The Christmas He Claimed the Secretary

Caitlin Crews

Nov 2022 · The Outrageous Accardi Brothers Book 1 · Sold by Harlequin

About this ebook

Their relationship may be pretend, but their chemistry can’t be faked. USA TODAY bestselling author Caitlin Crews delights with this convenient holiday relationship romance.

A show for the cameras
A desire that’s not just for Christmas!

Annie Meeks has given up her dreams in order to shoulder her sister’s debt. But one chance meeting with smoldering Tiziano Accardi and suddenly the life she’s always imagined is within reach…if she’ll play the role of the billionaire’s mistress.

To avoid the marriage being foisted upon him, playboy Tiziano needs to manufacture a love affair. Innocent secretary Annie is the perfect candidate for his ruse. Yet he’s wholly unprepared for the wild heat that rises between them… which he must attempt to restrain before it devours them both!

From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.

Read all The Outrageous Accardi Brothers books:

Book 1: The Christmas He Claimed the Secretary
Book 2: The Accidental Accardi Heir

Ratings and reviews

A sweet Cinderella story Tiziano comes from ancient family money, the second son without all the responsibilities of the heir, a playboy who has become accustomed to his very privileged life. But when his older brother wants to arrange his marriage, and he runs into a feisty secretary in the stairwell who is the first woman not to fall at his feet, he figures that he can use her to convince his brother he's not marriage material. Annie, for her part, quickly agrees to accept the huge financial incentive to play along, and soon is swept into a world of exclusive restaurants, charity galas, paparazzi, and designer fashion. What could possibly go wrong? What Tiziano never saw coming is how Annie, unencumbered by the public adoration of billionaires, immediately sees through his public persona and treats him as the ordinary human that he is. Refreshing as that may be, it's also quite jarring and he at first doesn't know what to do with her. I enjoyed the push-pull as he fights his attraction to her honesty and simple values, while she strives to make sure this experience doesn't change who she is at her core. It wouldn't be a Harlequin if it didn't have a splendid HEA, but I didn't really feel Tiziano falling in love as much as I'd wished. I did love the way Annie took charge at the end, forcing him to meet her on her terms, breaking down any remaining walls between them. Caitlin Crews is always an author worth reading, and this book is no exception. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

The Christmas He Claimed the Secretary by Caitlin Crews, book one in The Outrageous Accardi Brothers series, is a classic rags to riches story with a familiar theme of a billionaire and fake mistress but it becomes so much more. Annie has had to drop out of her History of Art degree and work as a secretary to pay off credit card debt racked up by her sister stealing and using her credit card before fleeing to Australia. Tizanio has helped build a family empire but his reputation as a womanizer h

This was a wonderfully emotional read. A simple business arrangement turns into so much more, but our couple isn’t familiar with their feelings, so they miss it. That doesn’t matter though, because they continue to play their parts while falling deeper and deeper for each other. Loved this fish-out-of-water story, her for the lifestyle, him for the emotions. The characters were evenly matched in temperament and wit, making their interactions very interesting! A great read

About the author

USA Today bestselling, RITA-nominated, and critically-acclaimed author Caitlin Crews has written more than 130 books and counting. She has a Masters and Ph.D. in English Literature, thinks everyone should read more category romance, and is always available to discuss her beloved alpha heroes. Just ask. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her comic book artist husband, is always planning her next trip, and will never, ever, read all the books in her to-be-read pile. Thank goodness.