Christmas Romances to Curl up with This Holiday Season, Part 2
It has been two years since I made a Christmas romance book list, so this part two is well past due. While my first list consists almost entirely of romances set in the present day, this list comprises primarily historical romances. So, lace those stays and journey back to a time of candlelit hallways and Yuletide traditions.
A Sleigh Ride Kiss by Jen Geigle Johnson
Set against the picturesque backdrop of a quaint English village, this Regency romance features a case of mistaken identity. Odette’s grandmother is keen to make a match between her and the Marquis of Wilmington, but Odette has no interest in him. She would much rather marry the kindly Henry Wardlow, who has only recently arrived in town, but as she will soon learn, the marquis and Henry have a great deal in common. In fact, the two men are one and the same.
A Yorkshire Carol by Jennie Goutet
This heartwarming story is the perfect cozy Christmastime read. A Yorkshire Carol transports you back to Regency England to a Christmas house party in the Yorkshire countryside. There, we watch childhood friends Juliana and Willelm partake in charming holiday traditions while gradually realizing there might be feelings deeper than friendship between them.
The Duke Alone by Christi Caldwell
Home Alone meets Bridgerton in this holiday romance set in Regency London. When Myrtle McQuoid is accidentally left behind by her family, she turns to the only other person in the neighborhood still at home: Val Bancroft, the reclusive duke who lives next door. At first loath to have his self-imposed solitude disturbed, Val learns to tolerate and eventually, enjoy Myrtle’s company, but a danger lurking in the shadows threatens their newfound happiness.
A Match Made at Christmas by Ellie St. Clair
Tired of her mother’s not-so-subtle attempts to marry her off, Ivy Northrup decides to teach her a lesson and end her interfering ways once and for all. Enter Everett Pine, her brother’s childhood friend and current object of her mother’s matchmaking machinations. Ivy convinces Everett to enter into a fake courtship with her for the duration of his mother’s Christmas house party, and what ensues is a delightfully predictable and charming romance bursting with holiday cheer.
Twelfth Knight’s Bride by E. Elizabeth Watson
This novella whisks us back in time to the 16th-century Scottish Highlands. There, we meet Aileana and James, members of the feuding Grant and MacDonald clans, who become handfasted after Aileana is caught stealing food from James. The handfast, however, is not yet permanent. In two weeks’ time on Twelfth Night, Aileana will be able to decide whether she wants to return home or remain with James. That she should ever choose to remain married to a MacDonald seems ludicrous, so from the moment she leaves Grant lands, she is counting down the days until she can return. But then, the unexpected happens: she finds herself falling in love with James.
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
And last but not least is the only contemporary romance on this list. This cozy, small-town romance features Stella and Luka, two longtime friends who pretend to date in order to win a social media contest to save Stella’s Christmas tree farm. Soon, however, the line between what’s real and pretend begins to blur, and their fake relationship begins to feel all too real.
Well, that does it for this list. Be sure to let me know in the comments section if you have read or are planning on reading any of these books!
-Julia
P.S. You can buy all of the books from this list at Bookshop.org.
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org, and I will earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you click through and make a purchase.
