Is there anything better than curling up with a warm drink and a festive book to get you in the holiday spirit? Not as far as I know which is why I look forward to making a list of the best new holiday season books each year!
You’ll want to add these 21 new Christmas books for 2025 to your holiday reading list – plus they also make great gifts so you might want to add them to your shopping lists as well and spread the holiday cheer!
Note: I read across a lot of genres and I only choose books that I have already read or plan to read over the coming weeks for my book lists. If I haven’t yet read the book when I publish the book list then I include the blurb provided by the publisher and update the article with my own thoughts after I read it. I also make a conscious effort to try and include diversity in the books I choose to read. Some of the buzziest books of the season are on my lists but I hope I also introduce you to some titles that you might not have heard of otherwise.
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1. I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
Setting: Small town in Scotland
FROM THE PUBLISHER: Fred Hallow-Hart isn’t in love with the idea of returning home to Pine Bluff. But after a bad breakup and a subsequent eviction, she’s fresh out of options. God knows she loves her mum and her eccentric aunts—and who could forget their Christmas Cracker family business?—but she’s always felt a little out of place in her small town.
Quickly roped in by her mother to help with the cracker shop, Fred decides throwing herself into work might actually be what’s best for her. Until she reconnects with her old best friend Ryan, who is suddenly making her heart flutter in ways she’s never known; and unexpectedly finds a spark with Warren, a charming journalist covering the Pine Bluff Christmas Market for the Daily News.
But as these connections slowly lead Fred back to her heart, she’s forced to confront some harsh truths, which, if she doesn’t find a way through, might just ruin the holidays for those dearest to her. Can Fred let go of the past enough to recognize real love? And when she does, how far will she go to protect it?
2. Christmas at the Ranch by Julia McKay
Setting: Algonquin Highlands, Ontario, Canada
When her father is arrested for financial fraud, journalist Emory Oakes doesn’t know what to do so she jumps in her car and flees Toronto driving north until she finds herself in Evergreen, the picturesque small town in the Algonquin Highlands where she spent her happiest Christmas ten years earlier. During that holiday, 18 year-old Emory met and fell in love with local Tate Wilder whose family owned an idyllic horse ranch but their relationship ended abruptly and Emory has never really moved on.
In the present day holiday season, heavy snow and car trouble force Emory to stick around Evergreen for a few days and she has no choice but to confront her regrets and her feelings for Tate that have been rekindled by seeing him again.
Set mostly in the present day but with Emory’s diary entries from ten years earlier, Christmas at the Ranch is a cute second-chance romance set in a small Canadian town. It’s a quick, light holiday read – loved the Canadian holiday setting although it wasn’t as Christmas-y as I expected. A great holiday romance choice if you’re looking for a book that’s very much Hallmark movie-style with minimal spice!
3. The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan
Setting: Scottish Highlands
FROM THE PUBLISHER: Mirren Sutherland stumbled into a career as an antiquarian book hunter after finding a priceless antique book in her great aunt’s attic. Now, as Christmas approaches, she’s been hired by Jamie McKinnon, the surprisingly young and handsome laird of a Highland clan whose ancestral holdings include a vast crumbling castle. Family lore suggests that the McKinnon family’s collection includes a rare book so valuable that it could save the entire estate—if they only knew where it was. Jamie needs Mirren to help him track down this treasure, which he believes is hidden in his own home.
But on the train to the Highlands, Mirren runs into rival book hunter Theo Palliser, and instantly knows that it’s not a chance meeting. She’s all too familiar with Theo’s good looks and smooth talk, and his uncanny ability to appear whenever there’s a treasure that needs locating.
Almost as soon as Mirren and Theo arrive at the castle, a deep snow blankets the Highlands, cutting off the outside world. Stuck inside, the three of them plot their search as the wind whistles outside. Mirren knows that Jamie’s grandfather, the castle’s most recent laird, had been a book collector, a hoarder, and a great lover of treasure hunts. Now they must unpuzzle his clues, discovering the secrets of the house—forming and breaking alliances in a race against time.
4. A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan
Setting: England
Jenny Balfour is preparing for the arrival of her three adult children, Jamie and twins Rosie and Becky, who are coming home to Northumberland for the Christmas holidays. She’s also worrying about her husband, Martin, a recently retired doctor who isn’t adjusting well to life at home.
