Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
As this is a Freebie for today, I thought I’d stick with the Blogmas theme. I wanted to keep it simple, too, so this week’s Top Ten Tuesday is more of a top 6, and it’s…
Top Six Festive Books
Christmas Ever After
Jaimie Admans
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: September 2nd, 2024
A picture-perfect town, a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but Franca Andrews has never felt more miserable. With business far from bustling, she needs a Christmas miracle to keep her beloved nutcracker shop open… But there’s one man standing in her way – expert snow globe maker Raff Dardenne.
Dardenne Snow Globes have a magical reputation for bringing lovers together, a myth that Raff continues to exploit, much to Franca’s annoyance! But this Christmas their shops are pitted against each other and only one gets to stay on Ever After Street. Franca doesn’t know how her handmade nutcrackers are ever going to compete with Raff’s magical snow globes, especially at the most magical time of the year!
Franca’s determined to prove Raff’s business is built on lies. But when disaster strikes, and she’s left unable to make anything, she needs help. It’s just very frustrating that the only person offering is her gorgeous, annoying, nemesis himself!
As these two enemies get to know each other, Franca discovers another side to Raff – kind, caring and funny. But unless she can prove that his magical snow globes can’t really match true lovers together, she’s going to lose everything…
But maybe it’s not too late for them to put aside their differences and find some Christmas magic of their own?
The Christmas Swap
Talia Samuels
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: January 1st, 2023
Review
It’s the perfect Christmas love story.
Margot Murray is a newly single, high-flying businesswoman with no interest in a cutesy seasonal romance.
Ben Gibson is an unlucky-in-love sweetheart in need of a woman to bring home for the holidays.
Together, they make a pact: Margot gets two blissful weeks away from London in a picture-perfect manor, in exchange for posing as Ben’s girlfriend.
The story can only go one way. Margot is sure to fall in love for real.
And she does.
With Ben’s sister, Ellie.
The Sh!te Before Christmas
Serena Terry
Genre: Contemporary – Comedy
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: November 10th, 2022
Review
Christmas time, toddler meltdowns, teenage angst, marriage problems and WINE.
This year, the perfect Christmas is going to take a miracle…
Twas the sh!te before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except for … mum!
Like every mum, Tara wants a perfect Christmas for her family – but no-one else is lifting a finger and she’s losing her elf-ing mind. From the kids behaving badly (vaping! Potty training! The Nativity!), to a distracted husband acting very out of character, the last straw is Tara’s glamorous, feckless, boundary-less mother moving herself back in for the holidays.
Can Tara pull off the holly jolly Christmas of her dreams? Will she deck the halls and not her family? Or is this a Christmas catastrophe waiting to happen?
Santa Maybe
Mary Jayne Baker
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: December 1st, 2022
Review
Get in the Christmas spirit with this charming and funny festive rom-com perfect for fans of Elena Armas, Sophie Kinsella and Catherine Walsh!
It’s going to be a holly jolly Christmas…
Toy Store owner Elodie Martin is not one to get into the festive spirit but nothing gets her fired up more than the chance to get one over on her nemesis, Callum Ashley – the frosty, infuriatingly handsome owner of the local department store.
Christmas is the only time she can compete thanks to her grandad Jim, everyone’s favourite Santa Claus. But when he has to unexpectedly hang up his red suit, Elodie is at risk of losing the business for good and has no choice but to rely on last-minute replacement out-of-work actor Nick Winter.
Can a sprinkling of Christmas magic warm Callum’s heart and help Elodie find her happily-ever-after? Or is it just possible that love is to be found a little bit closer to home?
Humbug
Amanda Radley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: December 8th, 2021
Review
Ellie Pearce adores Christmas so much she celebrates all year round, earning herself the nickname Christmas Girl. If only she liked her job as much as eggnog lattes and mistletoe. Stuck as a marketing analyst for London-based recruitment company Caldwell & Atkinson, Ellie is desperate for a career change but afraid to take a chance.
CEO Rosalind Caldwell needs a new personal assistant after the last one quit, putting the extremely important corporate Christmas party in jeopardy. Christmas Girl is just the holiday miracle Rosalind needs, and Ellie is quickly promoted to the top floor of the Canary Wharf skyscraper.
Ellie isn’t a PA, has never planned a party in her life, and is terrified of heights. If things weren’t bad enough, she then goes and develops a ridiculous crush on her totally intimidating new boss. With the festive season fast approaching, what could possibly go wrong?
#The Leftover Bride
Elodie Nowodazkij
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Published: September 14th, 2021
Review
For fans of second chance romance novels, holiday romance novels, rom-coms & small town romance novels.
All Sorcha O’Connor wants for Christmas is for her life to turn into a Hallmark movie—but sexier. Ryan Sawyer has a few things on his wishlist, such as staying away from Swans Cove and getting his career back on track. And he wants Sorcha. Always has, always will.
When wedding dress designer Sorcha O’Connor got stranded at the altar and went viral as #TheLeftoverBride, she lost her fiancé, her thriving business, and her dreams. To forget the upcoming first anniversary of that fateful day, Sorcha is ticking items off her “31 Things to Do Before the 31st” list and working day and night to get her life back on track. Not on her list? Falling for her former best friend, Ryan Sawyer. Again.
Ryan Sawyer skated out of Swans Cove right out of high school. Since then, he busted his ass, making sure he always had the perfect excuse to stay away: hockey. But even his own hashtag, #HockeyHottie, couldn’t keep his injuries from possibly shattering his career. With the holidays and his mother’s birthday coming up, Ryan’s back in Swans Cove for a quick visit. Even though he’s supposed to lay low, he can’t stop thinking about Sorcha, the redhead who knows him better than even his therapist.
When Sorcha’s former #RunawayGroom becomes the Most Coveted Bachelor in America, virtual eyes turn to Sorcha again. This time, Ryan won’t bolt—even as Sorcha blurts out on national TV that both she and Ryan are working on their so-called “Happy Lists” over the holidays…together.
Will the spotlight finally work in Sorcha and Ryan’s favor? Or will their past—and their hashtags—get in the way of their Happily Ever After?
As always, if you’ve read any of these and would like to share your thoughts, or if you have any festive book recommendations, please do let me know!
Unwrapping Words 