The Christmas season always puts me in the mood for a good romance novel! In between binging the new Hallmark Christmas movies, I’ve found lots of great options to spread Christmas cheer! So get your hot chocolate (or eggnog or coffee) ready for some great reading!
A Cat Cafe Christmas
About the Book
A Cat Cafe Christmas by Codi Gary
Genre: Holiday Romance
Release Date: Oct. 4, 2022
Book Review
Cozy: Snuggly, warm and comfortable. (Dictionary.com)
This book is the definition of cozy and perfect for animal lovers everywhere. Kara and her best friend Charity run a cat cafe, where people can get a coffee or pastry, spend time with the animals and even adopt one. Each chapter starts with a catchy two-line description of one of the cats, which was my favorite part. But the cafe’s in financial trouble, and they’re not sure if they can stay open past the holidays.
Ben thinks “women were in the same category as Double Stuf Oreos – best avoided, as they did nothing but cause problems for him” after his fiancé falls in love with his brother. Kara thinks all men have terrible motives after her ex abused her trust to steal money from her nonprofit employer. Their worlds collide after Ben’s town marketing promotion sends tons of new customers to Kara’s cat cafe, causing her to have a panic attack on the sidewalk.
It’s dislike at first sight, but then Ben and his friend Schwartz find a tiny kitten in his ductwork. He’s sure he’s not a cat person, but Kara convinces him to keep it until she can find a foster. Then their friends meet, and Charity invites Ben and Schwartz to Friendsgiving. Ben convinces Schwartz to help him develop a marketing plan to save the cat cafe. As feelings grow between Ben and Kara, misunderstandings develop, and the two will have to decide if they’re meant to last after all the tinsel comes down.
Ben is literally the kindest guy, and I was rooting so hard for Kara to trust him. Readers everywhere will have a new book boyfriend after this book. This romance is like a cup of hot chocolate – sweet and warms the heart.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.
All I Want for Christmas
About the Book
All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox
Genre: Holiday Romance
Release Date: Oct. 4, 2022
Book Review
You’ll long for the chill to melt between Sadie and Max long before it does in this cute Christmas fake dating romance book.
Sadie’s an aspiring singer with stars in her eyes, and Max Brody is the son of Nashville royalty trying to make his own career. Both are competing for the top spot on Starmaker, a reality TV singing show. Years ago, Max blew Sadie off at an event, so when she’s paired with him in the competition, she’s not happy. But their on-stage chemistry is off the charts, and the fans are eating it up. Their agents convince them to fake a show-biz romance. Suddenly, they’re #saxie, and the world is in love with their love story.
Spanning from Nashville to the woods of Canada, this is the sort of story where snow falls at critical moments to add to the atmosphere. It’s also the sort of book where all the problems could have been solved by the characters talking honestly with each other. From missed proposals to not telling the other about beloved family members dying to tabloid gossip, these two get their wires crossed pretty much every time they see each other. It’s one step forward, then two steps back, until the very end. While the climax could have had a little more drama, this was still a sweet story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Christmas Clash
About the Book
The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park
Genre: YA Romantic Comedy
Release Date: October 4, 2022
Book Review
A rivalry between two family-run restaurants leads to an unlikely partnership when the mall that houses them both is scheduled to be demolished.
In this fast-paced enemies-to-lovers romance, Peter and Chloe argue and sneak glances at each other across the mall food court until a new landlord threatens both their parents’ business. A business partnership leads to trading favorite dishes behind the mall as each begins to feel butterflies and Christmas warmth. Parental expectations loom over them, however, both in choice of friends and their future. Chloe dreams of becoming a photographer, while Peter longs to best his brother in something that would matter to his parents. Chloe and Peter dig into the history of their family feud as they struggle to get their parents to leave the past behind them and build a new future – together.
This is more a book that happens to be set at Christmas-time than a true Christmas romance that dives into all the kitsch and nostalgia of Christmas. While Peter works for a Christmas virtual reality ride (Who wouldn’t want to go on an epic run with Rudolph, soaring over rooftops and diving towards the ground?) and Hannah takes photos of children with the mall Santa, I’d say this book is Christmas-lite. Instead, it’s a cute YA romance that can be read at any time of the year.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Once Upon a December
About the Book
Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert
Genre: Holiday Romance, Romantic Comedy
Release Date: Oct. 4, 2022
Book Review:
This book will make readers wish they could find and visit the Julemarked just to taste the kringles, even if they won’t remember it once they’re gone.
