I love a great holiday romantic comedy, but so many of them follow the same tried-and-true tropes. It's hard to find books that branch out from the traditional Hallmark-style, closed-door, rated-G, family friendly White Christmas. Romance novels get a bad rap for being brainless and cheesy, and that's especially true for whatever you can catch on TV during the holiday season. But where are the stories for the rest of us? People may hate the holidays if that's the loneliest time of year for them. And while books might not be flesh and blood, they can make a person feel less lonely when the stories open their arms to a more diverse audience. So here's my list gathering great books celebrating holidays for the rest of us, including characters that are queer, Jewish, non-White, and others who don't fit in a daintily wrapped gift box. Many of these titles will be available in print, e-book, and e-audiobook formats.
The matzah ball
Meltzer, Jean, author.
FICTION Meltzer Jean
For a decade Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt has hidden her career as a Christmas romance novelist from her family. Her talent has made her a bestseller even as her chronic illness has always kept the kind of love she writes about out of reach. When her diversity-conscious publisher insists she write a Hanukkah romance, her well of inspiration runs dry. Rachel is determined to find her muse at the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah, even if it means working with her summer camp archenemy-- Jacob Greenberg. Their grudge still glows brighter than a menorah, but as they spend time together Rachel finds herself drawn to Hanukkah-- and Jacob.-- adapted from jacket
The holiday trap
Parrish, Roan, author.
FICTION Parrish Roan
"Greta Russakoff needs some space from her overbearing family. Truman Belvedere needs a place to heal after a devastating heartbreak. The solution is obvious: Truman and Greta decide to swap houses for the month of December. Can a change of scenery be the start of something new?"--
Love in winter Wonderland
Bello, Abiola, author.
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Bello A
Trey Anderson balances the pressures of school popularity with a job at his family's beloved local bookshop, Wonderland. Quirky, creative Ariel Spencer needs tuition for the prestigious art program of her dreams, and an opening at Wonderland is the answer. When Trey and Ariel learn that Wonderland is on the brink of being shut down by a neighborhood gentrifier, they team up to stop the doors from closing before the Christmas Eve deadline-- and embark on a journey that will change them forever. -- adapted from jacket.
You're a mean one, Matthew Prince
Janovsky, Timothy, author.
FICTION Janovsky Timothy
"Young, rich, and thoroughly spoiled, Matthew has no intention of being shipped off to some small town in New England to stay with his grandmother for Christmas...or to play nice with the attractive young man he meets there. Find a little "Joy to the World"? Not today, Santa. But when the two are forced to work together to make a charity gala go off without a hitch, Matthew may find the home he's been missing all along"--
A merry little meet cute : a novel
Murphy, Julie, 1985- author.
FICTION Murphy Julie
Bee Hobbes (aka Bianca Von Honey) has a successful career as a plus-size adult film star. With a huge following and two supportive moms, Bee couldn't ask for more. But when Bee's favorite producer casts her to star in a Christmas movie he's making for the squeaky-clean Hope Channel, Bee's career is about to take a more family-friendly direction. Forced to keep her work as Bianca under wraps, Bee quickly learns this is a task a lot easier said than done. Though it all becomes worthwhile when she discovers her co-star is none other than childhood crush Nolan Shaw, an ex-boy band member in desperate need of career rehab. Nolan's promised his bulldog manager to keep it zipped up on set, and he will if it means he'll be able to provide a more stable living situation for his sister and mom. But things heat up quickly in Christmas Notch, Vermont, when Nolan recognizes his new co-star from her ClosedDoors account (oh yeah, he's a member). Now Bee and Nolan are sneaking off for quickies on set, keeping their new relationship a secret from the Hope Channel's execs. Things only get trickier when the reporter who torpedoed Nolan's singing career comes snooping around--and takes an instant interest in mysterious newcomer Bee. And if Bee and Nolan can't keep their off-camera romance behind the scenes, then this merry little meet cute might end up on the cutting room floor.
A holly jolly ever after
Murphy, Julie, 1985- author.
