17 of the Best Christmas Romance Novels to Get into the Holiday Spirit
Get into the holiday spirit by reading Christmas-themed romance novels.
Here’s a list of the most beloved Christmas romance novels in several different genres.
There’s a romance book here for everyone.
How many can you read this holiday season?
This list of cozy, heartwarming Christmas romances has charming settings, memorable characters, happy endings, and plenty of holiday atmosphere. Think snowy villages, Christmas markets, bookshops, country inns, unexpected reunions, mistletoe, and second chances.
Our selection includes contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic comedies, and young adult Christmas favorites, so there’s something for everyone.
The Christmas Bookshop
by Jenny Colgan
New York Times bestseller and a touching holiday read.
Laid off from her department store job, Carmen moves to Edinburgh to live with her sister Sofia and take a job in an ancient bookshop. It’s her task to revitalize Mr. McCredie’s shabby old bookshop for the holiday season. What will happen when a famous and charismatic author takes a sudden interest in the bookshop – and Carmen?
A Holiday by Gaslight
by Mimi Matthews
Sophie Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the survival of her family. But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run-of-the-mill London merchant. He’s grim and silent. A man of little emotion–or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she’s ready to put an end to things. What’s a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House for Christmas and give him one last chance to win her?
The Christmas Yes List
by Melissa Ferguson
A laugh-out-loud holiday romance that’s brimming with witty banter and heartwarming cheer. Chronic people-pleaser Chloe Hollis is determined to get over her fear of rejection. Her unconventional solution? She must collect ten “nos” before Christmas Day by asking strangers for the most ridiculous favors she can dream up. James Dutton, a rule-following workaholic, decided to do the exact opposite. He’s saying “yes” to every opportunity in hopes of finally embracing life. What could go wrong?
Snowed in for Christmas
by Sarah Morgan
What happens if the only Christmas celebration you want to attend is one you haven’t been invited to? When Lucy Clarke appears on the Miller family’s snow-covered Highland doorstep, she’s mistaken for Ross’s girlfriend. By the time the confusion is cleared up, they’re snowed in—she can’t leave! As secrets spill out like presents from an overstuffed stocking and the chemistry between her and Ross ignites, this is either Lucy’s worst Christmas ever or the best mistake of her life.
The Holiday Swap
by Maggie Knox
Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley jointly writing as Maggie Knox’s The Holiday Swap, a rom-com about identical twin women who temporarily switch lives in the days leading up to Christmas and find unexpected personal and professional fulfillment along the way.
Cozy Little Christmas
by RaeAnne Thayne
Christmas in Shelter Springs is the season of twinkling lights, open hearts and unexpected second chances. Hannah Goodwin’s dear friend Morgan desperately needs her help, so she temporarily steps in to care for her children. But she never expected to run into her ex, Wes Kenner, the K9 law enforcement officer returned home to care for his grandfather. A cozy and uplifting reunion romance about two exes who help family in need and realize their Christmas wish is for a second chance with their first love.
The Little Shop of Merry & Bright
by Jenny Bayliss
Three years ago, Casey declined her boyfriend’s marriage proposal . . . and it went viral. The Spirit of Christmas Present, Margo will use her powers to erase the video that made Casey notorious. There’s just one catch. Casey must witness five alternate realities, and if she still wants it wiped, Margo will grant her wish. What will she choose?
An Alaskan Christmas Market
by Debbie Macomber
Two Christmas stories in one. The Mail Order Bride and the Snow Bride.
Well-meaning great-aunts dupe their great-granddaughter and a lonely man in Gold River, Alaska, who thought he was getting a mail order bride into marrying. Was this disaster a good idea?
Jenna Campbell meets a wonderful man on the internet and flies to Alaska to meet him in person. She sits beside his nemesis on the flight and ends up stranded with him in a blizzard.
Christmas in Austenland
by Shannon Hale
Return to Austenland at Christmastime in this third book in the delightfully charming romance series by Shannon Hale.
Itching for a big change, Kestrel Klein enters a contest and wins a vacation to Pembrook Park, an immersive Austen experience. Once inside Austenland, Kestrel feels happy. But just as Kestrel begins to soften her well-honed defenses, an unexpected visitor disrupts the holiday celebrations and her happiness.
The Santa Claus Con
by Lauren Kung Jessen
A swoonworthy and suspenseful holiday rom-com.
Scarlett Payne and Nathan Lambros agree on exactly one thing: they both despise Christmas. But when Scarlett receives a cryptic letter from someone claiming to be Santa and threatening to sabotage New York’s Santa Claus Con they’re the only two FBI agents who can stop the holiday spectacle from turning into a national disaster. Will they save Christmas – and each other?
Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor
by Roseanna M. White
The Nutcracker and Edwardian-Era England combine to weave a magical tale of love and friendship at Christmastime.
As the beloved stepdaughter of the Earl of Castleton, Lady Mariah Lyons cherishes her home at Plumford Manor, but her idyllic world will be threatened when the estate passes to Cyril Lightbourne, a childhood friend she hasn’t seen or heard from in years.
“So many delightful layers to this tale, along with intriguing characters and beautiful descriptions. . .It really puts you in the mood for Christmas.”
Home Sweet Christmas
by Susan Mallery
With twinkling humor and heartfelt Christmas spirit, two friends find love in a town called Wishing Tree.
Camryn Neff sees her hometown through Christmas-colored eyes with handsome hotelier Jake Crane at her side.
River Best is crowned Snow Queen and as she fulfills her “royal” duties – tasting cookies, lighting trees – with her Snow King Dylan Tucker she’s at the brink of love. But he seems to have a secret.
A Snowlit Christmas Kiss
by Larissa Lyons
Book 1 in the Regency Christmas Kisses series. Winner of the 2024 National Excellence in Storytelling Award.
Anne Larchmont, deep into her twenties, has never experienced a serious flirt, much less a real kiss. When a winter storm strands her away from home and brings a marvelous and mysterious stranger her way, is it any wonder she grabs hold with both hands and lips?
Good Spirits
by B. K. Borison
A Magical Paranormal Holiday Romance with an Irish Ghost, Unexpected Connections, and a Christmas Carol Twist
Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other. But when he’s faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he’s ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future. Harriet has no idea why she’s being haunted. She’s a good person – or, at least, she tries to be. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together. . .
One Day in December
by Josie Silver
#1 New York Times best seller. Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story.
Through a misted-up bus window, Laurie sees Jack & knows instantly he’s the one. They “reunite” at a Christmas party, where her best friend, Sarah, giddily introduces him as her new boyfriend. What follows for Laurie, Sarah, and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered.
How My Neighbor Stole Christmas
by Meghan Quinn
Cole wants nothing more than to hibernate the holidays away. But his dreary plans are thwarted when his Christmas nemesis, Storee Taylor, moves in next door and enters the town Christmas Kringle contest. Cole decides to enter the competition to beat Storee at her own game by pretending that this hometown grump’s heart has grown three sizes this season because he’s fallen for the girl next door. Things get complicated, the competition gets tough, and all it takes is one single night for someone to steal it all…
25 Days ‘Til Christmas
by Poppy Alexander
Kate Potter used to love Christmas before her husband left for the army and never came home. Her son, Jack, needs a Christmas to remember. As Kate’s advent countdown to the best Christmas ever begins, she soon realizes that even with the best laid plans, you can’t plan for the unexpected. When the path of the loneliest woman in town crosses with that of the loneliest man, these two destined hearts might find a way to save the holiday for both of them.
