Love & Lies Under the Mistletoe

Silver Falls University #0.5

by Lola King

Only one person can save Christmas this year, and it's not Santa.
It's my ex.

Christmas is never fun in my house. My family might be billionaires, but we’re living proof that money doesn’t buy happiness.
This year, though…this year really takes the cake.
I didn’t expect my father to ruin Christmas altogether. I didn’t think I was going to leave dinner early with the dire need to run back to college…and I surely didn’t expect the only person who would make it all better would be my ex.

He calls drunk, but I don’t want to talk to him.
So he shows up at my house in the middle of the night. And he reminds me exactly why I never moved on from him.

Santa doesn't save Christmas.
But Daddy surely does.

This book is a dark romance for readers aged 18+ only.
This book is the introduction to a series coming out in 2024. It ends in a cliffhanger.

Genres: Dark Romance, Novella, Christmas, Holiday, Romance, Dark, Second Chance

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 15, 2023

About the author

Lola King is a dark, steamy romance author who loves giving happy ever after’s to antiheroes. She writes about flawed and deeply broken characters and the women who bring them down to their knees. Her books are sometimes cute, sometimes angsty, but always sexy!
Lola lives in London and if she isn’t writing, she is most likely keeping her mind busy putting together a play or making music.

Let’s keep in touch on IG @lolaking_author or on FB readers’ group Lola’s Kings !

Reviews

[becs ౨ৎ⋆.˚ (semi-ia + comment restriction) · Rating 4 out of 5]

you know what? hell yeah 🙂‍↕️ listen i already loved chris from the stoneview series and he’s just so fine in this novella. i always felt bad for ella because i realized she was the secret girlfriend and getting her pov made me so sad :( i’ve been rooting for them and i cannot wait to start loving the liar!!! i will say that candy cane scene was ?? 😵‍💫

[Анастасія ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Так, можливо було гаряче, але супер токсично. Почнімо з того, що Кріс, не хотів казати її брату, що вони зустрічаються, контролював що їй одягати, заборонив йти з кимось на бал, хоча вони не зустрічаються, потім він її кинув, але надзвонював постійно, в результаті вони переспали і він пішов, але залиш записку... Колись я прочитаю основну книжку про них, але точно не зараз.

[Koisty · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Candy Cane Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Oh My God!!!

Why did I not know this book existed before I picked up Loving the Liar? Because fuck… it would have made that book even better. And that book was already FUCKING excellent!

This is the perfect little prequel novella into the lives of Ella and Christopher before we meet them in Loving the Liar. It gives us the backstory that was always hinted at, always alluded to, and honestly? I do think this could have been slotted straight into Loving the Liar as opening foundation chapters. BUT I get why it wasn’t, because it would have made that book even heavier and LONGER, but wow… the context this adds is chef’s kiss!!!

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
We start when Ella is still in high school, and this novella shows us exactly how Christopher breaks her heart. We see how their secret relationship forms, how sweet it is at first, how addictive he becomes to her, and then how completely shattered she is when he chooses her brother, Luke, over her. Seeing that choice play out on the page hurts. You also get a glimpse of how much he torments her afterwards and how toxic their dynamic already is while they’re still growing up and becoming adults.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Now listen... this is not pretending to be a healthy relationship. It’s toxic. It’s spicy. It’s feral. It is a hot, problematic, delicious mess, and I ate it up. I was literally reading this thinking: inject this into my veins, into every pore, let me breathe this in. I loved Loving the Liar with my whole soul, and this novella was the perfect companion to it!

As I have alluded to before... I genuinely want to kick myself for not knowing this existed before I read Loving the Liar, because it would have taken that five-star read and turned it into an infinity-star experience!!!!!

