Holiday Reading Guide

Taking a quick break for Pages As Planes this weekend to share my holiday reading guide! I shared my Fall/Winter Reading Guide in October, but I’m going to devote this one to all stories that take place during the holiday season!

If you haven’t heard about the Instagram readathon I’m hosting with some friends, make sure to check it out! We’re hosting #TisTheReadson through December 25 and these books fit most of the prompts! There are more in this post but I wanted to share about the ones I’ve read so far!

Steamy Romance

Faking Under the Mistletoe by Ashley Shepherd—I am definitely planning on rereading this book this year! Last year I loved it because it had some of my favorite tropes: fake dating and enemies to lovers. It also addresses sexual assault in the workplace and I think did it very well. I do need to reread it, since I’ve read a lot and learned a lot this year, so I hope it holds up to my memory! TW/CW: sexual assault

Jingle Wars by R. Holmes and Veronica Eden—Ohhh this is a steamy holiday romance and I was here for it! It’s enemies to lovers and the tension is real. It is set in an idyllic mountain town, there are hot springs, snow storms, and family drama. It’s a fun, easy, sexy read! TW: heart attack, loss of a parent in a car accident, strained parent/child relationship

A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday—I keep describing this book as, “A Hallmark movie that kept the door open” because it checks a lot of Hallmark boxes: princess of a small, fake European country? Check. Grumpy meal lead of a different economic status? Check. Precocious child who wants them to get together? Check.

It may look sweet and innocent, but it gets STEAMY. It’s fun and self aware and very enjoyable!

TW/CW: Loss of a parent in a car accident, loss of a parent to cancer

Forever Wild by K.A. Tucker—A new fav holiday novella! Find my review here because if you haven’t read The Simple Wild or Wild At Heart, you need to before this one!

The Bromance Bookclub by Lyssa Kay Adams—A sneaky holiday romance! This takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s about a group of friends who start a bookclub dedicated to reading romance so they can learn and be better partners. It’s fun, sexy, and makes you laugh out loud.

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur—Another sneaky holiday romance that takes place between Thanksgiving and New Years! Find my review here.

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren—I’ve heard this one is low on the steam scale in comparison to other books by these authors, but I haven’t read it yet! I’m planning on reading it this weekend. It’s a Groundhog Day style romance.

Merry Inkmas by Talia Hibbert—I loved Dani Brown and this one certainly sounds steamy! “The infamous tattoo artist's been watching geeky Bailey Cooper for months, but that’s all he’ll ever do: watch. Bailey’s too sweet, too smart, too good for the likes of him, and he knows it. So Cash keeps his distance… until a Christmas miracle makes him Bailey’s boss.

Socially awkward Bailey learned long ago that men just aren’t worth the hassle. Take her new boss, Cash: he’s a brooding beast who avoids her like the plague, but he also fixes her plumbing, helps the homeless, and offers Bailey a place to stay for Christmas. She’s never met anyone so confusing—or so impossible to resist. And the more Bailey learns about Cash and his demons, the more she thinks it’s time to stop fighting.” —From the publisher

Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory—I love Jasmine Guillory’s books! They’re sweet, easy reads with fun characters. “Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie’s work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can’t refuse. She’s excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn’t expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain private secretary, his charming accent, and unyielding formality. Malcolm Hudson has worked for the Queen for years and has never given a personal, private tour—until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling. Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy affair come New Year’s Day. . .or are they?” —From the publisher

Sweet Romance

Winter Street Series by Elin Hilderbrand—No open door steam here but lots of family drama. I love this series, it’s very special to me and I reread it every year. It centers on a blended family that runs an inn on Nantucket.

TW/CW: infidelity, addiction, cancer, family member on active military duty, PTSD

The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson—A teacher and struggling musician meets a successful song writer in disguise in the mountains of Colorado at Christmas. Sweet and fun!

Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss—I don’t think I can describe this one any better than the publisher! “When it comes to relationships, thirty-four-year-old Kate Turner is ready to say "Bah, humbug." The sleepy town of Blexford, England, isn't exactly brimming with prospects, and anyway, Kate's found fulfillment in her career as a designer, and in her delicious side job baking for her old friend Matt's neighborhood café. But then her best friend signs her up for a dating agency that promises to help singles find love before the holidays. Twenty-three days until Christmas. Twelve dates with twelve different men. The odds must finally be in her favor . . . right? Yet with each new date more disastrous than the one before--and the whole town keeping tabs on her misadventures--Kate must remind herself that sometimes love, like mistletoe, shows up where it's least expected. And maybe, just maybe, it's been right under her nose all along.”

Let It Snow by Nancy Thayer—Another story set on the island of Nantucket! I read this one last year and liked it but it did lack the substance I usually look for in my books. It’s about the owner of a toy store struggling to make rent and keep her storefront.

YA/Middle Grade

All I Want for Christmas by Wendy Loggia—This one surprised me by being so cute and enjoyable even though it is SUPER cheesy. Find my review here!

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston—Another book I read last year and loved! It’s about a senior in high school who gets dumped right before Christmas. Her huge extended family gets together to set her up on 10 blind dates throughout winter break to cheer her up. It’s so funny and heartwarming. Not cheesy at all!

One Way Or Another by Kara McDowell—Another I’m reading this year! “The average person makes 35,000 decisions every single day. That's about 34,999 too many for Paige Collins, who lives in debilitating fear of making the wrong choice. The simple act of picking an art elective is enough to send her into a spiral of what-ifs. What if she's destined to be a famous ceramicist but wastes her talent in drama club? What if there's a carbon monoxide leak in the ceramics studio and everyone drops dead? (Grim, but possible!) That's why when Paige is presented with two last-minute options for Christmas vacation, she's paralyzed by indecision. Should she go with her best friend (and longtime crush) Fitz to his family's romantic mountain cabin? Or should she accompany her mom to New York, a city Paige has spent her whole life dreaming about? Just when it seems like Paige will crack from the pressure of choosing, fate steps in -- in the form of a slippery grocery store floor -- and Paige's life splits into two very different parallel paths. One path leads to New York where Paige falls for the city . . . and the charms of her unexpected tour guide. The other leads to the mountains where Paige might finally get her chance with Fitz . . . until her anxiety threatens to ruin everything.
However, before Paige gets her happy ending in either destiny, she'll have to face the truth about her struggle with anxiety -- and learn that you don't have to be "perfect" to deserve true love.”From the publisher

Green Glass House by Kate Milford—A cozy middle grade holiday mystery that I can’t wait to read this season! “It’s wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler’s inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers’ adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again. Soon Milo’s home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House—and themselves.” —From the publisher

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glasser—I loved this book when I read it! It’s about a family in Harlem trying to save their home. Their landlord is looking to sell the brownstone they’ve lived in their entire lives between the end of the year. The siblings work together to show him some holiday cheer and save their home!

Anthologies

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle—A fun, festive, YA anthology of three stories surrounding a snowstorm. It’s also a Netflix movie!

Snow in Love by Melissa de la Cruz, Aimee Friedman, Nic Stone, Kasie West—Another YA anthology! I read this one last week and really enjoyed it.

My True Love Gave to Me—12 holiday stories by 12 YA authors! I read this years ago but will be doing a reread of it this season!

It’s a Whole Spiel—Another anthology for the holiday season! I want to read one story a day from this one since I’ve never read it before!

What are you planning on reading this holiday season?!