Christmas

One Small Secret

One Small Secret

  • Downloads：7131
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-11-15 14:21:35
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Esther Hatch
  • ISBN：B0CH1SZJ11
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

Ruben Palmer is on every woman’s Christmas wish list。 Except mine。

I grew up with him and bested him in practically everything we did together–debate， grades， mini-golf， you name it。 So I’ve built an immunity to his boy-next-door charm。 Sure， sometimes I might accidentally type his name into my search engine， but his dimples， hotel empire and thirst-trap photos don’t tempt me。 I’ve got my sights set on earning my way to the top of the Palmer Hotel empire， and nothing is going to get in my way。

Until my step-sister leaves her secret toddler with me before skipping town for three months。 Now suddenly everyone thinks he’s mine， and instead of powering my way to the top， I’m struggling to not get fired。 And instead of Ruben staying on the executive floor where he belongs， he’s invading my apartment， breaking dates with starlets， and looking disappointed that I decided to settle down with anyone except him。

But I know Ruben， and Ruben doesn’t settle down。 So there's no way I’m giving him my heart。 Not even for Christmas。



**One Small Secret is inspired by the classic films， Bachelor Mother and Bundle of Joy， and is part of the Gift-Wrapped Romance series。 All five cozy Christmas novels can be read in any order。

Cabin Crush by Kasey Stockton

Merry Kismet by Anneka R。 Walker

Solo for the Season by Martha Keyes

One Small Secret by Esther Hatch

Jingle Bell Jilt by Mindy Burbidge Strunk

Download

Reviews

Monica Hansel ，

3。5

Amber ，

Whirlwind So lovely。 This one makes you smile， for sure。 It is a fast-paced fake to real relationship。 Clean， contemporary romance。

Eli ，

Funny story， her sister is so unlikable though。

Mindy ，

I am really enjoying the books I have read in the Gift-Wrapped Romance Series。 And I am a big fan of Esther’s books。 There are some great tropes in this book that I enjoyed。 I really liked that Ruben was the one that fell first。 I enjoyed the connection between the town and Cadence and Ruben’s families。 There is a fun connection with the mysterious “MRS” like in Anneka R Walker’s book MERRY KISMET。 And I am always on board for a friends to more trope。 I really enjoyed Christmas Eve Cadence and R I am really enjoying the books I have read in the Gift-Wrapped Romance Series。 And I am a big fan of Esther’s books。 There are some great tropes in this book that I enjoyed。 I really liked that Ruben was the one that fell first。 I enjoyed the connection between the town and Cadence and Ruben’s families。 There is a fun connection with the mysterious “MRS” like in Anneka R Walker’s book MERRY KISMET。 And I am always on board for a friends to more trope。 I really enjoyed Christmas Eve Cadence and Ruben spent together and little Axley was so sweet。 The events that took place after were fun to read。 There were some funny and endearing moments in this book。 Cadence was written well and she was so funny。 I was laughing many times throughout reading。 I received an eARC from the author all views and opinions expressed are mine。 。。。more

Happy Reading Watching ，

Sweet Holiday Romance If you enjoy。。。。ShortFast-paced stories Sweet Romances Holiday/ Christmas readsHEA Then I recommend this novel and the rest in the series 🎄🎁🎅🤶

Sandra ，

In One Small Secret， Cadence Crane returns from working on a new hotel in Vietnam。 She finds that the Palmer Hotel empire has had some changes since she left。 On top of that， her stepsister leaves a small bundle for her to take care of。 Misunderstandings， miscommunications， and hilarious circumstances emerge in this fun new romance from Esther Hatch。 I love the fun dialogue and chaotic situations that the characters find themselves getting into。 This is a fun Christmas read。 It was a cute， clean In One Small Secret， Cadence Crane returns from working on a new hotel in Vietnam。 She finds that the Palmer Hotel empire has had some changes since she left。 On top of that， her stepsister leaves a small bundle for her to take care of。 Misunderstandings， miscommunications， and hilarious circumstances emerge in this fun new romance from Esther Hatch。 I love the fun dialogue and chaotic situations that the characters find themselves getting into。 This is a fun Christmas read。 It was a cute， clean， and cozy romance that's perfect for the holiday season。 I was given a complimentary ebook to read， however， this is my honest opinion。 。。。more

