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The countdown to Christmas is on, and what better way to get in the holiday mood than by losing yourself in a festive romance? Love stories are the ultimate form of escapism, but Christmas romances transport us to an even cosier world, with snowy landscapes and tales of love, yearning, and second chances.
Expect former flames reuniting in small hometowns, city slickers escaping to the countryside, and guaranteed happily-ever-afters. Below, we’ve rounded up the best Christmas romances – so pop the kettle on, grab your warmest blanket, and enjoy.
The best Christmas romance books
This Christmas by Emma Heatherington (2023)
Rose and Charlie are two strangers with one thing in common: they want to spend Christmas alone this year. What they don’t realise is that they’re both headed for the same remote cottage in rural Donegal – which has been double-booked.
They both have their own reasons for wanting to be alone, but what would happen if they spent Christmas together? This heart-warming romance is perfect for fans of The Holiday.
A Winter in New York by Josie Silver (2023)
Iris is looking for a fresh start, and where better to mend her broken heart and relaunch her culinary career than New York? But when Iris agrees to help the handsome Gio, who is trying to save his family’s gelateria, she learns that their paths are more intertwined than she could ever have imagined.
This is the latest Christmas romance from the author of the bestselling One Day in December.
Countdown to Christmas by Jo Thomas (2023)
Jo Thomas is known for writing warm, life-affirming love stories, but we particularly enjoy her Christmas romances. Countdown to Christmas follows Chloe, an empty-nester who is feeling far from festive. But when she discovers she owns a plot of land in Canada, she jumps on a plane.
Now in a log cabin in the middle of a forest, with a handsome lumberjack on her doorstep, Chloe can finally enjoy the countdown to Christmas.
One December Day by Rachel Marks (2023)
Luke and Laura fall in love one day in December. But will they feel the same the next year, or the one after that? One December Day charts their love story across 15 years, one December day at a time.
After all, falling in love is wonderful, but it’s staying in love year after year, through the joy and heartbreak, that’s the real miracle. This festive romance is moving, warm, and very relatable.
The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels (2023)
Margot is a newly-single, successful career woman who’s not looking for love. Ben is unlucky in love and looking to bring someone home for the holidays. And so, they make a pact: Margot will pretend to be Ben’s girlfriend, in exchange for a blissful week away at Ben’s family manor house.
The story can only go one way: Margot is sure to fall in love for real. And she does – with Ben’s sister, Ellie. This Christmas romance is fun, surprising, and full of loveable characters.
The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman (2023)
For 10 years, Hannah and Finn have spent Christmas together. With nobody else to spend the holidays with, they’ve created their own unconventional traditions and, together with Priya and Theo, formed The Christmas Orphans Club.
But when Finn makes a big announcement, the group learns this year might be their last Christmas together. Can they make it count? This modern romance is about love in all its forms.
Baby It’s Cold Outside by Emily Bell (2021)
When Norah hears a few notes of a song, she’s transported back to the holiday where she met Andrew. And she remembers his promise: if they were both still single in 10 years’ time, they would meet under the clock on Grafton Street in Dublin.
Norah doesn’t know if he will remember, but she has nothing to lose. She makes her way to the city – and, hopefully, the one that got away – but fate has other plans…
This collection of six festive short stories is sure to put you in a Christmassy mood. The titular romance story follows Romy, who is begrudgingly set to join her boyfriend and his family for Christmas in France. But when she meets Felix, her plans for the big day suddenly feel a lot more exciting.
If you enjoy The Christmas Stocking, we recommend another of Fforde’s short story collections, A Christmas Feast.
Just For Christmas by Scarlett Bailey (2013)
When Alex learns that the love of her life is about to marry another woman, she flees to a remote village. There, she gets involved in the local community, meets her handsome neighbour, Ruan, and realises she doesn’t want to spend Christmas alone after all.
But Ruan has his own relationship scars, and love is the last thing he’s looking for. Can they both learn to let go of the past and take a chance on someone new?
Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella (2019)
Sophie Kinsella’s most loveable heroine is back in this festive read. Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) has always loved Christmas – and not just because of the online shopping and discounts; she loves the family traditions at her parents’ house. But this year, her parents have asked her to host the big day.
Becky’s life is thrown into chaos as she deals with cooking, shopping, and the surprise reappearance of an old flame.