The second of The Five Blogs of Christmas is all about the books. Who doesn’t love a holiday romance?? Here’s a few I’ve read in the last few months, with additional recommendations in links below to past holiday reading fun.
Grace and Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon Matthew Norman
I cried through the entire first chapter. Then I belly laughed through the second. Grace lost her husband to cancer in January, then she and her kids, Ian and Bella, adopted a dog on the way home from the funeral. Henry lost his wife in a plane crash in January and he hasn’t returned to their home in 10 months. Their mother’s scheme to get them together for a ridiculous, obvious meet cute. With the theme of holiday movies for each chapter, they grow closer in some ways, largely, in the beginning, because they understand completely what the other is going through. But Henry bonds with Ian, who’s trying to win an art contest at school. Bella’s a little harder to crack, like her mother. Both have near misses with other people. And they gradually begin the process of coming back to the real, painful world. There is so much honest, real chaos in both their lives, that the other makes better. Matthew Norman writes about the messiness of relationships, both romantic and platonic, with such ease. I highly recommend all of his books!
This Christmas Rivalry (Novella) Beverly Jenkins
Beverly Jenkins creates rich, strong women as her main characters (The Blessings series) and I’m there for it! When Tasha Bloom inherits a semi-pro football team her grandfather promised to GM Drew Davis, sparks fly, both in the boardroom and the bedroom in this spicy novella. Grandpa was a piece of work who didn’t put a cent into the team, so Tasha, the owner of an international financial business, and Drew, former footballer, businessman, and owner of a swanky jazz club, need to work together to elevate their players, equipment, and field. The casual lovers (since this has a happy ending, you can guess how that turns out) meet with resistance from some of the players, her best friend, his club manager, and the blissfully ignorant league commissioner, who woefully underestimates Tasha. Filled with interesting characters and uplifting scenarios, you don’t have to like sports to enjoy this totally satisfying story.
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year Ally Carter
This mystery was a love story in disguise, which I wasn’t expecting but totally loved! Maggie is a mystery writer still hurting from the betrayal of her husband and best friend. Ethan is a hunky thriller writer with a mysterious past. There is no love lost between them when they find themselves on a private plane bound for a Christmas trip offered by an anonymous fan. The “fan” turns out to be Maggie’s hero, legendary author Eleanor Ashley, who promptly disappears. Maggie and Ethan, in an English manor house full of Eleanor’s questionable family and friends, end up relying on each other to solve the mystery of what happened to her. Between life and death situations, screaming children, and painful personal disclosures, Maggie must learn to trust again. Not just Ethan, but herself, as well. This book is dense with so many layers of emotion, secrets, and danger. I loved both Maggie and Ethan. Seeing their stories unfold ~ Holiday Magic!
Recipes of Christmas Past (Novella) Racquel Henry
Elle is a Christmas avoider. Windermere Falls is Christmas Central. When Elle accepts a temp job as an archivist for the Windermere Falls library, Christmas becomes unavoidable. From the daily holiday activities to the decorated tree in her B&B room, she feels like she’s stuck in a Christmas snow globe. She finds a handblown glass ornament for her estranged sister but it gets mixed up with another gift at a giftwrapping station ~ a recipe book that clearly is someone’s family heirloom. Bennie, head chef at the B&B and the son of the owners, offers his help in finding the rightful gift recipient, but Elle needs to participate in the holiday activities as “payment.” As she and Bennie get to know each other, they both have secrets to share and issues to resolve. This is literary comfort food in the coziest, most delightful way. I recommend all of Racquel’s books, but I think this one is her best so far. ❤
Mint to Be Katie Cicatelli-Kuc
This YA holiday romance takes place in the same universe as Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice (Click for review). And, yes, I ordered the Scratch and Sniff edition ~ mmmmmm, peppermint!
I loved the structure of this story of Aiden and Emma, two BFF’s since elementary school, who have a falling out when Emma is accepted at a boarding school in NYC, far from their small hometown of Briar Glen. Throughout the book, the present story is Emma bringing her big city boyfriend home for the holidays, interspersed with chapters of the history of Aiden and Emma’s friendship and all the episodes that contributed to them losing touch. Everyone in their small town believed that the two friends would eventually end up together, so Sam, the rich boy she’s been dating since the summer, creates an unexpected twist. Teenage angst, jealousy, and holiday cheer abound, with the sweetest dog in literature, Aiden’s adopted Mackerel, tying them all together. Emotional and fun, I enjoyed this book (I used up all the scratch and sniff, LOL) and I hope she writes more in her world of Briar Glen.
Don’t Toy with Me (Novella) Diane Kelly
This novella is part mystery, part subtle romance. When Ciara moves from Charlotte to a small town, she finds employment in a brand-new toy shop run by Nick. She can provide help he needs running the day to day in the shop, but also marketing that he didn’t know he needed. When the deposit from a very big sales day goes missing from the safe that only Nick and Ciara know the combination for, they start looking for clues and realize they’re not the only business that has been robbed in the last 18 months. What I especially liked about this one is that the mystery had all the elements to solve it but also had a fairly intense twist. And the love story took a back seat to the mystery, while building a solid relationship throughout. I love Diane’s Tara Holloway and Mountain Lodge series and highly recommend them, along with this fun-sized Christmas Cozy Mystery.
Here are some links to other holiday reading I’ve blogged about over the years:
The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
Winter Holiday reading from 2023
Let me know what great holiday reads you’ve discovered lately!
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