A Mannequin for Christmas

A Christmas romance for Barbie fans who wished Ken and Allan got their own love story.

Henry Aster swears he is unlucky when it comes to love. He thought he'd finally found The One, but a sudden break-up has left him hopeless right before the holiday season.

Facing another family Christmas alone, Henry makes a wish for "The Perfect Man." The next morning, when he arrives at the Jersey Shore vintage shop he manages, he finds one of the male display mannequins has sprung to life and entirely wrecked the place.

The magicked man is gorgeous, of course, but he comes with a Cinderella-style caveat: If he doesn't experience true, human love before the midnight chime on New Year's Eve, he will turn back into a mannequin for good.

Now Henry doesn't have to show up to family Christmas alone. The catch? This new man--self-named Aidan Smith--knows nothing about being a human. Henry has one month to teach Aidan how to be a functioning person in the modern world and the swoony boyfriend that will win over his family. It's an arduous task that draws them close together... but can human love ever really be true?

Author: Timothy Janovsky
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Published: 09/30/2025
Pages: 352
Weight: 1lbs
Size: 8.25h x 5.38w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781250338952


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 08/01/2025 pg. 52
Publishers Weekly 08/18/2025

About the Author
TIMOTHY JANOVSKY is a queer, multidisciplinary storyteller based in Washington, DC. He is the USA Today bestselling author of The Merriest Misters, Never Been Kissed (Booklist starred review), You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince (AudioFile Earphones Award), and New Adult (2024 ALA Alex Award Nomination). He is an inaugural author for Harlequin's new, inclusive spicy romance line Afterglow Books. Find him on social media for more!