I’ve had quite a festive day! I spent the morning researching which novels to include in this article, my annual roundup of new Christmas romance books, and then I took a break… to go see a Christmas romance movie!
Yes, I just got home from seeing Last Christmas, the holiday romance movie starring Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, and Emma Thompson. I went alone, which made me feel a bit lonely and sad, honestly, but then I thought of how that would be the perfect start to a romance novel meet cute… just imagine: two souls meet as the only loners at a Christmas romance movie…
Alas, it didn’t happen like that. But the movie was great!
I loved the movie, and it put me in such a good mood I thought I’d go right ahead and post this list of the best new Christmas romance books for 2019 rather than wait till Monday like I planned. See, I have a thing for Christmas romance books and have recommend holiday romance novels here on the blog last year and the year before that. It seems like putting together these lists of the year’s best new Christmas romance books is a yuletide tradition, right up there with rewatching Love Actually.
So pour yourself some egg nog, grab a cozy seat on the couch, and put your snuggle sox on. By the light of the fire and the Christmas tree lights, enjoy these Christmas romance novels!
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Eston
Genre: YA Contemporary
Get a quick shock of heartwarming cheer with Ashley Eston’s YA holiday romance novel, 10 Blind Dates. Sophie’s looking forward to a break from her overbearing parents this Christmas season. While they go off to stay with her pregnant sister, Sophie plans to add plenty of makeout time with her boyfriend, Griffin, to the advent calendar. Then Griffin breaks things off. Devastated, Sophie reluctantly agrees to go on 10 blind dates set up by different members of her family. Will it be just a silly stunt, or will Sophie find a corner of her heart ready to be filled by new love? From Publishers Weekly: “In a funny holiday romance that has Sophie dog-sitting in a hockey rink, watching porn at a drive-in theater, and playing the Virgin Mary in a middle school Nativity, Elston cleverly reflects the family members’ personalities through their choices of dates for Sophie.”
How to read it: Purchase 10 Blind Dates on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
25 Days ‘Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander
Genre: Contemporary
I’ve been mildly obsessed with reading Poppy Alexander’s contemporary holiday romance novel 25 Days ‘Til Christmas since I saw it in Target among other intriguing new Christmas romance books for 2019. This irresistible novel will life your heart in its story about Kate, a former Christmas-fanatic young mom. Since Kate’s solider husband never came home it’s hard to find cheer. Bumping paths with a man as lonely as she is rekindles a spark in Kate, but can she trust love after all this time? From Library Journal: “Alexander’s poignant story of loss and grief also hints at hope for future happiness. Reading about characters getting what they deserve is satisfying, and it’s easy to imagine this book as the next megahit holiday film.”
How to read it: Purchase 25 Days ‘Til Christmas on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe by Jessica Clare
Genre: Contemporary Western
I adore romance novels that tackle themes of mental illness, which put Jessica Clare’s A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe on my radar. The third installment in her Wyoming Cowboys Series, this holiday western romance novel follows PTSD-plagued veteran Jason Clements who takes a job on a ranch in Painted Barrel, Wyoming, despite no real cowboy experience. Sage Cooper is finally ready to leave her hometown of Painted Barrel and see what lies beyond…hopefully better dating prospects! But the clueless newbie on her family ranch needs help learning the ropes. Sage offers to teach Jason about cowboy life if he’ll be her date to a holiday event. As they fall for each other, Jason’s trauma and Sage’s plans to leave complicate everything. It’ll be a Christmas miracle if they can admit their feelings and fight for a future together.
How to read it: Purchase A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
A Gift in December by Jenny Gladwell
Genre: Contemporary
You’ll be hit with the feels when you finish Jenny Gladwell’s heartbreaking and heartwarming A Gift in December. Meet journalist Jane Brook, who has given up on love after one too many failed romances. Jane’s new assignment takes her to snow-covered Norway to cover a Christmas tradition. Amidst the luxury hotels and relaxing festive atmosphere, Jane encounters an old veteran whose love of his life disappeared while he was a soldier. Jane takes an interest in reuniting them. Could Jane’s mission to bring them together again make her believe in love again?