FICTION Murphy Julie
Kallum Liebermanis the funny one. As the arguably lesser of the three former members of the boy band INK, he enjoyed his fifteen minutes of fame and then moved home where he opened a regional pizza chain called Slice, Slice, Baby! He's living his best dad bod life, hooking up with bridesmaids at all his friends' weddings. But after an old one-off sex tape is leaked and quickly goes viral, Kallum decides he's ready to step into the spotlight again, starring in a sexy Santa biopic for the Hope Channel. Winnie Baker did everything right. She married her childhood sweetheart, avoided the downfalls of adolescent stardom, and transitioned into a stable adult acting career. Hell, she even waited until marriage to have sex. But after her perfect life falls apart, Winnie is ready to redefine herself--and what better way than a steamier-than-a-steaming-hot-mug-of-cider Christmas movie? With decade old Hollywood history between them, Winnie and Kallum are both feeling hesitant about their new situation as costars...especially Winnie who can't seem to fake on screen pleasure she's never experienced in real life. She's willing to do the pleasure research--for science and artistic authenticity, of course. And there's no better research partner than her bridesmaid sex tape hall of fame costar, Kallum. But suddenly, Kallum's teenage crush on Winnie is bubbling to the surface and Winnie might be catching feelings herself. They say opposites attract, but is this holly jolly ever after really ready for its close-up?
A jingle bell mingle
Murphy, Julie, 1985- author. https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PBJxrVbBwwdjrgV6hXtqYT3
FICTION Murphy Julie
"What happens when there's no room at the inn and you and your potentially demonic cat become roommates with your grumpy one-night stand? Part-time adult film actress/one-time adult film director/makeup artist Sunny Palmer has accidentally sold her very first screenplay to the Hope Channel. That was six months ago. Fast forward to a looming deadline, an uninspired Sunny has returned to the source of her inspiration in Christmas Notch, Vermont, to immerse herself in the local Christmas miracle on which her fever dream of a movie pitch was based. Isaac Kelly, former boy band heartthrob and the saddest boy in the music biz, is the latest owner of the town's historic mansion. After his years of heartbreak following his young wife's death, Isaac's record label is done waiting for new music. What better place to attempt his first holiday album than a snow-covered mansion where he can become a hermit in peace? But after their best friends' wedding leads to them waking up together in a freezing motel room with questionable wiring and a broken shower, Isaac takes a chance and asks Sunny to stay with him at his home. Surely the place is big enough that he'll hardly see her or her unhinged cat. But when the two discover they're both creatively blocked, they make a handshake deal: Isaac will help Sunny hunt down the truth behind the local lore, and Sunny will find Isaac a new muse. And with these two opposites under one roof, there's no way this jingle bell mingle could go off script...right?"--
Royal holiday
Guillory, Jasmine, author.
FICTION Guillory Jasmine
"Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie's work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can't refuse. She's excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn't expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain Private Secretary and his charming accent and unyielding formality. Malcolm Hudson has been the Queen's Private Secretary for years and has never given a personal, private tour...until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling. Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy fling come New Year's Day...or are they?"--
I'll be gone for Christmas : a novel
Boone, Georgia K., author.
FICTION Boone Georgia
"Bee Tyler needs a break. In the bustling San Francisco tech community, no one ever seems to stand still--especially her perfect sister and business partner, Beth. So when her best friend suggests a getaway on the wildly popular house-swap app, Vacate, Bee decides a countryside retreat might be exactly what she needs. Clover Mills has had a year. Between losing her mother and making the complicated decision to leave her fianč, sticking around the idyllic Christmas obsessed town of Salem, Ohio, just doesn't feel right. So when she hears about Vacate, she jumps at the chance to spend the holidays in the unfamiliar city of San Francisco. Soon enough, Bee is living in Clover's cozy Salem cottage, and Clover is living in Bee's sleek San Francisco apartment. As Clover can't seem to stop running into Bee's frustratingly gorgeous sister, Beth, and Bee finds herself spending more and more time with Clover's ultra charming ex-fianč, Knox, the two women realize that this Christmas they may find just what they were looking for and more..." --
Make the season bright
Blake, Ashley Herring, author. https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PCjrmdWjwrrYgXV8xvkpy7d
FICTION Blake Ashley
"Two exes find themselves stuck at the same house for Christmas in this holiday romance by Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Iris Kelly Doesn't Date. It's been five years since Charlotte Donovan was ditched at the altar by her ex-fiancée, and she's doing more than okay. Sure, her single mother never checks in, but she has her strings ensemble, the Rosalind Quartet, and her life in New York is a dream come true. As the holidays draw near, her ensemble mate Sloane persuades Charlotte and the rest of the quartet to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado-it is much cozier and quieter than Manhattan, and it would guarantee more practice time for the quartet's upcoming tour. But when Charlotte arrives, she discovers that Sloane's sister Adele also brought a friend home-and that friend is none other than her ex, Brighton. All Brighton Fairbrook wanted was to have the holliest, jolliest Christmas-and try to forget that her band kicked her out. But instead, she's stuck pretending like she and her ex are strangers-which proves to be difficult when Sloane and Adele's mom signs them all up for a series of Christmas dating events. Charlotte and Brighton are soon entrenched in horseback riding and cookie decorating, but Charlotte still won't talk to her. Brighton can hardly blame her after what she did. After a few days, however, things start to slip through. Memories. Music. The way they used to play together-Brighton on guitar, Charlotte on her violin-and it all feels painfully familiar. But it's all in the past and nothing can melt the ice in their hearts...right?"--
Love you a latke
Elliot, Amanda, author.
