding him. When my grandmother strikes with her classic question about if I have a boyfriend yet, I want to dodge the family disappointment drama saga and say, No Way, but I can’t let her down...and he owes me.

Rocco
After over a decade in the military, I’m back in my hometown to help my sister while her husband is deployed. A brother helping another and all that. I didn’t imagine the fiercely independent motorcycle-riding surfer girl from high school would still be here and be more beautiful than ever. When she asks me to be her fake boyfriend, I don’t decline because it means righting a wrong.

This blast from the past was the last thing we expected. We’re terrible for each other. Our heads say, Nope, but our hearts say, Uh-oh. Will we make this shot at a second chance real or blow it again?

Bea
As the last in my circle to tie the knot, it’s ironic that I go from riches to rags, er, wedding gowns. After I inherit my aunt’s bridal boutique, I could wipe my tears with chiffon, but I’ll make lace out of lemons while I wait for Mr. Perfect—who’s nothing like my lifelong crush. Nuh uh. Then Mr. High School Heartbreaker himself strides in, full of swagger...and a fiancée.

Finn
One of life’s cruelest jokes is wearing golden handcuffs, forced to help my stepmother-to-be plan her wedding. Having left my small town without looking back, when my eyes land on my secret high school crush, I can no longer resist temptation. But there’s a problem. My company is positioned to tear down her shop, and she’s intent on stopping me.

In high school, we had undercover crushes on each other, complete with loads of mutual pining. The catch is we’re from rival families. Adults now, we create the rules, but can we break them for a second chance?

I have a kiss hangover. Is that normal for a first kiss?

My love life is one big bah humbug. When a blind date goes bad, a Knight in ugly Christmas sweater armor swoops in and rescues me with a kiss in a very public way.

That wouldn’t be a problem except Pierre plays for the team my father coaches and has a reputation for being the biggest flirt on ice. If you ask me, all hockey players belong in the penalty box.

Except, I wouldn't object to a second kiss or lessons. Dare I say Pierre is a pro? Could have something to do with him being French Canadian. However, his rescue PDA lands him in trouble with the team.

We make an agreement: he teaches me how to kiss and I play the role of the girl he can’t get over. For those of you not up against the glass, he pretends to be falling over his skates for me and I pretend to hate him so my dad doesn't get sus.

Then a winter storm leaves us stranded and it’s up to us to help save the Christmas Market. Seems like our game of fake-it is turning into a make-out. I mean make-it.

But what’ll happen when the holidays are over and we go back to our real lives? I don’t want to land on Santa’s naughty list, so I won’t tell a lie. Pierre had me at that first mistletoe moment. I just hope he feels the same.

Dee Dee
While visiting the West Coast for my cousin’s wedding, I take a detour down memory lane, arriving in the small beach town where I spent my senior year of high school. All those years ago I pretended to be the girl next door instead of a Barclay—yes, the billionaire royal family. Flash forward to now, falling asleep in the sand wasn’t part of my half-baked pit stop. Neither was waking up in the lifeguard’s strong, capable arms.

Sunny
When I left for dawn patrol this morning, finding the one who got away on the beach was the last thing I expected. I’m not sure what shocks her more, the rundown state of her late grandmother’s house or that I live in the guest cottage. But I am surprised when she extends her stay and asks me to help her spruce up the place to avoid her impending arranged marriage.

As feelings heat up under the sun, we question whether our past love story was just a nostalgic page from the yearbook. Will our mismatched romance become more than a summer fling?

Does Cupid have a nice list? Never mind. Forget it. I’m breaking up with Valentine’s Day.

It started innocently enough with a harmless inquiry about a cute guy at a coffee shop. The goal was to get back in the romance game. The search turned into a social media frenzy. #DesperatelySeekingDane was not available. Talk about a buzzkill.

Just when I thought things couldn’t become more dramatic, because of my five minutes of online fame, a TV production company reached out to me as a last-minute contestant in a dating contest. It was an instant yes because one of the three bachelors is a major movie star and my lifelong crush.

Here's the twist: I’m matched with the third-place prize, a daredevil hockey player I can't stand. Let’s just say we have a brief but storied history involving shrill whistles, spilled coffee, and a bloody incident in an elevator.

