One of the best parts about Christmas is all the themed books that are released year after year! Something about romance is elevated when holiday decorations, baked goods, and softly falling snow are added to the equation, not to mention the grumpy male love interest who grows to love both the season and the main protagonist! Authors are slowly realizing the large market for Christmas-themed books and dropping new additions every year. If you don’t know where to start, here are some of my personal favorite Christmas romances!
Mistletoe Romance Series by Codi Hall (Nick and Noel’s Christmas Playlist, There’s Something About Merry, and Along Came Holly)
This trilogy may not be the most revolutionary romance series on the market, but it sure does deliver holiday cheer and feel-good moments! It follows the Winters family, specifically three siblings who find love across multiple Christmas seasons! The basic Christmas names may tip you off to the types of romances in store (Nick, Merry, and Holly), but each story involves a different trope that is brilliantly played out! From best friends to lovers, prank enemies to lovers, or enemies to online dating to lovers, these will delight your romantic heart with classic Christmas magic! Invest in a holiday trilogy, and experience three times the romance over the season!
It Happened One Christmas by Chantel Guertin
I could not put this one down when I first read it! It immediately captured my interest with two things: an amazing Spotify holiday playlist included on the front page and quoting Taylor Swift lyrics in the opening chapter. If you are not a fan of either of these things, I promise the book offers more for you too! It follows Zoey, a Christmas-obsessed movie director trying to shoot a movie in the cutest little town. The only problem is the mayor is a regular grinch (who happens to own a tree farm and look ridiculously handsome chopping wood), and he will not give her the permit. Follow their hijinks through family visits, unexpected snowstorms, and abandoned cabins in the woods, and see if these two opposites fall for each other in the end. The writing style is very quirky and relatable, and I felt like I was walking through a perfect Christmas town just by reading! For the music and romance lovers, this book is a holiday must-read!
Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by Jenny Bayliss
This is a new one for me this year, but nevertheless beautifully Christmassy and romance-heavy! It follows Nori, a bookshop owner who spends Christmas with some old prep school friends. She bumps heads with nearby gardener Isaac, who hates these rich school kids, but slowly, their enmity turns to something more. Romance books rarely tap into classism unless the time period is in the 1800s or earlier, so this concept is very refreshing and modern. There is a very old-money Christmas atmosphere throughout the book, again setting it apart and transporting the reader to the old European Christmases we dreamt of as children. For a fresh story and classic enemy banter, meet this book under the mistletoe!
Spectacular by Stephanie Garber
This is the most unique and most recently released on the list. This book is actually the fourth in the Caraval series, but rather than continuing the plot of the last three, it serves as more of a character finish for the four protagonists. We follow Tella on a quest to find the perfect holiday gift for her love, and her sister Scarlett trying to throw the most extravagant celebration alongside her (very attractive in green) boyfriend. The book is beautifully illustrated on every page, and the ambiance instantly puts its readers in the Christmas spirit. It is one of the best holiday books I have ever read because it subverted expectations with the plot, delivered with incredible Christmas vibes, and definitely supplied the right amount of romance. Spectacular will be a yearly holiday read for me!
There are so many more holiday romance books to read for the season, but if you have never tried reading one, these are some to start! Transport yourself this season to an idyllic Christmas town with handsome bachelors, and fall in love with holiday romance for the first time, or for the hundredth time! Merry Christmas, readers!