Katie （hiding in the pages） ，

There's nothing better than a sweet and swoony Christmas romance！Cadence has been in a fierce competition with Ruben for most of her life and now she's back in the same company building， vying for a place at the top， until she discovers a little bundle of a surprise named Axley that her step-sister leaves behind。I would have loved to see this story in a dual POV so I could get right into Ruben's head。 He was an enigma for the first part of the story and I was very intrigued by his character， but There's nothing better than a sweet and swoony Christmas romance！Cadence has been in a fierce competition with Ruben for most of her life and now she's back in the same company building， vying for a place at the top， until she discovers a little bundle of a surprise named Axley that her step-sister leaves behind。I would have loved to see this story in a dual POV so I could get right into Ruben's head。 He was an enigma for the first part of the story and I was very intrigued by his character， but boy， oh， boy was I completely surprised by him and his true self。 The hesitant banter and witty connections， along with the delicious Christmas kisses， were as decadent as a box of expensive holiday chocolates， and Hatch writes them oh， so well。One little secret。。。well， there were several secrets that all added up to a delightfully charming holiday romcom that stole my heart， wisps at a time。Things to love:🎄celebrity romance🤶🏻Mrs Claus magic🎄"single parent"🎄enemies-to-love🎄second chance🎄SWOON galore🎄Teen Heartthrob smile🎄difficult word definitionsContent: mild+ romance （kisses， implied relations， light innuendo）*I received a complimentary copy。 All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given。* 。。。more

Liz ，

My cheeks hurt from all the smiling。 Such a cute story。 A new Christmas fave

Sylvia ，

I’m so excited Esther Hatch is branching out into contemporary romance！ One Small Secret is a short and sweet holiday novella， plus it’s super romantic。 Although the swoon was *chef’s kiss*， I felt that the plot was a bit too jumbled for a book of this length。 I also wanted more background on Cadence and Ruben。 But like I said， I’m always excited to read any book by Esther， and I hope she writes more contemporaries in the future！ 3。5/5 starsI received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions I’m so excited Esther Hatch is branching out into contemporary romance！ One Small Secret is a short and sweet holiday novella， plus it’s super romantic。 Although the swoon was *chef’s kiss*， I felt that the plot was a bit too jumbled for a book of this length。 I also wanted more background on Cadence and Ruben。 But like I said， I’m always excited to read any book by Esther， and I hope she writes more contemporaries in the future！ 3。5/5 starsI received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more

Melissa’s Bookshelf ，

There are very few authors who can rival Esther Hatch in writing kissing scenes！ Get ready to swoon， sigh， and laugh as you read this fun modern day romcom。 One Small Secret oozes charm， wit， and romance with a unique plot and sweet Christmas story that’ll warm your heart。 Cadence is back from three years of working in Vietnam。 She was sent there by the irresistibly handsome Rueben Palmer， her former childhood friend/rival now millionaire boss。 While she still likes to keep tabs on her old frien There are very few authors who can rival Esther Hatch in writing kissing scenes！ Get ready to swoon， sigh， and laugh as you read this fun modern day romcom。 One Small Secret oozes charm， wit， and romance with a unique plot and sweet Christmas story that’ll warm your heart。 Cadence is back from three years of working in Vietnam。 She was sent there by the irresistibly handsome Rueben Palmer， her former childhood friend/rival now millionaire boss。 While she still likes to keep tabs on her old friend， she doesn’t see why every woman in the office is in love with him。 When she literally bumps into him， the sparks fly。 Cue the witty banter and hilarious situations。 On top of reconnecting with her old rival， Cadence is surprised by an unexpected pre-Christmas gift。 She’s now caring for her little nephew who everyone thinks is hers。 When Rueben pays a visit on Christmas Eve bearing gifts， the attraction sizzles between them。 Will an unexpected gas station gift purchased from a mysterious older female clerk （who looks a lot like Mrs。 Claus） carry a little Christmas magic to bring these two together？I loved this story！ It had a fresh， fun plot that really drew me in and kept me hurriedly flipping the pages。 Not only were there amazing kissing scenes （just kissing）， but I loved the history between these two and how past misunderstandings were resolved。 Having this book take place during the holidays was just icing on the cake！ I loved Christmas Eve， New Year’s Eve in New York， and all the adorable scenes with Axley。 （Don’t you just love it when you have a cute guy acting so tender & sweet with a baby？！）I’m looking forward to more romcoms from Esther Hatch！ This is definitely one funny， creative Christmas romantic comedy you don’t want to miss。 Though it’s part of the Gift Wrapped series， each book is meant to be read as a standalone。 I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author。 All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided。 。。。more