Earlier in the year, Rosie married Declan after a whirlwind romance but they’re now going through a rocky patch and have agreed to hide their problems from her family. Becky’s flight home is cancelled due to a snowstorm and she has no option but to accept a ride from her brother Jamie’s best friend, Will. Becky is dreading Christmas and Will is the only one who knows why. And Jamie is bringing home his new girlfriend, Hayley, for the first time and they have a big announcement planned.
Narrated from perspective of Becky, Rosie, Hayley and Jenny, this is the story of a close-knit family where everyone has secrets that could ruin the holidays. A blend of family drama and romance that is cozy, heartwarming, and funny with all of the delightful chaos of Christmas. I loved the Balfours and wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them – another enjoyable and oh-so-charming Christmas book from Sarah Morgan!
5. Snow Kissed by Raeanne Thayne
Setting: Small mountain town in Idaho
Holly is a single mom and owner of a flower shop in Shelter Springs, Idaho where she lives with her five year-old special needs daughter, Lydia. Holly has always loved everything about Christmas but she’s dreading it this year. Her former sister-in-law is getting married during the holiday season and has asked Lydia to be a flower girl which means Holly will have to attend the family wedding where she is certain everyone will feel sorry for her as her ex-husband celebrates along with his new wife and baby.
In an attempt to save face, Holly tells a little white lie about having a new boyfriend and now she needs a date for the wedding. With a little push from her sister, Audrey agrees that the solution is Ryan – a navy helicopter pilot recently arrived in town to care for his teenage niece, Audrey, while his sister is in rehab. Holly and Ryan make a deal – he will be Holly’s plus one for the wedding she would rather not attend and in exchange she’ll help him give Audrey a true Christmas to remember while her mother is away.
This is a super sweet Hallmark-ish romance set in a small mountain town in Idaho. It’s the third in the Shelter Springs series but reads fine as a standalone. There’s a fake dating leads to real feelings romance trope but it’s also a heartwarming story of the importance of family and it takes place in a wonderfully festive, snow-covered small town filled with Christmas spirit – perfect for anyone looking for a wholesome holiday read!
6. Yours for the Season by Emily Stone
Setting: Scotland Highlands
FROM THE PUBLISHER: Melanie hasn’t had a good year. Her work life isn’t what she dreamed it would be, her best friend has moved to the other side of the world, and Finn, the man she was sure was the love of her life, dumped her. In front of everyone. At his sister’s engagement party.
So when Finn shows up at Mel’s doorstep two weeks before Christmas, asking if she’ll help him, her first instinct is to slam the door in his face—or punch him.
But he has a proposal for her: Spend the week of Christmas with him and his family in a vacation cottage in the Scottish Highlands. His mother is obsessed with the idea of a perfect Christmas—and to make this dream come true Finn told his mother that he and Mel are dating again. All Mel has to do is come with him and pretend they’re back together.
Mel may hate Finn, but she loves his mom. So she agrees—on one condition. At the end of the week, Finn will allow Mel to publicly dump him so that she can get her dignity back and he can experience the same humiliation she felt.
It’s only a week. Mel can pretend to still be in love with Finn for one week, surely. Except as the festivities bring her closer than ever to Finn and his family, Mel starts to lose track of which feelings are fake and which are for real.
7. You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan
Setting: Washington State
FROM THE PUBLISHER: Maisie Smart doesn’t look back. Not on the choice she made to be a photographer, and not on the one-night stand she had six months ago. But sleeping with a professional hockey player who bolted the morning after is a whole new level of embarrassing. Now she’s about to spend the week at Tickle Tree Farms with her family this Christmas―and then the universe throws a Grinch in her festive plans.
Nick King is a mess. After a significant injury benches him, he has more time to dwell on his anxieties and the one-night stand he can’t get out of his head. With the holidays around the corner, he figures visiting his sister and nephew at their Christmas tree farm will be a good way to sort himself out. That’s impossible when he learns Maisie is there, still beautiful and justifiably angry about the way he left. But Christmas is the time for second chances, and the forced proximity may help Nick and Maisie unwrap feelings neither of them can walk away from twice.
8. The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah by Jean Meltzer
Setting: New York City
Television producer Evelyn Schwartz has no plans for the eight days of Hanukkah other than working on the biggest show of her career – a live-action televised musical of A Christmas Carol. When an accident lands her in the studio’s medical bay, however, she is shocked to discover that her ex-husband, David Adler (who left workaholic Evelyn and their life in Manhattan behind to live on a farm in rural Pennsylvania two years earlier), is filling in for the usual studio doctor.
