Going Dutch

Holidates #14

by Garnet Christie

‘Tis the season to get steamy...

Blakely

In my experience, New Year’s Eve is light on kisses, heavy on questions.
If my mother feigns surprise while asking “No date again?”, I’ll shrivel up like the dry turkey leftovers we’ve been eating since November.

I don’t care who’s on my arm this holiday season, so long as he’s hot enough to get me through to January unscathed.

Problem is, this blind date is opening my eyes (and my legs) to desires I’ve never wanted to make permanent. But as we set the whole town to talking, my heart might upturn everything...

Finn

It seems I can’t be trusted with my own love life, so I’ve done what any good Dutch man would do — handed my dating profile over to my Tante (aunt).

Imagine my mortification when the goddess who turns up is the same woman I ran into this morning...as in, literally ran into. With a large hot coffee that made the very close acquaintance of her expensive blouse. Kill me now.

Thankfully, she’s not precious about her clothes — which is a good thing, because I can’t stop thinking about tearing them from her body.

This mouthy siren thinks she just needs a holiday fling, but I’m going to need longer than that to tick off everything on the “naughty” list...

Genres: Romance, Novella, Spicy, Adult

134 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 2, 2023

Reviews

[Drew the duck · Rating 4 out of 5]

23/12/22 I got an arc!




24/12/22 4 stars, rtc :)

25/12/22 This is my first time reading before publishing and I've had a blast, thank you to @fallencrestcrew on instagram and Garnet for giving me this oppertunity! I can't wait to upload my annotations when the book is released on January the 2nd!

This book
This fucking book
I'm obsessed



Literally everything is incredible. The characters are incredible. The storyline is incredible. And obviously, the smut is incredible. I read this cover to cover, took mean hour, I did not move, I did not realise time has passed, I did not have a change in focus from this book.

The only thing that didn't make this perfect were a few lines that made me cringe a bit but that's a personal issue and you should definitely still read this.


Pinterest board!

PLAYLIST:

Space song by Beach house (idk just the vibes)

S.L.U.T by Bea Miller

Therefore I am by Billie Eilish

Do I wanna know? by Artic Monkeys

12345sex by UPSAHL

Good in bed by Dua Lipa

Save your tears by the weeknd (IYKYK)

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blakely is single AF! She is a wham bam thank you ma’am, kinda woman because her work comes first and always will. With reason, shes worked stupid hard to get where she is in the tech world. She lets her sister set her up on a date she arranged through an app. After having enough of her mom & aunt call her out year after year for being single.

Finn is hot AF but his track record isnt great, his ex gf was carted away in handcuffs during a date! He allows his aunt to set him up on a date…

Issue: the morning of the blind date, Finn accidentally pours a cup of coffee all over Blakelys shirt at her place of work = Instant attraction & flirting. Now neither can get the other off their mind.

Easy fix because when they realise they see each other at the date meeting place the fireworks start!! Blakely can really hold her own too with her confidence!! Her witty banter is a perfect match for Finns personality. They bounce off each other. The Old Cabin scene. Damn can GC write smut 😮‍💨 My favourite part was B calling out her moms friend on the dancefloor. Bad ass!

This was so well written. The spice was nasty 👌🏼the pace was great. For a novella we got back story and character development. Id highly recommend & read more from this author.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @fallencrestcrew on Instagram for providing me the arc of the book.

Tropes:
✨Insta-lust
✨Holiday Romance
✨Quick burn
✨Novella

Blurb:
Blakely is a computer programmer, too busy with her job and has given up on finding "the one" and sticks to one night stands. Giving in to her mum and aunt's nagging, she agrees to go on a blind date.
Finn is a computer developer who has had too many bad dates, agrees to a blind date set up by his aunt.

My Opinion:
This is the first book that I've read from the author. This was a cute read for the holidays. I loved how both the characters are career determined. This book was equally spicy and sweet. Definitely recommend if you love insta-lust with quick read. Completed this in one sitting!!!

[meha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!!!

First off I would like to thank @fallencrestcrew on Instagram for providing me the arc of the book!

I really enjoyed this holiday novella! This is was my first book that I read by Garnet Christie and I really enjoyed her writing style and how she wrote the characters! This has the insta-love trope and I tend to not like that trope that much but in this story novella it was done right and i really didn't mind it! and yes this book was very steamy but it had so cute moments sprinkled throughout the novella! but to concluded this review I would like to say it was a very enjoyable read and I will be checking out more from this author in the near future. also at the end I really like how the author added the recipe for oliebollen which i'm definitely gonna be making one day because they sound and look very good!