Meredith ，

Workplace， second chance， small town， single parent， friends to more， billionaire romance and fake dating。 I am not sure Esther Hatch couldve added more if she tried！I loved this cozy Christmas read， full of Christmas spirit， romance， and conversation。 Like everything Esther writes， the chemistry is on point and the banter makes you want to read more， even once they have their HEA。Go ahead，  check it out。 And have a Merry Christmas， anytime of year。

Ashley Johnson ，

I have long been a fan of Esther Hatch， so when I heard she was writing a contemporary romance I could not be more excited！ This Holiday romance was quirky and fun with characters whose chemistry was off the charts in true Esther Hatch fashion。 I loved the sparring banter！ Cadence and Ruben’s chemistry was like a magnet just pulling me further into the story。 This author can most definitely write the kind of kissing scene that gives all the sizzle without the spice if you know what I mean！ The p I have long been a fan of Esther Hatch， so when I heard she was writing a contemporary romance I could not be more excited！ This Holiday romance was quirky and fun with characters whose chemistry was off the charts in true Esther Hatch fashion。 I loved the sparring banter！ Cadence and Ruben’s chemistry was like a magnet just pulling me further into the story。 This author can most definitely write the kind of kissing scene that gives all the sizzle without the spice if you know what I mean！ The plot was unique and included some favorite tropes， but tackled them in an out of the ordinary way。 It kept the story from becoming predictable which was great！ When Cadence and Ruben are on the page the sparks just fly！ The last chapters of this book are just giddy happy romance squeal good！ I will not spoil， but there might be a happily ever after。 If you are looking for a light and romance filled Holiday read this one would be a great addition to your reading list！ 。。。more

Marilee ，

OH MY WORD！！！！！！！！ THE SWOONIEST！！I knew Esther is an absolute genius writing swoony but sweet historical romances but let me tell you， she is just as fabulous writing swoony romcoms！Cadence is not a fan of Ruben Palmer。Not after her once-upon-a-time high school friend and boss turned millionaire sent her to work in Vietnam for three years while completely ghosting her。 According to the tabloids， he still had time to date models and starlets but no time to keep in touch with her。Now she is back OH MY WORD！！！！！！！！ THE SWOONIEST！！I knew Esther is an absolute genius writing swoony but sweet historical romances but let me tell you， she is just as fabulous writing swoony romcoms！Cadence is not a fan of Ruben Palmer。Not after her once-upon-a-time high school friend and boss turned millionaire sent her to work in Vietnam for three years while completely ghosting her。 According to the tabloids， he still had time to date models and starlets but no time to keep in touch with her。Now she is back in town， life has thrown her a major curveball， and the last person she expects shows up on her doorstep on Christmas Eve。 When circumstances change and the two unexpectedly enter into a fake relationship， Ruben slowly breaks down the walls between them and Cadence's determination not to lose her heart to him begins to waver。What to love:Single POVFake DatingEstranged frenemiesCelebrityish romanceHe Falls FirstChristmas EveFun and wittyThe getaway tripNew Year's EveThe kissing！ If you were ever going to binge-read a book， this is it！ Full of both heartwarming and heart-stopping moments， the story intrigued me from the first page and kept me hooked through to the end。 Cadence and Ruben deserve their HEA and watching them work through their fears and misunderstandings was like finding an extra gift under the Christmas tree。 And can I just say that the Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve scenes are going to live rent free in my head for a long， long time。 This had better not be the last contemporary we get from Esther because in a word， it was FABULOUS。 And swoony。 Can I say that again？ Because Esther knows how to write it and write it well。 Just put this one one your holiday reading list。 You can thank me later！I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required。 。。。more

