Imagine you make a plan to make your cheating ex jealous and fall for your boss instead. That is what happens in Lauren Blakely’s new stand-alone holiday romance, My Favorite Holidate. This is a spicy, small town, billionaire single dad, fake dating, office romance about Fable and Wilder. They both needed a date to the wedding of Fable’s sister and Wilder’s best friend, for which they were Maid of Honor and Best Man. To fool her ex and his matchmaking aunt, they agreed to fake date, but, after a short time, it all felt so very real. I loved this book! As usual for this author, she created a book with plenty of laughs and some genuine, heartfelt emotion. I really liked Fable and Wilder and disliked Fable’s ex. He had everything that happened to him coming. I really enjoy stories with fake dating, and wonder how often it happens in the real world. Also as usual for this author, there was plenty of spice and incredible chemistry. I also thought that Wilder’s twelve year old daughter stole the show. If you enjoy a good holiday fake dating romantic comedy, then you should make sure you listen to this audiobook this holiday season.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Atria Books, and Lauren Blakely for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

4 Stars! Fable and Wilder's chemistry is unmatched. Can never go wrong with a single-dad billionaire troupe.

WILDER IS PERFECT. He’s attractive, a billionaire, and his acts of service and gift-giving are unmatched. Plus, he’s very much into eating 🐱. After listening to this amazing audio from Lauren Blakely, I'm totally in the holiday spirit! It felt just like reading a Hallmark movie but with a rated-R twist. ;)

The story kicks off when Fable (who appears in a few other books) catches her boyfriend cheating during a Christmas dinner at her hot billionaire boss Wilder’s place, along with his aunt. Ironically, it’s the same dinner where her sister is proposed to. Plans unfold, and suddenly she and Wilder devise a scheme to pretend they're dating, but we all know how that story unfolds—especially when one has had feelings for the other for a long time, and now they find themselves in close quarters.

Wilder Blaine is a refreshing billionaire — I’m used to his sort of character being the grump, but it was so refreshing to have a down-to-earth single father in the role. Loved him, loved Fable’s characterization, loved the laugh-out-loud moments, loved the Christmas vibes, and loved the festive spice. The only thing I didn’t love was that the antagonist didn’t feel believable, and I think this would have worked just as well without a third act breakup.
This was my first Lauren Blakely book, and I am more than ready to devour the entire backlog. I am in my hockey romance era, after all, and the little hints she dropped about the other couples throughout this standalone have me thoroughly curious.

Lauren Blakey never misses. She never disappoints to have the perfect mix of humor, banter and angst for a delightful romance that will have you not wanting to put your book down and wanting more when it’s over.

Tropes:
-Single Dad
-Billionaire
-Boss x Employee
-Fake Dating
-Forced Proximity
-One Bed
-Christmas Romance
-Christmas Competition


This was the perfect Christmas romance. It was giving Hallmark movie vibes but with spicy time. Wilder is the billionaire owner of a football team and hotel chains and he has a thing for his employee, Fable, a fiery red head designer who runs an eco jewelry Etsy shop on the side. When her boyfriend cheats on her at Thanksgiving ahead of her sister’s wedding and Wilder’s aunt is trying to set him up, yet again, they team up and scheme to fake date for the holidays to beat Brady (her ex) during her sister’s wedding festivity games. Sparks fly as they like “practicing” a little too much. They grow closer with the help of his scheming daughter (who may have been my favorite character). This was a wonderful, lighthearted Christmas romance. 🥰

The writing was top notch as always. I think I prefer her hockey books, but I enjoyed this too. The Christmas jokes were fun. I loved seeing her wrapped as a bow. I love the character crossovers and seeing the people I know and love pop in.

Possible trigger for some in that it mentions gambling addiction in the mmc’s father and how to help him by not paying off his debts (even though he’s a billionaire).

Thank you Lauren Blakely and Atria Books for the e-arc. All opinions are mine and freely given.

A sexy and romantic holiday novel about a fake relationship that begins to become real. Fun characters and story. Heavy on the sex, but still strong storyline as well. I enjoyed this light read.

I can’t believe I just finished a holiday read, but My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely was just what I needed!

A beautiful read, fake dating around the holidays trope is always one of my favorite things. It really gets you into the spirit!

I love this book and it's the perfect holiday read. These two had all the humor and heat- a top holiday read.

Fable needs a fake date to make her cheating ex jealous and her billionaire boss Wilder helps out. Except that fake becomes real....

Enjoy the laughs a lot. It's funny and sassy. The romance is terrific and swoony. Love Fable and Wilder together. The revenge is also terrific.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely is a delightfully sweet & spicy holiday romance that is sure to bring some cheer into your life.

My Favorite Holidate is great for those looking to read…
❤️ Holiday Romance
❤️ Single Dad
❤️ Fake Dating
❤️ Billionaire Romance
❤️ Boss x Employee

Lauren Blakely consistently delivers swoon worthy romances that perfectly balance heart, humor & heat. The connection between this pair was evident & I loved the way their romance grew. Although this is a standalone romance, you’ve met these characters in Love and Hockey series. I was so excited to see them get their own story.

The majority of this novel is set on a holiday vacation in the most idyllic small town, which I want to go visit. I absolutely loved these characters & his daughter. This was such a fun holiday romance.


Massive thanks to the author, NetGalley & Atria or the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Puts you right in the holiday spirit. I did feel like the middle was a little long but I loved the relationship between the daughter and her dad.

