The ultimate Christmas romance reading list to lift your holiday spirits

Let’s face it. Christmas time can be stressful. There’s shopping and endless parties you’d rather not go to and get-togethers with the in-laws and more shopping...ugh. What better way to treat yourself this stressful holiday season than putting on a pair of comfy sweats, and settling into your favorite chair in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate so that you can enjoy a nice, Christmas romance novel? Go ahead and put on your sweats and fix the hot chocolate. We’ve got your reading list ready to go:

(NOTE: heat levels vary among the books on the list. Pay careful attention to author warnings and customer reviews so that you aren’t surprised in a bad way!)

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Chasing Christmas Eve
Jill Shalvis

Amazon blurb:
Meet cute...

Run for the hills—temporarily. That’s Colbie Albright’s plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken its toll. In short, Colbie’s so over it that she’s under it. She’s also under the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival. Fortunately, the guy who fishes Colbie out has her looking forward to Christmas among strangers. But she’s pretty sure Spencer Baldwin won’t be a stranger for long.

Make merry...

Spence’s commitment to hiding from the Ghosts of Relationships Past means he doesn’t have to worry about the powerful—okay, crazy hot—chemistry he’s got with Colbie. Just because she can laugh at anything, especially herself... just because she’s gorgeous and a great listener…just because she “gets” Spence immediately doesn’t mean he won’t be able to let Colbie go. Does it?

…and hope for a miracle.

Now the clock’s ticking for Colbie and Spence: Two weeks to cut loose. Two weeks to fall hard. Two weeks to figure out how to make this Christmas last a lifetime.

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We’ll Always Have Christmas
Jenny Hale

Amazon blurb:
Christmas has always been a special time for Noelle Parker. Winter evenings spent with family and friends, drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies at her family’s cozy bakery have shaped her love for all things festive. But this year everything is changing…

The beloved bakery is facing closure and Noelle needs a miracle to save Christmas.

Determined to raise funds for the family business, Noelle sets about revamping the bakery while juggling a surprise new job, caring for the elderly and cantankerous William Harrington in his luxurious, sprawling mansion.
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As Noelle melts the frostiness of the house with cake baking, snowball fights and glittering decorations, she helps William to reconnect with a romance that has spanned decades and unexpectedly finds herself falling for his grandson - the gorgeous but mysterious Alexander Harrington…

In the countdown to Christmas, can Noelle save the bakery, reunite a family and create some magical memories of her own along the way?

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Merry and Bright
Debbie Macomber

Amazon blurb:
Merry Knight is pretty busy these days. She’s taking care of her family, baking cookies, decorating for the holidays, and hoping to stay out of the crosshairs of her stressed and by-the-book boss at the consulting firm where she temps. Her own social life is the last thing she has in mind, much less a man. Without her knowledge, Merry’s well-meaning mom and brother create an online dating profile for her—minus her photo—and the matches start rolling in. Initially, Merry is incredulous, but she reluctantly decides to give it a whirl.

Soon Merry finds herself chatting with a charming stranger, a man with similar interests and an unmistakably kind soul. Their online exchanges become the brightest part of her day. But meeting face-to-face is altogether different, and her special friend is the last person Merry expects—or desires. Still, sometimes hearts can see what our eyes cannot. In this satisfying seasonal tale, unanticipated love is only a click away.

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A Cowboy for Christmas
Celia Aaron

Amazon blurb:
I don’t need a woman in my business—especially not one with a smart mouth and a curvy body. Molly Gale has been nothing but trouble ever since she showed up at the ranch next door. And now, right before a huge snowstorm hits on Christmas Eve, I have to go to her homestead. Have to see her, have to get another whiff of her strawberry scent. It’s enough to drive a man mad. But I’ll keep things professional, keep my hands to myself, and do what needs to be done. It’s the perfect plan …
Until my horse throws me and I need help from none other than the woman with the fiery tongue and the deliciously thick hips.

Yippee ki yay and Merry Christmas to me.

