Holiday Reading Guide 2021
When it comes to holiday books, it’s the more the merrier for me! This year there are a TON of new holiday themed books available this year so this reading guide is dedicated to those new releases! I have so many holiday book lists coming but this guide showcases all the 2021 new releases I’ve read so far this year as well as some backlist favorites.
I had SO MUCH fun putting this guide together. I’m also sharing a number of books on my holiday TBR because they just sounded so good, I knew I needed to save them for when I could read them by the lights of my tree.
Look forward to guides to sweet holiday romances, steamy holiday reads, and more as we get closer and closer to Tis the Readson!
The Mistletoe Pact by Jo Lovett
Two friends, a pact to get married if they’re both single at 30, and a wild night in Vegas. I had high hopes for this one, but it didn’t work for me personally. However, if you like sweet romances with flashbacks and a tone of “fate” you might enjoy this! It’s also very British and not too Christmassy.
Nick and Noel’s Christmas Playlist by Codi Hall
The cover alone is so great when it comes to this book! It’s a friends to lovers/fake dating romance with some steam and spice. Nick and Noel have been friends for years. Nick is just back from active military duty and when his long time girlfriend dumps him, Noel sets out to make his holiday magical. It’s a cute book, not too cheesy and is an open door romance!
A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli
I really liked this one! It’s not too steamy and it’s mainly about Diwali, though there is a bit of Christmas at the end. It’s about a woman working in tech who travels to her family’s home in India for the first time for a wedding. She celebrates the magic of Diwali and learns about herself and her culture on her trip. And of course, there’s a little romance.
I’m Dreaming of a Wyatt Christmas by Tiffany Schmidt
If you love festive cheer, ski lodges, and the Nutcracker, this is a the holiday read for you. It’s YA but it’s got a sweet romance and some depth, as the main character, Noelle, is dealing with the grief of losing her mom and spending her first Christmas away from home.
So This is Christmas by Tracy Andreen
Talk about a perfect cover! This book is cute and festive, but it had a couple cliches/stereotypes I didn’t enjoy. It’s a YA that reads young so if you’re not the target audience, just go in prepared! It’s about Finley Brown who has been away at boarding school in Connecticut and returns home to Christmas, Oklahoma to find things totally upside down from how she left it. When a school mate decides to spend his holiday in Christmas, Finley is faced with telling the truth about where she is from. Goodreads Review!
A Christmas at Gingerbread Falls by Katie Mettner
This one wasn’t my cup of tea but I’m sure someone out there will enjoy it. It’s about a the behind the scenes of making a Hallmark esque Christmas movie. It goes back and forth between the movie and real life. It’s got HIGH drama. I’ll link my review via Goodreads for content warnings.
Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey
If you need a fun, charming, spicy holiday romance, look no further. I really enjoyed this one from Tessa Bailey! It does use the Insta Love trope, but it didn’t bother me because I was loving the holiday vibes. It’s about Stella, who was recently released from prison and is trying to start over. Aiden manages a Saks Fifth Avenue type store in NYC and hires Stella to redo the window displays. They’re immediately drawn to each other and holiday work place romance tension ensues. Also it was billed as “If Ted Lasso was kinky” and…can confirm.
Duke Actually by Jenny Holiday
All I Want For Christmas is the Girl Next Door by Chelsea Bobulski
100% the most surprising book I read in prep for the reading guide. I read this book in about 3 1/2 hours because I couldn’t get enough. It’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” meets “Wish Upon a Star” and it delivered the holiday vibes. It’s about Graham, a 16 year old boy who has been pining after his best friend and neighbor, Sarah, since they were kids. But she’s dating his best friend Jeremy. When Graham finally confides his feelings and Sarah reject them, he makes a wish that she would be his girl. He wakes up in an alternate reality to see if his greatest wish really is what and who he wants.
Blame It On the Mistletoe by Beth Garrod
A social media star and fan switch places for Christmas in this YA novel that feels just like the film The Holiday! I love this concept and of course, once they’ve swapped lives, surprise romances appear.
I squeezed this book in and found it to be super cute! It’s very YA, which I always like to remind people because I think most of my audience is not in high school, but it’s festive and fun. I had a great time reading it but wish the end hadn’t been so rushed!
On my Holiday TBR
The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
I am SO excited to read this book. I’ve been hanging onto to it to start this month! Rachel is Jewish but has a secret: She loves Christmas and even has made her career as a Christmas Romance Novelist that she’s hidden from her family. When her publisher asks her to write a Hanukkah romance, Rachel is stumped and doesn’t believe the holiday is as magical or merry. When she reunites with her summer camp nemesis to draw inspiration from a Hanukkah music festival, she finds herself drawn to the holiday and the nemesis more than she ever thought possible. There is even chronic illness rep!
