Blog Collab: All I Want for Christmas is...
Happy holiday month bookworms!
I’m here with another blog collab with @princessreadsalot, @sushisrainbow, and our newest blog buddy, @2nd2lastunicorn! Since it’s almost Christmas, it’s time to let the Santa in your life know what you want for Christmas! We rounded up some great holiday romance recs and reviewed them, so you can pick who you want under your tree on Christmas morning, or earlier if you are too excited to wait 😜 I hope you enjoy these recs, and if you have any more special people we should include, let us know in the comments below! So without further ado, all I want for Christmas is…
Scrooge in A Little Christmas Spirit by Sheila Roberts
This is a heartwarming story about gruffy, Scrooge-like Mr. Stanley opening his heart after the death of his wife Carol. Lexie Bell and her son Brock move in next door to Stanley and he slowly begins to spend more time with them and growing to love Brock as his own grandson. He initially wants to ignore them and keep to his own business, but Carol appears to him as a ghost and insists he needs to stop being a Scrooge. This isn’t a romance between Lexie and Stanley, but there are lots of flashbacks to Stanley’s relationship with Carol. These flashbacks are so sweet and you’ll wish you had a Manly Stanley in your life, if you don’t already have one. He’s a gruff man with a heart of gold and always does anything to make Carol happy. There’s also a dog in this book, so it’s already a great read. If you’re looking for a heartwarming and extremely emotional Christmas story, this is it!
A Bookstore Employee in The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese
If you’re a bookworm, then this is the holiday romance for you. I’ve never been someone who actively chooses to read holiday romances, but this is now my favourite holiday romance and nobody can convince me otherwise. Jonathan Frost is boyfriend goals. This guy is the most thoughtful guy I have ever come across in a romance story. Hands down. Gabby and Jonathan also actually have productive and respectful conversations about their feelings and I love that. Also the steam. Oh gosh. I never knew holding hands could be so sensual. This book is also filled to the brim with holiday cheer and it’s set in a bookstore, so it’s already a perfect addition to any bookworm’s holiday TBR. I honestly couldn’t recommend this book enough, as my mouth hurt from smiling throughout the entire book. Gabby and Jonathan just couldn’t be more perfect for each other and I want to reread this book already, just so I can experience their relationship again. This book is also an own voices story with an autistic MC and type 1 diabetes rep.
A Musician in A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli
Have you ever made a spontaneous decision that ended up changing your life? After losing her job and living her life trying to be the perfect Indian daughter, the MC Niki makes the spontaneous decision to fly to Mumbai for her best friend’s wedding. Once there, she meets bass guitarist Sam at a Diwali celebration and thus begins the whirlwind of what she believes is just a fling. However, someone begins catching feelings and you can check out the book to see how everything turns out. If you’ve had a secret dream to date a member of a band at any point in your life, you’ll want to check out this book! ...Don’t read it if you’re hungry though, because the numerous mentions of Indian food will keep you drooling until the end.
All Jenny (@princessreadsalot) wants for Christmas is…
A Sheriff in On Christmas Avenue by Ginny Baird
Ginny Baird seems to know Christmas, and Hallmark has her number. If you don’t believe me, check out her other series- Christmas Town and Holiday Brides. If you love cheesy, sappy-sweet romances, this is the book for you. In On Christmas Avenue, Evan, the county sheriff, knows that businesses are struggling in the small town of Clark Creek. But unlike the mayor—who happens to be his mother—he doesn’t think that hiring a “Christmas Consultant,” will help, especially when this Christmas Consultant proposes a holiday parade that seems likely to overwhelm his staff and leave the town in even more debt. Mary is sure the parade is going to be a superb fundraiser. She’s going to make sure of it, overcoming every obstacle, including those put in place by the stubborn sheriff. But in the middle of her planning, the unexpected happens: she and Evan begin to see one another in a different light. With his realistic viewpoint, especially contrasted to the outlandish Mary, I definitely relate a little more to Evan the sheriff. Full of figurative language and extra sap, On Christmas Avenue will bring you miracles and a sheriff with a bow!
A Cowboy in Cowboy’s Christmas Past by Mary Sue Jackson and Leslie North
Looking for a book with a little more grit? Cowboy’s Christmas Past is perfect for John Wayne film-lovers. After his mother’s death, Beau Taylor returns from college to care for his baby sister. He leaves behind his dream of becoming a cinematographer and his girlfriend Amelia to help on his family’s ranch. Beau never thought he’d see her again. Amelia followed her dreams and became a big movie star. But ten years later she shows up in town to shoot a western (a remake of The Searchers (1956), with Amelia as Evelyn Edwards; John Wayne played Ethan Edwards in the original), and their worlds collide after Beau’s ranch is selected as the perfect filming location. Amelia can make audiences believe she’s in love, yet the only time she’s ever truly fallen for a man was with the smoldering Beau. With Beau’s attraction to Amelia growing, it might also be the perfect setting for a Christmas romance. If you’re looking for a Christmas book with cowboys, horses, and a small western town, you’ll love this gift!
All Ali (@2nd2lastunicorn) wants for Christmas is…
A Lawyer in Christmas in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft
An overworked school teacher, a cynical divorce lawyer, and a lonely grandmother are the main characters in this fun Scottish highland Christmas tale. When Edina is injured by Belle in her bike in the snow, Belle moves in to take care of her elderly neighbor, much to the chagrin of Edina’s grandson Jack with whom she’s just come into contact with. Belle’s constant goodwill makes Jack suspicious, but as time goes on, her goodness starts to break through his shell. But when Edina’s Christmas list to Santa includes him reconnecting with his estranged mother Jack doesn’t want anything to do with our dogooder Belle. Yet the attraction seems to be irresistible. A sweet story and quick read. The relationships are well developed and has just enough heat with all the heart attached.
A Mythical Being in Walking in a Witchy Wonderland by Juliette Cross
An anthology of witchy Christmas tales that have a perfect amount of spice and holiday cheer!
My only thing is I didn’t know they were sequels to other books so occasionally I felt a bit lost, BUT overall fun stories and perfect for the season!
All Christina (@sushisrainbow) wants for Christmas is…
A Robot in Created for Christmas by Joynell Schultz
This is a story that has a ton of family Christmas traditions, nerdy superhero references, and of course some robot romance (as well as other romance). There is also a small little mystery that is involved, but frankly it's not really as big of a deal as the romance. It has a nerdy soft man character and a robot who is also a soft man with a lesson on how it is better to have companionship with people who appreciate who you are rather than who you create. If you’re looking for something new and unique, as well as a short novella, check this out!
A Writer in Write Before Christmas by Julie Hammerle
This is one of those novels to me that combines the fans of Spoiler Alert and any of the baking romances out there. It has the small town hallmark-esque Christmas traditions, an older more closed-down romance, and a ton of writer insights such as word count, what happens to the author once they sell the movie rights to their book, etc. With that aspect, I really enjoyed what it brought to the table. I also appreciated that it shows a leading lady creating her own second chance after divorcing her first husband of 20-something years controlling their life, and that she didn't submit to the second love right away either. The only thing that I was not a fan of for this particular book is that some of the technology/ influencer careers on social media could date the book later. Overall though, this book is a lot of fun and I highly recommend it.
That’s a wrap! Who do you want for Christmas? Let us know in the comments! If you end up checking out any of our recommendations and review them, tag us on your Insta posts so we can share 😊 I hope everyone has a happy holiday season and gets all the books they want for Christmas 🎄
Till next year 😜
