Christmas Romance Books 2022
November 30, 2022
Christmas Romance Books 2022
This list was compiled after reading over 40 new books that were released this fall in the Christmas Romance category. I completely devoured them, but I tried to narrow the list down. I put the books into the sub groups within the Christmas Romance genre (Open Door—bedroom scenes, Closed Door—no sex scenes, “Hallmark” style—not much romantic tension or kissing, Personal Growth/Reflection with a side of Romance) and then chose just a few to share in each of those sub groups. This way there are a variety to choose between, depending on the type of books you like to read. I really hope this helps you find a cute romance to read during this busy season.
Also, all books have a Blush Level If Read Aloud To Grandma (BLIRATG) attached to them. The blush level is on a scale of 1-10. A 1 would be a little kissing, no language, no mention of sex etc, while a 10 would be an open door (sex scene). I will try to give a little detail of why the book is rated what it is above each BLIRATG. I hope that helps!
One more note, ALL OF THESE BOOK HAVE HAPPILY EVER AFTERS. I don’t do sad romance without a happily ever after. It’s not my thing.😆 So, even if the book is more emotional, it will have a happy ending.
Closed Door Romance
By: Jennifer Peel
(This book was actually published in 2021, but I didn’t realize that until now…oops. If you like this one you can read the sequel to it—How To Ruin The Holidays By: Becky Monson, more Hallmark feeling than this first one by Jennifer Peel)
Synopsis:
Cami Jenkins has lost her sparkle for life and Christmas. After catching her husband under the Christmas tree with someone else, she’s banished Christmas from her vocabulary. She’s even made a living as a professional blogger and photo cropper for scorned lovers. This more snarky version of herself is not who she used to be and she’s struggling to find light and happiness again. Noah Cullen has always been one of her closest friends, but he’s also her ex-husband’s best friend. However, he will not be deterred or turned away, he just wants Cami to be who she used to me.
What I thought:
Noah is one of the good ones! He has a heart of gold and wants to see the friend he used to have as happy as she once was. I love the way he talks to Cami and the banter they have. Characters I absolutely loved and cheered for the whole book. There is a little talk of sex, but still very closed door.
A Few notes:
Mild Language
Closed Door
Kissing
BLIRATG: 4/10
By: Vanni Shaw
Synopsis:
Grant offers himself as Allie’s just-for-the-winter boyfriend. The mutually-beneficial relationship-with its predetermined expiration date-is a good fit for Allie’s romantically-challenged attention span, and it provides Grant with a risk-free dating refresher course. The best part? Since they already know when they’re breaking up, there will be no hard feelings or broken hearts. For these polar opposites, it’s the perfect winter plan. What could possibly go wrong?
What I thought:
Gosh, these two were so cute! I love how fun loving Allie is and how buttoned up and organized Grant is—such a fun opposites attract book! Such a fun sweet romance to snuggle up with and get into the Christmas spirit.
A Few notes:
Sweet Romance
Closed Door
Kissing
BLIRATG: 3/10
By: Courtney Walsh
Synopsis:
Marin hasn’t been home for Christmas in over 8 years, but this year is different. She is vying for the newly opened position as the host of Good Morning Denver, so she heads home to give her viewers a peek into what Christmas looks like in her cute small hometown. With cameras constantly filming and showing exactly why she deserves this position she knocks on her parents front door only to have her childhood best friend and ex boyfriend, Max, swing it open. Marin and Max find themselves unexpectedly thrown together for the days leading up to Christmas.
What I thought:
I loved this small town, funny, cozy Christmas story. It has me smiling several times and was hard to put down. These two childhood best friends, almost fake dating, with the fun wintery Christmas festivities is a great read. It is a dual point of view (I always love seeing inside both characters heads). All the tension and longing and banter is so fun!
