It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The best modern Christmas romance books are not just sweet and spicy– they’re also festive. They’ll warm your heart this holiday season straight through to Christmas Eve (for Jolabokaflod). So, grab a mug of hot chocolate and curl up near the tree with these love-themed holiday books for adults.
List of the Best Christmas Romance Books for Adults
TOP PICKS
One Day in December: Reese’s Book Club bestseller; best for fans of Love Actually, Bridget Jones, and Serendipity
In a Holidaze: Best for fans of spicy romance
The Twelve Dates of Christmas: Best for fans of Gilmore Girls
- The Christmas Cafe by Eliza Evans
- The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk
- Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey
- Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
- The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox
- In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
- Kiss Me at Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
- Let it Snow by Nancy Thayer
- Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
- The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts
- One Day in December by Josie Silver
- Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
- The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews
- Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley
- The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
Methodology: I’ve read about three dozen Christmas romance books. Here, I share my favorite holiday romance fiction books that are modern and escapist. There’s nothing old-fashioned, historical, and/or overly steamy here (though some do have spice!). They’re light, contemporary reads that focus on personal relationships to make you feel both festive and uplifted as you take your Christmas reading challenge this holiday season.
Reviews of These Holiday-Themed Contemporary Romance Novels
The Christmas Cafe by Eliza Evans
Plot: The Christmas Cafe takes place in the small town of Silver Bells, Wyoming. Baker Sylvie works at the Christmas Cafe, which is festive all year.
When she learns the Cafe may be sold, she gets the Holiday Channel to film a scene there. The lead actor, Royce, takes an interest in her, which makes her practically melt, yet she also finds herself interested in the wellbeing of her old local friend, Abe, who’s back in town to manage his parents’ goat farm.
This light love story also includes a mischievous dog named Crumpet, a sweet family with loving memories, and even a Christmas festival and parade.
Review: The Christmas Cafe is about as saccharine as it gets — in a good way. It’s a guilty pleasure as sweet as Sylvie’s treats. Think: Gilmore Girls meets Wyoming.
The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk
Plot: In The Christmas Wish, Gwen is a newly single, unhappy lawyer heading to the country for her family’s Christmas when she runs into her old crush, Dev, who’s now engaged. She feels like everyone has life figured out except her.
After a very comedic holiday, Gwen wakes up each day to find she is living Christmas again. She’s got to figure out how to escape these repeated Christmases while Dev continues to shine more each day.
Review: This book has much more depth than a standard Christmas romance. It offers a window into Gwen’s unhappiness and the difficult things she needed to do to change course. It reminded me of A Christmas Carol but with a love story.
Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey
Plot: In Faking Christmas, Laurel pretends to be a farmer to get a social media manager position for an Ohio tourism company. All is well until her boss invites himself to Christmas at the farm.
She is forced to pretend her twin sister’s farm is hers and that her brother-in-law’s groomsman (Laurel’s nemesis) is her husband. Things get even more complicated when they become trapped at the farm by snow. The proximity just may change her feelings.
Review: This book is a real delight! It takes common tropes and makes them feel fresh and seasonal.
Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
Plot: In Holiday Romance, Molly and Andrew are friends who’ve spent the last decade of Christmases flying from the United States back home to Ireland together.
They are snowed in this year, but Molly is determined to get Andrew home. Meanwhile, they reconsider their lives: she’s unhappy in her career, and he’s overcoming a personal problem. This leads them to see each other romantically.
Review: This story uniquely focuses not just on the potential for romance but also on personal growth and having the support of loved ones at Christmastime and beyond. It’s an especially memorable read this time of year.
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox
Plot: In The Holiday Swap, Chef Charlie loses consciousness on the California set of the reality baking show where she works, losing her ability to taste and smell. Simultaneously, her identical twin sister, Cass, struggles to keep her head above water at their quaint hometown family bakery, where her ex is remorseful.
With Christmas just days away, Charlie and Cass switch lives. But things become a lot more complicated when two handsome men appear in their lives.
Review: This book is perfectly light and charming. Check it out if you love the movie The Holiday.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
Plot: In a Holidaze is a romantic comedy that starts after one Christmas in which everything goes wrong for Maelyn at her family’s traditional “Christmas with friends” at a Utah cabin. She leaves wishing for happiness, but then she’s involved in a car crash.
Maelyn then relives her Christmas vacation in her “dazed” state, attempting to fix everything that went wrong the first time. This creates a love triangle and some steaminess in a story about the power of holiday wishes.
Review: This has been a bestselling hit and a reader favorite for several years. It blends magic and love during the holiday season just right.
Kiss Me at Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
Plot: In Kiss Me at Christmas, Harriet is a single, 40-something mom who’s upset that her daughter is away during the holiday season when she has a one night stand with James.
