‘Tis the season for second chances in this charming and delightful festive romcom—perfect for fans of Maggie Knox and Jenny Bayliss.
“Cozy small town charm dominates, with plenty of snowfall, cocoa, and cheer to get readers in the Christmas spirit as the romance heats up between Laney and Connor. It’s adorable.” ―Publishers Weekly
He has one month to make a Christmas miracle happen.
Laney Reynolds knows there’s only one place that can help her heal a broken heart: Cherrywood Creek. The small town where she grew up, with its holiday festivals and snow-covered streets, is exactly where she needs to be this December. It feels good to leave the bustling city, where her husband was too busy climbing the corporate ladder to notice the growing distance between them. But she’s got his attention now …
Connor received his wake-up call loud and clear when Laney left, and there’s no way he’s giving up on his marriage. If that means dropping everything and trading high-rises for gingerbread houses to sweep his wife off her feet in her hometown, then so be it. This time, he’s listening; but it’ll take more than hot chocolate dates and even hotter nights to win Laney back.
Can he prove that being a CEO is nowhere near as important as being her husband?
“Cozy small town charm dominates, with plenty of snowfall, cocoa, and cheer to get readers in the Christmas spirit as the romance heats up between Laney and Connor. It’s adorable.”―Publishers Weekly
After nine years of marriage, Laney walks away from a relationship that has left her lonely and unseen. Heartbroken and exhausted from always coming second to her husband’s demanding career, she returns to her hometown of Cherrywood to heal and rediscover herself. What she doesn’t expect is Connor following her there.
What follows is a tender, holiday-infused second-chance romance. Connor proposes a daring plan: for the next 30 days, Laney will date him again, giving him the opportunity to show her that their love is worth saving. With the magic of Christmas as his backdrop, Connor plans heartfelt dates that remind Laney of the joy they once shared, while also confronting the ways his priorities have cost him the woman he loves.
As a photographer, Laney throws herself into documenting Cherrywood’s holiday festival, and in the process, she realizes how deeply she’s missed her family, her community, and the life she once imagined. Cherrywood works its quiet magic, showing her that happiness might look different than she thought—and that choosing where to belong may be the biggest decision of all.
The story drops readers straight into the aftermath of Laney leaving and filing for divorce, allowing Connor’s emotional reckoning to take center stage. The relationship feels layered and immersive, and even the potential “other woman” storyline is handled with nuance and restraint, avoiding tired tropes in favor of realism and respect.
With Christmas cheer, emotional growth, honest communication, and plenty of heat, this marriage-in-crisis, second-chance holiday romance delivers a heartfelt reminder that love isn’t effortless—it’s intentional. A thoughtful, hopeful story about choosing each other again.
12/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
DATE NIGHT IN DECEMBER by Jaqueline Snowe.Forever (October 14, 2025). ISBN: 978-1538739853. 304p.
A holiday romance from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely, with spice and fake dating that follows a fiery designer who teams up with her charming billionaire boss for a week-long Christmas competition, and their pretend holiday romance soon starts to feel all too real—now with a never-before-published short story.
“Wanted: hot billionaire to pose as my Christmas boyfriend. Must be willing to make my cheating ex jealous by kissing me under the mistletoe at holiday parties. Bonus if you make him cry.”
To Fable’s surprise, her billionaire boss, Wilder Blaine, is more than willing to take on the challenge of playing her holiday boyfriend. The sexy single dad desperately needs a plus one for a Christmas Eve wedding, where he’s the best man and she’s the maid of honor. With her ex also in the wedding party, the two team up as a pair of insta-lovebirds for the holiday season. Their partnership includes participating in the annual week-long Christmas competition leading up to the snowy destination wedding.
What starts as late nights crafting the best popcorn balls for the contest soon turns into a passionate night together, where the sparks between them are impossible to ignore. But when the holidays end, can their winter wonderland romance turn into something real back at the office? Or are they destined to go the way of a Christmas tree on New Year’s Day?
Fable is the creative director of merchandise for a professional football team. The team’s owner, Wilder, is a billionaire, a single dad, and—unusually—quite young. It’s hard to think of a real-life counterpart, so I suspended my disbelief and rolled with it.
