Tis the season for holiday reads! These are a few of my favorites and I hope you’ll enjoy them too.
The Christmas Crush by Noelle Douglas
A small-town baker and a career woman working for a cookie conglomerate get all mixed up in this small town Christmas romcom, perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey and Maggie Knox.Career focused Elena is climbing the corporate ladder all the way to the top; so when Sparkle Cookie, the cookie manufacturer she works for, opens a new branch, she jumps at the opportunity to impress her bosses. But the townsfolk in New Hope, Pennsylvania aren’t exactly thrilled about a large company coming in to ruin their small town feel with factories and truckloads of Sparkle Cookie products on their roads, yet Elena is determined to prove herself and make the new branch a success. Local baker Lawrence–and his dog Sugar–have been a beloved staple in New Hope for the past two years. Their bakery specializes in cookies, but with Sparkle Cookie coming in, he’s worried their market will be quickly squashed by franchise locations selling mass-produced (and, in his opinion, terrible) cookies on every street corner. Elena and Lawrence immediately butt heads at a town hall meeting, and Lawrence is determined to drive Sparkle Cookie from town at all costs–but Elena is just as ruthlessly determined to make the New Hope location a success and win over the townspeople. When a cookie competition makes them join forces, sparks fly, and they’re both forced to decide just what price they’re willing to pay to reach their goals.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
(now a Netflix movie!)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.
But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.
The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.
It’s a Fabulous Life by Kelly Farmer
fter years of putting aside her dreams of travel and adventure, Bailey George is ready to leave Lanford Falls and her responsibilities behind on a long-awaited vacation to New York City. But when the volunteer who took over her leadership position for the town’s Winter Wonderfest has a medical emergency, Bailey finds herself stuck in Lanford Falls. She gets roped into reassuming her old role, not wanting to let the town or her friends and family down.
Staying home seems slightly less terrible when Bailey runs into her high school crush, Maria Hatcher. A kiss they shared years ago in the town’s mistletoe grove was a life-defining moment for them both. Maria quickly offers to pitch in and help with Winter Wonderfest. Her sunny disposition and holiday cheer perk up Bailey’s grinchy feelings about everything.
However, one disaster after another snowball on the day of the festival. Bailey’s frustration boils over, and she ends up on the town’s old wooden bridge. There, she meets fabulous drag queen Clara Angel. Bailey declares that she wishes she hadn’t been born in this Christmas-obsessed, suffocating small town. With a little of the magic Clara possesses, she shows Bailey how wrong she is about Lanford Falls and her place in it. And that with a little hope and some true holiday spirit, there is a way to attain all her dreams.
Christmas Charms by Teri Wilson
Ashley James is supposed to be having the Christmas of her dreams. After four years of working at an upscale jewelry store in Manhattan, she will finally get a little velvet box of her own. And she knows exactly when. Her boyfriend Jeremy is taking her on a romantic trip to Paris. What could go wrong?
Pretty much everything.
When nothing turns out as planned, instead of delighting in espresso and croissants across from the Eiffel Tower, Ashley finds herself on a train to Owl Lake. She falls asleep on the ride and, upon waking, discovers a mysterious antique charm bracelet on her wrist.
Soon, she realizes that each silver charm predicts an event that actually happens. And when she runs into Aidan Flynn, her former high school boyfriend, her life takes an even bigger turn. Will she have the Christmas she hoped for or will she get a little Christmas magic instead? No matter what, this Christmas will be unlike any other before it.
Her Homegrown Christmas Wish by Rachelle Paige Campbell
All five-year-old Olivia Beacon wants for Christmas is a dad…
How on earth is single mom Hannah Beacon supposed to make that happen? To make matters worse, her holiday season is off to a rocky start. Between transferring ownership of the family bakery amid her mom’s decline, raising her young daughter, and the onslaught of Christmas orders, she can’t handle much more. And then her estranged husband shows up on her doorstep.
In the New Year, Daniel Ford is set to begin production on a TV show for the Hope and Family network. After years in the industry, the role is his biggest break yet. But when he sees his wife on screen with a mini version of herself, he realizes his shot at fame is on the line.
Together, Daniel and Hannah agree to start legal divorce proceedings—until Daniel comes face to face with the child that spurred his return. He can’t walk out of his daughter’s life, nor can he continue to deny his feelings for his wife. Will the career Daniel’s always wanted take center stage? Or can the two forgive past hurts to make their daughter’s Christmas wish a reality?
