UPDATED NOVEMBER 17th 2019!!
A few of you have emailed me requesting a list of Christmas reads, so you know me, being a list-lover and all. Let’s make the Ultimate Favorite Christmas Book list!!
Trisha: Since I know you love Christmas and have read many books centered around the holiday can you share with me a few of your favorites? I always try to read one book set during Christmas time each holiday season!”
Paige: Maryse, I’m sure there has been a list of these recommendations that I probably missed but what are some of yours and your followers fave Christmas/holiday romance reads? I’m in the mood for one, thank you!
Annette: Came here looking for this list and VOILA!!! Thanks so much for organizing a list for everything. haha.
Well, there are TONS to choose from, but unfortunately, while I am a Christmas enthusiast, it would seem that my Christmas-book experience is highly limited. Ask me to give you a movie favorite is easy… (it’s Elf!! :D) but books? Ahhhh.. *whoops* my bad. 😉
Mind you, I’ve read a ton where “Christmas” happens in the book (and I LOVE that) but a dedicated Christmas romance? *hangs head in shame*
But that’s okay! ‘Cause we are a HUGE reading group, and a bunch of you helped me out. Here are THEIR favorites:
UPDATED: 11-17-19
Carla: Just finished Enchanted (A Merry Matchmaker Tale Book 1) by Patti Berg, a lighthearted Christmas romance, and am planning to read Naughty or Nice as I’ve been in the Christmas spirit lately.
Sofia: Oh.. oh.. oh… what about North of Need (Hearts of the Anemoi Book 1) by Laura Kaye? It’s the first in her PNR series about the weather gods. In this fabulous sexy romance, the god of snow takes human form to comfort a young widow. It’s so lovely… and I cried near the end… he can only stay while there is snow on the ground, and then the weather warms up…
Elle: I love all the free Christmas reads on Tiffany Reisz’s website. Winter Tales: An Original Sinners Christmas Anthology (The Original Sinners)
Deija: I loved The Christmas Hope: A Novel….it’s such a lovely story and More than once did it make me (want to) cry…I love it *sighs*
Kim: Oh I loved Holidays with the Walker Brothers (Alluring Indulgence Book 4)! They are the hottest men ever!!!!!! Super sexy book! …You may want to wait until after Christmas to read it for fear of Santa putting you on his naughty list 😉
Yvonne: Holidays with the Walkers by Nicole Edwards!
Dawn: My favorite Christmas book is any of the Joe Wheeler Christmas in My Heart compilation series of books. I dare you to read some of these heart warming stories and not shed a tear.
Kim: I just finished Lauren Layne An Ex for Christmas: A Love Unexpectedly Novel. It was great!!! And I couldn’t stop reading.
bev: Just finished a book I really liked, Starting from Scratch (Bitterthorn, Texas Book 2) by Stacy Gail. If anyone is in the mood for a contemporary Christmas romance this is a nice one. It is also a novella so just a bite of a book for the speed readers around here.
Suzanne: Just finished PERFECT: A Christmas Romance (PERFECT LOVE SERIES Book 1) by Autumn Jordon. A very quick sweet holiday read.
Irene: I loved Noah (5th Street Book 1) by Elizabeth Reyes. Its not a christmas book but it happens around Christmas.
bev: I liked A Wallflower Christmas: A Novel (Wallflowers Book 5) by Lisa Kleypas. I just bought a bundled Jill Shalvis Christmas book called Christmas in Lucky Harbor. I also recently saw a rec for a Shannon Stacey novella Holiday Sparks.
Kait: My favorite Christmas book is The Polar Express. My mom, brother and I used to read it every Christmas. I’ve never seen the movie version and I don’t think I will. 🙂
Carol: Polar Express! A book made into a movie that has started the tradition of Polar Express Day in elementary schools across the country. Children in pajamas drinking hot chocolate and celebrating a great book!
Kris: Always Loved the Polar Express (both book and movie) I read it to my kids every year.
Tabitha: Me and my son have fallen in love with The Polar Express.
Kim: The Polar Express is the best book and movie. My kids and I read and watch it every Christmas.
Kayla: I Need You for Christmas — short, but HOT read. By leah braemel.
Original list:
Married for Christmas (Willow Park) by Noelle Adams <— Jillian said:
“I just read Married for Christmas by Noelle Adams. I think maybe it was on your bargains list a week or so ago. Anyway, it was quite angst-y – wasn’t expecting that. So if you’re looking for some angst, with the main hero as a pastor! (this is not a religious themed book, still a contemporary romance) and Christmas I would recommend!”