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dark Romance
▶ Secret Society
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Brother's Best Friend Romance
▶ Age Gap
▶ Posessive, Obsessive MMC

and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Nicknames
▷ Dirty Talk
▷ "Mine"
▷ "Look At Me"
▷ "Not God...Me"
▷ "Tell Me to Stop"
▷ Spicy Locker Room Time
▷ "Good Girl"

𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨:
➢ Fun with Candy Canes
➢ Dubious Consent
➢ BDSM Elements (DDlg)
➢ Spanking
➢ Degradation and Praise
➢ Rides His Leg

BASICALLY If you like dark romance and you haven’t read anything by Lola King yet, start here. Read this first AND then go straight into Loving the Liar, and then come back and thank me. BECAUSE you will have just read one of the most addictive, toxic, unforgettable dark romances of your life!

You’re welcome!!!!!!!

[Grace Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was hot

[tane'a · Rating 5 out of 5]

lola king, you are a true gem to this earth, thank you😭

[L.C. Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a fan of novellas in general. I am most definitely not a fan of themed books, movies, sitcom episodes or the likes. And yet... For some reason, I got curious and clicked on this one when it popped on my feed.

Going over the reviews, I was (pleasantly) surprised to see how many spoke of the toxicity in what I would've expected to be a "cutesy" read. As someone who is always drawn to stories that explore (all types of) dysfunctional relationships, I was sold.

And here are my two cents:
A novella with "Merry Christmas" in its title had no business pulling such emotions out of me.
Reader, be warned, this is the type of story that will leave you with that empty feeling when you turn the last page... Not cool. And yet... brilliant.

I, too, have irrevocably fallen in the clutches of Chris Murray... And I anxiously await his return.

Well done, Ms. King, well done.

[bookluvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

ho ho heaux & ‘tis the season and all that

how fitting that i chose to pick up the book this novella is connected to on a whim yesterday, not knowing there was a holiday novella attached to it - anyways, it did eventually come to my attention that there issss this christmas-time smutty prequel setting up the main book and i quickly wanted to get it in before i got further into loving the liar. right time of the year for this, i suppose 😅

i mean - it was kinda hot 🤭. i’m generally not a fan of one of the primary kinks in here (dd/lg) so i couldn’t really get allll the way into that (no kink shaming, just not my fave). i actually found it funny more than anything, because this mf really wanted to be called “daddy” when he was the ripe old age of probably 18 initially 😂 it didn’t irk me as much as it normally would though, likely because this isn’t an age gap romance.

i liked this enough - it probably helps i was already into the main book, since on its own it doesn’t do all that much, but knowing there’s more story and being some ways into said story aided the ride.

and that christopher murray…he’s definitely a problem! (complimentary)

[Olga Rudnitska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Мені сподобалося
я хочу знати, що там далі
🍭

[khadeja · Rating 2 out of 5]

only lola king would have the balls to write about a ninth grader getting spanked by a twelfth grader who she calls daddy and label the book under romance

[mia:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

i wish i would’ve read this before i read ‘Loving The Liar’. i love chris and ella! they will forever be my favourite couple out of the silver falls series! 🖤

“You’re mine for however long I decide, Ella. When I want something, nothing can get in my way. Not your brother. Not the age difference. Not even you.”

[MARI · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I read this before loving the liar but it’s making me want to re read their book so bad.

Book 3 of the 24 readathon done in 1h 10m

[Sigal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Omw to pick up loving the liar 👋

[purlpur · Rating 3 out of 5]

це було гаряче, але так токсично і маніпулятивно, аж бісило 😡
хоча я походу ще та мазохістка, бо збираюсь прочитати повну історію елли та кріса 😅
не вірю, що у них може вийти щось нормальне у фіналі. хоч і очікую на купу виправдань і серйозних "причин" чому кріс так вчинив 😏

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am I crazy or was this titled “Merry Christmas From Daddy To Little One” when I added it to my TBR?

Anywho, this was a festive and fun and very spicy lil novella that left me on a cliffhanger. Kinda hate MMC (in a good way). Something’s wrong with me, yes I know.

🎄 Christmas setting
🔥 Brother’s best friend
⛓️ BDSM
💸 Billionaire family

[Medollga · Rating 2 out of 5]

the candy cane should've stayed in the kitchen 😩

[Daria Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

Авторка попередила, а я погодилась. Для свого жанру добре та інтригуюче. Хочеться дізнатися що відбулося далі.

