10 Holiday Romances

Date Night in December

Snowe’s endearing latest holiday romance (after Christmas Sweater Weather) follows a marriage in crisis. Laney Reynolds doesn’t doubt that her husband, Connor, still loves her, but she also doesn’t think their marriage of nine years can survive him continuing to put his job as CEO of a multimillion dollar tech company over her. Tired of feeling like an “afterthought,” she heads from Chicago back to her quaint hometown of Cherrywood, Ill., to stay with her parents for the holidays—without Connor. But Connor, desperate to save the marriage, rents the house next door. He asks Laney to give him a month of dating to convince her he’s changed his ways. If he can’t, he promises to sign divorce papers on December 31. Laney reluctantly agrees. Amid a plethora of festive town events, the pair relearn how to communicate with one another and reignite their love—but Laney struggles with telling Connor a life-changing secret that will put his commitment to prioritizing her and their relationship to the test. Cozy small town charm dominates, with plenty of snowfall, cocoa, and cheer to get readers in the Christmas spirit as the romance heats up between Laney and Connor. It’s adorable. Agent: Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong, Purcell Agency. (Oct.)

The Eight Heartbreaks of Hannukah

Meltzer (Magical Meet Cute) puts a cute twist on A Christmas Carol to help her workaholic heroine find joy during Hanukkah. TV producer Evelyn Schwartz is weeks away from premiering her live televised version of A Christmas Carol. Convincing herself that the frequent migraines induced by the stress of juggling actors, set pieces, and crew will be worth it if the result is a promotion, Evelyn does everything she can to hide her chronic illness and avoid perceptions of being weak. It becomes harder to manage her stress levels, however, when her ex-husband, David Adler, is brought in as the on-set doctor. Evelyn still doesn’t know why David ended their marriage or why he seems so concerned about her now—until eight spirits (possibly hallucinations resulting from her migraines) visit Evelyn on each night of Hanukkah and show her flashbacks to her and David’s shared childhood and early relationship, reminding her of what they had and revealing where they went wrong. Meanwhile, David knows that a lack of chemistry was never their problem; it was a breakdown of communication. The result is a sweet, supernaturally tinged second-chance romance that readers will root for. (Oct.)

A Ferry Merry Christmas

Bestseller Macomber (A Christmas Duet) returns with a gentle, feel-good story that takes place over a few short hours and brings several wistful people together just in time for Christmas. Avery Bond is on a ferry heading from Bremerton, Wash., to Seattle to visit her brother for their first Christmas since the death of the grandmother who raised them. She’s wary of romance and guarded with Harrison Stetlor, the handsome naval officer who catches her eye aboard the boat, fearing that he’s a player. But Harrison’s on his way to meet his sister and turns out to be very congenial. When the ferry stalls unexpectedly in the middle of Puget Sound with mechanical issues, Avery and Harrison learn the stories of several fellow passengers: little Olivia’s parents are in love but painfully separated; black sheep Virginia is hoping to end a two-year estrangement from her twin sister; and expectant father James is desperate to reach the hospital in Seattle where his wife, Lilly, has gone into labor. The spirit of Christmas helps this disparate ensemble cast come together, reconciling differences and sparking new love. Meanwhile, on the mainland, Avery’s brother and Harrison’s sister find a connection of their own. It’s a somewhat slight but nevertheless enjoyable tale that’s sure to please Macomber’s devoted following. (Oct.)

Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon

Grief brings people together in this bittersweet romance from Norman (Charm City Rocks). It’s Baltimore bar owner Grace White’s first Christmas season since her husband Tim’s death almost a year ago. Navigating her new life as a widow becomes even more complicated when she uncovers hundreds of emails that point to Tim having an emotional affair with another woman, tarnishing her memory of their relationship. Advertising exec Henry Adler is also facing the holidays alone, his wife Brynn having died around the same time as Tim did. He feels pressure to move forward with his life, but is emotionally stuck in the past. When Grace’s and Henry’s mothers set them up to meet, the pair form an immediate, though somber, bond. As their friendship deepens, Henry shares his love of holiday films and they agree to watch one a night until Christmas, trying to inject the season with some much needed cheer. A genuine connection blossoms between Grace and Henry, but are either of them really ready to move on? This raw, emotional tale is not the typical holiday romance fare, but readers looking for a tearjerker with a hopeful ending will want to check it out—and have tissues at the ready. (Oct.)

The Holiday Hookup List

Daria (Along Came Amor) kicks off this spicy Christmas-themed romp with New York City environmental lawyer Valencia Torres running into her middle school bully, Gideon Noble, now a finance lawyer, at a nightclub. Despite the “years of torment” that Gideon inflicted on Valencia, the pair feel an immediate and intense mutual attraction, leading to some dirty dancing before they head back to Valencia’s place. There, steamy sex gives way to heartfelt conversation as they hash out the past, including a sincere apology from Gideon. When it comes out they’ll both be spending the holidays alone—it’s the first Christmas since Gideon’s father died, and Valencia used to celebrate with her ex-fiance’s family—they agree to deck the halls together. They write up a “naughty and nice list” with one festive activity and one sexual activity to try on each of the 12 days until Christmas. This gives the rest of the book its structure, with chapter titles including “Nipple Clamps & Ice Skating” and “Porn & Presents.” The festivities are fun and make good use of the New York City setting and the sex scenes are playful, with an emphasis on experimentation and communication. Inevitably, feelings deepen along the way to a surprisingly emotional climax. This will heat up even the coldest December night. (Oct.)

