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As Christmas approaches this year we all long for some cozy books to get us in the festive mood. Although the happiest time of the year, for most of us the Holidays bring mixed feelings for multiple reasons… I collected 12 books exploring romance, second chances, friendship, and the family we choose while also filling you up with the best christmassy settings. Get ready to laugh, cry, and most of all, root for these characters while they embark on their journey to find love or themselves, in the most emotionally filled time of the year!
Here’s the list of 12 books that are guaranteed to get you in the Christmas Spirit!
1. Christmas at Carly’s Cupcakes by Jessica Redland
Christmas at Carly’s Cupcakes takes place in the 4 weeks before Christmas. We meet Carly, the owner of Carly’s Cupcakes as she takes in her sister, Bethany, to work for her after her failed attempts at other jobs. But Bethany has a hard time figuring out what she’s good at and with her upcoming wedding, she keeps making mistakes that Carly has to clean up. But Carly just wants her little sister happy. When Liam, Carly’s best friend from high school, shows up in her life again, things almost feel too good to be true. This heartwarming story is full of Christmas cheer in a cozy small-town setting. It explores friendship, family, and we even get to see some best friends turn into lovers! Such a delightful read! I also recommend that you listen to the audiobook version as well!
“Heart racing at the anguished cry, I dropped my bookings diary on the counter and dashed into the workshop at the back of my shop. ‘What’s wrong?’ My younger sister looked up from the table. ‘It’s awful. I’ve killed Santa.’ I looked into her mournful blue eyes and couldn’t help laughing. ‘It’s not funny,’ Bethany protested. ‘I’ve killed a snowman and a reindeer too.’”
Read it now: Goodreads | Amazon
2. The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
A rundown bookshop in Edinburgh, a girl who has to start over, some family drama, and a love triangle… Can you ask for more from a holiday book? I don’t think so! After losing her job, Carmen has to completely start over and move in with her picture-perfect sister, whom she never saw eye-to-eye. She gets a job at this old bookstore in the city, that is in desperate need of some love and revamping. She decides to give it her all and save the shop before the Christmas shoppers arrive. And, as I mentioned before, in the midst of all of this, she has to decide between the bad boy and the good, quiet one, an impossible task on its own.
“Carmen measured her days in books. She kept a paperback under the desk for quiet periods, when she had remade as many window displays as one could usefully do in one day, and dusted, polished, straightened and checked the samples. When she had first started working at Dounston’s, they had always been so busy, and she’d kept her reading for the bus and lunchtime. Now, she could get through a novel every three days, and it kept getting faster. It was very, very worrying.”
Read it now: Goodreads | Amazon
3. The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
In this found-family novel, we follow Hannah, Finn, Priya, and Theo over multiple Christmases. They call themselves The Christmas Orphans because they don’t celebrate with their own families for different reasons, but they have their own traditions to make every year special. This year is different tough… With Finn’s move to LA, this Christmas may be the last one they spend together. The story is set in New York City, probably the most magical city around this time of the year and we get to come along for the ride as these friends have to come to terms with the idea of growing up and changing circumstances.
“In order to keep living, you need to move on.”
Read it now: Goodreads | Amazon
4. The Santa Suit – Mary Kay Andrews
If you enjoy indulging in Hallmark-style stories this time of the year, then The Santa Suit is probably something you will love! It’s barely over 200 pages and offers some mystery while also staying true to its genre and weaving in the predictable romance storyline. Sometimes predictability is not a bad thing, am I right? Newly divorced Ivy Perkins moves into an old farmhouse that she just bought, sight unseen. It’s obviously a mess… Cleaning out the various rooms, she stumbles upon a Santa suit, and in its pocket, she finds a note from a little girl, who’s wishing for her father’s return. While trying to solve the mystery of the note, Ivy becomes more involved with the community than she originally planned for it and welcomes a second chance at love!
“Christmas hadn’t just arrived at Four Roses Farm. It had been here all along, waiting for her to discover it.”
Read it now: Goodreads | Amazon
5. The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan
Okay, okay… I’m fully aware that I did say that “this is just the perfect setting for a Christmas book” for all of the other recommendations before, but this one is set in Lapland. With the NORTHERN LIGHTS! So hear me out. Christy Sullivan, and her daughter, Holly were supposed to reunite with Christy’s aunt, Robyn, to celebrate Christmas in her beautiful snow spa, in Lapland. Things take a turn when Christy decides to stay at home with her husband, Seb, to deal with some marital issues. She asks her best friend, Alix, a huge favor – to take Holly with her to Lapland. Joining them, is Seb’s best friend Zac, who happens to be Alix’s nemesis of sorts. Romance, drama, fighting for friendship, and family are all the things you can expect from The Christmas Escape while being charmed by the most beautiful setting and lots of hot cocoa!
“Making yourself vulnerable is a big step in a relationship. It’s like stepping onto glass and wondering if it’s going to hold your weight.”
