Can you guys believe that it’s time to start thinking about the holidays? I don’t know where this year has gone. Here are some holiday-themed books that I’m hoping to check out. Note that the descriptions are from Amazon:
A Dash of Christmas by Samantha Chase
Available now
With a dash of Christmas magic…
Two people who have spent most of their lives being rivals…
Learn a little something about following their hearts…
Carter Montgomery broke the family mold when he went to culinary school. Now a successful restauranteur, he’s at a crossroads: should he continue on his successful path or look for a new challenge? What he needs is time alone to think things through. But his matchmaking family has other ideas…
Emery Monaghan’s no-good fiancĂ© has embroiled her in scandal and she needs a way out. When mentor Eliza Montgomery offers her a refuge, she’s relievedâuntil she realizes that the deal means rubbing elbows with Eliza’s son CarterâEmery’s childhood nemesis.
My thoughts: Chase is an author that I’ve been meaning to try, and I love an enemies-to-lovers plot.
A Texas Kind of Christmas by Jodi Thomas, Celia Bonaduce, and Rachael Miles
Available now
Itâs Christmas Eve, 1859, and everyone whoâs anyone is headed to the glorious St. Nicholas Hotel for the most talked about ball of the season. Itâs the kind of Texas night where anything can happenâeven love . . .
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ONE NIGHT AT THE ST. NICHOLAS
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jodi Thomas
 To escape her stepmotherâs plot to marry her off, Texas heiress Jacqueline Hartman spends Christmas Eve sharing a hideout with an accused bank robber. After a night in Nathaniel Wardâs arms, Jacqueline is certain she has met her match after all. But will his heartfelt promise of love lead to his demise at the hands of the law?
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BIRDIEâS FLIGHT * Celia Bonaduce
Seamstress Birdie Flanagan gets the surprise of her life when she receives a beautiful gownâand a sudden invitationâfor the ball of the season! Birdie creates a stir from the moment she arrives, capturing the eye of the dashing Captain Douglas Fairbanks. But will a secret from her past keep her from her long-awaited happily-ever-after?
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SPIRIT OF TEXAS * Rachael Miles
When lovely spinster Eugenie Charpentier makes a trip across the Texas frontier with former Texas Ranger Asher Graham, she dreams of an adventure, and the rough-and-tumble cowboy is happy to oblige. But both Eugenie and the rugged lawman are keeping secrets. Can they find each otherâand loveâon the dance floor at the Christmas ball?
My thoughts: I’m buying this for Little Debbie, aka my mom, who loves historical westerns. I always try to buy her at least a couple of westerns for Christmas, and this looks like a good one.
Longing for a Cowboy Christmas by Leigh Greenwood, Rosanne Bittner, Linda Broday, Margaret Brownley, Anna Schmidt, and Amy Sandas
Available now
Find your very own cowboy to keep warm these long, wintry nights as you cozy up with six sweeping, epic tales of heroism, passion, family and celebration from bestselling authors Leigh Greenwood, Rosanne Bittner, Linda Broday, Margaret Brownley, Anna Schmidt, and Amy Sandas.
Fall in Love with Christmas
Whether it’s a widower finding an unexpected new start, a former outlaw and his new wife welcoming their very own Christmas miracle, a long-lost lover returning just in time for a special holiday celebration, a second chance at love between two warring hearts given peace at last, an unlikely pair working together to bring joy to a small Texas town, or a cowboy and his dark-eyed beauty snowed in one unforgettable wintry eve…every Christmas with a cowboy is filled with light, laughter, and a forever kind of love.
My thoughts: I’m also buying this anthology for Little Debbie.
Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
Available now
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal and a ârising star in the romance genreâ (Entertainment Weekly) comes a dazzling new novel about a spontaneous holiday vacation that turns into an unforgettable romance.
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 Maddieâs work trip to England to style a royal family member, she canât refuse. Sheâs excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesnât expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain private secretary, his charming accent, and unyielding formality.
Malcolm Hudson has worked for the Queen for years and has never given a personal, private tourâuntil 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 affair come New Yearâs Day. . .or are they?
My thoughts: I’m been meaning to try Guillory’s books for a while. Plus, I love holiday- and royal-themed romances so this one really appeals to me. And that cover is so cute. (Yes, I can be swayed by cover art.) đÂ
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
Available now
Sophie wants one thing for Christmasâa little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation. Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents’ house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That’s when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby. When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she’s started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available. This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever . . . or is it?
My thoughts: This sounds like a really fun YA holiday romance.
What about you guys? What holiday books are in your TBR pile right now?
This will be the last book in the series. Spartan Destiny is up for pre-order:
Audiobooks are now available for Spartan Heart and Spartan Promise, books #1 and #2, in my Mythos Academy spinoff series. Woot!
SPARTAN PROMISE AUDIOBOOK:
