Ladling with Luke: Lakeside Ranch Book One

By D E Bartley

A festive contemporary romance about workplace rivals roped into faking a happy couple over Christmas. Fake dating, one bed and ranch-family warmth combine in a sweet, food-filled holiday romcom.

One Fake Girlfriend. One Family Christmas. One Very Real Problem.

Elli has been looking for a place to call home for as long as she can remember. When a job offer takes her from the UK to Chicago, she doesn't look back.

Then she's paired with her usual rival, Luke, over the festive holidays, and the last thing she expects is an invitation to spend Christmas with him and his family on their ranch in Alabama. Elli reluctantly agrees. There's just one problem: his parents think they're dating.

Sharing a room and playing the perfect couple, the flirtatious rivals grow closer with every family recipe and holiday tradition, and Elli begins to see there's more to her friendly cowboy than she first thought. It's not only in the kitchen that things are heating up, and admitting that could cost her the closest thing to home she's ever had.

Perfect for fans of Lucy Score, Tessa Bailey and Penny Reid.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1036733858
• ISBN13: 9781036733858
• Release Date: August 2026
• Publisher: Vinci Books Ltd
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.1" x 7.8"