Good Spirits

B.K. Borrison

Not only is this a must read for the holiday season, but it’s December’s Flavor of the Month book club pick!

The Ghost of Christmas Past is tasked with an assignment that makes him crave a future. Noah Callahan doesn’t expect Harriet York, his latest assignment, and she definitely doesn’t expect a haunting. Unsure why she’s being given the ghostly treatment, she and Noah begin to examine her past, and discover unexpected connections.

This novel is spicy, fun, perfect for the holidays, and such an exciting read! If you’re anything like me, you’re not going to want to put it down!

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The Nightmare Before Kissmas

Sara Raasch

If you’ve never read a Sara Raasch novel before, you’re in for a real treat!

Our main characters are the prince of Christmas and the prince of Halloween. So, that tells you how cheesy we’re going (in the best way!). Nicholas “Coal” Clause and Hex (no last name, because he’s too cool) find themselves vying for a marriage to the same person, the Easter Princess. But neither of them wants her. Instead, they want each other.

This gives can’t-keep-your-hands-off-each-other, rivals-to-lovers vibes. It starts out spicy with an initial hookup, but it turns into a slow burn that builds up deliciously as the two men duke it out.

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Any Girl But You

Dana Hawkins

A baker and the daughter of Christmas tree farmers. Need I say more?

Just in case, I will!

After giving her parents her entire savings to rescue their Christmas tree farm, a messed up promotional cookie order is the last thing Quinn Lee needs. Which is probably why she has a meltdown on Zoey, the bakery’s adorable owner. Zoey is pretty sure Quinn Lee is the worst customer ever, and Quinn Lee isn’t too keen on Zoey, either. When circumstances force the two to work together to save their businesses, it makes them question whether opposites really do attract.

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Royal Holiday

Jasmine Guillory

Royal Wedding is all about rom com vibes and later-in-life love.

When her daughter Maddie gets the chance to travel to England to style a member of the royal family, Vivian Fox tags along. She’s been out of the country only once before, and jumps at the opportunity. And who doesn’t love the idea of England during the holidays? Private secretary to the Queen, Malcolm Hudson finds himself drawn to Vivian upon her arrival, making up excuses to spend time with her as often as he can to learn more about her.

With a timer ticking on their holiday romance, the two must decide if what they have could be something real after the champagne fizz of the New Year wears off and an ocean separates them.

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Love You a Latke

Amanda Elliot

This is fake dating at its finest!

In her small Vermont town, Abby Cohen is the only Jew. Serving on the board of tourism as the only Jew means she’s tasked with planning their very first Hanukkah festival, a task that’s looking more and more Herculean by the day. On top of that, she’s dealing with her most annoying customer, Seth, who insists on coming in everyday with a sunshiney attitude that seems determined to breakdown her carefully constructed walls. Overwhelmed with the mishigas, Abby reaches out… Only to discover she’s not the only Jew in town. Seth fits the bill. And it turns out, he’s been looking for a Nice Jewish Girl to take home to mom. So, maybe they can work something out…

As a Jew myself, I do wonder if we have an allergy to smut in a book, but I’m willing to get past the lack of explicit scenes here for the cute storyline!

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Make the Season Bright

Ashley Herring Blake

Forced proximity, musically inclined exes, a snowy, Colorado Christmas, a mysterious breakup. This one’s got it all! This novel is at the top of my holiday TBR, and I’m so excited to read it!

Charlotte Donovan was left at the altar five years ago, but she’s doing fine! She’s living in New York City and playing with her strings ensemble — living her dream! When her ensemble mate, Sloane, convinces her to spend the holidays in Colorado with her and the rest of the ensemble, Charlotte figures it’ll be a good opportunity to get away from the city and get a bit more practice in before their upcoming tour. But when she arrives, she finds that Sloane’s sister, Adele, has brought a guest. And it’s her ex, Brighton.

Excited for a cozy, snowy, old-fashioned Christmas and a distraction from her recent exiling from her band, Brighton Fairbrook arrives at the Colorado cabin with Adele only to discover she’s going to have to spend their entire holiday pretending she’s a stranger to her ex. The longer they spend together, the more it all start to come back. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing?

