By Tessa Pulyer Posted on

Special Holiday Post: Christmas-Themed Books To Put You in the Holiday Mood

In the US, today is our day to give thanks. I feel very blessed in all aspects of my life, especially this one. When I started my blog a few years ago, it never dawned on me that I was entering a warm and vibrant community of like-minded people from all over the world. But I was, and I am very thankful for, the friendships, the conversations, and all of those beautiful books. Thank you for all that you bring to my life!

Since I posted reviews close to the publication dates, I thought I’d take this opportunity to list out my Christmas-themed reads in case you’re looking for some ideas this holiday season:

The Best Things Come in Small Packages

From Mary Kay Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author of Hello, Summer, comes a novella celebrating the magic of Christmas and second chances in The Santa Suit. When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love―but Ivy didn’t bargain on just how much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk, that it’s a full-time job sorting through all of it. At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit―beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note written in a childish hand: it’s from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold? Ivy’s quest brings her into the community, at a time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she ever thought possible: a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved, and a second chance at love.

My 5-star book review can be found here.

Goodreads

Laugh Out Loud Holiday Read

‘Tis the season for mulled wine, mince pies, and magic under the mistletoe… Flora loves Christmas more than anything else in the world, so she’s gutted when her Scrooge-alike boss fires her from Deck the Halls Christmas emporium. But now she finally has a chance to follow her dreams – and what better place to start than the home of Christmas? Before she can say ‘sleigh bells’, Flora’s on her way to Lapland in a campervan-cum-Christmas-shop. She can’t wait to spend her days drinking hot chocolate and taking reindeer-drawn carriage rides, but something Flora didn’t expect was meeting Connor, a Norse god of a man who makes her heart flutter and snowflakes swirl in her stomach. There’s just one problem: Connor hates Christmas. Can Flora convince Connor of the joys of Christmas – and will she find a festive romance along the way?

My 5-star review can be found here.

Goodreads

Heart-Warming Holiday Reads in Settings You’ll Want to Visit

As twinkling lights go up and snowflakes begin to fall, Laurel Hanover and her eight-year-old son are going home to the Cranberry Inn in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Laurel can’t wait to leave New York behind to help her father run the family business, and make snow angels with her son, even if it’s just for Christmas. But when she walks through the door, she’s shocked to find the inn in disrepair, and a letter saying her father will be gone until Christmas Eve… No one in town knows where Laurel’s father is, and she doesn’t know whether to be worried or angry – but she won’t let the inn go under, and nothing will get in the way of the perfect Christmas for her son. Seeing the worn-out wooden bannisters, bare of festive lights, she immediately recruits her childhood friend, brooding local carpenter Joel Hutcherson. They might disagree on whether any walls actually need to come down, but each rip in the carpet makes Laurel more concerned for her father, and Joel is a welcome distraction. And when he admits that Laurel was his first crush, she realises she’s falling for him. But then Laurel uncovers a card with beautiful, ornate writing amongst her father’s things and learns the real reason he disappeared. And it changes everything. Worse still, she thinks Joel knew the truth all along. Laurel thought this was going to be the perfect Christmas – that maybe she had found her happy. But now there’s nothing to stop her from running back to New York the moment the baubles come down… is there?

My 4.5-star review can be found here.

Goodreads

Dear Santa, I wish I could believe in magic again. From, Sasha. Sasha Hansley hates Christmas. As a child, it was her favourite time of year, but ever since the tragic death of her mother, it has completely lost its magic. But when she gets an unexpected phone call from her eccentric estranged father, she’s forced to dust off her snow boots. He has been running a Lapland-style Christmas village in Norway and after suffering a heart attack, he is on strict doctor’s orders to slow down. Eager to reconnect with her dad, Sasha books the next flight out there. Only she has never actually been on a plane before, let alone to the Arctic Circle. Met at the runway by drop-dead-gorgeous Taavi Salvesen, they sleigh ride through the snow with the Northern Lights guiding their way. When Sasha uncovers sacks of unopened Santa mail – letters that children and adults from all over the world write to Santa every year – she realises that she can send a little bit of magic out into the world by replying to some of them. With Taavi on hand to help, will Sasha rediscover her own excitement for Christmas and find love among the letters? The Post Box at the North Pole is like one big romantic mug of hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and a splash of Christmas magic! Fans of Holly Martin, Sarah Morgan and Heidi Swain will love this novel!

My 4.5-star review can be found here.

Goodreads

Tackles Tough Issues

Christmas. A time for family, friends – and rekindling old flames… When Laurel returns to the village of Middledip, she’s looking for a quiet life. Adjusting to her recent divorce, she’s ready to spend some time getting back on her feet amidst the glorious snow-dusted countryside. Yet, life in Middledip is far from straightforward. Coming to the aid of her sister, Rea, as she navigates her own troubles, Laurel barely has a moment to think about where her own life is going. However, time stands still when she sees her old flame, Grady Cassidy – and it’s soon as if they’ve never been apart. But through her happiness, Laurel remembers why she left the village all those years ago, as she recalls a dark night and Grady’s once-wayward brother, Mac… Can Laurel learn to forgive and forget? Or will her chances of Christmas under the mistletoe with Grady remain a dream?

My 4-star review can be found here.

Goodreads

A Bit of Mystery for the Holidays

It’s three days before Christmas, and detective-turned-chef Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is drafted in to cater a charity event run by a notorious millionaire at a 13th-century abbey on Bodmin Moor. A DASH OF DECEPTION Things get more complicated when a snowstorm descends, stranding them all, and the next morning they find one of the guests has been gruesomely murdered in their bed… A MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE Secrets mull in every corner – can Jodie solve the crime before the killer strikes again? A Cornish Christmas Murder is a must-read mystery full of heart and humour – perfect for fans of Richard Osman and The Appeal.

My 4.5-star review can be found here.

Goodreads

16 Replies to “Special Holiday Post: Christmas-Themed Books To Put You in the Holiday Mood”

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Very good ❤️ It’s sunny and mid-60s. I just finished the sides that need to go in the oven, and they are waiting their turn—just wondering if my daughter is actually going to get the pie done in time to have it today. Lol. A very nice Thanksgiving so far ❤️🦃

      Like

  4. Louise H says:

    Wonderful round-up, I’ve read two of these so far (“Flora” & “Post Box”) so I definitely need to check the rest out.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. WendyW says:

    I’ve read a few of these and really enjoyed them. I think I’ll read some more Christmas books soon too.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Carla says:

    These are all great Christmas stories. I had read 2, am reading one, and the other 2 are on my TBR, so I guess we have similar tastes at this time of year, Tessa. 📚🎅🎄🧡

    Liked by 1 person

  7. D. Wallace Peach says:

    These sound like great Christmas reads, Tessa. I’m sort of a holiday grinch so I rarely read Christmas-themed books. Though this year has been a bit of an exception. “Laugh out loud” sounds like one I’d enjoy – good for days of stressed out shopping! Thanks

    Liked by 1 person

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