Emily Cronk ，

Random fact of the day: there are only 42 more days until Christmas。 Therefore， it is perfectly acceptable to start reading Christmas books， yes？ Yes。 This is the way。Let me just tell you friends - this story is adorable。 It had everything you could ever want in a story， like laugh out loud moments， swoony kisses， a friends to lovers/workplace romance， and the magic of the holidays。 Seriously what is there not to love here？？Cadence and Ruben were the cutest。 I loved watching them reconnect after Random fact of the day: there are only 42 more days until Christmas。 Therefore， it is perfectly acceptable to start reading Christmas books， yes？ Yes。 This is the way。Let me just tell you friends - this story is adorable。 It had everything you could ever want in a story， like laugh out loud moments， swoony kisses， a friends to lovers/workplace romance， and the magic of the holidays。 Seriously what is there not to love here？？Cadence and Ruben were the cutest。 I loved watching them reconnect after years apart and find their happily ever after。 They are such likable characters that you can't help but cheer for them from the start。Moral of the story here is that y'all need this book in your lives。 If this book isn't already on your TBR list， it should be。Many thanks to the author for the early copy; all thoughts are my own。 。。。more

allison christine ，

Ready to kick off the Christmas season with a quick， unique， and unputdownable holiday romcom？ Look no further than One Small Secret！ This was such a good time！ Cadence and Ruben's story was sweet and swoony and cozy in the best ways。 The premise was different than any book I've read before， but I thought it was an interesting take on the single parent/guardian trope and Axley himself was the sweetest！ I'm a HUGE fan of Esther's historical romances， and I've thought for a while now that her voic Ready to kick off the Christmas season with a quick， unique， and unputdownable holiday romcom？ Look no further than One Small Secret！ This was such a good time！ Cadence and Ruben's story was sweet and swoony and cozy in the best ways。 The premise was different than any book I've read before， but I thought it was an interesting take on the single parent/guardian trope and Axley himself was the sweetest！ I'm a HUGE fan of Esther's historical romances， and I've thought for a while now that her voice would lend itself well to contemporary romcoms。 Boy was I right！ Her humor and heart and emotion and chemistry all come together in such a great way！ I'm definitely looking forward to any other contemporaries she might do in the future！Childhood rivals to lovers， fake dating， celebrity romance， a twist on single-guardian， kisses only， and all the holiday cheer you can possibly imagine， One Small Secret is not one you're going to want to miss this season！ 。。。more

Lisa ，

I am a true sucker for a handsome man in a suit！ This book has great characters and i was pulled in from the beginning！ I loved the plot and once again pulled off a great story！ 🫶🏻

Shaylin Maxwell ，

Delightful book all around。 A really different storyline that is unpredictable at times and yet it still comes to a believable and satisfying ending。 Funny， quick-witted， and natural dialogue， palpable chemistry， and well-rounded， likable characters…。even Moira has cheerleaders by the end！ Fun twist on the classic story of friends to lovers。

Melissa ，

This is a fun read。 Ester loves comedy and you get that in this。 I loved the leading man he was my favorite part:} I felt a bit lost in the beginning but that is the way Esther writes。 She likes you to get information about the characters very slowly。 I love that she does that but I felt a bit lost in the beginning of this one。 So if you feel that way keep going you figure it all out and everything gets explainedThis is a clean romance with some kisses and no religion。