When Wilder invites his staff to Thanksgiving dinner at his home, Fable walks in on her boyfriend in a very compromising position with the caterer. Furious and humiliated, she storms back to the party—only to witness her sister’s boyfriend proposing. Despite the chaos of her own love life, Fable is genuinely thrilled. Her sister wants a Christmas wedding, which means a tight turnaround, but the family will be spending the holidays in Evergreen Falls, a picture-perfect small town with total Hallmark vibes and a week-long series of festive competitions—from karaoke to gingerbread house decorating to snowball fights and more. Wilder owns the property, so he and his family will be there, too.
Wilder’s aunt loves to meddle in his romantic life, but as a single dad who co-parents peacefully with his ex, he feels he doesn’t have time for dating. His twelve-year-old daughter, Mac, is the center of his world, and their relationship is one of the sweetest parts of the story. I also loved how he and his ex got along—no bitterness, no drama, just mutual respect between two parents who’ve moved on.
Fable needs a date for the wedding—her cheating ex is the groom’s cousin and part of the wedding party. Wilder needs a date to keep his aunt’s matchmaking schemes at bay. So they strike a deal: a fake relationship for the holidays. They report it to HR to keep things professional, then meet up to learn enough about each other to make the ruse believable.
To his credit, Wilder tells his daughter the truth, while Fable confides in her sister—though she makes her promise not to tell her fiancé – not exactly the best way to start a marriage. Wilder, it turns out, has had feelings for Fable since she joined the team, and he’s eager to show her what being treated well really looks like—with kindness, attention, and thoughtful, sometimes extravagant, gestures. He is also determined to show up her ex during those holiday competitions.
Naturally, the fake relationship starts to feel very real. The chemistry between Fable and Wilder absolutely sizzles, but what makes the story shine is his tenderness toward his daughter and the genuine emotional growth between all three. Fable’s reactions—especially after being burned by her ex—feel authentic and relatable.
While slow-going at times, this book delivers everything you want in a holiday romance; it’s a festive escape full of heart, humor, and a happily-ever-after ending.
11/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE by Lauren Blakely.Atria Books. (October 7, 2025). ISBN: 978-1668208502. 384p.
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller Pamela Kelley invites readers to experience the warm glow of family, friends, and festivities this Christmas. Come spend the holidays on Nantucket.
Nantucket’s famous Christmas Stroll is always the first week of December and this year Mimi’s Place co-owners want to do something extra special for the restaurant. It will be Emma and Paul’s first Christmas together as a couple and Mandy’s first holiday as a newly divorced mother of two. Although Mandy does have a promising new relationship, she wants to take things very slow, and the holidays are for sure not the time to dive in too deep.
Their sister Jill and her new husband, Billy, are planning to spend the whole month of December on Nantucket too, juggling remote work for the executive search firm they own together in Manhattan with relaxing, spending time with family, and helping out at the restaurant too.
Gina Caruso, the awesome bar manager, is spending her first winter on Nantucket after having lived for years in Boston. It’s a bit of an adjustment―winters on Nantucket are so much quieter than the city life she was used to. She’s even more confused when someone she had a major crush on back in the city moves to Nantucket, while Jared Hawthorne, the new sous chef at Mimi’s Place makes it his mission to introduce Gina to all of Nantucket’s holiday festivities. Suddenly her boring winter is starting to look a lot more interesting.
In this heartwarming sequel to The Restaurant, Kelley returns to her beloved Nantucket to blend romance, family ties, and holiday charm. The story centers on three sisters—Jill, Emma, and Mandy—who come together to celebrate Christmas. Jill and her husband, who run a successful executive search firm in New York, have temporarily relocated to Nantucket for a month of remote work while helping out at the family restaurant they inherited from their grandmother. Along with the restaurant came its gifted chef, Paul—now Emma’s husband—as they share their first Christmas as newlyweds. Meanwhile, bar manager Gina is spending her first winter on the island, caught in a romantic tangle between her longtime crush and the restaurant’s new sous chef.
Kelley’s trademark love for food comes through in her vivid, mouthwatering descriptions, and her depiction of a wintry Nantucket—complete with locals, visitors in fur coats, and the festive Christmas Stroll—feels authentic and inviting. Though a sequel, this cozy, feel-good novel easily stands on its own and makes for a delightful holiday read.