How to read it: Purchase A Gift in December on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
An Heirloom Christmas by Megan Squires
Genre: Contemporary
Sigh. I just love second chance romance stories, don’t you? And Megan Squires’s An Heirloom Christmas has all the makings of a great Christmas romance novel about two former lovers getting another opportunity to make it work. Here we have Chrissy, who owns a candle shop in the small town of Heirloom Point. Chrissy never left home, while her ex-boyfriend and high school sweetheart Nick left her behind for a hockey career that’s now ended. Back in town again, Nick works in his family’s hardware store right across the street from Chrissy’s shop. He might have a few tricks up his sleeve to win the girl his heart could never leave behind. But can Chrissy trust Nick—and love—one more time?
How to read it: Purchase An Heirloom Christmas on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes
Genre: Contemporary
Now that I’ve traveled to Vermont a few times for my MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts, I’ve totally fallen in love with the state. And during my trip there this past January, we got a huge snowstorm. The entire campus was coated in snow while the wind swirled and howled outside. Nestled among the mountains, our college on a hill felt like we’d been transported to the snowy Alps.
So I totally get how setting a Christmas themed love story in Vermont is totally romantic, and I can’t wait to read Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes. It’s Christmas Eve, and Emma is trading in a bracelet that her ex gave her when she sees a watch she gifted to Fletcher, her boyfriend from college, so long ago. Emma’s best friend Bronwyn is convinced it’s a sign and impulsively signs Emma up to work at the cozy Vermont inn where Fletcher (and his daughter and fiancée) is staying over the holidays. Will the old magic return, or was their last chance their real last chance? Pick up Christmas in Vermont and see why Booklist says: “”Christmas in Vermont is a Hallmark movie dunked in a cup of hot cocoa wrapped in a tartan scarf… With a Stars Hollow–worthy ensemble of supporting characters and a preciously precocious young-girl character, it will charm fans of Mary Kay Andrews and Debbie Macomber.”
How to read it: Purchase Christmas in Vermont on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Genre: Contemporary
Some of the best new Christmas romance books for 2019 are written by beloved authors. Looking for a women’s fiction (chick lit) series to binge read? Now is a good time to jump into the popular Shopaholic series with Sophie Kinsella’s Christmas Shopaholic. This might be the eighth novel in the series, but don’t worry…you can start without reading the pervious books. Here we have our formidable heroine Becky juggling motherhood and marriage. When Becky is asked to host the family Christmas celebrations, will the stress be too much? Never fear: Kinsella is at her finest in this one, peppered with humor, warmth, and, of course, holiday cheer. Kirkus Reviews writes: “Becky is still a hardworking, eminently lovable character who just wants to do the right thing, even if she usually screws everything up and finds herself in hilariously awful situations….A laugh-out-loud funny book that will delight longtime Kinsella fans and those looking for a cozy holiday story.”
How to read it: Purchase Christmas Shopaholic on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Let It Snow by Nancy Thayer
Genre: Contemporary
Nancy Thayer’s Let It Snow is the perfect holiday escape. Set on snow-swept Nantucket, this novel centers around Christina, who owns a toy shop in the small coastal New England island. Christina’s festive mood keeps getting squashed by her Scrooge-like landlord, Oscar, who threatens to put Christina out of business. But Christina finds an ally in Wink, Oscar’s granddaughter who loves the toy shop. Through Wink, Christina might find a holiday-happily-ever-after with the girl’s uncle. While this novel does have romance in it, the story’s more sweet than steamy, a cozy tale about community, kindness, and Christmas. Does it get any better than that?
How to read it: Purchase Let It Snow on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Rewrite the Stars by Emma Heatherington
Genre: Contemporary
If there’s one theme in romance I auto-buy, it’s star-crossed lovers. In Rewrite the Stars, Emma Heatherington offers a bold, moving, and thought-provoking holiday romance about how we can and cannot challenge fate. Charlotte (a.k.a. “Charlie”) senses a chemistry with Tom, her brother’s best friend, since the day they meet. Five years later, but just when everything seems like it’s going to work out, circumstances push them away again. Yet as time passes, Charlie can’t stop wondering “What if?” This gripping romance keeps you on the edge of your seat with its “Will they or won’t they?” story with a Christmas theme. See why Yahoo says: “If you’re a fan of Jojo Moyes, you’ll love Emma Heatherington’s beautifully written – and also not predictable – Christmas novel.”