FICTION Elliot Amanda
"Love comes home for the challah-days in this sparkling romance. Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pissed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby's been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don't understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes. Desperate for support, Abby puts out a call for help online and discovers she was wrong about being the only Jew within a hundred miles. There's one other: Seth. As it turns out, Seth's parents have been badgering him to bring a Nice Jewish Girlfriend home to New York City for Hanukkah, and if Abby can survive his incessant, irritatingly handsome smiles, he'll introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make the festival a success. But over latkes, doughnuts, and winter adventures in Manhattan, Abby begins to realize that her fake boyfriend and his family might just be igniting a flame in her own guarded heart"--
Kiss her once for me : a novel
Cochrun, Alison, author.
FICTION Cochrun, Alison
"The author of the "swoon-worthy debut" (Harper's Bazaar) The Charm Offensive returns with a festive romantic comedy about a woman who fakes an engagement with her landlord...only to fall for his sister. One year ago, recent Portland transplant Ellie Oliver had her dream job in animation and a Christmas Eve meet-cute with a woman at a bookstore that led her to fall in love over the course of a single night. But after a betrayal the next morning and the loss of her job soon after, she finds herself adrift, alone, and desperate for money. Finding work at a local coffee shop, she's just getting through the days-until Andrew, the shop's landlord, proposes a shocking, drunken plan: a marriage of convenience that will give him his recent inheritance and alleviate Ellie's financial woes and isolation. They make a plan to spend the holidays together at his family cabin to keep up the ruse. But when Andrew introduces his new fiancée to his sister, Ellie is shocked to discover it's Jack-the mysterious woman she fell for over the course of one magical Christmas Eve the year before. Now, Ellie must choose between the safety of a fake relationship and the risk of something real. Perfect for fans of Written in the Stars and One Day in December, Kiss Her Once for Me is the queer holiday rom-com that you'll want to cozy up with next to the fire"--
In the event of love
Kae, Courtney, author.
FICTION Kae, Courtney
"With her career as a Los Angeles event planner imploding after a tabloid blowup, Morgan Ross isn't headed home for the holidays so much as in strategic retreat. Breathtaking mountain vistas, quirky townsfolk, and charming small businesses aside, her hometown of Fern Falls is built of one heartbreak on top of another... Take her one-time best friend turned crush, Rachel Reed. The memory of their perfect, doomed first kiss is still fresh as new-fallen snow. Way fresher than the freezing mud Morgan ends up sprawled in on her very first day back, only to be hauled out via Rachel's sexy new lumberjane muscles acquired from running her family tree farm. When Morgan discovers that the Reeds' struggling tree farm is the only thing standing between Fern Falls and corporate greed destroying the whole town's livelihood, she decides she can put heartbreak aside to save the farm by planning her best fundraiser yet. She has all the inspiration for a spectacular event: delicious vanilla lattes, acoustic guitars under majestic pines, a cozy barn surrounded by brilliant stars. But she and Rachel will ABSOLUTELY NOT have a heartwarming holiday happy ending. That would be as unprofessional as it is unlikely. Right?"--Page 4 of cover.
