Winter Reads
Books To Get You In The Christmas Mood
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Imagine the scene... a warm fire glowing in the fireplace, the tree lights twinkling near by, you sat in a comfy chair with a blanket, a mug of hot chocolate close to hand, and a festive book to keep you company. Bliss right?
So what festive read to pick?
Here's a few suggestions for you to try.
Festive Reads For The Holiday Season
Everyday in December by Kitty Wilson
Two people. One month to fall in love.
‘The perfect Christmas story, full of heart and hope’ Sandy Barker
Belle Wilde loves December. Yes, she’s just lost her job and Christmas is not a good time to find yourself ‘financially challenged’. And yes, her parents are still going on about the fact that she really should have it all together by now. But Belle believes that in December, magic can happen.
Rory Walters hates December. Whilst it looks like his life is together, he’s still reeling from a winter’s night five years ago when his life changed forever. Now back at home, he’s certain that this will be yet another Christmas to endure rather than enjoy.
But as midnight on December 31st draws closer, Belle and Rory’s time together is coming to an end. With a little help from a Christmas miracle could Belle find the one thing she really wants underneath the mistletoe?
If you're after a slow burn festive romance this one's for you.
Twelve Days to Save Christmas by Elizabeth Neep
On the first day of Christmas, my true love… dumped me.
Poppy loves Christmas and always goes all out to make this magical time of the year extra special for her boyfriend George. But George is strangely not in the Yuletide spirit this year. As Poppy wrestles him into her Christmas jumper built for two for a holiday snapshot, she finds out why.
He’s leaving her. With only twelve days to spend together until Christmas.
Poppy is heartbroken. George is the love of her life, and what would Christmas be without kisses under the mistletoe, his mum’s delicious homemade gingerbread or their super-competitive games of Pictionary?
She’s determined to win George back. So, anxious to prove to him she can be spontaneous, she signs up as a Christmas volunteer at the local community centre. What she doesn’t know is that there’s a festive surprise coming her way…
As Poppy throws herself into her new role – mulling vats of hot cider and hanging fairy lights off everything within reach – she discovers an inner strength she never knew she had. And there’s also Theo. Her new boss. Grumpy and opinionated, he’s everything she doesn’t want.
But as the snow starts to fall, she begins to notice other things about him – like his twinkling green eyes, how he makes her laugh, and how much he cares about the people he’s trying to help.
As the twelfth day approaches, Poppy might be about to discover that the most perfect Christmas might be the one that she didn’t plan at all…
A festive romantic comedy about self-discovery with some great characters.
Slay Bells Ring by Karen Mac Inerney
It's Christmastime on Dewberry Farm, and homesteader Lucy Resnick is busy bundling mistletoe bunches and cedar swags for the Buttercup Christmas Market when a neighbor's houseguest keels over right next to her peach orchard. Was it a stray bullet from a hunter that took him out? Or did a guest at the fancy ranch next door decide to scratch somebody off his or her Christmas list? It's up to Lucy to unwrap the mystery… before the holiday killer strikes again.
If you're looking for a festive read with a murder mystery thrown in then this is a good pick. It's a cosy mystery novella that will only take an hour or two to read.
Rebel Without a Claus by Celia Kinsey
It’s Christmas time at Little Tombstone, a rundown roadside tourist attraction in the tiny town of Amatista, New Mexico, and the annual visit from Santa Claus to the children of the village doesn’t quite go as planned.
Edgar Martinez, who’s played Santa every Christmas for the past twenty years, fails to make an appearance. He doesn’t even call.
The show must go on, so a substitute Santa takes Edgar’s place. But when Emma decides to investigate why Edgar, who is normally a rock of reliability, didn’t show up for the twenty-first year running to put on his size XXXL crimson crushed velvet Santa suit, she discovers that Edgar seems to have disappeared altogether.
At only 63 pages long this is a nice quick read.
Check out my full review here.
Melt My Heart by Jules Barker
Visit the magical town of Moonrise Cove for a holiday romance that will warm your heart and bring a smile to your face.
Vera Penwythe may have the ability to create frost with her hands, but she wishes she could freeze her heart to keep it safe. She’s moved back in with her Gran after a humiliating break up left her in debt to a two-timing ex. But when a charming neighbor begs her to pretend to be his girlfriend to help his mother through the holidays, she can’t resist. She yearns to feel needed and be part of something, even if it is all fake. Besides, this way she’ll get the benefits of companionship without the expectations and heartbreak of a real relationship.
Harry Levine never thought lying to his mom would lead to the best mistake of his life. But when an embarrassing misunderstanding leads his parents to assume that Vera is the long-term girlfriend they’ve never met, Harry begs her to go with it. He can’t bear to tell his sick mom that he’s broken up with his girlfriend. Instead, he enlists Vera’s help to keep up the ruse until his mom is recovering from her surgery. That just means a few family parties, shared shifts at his dad’s magic-themed ice cream parlor, and—oh yeah, passing Vera off as the picky girlfriend he’s told them about. But what do you do when the lie you started becomes the best thing that’s ever happened to you?
Vera doesn’t trust her bad-guy radar and she doesn’t trust love. But Christmas at Moonrise Cove has a way of working its magic and soon her walls begin to melt. Will she be able to risk her heart to believe that something fake could ever become something real?
Check out my full review here.
No Ordinary Christmas by Talia Hunter
Three things even worse than Christmas:
1. Returning to my hated home town.
2. Getting arrested.
3. Realizing the arresting officer is the boy I ran out on in high school.
Luke Penn may look spectacular in a cop’s uniform, but I never wanted to see him again. He witnessed The Incident, otherwise known as the most embarrassing thing to happen to anyone ever. So as soon as I make it through my sister’s Christmas wedding, I’ll pack up my elf costume and catch the first sleigh out of town.
But when sparks fly between me and Luke, I'm forced to make an impossible choice.
Should I escape my cringe-worthy past?
Or take a chance on a Luke-alicious future?
No Ordinary Christmas is a stand-alone, second-chance, holiday novella you'll love!
Check out my full review here.
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