[Brittany Ferraro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was already excited for loving the liar & this just amplified that x100
GIVE IT TO ME NOW *little grabby hands*

I gobbled up this little Novella & I think it was the perfect introduction to Chris and Ella‘s story, & it has me so eager to get into all the dirty details.

Lola doesn’t just write unhinged men , they go so much deeper than that. I can already tell that Chris is a master manipulator & he has molded Ella into his perfect little doll. I’m sure I’m gonna completely despise him before I completely fall in love with him. He’s got two completely different sides to him & I’m ready to unpack that 😂

“the moment he decided he wanted me. There was nothing I could do to stop it”

September 3rd can’t come fast enough

[cátia · Rating 3 out of 5]

read it in like an hour this morning so it was okay nothing out of this world, tbh it's too short so just a little introduction to ella and chris's journey so to prepare us for their actual book and im ready and scared their kink is not for me but haha let's go i do like them as characters so chris grow on me during jake and rose's stories let's see if he still grows or just meh haha ella is funny i really liked her in alex's book soo im excited and this little Christmas novella was insane and hot and short and im intrigued by them but also scared not gonna lie but let's go im ready!!

[Надія · Rating 4 out of 5]

Уф, сподобалось😈
Точно буду читати продовження

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a little embarrassed to say I loved this book more than I thought. A lil dark romance monster may be the result of this little novella.

[ya.vl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ну шо сказати це було дуже гаряче і дуже дуже токсично
Хмм вже так цікаво прочитати цілу книгу про них😍

[lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris is so toxic but I am no better than Ella it seems 🫩

I’m already obsessed with both of them already and need more 😭

I am wasting NO time to read their book lmao

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Rating: 5 🌟
Spice Rating: 4.5 🥵🔥

When I came across this on KU after finishing Lawless God, I quite literally passed out from excitement. I will eat up ANY extra stories and scenes of my loves Ella and Chris. I have a like such an attachment to these characters and their love story that I don't really understand it fully, but i am obsessed with them and they live in my heart. There actually hasn’t been a day since I read Loving the Liar I haven’t thought about them. I loved getting to go back to them and read a little bit about their past, prior to the story that goes down in Loving the Liar. Absolutely obsessed.

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a me thing. I'm disappointed in how our hero or daddy is. I felt so bad for Ella that her father is a dick who is making her change mangers to fit his secret society. Her ex is her brothers best friend who didn't choose her.
And didn't wanna tell her brother. So he's moved on and has a girlfriend (blah). Only good thing we didn't have to see it.
She's only having vanilla relationships with others.. cuz she can't do daddy/dom stuff with others.

He calls, and she's puddle for him. And when their time ends, he leaves to go back to his ex. He says he'll explain but honest. I'm not going to read it. ELLA DESEVERS BETTER!!
I'm not rooting for Chris he's someone I just don't vibe or like.
And it ends on a cliffhanger.. yeah, it's not a standalone.

So if you want to read this story, wait until it's a full one.


Recommend-no
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶

Pinning
Ex's
Praise kink
Dom/sub undertones
Daddy kink
Cliffhanger

[★ Reshika · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️/5⭐️

CHRISTOPER MURRAY I CLAIMED HIM FROM THE START
The silent ones are always the freakiest and oh lord Chris is so freaking hot and got a damn dirty mouth
This was such a short novella I can’t wait to read their story
There was already so much angst tension and drama
Chris he’s also so manipulative but he’s mine yall
Daddy Chris ftw him in spicy scenes I was a puddle reading it
Ella I like her character and I want to know more about their story!

REREAD
5⭐️/5⭐️

Had to reread because I was missing my babies so much and it was Christmas so I did a reread!
Still hits the same and I love them even more
Chris Murray the man that he is! He is daddy for a reason
It was so funny seeing my earlier notes while reading safe to say I am a simp for this manipulative cunning toxic but also the sweetest to Ella so obsessed and in love her! I love this man!