Maybe it’s caused by her chronic migraines or hallucinations resulting from her head injury, but on the first night of Hanukkah and each of the following nights, Evelyn is visited by a ghost/heartbreak forcing her to confront important events from her past and do some soul-searching about her relationship with David and how it ended. There’s no denying the still-smoldering chemistry between Evelyn and David but it may take a Hanukkah miracle for them to overcome their past and find their way to a future together.
A Christmas Carol with a Jewish spin, this is an emotional second chance romance set in New York City over eight days of the holiday season. It’s funny at times but I wouldn’t call it a rom-com as there’s a serious and heartbreaking story line relating to the dissolution of Evelyn and David’s marriage. I couldn’t stand the cringey British actor playing Scrooge, but other than that The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah was an enjoyable seasonal read combining Jewish representation, romance and a heartfelt exploration of grief. The Author’s Note which explains her personal reasons for wanting to tell this story is worth reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing a digital ARC of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
9. Anne of Avenue A by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
Setting: New York City
FROM THE PUBLISHER: Eight years ago, Anne Elliot broke Freddie Wentworth’s heart when she refused to give up her five-year plan for the sake of adventure. But despite big dreams, Anne, now thirty, is still living at home with hardly a plan in sight. Anne tries to be optimistic—she knows better than anyone that regret will get you nowhere—but that goes out the window when, thanks to her father’s bad spending habits, her childhood apartment is rented out to the very man still living in her head rent-free.
Freddie Wentworth never thought he would see Anne Elliot again after she dumped him for accepting a job overseas. He spent years trying to forget her, and he’s been mostly successful. So when a job opportunity takes him back to New York, he’s shocked to find out that Anne is not only his new neighbor, but also the former resident of his new Greenwich Village penthouse.
Nearly a decade after Anne and Freddie’s fateful romance, the only thing they still have in common is a desire to leave their relationship firmly in the past. But between a disastrous off-Broadway show and a drunken Thanksgiving dinner, nosey neighbors, and flirtatious friends, Anne and Freddie suddenly find their lives more intertwined than ever before. When old feelings start rising to the surface, they must decide whether to put their hearts on the line or walk away all over again.
10. The Dogs of Venice by Steven Rowling
Setting: Venice, Italy
After the breakdown of his marriage, Paul travels alone to Venice on the Christmas trip that he and his husband had planned together. As he struggles with the adjustment to being alone, he becomes obsessed with a scruffy but self-assured stray dog he sees trotting along the canal which causes him to think about his life and how he wants to live going forward.
This is a very short novella (62 pages in my library bound copy) that took me only an hour to read. It’s a heartwarming little story set in a beautiful destination about a man dealing with the emotional end of a relationship who gets out of his comfort zone and finds a new way of looking at life with the help of a stray dog. Well-written and charming – the downside is that there isn’t much room for character development in such a short book.
11. Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express by Rebecca Raisin
Setting: Train across Europe
When Aubrey, a travel consultant and former digital nomad, is left at the altar a few days before Christmas, the only thing she can think about is the honeymoon she had planned. It’s too late for her to cancel the luxury train journey aboard the Winter Wonderland Express leaving from Calais, France and stopping for Christmas markets in several European cities on route to Lapland, Finland so she decides to go on the romantic trip alone. When boarding the train, Aubrey accidentally implies that her new husband has tragically died and she soon finds herself part of a group of singletons which includes a handsome travel writer named Jasper.
As far as I know, the trip that Aubrey takes is completely fictional but I want to take it so badly! With stops in Paris, Bruges, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Copenhagen, and Stockholm to browse Christmas markets and enjoy seasonal activities as the train makes its way to the final destination of Lapland where they stay in igloos, dogsled, and hopefully see the Northern Lights – this is a dream European vacation for my Christmas-loving self!!
Needless to say, I loved the setting but Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express is also a fun Christmas romance. A quick holiday read with a cute storyline and quirky characters – exactly what I have come to expect from Rebecca Raisin!
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
12. Holiday Ever After by Hannah Grace
Setting: Fictional small town
FROM THE PUBLISHER: All Clara Davenport has ever wanted to do is climb the ladder at Davenport Innovation Creative, her family’s toy business. Everything was going according to plan, until the company was accused of stealing a doll design from an independent toy maker, creating a flurry of bad publicity. With a promotion dangled in front of her like a carrot to a reindeer, Clara is tasked with charming the locals of the small town to solve the PR nightmare, by any means necessary.
Jack Kelly would be happy to never hear the name Davenport ever again. Less than a year after a guy in a fancy suit appeared on his doorstep with a sleigh-full of promises, the company that once falsely claimed they wanted to sign him to their small business program has copied his design. So when Clara prances into town hoping to convince Fraser Falls that her company is not the enemy, Jack is determined not to be fooled by Davenport twice.
But Clara has a plan to win over the community only to realize that beneath Jack’s frosty demeanor lies the key to the town’s heart—and maybe her own.
13. A Ferry Merry Christmas by Debbie Macomber
Setting: Washington State
FROM THE PUBLISHER: Avery and Reed Bond grew up sharing a close-knit relationship, weathering life’s storms side by side. Even so, Avery often finds herself exasperated by her brother’s relentless matchmaking, while Reed can’t resist teasing his sister—after all, isn’t that what siblings do?
Facing their first Christmas without their beloved Grams, the woman who lovingly raised them, Reed and Avery decide to spend the holiday together at Reed’s home. However, their plans take an unexpected turn when the ferry Avery’s traveling on stalls in the middle of Puget Sound, stranding its passengers and leaving Reed waiting a now undetermined length of time for her arrival. What is at first an inconvenience threatens to ruin the plans of a number of commuters, but Avery and Reed soon discover that this unforeseen delay might end up being be a perfectly timed blessing in disguise.
While stuck on the ferry, Avery meets a handsome sailor and witnesses a Christmas miracle that reignites her belief in the holiday spirit. Meanwhile, Reed runs into a coworker who’s also waiting for a family member to arrive, and sparks a surprising and delightful connection.
In this tale of holiday magic, the Bond siblings find themselves taking a chance on love, proving that sometimes the best moments in life come when we least expect them.
14. The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah
Setting: Greek island
FROM THE PUBLISHER: New Year’s Eve, 1932. Hercule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool arrive on the tiny Greek island of Lamperos to celebrate the holiday with what turns out to be a rather odd community of locals living in a dilapidated house. A dark sense of foreboding overshadows the beautiful island getaway when the guests play a New Year’s Resolutions game after dinner and one written resolution gleefully threatens to perform “the last and first death of the year.”
Hours later, one of the home’s residents is found dead on the terrace.
In light of the shocking murder, Poirot reveals to Catchpool the real reason he’s brought him to the island—the life of another community member has been threatened. Now both men resolve to ensure that the first murder will be the last.
15. Christmas Fling by Lindsey Kelk
Setting: Scottish Highlands
FROM THE PUBLISHER: Laura was all set for a quiet solo Christmas – just her, a bottle of wine, and flat-sitting for a stranger. But when the stranger’s parents mistake her for his mystery girlfriend, she’s swept off to the snowy Scottish Highlands with Callum and his whole family.
Between the cosy sleeper train, charming pubs and breathtaking views, this could be the no-strings-attached Christmas of Laura’s dreams.
But stranger Callum is hot, hilarious and their ‘fake’ chemistry is off the charts.
So is this just a Christmas fling? Or the start of something more?
16. Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards
Setting: Northern England
Six down-on-their-luck people with connections to the world of crime writing are invited by the mysterious Midwinter Trust to play a murder mystery over Christmas in the Pennines in Northern England. There are only twelve people on the property for the holidays – six staff members from the Trust and the six invitees – a writer of mysteries, an editor, an agent, a publicist, a podcaster and an influencer.
The invited guests arrive in the midst of a heavy storm that is expected to block the road and cut off access to the Trust property for at least several days. As the game gets underway on the first evening, it soon becomes apparent that everyone might not be playing fair and there might be something more sinister afoot.
A contemporary murder mystery in the style of Golden Age mysteries, this has a clever premise with a story within a story and puzzles and clues that the reader can solve as well. A large slate of characters but each is quite distinctive so not difficult to keep them straight at all. A quick read and an enjoyable holiday season mystery!
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
17. Christmas at Hollybush Farm by Jo Thomas
Setting: Wales
Publication Date: November 25, 2025
A few weeks prior to Christmas, hotel executive Jemima Jones travels with her soon-to-be fiancé to the Welsh farm where she was raised so she can celebrate with her dad before the busy hospitality season. Upon arrival, it becomes clear that her dad has been keeping the struggles he is facing a secret and there’s a real possibility that he might lose the farm. Despite her boyfriend’s protestations, Jemima decides that she wants to stay to help her father out and he heads back to Cardiff without her.
Jemima starts documenting her slice of farm life on social media and as her audience grows, she shares with them the challenges that farmers and rural communities are facing in changing times. While rallying the community to come up with solutions, she also meets and forms a connection with a retired rugby player named Llew who offers one option that might help her father keep the farm.
A cozy, heartwarming Christmas story set in rural Wales that is a blend of romance, family, community and prioritizing what’s important in life with a relevant message about the difficulty facing modern day farmers trying to stay afloat and the importance of knowing where our food comes from. Another enjoyable holiday read from Jo Thomas!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for providing a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
18. Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman
Setting: Baltimore, Maryland
FROM THE PUBLISHER: The new year had barely begun when Grace White and Henry Adler both lost their spouses. Now, nearly a year later, the first holiday season since their “Great and Terrible Sadnesses” approaches. Although their mothers scheme to matchmake the two surviving spouses, it’s clear that neither is ready to date again. Yet no one understands what they are going through better than each other, and a delicate friendship is born.
When Henry sees an ad for a Christmas movie marathon—once an annual tradition for him and his wife—Grace offers to watch some films with him, despite her aversion to a few of his picks. Her two young kids, Ian and Bella, also join in whenever possible—bedtimes permitting, of course.
With each movie, Grace and Henry’s shared grief eases as they start to see a life beyond the sadness. But as they draw closer, other romantic possibilities leave them uncertain about their future together. Is their bond merely the result of loneliness and shared circumstances, or have they found something that’s worth taking a shot at . . . again?
19. The Christmas Express by Isla Gordon
Setting: Canada
FROM THE PUBLISHER: When six ex-friends are invited to a winter wedding in Canada, the last thing they want is a reunion. But bride-to-be Bryn is desperate, so much so that she’s offering to pay for their travel. But there’s a surprise in store: Bryn hasn’t booked them flights, instead she’s bought non-refundable tickets for the cross-Canada Christmas train.
Four days trapped together in a cozy train cabin, travelling through snow-topped mountains, frozen lakes and glistening Christmas trees, over the most magical time of the year. It’s a trip like no other and Bryn hopes it will end their feud just in time for the wedding.
But tensions on board are fraught. Cali and Luke are each other’s One Who Got Away, Joss and Joe are the ultimate sibling rivals, and Sara is stuck with the people who always left her out. Not to mention Ember, Bryn’s ex, who wasn’t even invited and is on her way to crash the wedding.
Then a snowstorm hits and stops them—literally—in their tracks. Will they make it to the wedding? And will it be together?
20. The Christmas Cure by Kristine Winters
Setting: Small town
FROM THE PUBLISHER: When Libby Munro returns to her hometown of Harmony Hills—a holiday-obsessed village that feels like stepping into a Christmas card—she’s longing for an escape. A respite from her hectic job as a big-city emergency room doctor, and a change of scenery after a painful break-up. Maybe Harmony Hills’s festive charm will help her rediscover the holiday spirit.
What she doesn’t expect is Liam Young: the dreamy, green-eyed owner of the local bakery, whose smile rivals the glow of the town’s legendary Christmas tree. Or a run-in with Liam’s excitable pot-bellied pig, Mary Piggins, at the rumoured-to-be-magical tree-lighting ceremony. Libby’s knocked unconscious in the chaos and wakes up to find herself thrust into the past: specifically, to Christmastime, one year ago.
As she relives last Christmas, Libby begins to wonder if this is a second chance to change her life. With every snowflake-filled moment, the undeniable spark between her and Liam grows brighter. But if she’s going to rewrite her future, she’ll need to figure out what changes the past is asking her to make—and whether she’s ready to embrace the pull of home, and the promise of true love.
21. Christmas Wishes & Irish Kisses
Setting: Ireland
FROM THE PUBLISHER: When Ellie trades her hectic New York life for the twinkling lights and snow-dusted charm of her childhood village of St Tilda, it’s only to help her ailing father through the Christmas rush at their cozy family inn.
But all the festive holly, crackling fires and mulled cider in the world can’t prepare Ellie for who she finds waiting for her back home. Her ex best friend Liam is also in town for the holidays… and they haven’t seen each other in twenty years. He’s now a devastatingly handsome single father with the same Irish lilt that always made her breath catch. If only he hadn’t broken her heart irreparably all those years ago…
Can Ellie forgive Liam for what he did that disastrous final night in St Tilda? And is he even the same man she used to know? As Christmas approaches and old feelings refuse to stay buried, will Ellie finally find the courage to rewrite her future?
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing a digital ARC of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Additional Reading
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