A Wonderful Lie by Carrie Aarons is now live!

Everyone lies around the holidays. We lie about the money we're spending. We lie that we're following our diets.

What am I lying about this year? The fact that my workplace nemesis has become my friend-with-benefits.

Collin Machlan and I have been each other's competition since we joined our college's radio station freshman year. Six years later, we're both hosting shows for the country's most popular podcast network.

Just as everything starts turning red and green, our boss announces a promotion, and whoever gets the most listens during this merry season will be crowned the winner.

There is just one catch; the only way to draw an audience in December is to theme every episode around Christmas. For a woman who typically celebrates alone with takeout and slasher flicks, I'm at a big disadvantage.

Going toe-to-toe with the guy I've never been able to intimidate is only made harder by the fact that Collin doesn't seem to want to play our usual games. Add in some mistletoe and a Secret Santa swap, and I finally give in to his shameless flirting.

Maybe it's the delusion of cuffing season, but suddenly I'm spending every night with him. No one at work knows. Neither does his family, or my friends. I lie that it's just physical. That me, a self-proclaimed bachelorette, couldn't possibly be on the brink of a relationship. I lie that we're still competing for a job he doesn't even want.

Until one too many lies threatens to topple my life like a crooked tree with poorly-distributed ornaments. And I'm left to decide between my lonely and blue traditions, or a love that lasts all year round.

Caroline's Review
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All the sparks and sizzle! Loved it.

"Lark Bradley has always been unattainable. A Rubik's cube. Once you think you've figured her out, she slips through your fingers like the most delicate, beautiful pieces of sand."

Lark Bradley hates Collin Machlan with a passion. She disliked him since he tried to flirt with her freshman year of college and now, six years later, they are working for the same company. They both produce popular podcasts and are in the running to take over a coveted primetime slot. Collin is a determinedly single playboy, and Lark is so mistrusting of people that she won't let anyone near her. The simmering tension and snarky repartee between them is about to completely explode, at a time of year that's infused with joy and magic.

"I should have known, based on his reputation and our frustrating tension, that when we finally came together, it would lead to a canon blast."

Whoa! These two! Collin and Lark were like a supernova. They came together hard and fast, and it was a complete revelation to them both. Lark was the complicated grump and Collin was the straightforward sunshine, but both brought something to the table. My heart ached for Lark's childhood and I swooned over Collin's patience and passion for her. He was the perfect antidote for her life. I loved the warmth and comfort he provided, but I also loved how Lark and his feelings for her challenged him emotionally. They were hot as Hades together! Absolute fire. However, Lark's emotional progress was heartrendingly challenging and painful, and Collin's was achingly vulnerable. I adored everything about this story. This author always writes so engagingly and with humour and heart. Fabulous!