I love reading holiday books in December to help me get into the holiday spirit. This is my last week of work before the new year, and things are starting to slow down a bit. I’m looking forward to some cozy evenings spent reading! If you’re looking for a holiday book to help you get into the mood, these are my recommendations, in completely random order.
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
This isn’t actually a holiday book, per say, but it is set at a Christmas tree farm, so it fits the mood. Stella owns a Christmas tree farm in a small town, but is at the end of her financial rope. To try to help keep the farm running, she enters an Instagram contest run by an influencer… but on her application, she says that she co-owns the farm with her boyfriend, which is not the case. So when she finds out her farm is a finalist, she asks her best friend (and years-long crush) Luka to be her pretend boyfriend. Of course, the lines begin to blur between best friend, pretend boyfriend, and real boyfriend! It was really cute, and gives me Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls small town charm vibes.
Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake
This is a cute holiday romcom that I could see making an excellent Hallmark movie. Charlotte is living out her dreams in New York, where she runs an all-queer strings quartet. One of the quartet members convinces the group to go her family’s home for the holidays, where it’ll be a snowy winter wonderland and they can spend a lot of time practicing together. Charlotte mostly sticks to herself, but begrudgingly agrees. When she arrives, though, she finds out that the quartet member’s sister has also brought a friend home, and it’s none other than Brighton, Charlotte’s ex who left her at the altar five years ago. Brighton has recently been ousted from her band in Nashville, and is figuring out what to do with her life now. The two are living out Hallmark holiday movie activities together, though Charlotte is trying hard to stay away – but will she be able to? This was pretty predictable, but in the best, most comforting way. It’s exactly what I want in a holiday book.
Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
This was a sweet holiday romcom with fake dating and a love trapezoid. Ellie was recently let go from her dream job and is working at a coffee shop there while she figures out how to move on with her life. After a drunken night out with Andrew, the shop’s landlord, she agrees to pretend to be his fiancée and go home with him for the holidays to fulfill a stipulation of his inheritance… only to find out that his sister is the woman that Ellie spent a perfect day and night with last year. And there seems to be something going on between Andrew and his sister’s best friend, too. Lots of miscommunications – some of which make more sense than others – and Taylor Swift lyrics throughout!
The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner
This is more of a New Years book than a Christmas once, but I’m still counting it in the holiday category. Sadie is going through a rough time after losing her job, getting dumped, and losing her apartment, so when she’s offered a wish on New Year’s Eve, all she wants is the chance to re-do the last year of her life. She just knows that if she could do it all over again, she’d make better, more mature choices. But she’s still shocked when she wakes up on New Year’s Day and realizes that her wish has been granted. Sadie has the chance to undo some of the damage from the last year – but sometimes, the things that seem light mistakes turn out to be blessings in disguise.
The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish
The Holiday is one of my favorite movies, and this book is like an updated, queer version. Two people – Greta, from a tiny town in Maine, and Truman, living in New Orleans, both are feeling frustrated with their lives and families, and just want to get away, ASAP. While they’ve never met, they both happen to text a mutual friend with their frustrations, who suggestions they swap places for one month, and both quickly agree. Greta and Truman each head to the other’s hometown, where they find themselves (and love!) along the way. I really loved that while the romantic journeys were a big part of the book, the journeys to being comfortable with themselves, and their own insecurities, were equally important. This book also has Hanukkah and Christmas celebrations, which can be harder to find in holiday books!
The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese
This was like a modern day version of You’ve Got Mail, and such a fun, cute holiday read. Gabby works at a local bookstore along with her nemesis, Jonathan. The bookstore is going through financial struggles and it looks like only one of them will be able to keep their job in the new year unless something changes. So Gabby suggests a contest – whoever makes the most sales in December will be the one to keep their job. As Gabby deals with this stress, she also has to deal with the fact that her online friend (and maybe more than friends…), who she met through Reddit, suggests they stop talking for a few weeks until they can meet in person, to lower any expectations. Since I’ve made some amazing friends through Reddit, so I loved this little detail. Of course, there’s lots of holiday magic in December that bring Gabby and Jonathan closer together while they fight for sales.
The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
I really loved this story of found friendship. Hannah found Finn her first year at college, when both had nowhere to go for the holidays and were some of the only people at college. Since then, the two have been best friends, and have spent the holidays together each year. Two other friends joined their group and their holiday tradition, and Hannah felt like she had the found family she always wanted. But her world is thrown into a tailspin when Finn tells her he’s moving across the country, and her boyfriend is also questioning where he really fits in Hannah’s life. I loved how real the story felt – the grappling with friendships and partners as you grow up, and try to figure out how to grow without losing your history that has made you who you are. I know Christmas is in the title, but this is really more of an “anytime in the winter” book.
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