[McKenzie Dew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going Dutch By Garnet Christie
✨ARC Book Review✨
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Releasing: 1/2/2023

“What’s life without some danger,”

This book was so much fun to read. Just what I needed to get me out of a reading slump!

I loved the meeting of the main characters, both the coffee incident and the blind date! I love how Blakely knows what she wants in her life and won’t stop until she achieves it. And Finn, he’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy!

I can’t wait to check out this authors other books! Because after reading this I know she will have some really good ones! I highly recommend this book especially if you love insta love, computer nerds, & spice.

Blurb:

Tis the season to get steamy...

Blakely

In my experience, New Year’s Eve is light on kisses, heavy on questions.
If my mother feigns surprise while asking “No date again?”, I’ll shrivel up like the dry turkey leftovers we’ve been eating since November.

I don’t care who’s on my arm this holiday season, so long as he’s hot enough to get me through to January unscathed.

Problem is, this blind date is opening my eyes (and my legs) to desires I’ve never wanted to make permanent. But as we set the whole town to talking, my heart might upturn everything...

Finn

It seems I can’t be trusted with my own love life, so I’ve done what any good Dutch man would do — handed my dating profile over to my Tante (aunt).

Imagine my mortification when the goddess who turns up is the same woman I ran into this morning...as in, literally ran into. With a large hot coffee that made the very close acquaintance of her expensive blouse. Kill me now.

Thankfully, she’s not precious about her clothes — which is a good thing, because I can’t stop thinking about tearing them from her body.

This mouthy siren thinks she just needs a holiday fling, but I’m going to need longer than that to tick off everything on the “naughty” list...

[thalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

received an arc in exchange for honest review🥂

just a disclaimer that i am not really a fan on instant love, however since it’s a novella it is expected. i personally love a good bone chilling slow burn😂

i did enjoy the way the author took time to show us the characters lives outside of their connection, however i didn’t expect the whole novella to take place in one day. i would’ve loved to see how the main characters explained their first date to their separate families, especially since the author did already set that foundation down for us readers. i also would’ve loved to see blakely bring finn to the new year’s party and see her family’s reaction to her finally having a date (i related to her family’s nagging about a bf so much😂 which is why i really wanted to see her get that moment for herself)

the sexual chemistry between them was 😏, but i will say i just was very thrown off when finn was made that comment about her returning the jacket with nothing underneath the first time they met like SIR UR BOLD😂😂

it’s definitely an easy fun holidate vibe read for anyone who just wants something quick and simple to read with a hot chocolate by your fireplace

[sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 / This arc was provided to me by @fallencrestcrew, in exchange for an honest review.

“Blakely,” he growls. “Do you like being choked?” 

I’m going to start this review off by saying that i’m usually not a huge fan of the insta love trope, but this novella honestly surprised me. The characters were pretty well written and I really liked both Blakey and Finn who’s a very hot dutch computer developer ;). The smut was incredible. Overall a great steamy holiday novella and I definitely recommend if you’re looking for a quick steamy read. x

[Bailey (Myveinsbleedink) · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off thanks to the author Garnet Christie and @fallencrestcrew on IG for an ARC.

This is the first Novella I’ve read before and truly enjoyed it. I typically go for a bit darker in the romance department BUT even though this book didn’t fit that category the steamy scenes went from 0 to 60 and I liked it!
The characters were lovable, storyline was cute and it was all around refreshing. A good palate cleanser if I may.

Pick this one up if you need a quick pick me up in the Happily Ever After department. It made my day!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Going Dutch was a fun, quick, and spicy read! Garnet Christie does a good job of compressing a story with full novel potential into a novella.

I'm not typically a fan of the insta-love trope, but this one made it super fun and exciting to read. The author does a great job of sending Blakely from strong, independent woman, to melting puddle of lust in a way that is both entertaining and believable. And with Finn as her date, who wouldn't be putty in his hands?!? He's handsome, flirtatious, and so in tune with Blakely's reactions to him, that it doesn't take long for him to realize that what she wants from a man is exactly what he needs to give.

Overall, this novella took me about an hour to read, and I found myself enjoying it the whole way through.

An ARC of this book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

[Char ღ Denae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a little tedious to me. I don’t know why because it was a good story, it just seemed to kind of drag on. I was also a little grossed out by the characters’ first “intimate encounter”. I love the series, though and most of the books are great. Insta-love, short, spicy, romcoms, with curvy, feisty heroines, and swoony heroes.

[Micheala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy received from the author. Voluntarily reviewing and all opinions are objective and my own.

I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it, which honestly, seems to be going along with the theme of my reading lately. This novella is fun, cute, sexy, and well written. Characters are fine. I couldn’t really connect well with them, but it’s a novella, so that kinda of stuff does matter to me less. It was a quick read.

What I didn’t like is that as hot as it was, this felt forced. This felt like something written for TikTok/BookTok. Like the author was working off a checklist. There’s a kink that the MMC mentions but then it’s never followed through on, and I feel like the sex went all over the place.

One thing that this author always includes in her books is a strong friendship for characters. Something I personally never look for in books, but this author’s books are always good at reminding me of that element of life, so it’s nice. But in a novella, it’s just a bit much and it had me getting bored. The main characters bump into one another, and then it’s an entire chapter of her and her friend, and then him and his grandmother, and then later his cousin. I get the set up for the arranged date, but in a short book, idk, it just felt long. Id rather there be more family-like stuff after the date, so we see the after in their relationship, then all this set up before.

All in all, cute read. And I learned some stuff about Dutch. So that’s always fun.

[Ary ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This Novella was IT!! Let me tell you.
I enjoyed it from the first word to the last.

We follow our computer programmer Blakely who lives in a small town in Washington and is tired of getting grilled about her love life from her family - enough that she lets her sister find her a blind date. Funnily enough in the same day a sexy stranger spills coffee on her new designer top.. now she's torn, go on her blind date or chase down her sexy stranger?

I won't say any more but trust me when I say it's worth the read.

It was short but so fun, I enjoyed every character honestly. Everyone was introduced well, even in a small amount of time I began to get attached to some of them.

The smut was brilliant and absolutely up my alley in terms of content, there is some BDSM involved so be warned if it's not your thing!

The flirty banter between the characters was great and it's something I enjoy so much in books like this. I love a little tease.

My only tiny nitpick was a very irrelevant plothole about panties.. but that's it.

All I can say is that I wish it was longer because I would absolutely love to see more of Blakely and Finn along with Blakely's sister as she is an absolute gem!

ARC given to me by @fallencrestcrew on Instagram and reviewed voluntarily by me.

[KrisB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC review, and this was the first book I've read by Garnet Christie, and I will be following her and reading her works, as I loved this Holiday Novella. Blakely is a computer programmer who is committed to her job and has no interest in a love life, however, her sister has other ideas and sets her up on a blind date. She runs into a hunk of a man, who spills her iced coffee on her very expensive blouse. She is enamored with the man and his beauty, and she almost bails on her blind date because of her attraction to the man. The same goes for Finn. He is the handsome Dutch gentleman that Blakely ran into earlier, whose Aunt set him up on the blind date after his disaster of a previously left him single and not wanting to mingle. The woman that he spilled coffee on runs through his thoughts all day, where he, too, almost cancels his blind date. As it turns out, they are each others blind date, and their connection is instantaneous. They find that they have many of the same interests, and the lust they have is hasty. Finn shows his dominant side as soon as sparks start to fly. Finn's dirty talk and the chemistry they have puts the spice level at a 4/5. Such an easy, sweet, and spicy read. Would love to read a full novel on these two.
Thanks @fallencrestcrew for this ARC.

[Jordan Zajac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much fun!!! I truly enjoyed every minute of it. The setting, the concept, the characters, the spice….it was all perfectly executed.

I’m typically not one for the insta love trope but I never knew it could be so well done with so much physical tension. The banter was immaculate and that’s something that usually lacks in this trope.

Blakely is so sassy and spunky. I absolutely adore her. She knows what she wants and she isn’t afraid to be herself in a town full of carbon copies.

Finn is so freakin sexy. His lines were *chefs kiss*. I loved when he spoke Dutch to Blakely and gave her nicknames in the Dutch language. Swoon worthy. Finn is quick witted and knows exactly what to say to get Blakely to fall speechless.

I absolutely loved their relationship and their banter. They are so cute together and probably one of my favorite couples that I’ve read about in a long time.

I really enjoyed this novella.

I was blessed to have received an arc.

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Disclaimer** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review

If you're looking for a spicy, quick, holiday adjacent read, then this is the book for you.