VERDICT: A perfect pick for fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Debbie Macomber, and Hallmark Christmas movies.
Brand new small town romance from #1New York Times bestseller Lucy Score.
A Gilmore Girls meets Schitt’s Creek redemption romcom. What’s more inspiring to a romcom author than a hot, grumpy contractor literally knocking down walls?
Hazel Hart was a successful romance novelist until a breakup drives her straight into writer’s block. Having failed (and failed some more) to deliver her new manuscript, she’s hiding from the world behind a wall of old takeout containers until her publisher lays down the law. If she misses her next deadline it’s The End.
Desperate for inspiration, Hazel impulse-buys a historic home online and flees Manhattan to tiny Story Lake, PA. Upon her dramatic arrival―involving an incident with a bald eagle―she discovers the charm of her new home may have been slightly exaggerated.
The house is a wreck and the town is struggling after their biggest employer shut down. Also, since her raccoon-infested home came with a seat on the town council our introverted heroine is stuck with a front row seat to all the small-town shenanigans.
But Hazel isn’t worried. Not since all six-feet-three inches of grouchy contractor Campbell Bishop slapped a bandage on her forehead and unintentionally inspired the heck out of her. There’s only one thing to do: Hire Cam and his equally gorgeous brothers to renovate her new spider museum…er…house.
Okay two things. A fake date for “research purposes” will really put her work-in-progress on track. Before Hazel knows it, she’s writing a romance novel and living one. At least until the drywall dust settles, the town she’s falling in love with faces bankruptcy, and growly Cam remembers why he can’t live happily ever after.
Author’s Note: “This series is my love letter to every reader who said they wanted to move to a fictional town.”
**Don’t miss out on the stunning, limited DELUXE EDITION, while supplies last, featuring gorgeous designed edges, spot gloss on the cover, a map and chapter POV art.
This is the first book of a new series and was the start of my reading block! I loved this book, and when I was finished, I tried to move on to the next new book I had for review. I kept picking up new books and putting them down. Nothing was holding my attention, so I did a deep dive into Lucy Score’s backlist – reviews to follow! It took half a dozen books or so until I was ready to move on to a new author.
Hazel, a bestselling romance writer, finds herself facing a perfect storm of life changes: a fresh divorce, the loss of her New York City apartment, and a devastating case of writer’s block. In a moment of impulse, she dips into her savings to purchase a house in a tiny Pennsylvania hamlet—a purchase that unexpectedly comes with a seat on the town council.
Reality hits hard when Hazel arrives to discover her new home bears little resemblance to the charming fixer-upper she imagined. It’s a dilapidated mess, complete with a resident raccoon and more spiders than she’d care to count. Still, the town has one saving grace: a highly recommended contractor.
Enter Cam, the local contractor who’s as gorgeous as he is grumpy. Despite his surly attitude, his presence seems to unlock Hazel’s creative block. Desperate to keep her writing mojo flowing, she proposes they fake date. Cam thinks the idea is ridiculous, but Hazel’s charm gradually wears down his resistance.
What starts as a pretend romance soon turns into something real, filled with sizzling tension, hilarious moments, and heartwarming growth. This is a delightful fish-out-of-water romantic comedy where their fake relationship turns steamy, and the quirky townsfolk provide endless entertainment in the best possible way. The story builds to a satisfying happy ending that left me eager for more.
This is classic Score—fun, heartwarming, and populated with lovably eccentric small-town characters. Fair warning: like her other books, this one includes explicit intimate scenes, so readers who prefer fade-to-black romance might want to look elsewhere or skip those pages. For me, it was pure enjoyment from start to finish, and I’m already anticipating the sequel.
9/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
STORY OF MY LIFE by Lucy Score.Bloom Books (March 11, 2025). ISBN: 978-1728297057. 528p.
A Small Town, Enemies to Lovers, Holiday Romance from New York Times bestselling author, Samantha Chase!
Everyone in the building loved the bake shop a lot.
Except for the guy on the top floor, who most certainly did not.
If it were up to him, there wouldn’t be a hint of Christmas in the building.