Mattie （Honeycomb Stories） ，

One Small Secret was absolutely amazing。 I was hooked and giggling from page three。 I could not put it down and finished the entire book in one evening/night。 I may or may not have even woken my husband up a few times because the giggles could not be contained。 Cadence， our leading lady， was my favorite part of the story。 She is full of sass and confidence but never gives off the “I’m too good for you” vibe。 She is easy to love and will have you giggling throughout the novel。 And her and Ruben a One Small Secret was absolutely amazing。 I was hooked and giggling from page three。 I could not put it down and finished the entire book in one evening/night。 I may or may not have even woken my husband up a few times because the giggles could not be contained。 Cadence， our leading lady， was my favorite part of the story。 She is full of sass and confidence but never gives off the “I’m too good for you” vibe。 She is easy to love and will have you giggling throughout the novel。 And her and Ruben are （chef’s kiss） perfection！ 。。。more

Modern Miss Granger ，

So much Christmas goodness

Marinda （rindasreads） ，

Did I ignore everything I needed to do today to binge read this book？Of course I did。 My only complaint is that it ended too soon。 I loved all the characters， especially Axley and Reuben， and I just wanted more of Grandpa Ben。

Jenna Killpack ，

There are so many tropes with this one！ Friends to lovers， workplace romance， he’s famous， he fell first， fake relationships， forced proximity- hello elevator scene。 And the list goes on！ Reuben and Cadence have been through a lot together！ Their families have been friends all their lives but Cadence has been trying to be better than Reuben for as long as she can remember。 Unfortunately that means she is too busy to notice what’s right in front of her all along。

Ashley （books。uncharted） ，

This book came at just the right time for me。 I sat down to read a chapter or two…and found myself finishing the last page。 Seriously， a man that adores the girl， is ready to step in as a father figure， and is as alluring as book men come？ This book had my ovaries crying！！！ 😂 I’m keeping it simple and uncomplicated。 Five stars for this book because it was purely enjoyable！It was the perfect happy escape and I desperately needed it！

Angeline ，

I adored this sweet Christmas book！ One Small Secret is written by Esther Hatch and it is the fourth book in the Gift Wrapped Romance series。 This series has been a lot of fun and I am really enjoying the ones that I have read。 I am excited to read the other books too！tRuben and Candance were fun to read about。 They had an easy banter between them and I love how they were old friends。 Their interactions really made me laugh but I also loved the serious parts of this book too。 Candance was a cool I adored this sweet Christmas book！ One Small Secret is written by Esther Hatch and it is the fourth book in the Gift Wrapped Romance series。 This series has been a lot of fun and I am really enjoying the ones that I have read。 I am excited to read the other books too！tRuben and Candance were fun to read about。 They had an easy banter between them and I love how they were old friends。 Their interactions really made me laugh but I also loved the serious parts of this book too。 Candance was a cool character， she felt like a real person。 I liked reading about Candance’s growth as she figured out her job and how to care for her nephew。 Candance had to learn to let Ruben in。 I also adored Ruben。 He was so sweet to Candance and you could tell that he really cared for her。 I also liked the depth in Ruben and getting to know him。 The characters were compelling and I was drawn into the story。 I wanted to see how Ruben and Candance would work out their differences。 I also loved the side characters。 Anxley was the sweetest addition to the series and I loved reading about Ruben and Candance interacting with him。 tOne Small Secret is an adorable read。 I enjoyed the characters and the banter。 I would definitely recommend this book！ One Small Secret is a closed door Christmas romantic comedy。I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author。 All views expressed are only my honest opinion， I was not required to write a positive review。 。。。more