[🐚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

i can't believe that i fell in love with lola king's universe, bought all her books, read all her posts on instagram because of a book named "Merry Christmas From Daddy to Little One".. i started loving the liar few days ago after this one but now i have a whole universe to read? i'm the happiest girl in the world. i know i shouldn't love him but christopher is everything, i love my men manipulative i guess and i can't wait to read more about ella, luke and the whole thing about their circle.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Came for the daddy kink and stayed for the toxicity. I am desperate for Ella and Chris' full length next year. I will be stalking Lola's socials for any tiny little crumb she might treat us to whilst I wait v (im)patiently like Chris' good little girl.

[Ines Garber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Descubrí a esta autora en Instagram hace menos de una semana y sus libros me llaman mucho la atención, así que al ver que iba a sacar una novela corta, me pareció la ocasión perfecta para darle una oportunidad.

El problema es que, precisamente, pensaba que estaba leyendo una novela corta (porque así es como se vende) cuando en realidad es algo así como el prólogo de un spin-off de la saga Stoneview.

La novela está súper bien escrita y el spicy me ha parecido 10/10. La mezcla de degradation y praise ME ENCANTA, y también la parte del daddy kink que implica que él la cuide y se asegure de mantenerla feliz.

Pese a esto último, tengo que decir que lo que pone en las advertencias es cierto: Chris es tóxico y manipulador, así que cuidado. Lo bueno es que está muy bien construido y tanto la autora como los personajes son conscientes de lo que ocurre. Además, la forma en la que Ella reacciona me parecen comprensible, y para mí eso es lo que realmente hace que odie o ame un libro de este estilo: la reacción de la protagonista femenina (o la parte que no es manipuladora, por lo menos).

La cara que se me ha quedado al ver el To be continued… ha sido un poco épica porque ha sido como OYE ESTO NO ES PARA LO QUE HABÍA FIRMADO, pero me ha gustado mucho el estilo de la autora y ya tenía pensado leerme los otros libros, así que lo acepto jajaja.

Chris y sus red flags bien definidas

The moment he decided he wanted me, there was nothing I could do to stop it.
He wasn’t forceful about it. He was unapologetically smart. Softly controlling. He was flirting in a way that seemed so natural, I didn’t realize until it was too late. All I knew is that anytime he was close, I felt different. And anytime he showed he cared for me, I felt special.

I didn’t know how it happened, but somehow, he’d gotten me hooked up on his brand of caring. On his firm gentleness. On his low, soft voice.

I am not a quiet girl. I wasn’t back then either. Like my father always likes to say, I’m opinionated. I defend the people I love and the people who can’t defend themselves fiercely. I don’t keep my mouth shut. I’m not rude, but I’m not shy, not problematic but not compliant.
Forget about putting defenses up, he’ll tear them down. Carefully, with a beautiful smile on his face.

It’s not that I didn’t love the dress. It was a purple silk wrap-around dress, coming down just above my knee. It was sexy in a discreet and elegant way. It was what Chris Murray’s girlfriend would wear. It was beautiful.
But it wasn’t what I had chosen.
Which was the whole point for him. He wanted control.
And like the stupid girl I was. I gave it to him.
Okay. I shrugged like it was nothing. I put the dress on without fighting.
I made a big mistake.
But how was I supposed to know it was a terrible decision when in exchange for my agreement, he gripped my jaw gently, angled my head perfectly, leaned down, and murmured against my lips, you are such a good girl, Ella.
And he kissed me like he meant it, too.
From then on, everything I did was somehow directed by Chris.

He wasn’t ashamed of saying to my face that he was training me.

Did you let Sylvan Morte invite you to the ball?
My heart dropped to my stomach. The calmness in his voice when he was mad was terrifying, but I stayed strong.

That day, Chris showed me the limits I was testing. Proved there was no slack whatsoever on the leash he had wrapped around my neck.
That day, he introduced me to what happened when I wasn’t a good girl.

I don’t understand, I mumbled in shame.
That’s okay, he soothed me. I do. All you need is to put your trust in me.

And he tells me all about his pain as if I don’t have mine to deal with.