For two months out of the year, Daphne Noelle got to live her dream of owning a bakery. Her little pop-up bake shop—one that looked just like a gingerbread house—brought joy to every customer who stopped by to enjoy her sweet treats. She loved meeting people and making them smile, and being in such a festive setting every day was just the icing on the cake! For the last three years, everything had gone smoothly, but this year, there was one guy who was determined to ruin it all.
One of the things Tristan appreciated most about the office complex where his architecture firm was located is how upscale and elegant it was. Unfortunately, every year for eight long weeks, a holiday shop set up in the lobby, turning it into the equivalent of a traveling circus, and the bake shop booth was the worst offender. The giant gingerbread house was an eyesore and the woman running it was too cheery for his liking. This year, he was determined to do everything he could to have her and her booth removed.
When Tristan finds himself in the middle of a delicate family situation, only Daphne can help him. Now, he’ll have to beg and plead and promise to be on his best behavior while dealing with her exuberant holiday joy. But the more time he spends with her—and the more awkward situations she saves him from—he begins to realize there’s more to her than over-the-top holiday cheer. And maybe, when you’re with the right person, Christmas can mean a little bit more.
“Narrator Melanie Mendez brings warmth to the holiday romance that develops between Daphne, a baker, and Tristan, an architect . . . Listeners will delight in this holiday romance as Tristan and Daphne find happiness together.” –AudioFile Reviews
This is an enemies-to-lovers Christmas romance that is so much fun to read – or listen to, as I did. Daphne’s dream is to have her own bakery someday, but for now, she has a holiday pop-up bakery in the lobby of an office building. She’s been doing this for years and most of the people who work in the building love having her there. All except one – Scrooge. Not really. His name is Tristan, and he is not a fan. He finds the gingerbread house look of the bakery to be tacky and unbefitting the lobby of his architectural company, and he files a complaint with the landlord. It doesn’t do anything but piss off Daphne, and our enemies are established.
Tristan’s assistant thinks the bakery is great, and she is constantly bringing muffins to the office. Surprisingly, Tristan loves the muffins but still hates the baker. They may be bumping heads, but when he needs a last-minute caterer for his family holiday party and a few work functions, Daphne comes through for him. The more time they spend together, the more Tristan realizes her worth, but he has a long way to go to get past her protective armor.
Daphne is Christmas personified, and surprising even himself, Tristan really falls for her. It takes a lot before Daphne thaws enough to let him in, but their happy ending is just the icing needed on this delicious confection of a read. A wonderful holiday romance!
12/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
BAKING IT MERRY by Samantha Chase.Narrator: Melanie Mendez. Dreamscape Media; November 19, 2024. ASIN: B0DH5982GT. Listening Length: 6 hours
The all-new renovated edition with expanded scenes and bonus content!
They say love and construction don’t mix. By that logic, hate and construction may as well be condemned.
LaRynn Lavigne and Deacon Leeds had one short and contentious summer fling when they were teens―certainly nothing to build a foundation on. But a decade later, when their grandmothers have left them with shared ownership of their dilapidated Santa Cruz building, they’re thrust back together and have to figure out how to brace up the pieces.
LaRynn has the money, but in order to access her trust, she has to be married. Deacon has the construction expertise, but lacks the funds. A deal is struck: Marry for however long it takes to fix up the property, collect a profit, and cut ties.
Thrust into a home without walls, LaRynn and Deacon quickly learn that it’s easy to hide behind emotional ones, even in a marriage. But with all the exposure and pitfalls that come with living with the opposite sex (and none of the perks, much to their growing mutual frustration) they’ll also have to learn what it means to truly cooperate as a team.
Filled with crackling tension, The Co-op is a steamy second chance romance about restoration and renovation, and uncovering all the things that build character within ourselves. It’s about the never-ending construction project that partnership is, and finding enjoyment at every stage.
“DeWitt delivers a sensitive marriage of convenience romance…[tackling] tough issues without ever losing sight of the fun. This satisfies.” – Publishers Weekly
“An atmospheric tale of second chances.. Fans of slow-burn, emotionally charged romances, such as those by Kate Clayborn, Yulin Kuang, and Emily Henry, will enjoy DeWitt’s novel immensely.” – Library Journal
The fake marriage is a standard in romance tropes, and this one is handled quite matter-of-factly. LaRynn and Deacon’s grandmothers were married and left them equal shares of the beachfront home they shared. They also left them with a house in shambles and no money to fix it.
