What I love about romance novels is that they always seem to carry a sense of magic, whether it’s real in that fictional world or not. This is most true in “happily ever afters”; it makes me cry when the main characters or side couples end up together, despite their circumstances.
In a way, the magic of the holidays have that same feeling for me. That’s reflected in stories like It’s A Wonderful Life or A Christmas Carol. My favorite holiday romance novels carry that magic: whether it’s real witches and curses in Erin Sterling’s The Wedding Witch or This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens, a coming of age romance in which the main two characters meet throughout their lives on New Year’s Eves.
I hope that these romances will delight you in that same way.
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Hannah Grace, Holiday Ever After
Rekomendasi favoritku musim ini adalah romansa liburan tentang Clara, seorang New Yorker yang mencoba naik jabatan di perusahaan mainan/ usaha keluarganya dan harus menyelesaikan krisis PR yang melibatkan pencurian ide dari bisnis kota kecil milik Jack. Clara akhirnya pindah ke kota kecil itu dan merayap masuk ke dalam hati semua orang. Yang paling kusukai dari buku Grace adalah karakter-karakter wanita yang kuat dan karakter pria yang terlihat terlalu baik untuk menjadi kenyataan. Para pria adalah seorang gentleman sejati. Aku juga mencintai dinamika kelompok, dan hal itu benar-benar bersinar di kota kecil ini. Aku bertanya-tanya apa yang akan dia lakukan setelah romansa hoki-nya, dan sejauh ini aku sangat menyukai hasilnya!
Lana Ferguson, The Mating Game
The Mating Game is the sequel to Ferguson’s 2023 The Fake Mate, but it’s certainly a standalone book if you haven’t read the first one yet! The magical rules in this shifter romance are established immediately: Tess is an Omega and, unfortunately for her, the owner of the ski lodge she’s helping to renovate is an Alpha. She ropes him into helping her through this new life transition. While this isn’t an obvious holiday romance, the winter vibes are there including running in the snow, sexy snow storms, and a grumpy mountain man who only wears flannel. It’s a steamy and gentle read for someone reading shifter romance for the first time.
Lucy Score, The Mistletoe Kisser
Independently published in 2020, and now published this year, this is the eighth and penultimate book in the Blue Moon series. The Mistletoe Kisser is a Hallmark kind of romance novel: this is a Stars Hollow-esque small town complete with inane town halls, an “everyone is welcome” hippie mindset, and perfectly made up names like Carson Shufflebottom and Rainbow Berkowicz. Ryan needs to save his uncle’s farm with Sammy’s help. What I really enjoyed was that Ryan’s love language is “acts of service” and that felt like the perfect thing for Sammy, the town’s overly helpful livestock veterinarian. This book has Sammy procrastinating crafting her holiday wreaths, a steamy scene in front of the fireplace, kissing under the mistletoe, and of course, a Christmas Eve miracle.
Alexis Daria, The Holiday Hookup List
The Holiday Hookup List features Valencia and Gideon, once archenemies at school, reuniting for the holidays years later. Lonely after a hot one night stand, this second chance couple challenges each other to spend 12 days celebrating the holidays with PG holiday activities and spicy bedroom activities. A nice blend of emotional depth and spiciness. I never love reading the third act breakup but this conflict really made sense to me! This was a super sweet and short read.
K.C. Carmichael, 300 New Year’s Eves
Sergio, seorang fotografer terkenal di dunia, belajar bagaimana menjadi saudara, teman, dan minat romantis baru bagi Jeremy, mantan pesenam/Olympian kini pelatih dan hidup dengan MS, dengan tinggal dalam loop waktu Malam Tahun Baru. Aku pencinta loop waktu! Meskipun sifat egois Sergio dan ketidaksukaannya mungkin mengganggu pada awalnya, itu bekerja dengan lengkungan naratifnya. Aku senang membaca bagaimana Sergio tumbuh dan seberapa mengangkat roman romantis ini. Buku ini sangat rendah bumbu, tetapi tetap menjadi bacaan liburan yang hangat hati! Aku ingin sekali melihat ini diadaptasi ke layar.
Lyla Lee, The Cuffing Game
The Cuffing Game is partially inspired by Pride and Prejudice, but this YA romance novel has an incredibly modern take. Mia, a freshman at a film school in Los Angeles, wants to get over her crush on Noah, an annoying senior who is also an influencer, so she creates a reality dating show. They’re such lovable and relatable characters! If you also love The Bachelor and Perfect Match, you’ll love seeing a more indie reality dating show made by college students unfolding in real time in this novel. They film the show over a week leading up to Christmas Eve and are in a secluded location in the mountains with activities like playing in the snow and skiing. This is a warm-hearted read about workaholic film students.
Alta Hensley, He Knows When You’re Awake
Sloane, seorang perancang perhiasan, terlibat dengan Cole, seorang miliarder penyendiri yang ia putuskan untuk menjadikan dirinya bintang baru pada Malam Tahun Baru. Romansa mengejar ini cukup jinak dalam genre romantis gelap, dan ini adalah jeda yang lembut serta menyenangkan bagi pembaca baru seperti saya. Terdapat aktivitas liburan yang sehat dan meskipun tidak banyak adegan pedas, ia memang mengeksplor beberapa kink: BDSM dan fetish voyeurisme. Aku selalu berpikir, dengan berbagai sub-genre romansa yang ada, bacalah apa yang kamu suka—kamu selalu bisa menambahkan buku ke tumpukan DNF-mu, jika itu tidak cocok untukmu. Tanpa penghakiman!