Shauna Jones ，

Prepare for a fast and fun ride with this bookThis book drew me in with the first page and got stronger with each progressing page。 It just keeps getting better。 Cadence is returning home and to the luxury hotel chains’ main office after being transferred， exiled， to Vietnam for three years。 She envisions her sweeping entrance into the main office but is met with quiet indifference and a picture of Rueben Palmer， heir apparent of the hotel chain， her nemesis and secret crush。 Returning home from Prepare for a fast and fun ride with this bookThis book drew me in with the first page and got stronger with each progressing page。 It just keeps getting better。 Cadence is returning home and to the luxury hotel chains’ main office after being transferred， exiled， to Vietnam for three years。 She envisions her sweeping entrance into the main office but is met with quiet indifference and a picture of Rueben Palmer， heir apparent of the hotel chain， her nemesis and secret crush。 Returning home from her less than triumphant first day back， she finds her stepsister， Moira， in her apartment， for a very quick visit。 After Moira leaves， Cadence discovers Moira left her a present， Moira’s infant son Axley。 Now Cadence needs to figure how to work， take care of the baby， and not let anyone know whose child it is。 Soon gossip spreads through the company that she has a child， when Rueben hears he comes to investigate， and Cadence is struggling to keep from lying while not revealing Moira role as things rapidly unravel。 Mix in untrustworthy co-workers， a doting grandpa， and a mother who just cannot tell a lie and you are in for a fast-paced story that will keep a smile on your face。 I can highly recommend this book。 I received an early copy and this is my honest review。 。。。more

The_Power Of_The Page ，

I’m a great admirer of Esther Hatch and her books。 This one didn’t disappoint。 It was full of fun and mischief。 My favorite scene was when Cadence arrived at the corporate planning meeting。 I don’t know how authors come up with such humorous circumstances， but I’m sure glad they do！ Esther has a great sense of humor and comedic timing。 This was a he falls first， friends to more， mistaken identity （the baby） romance。 The Christmas Eve scene was so sweet and heart melting and the aftermath provide I’m a great admirer of Esther Hatch and her books。 This one didn’t disappoint。 It was full of fun and mischief。 My favorite scene was when Cadence arrived at the corporate planning meeting。 I don’t know how authors come up with such humorous circumstances， but I’m sure glad they do！ Esther has a great sense of humor and comedic timing。 This was a he falls first， friends to more， mistaken identity （the baby） romance。 The Christmas Eve scene was so sweet and heart melting and the aftermath provided lots of misunderstandings， consequences and revelations。 I thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas Romance and will gladly read anything written by this author。 。。。more

Tasha （the_clean_read_book_club） ，

Okay， friends！ This book is irresistible from start to finish！"Since when did you start calling me Ms。 Crane？ I crushed you in the third-grade spelling bee。"This book is everything we as readers have come to expect and love from Esther Hatch。 I went into this one completely blind and that One Small Secret had me cracking up and left me binge reading until the end in one sitting （not to mention late into the night。。。Pro Tip: start this one in the daylight hours） to see how this one would end。I lo Okay， friends！ This book is irresistible from start to finish！"Since when did you start calling me Ms。 Crane？ I crushed you in the third-grade spelling bee。"This book is everything we as readers have come to expect and love from Esther Hatch。 I went into this one completely blind and that One Small Secret had me cracking up and left me binge reading until the end in one sitting （not to mention late into the night。。。Pro Tip: start this one in the daylight hours） to see how this one would end。I loved the grew-up together， rivals/frenemies vibe mixed with undeniable attraction and some unforced， but close proximity this book had going on。 I loved reading about how connected these two have been their whole life and then watch that friend vibe start to shift！'If only the lady next to me could have seen him in high school。 He wasn't even that cool。。。'。。。'It really isn't fair。 I could look like a million bucks too， you know。。。if I had a million bucks。'This one is funny and witty， swoony and romantic and an all around enjoyable holiday read！！Thanks to the author for the copy。 All thoughts in this review are my own。Content: Christmas romance， banter， competition， family drama/dynamics， kisses only。 。。。more

Tag

    someone usually one of a small group who has access to secret information one of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats one of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats meaning dateline secrets uncovered one small dose which one of the following is not secreted by the pancreas or small intestine which one of these is not a digestive enzyme secreted by the small intestinal mucosa

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=One Small Secret

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=One Small Secret&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,One Small Secret&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0