A Mannequin for Christmas

This sweet and unapologetically silly Christmas contemporary from Janovsky (The Merriest Misters) finds newly single 28-year-old artist Henry Aster making a go of running his great-aunt Isla’s vintage shop in Ocean Glen, N.J. Dreading the thought of spending the holidays with his judgmental family solo, he makes a wish for “the perfect man”—and the next morning finds that his favorite mannequin at the shop has come to life. The mechanics of this are hand-waved away; the mannequin, who names himself Aidan, discovers a note in his pocket that reads, “Congratulations! Because of a wish, you are now human. You have until the midnight chime on New Year’s Eve to experience true human love or else you will turn back into a mannequin for good.” What follows is part madcap romp as Aidan learns to be human (with guidance from films on the “Christmas Movie Channel”) and looks for love with Henry’s occasionally inept help, and part introspective tale of personal growth as, over some painful holiday encounters with family, Henry reflects on love, loss, and difficult decisions. The two halves don’t totally mesh, and the chapters from Aidan’s perspective are much more fun than those narrated by Henry. Still, readers seeking lighthearted, magic-infused fare will find this hits the spot. (Sept.)

Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal

In this chaotic follow-up to 2024’s How My Neighbor Stole Christmas, Quinn imbues an enemies-to-lovers tale with holiday cheer and lots of laughter. Atlas “Max” Maxheimer has devoted his life to his family’s tree farm, a mainstay of the Christmas-obsessed town of Kringle, so when he discovers a rival farm is opening right next door, he’s determined to prevent this, no matter what. Still mourning the failure of her previous year-round Christmas business, Betty Yokel has come to Kringle to help her uncle Dwight with the plans for his Christmas farm—which he envisions as more theme park than tree farm—on the outskirts of town. Max’s harebrained scheme to thwart the project is to woo Betty and break her heart, but things take a turn when the two develop genuine feelings for each other. Their chemistry is scorching, but it will take a Christmas miracle to get these two to set their rivalry aside. Quinn’s characteristic over-the-top humor is on full display, especially in the leads’ mutual tendency toward awkward rambling and an omniscient narrator who sometimes interrupts Max and Betty’s perspectives with color commentary. These jokes occasionally wear thin, especially as they inflate the already bloated page count, and the cutesiness of the meta element won’t be for everyone. Still, there’s plenty of genuine charm here. (Oct.)

My Favorite Holidate

A Christmas wedding leads to fake-dating shenanigans in bestseller Blakely’s steamy fifth How to Date romance (after The Accidental Dating Experiment). Jewelry designer Fable Calloway catches her boyfriend, Brady, cheating on her with the caterer at her family’s Thanksgiving dinner, but keeps the betrayal to herself so as not to ruin her sister Charlotte’s surprise engagement. She similarly refuses to allow her feelings to interfere with Charlotte’s destination Christmas wedding, even though Brady, now fully dating the caterer, is a groomsman and she’s the dateless maid of honor. Fable’s billionaire boss, Wilder Blaine, is the best man and needs to find a date to fend off the matchmaking efforts of his meddling aunt. So he and Fable agree to fake a relationship, setting up some ground rules, including an expiration date, in hopes of maintaining professional boundaries. Wilder also privately aims to show Fable how a man should treat her, and Fable hopes to help him loosen up. The chemistry between these two is electric, and it’s a joy to watch their romance unfold. Unfortunately, the story becomes mired in subplots surrounding both characters’ complicated family dynamics, slowing the pace and distracting from the merriment. Still, Blakely’s fans are sure to fall for the swoony central couple. (Oct.)

A Ruff Royal Christmas

Schaler (Finding Christmas) highlights the magic of the holiday season in this fluffy contemporary royal romance. Princess Ava of Skydovia is determined to carry on her late father’s tradition of throwing a dazzling Christmas Eve party, an event at which she plans to announce her engagement to Duke Henry of Emberland. Ava and Henry’s marriage was negotiated when they were children and though Ava feels nothing for him, now that her father’s dead, she feels she must do her duty to the throne. But her mother, Queen Kathleen, has different plans: she wants to use the party to announce the arrival of the new royal dog, Stormy. In the lead up to the party, however, Stormy wrecks the Christmas decorations and escapes the castle, forcing Ava to join forces with veterinarian and dog trainer Justin to search for the wayward pup. Romance inevitably blossoms as they scour the local Christmas village—all while avoiding the paparazzi. It’s a familiar festive story that would feel right at home among Netflix or Hallmark’s holiday offerings, and the addition of a chaotic canine enhances the fun. Schaler’s fans will not be disappointed. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Oct.)

Yours for the Season

In the festive second sapphic romance in Cochrane’s Puck Struck series (after Wake Up, Nat & Darcy) Olympic gold medalist hockey player JT Cox is guilt-tripped into spending an uncomfortable Christmas season with her hard-to-please family in their hometown of Hart’s Landing, N.H. There, she reunites with her best friend’s older sister, Ali Porter, who’s settling into a new home post-divorce. JT is more than happy to unpack boxes and build bookshelves for her childhood crush. The two also spontaneously decide to team up and compete in the annual holiday festival competition. JT hopes to beat her creative siblings and finally gain recognition from her parents, while Ali wants to outperform her arrogant ex and prove to her meddling mother that she’s far happier without him. Quaint seasonal challenges, including a hot chocolate–making contest and a comically entertaining sled race, add to the feel-good atmosphere of their charming romance. Less successfully handled are both women’s family conflicts, which become repetitive as they drag on, and some poorly fleshed-out side characters, including Ali’s villainous ex-husband. Nonetheless, this heartfelt romance will get readers excited for the nostalgic merriment of the holidays. Agent: Paige Terlip, Andrea Brown Literary. (Oct.)