- Christine: Favorite Christmas book would have to be “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”.
Diane: My favorite Christmas book would have to be The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
Melissa: I love How the Grinch stole Christmas!! I had to read that book evening for the month of December, when my 16 year old twins were little! This went on for years!!! They still love it to this,day!
- Brenda: My favorite Christmas book since I was a little girl….The Night Before Christmas.
Megan: It is tradition to always read The Night Before Christmas
Miss Kane’s Christmas (A Christmas Romantic Comedy) by Caroline Mickelson <— Lauren recommends this one! What’s it about? hehe. —> “Carol Claus agrees to her father’s request that she leave the North Pole on a mission to help save Christmas. Joining single father Ben Hanson and his children for the holidays seems an easy enough task until Santa informs her that Ben is the man behind the disturbing new book ‘Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Children about Santa Claus is a Bad Idea’.” <– run roh!
Lauren: “Hi! Miss Kane’s Christmas is a sweet (chaste, but romantic) romance. A touch of fantasy and magic, and a quick read, and it’s all about”
Their Merry Little Christmas (Love Square) by Jessica Ingro <— recommended by Debi (oh book #1 in this was an intense affair-ish love triangle. I wonder where THIS one leads?- Under The Mistletoe With Me (With Me In Seattle) by Kristen Proby <— recommended by Debi
- Holidays with the Walker Brothers (Alluring Indulgence) by Nicole Edwards <–Recommended by Debi likely super-steamy. 😉
- Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Lauren Myracle, Maureen Johnson <— Kaci recommends this one! And Steph agrees saying: “LET IT SNOW by John Green, et al is youngish YA, but is my fav holiday read! I re-read it every year!”
Kathlyn: Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green
- A Proposal for Christmas: State Secrets\The Five Days of Christmas by Linda Lael Miller <— Sharon says: ” I liked all the Ones LINDA LAEL MILLER wrote!!”
Checking It Twice by Jodi Redford <— oh wow… look at that *ahem* cover. 😉 Vicki says:
“Jodi Redford has 2 that take place around Christmas but you better add a little something to your egg nog before you read them. Checking it Twice and the Naughty List.”
- The Naughty List by Jodi Redford <—- Tee hee!!! This is the other one recommended by Vicki. I wonder what she got for Christmas. 😉
- Wolfsbane and Mistletoe <— paranormal Christmas fun recommended by Sapphire
- Antonella: Santa’s Aussie Holiday. Great kids book where Santa comes to Australia for a holiday and goes surfing and meets all the animals. My kids love it.
- Janet: there is a sweet story in a Christmas storybook my son got one year called ‘Evan A. Mouse’ that we like to read.
A Vampire’s Christmas Carol by Cynthia Eden <— Andi & Angel recommend this one:
Andi: “For a paranormal novella Cynthia Eden’s A vampire Christmas Carol”
Angel: “Cynthia Eden’s Vampire’s Christmas Carol is my favorite of the ones I’ve read this year.”
DA: So untraditional, but I really liked A Vampire’s Christmas Carol by Cynthia Eden.
- Anubha: I started reading Christmas titles last year and my absolute favorite is Bah! Hambug and Dashing Through the Snow 🙂
Season of Seduction: Five Golden Rings\Naughty Nicks\Menage on 34th Street\Matzoh and Mistletoe <— recommended by Lindsey saying:
“Naughty Nicks by Christine d’abo, five golden rings by Jeffe Kennedy, and Matzoh and Mistletoe By Jodie Griffin. They are about 2.51$ each but I believe Carina Press sells it as an anthology all together. Super good!”
- A Toast to the Good Times by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt <— Steph says: “shameless self-promo here, but A TOAST TO THE GOOD TIMES is a NA Holiday Romance I co-wrote with Liz Reinhardt and is on sale through the New Year and takes place over Christmas.”
Christmas in Lucky Harbor: Simply Irresistible/The Sweetest Thing/Two Bonus Short Stories by Jill Shalvis <— Tanya recommends this
Tanya: “I had a really hard time with this too, as I needed to read one for book club and didn’t want to read something that was part of a series. I ended up with a Jill Shalvis read, Christmas in Lucky Harbor I think it was.”