LaRynn was devasted when her grandmother passed, and hasn’t been back, not even when her wife passed. But Deacon has been sending stressed-out emails, hoping to get some response, and finally, LaRynn shows up. She’s dropped out of school, her father has turned off all the money she was used to, and she’s had to sell everything she owns to just stay afloat. She can access her trust fund if she’s married, so that’s what they do in order to get enough money to fix up the house. They figure they’ll stay married until it’s done, then sell it and split the very hefty profits. Deacon has other irons in the fire, but he can’t finish the house himself so it works for both of them.
Having had a fling one summer when they were teens has left them both with some baggage, and they have to work through it to find their way back to one another. It’s the journey to get there that is so much fun, and working and living together speeds it up just a bit.
This wasn’t as fast-paced as I expected, and there was a pretty major hole in the story that irked me, but all in all, I enjoyed this novel, and I’m looking forward to DeWitt’s next.
12/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE CO-OP by Tarah DeWitt.St. Martin’s Griffin (November 12, 2024). ISBN: 978-1250329387. 352p.
From USA TODAY bestselling author of The Book Club Hotel, Sarah Morgan returns with a heartfelt story of friendship, finding yourself, and the surprising ties that bring us together. Perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle and Jennifer Weiner.
To the outside world, Imogen is a marketing dynamo. Her colleagues don’t know that while her high-achieving professional image is real, the happy childhood stories she spins are as fake as her pretend enthusiasm for Christmas. Working 24/7 has always been her solution to surviving the festive season—until burnout leads to a catastrophic blunder.
Suddenly, Imogen is handed a holiday gift she definitely doesn’t want: enforced time off work to recuperate. Then an invitation arrives from her favorite client, Dorothy, to stay at her guest cottage in the Cotswolds. From the thatched roof to the cozy open fireplace, Holly Cottage is a picture-perfect haven… Can it provide the fresh start Imogen so desperately needs?
For Dorothy, helping Imogen offers a longed-for chance to make reparations for her own past. But as her daughter Sara keeps reminding her, it brings risks, too. Yet Dorothy knows that only a leap of courage will allow her family to grow and heal. And perhaps this Christmas, with Dorothy’s help, the new life that Imogen is slowly piecing together could be better than anything either of them could imagine…
Perfect for fans of: Rebecca Serle and Jojo Moyes The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan Strong, hardworking women Complex family relationships Christmas Hallmark movies
“Morgan’s latest is sure to serve up some holiday cheer as Imogen learns the meaning of family and friendship and finds her own love story. This delightful Christmas tale is the perfect antidote to loneliness and feeling overwhelmed over the busy holiday season.”—Booklist Reviews
“Imogen will find that there’s much more to life than work and that perhaps she’s able to have love and family after all . . . Though the pacing is a bit uneven, this latest from Morgan is a poignant holiday novel with a touch of romance.”—Library Journal
Imogen is all about her work. She has no other life outside of work, although she does have a couple of photos on her desk of a fake family and a fake dog, neither of which is hers. As an event planner, she excels, but she keeps taking on more and more clients until the unthinkable happens and an important event implodes. Imogen’s boss isn’t mad about that so much as she fears Imogen is going to burn out in flames, so she orders her to take the month of December off, and suggests she spend it with her family.
Unfortunately, that’s not an option. Imogen was raised by a single mother who was extremely abusive and unstable, and she avoids her as much as possible. But when her favorite client, Dorothy, offers her the use of her Cotswold country cottage, Imogen decides to take her up on it and get a much-needed rest. Dorothy invites her to lunch, but a visit to the restroom reveals family photos that turn Imogen’s world upside down. Learning about her own family is an eye opening experience, but Imogen is helped along by a neighboring veterinarian. They all spend that month together, and Imogen finally finds the happiness she never knew she was missing.
I found parts of the story confusing at times, but eventually, it all made sense. I liked seeing Imogen come out of her shell and finding family and love was just a bonus. A perfect read for the holidays!
11/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE HOLIDAY COTTAGE by Sarah Morgan.Canary Street Press; Original edition (September 24, 2024). ISBN: 978-1335499097. 352p.