How to read it: Purchase Rewrite the Stars on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
Genre: Contemporary
If you (somehow) haven’t read a Jasmine Guillory novel yet, Royal Holiday is the perfect place to start. Guillory has skyrocketed to fame in the last few years, enjoying lots of adoration from fans of her diverse romance novels The Wedding Date and The Proposal. Now she charms us with a royalty themed Christmas romance. In this story, Vivian Forest is a single mom who’s mostly been landlocked her entire life. But when her daughter has a school assignment that requires a trip to England for research, Vivian caves and travels across the pond with her. There she meets the Queen’s secretary, Malcolm Hudson, who finds his steely reserve defrost around Vivian and her daughter. Will their festive fling melt when Christmas is over? The Washington Post loved this one, saying: “Royal Holiday gives positive representation of a mature, respectful, sex-positive couple of a certain age.”
How to read it: Purchase Royal Holiday on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Seduction on a Snowy Night by Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries, and Mary Jo Putney
Genre: Historical
I’m all for holiday romance anthologies! Last year we had How the Dukes Stole Christmas, and this year we have another great historical romance collection featuring the genre’s best authors. In Seduction on a Snowy Night, surrender to three sexy short stories set in the regency era. Best of all, you can savor Seduction on a Snowy Night since it’s not totally heavy on Christmas. As Publishers Weekly says: “Kidnapping is the theme of this fun trilogy of holiday Regency romances…Christmas touches appear throughout, and the passion is hot enough to melt a snowbank. This fanciful Regency anthology will keep readers warm all winter.”
How to read it: Purchase Seduction on a Snowy Night on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
The Boss Who Stole Christmas (Reindeer Falls #1) by Jana Aston
Genre: Contemporary
Snowed in? Can’t get to the bookstore? Never fear—get cozy and binge read Jana Aston’s Reindeer Falls contemporary holiday romance novella series. Start with The Boss Who Stole Christmas, a short and sexy story about Holly Winter, who keeps clashing with her horrible (and horribly hot) boss, Nick Saint-Croix. But underneath that Grinch-y layer, Nick’s hiding some vulnerabilities that only Holly sees when they take a business trip together. If you love this enemies-to-lovers story, you’re in luck: there are two other novellas in the series so far.
How to read it: Purchase The Boss Who Stole Christmas on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
The Little Shop on Silver Linings Street by Emma Davies
Genre: Contemporary
The Little Shop on Silver Linings Street is a charming story of cheer (see what I did there?) and a delightful quick read set in a small town. Daisy has worked in a family owned jewelry shop since she was seventeen. When the owner announces her retirement, she leaves curious instructions: in order to gain control of the shop, her three sons will have to woo Daisy with the perfect piece of Christmas jewelry. Little do they know she fashions wondrous jewelry designs of her own. This uplifting, swoonworthy read is just the right mix of festive, fun, and feel good.
How to read it: Purchase The Little Shop on Silver Linings Street on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
We Met in December by Rosie Curtis
Genre: Contemporary
For those romance readers who love a slow buring love story, pick up Rosie Curtis’s We Met in December. Jess is new to London and hoping for the exciting life of her dreams when she stumbles into the path of Alex, who lives on the same floor of the Notting Hill flat she shares with roommates. Jess feels a spark but soon discovers Alex is dating someone else. Can they manage to live in close corners without Jess surrendering to her crush? And is she dreaming it, or does he have a thing for her, too? (If you like this one, be sure to check out a similar new romance novel, The Flatshare). In a starred review, Publishers Weekly wrote: “Curtis has a gift for capturing complex emotion and both romantic and platonic intimacy. The witty dialogue, loyal friendships, and endearing romance are sure to capture readers’ hearts.”
How to read it: Purchase We Met in December on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Wicked in Winter by Scarlett Scott
Genre: Historical
Travel back in time to the regency era in Wicked in Winter, a steamy historical holiday romance novel from Scarlett Scott. Roguish rich boy Devereaux Winter (a.k.a. “Dev”) desperately needs an heir, but no one wants to touch the scandalous Winter family. Dev thinks he finds a worthy match in Lady Emilia King, his wealthy neighbor’s daughter, but she’s sworn to spinsterhood and not interested in bailing out Dev’s familial woes. Little does she know that once Dev wants something, he’ll stop at nothing to get it, and her steely resolve can only turn the curiously attractive bachelor away for so long…