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Holiday Ever After

Hannah Grace

If you’re as obsessed with Icebreaker, Wildfire, and Daydream as I am (very!), then you’re going to love Holiday Ever After! It’s a classic and predictable tale of Big Corporation versus Small Town Business Man, but it’s honestly pretty damn cute. And, honestly, how many holiday romances aren’t predictable?

Clara Davenport wants nothing more than to climb the ladder at her family’s toy company, Davenport Innovation Creative, but when the company is accused of stealing a doll design from an independent toy maker, she must venture to the maker’s small town and charm the locals to solve the PR nightmare. When she arrives, she realizes her work is cut out for her. Jack Kelly, independent toy maker, has had enough of all things Davenport and is determined to keep his gaurd up around Clara. But that might be harder than he thought…

This one isn’t as spicy as Hannah Grace’s usually are, but it’s still a delight!

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Only for the Holidays

Abiola Bello

Who doesn’t want a sweet holiday romance set in dreamy London?

Only for the Holidays is serving fake-dating, relationship-of-convenience vibes that I’m obsessed with. Tia is a Londoner who’s been dragged by her family to the countryside for an idyllic Christmas. Quincy is a country boy who’s working on Saiyan Hedge Farm, the farm Tia and her family are staying at. Tia wants nothing more than to make her ex jealous and, ultimately, win him back. Quincy wants nothing more than to recover from his breakup in peace, but when he tells a little white lie about having a date to the Winter Ball, he realizes that he and Tia might have a way to help each other.

This one is high on my holiday TBR and I’m so stoked for it!

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Trick Shot

Kayla Grosse

If it’s the spicier the better for you, Trick Shot is a holiday must-read! This novel offers spicy poly fun with a holiday spin.

Mistaken for his hockey star twin brother, Leo finds himself drawn to Riley and her bright energy. Leo plays along with Riley’s assumptions, flirting as they wait for their plane. But when their flight gets cancelled, Leo decides he’s not quite ready to let Riley go and invites her to spend the night at his penthouse with him and his best friend Jace. The three are in for an unforgettable Christmas Eve, and maybe something more…

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The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah

Jean Meltzer

I am all about a second chance romance! And I love a good Hanukkah story.

Prepared to spend Hanukkah working her dream job, Evelyn Schwartz is prepared to tackle the holiday season without family. She’ll be spending the eight days producing the live-action, telivised musical of A Christmas Carol, and that’ll keep her too busy for family anyways. But when an accident on set sees her stuck in medical with a migraine, she’s shocked to discover her ex-husband, David Adler, is the stand-in for the studio’s usual doc.

Two years ago, David walked away from Evelyn and their life, but his ex hasn’t changed a bit; still insistent that work should come before everything, even her health. When Evelyn starts to hallucinate “ghosts” of her past heartbreaks, and all of them lead to David, the two find themselves spending far more time together than they wanted. And the chemistry between them? It’s still there.

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You’re a Mean One Matthew Prince

Timothy Janovsky

I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this plot on Hallmark before, but it’s never been quite this good, and certainly never quite this gay, and I am here for it!

When Matthew Prince, notoriously insufferable wealthy socialite who looks at life like a never-ending party, finds himself in the midst of a PR nightmare, he’s forced to spend his holiday season in exile until it all blows over. Matthew can’t wait to get back to the city, no matter how picturesque his prison town may be, but being stuck in close quarters with the grumpy Hector Martinez starts to change it all for him.

Can Matthew change for the better? Will he and Hector be able to acknolwedge their growing attraction? Will the surprise holiday gala go off without a hitch?

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Love in Winter Wonderland

Abiola Bello

I won’t lie — I absolutely judged this book by it’s cover, and that’s because it’s cover is stupid cute and I love it!

Trey Anderson is balancing a lot — the pressure that comes with being a popular kid and a job at his family’s beloved bookstore, Wonderland. Ariel Spencer needs tuition to make it through the art program of her dreams, and snagging the job opening at Wonderland is the answer to her troubles. The only problem? Ariel and Trey do not get along. But when the two discover that Wonderland is on the brink of being shut down by a neighborhood gentrifier, they work together to keep Wonderland’s doors open and, maybe, go from enemies to lovers in the process.

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