With love, from Cold World
Thompson, Alicia, 1984- author.
FICTION Thompson Alicia
"She has a to-do list a mile long and falling for her coworker isn't on it-yet somehow he's become her top priority in this romantic comedy from the author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers. Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper for Cold World, a tourist destination that's always a winter wonderland despite being located in humid Orlando, Florida. Sure, it's ranked way below any of the trademarked amusement parks and maybe foot traffic could be better. But it's a fun place to work, even if "fun" isn't exactly Lauren's middle name. Her coworker Asa Williamson, on the other hand, is all about finding ways to enliven his days at Cold World-whether that means organizing the Secret Santa or teasing Lauren. When the owner asks Lauren and Asa to propose something (anything, really) to raise more revenue, their rivalry heats up as they compete to come up with the best idea. But the situation is more dire than they thought, and it might take these polar opposites working together to save the day. If Asa thought Lauren didn't know how to enjoy herself, he's surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn't serious about anything, she's surprised by how seriously he seems to take her. As Lauren and Asa work to save their beloved wintery spot, they realize the real attraction might be the heat generating between them"--
A holly jolly Diwali
Lalli, Sonya, author.
FICTION Lalli Sonya
Twenty-eight-year-old Niki Randhawa has always made practical decisions. Despite her love for music and art, she became an analyst for the stability. She's always stuck close to home, in case her family needed her. And she's always dated guys that seem good on paper, rather than the ones who give her butterflies. When she's laid off, Niki realizes that being practical hasn't exactly paid off for her. So, for the first time ever, she throws caution to the wind and books a last-minute flight for her friend Diya's wedding. Niki arrives in India just in time to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, where she meets London musician Sameer Mukherji. Maybe it's the splendor of Mumbai or the magic of the holiday season, but Niki is immediately drawn to Sam. At the wedding, the champagne flows and their flirtatious banter makes it clear that the attraction is mutual. When Niki and Sam join Diya, her husband, and their friends on a group honeymoon, their connection grows deeper. Free-spirited Sam helps Niki get in touch with her passionate and creative side, and with her Indian roots. And when she gets a new job offer back home, Niki must decide what she wants out of the next chapter of her life-to cling to the straight and narrow like always, or to take a leap of faith and live the kind of bold life of which the old Niki never would have dreamed"--
The Christmas cookie wars : a novel
Evans, Eliza, author.
FICTION Evans Eliza
"Melody Monroe will do anything to get her nine-year-old twin boys to muster up the holiday spirit. Especially since they lost their father, the boys have started questioning the point of Christmas at all. When Melody learns the school’s cookie committee has disbanded due to dissension in the top ranks, she can’t let the boys lose another ounce of Christmas joy, so she decides to take over the cookie committee herself, even if it means dealing with the infuriating school principal, Jonathan Braxton. Soon, a small argument turns into a town-wide bake-off between her and Jonathan, and before she knows it Melody finds that her competitive spirits have turned romantic. Love isn’t supposed to be in the recipe for Melody. But with a little holiday magic, she and Jonathan might just bake up something special." -- Publisher annotation.
The merriest misters
Janovsky, Timothy, author.
FICTION Janovsky Timothy
"The Santa Clause meets Husband Material in this delightful holiday novel! Patrick Hargrave and Quinn Muller have been married for less than a year, but their passionate romance is cracking under the pressures of domestic life and a cumbersome mortgage. That's until Christmas Eve when Patrick wakes Quinn up with: "I think I've killed a man." Quinn realizes the "burglar" Patrick knocked out is none other than Mr. Claus himself. Instructed by a harried elf to don the red suit and take the reins of the reindeer-guided sleigh up on the roof, Quinn and Patrick work together to save Christmas. But as the sun rises on Christmas morning, the sleigh brings them back to the North Pole instead of New Jersey, and they're in for a massive shock. The couple must assume the roles of Santa Claus and the first ever Merriest Mister or Christmas will be canceled... permanently. With Christmas-and their marriage-on the line, Patrick and Quinn agree to stay together for one year. But can running a toy shop together save their relationship, or will Patrick and Quinn be stuffing coal in each other's stockings come next Christmas?"--