This year Macomber has THREE Christmas romances out; one novel, and two novellas packaged together in one book. They are exactly what her fans expect – sweet and happy holiday reads!
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A solo holiday trip inspires one woman to rediscover her passion—and remember that, sometimes, duets are more fun—in this romantic Christmas novel from #1New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber. “A perfectly delicious Christmas bonbon of a novel.”—Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Santa Suit and Bright Lights, Big Christmas
Hailey Morgan’s life has always revolved around music. She once had big dreams of becoming a professional songwriter, but the reality of life has led her to working as an assistant high school band teacher in Portland. As the holidays approach, Hailey dreads the annual tradition of spending Christmas with her family and dodging her mother’s meddling questions about her love life.
When Hailey’s close friend offers her the use of her family’s empty cabin for a rejuvenating solo holiday retreat, Hailey finally decides to do something to make herself happy. However, her arrival in the small town of Podunk, Oregon, is anything but peaceful when she discovers the cabin has been invaded by several wild animals. Luckily, Jay, the son of the town’s main store proprietor—and an incredibly handsome and charming former musician to boot—is more than willing to help.
Soon Hailey and Jay are nearly inseparable, chopping down and decorating a Christmas tree, sipping hot cocoa in front of a cozy fire, and best of all, playing music together. Jay’s positive feedback and encouragement inspire Hailey to believe she might succeed as a songwriter after all. But even in her snow-dusted oasis, family holiday drama still finds Hailey, interrupting and threatening her newfound peace and confidence. Meanwhile revelations from Jay present complications of their own. Suddenly her Christmas paradise has become a winter storm and Hailey must weather through the challenges to stand up for herself and embrace the holiday spirit.
Two stories to celebrate the holiday season with the good people of Cedar Cove…
A Cedar Cove Christmas
Mary Jo Wyse finds herself in Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve, stranded, pregnant and alone. And there’s no room at the local inn… So Grace Harding brings Mary Jo home to her ranch, where they’ve got a spare room over the stable. And luckily a paramedic named Mack McAfee is there to help when Mary Jo goes into labor. The people of Cedar Cove join them in celebrating the birth of baby Noelle. But no one has more to celebrate than Mack…because this Christmas brings him faith, hope and love.
1225 Christmas Tree Lane
Beth Morehouse expects this Christmas to be one of her best. But someone leaves a basket of puppies on her doorstep, and now she’s determined to find them all good homes. Also complicating things is the invitation her daughters extended to their dad…whom Beth divorced a long time ago. As always in life, there are surprises. More than one family’s going to have a puppy under the tree. More than one scheme will go awry. And more than one romance will have a happy ending!
MISTLETOE AND MISCHIEF by Debbie Macomber. MIRA; Reissue edition (October 1, 2024). ISBN: 978-0778368212. 368p.
I enjoyed both of these books! Reading Mistletoe and Mischief was like visiting an old friend. I was happy to be back in Cedar Cove again, even if I didn’t remember a lot of the characters. I thought maybe this was Macomber’s way of ending the series, but it didn’t feel like an ending. There are at least a dozen books in this series, and I’ve enjoyed them all. Please note that these have been previously published as individual books.
The Christmas Duet was a fun read about an aspiring songwriter who escapes her overbearing family for a Christmas alone – but it doesn’t turn out that way. A sweet romance blooms during most of the book, followed by family and a happy ending. Pure entertainment the way Macomber does it!
Christmas is both naughty and nice this year when a single dad and his best friend’s sister celebrate with some secret (steamy) romance and festive fun, perfect for fans of Maggie Knox and Lyssa Kay Adams.
Charlotte Calhoun has avoided Hayden Porter, her older brother’s sexy-as-sin best friend, ever since that mortifying night when he flat-out rejected her. Fine. Except this Christmas season, they’re thrown together at a snowy ski resort for her brother’s bachelor party, complete with mistletoe, cozy fireplaces, and adjoining rooms. She can tell herself to get over Hayden, but holiday cheer is turning to holiday lust every time he is within ten feet of her.
