14 Christmas romance novels to warm your heart

It’s that special time of the year: The days are shorter, the weather is colder, and there’s a special feeling in the air. It’s time to snuggle up under a cozy blanket with a good book, preferably under the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree. There’s no better genre to read during the holidays than romance — what better way to celebrate a season dedicated to love and family than happily-ever-afters? If you need the perfect read to pair with your hot cocoa, here are 14 new romance titles to choose from.

Daria rounds out her fantastic Dance Off series with this holiday novella guaranteed to spice up your holidays more than gingerbread. Broadway star Nik Kovalenko and ballroom champion Jess Davenport shared a scorching New Year’s Eve kiss last year, so they agree to three dates this holiday season to make each other believe in Christmas magic. If Jess kisses Nik at midnight this New Year’s Eve, he’s been successful in his pursuit of her. Daria’s writing is always a delight, blending heartfelt emotional stakes with sexy love scenes and her deep knowledge of and love for professional dancing competitions. The extra holiday twist is like spiked eggnog: an already delicious treat amped up with that extra holiday kick.

Saving the local inn for the holidays is a time-honored Christmas trope, and this sweetly charming novel makes good use of it. After losing her big city job, Kaitlyn Russo moves to North Carolina’s Sweetwater Springs with the hope of starting over in her grandparent’s B&B. Except her new co-owner Mitch Hargrove is determined to hightail it out of town as quickly as possible, despite only having two months to turn the inn around. They find healing in each other in this erstwhile smalltown Christmas romance.

Riley continues her Advertisements for Love series with this swoony historical romance wrapped up with a beautiful holiday bow. As the illegitimate daughter of a duke (and a woman of color), Frederica Burghley feels limited in her choices for a husband, leading her to advertise for one in the newspaper to secure the partner she wants by Christmas. As her close friend Jasper Fitzwilliam protects her from mysterious threats, the two find themselves falling for each other. Riley’s novels are lush with historical detail and they shine a light on history that has often been obscured. Her romance novels offer a different kind of escape from the contemporary titles that dominate this time of year.

North Carolina is the hot location for Christmas love stories this year, and this second-chance romance will make anyone believe in love again. Despite owning the local Christmas tree farm, Ethan Rutledge is on the shortlist for the “Biggest Local Grinch,” a situation only worsened by the reappearance of his ex Wendy Patterson, who ditched him and has returned from a tour of duty as a Navy SEAL. Once she discovers Ethan has treasured a blue spruce tree in her memory, the two turn to the magic of Christmas to rekindle their lost love. 

The snowy Highlands of Scotland could be the backdrop to a perfect Christmas. Suzanne McBride dreams of a holiday with all three of her adopted daughters, but it might bring more stress than holiday cheer. Hannah is determined to avoid her family because of a life-changing secret, while stay-at-home mom Beth is agonizing over returning to work, and Posy fears making a change because her parents depend on her. The three sisters must find strength in their family bond and the magic of the Christmas season. Morgan is a popular romance and women’s fiction author, and she brings her elegant blend of deep-felt emotion and witty dialogue to yet another title here.

This Regency-era romance continues the Playful Brides series with a Christmas romance. Bow Street Runner Daffin Oakleaf hates everything to do with holiday cheer, but when he must protect spirited spinster Lady Regina, he might be convinced to buy into carols and mistletoe. Regina is a confirmed spinster, but she still craves the pleasure of her married friends — and hopes she might find it in Daffin’s arms. Whether you’re in snowy New England or sunny California, Bowman’s latest will have you yearning for the snowy traditions of Regency London at Christmastime.

There’s a beloved romance trope for everyone this Christmas. This contemporary cowboy romance makes use of the marriage of convenience with aplomb. Gray Everett will stop at nothing to save his cattle ranch and provide for his daughter, leading him to marry his neighbor Abby Douglas to keep hungry real estate developers away. Abby has been in love with Gray her whole life, and now it’s up to her and a pinch of Christmas cheer to convince him their sham marriage could grow to one of passion. Get yourself a cowboy for Christmas this year!

Shalvis continues her irresistible Heartbreaker Bay series with another holiday title (and it’s fast becoming a Christmas tradition romance fans simply can’t do without). Hunt Investigations office manager Molly Malone has finally been assigned her first case (one involving a bad Santa), but what she doesn’t know is her longtime crush Lucas Knight, who is recovering from being shot on the job, has been assigned to babysit her. While the two contend with a rumored one-night stand, they can’t help but get lost in each other. Shalvis knows just how to lend her merry cast of characters that extra pinch of Christmas cheer, and she’s knocked it out of the park again with this delightful holiday read.

Hallmark Christmas movies are another beloved holiday tradition, and this novel is the source material for one of Hallmark Channel’s buzziest new films this season starring Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls). Pride and Prejudice gets a contemporary Christmas twist with this gender swapped retelling featuring the snooty and successful Darcy Fitzwilliam and smart-alecky slacker Luke Bennet, one of a family of five less-than-ambitious brothers. When the two have a one-night stand, they must work to set aside their pride and prejudice for a shot at true love. Any Austen fans will delight in this new holiday twist with a little added spice. 

Seafaring Devin Murphy returns to his hometown of Eternity Springs for a brief Christmas trip and finds himself swept into unexpected intrigue after playing along with a young boy’s phone call to Santa. Devin helps protect Jenna Stockton and her adopted son Reilly face down the danger of their past, all with the help of a magical Christmas wish. Yet another smalltown romance with a heartwarming tale mixed with real-world intrigue and the reminder that the family you build for yourself is the best Christmas gift of all.

Lori Wilde returns to her bestselling Twilight, Texas, series with another Christmas tale. Naomi Luther can’t believe she’s found herself face-to-face with the man she dreamed of while sleeping with a kismet cookie under her pillow on Christmas Eve. The man, Mark Shepherd, is not who he seems to be, but a Marine who’s come to Texas to keep a promise after losing one of his fellow soldiers. Can the two move through his deception to make good on the promise of their kismet cookie love? Wilde crafts heart-tugging stories that capture the melancholy of the season and the hopeful promise of Christmas.

Four historical romance powerhouses unite for a Christmas anthology of epic proportions that travels from the ballrooms of London’s Mayfair to the Scottish Highlands to the Central Park of the Gilded Age. Dare, MacLean, Jordan, and Shupe are some of the freshest, most daring, witty writers in the genre today, so there’s truly no greater Christmas gift than a holiday anthology featuring all four of them. It’s four swoons for the price of one!

The writer of Netflix phenomenon The Christmas Prince makes her debut as a novelist with this charming holiday tale that finds Haley Hanson shipped off to Christmas Camp to find her inner Christmas spirit. Her grinchiness instantly starts to melt when she feels a spark with the owner’s son Jeff — until her plan to save the struggling inn divides them. Schaler knows just what audiences hunger for at Christmas and sprinkles it generously throughout this title.

Nancy Naigle gives You’ve Got Mail a special holiday twist in this story of mistaken identity and professional rivalry. Angela Carson struggles to keep her family’s beloved Christmas store open in her small North Carolina town, but she struggles to compete with mega-chain Christmas Galore. What will she do when she discovers the person who’s been answering her ‘Dear Santa’ queries is her biggest rival? For any who love this enemies-turned-lovers story, Naigle offers up a fun Christmas take on the whole thing.