Holiday Affair (Zebra Contemporary Romance) [Mass Market Paperback]

Lisa Plumley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2010 | Series: Zebra Contemporary Romance

While helping out at his family's B&B in Michigan during the holidays, single dad turned globe-trotting adventurer Reid Sullivan falls for a certain guest--California girl Karina Barrett who, unbeknownst to him, is a spy for a company who wants to buy out this popular hotel. Original.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you love Christmas and all that goes along with it, then this is the book for you! Lisa Plumley's newest novel has all the holiday spirit and romance of the best Christmas movies!"  --Contemporary Romance Writers

"This is without a doubt the best holiday novel I have ever read! Immensely readable, laugh out loud funny and with enough mystery and suspense to keep me hooked!" --Romance Junkies (5 blue ribbons rating)

"A delightful story with utterly charming characters. It brings to life the sounds, smells, and tastes of Christmas." (4½ stars!) --Romantic Times BOOK Reviews

"Loaded with fun pop-culture references and witty dialogue, Holiday Affair delivers on entertainment!" --The Romance Reader (5 hearts rating!)

"Holiday Affair is quirky, engaging, funny, and sometimes wacky. If you like Christmas romances with all the trimmings, you might want to give Holiday Affair a try."
--Barnes & Noble Heart to Heart blog

"Lisa Plumley creates charming characters. Her books are a delight!" --USA TODAY best-selling author Rachel Gibson

From the Inside Flap

Smacking her hands on his chest, she backed Reid up to the bed. Then she tipped him onto it. She studied him. Lasciviously.

"You know what?" she asked in a dreamy voice. "I think I'm starting to feel the wonder of Christmas already."

"I think that's my line," Reid told her, grinning. "You're supposed to be teaching me about Christmas, remember?"

"Oh yeah?" Karina asked. "Well, get ready to learn, then."

The two of them smiled at each other, entirely in sync. Then Karina jumped on the bed and lost herself in the moment, knowing that forever after she would associate the mingled fragrances of mistletoe, bayberry, and dog biscuits with the single most sexually gratifying night of her life.

She hoped.

Almost half an hour later, she knew.

Fa la la. Fa la la. Fa la LAAAA!

Wiggling her bare toes with utter satisfaction, Karina shot a smug smile at Reid. He panted beside her, lying sideways on the bed, half tangled in the snowman-print flannel sheets. At the wonderful, amazing, hot-hot-hot sight of him, she sighed.

"So...how do you like Christmas now?" she asked.

"I'm not sure." He rolled over and kissed her, then ran his hands along the length of her naked torso. "I think I need another lesson to find out. I might need several more lessons."

"Do you really think you're up for it?"

Saucily, Reid raised his eyebrows. He aimed his gaze lower. Much lower. All the way down to his...mischief maker.

"Oh, I'm up for it," he confirmed. Then he pulled her in his arms again, gave her a smile, and proceeded to prove it.

Naughty or nice was way overrated, Karina decided as she felt Reid's body cover hers, igniting a new burst of giddiness and heat in her midsection. Naughty won, all the way...

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Zebra Books; 1 edition (October 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1420105698
• ISBN-13: 978-1420105698
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #515,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The warmest HOLIDAY AFFAIR, November 17, 2010

By 

Caffey "Caffey" (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holiday Affair (Zebra Contemporary Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm so thrilled to be writing a review for this book! You will so be in the holiday moods after this beautiful sweet Christmas romance, HOLIDAY AFFAIR by Lisa Plumley. I have had the joy of discovering Lisa Plumley's historical romances by chance a few years ago with THE SCOUNDREL (not presently available but hopefully some will come back in ebook) and since have looked forward and backwards to find more of her books. Lisa Plumley has a backlist of many fun contemporary romance still available and still continues to write historical romances with MAIL-ORDER GROOM coming from Harlequin Historicals on December first. Definitely check out her site for the awesome variety of books available. When I'm looking for a comfort read, a story that will boost my spirits, I turn right to her books. Every Christmas I get to look forward to a Holiday book from hers released! When I first discovered these contemporary romance with HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, I got the goosebumps all over again along with that great warm feel during, after and still from reading HOLIDAY AFFAIR.