Between being a full-time single father and his high-pressure college coaching job, a romantic relationship is off the table for Hayden. But he’s fought his attraction to Charlotte for as long as he can. A one-night stand is starting to sound like a good idea—as long as her brother never finds out. But with two long weeks until the wedding, hiding their growing feelings is going to take a Christmas miracle.
From the BookBitch: This was a fun, sexy Christmas romance and completely entertaining – everything I want in a Christmas romance.
Annie Jones is stuck repeating Christmas Eve until she finds everything she’s been missing in life in this heartwarming time travel Christmas romance for fans of Miracle on 34th Street, Groundhog Day, and Josie Silver’s A Winter in New York.
Annie Jones works hard designing windows for iconic New York City department store Lawson’s Finest. So when her Christmas window display gets upended by some rambunctious kids on Christmas Eve, the all-too-realistic store Santa gives Annie a little decorating tip on how to start over. With help from friendly security guard Braden Tate, Annie repairs the damage and heads home. But when she wakes the next morning, she’s bewildered to find that it isn’t Christmas day at all, but Christmas Eve all over again.
Trapped in a time loop, Annie doesn’t know how she’ll ever make it back to the present. Luckily, she has an infinite number of chances to get things right. As little everyday choices bring her closer to Braden and to Christmas day, Annie starts to picture what her new life― one full of friendship, love, and community―could look like.
From the BookBitch: “Groundhog Day” is one of my favorite movies, and this book has a similar premise around Christmas Eve instead. Annie was a sweet character, as was Braden, and as the days keep repeating, they learn more about one another and themselves – and how much reaching out to strangers can matter.
The magic of Christmas—and a second shot at romance—is in the air in Shelter Springs this holiday season…
Amanda Taylor isn’t a fan of Christmas, but as the owner of a local soap shop, ignoring the holiday season isn’t an option. To forget the pain of Christmases past, Amanda focuses on making the season bright for her customers at the Shelter Springs Holiday Giving Market. But when her beloved grandmother, Birdie, starts dating the dashing new resident of the Shelter Inn retirement community, Amanda smells trouble. Fortunately, Rafe Arredondo, the grandson of Birdie’s charming suitor, is equally dubious of the match. Unfortunately, he’s just as fiery as his grandfather—and Amanda has zero interest in getting burned.
As a single father, paramedic and assistant fire chief, Rafe has more than enough on his plate. Sure, he and Amanda share a common goal in keeping their grandparents apart. Still, that doesn’t mean he should allow himself to feel as drawn to her as he does. Even if she is great with his young son. Even if she does help the burden of his own painful past feel a little lighter… But when their paths keep crossing at the holiday market, it starts to feel like fate, prompting them both to wonder if taking a chance on love might gift them everything they’ve been wishing for.
From the BookBitch: This is the second book in the Shelter Springs series, and I loved it. Not sure why the publisher is harping on the grandparents relationship; that is really a subplot. It’s the heat between Rafe and Amanda that makes this story fiery and unputdownable.
A witty, warmhearted novel about coming to terms with grief, taking a chance on unexpected connections, and finding family in time for the holidays
For wedding singer Mel Hart, the holidays have always retained a certain magic. Her mother, Connie, always managed to pull off spectacular Santa hijinx that convinced Mel to keep believing in Santa way longer than other kids. Those moments meant everything to Mel because the rest of the year, life was unpredictable because of her mother’s alcohol use.
But two weeks before Christmas, Mel gets a call from the hospital: her mother has died.
Then a woman shows up on Mel’s doorstep, claiming to be Connie’s estranged best friend, promising to tell Mel a different narrative—one in which Connie was almost a famous country music star, if only a man hadn’t gotten in the way. Instead of spending Christmas alone in her dead mother’s house, Mel agrees to stay with Barb for the holidays, finding herself in the middle of Barb’s complicated family and uncovering secrets while fighting an attraction to Barb’s in-the-middle-of-a-divorce son. As Christmas approaches, Mel reckons with how little she knew about her mother’s past while reexamining her own future.
A Home for the Holidays is a moving exploration of complicated grief, mother-daughter relationships, loving someone with addiction, and the redemptive power of opening one’s heart to love in all its forms.
From the BookBitch: I loved learning with Mel about her mother’s life, and seeing her relationship blossom. While not your typical Christmas romance, the additional depth here was welcome.