- All I Want for Christmas Is a Vampire (Love at Stake, Book 5) by Kerrelyn Sparks <— Missy recommends this one and YES!! It was so good! Here’s my review.
The Magical Christmas Cat by Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh, Linda Winstead Jones<– Laura recommends this one!- Holiday Sparks by Taryn Elliott <— Stephanie recommends this one saying: “fun and steamy. AND currently 99 pennies!”
- The Christmas Throwaway by RJ Scott <– Jackie recommends this m/m romance!
- Christmas with a Soldier (Soldier Series Romance Novellas) by Makenna Jameison <— Brazgirl recommends this one!
- The Five Kisses (Pride Meets Prejudice Regency Romance #1) by Karla Darcy <— Divya suggests this one.
Emilie’s Christmas Love by Joyce Lavene, James Lavene <— and Melinda suggests this one (tons of GREAT reviews! and I think I see why with this little part from the synopsis: “Emilie Ferrier wants to adopt a child to fill her empty life. She’s given up any hope of meeting the ‘right’ guy. She can offer a child anything, except two parents. Nick Garrett owns the mechanic shop that works on Emilie’s cars. He’s fresh out of the military, caring for his niece and nephew following his sister’s tragic death in a car accident. He promised her he would give her children the one thing she and Nick didn’t have: two parents.“
➔➔➔ Looking for more of our favorite recommendations? Browse our “Ultimate Favorites Lists” here. Are you in the mood for a certain kind of story? Browse our favorite “genre/trope categories” here and our reader favorites lists too.
➔➔➔ Love this trope? Browse more Christmas Romance features and reviews on my blog. 😀
Oh.. oh.. oh… what about North of Need by Laura Kaye? It’s the first in her PNR series about the weather gods. In this fabulous sexy romance, the god of snow takes human form to comfort a young widow. It’s so lovely… and I cried near the end… he can only stay while there is snow on the ground, and then the weather warms up…
Oh I loved Holidays with the Walker Brothers! They are the hottest men ever!!!!!! Super sexy book!
I just read Closing the Book on Santa Claus by Ron Chandler. It is a fictionalized narrative of why a Merry Christmas law is needed for our local schools. The story is about a father who tries to save his daughter’s holiday celebration after it is cancelled at the local school. He organizes a rally at city hall, but unexpected calamity prevails. Mr. Chandler shows why character education is as important to children as the memorization of facts and figures. I would recommend this book to other readers, both adults and children. It also includes four additional stories that will brighten everyone’s holiday season. I have decided to endorse this emerging writer because he reflects the conservative values that we need in our society today.
Came here looking for this list and VOILA!!! Thanks so much for organizing a list for everything. haha.
I love holiday books and am a longtime lurker of your site but have never posted. I have gotten SO many great recommendations from you and your fellow contributors. So I thought it would be good for me to give back too instead of just being a taker! Here is a list of some good Christmas romances I’ve enjoyed (a couple of them are more Christmas-adjacent…but they count too, right??). The top 3 are my favorites, but I thought that they were all good!
*Stuck On You by Portia MacIntosh — her nightmare boss invites himself to her home for Christmas. Her family is hilarious. This one is so good.
*Happy-Go-Lucky by L.H. Cosway — people-pleaser researcher with a P.I. firm strikes up a conversation with the office grump at their office’s annual Christmas party. She’s always had a bit of a crush on him. They end up working together on a case. The mystery is well-written, which is nice; it isn’t just an after-thought.
*The Stand-In by Lauren Campbell — takes place during the holiday season, starting the day after Christmas. She saves him from going to jail. The next year, he bails her out when she has car trouble. She then agrees to pretend to be his girlfriend for his trip home to see his family, but it turns out he’s a bit of a jerk. Hilarity ensues.
*The Christmas Pact by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward — Kennedy Riley and Riley Kennedy work together and consistently receive emails intended for one another. They meet in-person at the office Christmas party. He agrees to go home with her for Christmas if she’ll be his date for an upcoming wedding.
*The Office Party by Whitney G —This one is a novella. Her work-a-holic boss (she’s his personal assistant and is also a work-a-holic ) insists upon the entire company having a Christmas retreat every year; attendance is mandatory.
*Happily Letter After by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward — this one isn’t strictly Christmas, if I remember it correctly. But it takes place around Christmastime. 10y/o girl writes the feature columnist of a Christmas wishes article asking for a Special Friend for her dad for Christmas.