The Christmas Dare: A Best Friends to Lovers Christmas Rom Com

by Brooke Stanton

Getting dumped at Christmas wasn’t in Holly Winter’s holiday plans—neither was sharing a cabin with her off-limits best friend, Finn Parker.When Holly’s boyfriend breaks up with her via text four days before Christmas, she does what any self-respecting rom-com enthusiast would retreats to her favorite mountain town to binge Hallmark movies and wallow in holiday misery. The only problem? Her best friend Finn Parker—who just broke up with his girlfriend—had the same idea.

Now they're stuck sharing a cabin with a broken heater, twenty years of complicated history, and enough sexual tension to melt a snowman. It doesn't help that their favorite childhood game of Truth or Dare quickly turns from innocent to something decidedly more adult.

Between hilariously disastrous attempts at writing each other's dating profiles, game-changing truths, and one freezing night where skin-to-skin contact may be their only defense against the cold…and their self-control— Holly's starting to wonder if the only thing worse than being dumped at Christmas is risking her heart on someone whose mixed signals are as mysterious as his year-long absence from her life.

But with secrets threatening to unravel their carefully wrapped history, and every fight bringing them closer to either breaking apart or breaking through walls, Holly's discovering that sometimes the scariest part isn't the fall—it's the moment before you jump.

The Christmas Dare is a steamy holiday rom-com about best friends, second chances, and what happens when truth or dare goes very, very wrong (or maybe exactly right). It's part of the Christmas Quickies series—spicy reads you can devour in a few bites. Perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey, Christina Lauren, and anyone who's ever wondered what happens after the Hallmark movie ends. Binge it now!

Contains deliciously explicit content, steamy confessions, and enough Christmas spirit to power the North Pole.

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Read what everyone’s saying about The Christmas

“Cute, fun, sparkly, and a little spicy. This book was great! It read like a novel but was short like a novella. Arguments, kisses and adult fun time oh my! lol. Definitely recommend.” Bookbub reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Christmas Dare by Brooke Stanton is a wonderful holiday read. Wonderful characters, good world building, romance, friendship, spice, humor and great writing makes this a story worth a read.” Kindle reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The story is fast paced, and the author has done a great job of creating an interesting plot and characters. I recommend this book for readers that like spicy holiday romance stories.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This book was amazing. It has a lot of emotions but a lot of other things like sass and chemistry for example. Spoiler alert - definitely has a HEA!! I definitely recommend this book to others but make sure you have tissues available and no plans as you won't be able to put the book down.” Kindle reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A truly fun, quick read for a cozy treat…” Kindle reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: Christmas, Friends To Lovers, Forced Proximity, Second Chance

103 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 2024

About the author

Brooke Stanton is an award-winning and #1 bestselling author of contemporary and historical romances. When she's not writing she loves reading, hiking, running, and taking pictures of her Russian Blue cat. Stalk her here for book news and other fun stuff:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3jcjJtM
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Reviews

[Gracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

1 star + ⭐️ because I liked the idea

I really wanted to like this. So much so that I downloaded all 3 books to read…

It really missed the mark for me 😭
The concept was great & I really liked the Truth or Dare games they played… however I fear this book did not go through an editing process. Quite a few times I felt like I had flipped back a page instead of flipped forward because paragraphs were repeated almost verbatim.
You’re my best friend, I hate you & don’t trust you… but also you’re the only person in this world that I trust… but do I trust you? I do trust you…. I love you… All within 5 paragraphs.

[Dan (mylilyotv) · Rating 2 out of 5]

well this book was quite a mess 😅 also ew at miscommunication trope it annoys me so much

[Haney Hayes Promotions · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Christmas Dare is a sweet, cozy holiday romance that delivers all the warmth and charm you want from a seasonal read. Holly and Finn—childhood best friends turned newly single adults—end up sharing a remote cabin right before Christmas after both suffer painful breakups. What starts as an emotional escape quickly turns into something deeper as old feelings rise to the surface.

The holiday setting is one of the book’s strongest features. The snow-covered cabin, quiet nights, familiar traditions, and forced proximity create the perfect backdrop for emotional vulnerability and romance. Holly’s emotional growth feels honest, and Finn’s steady, supportive presence makes him an easy hero to root for. Their history adds depth to every interaction, and the banter between them is natural and endearing.

The Truth-or-Dare element is a fun way to break down walls and push both characters toward honesty. It creates awkward, emotional, and sometimes tender moments that move the relationship forward without rushing it. The pacing is well-suited for a shorter romance—never dragging, but still giving the emotional beats room to land.

While the plot follows familiar holiday romance territory, it never feels dull. A few conflict resolutions felt a bit convenient, which kept this from reaching full five-star territory for me, but the overall experience is heartwarming and satisfying.

The Christmas Dare is the perfect read if you’re craving a cozy, emotional friends-to-lovers story wrapped in Christmas magic.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, Fun, Sparkly & A Little Spicy

This book was great! It read like a novel but was short like a novella. She gave you their history intermixed with their present.

You got to watch her realize her feelings for him aren’t as platonic as she let herself believe and you got to watch him show her he loves her (through her eyes only though as this is a single POV book).