She returns to her daily life as a teacher and finds herself covering for a group of misfit teens who sneak into an old theater. To avoid prosecution, she’s tasked by the elderly owner with putting on one final Christmas show. The catch? James is her lawyer.
An unlikely group comes together, and Harriet gets a second chance at romance with some surprises along the way.
Review: Why didn’t anyone write a holiday romance about a Christmas play anytime sooner?! It’s everything a holiday novel should be: festive, charming, quirky, heartwarming, and even slightly spicy.
Let It Snow by Nancy Thayer
Plot: In Let it Snow, Christina is preparing her Nantucket toy shop for the holidays when her Scrooge-like landlord raises her rent, threatening her business.
But when she bonds with Wink, his young granddaughter, and Wink’s charming single uncle, she realizes her landlord may have a heart after all.
Review: It reads just like the Hallmark movie it became– really cute and festive!
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
Plot: In Lovelight Farms, Stella has financial trouble running her Christmas tree farm, so she enters a contest for publicity and a cash prize.
The catch? She needs to present herself as having a boyfriend. Her trusty best friend agrees to go along with it. Meanwhile, a bit of a Christmas mystery also unfolds to uncover the source of damage to the farm.
Review: This is a social media favorite that delivers. It’s slightly festive and slightly steamy in all the right ways. It’s also the start of a series in which you can indulge.
The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts
Plot: In The Merry Matchmaker, Frankie is a middle-aged meddler who owns the local Christmas store. She’s all too pleased to get involved in the lives of her family and friends, especially when it comes to love. In her own love life, the question is whether she’ll ever open herself to her friend, Mitch.
Review: A modern interpretation of Jane Austen’s Emma, this book hits all the marks right. It’s festive, quirky, and charming, and it offers us a more mature protagonist who desperately needs a second chance at love. The cast of characters is loveable, and the theme of grief throughout makes it all the more meaningful at Christmastime. It’s an absolute hit!
One Day in December by Josie Silver
Plot: In One Day in December, a British woman sees the man of her dreams and is shocked to learn he’s her best friend’s new boyfriend. Over the next ten years, this unlikely love triangle is teased out.
Review: This bestseller remains the most popular Christmas book on this list, so it’s a good Christmas book club pick, too. It’s the perfect mix of Love Actually, Bridget Jones, and Serendipity— a no-brainer!
Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
Plot: In Royal Holiday, Vivian accompanies her daughter on a work trip to style a royal duchess in England, where she meets the handsome private secretary of the Queen.
As Christmas approaches, their flirty friendship turns into a mistletoe kiss and a fling to ring in the New Year. As the clock ticks away on the year and the “holiday,” will this fling turn into something even more?
Review: This book is a pure delight and a longtime favorite. Who wouldn’t want to celebrate Christmas like a royal with a handsome suitor?! The Black middle-aged protagonists also offer the reader different perspectives in this genre.
Related Post: Books Set on New Year’s
The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews
Plot: In The Santa Suit, Ivy buys an old farmhouse where she finds an old Santa suit with a note from a young girl wishing for her father to come home from war.
Ivy sets out to find out who wrote the note and what happened afterward. In her search for Christmas miracles, she finds a welcoming small-town neighborhood and a second chance at love.
Review: This story is wholesome and, oh, so charming. You’ll adore the quaint town and the feelings of holiday magic at its core.
Three Weddings and a Holiday by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley
Plot: In Three Holidays and a Wedding, Maryam is flying to Toronto for her sister’s holiday wedding, and her seatmate, Anna, is headed to spend the holidays with her boyfriend’s rich family.
But turbulence leaves them snowbound in the very festive small town of Snow Falls. There, Maryam, who celebrates Ramadan, re-connects with her crush and re-evaluates her life. Meanwhile, Anna, who celebrates both Christmas and Hannukah, questions her relationship after she meets her celebrity crush, who’s there filming a holiday movie.
Review: This book is a light and scrumptious treat that offers so much beyond Christmas to celebrate during the holiday season.
The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
Plot: In The Twelve Dates of Christmas, Kate’s friend signs her up for holiday dates with twelve different men, which makes for twelve quirky experiences. In the process, she evaluates her feelings about her old friend.
Review: This book is perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls. Kate is like Lorelai– a thirtysomething designer and part-time baker at her old friend’s cafe (who is very much like Luke Danes) in a small British town reminiscent of Stars Hollow.
Recap
BEST CHRISTMAS ROMANCE BOOKS
Get started with these popular picks:
Related Christmas Book Posts
If you enjoyed this Christmas post, check out more of my best book lists to read:
- Best Christmas Short Stories
- Best Classic Christmas Books
- Best Children’s Christmas Books
- Best Young Adult Christmas Books
- Best New Christmas Books
remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules
