Four holiday romances to heat up the season #HolidayRomanceRecommendations
Holiday books. Love ’em or hate ’em, one thing’s for sure: they definitely know how to set the mood.
‘So, Sue…’ you may be thinking, ‘why would I HATE them when they celebrate this awesome holiday spirit?’ Well, if you’re like me, and you don’t want to think about the OMG-stressful-month-called-December until after Thanksgiving, going to any retail space after October 1 means being inundated by the very thing you’re avoiding until ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. I love the holidays, don’t get me wrong, but I do not love hearing the same ten songs on repeat for two months. Or the incessant jingling of bells in front of every store. So it makes sense that I don’t want to start reading holiday romances until at least November.
Now that Thanksgiving has officially come and gone, I can share with you my favorite holiday romance reads!
These four books span multiple genres, heat levels, and tropes but they all have one thing in common: thinking about them makes me smile. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!
#1: How I Met Your Father by LB Gregg
Why I loved it: BOY BAND! I <3 them so much! Also: hot dad, killer chemistry, tropical island goodness.
The man of your dreams could be sitting right next to you.
Former boy band member Justin Hayes isn’t looking for a man. He just wants a quiet, scandal-free Christmas at home in Chicago, out of the public eye. But his best friend and bandmate is subjecting everyone to his destination wedding, and Justin can’t dodge the “best man” bullet. All he has to do is get to the island on time, survive the reunion, and get Chuck to the altar with as little drama as possible. What could possibly go wrong?
Jack Basinger’s own plans for a quiet Christmas have been dashed by the summons to his daughter’s hasty wedding with a man Jack has hardly met. On the bumpy flight to the island, he finds himself comforting a nervous — and extremely attractive — young man. One hasty sexual encounter in an airport bathroom later, they both feel much better. No one ever has to know, after all.
Now Justin and Jack must find a way to explore their attraction, despite the distractions of disapproving family members, unexpected announcements, an impromptu concert, and an island paradise that proves there’s no place like home.
Read the GraveTells review here
Buy it on Amazon here*: Kindle | Audible
#2: Oh Come All Ye Kinky (anthology featuring Joey W. Hill)
Why I loved it: Kink! And Christmas! This diverse, sexy anthology has something for everyone. Joey Hill’s Submissive Angel short is beautiful and haunting, a must read.
Christmas is a time of love and joy, and the New Year is a time of renewal. But they are also times of stress and strife, family drama, pressure and heartache—a potent mix of high expectations and conflicted emotions. Add in power exchange relationships, kinky gift swaps, and unconventional love in a sometimes unforgiving world, and you have a formula for a sizzling anthology of stories that tug at your heart.
From Ava March’s forbidden Regency love between men, to Katie Porter’s scorching hot contemporary tale of two women discovering holiday happiness, everyone will find a favorite here. Pervertible toys abound: Lambda Literary Award finalist L.A. Witt’s candy cane, Jane Davitt’s wrapping paper and tape, and Alexa Snow’s Christmas candles all please and delight. Newcomer Elyan Smith and fan favorite Kim Dare both celebrate New Year’s Eve with romantic flair and kinky fireworks, while bestselling author Joey W. Hill’s poignant story of discovery and commitment will lead you home.
Whatever your desires, we invite you to explore new fantasies and old with these eight kinky tales of holiday happy endings.
Read more about it in the GraveTells spotlight here
Buy it on Amazon here*: Kindle
#3: North of Need by Laura Kaye
Why I loved it: This book SLAYED ME. It captures all the emotions that make us human, and exposes all the vulnerabilities the holiday season can bring. BYO box of tissues.
Desperate to escape agonizing memories of Christmas past, twenty-nine-year-old widow Megan Snow builds a snow family outside the mountain cabin she once shared with her husband, realizing too late that she’s recreated the very thing she’ll never have.
Called to life by Megan’s tears, snow god Owen Winters appears unconscious on her doorstep in the midst of a raging blizzard. As she nurses him to health, Owen finds unexpected solace in her company and unimagined pleasure in the warmth of her body, and vows to win her heart for a chance at humanity.
Megan is drawn to Owen’s mismatched eyes, otherworldly masculinity, and enthusiasm for the littlest things. But this Christmas miracle comes with an expiration—before the snow melts and the temperature rises, Megan must let go of her widow’s grief and learn to trust love again, or she’ll lose Owen forever.
Read the GraveTells review here (and find out why it was our 2011 Book of the Year!)
Buy it on Amazon here*: Kindle
#4: The Bite Before Christmas (anthology featuring Jeaniene Frost & Lynsay Sands)
Why I loved it: Well, Bones (from Night Huntress) gets possessed. Who can resist him, anyway? And Police Chief Teddy from the Argeneau Vampires series finally gets his HEA. In a cozy winter cabin. Oh yeah.
In Lynsay Sands’ “The Gift,” Katricia Argeneau knows grey-eyed cop Teddy Brunswick is her life mate. She just needs to convince him they belong together, and being snowbound in a secluded cabin will make this a Christmas neither will forget.
It’s “Home for the Holidays” in Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series. Cat and Bones may long to wrap presents and set up a tree, but this Christmas, an evil vampire and long-buried family secrets will threaten to take a bite out of their holiday cheer.
Read the GraveTells review here
Buy it on Amazon here*: Kindle
What are YOUR favorite holiday reads? Leave a comment and let’s chat!
*Denotes GraveTells affiliate link.
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