A Magical New York Christmas by Anita Hughes
Christmas at the Plaza and mentions of Eloise?! I am all in. Sabrina, a struggling journalist, arrives at the Plaza to accept a ghost writing position for a famous art dealer, only to learn that he was a butler at the hotel and worked for Kay Thompson, author of the Eloise books! Mistaken identity, romance, and the magic of Christmas in New York take over as Sabrina gets closer to the guests and staff at the Plaza.
The Holiday Switch by Tif Marcelo
This book sounds SO cute and I love YA at the holidays. It’s about Lila, who is ready for her last holiday break of high school and is working at an Inn that was the setting for her favorite Christmas movie. But when her boss’ nephew, Teddy, get a job working with her, sparks and frustration fly.
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox
There seems to be a theme for 2021 Holiday reads. A celebrity chef, Charlie, gets hit on the head on set and loses her taste and smell, the most important part of judging on her competition baking show. She asks her identical twin sister, Cass, to switch places for the first time since they were kids so she can keep her job. But of course, when twins switch places and attractive men show up, drama ensues.
Backlist Favorites
Jingle Wars by R. Holmes and Veronica Eden
I read this one last year I LOVED it. It was the spicy holiday read I’d been searching for. It’s set in a small resort town and it’s an enemies to lovers (ish)/forbidden romance between a hotel heiress and the grandson of local B&B owners. There’s a festive competition, banter, snowed in cabin scene (!), and hot tub ~ moments ~. It’s so much fun!
Faking Under the Mistletoe by Ashley Shepherd
A favorite since 2019 in this fake dating, office, grumpy/sunshine holiday romance. It’s about Olivia, an intern who loves Christmas. Like, loves it. It’s set in NYC and it’s fully delightful. It’s also not too open door if that’s not your thing!
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
I’m pretty sure everyone read this one last year. As a holiday book, it’s really fun. Plot wise, i’d love to change some things but it definitely captures the holiday feels. It’s about a group of college friends who spend every Christmas together at their cabin. It has a groundhog day aspect and it’s delightfully festive.
One Way Or Another by Kara McDowell
I really liked this YA holiday read last year! It’s another book that really felt like it captured the feeling of the holiday. It’s set in two timelines after the main character slips and hits her head. So you get an NYC holiday and a Mountain Cabin holiday. It’s a fun easy read!
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
Another SUPER cute YA holiday read! It’s about a high school senior who gets dumped right before the holiday break and her (very large, very meddling) family decides in order to cheer her up, they are going to set her up on 10 blind dates. it’s fun, festive, and hilarious.
The Van Der Beekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glasser
This darling middle grade has become a staple holiday classic for me. It also takes place in the neighborhood my first NYC apartment was in! It’s about a group of siblings that is trying to save their family’s apartment. in order to do that, they need to make their grumpy neighbor feel the Christmas cheer.
Snow in Love by Melissa de la Cruz, Aimee Friedman, Nic Stone, Kasie West
I really liked this anthology! It’s a fun and quick book to breeze through that captures more YA feelings around the holidays.
All I Want for Christmas by Wendy Loggia
I love It’s a Wonderful Life and I really liked this YA retelling that captured it! It also has modern A Christmas Carol vibes and a sweet romance!
Merry Inkmas by Talia Hibbert
If you like spicy holiday romances, look no further than Talia Hibbert. I had a great time reading Merry Inkmas last holiday season. It’s steamy and romantic but also deals with homelessness and addiction recovery. It’s all we love about Talia Hibbert wrapped up in a holiday bow.
Wrapped Up in You by Talia Hibbert
Another delightful Hibbert holiday romance, this time a friends to lovers/second chance romance set at the holidays!
A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday
If you ever wanted Hallmark Christmas movies to go a little further, this steamy and sweet holiday romance is for you. The cover is unassuming because it is STEAMY lol.
Forever Wild by KA Tucker
I love holiday Novellas for my favorite characters so I was SO excited to read this book last year. You do need to read The Simple Wild and Wild at Heart before, but once you have, spend Christmas in Alaska with Calla and her crew.
Written in the Stars by Alexandra Bellefour
This isn’t technically a holiday read but it’s set between Thanksgiving and New Years, so I count it! It’s a sapphic Pride and Prejudice retelling that is perfect for anyone who loves grumpy/sunshine and fake dating tropes, plus astrology!
If you’ve read this far, THANK YOU for all the support! It means so much to me and I’m so grateful for those of you who come back day after day or just check in every now and then. If there’s a specific book list you’re looking for this holiday season, please let me know!
If you’re looking for even MORE holiday reads, especially when it comes to mysteries, thrillers, YA, and middle grade, check out my reading guides from last year: