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Once the leaves start falling and that winter chill creeps in, you know it is time to break out the holiday movies, fuzzy blankets, and peppermint lattes. But let’s admit it, the holidays would not be complete without a sprinkling of love and Christmas cheer, and these authors do not disappoint on either of those fronts with these holiday romance books.
Trust me when I say life will be merry and bright once you jump into these unputdownable festive reads. Be sure to get your hot chocolate ready because once you cuddle up with one of these page-turners, you will not want to move from your cocoon of blankets, especially if you are in your comfiest pair of jammies.
Read on and get into the holiday spirit with these Christmas romance books.
The Plight Before Christmas by Kate Stewart
Whitney is one broken toe away from calling it quits on the year. Between a soon-to-be-dead car, a stolen promotion, and a less-than-shocking breakup, she is more than ready to kick back and relax with a bottle of Jack at her Grandparent’s cabin during the holidays.
Fate, however, has other plans – plans that come in the form of a certain ex-ghost from Whitney’s past.
To say Whitney did not make it onto Santa’s nice list would be the understatement of the century.
Or did she?
The Plight Before Christmas is an unputdownable laugh-out-loud Christmas romance overflowing with holiday vibes, steam, and ultra-sweet family moments. Kate Stewart brings us a memorable holiday page-turner that is undoubtedly one of the best Christmas romance books. Prepare to get into the holiday spirit!
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
Stella Bloom is the owner of Lovelight Farms and could not be happier working at a place she fell in love with as a kid. Well, maybe a smidgen happier if the Christmas tree farm was not on the brink of financial ruin, what with the family of raccoons invading the barn, the missing shipments, and the plethora of dead trees. To save the farm, Stella enters a contest run by Instagram influencer Evelyn St. James in hopes of winning the $100,000 cash prize.
Everything would be perfect if not for Stella’s slight fib on the application regarding her relationship status. To save face and ensure her Christmas farm seems like a picturesque romantic destination, Stella recruits Luka Peters, her best friend who happens to be visiting for the holidays, to stand in as her fake boyfriend. To say he gets more than he bargained for would be the understatement of the holiday.
Lovelight Farms is a heartwarming Hallmark-esque holiday romance that hits all the marks on the rom-com scale. Let’s see: we have the fake dating trope, a lovely friends-to-lovers romance, and a picturesque Christmas tree farm that is not looking too picturesque.
A Very Bossy Christmas by Kayley Loring
If there is anyone who could use a Christmas miracle, it is Declan.
No one willingly attends an ex’s wedding. Unless said ex is marrying your sibling.
When Declan finds himself in that unfortunate situation, he is determined to make it out of the holidays with his sanity intact, and the only person who can bring about that Christmas miracle is his assistant Maddie Cooper.
Now for the real challenge: Convincing Maddie to fill in as his fake girlfriend.
A Very Bossy Christmas is a light-hearted holiday romance overflowing with off-the-charts steam, swoon-worthy moments, and crazy family antics that will make you laugh out loud. As one of the best Christmas romance books for the holiday season, I recommend adding this page-turner to your bookshelf because it is brimming with holiday cheer.
Forever Wild by K.A. Tucker
Calla and Jonah return in Forever Wild, a novella that brings its readers back to the Alaskan wild during the holiday season. If you have yet to read The Simple Wild, I recommend starting with that and building up to this cheerful bundle of joy.
With plenty of laughs, spicy times, and emotion-laden moments, Forever Wild is a heartwarming conclusion to Calla Jonah’s story that is perfect for the holidays.
Holiday with You by Claudia Y. Burgoa
Audrey is at her wit’s end. Driving to the quaint Colorado town of Winter Valley to land an impossible deal is not Audrey’s idea of fun. However, acquiring the B&B could be a game-changer for her career,
Determined to land the deal and jet back to L.A., Audrey’s plans quickly fall to the wayside when she crashes her car and becomes stranded at the B&B. With no way back home, Audrey finds herself stuck in Winter Valley for the holiday season, something that might not be wholly awful.
Who knows, she might even find love.
Holiday with You is a feel-good holiday romance featuring a sweet meet-cute, an adorable kid, a sexy single dad, and buckets of holiday cheer.
Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery
Now the guardian of her twin sisters following her mother’s passing, Camyrn Neff is determined to make the holidays special for her sisters. Love was never supposed to enter the equation, especially since she has no plans of sticking around Wishing Tree once her sisters graduate high school. Let’s just say she did not foresee Jack Crane.
Jake’s best friend, Dylan Tucker, is not immune to the holiday lovebug either. When he wins Snow King, he cannot believe his luck when he learns that his Snow Queen is River Best, the new resident of Wishing Tree. However, if there is one thing that is a deal breaker for River, it is secrets, and Dylan is hiding a massive secret that may destroy their romance before it has even begun.
With an entire sleigh of holiday cheer and a hefty sprinkling of romance, Home Sweet Christmas is an unforgettable Christmas romance, perfect for the holiday season. As one of the best holiday romance books of 2022, I recommend opening this during Christmas and luxuriating in all the winter festivities Susan Mallery brings us.
Sleigh Bells Ring by Raeanne Thayne
Annelise McCade is the live-in caretaker for Angel’s View Ranch. When her brother lands behind bars during the holidays, she takes in his twins and brings them to the ranch for a relaxing Christmas.
Those plans of relaxation soon fall apart when the Wallace family decides to spend the holidays at the ranch with Tate Sheridan, Annie’s past crush, being the one to break the news and enlist Annie in getting the place ready for the Wallace clan.
Jump into your comfiest pair of pajamas and prepare a steaming cup of hot cocoa because you will not want to get up once you start reading Sleigh Bells Ring. As one of the best holiday romance books of 2021, prepare to get into the Christmas spirit once you open this heartwarming read.
Welcome to Winterville by Carrie Elks
Holly Winter is beside herself when it is brought to her attention that her charming hometown of Winterville has been sold to a ruthless company to be transformed into a ski resort.
Determined to stop that from happening, Holly returns and is shocked to learn that the person behind this is none other than the stranger she shared an unforgettable night eight years before.
No love is lost between the pair, but with each argument and string of heated words, Holly finds that there might be more on the line than Winterville.
Welcome to Winterville is a contemporary holiday romance perfect for readers who love second chances, the enemies-to-lovers trope, and a dash of festive cheer for the Christmas holidays. For Hallmark lovers, prepare to fall in love with this page-turner, especially if you prefer your romances on the steamier side.
A Cross-Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh
Lauren Richmond would prefer to skip the holiday festivities, but with her brother and sister-in-law’s baby on the way, Lauren is finagled into returning home. Things only worsen when she learns that her brother arranged a ride back home for her with his best friend, Will Sinclair, her complete opposite and once crush.
What could go wrong?
As one of the best and most festive Christmas romance books, I recommend saving A Cross-Country Christmas for the holiday season, especially if you love Hallmark-Esque love stories.
Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
For the past ten years, Andrew Fitzpatrick and Molly Kinsella have taken the same flight back home to Ireland for the holidays. However, this year takes a sharp turn into holiday hell when a snowstorm grounds their flight.
Knowing how much the holidays mean to Andrew, Molly pulls out all the stops to get them over to Ireland in time for Christmas.
With off-the-charts chemistry and charm, Holiday Romance is a holiday romance you do not want to miss. As one of the best Christmas romance books of 2022, you cannot go wrong with this magical read.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
Maelyn Jones is not feeling the Christmas spirit this year. Between a dead-end job she loathes, her move back to her childhood home, and a boyfriend who became an ex, Mae is more than ready for her family’s annual Christmas vacation to the charming Utah cabin – until she learns it may be their last.
All it takes is one wish and the holiday restarts – again and again, and again.
Talk about a little Christmas magic.
Groundhogs Day gets a magical holiday twist in this sweet and steamy page-turner from bestselling writing duo Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. As one of the best and most entertaining escapist holiday romance books of 2020, In a Holidaze is a must-read with Christmas creeping around the corner.
Second Chance Santa by J.J. Knight
To say Rory is met with the shock of a lifetime when she makes the connection that her resident mall Santa is none other than her law school fling, Mack, would be the understatement of the century.
Determined to find out what happened to the ambitious shark of a law student, Rory sets out to uncover Mack’s past in this heartwarming holiday romance.
If you are a reader who enjoys a healthy dose of steam alongside the romance, you should be perfectly content with Second Chance Santa. Steamy, witty, and sexy, this second-chance holiday romance will make a perfect addition to your bookshelf, especially during the holidays.
Snowed In for Christmas by Sarah Morgan
Lucy Clarke only wants one thing for Christmas: To keep her job. To do that, she will need a holiday miracle… Or she could take things into her own hands and track down Ross Miller to sweet talk him into offering up a prominent piece of business.
What are the chances she would be mistaken for his girlfriend and snowed in with him and his family because of an ill-timing blizzard?
With festive fun and humorous antics, Snowed In for Christmas is a heartwarming holiday romance that is best paired with a warm mug of hot chocolate, a super soft blanket, and a crackling fire (if possible). Sarah Morgan brings us an unputdownable contemporary holiday must-read that is undoubtedly one of the best Christmas romance books of 2022.
The Christmas Catch by Clare Lydon
When fate schedules Ali Bradford and Morgan Scott for the same soon-to-be canceled flight, the pair decide to join forces and venture back to their hometown by other means. Of course, the journey is not without its challenges. Between Morgan’s rising impatience and Ali’s two-decade-long crush, things are about to get interesting.
Funny, sexy, and festive, The Christmas Catch is a holiday must-read. As one of the best Christmas road-trip romance books of 2022, I recommend you get your hands on this around the holidays.
All Is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne
Sage McKnight is working her dream job as an architect designing spaces for people with mobility issues. When she lands former pro baseball player Mason Tucker as a client, she is not at all prepared for the challenges and hurdles Mason sends her way. Luckily, Sage is able to take a more hands-on approach with Mason’s place when she returns to Hope’s Crossing for the holidays.
Love was never supposed to enter the equation.
All Is Bright is a feel-good contemporary holiday romance that delivers all the feels.
The Road to Christmas by Sheila Roberts
The Road to Christmas follows three generations of travelers as they embark on road trips through Washington. There are the parents, Michelle and Max, who are on the road to divorce, the daughters, Audrey and Shyla, who find themselves stranded on a ranch after their car breaks down and the grandparents, Hazel and Warren, who are worried about the drive.
The Road to Christmas is a gripping contemporary holiday romance that takes its readers on a journey of family, love, forgiveness, healing, and Christmas cheer.
Christmas at Valentine Inn by Jennifer Peel
Despite having Valentine as a last name and co-owning a B&B filled with romance with her sister, Isabelle Valentine has no notion that there is such a thing as soulmates or having a one true love.
Imagine her surprise when a blast from her past walks through the B&B doors with his two daughters in tow. Let’s just say that Izzy might find her happily ever after in the one that got away.
Angsty, sweet, and swoon-worthy, Christmas at Valentine Inn is a contemporary romance perfect for fans of fake engagements, second chances, and holiday romance books.
Winter’s Black Christmas by Mary Stone
FBI Special Agent Winter Black returns in the novella Winter’s Black Christmas for a fun holiday romance with a mysterious and grizzly twist. If you have yet to read the series, you may want to start from the beginning for a more enjoyable experience.
Mysterious, thrilling, and filled with suspense, Winter’s Black Christmas is a spine-tingling must-read for the holidays. If you love mysteries, this is undoubtedly one of the best holiday books for your TBR list.
Seabreeze Christmas by Jan Moran
With the holidays right around the corner, Ivy Bay worries that her inn will not draw in enough funds lest she drums up an inventive solution to attract more customers. Luckily, Ivy comes up with the perfect plan when she and her sister Shelly stumble across crates of vintage Christmas decorations.
The holidays would not be complete without a dash of love, and Jan Moran does not disappoint with Seabreeze Christmas, the fourth installment to her Summer Beach series.