A Newport Christmess

by Jess Heileman

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Love can be downright messy.

This last year has been a total disaster, but my failed six-month marriage takes the cake. While my ex is out having the time of his life, my coping mechanisms consist of an unhealthy obsession with true-crime podcasts and trying to revive my floundering social media account.

So, when I get an offer from one of social media’s darlings—Nikki Aker—to make gingerbread centerpieces for her Christmas wedding, I can’t refuse. Not only because the job pays well (my maxed-out credit card will attest to how much I need this money), but it’s a last-ditch effort to increase my following before I’m forced to get “a real job.”

There’s only one small problem I didn’t account for: Nikki’s a self-proclaimed matchmaker, and apparently, I’m her next target. My only hope to escape unscathed is to conspire with Nikki’s grumpy—albeit gorgeous—brother, Landon, who seems equally determined to get through this wedding with his single status fully intact.

All we need to do is convince Nikki we're developing feelings for each other. What can possibly go wrong?

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Book Details

Genre

Romantic Comedy

Subgenre

Holiday (Christmas, Valentine’s, etc.)

Series

Christmas Escape • Book 4

Audience

Adult

Bell Peppers

🫑🫑

Profanity

1 None

Violence

1 None

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco

3 Moderate

Publication Date

November 16, 2023

Language Versions

English

Narration Type

Human

Fiction Form

Novel

Sensitive Themes

Chronic or terminal illness, Divorce or marital separation, Substance use (non-addiction) / intoxication

Christmas and Gingerbread

Another fun Christmas book? Yes please! A Newport Christmess is another fantastic book in the Christmas Escape series all written by different authors. If you are looking for a bunch of great Christmas stories, definitely check out this series.A Newport Christmess is the first book by Jess Heileman that I have read. And it won’t be the last. This was such a fun book. Quinn and Landon were such a great couple. I loved the character development, particularly Quinn’s. Quinn was such a relatable character and it awesome to see how she grew and accepted her flaws.I really wish I could see what these gingerbread mansions actually looked like. It is such a fun and unique story idea.This was a great book and I can’t wait to read more of the series and more from Jess Heileman. Definitely check this book out if you love Christmas, fake dating, gingerbread and character growth.

A Christmas Beauty

I wish I could read this book for the first time again. I absolutely loved it. The characters were relatable and fun to read. The hesitations and problems they face rooted the story and kept me glued. The chemistry was amazing and the kisses phenomenal.

Gingerbread and Swoony Kisses!

Two divorcees, a matchmaking scheme, and a lot of gingerbread—I loved this heartwarming story of finding someone to love all of you, even the messy parts.Hired to design gingerbread house centerpieces for a wedding in Newport, Rhode Island, Quinn unexpectedly discovers the brother of the bride, whose house and kitchen she is borrowing, is in fact NOT out of town.Quinn is an absolute lovable mess. A fanatic of true crime podcasts, she is overly paranoid and a bit chaotic, making for the greatest meet-cute involving a frying pan. And the laughs only continue!I instantly felt the chemistry between these two. Landon and Quinn declaring boundaries only to purposely test the limits ... whew! I've never been more excited for two characters to merely touch hands. You can just imagine the kisses!Both having experienced divorce, there was a unique connection and understanding between them that I loved seeing included. Landon was incredibly patient, allowing Quinn to open her heart at her own pace. It was perfect. And the final chapter left me with the biggest smile!

Loved it!

This book was a bit heavier than I expected, but I absolutely loved the way the FMC's anxiety and vulnerability and self-doubt were written and dealt with.Trope wise, this a fake dating + forced proximity book, but the twist is that both MCs are recent divorcees with severe lack of self confidence, and they mess up the sparks between them multiple times because they're afraid of getting burnt again. Imo this book was written in a very realistic way - it was a sort of fast burn, but the MCs were still given ample time to process everything that was happening to get to the final point.I loved the epilogue so much 😭TWs - severe anxiety, paranoia, divorce, depression