Christmas Romances – Snow, Trouble, and Happily Ever After
For some reason, Christmas romances are different from romances set in other seasons. I generally find most of them to be sweeter and more emotional than those set at other times of the year. At the same time, Christmas stories are also likely to be full of trite and overused tropes. In the wrong hands, this is a deadly combination. But in the right ones, the author will leave you with a new take on love. The following are some of my favorite Christmas stories -ones you are not likely to have seen on the Hallmark Channel.
Breakfast with Santa by Carol Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
He’s just returned home with a small son and some nasty men on his trail. She’s the hometown girl who’s been in love with him forever and carries a long hidden secret. She plays a Christmas elf. He plays Santa. Will they get their happy ever after by Christmas Day?
If you love holiday stories with a bit of angst, this is the holiday read for you.
All Through the Night by Suzanne Brockmann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Utterly delightful and heart-wrenching, this LBGT novel follows the wedding preparations of a FBI agent and a TV star who desperately love each other. Neither is perfect. One’s a recovering alcoholic. The other is possessive and jealous. But they are made for each other, and they are on course to wed if a series of unfortunate incidents ranging from being trapped in a building under attack in Iraq to a crazed fan with a gun can all be dealt with. If you have read other books by Brockman you will meet many familiar characters. If not, you will meet new characters and want to read their stories next.
Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What would you do if an author used you as inspiration for the murderer in the novel he’s writing? That’s the premise of Miracle on 5th Avenue.
The hero might be a brooding sort of fellow, and the chef heroine may have her wok cut out for her, but this is a Christmas romance. Bright, cheerful and heart-warming except when it’s not. A great read any time.
Christmas Angel by Jo Beverley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What if you found yourself married to a poet who immortalized you in his poetry, but doesn’t provide for you when he dies? Jo Beverly has created a most interesting juxtaposition between a proud starving widow and a wealthy, cold lord who has decided to use the requirement he marry as a form of charity by helping a poor woman – a stranger he has no intention of loving. But like in all Jo Beverly romances, both characters soon learn that love is all.
Simply Unforgettable by Mary Balogh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Even though this story begins the day after Christmas, I still consider this to be a wonderful Christmas romance. A spinster school teacher, heading back to her school in Bath, finds herself snowed in with a handsome, attractive stranger. Facing a lonely future, and thinking him an ordinary person like herself, she lets herself fall in love and in bed with him for one night. Then they go on their separate ways. But he is actually a wealthy lord, and unable to forget her, tracks her down. Sounds like the plot of a fairy tale romance except everything goes downhill fast. There’s a happy ending waiting at the end But almost doesn’t happen. If you love snow, mystery and heart-wrenching love stories, you will love this one.
Do you have a Christmas romance that is bit off the beaten track to recommend?
I’d love to hear from you.
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