Thank goodness Christmas only comes once a year, because Barbara just wants to survive it and move on already.

Barbara’s year has not been going well. Both her parents died, she gained a lot of weight, and her husband left her. And now, she’s stuck attending a million holiday parties for work. . .with both her ex and his new girlfriend. She’s not feeling the holiday cheer, that’s for sure.

Bentley, on the other hand, has realized that while his life is pretty good, he really wants to settle down with an amazing woman. Unfortunately, while he’s a whiz at making money, he’s not so great at choosing people to date. He and his old friend Barbara make a deal. He’ll be her date to the dreaded holiday parties, and in exchange, she’ll help him weed through the dross to find the shimmering treasure he wants to build a life with.

It doesn’t take Bentley very long to realize that Barbara’s the one he wants, but she’s not as quick to believe that she’s good enough for the handsome billionaire Bentley. Can he convince her that she’s everything he needs in time to spruce up the holiday season? Or will her miserable year come to just as tragic a close?

This title was originally published as "Minted," but to bring the marketing in line with feedback about the story, the title and cover was changed.