Top Five Holiday Romance Novels

The minute Thanksgiving ended, I pulled out my Christmas decorations and began to fill my living space with holiday cheer. Every year, we try to add to our decorations, even if it’s just a little bit. This year, I bought some beautiful Christmas flowers and also placed cute Christmas window decals on our windows and doors to get my son in the spirit of Christmas.

I love the holiday season. There have been years where life was so stressful that I couldn’t enjoy them as much, but this year feels like it’s going to be magical. My son just turned two and a half, and it’s obvious that he is catching onto the magic of Christmas. It’s beautiful to watch and exciting. It always puts me in the mood to read some Christmas inspired books, and I wanted to share some of my favorite holiday romances!

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

I’m always going to come back to this author writing duo. They’re books are amazing. This was the first book of theirs I read, and it’s always going to hold a special place in my heart!

t’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.

But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.

The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.

Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

This is another author duo! I love when writers write together. This book is a beautiful story. I loved watching these twin sisters swap their lives and find magic in themselves and each other.

All they want for Christmas is a different life.

When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell–both critical to her success as show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie’s identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family’s bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won’t get the memo that they’re over.

With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven’t done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician’s assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins’ identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track?

Sweet on You by Carla de Guzman

This book is the absolute BEST. I loved every page. It was magical, gorgeous, and heartfelt. Carla de Guzman is insanely talented, and I’m so excited to read more of her books.

For barista and café owner Sari Tomas, Christmas means parols, family and no-holds-barred karaoke contests. This year, though, a new neighbor is throwing a wrench in all her best-laid plans. The baker next door—“some fancy boy from Manila”—might have cute buns, but when he tries to poach her customers with cheap coffee and cheaper tactics, the competition is officially on.

And Baker Boy better be ready, because Sari never loses.

Foodie extraordinaire Gabriel Capras wants to prove to his dad that his career choice doesn’t make him any less a man. The Laneways might not be Manila, but the close-knit community is the perfect spot to grow his bakery into a thriving business. He wasn’t expecting a gorgeous adversary in the barista next door, but flirting with her makes his heart race, and it’s not just the caffeine.

It’s winner takes all this Christmas. And more than one competitor might just lose their heart for the holidays.

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas

I could easily have picked A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas for this list. It’s a beautiful book. But Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is also pure magic. It makes me tear up still thinking about it. It’s a really gorgeous novel, and I highly recommend it.

ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY
One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.
ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE
The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.
SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC…
Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.
…TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE
Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home…

Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

This is a collection of three holiday YA romance stories. It’s been made into a Netflix movie (that I still haven’t had a chance to watch) so more people are likely familiar with this book. It’s also the oldest book on this list that I’ve read, but I always come back to it around this time of year and remember how much I loved it.

A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Thanks to three of today’s bestselling teen authors—John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle—the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.

As I made this list, I realized I haven’t read as much holiday romance as I would like. There are many more I could have listed, but these are my favorite. I also would love to read about more holidays that aren’t Christmas because I think the experience of any holiday and a beautiful time with loved ones is magical. Please feel free to share more of your favorite holiday romances in the comments. I’d love to check out more this year!