Author's Note: A Cowboy for Christmas ends at 43%. For a limited time, the stories "Christmas Candy" and "A Stepbrother for Christmas" are included at the back of this book as a little holiday treat.

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A Will & A Way
Nora Roberts

Amazon blurb:
Pandora McVie’s life is tied up in knots. In order to respect her uncle Jolley’s last wishes, she’s stuck spending Christmas isolated in the Catskills with Michael Donahue, the co-beneficiary of her uncle’s will. Jolley was a matchmaker to the end—and apparently for some time beyond. The infuriating Michael is hard to live with…but what’s harder still is not falling in love with her nemesis.

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A Cliche Christmas
Nicole Deese

Amazon blurb:
Georgia Cole—known in Hollywood as the “Holiday Goddess”—has made a name for herself writing heartwarming screenplays chock-full of Christmas clichés, but she has yet to experience the true magic of the season. So, when her eccentric grandmother volunteers her to direct a pageant at Georgia’s hometown community theater, she is less than thrilled. To make matters worse, she’ll be working alongside Weston James, her childhood crush and the one man she has tried desperately to forget.

Now, facing memories of a lonely childhood and the humiliation of her last onstage performance, seven years earlier, Georgia is on the verge of a complete mistletoe meltdown. As Weston attempts to thaw the frozen walls around her heart, Georgia endeavors to let go of her fears and give love a second chance. If she does, will she finally believe that Christmas can be more than a cliché?

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Single Dad’s Christmas Present
Amy Brent and Candy Gray

Amazon blurb:
Just one month, right?
What harm could this possibly do?
I am supposed to live with Gage for some time, and he's supposed to protect me.
What he doesn't know is that I am falling for him.
I have dreamed of his muscular body, those perfect abs and that package...I am sure, it's HUGE!

I know he wants me too.
Why else would his eyes trail my curves, stopping at every hill and mountain?
I can tell by the way he looks at me.

Alright, wanting him at this time is bad news.
Carrying his baby, even worse!

And age difference isn't the only thing we need to overcome.

Did I mention he's the hottest single dad around...and experienced too...and he's my dad's best friend? 

Dad's going to kill us if he finds out. 
The affair can be a secret, sure. 
But the gift I have planned for Gage this Christmas? 

This is a 70k words Christmas novel with loads of heat, guaranteed HEA and absolutely no cliffhanger. Includes bonus content.

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My Kind of Christmas
Robyn Carr

Amazon blurb:
While the Riordan brothers have a reputation for being rough-and-tumble, Patrick has always been the gentle, sweet-natured one. But his easygoing manner is tested by his high-octane career as a navy pilot, and for the Riordan men, when the going gets tough…the tough find the love of a good woman.

Angie LeCroix wants to spend Christmas in Virgin River relaxing, away from her well-intentioned but hovering mother. Yet instead of freedom, she gets her uncle, Jack Sheridan. If he had his way, she'd never go out at all. And certainly not with Patrick Riordan. But Angie has her own idea of the kind of Christmas she wants—and the kind of man.
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Patrick and Angie thought they wanted to be left alone this Christmas—until they met each other. Now they want to be left alone together. But the Sheridan and Riordan families have different plans for Patrick and Angie—and for Christmas, Virgin River style!

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A Very Married Christmas
Samantha Chase

Amazon blurb:
She’s ready to deck the halls…
But not with wedding decorations.

For the most part, Melanie Harper has made her peace with her negative feelings toward Christmas. Thanks to her fiancé, she’s even learned to enjoy the holiday. But that doesn’t mean she wants to share it with her wedding day!

He’s dreaming of a white Christmas…
Complete with a wedding!

Ever since they first met, Josiah Stone has done his best to show Melanie how magical Christmas can be. He’s gotten her to participate in parades, decorate trees and even celebrate the holiday, but asking her to marry him on Christmas Eve just might be more than she’s ready for.

Will this be a very Merry or very Married Christmas??