Going Dutch was a perfect mix of sweet romance and slightly darker interactions😏 I don't always love insta love, but in this case I think it was done right. Even though it was short, the characters were very flushed out. Blakely is a woman who knows what she wants and will do whatever she has to to get it. She's smart, hot, and maybe just a bit bratty😉 Finn is a big, nerdy teddy bear with a dominant side.

I loved seeing the relationships the main characters had with their family members. Side characters, and the interactions the MCs have with them, are always my favorite, and Garnet did not disappoint.

Big thanks to @fallencrestcrew on IG and Garnet Christie for the chance to read this early!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blakely is a computer programmer in small town Washington. Every year, her mom and aunt grill her about not having a date for the holidays. She’s finally annoyed enough that she lets her sister find her a NYE date on a dating app; however, her sister won’t let her see the guy ahead of time.

Earlier in the day, a man spills his iced coffee all over Blakely. While normally this would be extremely annoying, Blakely is immediately attracted to him. Too bad she has a blind date with another man that night…

Obviously, Blakely’s date ends up being iced coffee guy (Finn). The instant attraction and flirting can be a little cheesy, but also probably necessary in a short novella. The flirting, sexual tension and finally sex is hot though. Quick, fun read around the holidays!

[L.L. Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Headline: If I had a nickel for every time I said "sir!!!!" I would be rich!


Review:
I received an ARC copy of this book, and this is my unbiased opinion on Garnet Christie's "Going Dutch"

When I received a copy of this book, I was actually in a bad mood. However, this book really lifted my mood from the very beginning and kept my interest throughout. It's without a doubt, laugh-out-loud (perhaps even snort-worthy) funny and one of the sexiest stories I've read out there. I'm not even mad that it's shorter than I'm used to reading since the character and plot development was so on point. If you're looking for a book to read over the holidays, I highly recommend you read this one! I promise it would make you forget that you were pissed off about something!

[booksareblossom562 Raffaella Macor-Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going Dutch
By: Garnet Christie
4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4/5 🌶🌶🌶🌶

The love, at first sight, is on point in this book, this might have been a short, funny, spicy novella but nothing was missed. I love how the FC has that bold attitude, Blakley is smart and she is not afraid to go after what she wants. Even if her parents want her to settle. When her parents invite her to the family New Year party, she is set on bringing a date, even if it's a blind date that her sister set her up with. But she can't stop thinking about that guy who literally runs into her that morning before her blind date. When she is at the restaurant for her blind date, guess who shows up? The guy that literally run into her and dropped coffee on her! YUPP!!! She couldn't believe her luck!

This story was great! I wish it was longer because I really enjoyed it! The characters were funny and so easy to like. And I mean the chemistry they both had was fire. I really recommend this book if you need quick, smutty, funny read 💖

Thank you @fallencrestcrew on Instagram for the BOOK 😍😍💕

[Rabia isreadin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to fallencrestcrew for sending me tha ARC of this book! I appreciate it immensely.

There’s hardly a book i have DNF-ed before because there’s always something i like about a book but this… just wasn’t it. I understand that this was a novella and the built would be little but this had next to no built up. No character building, no background of the character building and the development just happened, out of the blues.

I was confused through out the novella and kept wondering what was happening. Also, who gets jealous on behalf of a girl HE JUST MET?
Weird, weird, weird.

Some people may like it and I don’t blame y’all you do you. But I didn’t.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine running into, literally, a person that you just feel an instant connection to, and not get there name. You spend the day thinking about them, all the while, you have a blind date that evening...

Finn and Blakely are both at points in there lives where they want more than just 1 night stands. They both have yet to find the person that understands there needs and wants suitable for a relationship. Until they meet there match.

This book is a quick little spicy read. The flirting, banter and story was cute. One of those when you know you know types of love.

I was gifted this story by @fallencrestcrew on IG for a review .Thank you!

[MollyMoo95 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to @fallencrest crew and @garnetchristie for giving me and arc of this to read! It’s my first book by the author but I loved this a heated holiday novella, with a confidence, powerhouse fmc and a mmc that doubles as a computer developer by day and an alpha male with an abandoned cabin kink by night.

Blakely and Finn’s chemistry had me on the edge of my seat. Whilst the smut rivalled the plot for most of the book, I really love the moments of care and deep conversation between the two, moments that balanced out the heat.

A definite read if you adore pure filth and mcs that render each other speechless!

