The Christmas Trap Book Summary: A Sizzling Billionaire Romance
TL;DR: The Quick Version
A woman in a reindeer sweater walks into a billionaire’s office and tells him she wants to be his advantage, not just his assistant. He tells her he detests Christmas.
The Christmas Trap by L. Steele opens with that clash in London, thirty days before the holiday.
Lark Monroe is an organized MBA graduate with a wedding to plan.
Brody Davenport is a CEO with a year-end deadline attached to his inheritance.
This is book 7 of The Davenports series, and it unfolds over one December.
- Setup: Lark, a Christmas-loving executive assistant, goes to work for Brody, a grumpy former Royal Marine who runs Davenport Capital.
- Hook: Brody’s grandfather says Brody must marry before the year ends. When Lark’s engagement collapses, Brody offers a marriage of convenience.
- Setting: London offices, a Primrose Hill estate and a snowed-in Cotswolds chalet.
- Tropes: Grumpy x sunshine, boss and assistant, fake marriage, forced proximity.
- Content note: The book includes explicit sensual scenes.
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Who Will Enjoy This Book?
Readers who like billionaire romance, workplace romance and holiday settings will find all three here. It suits fans of grumpy heroes paired with upbeat heroines.
The story alternates between Lark’s and Brody’s first-person viewpoints and runs on a short, fast timeline.
Characters In This Book
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Lark Monroe (Davenport) | MBA graduate who starts as Brody’s executive assistant and becomes CEO of Davenport Capital. |
| Brody Davenport | Former Royal Marines assault specialist and billionaire CEO of Davenport Capital. |
| Arthur Davenport | Chairman of the Davenport Group, who sets the marriage condition on Brody’s inheritance. |
| Keith | Lark’s fiancĂ©, a real estate salesman who cheats on her and ends the engagement. |
| Raya Monroe | Lark’s younger sister, an art student and barista. |
| Harper Richie | Lark’s best friend and bridesmaid, a sous chef at The Edge. |
| Tiffany | Lark’s bridesmaid, who has an affair with Keith. |
| Tiny | Arthur’s Great Dane, who bonds with Lark and carries the rings at the wedding. |
| James Hamilton | Brody’s best man, a former Marine and head chef-owner of The Edge. |
| Kingly Whittington | Davenport Capital board member who flirts with Lark. |
| Sheila Monroe and her husband | Lark’s parents, who live in Sunnyvale, California. |
| Imelda | Arthur’s partner. |
| Otis | Butler at Arthur’s Primrose Hill estate. |
| Evelyn Rainer | Receptionist on the executive floor of Davenport Capital. |
| Julian Reed, Ursula Dalton, Edgar Kingston, Hayes | Davenport Capital board members. |
The Christmas Trap Summary (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning: this section covers the whole plot, including the ending.
Lark Monroe interviews for an executive assistant job at Davenport Capital in London. CEO Brody Davenport tells her he detests Christmas, and her festive sweater does not help. She tells him she will be his strategic advantage, and he hires her.
Lark thrives under his twelve-hour days and wins over difficult board members. Brody grows more drawn to her while she reminds herself she is engaged to Keith. Keith has been away for weeks and has done almost nothing for the wedding.
Brody takes Lark to meet his grandfather, Arthur Davenport, at his Primrose Hill estate. Arthur announces that Brody must marry before year-end to receive his trust fund. He adds that he has picked Lark as the bride.
Lark says she is already engaged. Brody insists they respect that, though he notices she wears no ring. He goes on dates with other women and finds each one dull next to her.
After Lark leads a board meeting, Keith appears in her office. He admits he has cheated on her for six months with her bridesmaid, Tiffany, and has come to end the wedding. Brody overhears, claims he is crazily in love with her and throws Keith out.
Facing lost deposits and her parents’ arrival, Lark hears Brody’s proposal: marry him instead, on her original date. He explains he wants his inheritance to fund veteran retraining and defense startups. She agrees, and he buys her an Art Deco rose gold ring with an emerald.
Brody tells Arthur he plans to make Lark the next CEO of Davenport Capital. He also flies her parents to London and takes the blame for the rushed wedding, which keeps Keith’s betrayal from them.
They marry at Town Hall, with Tiny the Great Dane as ring bearer.
Overwhelmed, Brody leaves the hall. Arthur admits to his own past mistakes on a snowy balcony, and Brody returns to apologize to Lark. A helicopter then takes the couple to the family chalet in Lechlade ahead of a blizzard.
Snowed in, they consummate the marriage and begin a physical relationship that includes light restraint play with silk ropes.
Brody tells Lark that his father died in a Christmas crash after an argument with his mother, who later died of an overdose. On Christmas Day he gives her the contract making her CEO.
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Lark confronts his emotional distance and tells him she loves him. Brody admits he fears losing her, and on Boxing Day he shuts down and takes them back to London. He moves into the guest room.
When Keith phones, Brody takes the call, threatens him and blocks his number. Lark keeps pressing him to stop hiding. On New Year’s Eve she chairs her first board meeting as CEO and answers a sneering board member with audited figures.
Before Arthur’s gala, Brody gives Lark a platinum rope necklace and tells her he loves her. At the party the Davenport family celebrates her appointment.
At midnight, under a drone light show, the couple dance in the snow and promise a life together.
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Best Quotes from The Christmas Trap
“I don’t want to be just your EA, Mr. Davenport. I want to be your advantage.”
“I detest Christmas.”
“If you were mine, I would be with you, planning our wedding every step of the way.”
“I’m also the man who’s crazily in love with her.”
“I’m in love with you.”
“I’m afraid of losing you!”
“You, Lark Davenport, are the only woman I’ve ever wanted to claim. The only woman I’ve wanted to mark. The only one I’ve wanted to marry.”
“I’ll do everything in my power to keep you happy. And whatever life throws at us, I promise, we’ll face it together.”
The Christmas Trap at a Glance
- Genre and subgenre: Contemporary romance, billionaire romance, marriage of convenience, holiday romance.
- Core tropes: Grumpy x sunshine, boss x EA, fake relationship, snowed-in forced proximity, inheritance mandate, cheating ex comeuppance.
- Tone and atmosphere: Fast-paced, witty, emotionally intense, sensual and festive.
- Primary conflict: Brody’s fear of loss against Lark’s wish for a genuine partnership, alongside corporate and family expectations.
- Pacing style: Chronological, with alternating first-person narration by Lark and Brody over about thirty days, from late November to New Year’s Eve.
- ISBN: ISBN-10 1805990276; ISBN-13 978-1805990277.
- Pages: 390 (print length).
- Book structure: A family tree, playlist and diary page, then 50 chapters and an epilogue. It is book 7 of 7 in The Davenports series.
Books Like The Christmas Trap
- The Billionaire’s Fake Wife by L. Steele: The first book in the Davenport universe, built on a billionaire fake relationship with high stakes and emotional twists.
- The Proposal by L. Steele: Another Davenports marriage-of-convenience billionaire romance, with Arthur’s Great Dane, Tiny, appearing again.
- The Fine Print by Lauren Asher: A workplace billionaire romance with an arrogant executive, an ambitious heroine, a grumpy x sunshine dynamic and high corporate stakes.
- The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren: A humorous romance with witty banter, forced proximity and a fake relationship.
- Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey: A sensual holiday romance pairing a grumpy corporate hero with an upbeat, festive heroine.