Read it now: Goodreads | Amazon
6. Christmas by the Book by Anne Marie Ryan
Christmas by the Book is the ultimate Christmas story, given the fact that it’s centered around helping people and gifting them with one of the most precious things one can ask for… Hope! A married couple who runs a bookshop together has to come to terms with the fact that their business is probably at its end. To find some peace and lift people’s spirits, they decide to gift books to people in need of some Christmas cheer. After delivering the books, we can truly witness the power of written words as these characters come together to save the bookshop!
“…as long as you had a good book for company, you never needed to feel lonely.”
Read it now: Goodreads | Amazon
7. Merrily Ever After by Cathy Bramley
Merry and Emily have a lot going on in their life. Merry is planning a wedding while trying to run her business and be the best stepmom to her fiancee’s two children. Emily’s trying to take the best care of her father, as he battles with dementia. These two strangers’ paths have crossed many times before, could there be more behind their story? As Ray, Emily’s dad moves into a residential home, the real story starts to unfold. Merrily Ever After is the second installment of the series from Cathy Bramley, but you can read it as a stand-alone.
“Outside, most of the trees were bare now, except the holly bush in the front garden, which was rosy with berries, and like ours, the other homes along World’s End Lane had daily twists of smoke spiralling from their chimneys. In the small Derbyshire town of Wetherley, where we lived, the council had erected the lights which would be officially switched on next week and this morning I’d heard my first Christmas song on the radio: Michael Bublé’s velvety voice singing about a white Christmas.”
Read it now: Goodreads | Amazon
8. Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews
Set in New York City, Bright Lights, Big Christmas offers the hug of the neighborhood. Kerry Tolliver has to step in and help her family business. She moves in with her older brother and his dog into a tiny little camper to sell Christmas trees until the Holidays are over. As Kerry experiences the city for the first time, she becomes acquainted with the interesting and friendly neighbors who live near their stand. Oh and did I mention Patrick, the single father, who also lives on the block?
“Friends are the family you choose? I guess we’ve chosen you. Whether you like it or not.”
Read it now: Goodreads | Amazon
9. The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan
Hattie Coleman, the owner and manager of the Maple Sugar Inn is getting ready for the holiday season. Although it hasn’t even started yet and she’s already exhausted. Hattie is a widowed 28-year-old, who’s also a single mother and a business owner. When Erica, Claudia, and Anna show up at the Inn, they seem to have it all. The girlfriends are holding their annual holiday where they come together for a week and discuss books, but this time there is more to talk about. Hattie becomes more involved with the book clubbers and as they each unpack their emotional baggage, the healing can begin. A beautiful story about friendship, chosen family, and well… life.
“… Just because someone doesn’t ask for help doesn’t mean they don’t want it or need it. Particularly women. Women are so used to coping that sometimes they don’t even realize there’s another way…”
Read it now: Goodreads | Amazon
10. Four Weddings and a Christmas by Phillipa Ashley
With a rather unusual beginning, Four Weddings and a Christmas draws you in from the start. We see Freya running down the aisle and abandoning her wedding, but the thing is… she’s only eight years old. When we jump to the present, Freya is all grown up, but for some reason, the town still sees her as the kid who ran. With Travis moving back into the village (her ex-boyfriend), Freya finds herself questioning what she really wants. The attraction is clear between them, but as none of them are looking for anything serious, they enter into a no-strings relationship. But is it going to stay that way? (Let’s be honest, probably not.)
“She’d come a long way from the terrified little girl running out of the church with the whole village laughing. Or had she?”
Read it now: Goodreads | Amazon
11. This Christmas by Emma Heatherington
Two strangers have one thing in common. Both of them are planning to spend Christmas completely alone in a cottage, in the middle of nowhere. The only problem is, that the rental was double-booked. In this forced proximity novel, Rose and Charlie find themselves in an unusual situation. Will they spend Christmas together in the one-bedroom cottage, with their dogs? If you are a fan of The Holiday you’ll definitely enjoy this one!
“When you’re feeling all at sea, don’t ever underestimate the power of the simple things, darling. Those are the things that can get us through the darkest days. Watch nature do her thing, listen to your favourite songs, talk to a kind friend, bake a delicious cake. These are the little things that will lift your spirits.”
Read it now: Goodreads | Amazon
12. That Festive Feeling by Heidi Swain
Holly’s life is not going according to plan. She’s recently divorced and needs a place to stay. When an old friend suddenly asks her to house-sit for them over the holidays she figures, why not? As she accepts the offer she’s already planning to stay in and hibernate in the house. During one of her daily walks, she meets May, an elderly lady, and an unexpected friendship blossoms. After that, she meets Bear in the pub and you can’t deny the instant attraction. Slowly what was planned to be a hide-out in a friend’s home, turns into a new beginning for Holly, with the colorful community on Nightingale Square.
“There was a strong sense of community surrounding the place, which tightly bound together the neighbours, who lived in houses around a communal green. They all looked out for each other…”
Read it now: Goodreads | Amazon
I hope you enjoyed these Christmas recommendations and found some new books to cozy up with during this special time of the year! I plan on releasing a more thrilling list in the next couple of days, for those looking for less “Hallmark” – so if you are one of those, stay tuned! Oh and have a very Merry Christmas!