However, turns out the date is only the opening act. We end up in each other’s debt, resulting in a meet-the-parents situation. But we kind of hit it off. As things heat up between us, sparks fly and the ice begins to melt. Can I be falling for the guy I loathe?

This is a clean, sweet, closed door hockey romcom with lots of sweet kisses and a happily ever after.

We weren’t supposed to kiss...again. Is it still a second chance when our first one was a secret?

Rewind: In high school, I was Little Miss Brainy Rebel Girl to my twin’s athletic Mr. Popularity. That also meant I avoided wading into the dating pool. Like a shark, it didn’t help that my protective brother probably scared away potential suitors.

Fast forward: He’s engaged, but our parents won’t let him tie the knot until I find a boyfriend. Now, he has guys lining up to date me. This only becomes an issue when his best friend, Redd, gets a hero’s welcome when he returns to play hockey for the Nebraska Knights.

Pause: Little does my brother know that Redd and I kissed on a senior year camping trip. After that, I swore off smooching forever. But I get looped into helping him fundraise for our old high school’s hockey team, and he and his adorable secret move into my grandmother’s old house.

We end up spending a lot of time together. Making pancakes, playing flashlight tag, going to the lake... The problem is we despise each other, or so I thought. Will things between us fizzle or will there be fireworks this 4th of July?

They say love is messy. Turns out friendship is too, especially when you’re stranded in a cabin with your best friend and hearts are on thin ice.

Teddy
I’ve heard that men and women can’t be friends without it becoming something more. Harlow and I put that theory in the penalty box, thank you very much.

She laughs at my jokes, secretly admires my hockey butt, trusts me with her biggest fear (it’s safe with me). In turn, she knows everything about me. Well, almost.

There’s been a recent development. I’m gone for her. Down bad. Solid Crush. She lives rent free in my mind. I’ve caught feelings. This wouldn’t be a problem except, you know, the whole shattering our friendship thing.

Harlow
You know those days you want to erase? It went like this: my boyfriend broke up with me (it was overdue), and then I broke up with my job while at a work conference (it was mind-numbing).

In an ironic twist, I won the raffle for a romantic getaway trip for two. Who else to bring other than my best friend who’ll gladly commiserate with me? He has a hockey event nearby, so it works out perfectly.

Until we’re stranded in the cozy cabin together. There’s a blaze of attraction. A friendship-changing kiss.
What now? Do we hit the reset button? Salvage what we had? Pretend it never happened? These are things I’d talk to my bestie about, but I can’t because I’m head over heels for him.

Love at First Skate is part of the Love on Thin Ice sweet small town hockey romcom series. It's a best friends to lovers, forced proximity, no third act breakup romantic comedy with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.

He’s a hockey superstar. She’s a hotel maid. When he offers to pay her to wear his jersey to a game, she’s crowned the “Puck Princess.” What could go wrong with fake dating ... aside from everything?

Ella
As I struggle to stay afloat in the housekeeping hustle, a handsome guest and I have a magical night sneaking into the pool, making wishes under the stars, and spilling secrets. But at midnight, I risk turning into a pumpkin, er, my not-so-fancy self, compared to the pro hockey player with the expensive watch. Time is slipping through my fingers as the bill for my dad’s care comes due.

Jack
I’m a hockey superstar, famous for scoring goals and stealing hearts, but I’m at a career crossroads. To fix this problem, I casually ask a pretty woman I’ve just officially met to wear my jersey at a big game. After a fun and flirty weekend, sparks fly, but there’s trouble off the ice because she’s not the trophy my billionaire father has in mind for me.

Ella
When he suggests we level up our fake relationship to a fake engagement, I don’t have anything to lose except my sense of reality as I’m swept into his wealthy world—and my grip on my emotions because this is starting to feel real.

Jack
Before we met, my life was mapped out, but she changed the game. Some argue it’s for the worst. But I’ve never felt—or played—better. Before, retirement from the league loomed. Now I have a new goal and it’s a future with her.

Will these starcrossed lovers from different worlds find a way to win each other’s hearts?