Jack lives in a magical place called the Julemarked that pops up in Christmas markets around the world. It’s always Christmas in the Julemarked, and in exchange, the residents live long lives with everything they need. However, Jack finds himself drawn to an outsider who he sees every time the market comes to Milwaukee. Every year, he slips a carved figure – a nisse – in her bag, but the next year she doesn’t remember him. He’s determined to find a way to make a connection deep enough where she can remember him.
Astra’s a librarian recovering from a bad divorce and celebrating having her friends back in her life. When she sees the cute baker at the Julemarked, she’s drawn to him, especially when he slips her a nisse.
Sparks fly when Jack and Astra finally get to have a cup of hot chocolate, but despite their Christmas connection, their worlds are far apart. They must decide if the chance at true love is enough for one of them to give up all they hold dear.
This book is drenched in Christmas magic, with everything you want from a meet-cute Christmas romance: punny Christmas names – case in point, Jack’s bakery: Kringle all the Way, awkward dinners with potential future in-laws and starry walks through the snow. After Astra finally remembers Jack, it takes longer than I would have liked for her to meet him again, but the author distracts us with a subplot about Astra stealing her beloved dog back from her ex. When Astra and Jack do reconnect, the romance sizzles, and the reader feels Astra’s longing to put everything else aside for Jack.
This is a sweet treat, with just enough romantic angst to provide a foil to the nostalgic dreaminess of the Julemarked. Perfect for Christmas lovers everywhere.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Talk Santa to Me
About the Book
Talk Santa to Me by Linda Urban
Genre: YA Romance, Holiday Romance, Rom Com
Release Date: Sept. 27, 2022
Book Review:
Francie – short for Frankincense – is from a family where Christmas is serious business. They sell Christmas ornaments and run a school for Santas, to ensure that each Santa brings the proper magic. Number one rule: Santa never promises anything.
When her dad gets a bloody nose ahead of the annual appearance on TV as Santa, Francie fills in at the last second as “Santa’s Intern.” Thanks to a marketing intern – who Francie hates – the appearance goes viral, and suddenly the store is flooded with letters addressed to Francie. Her aunt assigns her the task of answering each one to keep the Christmas magic, in between torturing her with ridiculous trial uniforms that she’s forced to get customers to answer surveys about.
There’s a lot going on in this book, and many of the plots are given equal weight, which kept me from getting as emotionally invested as a reader. It’s hard for me to say which was the main one. Francie is being made fun of at school by boys who heard she was a bad kisser after her first kiss. Meanwhile, Francie is hoping for a do-over with Hector, the boy who works at the Christmas Tree Farm next door. Her aunt is trying to convince her dad to sell the Santa School to a Hollywood Santa, while not treating Francie fairly at all. The side-plot where Francie battled her aunt was the most frustrating part of the book. Adult me kept wondering: why is no one standing up for her?
Francie brings her snarky commentary to every situation, keeping this book from being too sweet. Underneath the sarcasm, however, Francie truly believes in the magic of Christmas.
This is a cute Christmas read, especially for those who like sarcastic heroines who triumph in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Eight Nights of Flirting
About the Book
Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds
Genre: YA Romance
Release Date: October 25, 2022
Book Review
Young love burns as bright as a candle in this YA enemies-to-lovers, fake dating novel.
Shira thinks she knows what she wants: a romance with her great-uncle’s intern, Isaac, who’s spending the holidays with them on Nantucket. But when her first crush, Tyler Nelson, gets snowed in with her ahead of their families’ arrival, Shira comes up with a plan: have the smooth-talking Tyler teach her to flirt. Shira keeps trying to convince herself the butterflies in her stomach aren’t real. Why are conversations with Isaac so hard and flow so naturally with Tyler?
Shira’s an awkward teen trying to figure out the big things in life: friendship, love and her future. I adored how relatable her constantly killing moments of chemistry out of fear made her. Shira’s both relatable and authentic as she tries SO hard to get her perfect holiday romance. Tyler’s perfect as the golden playboy with a beating heart hidden behind his thick walls, and Isaac adds a sense of mystery.
From hot chocolate to gingerbread houses to lighting the menorah, this book provides all the holiday cozy feelings. I also appreciated the focus on Hannukah and what it’s like to be Jewish as the rest of the world celebrates Christmas.
This was a charming YA romance that I plan to read again.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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