A Few notes:
Sweet Romance
Closed Door
Romantic tension/kissing/flirting
BLIRATG: 4/10
Christmas Escape Series (7 books—all released this year—Faking Christmas was my favorite, but I enjoyed all of them)
Book #1 in the series:
By: Deborah M. Hathaway
Synopsis:
Claire Frost is determined to change her luck this Christmas. Taking time off from her flower shop, she follows her friend to London, ready to enjoy all-things England. Also the men. Definitely the men. Except, of course, her friend’s cousin. Liam Everhart a super attractive—super jerk. And now she will be forced to spend Christmas with him too.
What I thought:
So light and fun! Enjoyable dialogue, that felt natural and not forced. A fun enemies to lovers in forced proximity.
A Few notes:
Sweet Romance
Kissing (not super steamy)
Closed Door
BLIRATG: 3/10
Scrooge And The Girls Next Door
By: Melanie Jacobson
Synopsis:
Paige Redmond, single mom and go-getter, can’t wait to give her daughter, Evie, the Christmas of her dreams. Nothing can get in Paige’s way, not even her newly purchased fixer-upper cottage needing way more fixing than she planned. Paige tackles the holiday with Clark Griswold spirit, amusing the entire town—except for her humbug next door neighbor, the grumpy but deliciously handsome Professor Henry Hill. With the help of her friends they wage a campaign to cure the cranky professor of his Christmas blues.
What I thought:
It’s definitely a slow burn romance with the enemies to lovers/neighbor rivalry. The book still held my attention though and I enjoyed the opposites attract aspect of the romance. I loved both the main characters and the writing was natural/easy to read, it read like conversations should/not forced.
A Few notes:
Sweet Romance
Closed Door
Kissing
BLIRATG: 3/10
By: Lindsey Kelk
Synopsis:
Newly single lawyer Gwen Baker is hoping that a family Christmas—countryside, a mountain of food and festive films—will salve the sting of her career hanging by a thread and her heart being trampled on. Because everyone else has their life sorted: even Dev, her boy-next-door crush, is now a tall, dark and handsome stranger with a fiancée. She can’t help wishing her future was clearer. Then Gwen wakes up to discover it’s Christmas day all over again. How will she break the loop and not keep waking up back on Christmas morning?
What I thought:
This was like Groundhogs day mashed up with Christmas Vacation. I was not sure how I would feel about the repeating over and over, but I loved it and loved the way the author threw in heartfelt moments, while keeping all of the characters very real.
It toes the line of being a personal growth with a side of romance, so it could have been put in that category or this one. While the book is closed door, it’s definitely for mature audiences, with talk of sex.
A Few notes:
Dad gifts daughter a vibrator for Christmas on accident
Male Cousin sending a naked photo of himself to someone
Talk of sex (about one chapter)
BLIRATG: 8/10
By: Cindy Steel
Note: I listened to this one, so it said it had just been released, but I should have checked the actual publication date…2020, oops. I am including it anyway, because it was that good.
Since Penny will be alone for Christmas her best friend offers her their family cabin foe the week. With a publishing deadline, she took her up on the offer of a week alone cozied up by the fire in a snow covered cabin. But when she arrives late at night in a blizzard she find the cabin is already occupied and by an all too familiar face, Chase. Her brother’s best friend, but her nemesis.
What I Thought:
This was super cute with some great swoony moments and romantic tension. Both Chase and Penny are great characters and share fun banter and playful moments. I loved watching Penny thaw her heart and grow closer to Chase over the week. I also loved the dual point of view with forced proximity and enemies to lovers aspect.
A Few Notes:
Closed Door
Kissing
Flirting/tension
BLIRATG: 3/10
Hallmark Style Romance
By: Teri Wilson
Synopsis:
Prince Nikolas of San Glacera, knows his country depends upon winter tourism to buoy their economy, but his sister’s solution of bringing in an American who like to play dress-up? No thank you. Hard pass. He doesn’t want her anywhere near his country. Gracie Clark, runs a children’s party business and performs as—‘Princess Snowflake.’ She enters the contest knowing the money she would make by playing this role, would be life changing for her, but is completely surprised when she is actually chosen and flown across the world to play the part.