“You’re coming down, Sweets. Let me take care of you.”
There it is. That need he has to care. The desperation for him to make me feel loved, nurtured.
He breaks only so he can repair.
He shatters me to pieces so he can put me back together. He wants to control and possess.
He wants to know that he’s the only one who will tend to my needs from the most basic to the most shameful ones.

“How I survived four years without you is a mystery.” His breath fans over my face, and something hits me.
It doesn’t smell of alcohol.
At all.
I fall flat on my feet. He didn’t taste like someone who’s been drinking. Now that I think of it, before the shower, he didn’t smell of alcohol either.
“You’re not drunk.” I don’t need to ask. It’s obvious he’s not.
His brow furrows slightly, like he’s unsure how he should react. Honesty wins. “No, I’m not drunk.”
“But when you called…”
“I wasn’t drunk.”
“Then why did you? You only call when you’ve had too many drinks.”
He pauses, his eyes roaming over my face, a look of regret shadowing the gold in them. “Every time I called, you wanted to believe I’d been drinking. I went along with it. If you thought I was drunk, that I was just some desperate guy calling his ex after too many beers…if you felt sorry for me, then you’d stay on the phone.”
I try to step away, but he tightens his grip on my waist.
“You abused my compassion,” I grit out.
“I was desperate, Ella. Desperation makes you do stupid things.”
“I fucking know that. I’m the stupid girl who begged you to stay when you broke up with her. That’s desperation. You…you’re just some dude who can’t put up with his mistakes.”

Chris y lo que sí me gusta de él

Chris is known to be the calmest and nicest of their group of crazy bastards.
I love my brother, but he’s been a playboy for as long as I can remember, and the other two in their friendship group were the worst at getting in trouble. They like to think of Chris as the one who lays down the law. The one they can come to for advice. The protector. He was far from a virgin angel, but everyone in our school knew Chris as the nice one.

He’s always had that boy next door look. Too cute for the darkness he hides so well. Too handsome for the things he truly likes to do. The only element of his physique that reflects his soul is how tall and imposing he is. Larger than life, capable of protecting me from anything.

Despite his discretion and respect for the girls he slept with, the rumor mill never spared him, and I knew he wasn’t celibate. Far from it.

I came to learn being with a man that felt the need to protect and control came with perks I hadn’t thought of. Chris needed to know I was happy and safe. That included taking care of me, taking me shopping, making sure I was fed, happy, comfortable around him. It followed us to the bedroom too, he wanted me satiated. He never had an orgasm before I did. Everything was catered to make me the center of his attention. As long as I gave him what he wanted, and as long as I was a good girl for him.

I’ve lost this fight. I lost many fights tonight, but it scathes my throat to admit defeat on this one.
“One shower and you’re leaving.”
Finally getting the answer he wanted, he softens. His arms drop, his shoulders relaxing. It’s his brow scrunching with painful relief that gets to me. “Thank you,” he sighs. “Thank you, Sweets.”

I hate Chris, but I don’t hate that he remembers what my favorite weird Christmas sandwich is.
I hate him, but not that he noticed I was starving.
I don’t hate that he knows my favorite Christmas movie and that I like candy canes even though he hates them.
It’s hard to hate someone who loves taking care of you. It’s just too bad it comes with the rest of who he is. Possessive, controlling, desperate to hold my soul in the palm of his hand.
(Hay varias partes así, en las que Ella menciona lo bueno de Chris con un pequeño recordatorio al final de lo tóxico que es en realidad, y eso me encanta ♡)

It always shocks me how non-violent his gestures are. He doesn’t need to put strength in his acts, he just controls me with a bit of pressure and dirty words.

[bookishninaa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was toxic and i loved it!! No one told me it was just a sneak peak and their book comes out next year!!!!! I am so intrigued actually? Remind me when it’s outtt my daddy issues is thriving already.

[Bryanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

AGH! I didn’t realize this isn’t a standalone. I am unwell.

The spice in this book 👌🏻👌🏻🥵🥵🥵

• Holiday Novella
• He wants her back
• Daddy Kink
• Spanking
• Bondage