Their story was a lot of fun. We didn’t get to see their love blossom per se but we got to see it being weeded and brought out in the open.

Arguments, kisses and adult fun time oh my! lol

Definitely recommend

[Kayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ngl this was bad. Not like funny bad either. Just bad. The whole thing with him ignoring her for a year after her dad died and then the immediate forgiveness? Wtf? It also had an editing problem. Holly found out that Chelsea found the note twice?? I had to go back and reread the page before because I thought my kindle glitched. Overall, not a good book. It simultaneously gave me whiplash from going so fast and was so boring. The only reason I didn’t DNF was because it was 103 pages and took me like an hour to read. Oof.

[Kryztle | kryztlereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a steamy friends to lovers novella! The characters were relatable and funny. I look forward to reading more from Brooke!

Holly and Finn have been best friends for over 20 years. When they both go through breakups before Christmas, Holly goes to their co-owned family cabin to wallow & Finn shows up. They decide to spend Christmas together like they did as kids and he tries to help get her get past her breakup.

[Pixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you need a fast read with holiday vibes and friends to lover romance this one a good one 🎄

[Sharon Akshar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the story 'The Christmas Dare' by Brooke Stanton. It was about a man and a woman who had grown up together and had always been the best of friends until they realized they wanted more than friendship. It took them forever to be able to realize it to themselves and even longer to be able to voice their true feelings to each other. Holly and Finn are at their cabin that the two families co-own. Holly was there because her ex had broken up with her in a text and she was on the couch watching Hallmark Christmas movies when Finn arrived unexpectantly at the cabin. Holly was upset with him because she hadn't seen him in a year. During that year, her father had died and that was when she realized she needed Finn more than ever and just how much he meant to her. Finn was slightly shocked as he realized the depth of his feeling for Holly, and he was afraid to confront her with it and risk losing her friendship if he was turned away. So, while they were at the cabin together, they had to bring all their fears and feelings out in the open and confront them.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sheila M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Christmas Dare is a hot little tale about Holly and Finn, best friends for twenty years, who are both recovering from a breakup. Being like-minded, they individually head for their co-owned family cabin in the mountains to spend Christmas. Now they are stuck in a cabin and are forced to finally talk about their history and their feelings toward each other. The tension from their complicated feelings for each other is a simmering fire that eventually becomes a flaming inferno when they play a game of Truth or Dare and truths about their friendship are revealed.

Their stay in the cabin is an opportunity for a second chance between the two, and is steamy and fun, keeping your attention from the first page to the last. The author’s descriptive prose makes you feel their fear about confronting their feelings and the passion between the MCs. The story is fast paced, and the author has done a great job of creating an interesting plot and characters. I recommend this book for readers that like spicy holiday romance stories.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars for Finn and Holly's story. This has some humor, arguments, a game, and some holiday spice.

Finn and Holly have been best friends for 20 years. When tragedy struck Holly's life, Finn didn't show up for her and that left her devastated. Both had been dating other people but then Holly's boyfriend broke up with her by text and Finn ended his relationship.

Being so close to Christmas and with her Mom and Finn's mom off celebrating the holiday elsewhere she goes to the shared family cabin to heal. Finn shows up unannounced. The two start up a game of Truth or Dare. It's through this game that they learn the true reason they end up there together.

There was a lot to unpack in this short story. It was well written even if I'd have preferred there to be less drama/arguing and more "happy times". These two characters were well done and had a long history. I liked how the story ended up but I felt like I still wanted more.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Christmas Dare by Brooke Stanton is a wonderful holiday read. The writing is well done with an infusion of friendship, fun, humor, steam, and the holidays. Holly and Finn have been friends for years, but each have had their own journeys in life as well. However, when they bring that friendship to a new level, it provides many adventures for sure. The truth or dare game really adds a charm to the story that this reader loved. Two close friends, discovering more about one another in a playful way brought them even closer together. This story covers emotions, their friendship, and life is such a way that is engaging and drew this reader into it from the start. Wonderful characters, good world building, romance, friendship, spice, humor and great writing makes this a story worth a read.

[D. Thrush · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a short, steamy Christmas novella. Holly and Finn’s mothers bought the cabin together and they have many holiday memories there. They’ve each just had relationships end and head to the cabin for Christmas. Conveniently, their families are off doing other things which leaves them alone. They’ve had crushes on each other for years. But what bothered me was the dark vibe I got off Finn. His eyes always get “dark” and he gets rough with Holly and makes decisions without her input, coming off as controlling. Stanton seems to think this is romantic and sexy and so does her character. This novella was well written, but some of it didn’t feel right. I have to downgrade my rating for that.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5* - Rounded up to 5...

Brooke Stanton did a great job with the feel of this Novella. The pacing was great, and didn't feel rushed. And we really got a sense of the characters as well. You get a great look into Holly's mind, and you can really feel her emotions, etc.

Finn was also a great character, and I loved how his character is revealed as Holly allows herself to acknowledge truths that she's been avoiding to try and make her life seem better...