What I thought:
This was a cute story! It definitely feels like a Hallmark movie with very little steam and a super slow burn in the romance department. But sometimes this is a fun escape, where everything is Happily Ever After’s and sugary sweet. The dialogue is well written and easy to read.
A Few notes:
Closed Door
Kissing
BLIRATG: 1/10
By: Jenny Hale
Synopsis:
Elizabeth Holloway’s sparkling world comes crashing down around her when her boyfriend of seven years dumps her. She suddenly finds herself trudging through the snow, back at her childhood farm in the Great Smoky Mountains.
And she isn’t expecting to meet visitor Paul Dawson with his dazzlingly blue eyes and warm smile, but she does. But just when she starts to think things are moving in the right direction, a stack of letters from her grandmother change everything she thought she knew about her family and Paul.
What I thought:
A good book about love and loss and ending up exactly where you are supposed to be. Mostly predictable, but there is a little unknown for a bit with a slight twist, that keeps you interested and wanting to know what happens next.
A Few notes:
Sweet Romance
Closed Door
BLIRATG: 1/10
By: Marie Higgins
Synopsis:
Holly Kidman is determined to be the best movie-producer California has ever seen…until her mother’s broken leg ruins Holly’s plans and she must return home for the holidays. During her stay in her home town of Timberland, Montana, fate throws her with a man she’d rather not be around. And yet, once she can get past old grudges, she realizes the charming man and his large ranch inspire her more than she thought possible. Dare she hope for her dream-come-true?
What I thought:
If you like watching Hallmark movies, you will enjoy this book! It’s predictable and you can see the ending coming, but these are cute characters and a sweet story.
A Few notes:
Sweet Romance
Closed Door
BLIRATG: 1/10
By: Anita Hughes
Synopsis:
It’s days before Christmas and Samantha Morgan’s editor shows up telling her, her publisher (Arthur Wentworth) is throwing a Christmas party and wants Samantha to be the guest of honor. Samantha writes a series of books featuring a female James Bond-type heroine named Sloane Parker, but she couldn’t be more different from her, even if her social media profile looks otherwise. Samantha rarely leaves her neighborhood and does her research online. She is afraid of almost everything and is only happy when she’s sitting in her apartment and writing, but she knows she can’t miss this party, so when a handsome stranger sits next to her on the plane, things begin to look up.
What I thought:
This is for sure very “Hallmark,” but I did enjoy that there was a little more going on in this storyline. We get to see inside Samantha’s head as she writes her Sloane Parker novel, so the story rotates from the party in Jackson Hole and the storyline of that book.
A Few notes:
Sweet Romance
Closed Door
BLIRATG: 1/10
By: Jenessa Fayeth
Synopsis:
Lennox’s brother have constantly bet against her and her dating life. Literally casting bets with money involved. They don’t think she’ll have the guts to bring a guy to the work Christmas party, but she’s not just bringing a date. She’s bringing a fake fiancé. Grant has been in love with Lennox for years, but done absolutely nothing to show her. Grant has been best friends with Lennox’s brothers for years and they are always roping him into their little bets, but the current one, he is not a fan. He doesn’t want to see anyone dating Lennox and now he has lost for sure when she announces she is engaged.
What I thought:
Quite predictable, but fun characters and a little more swoony than your typical Hallmark style movie. I liked both Lennox and Grant a lot! There were some fun laughable moments.
A Few notes:
Sweet Romance
Closed Door
Kissing
BLIRATG: 2/10
Self-Reflection/Personal Growth with a side of Romance
By: Emily Stone
Synopsis:
Cassie and Tom lost their parents at a young age and relied on each other to cope. They were especially close with Tom’s best friend,Sam. But, twenty years later, Cassie has lost Tom as well. And in a way, she’s also lost Sam; over the years they’d drifted apart, and now the man she always had a crush on is someone she doesn’t even recognize anymore. She’s never felt more alone. Then Cassie finds an envelope with her name on it, written in Tom’s terrible handwriting, and she knows immediately what it is. It’s the first clue in the Christmas scavenger hunt that Tom made for her every year.