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An Ex for Christmas
Lauren Layne

Amazon blurb:
When a psychic tells spunky, superstitious Kelly Byrne that she’s already met her true love, she becomes obsessed with the idea of tracking him down before Christmas. Kelly immediately writes up an “Ex List” and starts contacting old boyfriends to figure out which one is the one. When her college sweetheart rolls into town, Kelly convinces herself that they’re meant to be. The trouble is, sparks are flying with someone she’s never given a chance: her best friend, Mark.

Mark Blakely has watched the guys on Kelly’s list break her heart, and he’s not looking forward to watching them do it all over again. Mark’s always been there for her, but the timing’s never worked out for their relationship to be something more. Now, just as Mark is ready to move on, the sexual tension between them is suddenly off the charts. With Christmas morning around the corner, he just hopes Kelly will wake up and realize that everything she wants has been right in front of her all along.

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Secret Santa
Kati Wilde

Amazon blurb:
She’s always been on the outside of love, looking in…

After years of struggling to make ends meet, Emma Williams finally lands a job that suits her perfectly—she enjoys her work, likes her new boss, and especially loves knowing her first paycheck is coming just after Christmas. That is, if she lasts that long. Because Logan Crenshaw, the creative force behind the company, doesn’t seem to want her there.

Not being wanted is nothing new for Emma…but she doesn’t know what she’s done to make Logan stalk around the office, growling every command as if her very presence infuriates him. She can’t afford to lose this job, so her plan is to keep her head down and try to avoid any contact with him—no matter how big and sexy and unavoidable he is.

But a Santa hat full of names, an office gift exchange, and one unexpected knock at her door are about to shake up all of her plans…

Warning: This super-hot holiday romance contains Santa hats, red satin blindfolds, and an obsessed alpha male who talks dirty and knows exactly what to do with his big hands. Lots of swearing. No cheating, no cliffhangers.​​

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Close to Heaven
Pamela Clare

Amazon blurb:
She has nothing…
Rain Minear has fantasized about finding herself in Joe Moffat’s arms for years. It’s just her luck that the night it finally happens, he’s carrying her into the emergency room. It’s Joe who steps up to help her when a tragedy brings her life crashing down. He gives her a place to stay, helps her get back on her feet, and even tries to save her Christmas, though he’s never cared for the holiday. But he’s far too ethical to sleep with a member of his staff, holding her at arms length despite the long-simmering attraction between them.

He has everything…
Haunted by ghosts from the past, Joe Moffat moved to Scarlet Springs to repay a debt. He’s struggled for years to keep his hands off Rain. She’s the general manager of his brewpub, and he is not that kind of boss. 

But, oh, she turns him on. More than that, she has the biggest heart of any woman he’s ever known. He’d do anything to see her smile again, even put up a Christmas tree and listen to carols, things he normally never does.

A season that changes two lives forever…
When a Rocky Mountain blizzard leaves them snowbound and alone together for days, they can no longer ignore their feelings for one another. As their passion turns to something deeper, it becomes clear to them both that this will be the most important Christmas of their lives.

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Mistletoe Me, Baby
Katie Reus

Amazon blurb:
She needs a fake fiancé…

With the holidays fast approaching, Miranda Flores makes up a fake fiancé so her well-meaning family will get off her back. She just never expected them to suddenly show up on her doorstep a couple weeks before Christmas, wanting to spend the holidays with her. So she turns to Nolan O’Connor, her sexy best friend, and asks him for the favor of a lifetime: she needs him to act the part of her fiancé until her parents leave town.

He wants forever…

Pretending to be engaged to the woman he’s already fallen for? No problem. Nolan agrees to Miranda’s fake engagement scheme because as far as he’s concerned, she’s the one. 

But he plays his role too well, because soon the entire town thinks they’re engaged and things get more complicated—especially since he can’t pretend with her anymore. Then tragedy strikes and Miranda tries to shut him out, but Nolan won’t let her. He’ll do whatever it takes to convince her that he wants to make her his forever.

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What about y’all? What reads get you in the mood to deck some halls? Let us know! We’d love to hear from you!