Their spark was great, and I enjoyed their interactions. The passion was also great and added that something extra to their story.

A truly fun, quick read for a cozy treat...

I received a free copy of this book through StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anne Whitcomb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I loved the concept of the childhood friends to lovers feel. I think the best relationships start as friends and together they build a strong foundation. I think in this book I did feel the chemistry and I did see the foundation that was built between them. What bothered me about his book had more to do with word choices and editing. I felt like there were areas that were just repeated and the same words were used. I also liked the slight BDSM aspect of the story but wish it had been expanded on more. Honestly, I think this would have been better as a longer novel and with more fleshed out details. I really liked the main characters and felt like they were pretty relatable.

[Opinionated · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out enjoying the story until the end of chapter 8. From chapter 9 on I felt like I was reading a different book and the characters had changed so dramatically.
The end of the book seems to be rushed, too, with jumps between scenes where one minute they are engaging in indoor 'play' in Winter, then Finn storms off, then Holly chases him outside, IN THE SNOW, and drops to her knees and pops Mr Winky out, IN THE SNOW, and tries to make Finn 'feel good'.
Another time, Finn is giving Holly fellatio with her sitting on his face but the next page has him 'pushing in from behind' with no mention of a position change.
A solid 3 stars from me.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute and fun story.

Finn and Holly have been best friends for years. They have lost contact, however, find themself stuck together over the holidays. This seems to be a set up by their mom's since they are both going through relationship issues.

They find themselves playing truth or date and let's just say we learn A LOT from them. They really go in for the kill on some of the truths and some of the dares definitely carry the heat.

Have they always been what the other needed?

If you are looking for something for the holidays to read- this is a good one. It is short, sweet and to the point.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

They've been friends forever but have never taken the steps to being more than. When they break up with their respective partners, they end up at the same place for the holidays. Their forced proximity prompts insights neither ever suspected and maybe, just maybe, the chance to be more than friends.

I enjoyed this holiday romance. It was mildly humorous but sweet and spicy. Definitely worth the read and a terrific into a new-to-me author.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long time friends spend Christmas together. This is a sweet bad timing situation. The world and character building is great. The pillow fort in front of the fireplace was funny. I found myself rooting for the couple. A couple of times I thought the timing was off - but it is a fictional book - it is fun and little hot and totally enjoyable book.

[DaniReads12 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you looking for a story with all the Christmas feels?
This is your read.

Holly and Finn’s story will live rent free in my mind. You can feel the chemistry pouring out the pages. Their stay in the cabin is an opportunity for a second chance between the two, and is steamy and fun, keeping your attention from the first page to the last.

[Alyssa Kay · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star

Oh my god this was hard to get through and it’s literally only 100 pages. I only pushed through because I need to reach my reading goal. I did not like the FMC at all and this definitely needed an editor because why are we repeating conversations word for word as if the first conversation didn’t happen 5 pages ago.

[Abbey Wales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)
Dove into The Christmas Dare by Brooke Stanton this morning such a sweet festive novella filled with cosy cabin vibes, best‑friend tension and a game of Truth or Dare that turned seriously delightful. From break‑ups to blazing fireplaces, it had all the holiday charm I craved 🎄🔥
Hands down a fun read to lighten my mood and carry me into the season.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just wanted a little plate-cleansing Smut-Snack, but this was quite it.

Also I hate miscommunication trope and only slightly more than the “I’m leaving cause will only I hurt you” trope. Plus how the MC immediately turns her around during sex, got weird after the first time.

Plus this needs some big time editing 😬

[Angie S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some areas where it seemed like in reality they wouldn't really be fighting. Also I get the fantasy thing but it was very jarring in the story. Glad I read it but I don't know if I would be quick to recommend.

[Debbie Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I liked how drunken note finds its way to the one it was meant for. It might have taken time but it was good that Holly and Finn finally admit they love each other.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book I've read written by Brooke Stanton; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

This is part of the Christmas Quickies Series; it is a stand-alone short story. The story is about Holly & Finn.

[Rachel Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friends to lovers romance, the story of Holly and Finn. Both newly single this holiday season, will they become more than friends?.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is friends to lovers sweet romance.
Do you remember game true or dare ?
This is the story base on.They were friends like forever but never really admitted that could be more.
It’s happening around Christmas time so it’s even more interesting.

[Megan]

DNF @ 8%
It’s labeled a “best friends to lovers” but it’s more like “we were close as kids but not anymore.”

Just not the vibe I was looking for, and the writing isn’t good enough to pull me in and see if I’ll like their dynamic or not.

[Tcozybookcorner · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 /3⭐️ {Kindle}
Novella and on KU. Cabin in Vermont. If you are looking to squeeze in another holiday read this one is only 100pgs or so. Breakups, miscommunication, Truth or Dare. Friends-to-lovers.

It's cute, but nothing deep. Definitely packs some steamy holiday spice.

[Jordan McCarson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a steamy holiday novella that got the job done. It was cute but the edit I read was repetitive. It didn’t take away from the story though! I did like Finn and Holly and I just know they had harbored feelings all that time. Sometimes best friends are more 😍