Filthy, Festive, and Then… Wait, That’s It?

Ratings:

😐 = sip

🌶️🌶️🌶️ =  dicks in detail

Yeesh, it’s been a minute since I’ve posted any updates. Life went absolutely feral over the holidays (as it always does), but I finally managed to finish a book in the new year. 🎉

And of course… it was Christmas smut 😜
Listen. I know. It’s January. This probably should’ve been read in December. But I’m still deep in a fanfic-adjacent brain rot era, so here we are.

I randomly picked up Filthy Rich Christmas by Alix Vaughn because it sounded like it could be a fun, sexy time. And honestly? For the most part, it was. Because who doesn’t love a down-on-her-luck FMC getting swept off her feet—and off to a Swiss chateau—by three very rich, very hot, very different men?

Claire is a recently divorced chef trying to rebuild her life after escaping an emotionally abusive ex-husband. She lands a private chef job for William (broody control freak), Travis (the chill peacekeeper best friend), and Knox (the artsy younger brother). Next thing she knows, she’s spending December cooking for them in their Swiss chateau, healing their emotional wounds one sexy breakfast and romantic dinner at a time. And in return, they help rebuild her emotionally… mostly through seduction and a whole lot of sex.

There’s some conflict—mainly between the guys—and somehow Claire manages to keep everyone from fully imploding. But the real drama hits when their polyamorous relationship becomes public. Suddenly the company board is involved, and of course her trash ex-husband pops back up to cause problems. Stakes! Tension! Drama!

And then…

TIME JUMP.

I’m sorry, WHAT??

No real resolution with the board. No real fallout with the ex-husband. We just jump straight to the HEA and surprise baby like nothing happened. COME ON. You can’t set up all that external conflict and then just… walk away from it?? I wanted consequences. I wanted closure. I wanted something.

Look, I had fun reading this. It was spicy, festive, and entertaining. But the ending genuinely annoyed me. It felt rushed, like the outside conflict was too hard to deal with so it just got skipped entirely. And that was a bummer, because this could’ve been so much more satisfying.

Fun? Yes.
Sexy? Absolutely.
Ending? Deeply frustrating. 😕