Fable catches her boyfriend cheating on her and is desperately in need of a fake boyfriend for the Christmas season that will make her cheating ex jealous. To her surprise, her boss, Wilder, is up for the challenge. He is a single dad who also happen to be a billionaire and is in the Fable’s sisters wedding party as well. They decide to be each others date and compete in the Christmas competition together. Will they be able to call it off after Christmas?

This was such a fun Christmas book! I loved the Christmas competition and how they competed together. Wilder seemed like the perfect fake boyfriend to make her ex jealous. He wanted to take care of Fable and slowly his feelings started to grow as well. His daughter, Mac, was a great addition and he showed great co-parenting with her mom. Overall I loved this spicy Christmas romance!

A cute holiday read - a billionaire and fake dating romance where her boss ends up being her wedding date to make her ex cry. Fable is spunky and fun where Wilder is the book boyfriend we all need. It’s a very cute read for the holiday season.

I’ve enjoyed so many of Lauren Blakely’s books over the years—even her steamy romances and festive novellas—so when I saw she was tackling a fake dating Christmas romcom, I couldn’t click request fast enough. A hot billionaire? A holiday competition? A pretend boyfriend to make the ex jealous? Yes, please. Unfortunately, despite the sparkling setup and all the ingredients I usually love, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this book was just… too long. At times it felt like wading through wrapping paper to get to the actual gift. It dragged in the middle, and I often found myself checking my reading progress, wondering how far I still had to go. So I’m settling on 3.5 stars—but rounding up to 4, because the heart of this story still charmed me in many ways.

The highlight, without a doubt, was Wilder and Fable. They’re absolutely adorable as a pretend couple who slowly—okay, not that slowly—start catching very real feelings. Their banter is sharp, their chemistry sizzles, and once they give in to temptation… well, let’s just say the heat level doesn’t disappoint. I also loved seeing a single dad as a romantic lead. Wilder’s love for his teenage daughter Mac is so genuine and sweet, and their bond made him feel so much more than just another handsome billionaire stereotype. Fable’s reactions to their dynamic felt authentic—especially as someone coming out of a relationship that left her doubting herself.

Speaking of relationships, I really appreciated how the book handled Wilder’s ex-wife. There’s no tired bitterness or drama—just two people who’ve moved on and are co-parenting with mutual respect. It’s refreshing and surprisingly touching. And while the Christmas competition wasn’t always the main focus, it added a cozy, slightly chaotic backdrop that fit the festive mood perfectly—think popcorn ball contests, glitter mayhem, awkward mistletoe moments, and just the right dose of holiday sparkle.

That said, I do wish the story had trimmed down the subplots. The football-related scenes, extended conversations with friends, and wedding prep moments (some of which felt endless) took time away from the central romance, and the pacing definitely suffered for it. It’s like eating too much frosting before you get to the cake.

Still, this book had its fair share of swoon-worthy moments, laugh-out-loud lines, and spicy scenes that made me smile. It’s exactly the kind of holiday fantasy you pick up when you want warmth, wit, and a happily-ever-after wrapped in tinsel. Just be prepared for a longer sleigh ride than expected.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this festive and steamy holiday romcom with me in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Here we go! Fable and Wilder, finally! I've been waiting for their story., quite impatiently one would say.

Finally! We get Fable and Wilder's story! If you've read the previous books, you know we've received teases about his crush on her! And now we finally get to see it through. This book is definitely on Santa's naughty list!

If you like your holiday romances filled with spice and everything nice, I highly recommend checking this one out.

A designer and her billionaire boss strike up a fake dating deal to thwart his matchmaking relatives and to help her save face with her cheating ex in My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely.

He’s the owner of the football franchise she works for, her soon-to-be brother-in-law’s best friend, and the best man to her maid of honor at her sister’s upcoming wedding. She’s the woman he’s been crushing on for a long time, who recently caught her (now ex-) boyfriend, who is also in the wedding party, cheating on her between the main meal and dessert on Thanksgiving.

At a glance:
- Dual POV
- Holiday romance
- Fake dating
- Workplace
- Billionaire romance
- Single father
- Best man + maid of honor
- Small-town Christmas competitions
- Only one bed
- 🔥🔥🔥 chemistry
- He falls first

Reasons to read it:
- The banter and verbal sparring!!!
- How Wilder dotes on Fable and shows her how a romantic partner should be treated
- Seriously y’all, the off-the-charts chemistry
- The father-daughter relationship
- The mistletoe kiss
- The Christmas games
- I did mention only one bed, right, because ONLY ONE BED
- Ribbon 😏
- The supportive friendships
- The incident involving glitter *****
- Some seriously swoony moments
- How Fable supports Wilder

4.75⭐️

I received an advance copy of the book from Atria Books. All review opinions are my own.

This book was really cute! I was reading Lauren Blakely’s Love and Hockey series which was where I was introduced to Wilder and Fable and when I saw that they had their own book, I knew I needed to read it! It definitely did not disappoint! Wilder, a billionaire and owner of the Renegades football team and Fable, an artistic merchandise designer for his football team, enter a mutually beneficial agreement over the holiday season. This agreement gets Wilder’s aunt off his back about setting him up and Fable gets to get back at her ex! Sparks fly in this heart warming love story!

My Favorite Holidate- Lauren Blakely

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book was so good. It almost felt like two parts or a duet- the first half was big city, workplace, billionaire, boss/employee, fake dating and the second half was small town, holiday, Christmas revenge games against her ex, but also shacking up in the cute chalets and the fake dating is not so fake anymore. They were fighting it so hard. I can always count on Lauren to crack me up. And I love seeing the different Christmas kinks this time of year in all the holiday books, and this one did not disappoint.