What I thought:
Oh, this book! It was so good. I loved these characters and I loved their realness. I would have loved to get Sam and Cassie on the same page sooner, but its real and feels like the right pace fore life and grief. I loved the scavenger hunt aspect that led to a little bit of mystery/unknown. Heartbreaking and beautiful.
A Few notes:
Mild language
Closed Door
Grief
Kissing
BLIRATG: 3/10
By: Sarah Morgan
Synopsis:
When Lucy appears on the Miller family’s snow-covered Highland doorstep, she’s mistaken for Ross’s girlfriend. By the time the confusion is cleared up, they’re snowed in—she can’t leave, even if she wants to! But does she want to? As secrets spill out like presents from an overstuffed stocking and the chemistry between her and Ross ignites, this is going to be either Lucy’s worst Christmas ever or the best mistake of her life.
What I thought:
This story is told from multiple points of view, so it takes a minute to get all of the characters stories straight, but after you do, you will fall in love with the whole Miller family and Lucy! All of them are whole complex characters with real life struggles, but people you want to root for the entire way through. While some of the issues are heavy, Nanna Jean, keeps the comic relief with her cleverly timed comments.
A Few notes:
Mild Language
Kissing
Closed Door
BLIRATG: 3/10
By: Beth Moran
Synopsis:
After the end of a long-term relationship, local weather girl Bea Armstrong has been avoiding her family, and their inevitable ‘I-told-you-sos.’ But with Christmas fast approaching, she is finally on her way home to Charis House, the school in Sherwood Forest that her mum and dad run in their old family home. And to top it all off, the insufferable Henry Fairfax – who her parents have always wanted her to marry – has also been invited. It’s while she is home that she gets invited to Scotland to interview for her dream job, but with no car and the snow falling, she needs someone to get her there and that’s when Henry steps in.
What I thought:
I liked this dual time line with a single point of view. It was fun to jump between Lucy’s current life and her childhood. Getting a peek into what has shaped her ideas and personality into what it is today. This book has a lot going on in it, but I enjoyed the different elements as they helped push the story along. You don’t feel a lot of romantic tension, but the story is sweet, with a little mystery.
A Few notes:
Kissing
Closed Door
A few crude jokes
BLIRATG: 2.5/10
By: Jennifer Joyce
Synopsis:
Zoey Beake is having a bad December. She might be an elf in the local toy shop’s Christmas department, but it’s hard to stay festive when you’ve just been dumped, you’ve had an extremely unfortunate haircut, and your boss volunteers you to walk on stilts in the toy shop’s Christmas parade. Standing on stilts in the middle of a parade and being plowed down by a car is NOT hoe Zoey thought she would die.
But then something incredible happens.
Zoey is sent back to the start of December, with the chance to live the whole month again. The catch? She has to match six true-love couples by Christmas Eve, to stay alive. Now it’s not just her own love life she needs to fix… Grab the mistletoe, the Christmas Cupid is ready to matchmake!
What I thought:
I actually really liked this one! It surprised me how much I liked it! I wasn’t sure about the fantastical bit or coming back to life, but it didn’t bother me at all. It thought is was a fun different element. I loved Zoey and loved watching her grow as a person and find happiness!
A Few notes:
Closed Door
Kissing
BLIRATG: 3/10
By: Helen Whitaker
Synopsis:
Jen is turning thirty and has spent her entire life jumping from man to man. So, when her latest relationship ends in disaster, she decides she needs to stop pleasing others and focus on herself. And where better to start afresh than the beautiful Canadian ski resort of Whistler? She just has one rule: to stay single for the entire ski season. When a new job forces Jen into contact with snowboarding instructor Art, the two of them are set on keeping their distance. It shouldn’t be hard, since they hate one another on sight – and Art knows better than anyone how to keep other people at arm’s length.