Can one Amish woman give a struggling widower with five rowdy boys a helping hand—and chance at love—this Christmas season?
Phoebe Kropf knows everyone thinks she’s a bit odd—and more than a little accident-prone. She doesn’t understand why they fuss over her at home rather than see her as a bright, independent Amish woman. So when a friend asks Phoebe to help care for a house full of young men in nearby Sweetbrier Creek, she leaps at the chance to prove she’s more than her shortcomings . . .
Widower Seth Beiler is in over his head with his five orphaned brieder to care for and all the Christmas orders his woodworking shop needs to fulfill. When he asked for help with some cooking and cleaning, he wasn’t expecting a housekeeper as unconventional—or lovely—as Phoebe. Yet her warm care and holiday traditions win their hearts one by one. And soon the farmhouse finally starts to feel like home again. When the Christmas season and Phoebe’s time there is nearly at an end, will Seth convince her that the greatest gift would be her staying . . . as part of their familye?lationships come into play here when team captain Beckett’s sister moves into the same building as his teammate, Garrett. Garrett is tasked with watching out for Jennie, and he does, happily. But as they grow closer, their friendship soon turns into a more physical relationship. When big brother finds out, that happy ending seems in jeopardy.
From the BookBitch: I love Amish romances, and this was a good one – light on the preaching/religion, but heavy on the character development. I loved seeing Phoebe realize her self-worth.
From the author of the viral TikTok sensation, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe and The Cinnamon Bun Book Store, comes the only spicy grumpy x sunshine Christmas romcom you need this year!
Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good.
Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor taking a break from his life in California. And most importantly, taking a break from his latest run of disastrous dates.
After a run in with Kira in her fields, Ben has no intention of offering to help the grumpy owner set up her tree farm, despite the fact she’s clearly got no idea what she’s doing.
Kira knows she should stop being so stubborn, but her farm is not all cute and cozy like people always show on social media, it’s borderline dangerous with no heating, and she’d rather no one saw it.
But somehow fate finds Ben at Kira’s farm once more, and as Kira watches him swing an ax at the first tree, she finds herself appreciating his strength and questioning why she refused help in the first place…
The Christmas Tree Farm is a spicy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed!
Tropes:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Small Town
Forced Proximity
One Bed
“A charming break from reality”– Publishers Weekly
I’m not really a TikTok girl – I prefer reading to viewing videos, so I wasn’t aware of these books until they were traditionally published. This is a fun series though, and I especially love the ties to the Gilmore Girls, one of my favorite TV shows that I watch repeatedly. I do like long-form videos, like TV shows and movies; apparently, I don’t like the 30-second videos. Anyway, while this isn’t set in the Gilmore world, it is set in a small New England town full of quirky but loveable characters, and that works for me.
Kira has grown up in the lap of luxury in Georgia, but when her sister meets her true love and moves to Denmark with him, she decides it’s time for her to move on, too. She impulsively buys a Christmas tree farm in New England with the last of her trust fund and moves into the farmhouse, which is badly in need of renovation. It’s freezing and needs a new heating system, among other things. She avoids town and is living a hermit-like existence until she realizes if she doesn’t get some income from this place, she’s going to either freeze to death or have to move back home, and neither option is the least bit palatable.
Bennett is in town visiting his family. He followed a girlfriend to California, but she dumped him, Repeatedly. His family is thrilled he’s back, even temporarily. Their meet-cute happens when Bennett walks his dogs through Kira’s fields. She’s not happy with him, but they keep running into one another and it turns out he is a bit of a fixer. A nice guy who likes to help. And even though she hates to admit it, Kira needs help.
Eventually, she opens her Christmas tree farm to the public, and business takes off. Kira is intrigued by this nice guy, but even more so once they really get to know one another. Turns out Mr. Nice Guy isn’t exactly nice in bed, which works for Kira. But Bennett is going home to California so geographically, this isn’t going to work. Until they make it work.
I love the setting, the characters are believable and interesting, and the romance sizzles. This was another fun read in a series I’ve really been enjoying. Looking forward to whatever comes next!
THE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM by Laurie Gilmore. One More Chapter (October 22, 2024).ISBN: 978-0008610746. 368p.
Posted by Stacy Alesi 
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 