HOLIDAY AFFAIR by Lisa Plumley gives the warmest and sweetest romance of Karina and Reid. Planning her first Christmas with her three children alone after her divorce, Karina is feeling as a failure and trying so hard to pull together to bring Christmas to her home. Reid a single dad of two daughters with a nanny/tutor is always on the go doing travel adventures for team building for businesses and keeps busy to let the holidays pass by. Karina is secretly visiting The Christmas House, a Bed & Breakfast (B & B), in Kismet Michigan, going in place of her sister's company, to evaluate them risk and assess for a possible purchase with her sister's company. Doing this would be twofold, a great experience for her in the job area, but mostly to be able to give her children a Christmas that would be worthwhile for them with the spirit of it surrounding them. She goes to efforts beyond, both hilarious and at times, emotional, to do all the things she can despite being a single mother. When Reid gets a call to come home to his grandparents at The Christmas House immediately, he discovers they want to retire and sell The Christmas House, and want Reid to do it by making sure the deal of selling goes through during a 'mandatory anonymous evaluation' at this Christmastime.

Its here where Karina and Reid are thrown together at the B & B, both immediately begin to enjoy a holiday affair, but both never planned to fall in love again. Reid plans weren't to settle down but to continue his traveling after closing this deal. While there, he gives in to enjoy Christmas at the Christmas House for his daughters. With Karina giving in to having a fling, a Holiday affair, she didn't plan to fall in love and risk trust in the relationship by holding back what she originally was there to do and Reid questioning her honest feelings for them all. Full of adventures between Karina, Reid, the children and all at The Christmas House, there is never a moment of to rest, not wanting this all to ever end.

I can't put into the words I want to, how delightful, humorous, heartwarming and loving HOLIDAY AFFAIR by Lisa Plumley is. When Karina is talking to herself with her, you will have you laughing right out loud! Reid's antics and sense of humor had me smiling through too. The romance of Reid and Katrina will have you overjoyed! That feel of knowing love and laughter is so expressive and evident with them both. Weighing out the task she has to evaluate the Christmas House puts a strain on the relationship holding this back. This book couldn't be the story it was without the children! They have a huge part of bringing them together as well as showing them what family and love is all about. They both found this love and so want to trust this time its everlasting. I couldn't recommend a more romantic HOLIDAY AFFAIR to read and enjoy this year that this one! Thanks for bringing the joy Lisa Plumley with Reid and Karina and their children story!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute!, August 6, 2011

By 

Jennifer Rummel - YABookNerd (Norwich, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holiday Affair (Zebra Contemporary Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

Karina's determines to make this Christmas magical for herself and most importantly her three children. It's the first holiday season since the divorce. She's so worried about them.

When the opportunity arises for a free vacation at The Christmas House B&B, she jumps at the chance. Sure, she'll have to evaluate the B&B for her sister, but it will be worth the quaint holiday experience.

She and the kids head from sunny California to cold snowy Michigan where they meet Reid and his daughters. Together they share a Christmas they'll never forget.

My Thoughts: A cute holiday romance read. It dove a little too fast into the romance for me. I loved the sabotage parts and how they solved all the issues that popped up. I loved how the kids interacted with each other and Karina and Reid.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Holiday Affair, January 25, 2011

By 

Lollipops "lollipops5" (Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Holiday Affair (Zebra Contemporary Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

Katrina Barrett is a single mom of three struggling to make ends meet, and to balance the demands of three children along with her ex-husband and his right to see the children.

Reid Sullivan is a single dad and he is a glove-trotter, taking businessmen on tours of the outback, for one. He also is helping this year at his family's Bed and Breakfast.

Katrina is sent to Michigan to evaluate the bed and breakfast, but when she meets Reid the evaluation swings to the man more than the business. The attraction is mutual. But Reid has no Christmas spirit and Katrina is determined to teach him a thing or two. But when the true reason behind her visit is reviewed will the romance be over?

HOLIDAY AFFAIR has a fun, chick-lit-ish type cover, and I love Christmas stories so I thought it might be fun to try. I've never read any books by Ms. Plumley before so wasn't familiar with her voice. The story starts really slow with Katrina taking many pages just walking her kids from the car into the school building while it goes into all the back story about why her ex-husband and her are divorced. Reid is spending that same time in the outback of Australia, so the couple doesn't even meet until way into the book.

The story did drag quite a lot with tons of introspection, and I wanted it to just get to the story. But there are some steamy moments in the book, and the characters are developed realistically. If you like Lisa Plumley's books you'll probably love HOLIDAY AFFAIR.