[Kirsty Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Love Loved this little cheeky read!
Garnet Christie did a great job of packing in the hot and heavy as well as the cheeky little quirks of a budding relationship too!

Blakely is feeling the heat and the pressure from the family yet again due to being single on the run up to New years eve!

Who knew spilled coffee could be so hot? ...

Fast paced spice from the get go... Where can i get me a run down wood cabin ? Hot as hell!!

Love how she side multiple sides to the characters from the dominance and commanding attitude in both the MCs but also the vulnerable parts equally as much that made the characters seem far more real.

I usually steer clear of novellas as I hate the rushed storylines where it leaves far too much open to interpretation but Garnet Christie did not do that in the slightest and had me hooked and by the time the story closed i didn't feel cheated out of half a story.

Characters seemed so genuine, real and very current i loved it!

Will definitely be checking out more from this author!

ARC review.

[Melissa Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful read!

I'm not a Christmas or holiday book type of gal, but I will always drop everything I'm doing to read a Garnet Christie book, and I'm happy I did! This book was so refreshing. It was funny, cute. I loved the characters and how modern they were. I loved the banter, and I loved that they didn't just jump in the sack. I normally see relationships pretty rushed in novellas if they hadn't already known each other in the beginning, but this book doesn't make you feel that way. It also just felt real, like I might be able to meet these characters walking down the street one day. A solid 5/5!

[Kris A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun little blind date, holiday novella!

The chemistry between Blakely and Finn is so addictive! From their "meet-cute" moment to their festival shenanigans, i adored ever little interaction.

Blakely is intelligent and witty and confident in her future. Shes bratty and flirty and just so fun to read.
Finn is incredibly hot, no one can convince me otherwise. His infatuation with blakely and his intense need to make sure she's comfortable and safe is so swoon-worthy. Not to mention his love for his family and their traditions?! Cuuuute.

They are a geeky match made in heaven.

[Kiran · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️3.5🌶

Tropes:
-Insta-lust
-Holiday Romance

Blakely is our techy FMC that’s dedicated her life to work. New Year’s Eve is around the corner and Blakely needs a date to get her family off her back. Finn is the computer genius MMC that’s had horrible luck with women. After being set up on a blind date, sparks fly.

This novella was a cute, quick read. I read this in one sitting. Blakely’s sass and Finn’s teasing was the perfect combination. Both are strong characters with development. It was sweet with equal parts of spice.

[pageswithparis · Rating 4 out of 5]

first I would like to thank fallencrestcrew on IG for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

this was a new year’s eve novella & it gave me all the feels with just a hint of spice.
this was my first book by Garnet Christie & I enjoyed this one.
this is a story between Blakely & Finn.
Blakely knows exactly what she wants in life and is very single because of that. she also has worked her butt off and her job always comes first.
Finn is a hottie who is sweet and spicy with a not so great track record.

I can’t wait to check out more books by this author.

[Georgia♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun Novella! I loved the chemistry between Blakely & Finn and the way they met was predictable but that's what you expect when you read romance novels.

I just wish that this was a bit longer as I felt some things were rushed but overall I'd definitely recommend this if you're looking for a sweet, fun & spicy novella. (This pulled me out of my month long reading slump also🙊)

I cannot wait to read more books by @authorgarnetchristie !!

A massive thank you to @fallencrestcrew & @authorgarnetchristie for an ARC copy of this book.💛 Available now on Amazon!

[TheBookAddictBri · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a instant connection between the characters Blakely and Finn after they were set up on a blind date. This is a good holiday read even though it was quick. I do have to say I love how the author included dutch language & dutch music & food it really brought the book together more with the title. I honestly wish this book was longer but I knew going in it was a novella.

This is an ARC review.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really didn’t expect to like this as much as I did - I’m not a massive fan of insta-love and by their nature that’s what novellas tend to entail. But this felt like it unfolded naturally, with two main characters that I really liked. I quickly found that I was rooting for them to get together. The first half of the book gave me cosy, Christmas market feels. The second half of the book is pure spice and very hot! Think 50 Shades but done right! Highly recommend if you want a quick spicy read.

[Shayna Astor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hit by Garnet Christie!

This book was a great and short read. I love that she can take on both slow and fast burn relationships.

Finn and Blakely were so fun together, they had amazing banter. And the spice. WHEW!

I loved how the holiday was not your typical New Year's Eve celebration, but something a little different with a nice showing of traditions.