What I thought:
Art and Jen are both well written and developed characters. I rooted for them the whole book! Wanting them to get their stuff together, so they could be together. Real people with real problems, but still good people trying their best.
A Few notes:
Mild language (2 f words)
Closed Door
Kissing
BLIRATG: 2.5/10
Open Door Romance: These are definitely adult only book recommendations.
These are not for everyone! No judgement either way. Some of these are definitely more heavy on the sex and the descriptions of sex or the number of times than others. So, while they are all rated 10/10 for Open Door, some are actually higher than others. So, I am going to go over my scale and let you know if they are even more than a 10. Hope that helps.
By: Cathrine Walsh
Synopsis:
Molly and Andrew are just trying to get home to Ireland for the holidays, when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight. Nothing romantic has ever happened between them: they’re friends and that’s all. But once a year, for the last ten years, Molly has spent seven hours and fifteen minutes sitting next to Andrew on the last flight before Christmas from Chicago to Dublin, but this year their flight is grounded, but Molly is determined to get them home, by flight, train, and boat.
What I thought:
One of my favorite books I read while making this list! I loved the witty banter and how the two main leads interacted. They were super cute together.
A Few notes:
This book has talk of sex
passionate/steamy kissing
open door
BLIRATG: 10/10
By: Claire Kingsley
Synopsis:
What I thought:
I really liked these characters and the witty banter, but it was excessive in language and had open door sex scenes, so enter with caution.
A Few notes:
Language including F words
Talk of Sex
Open Door
BLIRATG: 11/10
By: Cassie Conner
Synopsis:
Hotshot lawyer Rebecca Madison is dreading the annual family Thanksgiving break where the question on everyone’s lips will be ‘why are you still single?’. When it comes to her career, she’s the best of the best, hired for her take-no-prisoners approach and sharp instincts. But when it comes to her love life…well, she hasn’t found the loophole for happy ever after yet.
So when she has a one night stand with a gorgeous stranger she meets in a bar, she decides to do what she does best: make a deal with Mr One Night to be her Mr Right (just for the holidays). With an iron-clad contract setting out the terms for their fake relationship, Rebecca has one important point. Clause 1.a. No kissing, no sex and absolutely no emotional attachment!
What I thought:
Hudson is the best! He has such a great personality and is the ying to Rebecca’s yang. I love how well they compliment the other. There were some surprise aspects to the story, fun banter, and fake dating and all of it kept me reading and anxious to see how it would end.
A Few Notes:
Lots of Sex
Open Door
F words (lots)
BLIRATG: 12/10
By: Kate Stewart
Synopsis:
The Collins Family has gathered in their family cabin to celebrate Christmas. Whitney is not excited about being there, when she feels like her life is falling apart and suddenly her college ex boyfriend is standing at the cabin’s front door as a guest of her brother.
What I thought:
I enjoyed this whole family along with the two main characters. They have such a fun dynamic! Plus, I loved seeing a peek into the other family members marriages. This is told from a dual point of view, which I always love. However there was a lot of language and talk of sex.
This was actually written in 2021, but I didn’t realize that until I went to write this review. So, I included it anyway.
A Few notes:
Steamy kissing
Jokes about sex/talk about it
F words
Open door
BLIRATG: 12/10
By: Jennifer Snow
Synopsis:
After traveling to all corners of the globe, Isla Wakefield has returned home to celebrate Christmas with her family. Just a few days after arriving home she has a terrifying ice-climbing accident that leaves her with amnesia—she can’t remember who she is, what she likes, or anything about her family and friends. So, when she feels a pull toward Aaron, he is shocked, because they have always butted heads. He is torn on feeling the pull towards her and wondering if these feelings will all dry up once her memory returns.
What I thought:
I was surprised by how calm Isla was after loosing her memory. I feel like I would have been freaking out a whole heck of a lot more than she was. There was a little language in this book and sex scenes.
A Few notes:
Language
Talk of Sex
Steamy Kissing
Open Door
BLIRATG: 11/10 (reasons listed above)
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