Festive Holiday Reading Recommendations

Happy December!

Time for a few holiday recommendations...

1. The Seven-Course Christmas Killer by Rosie Genova

I just discovered the Italian Kitchen Mystery series by Genova this year, and I inhaled all three books within days. It is an adorable cozy series with a writer heroine, a family restaurant, lots of fun characters found on the New Jersey shore, sexy romantic tension, and plenty of delicious Italian dishes. This series is full of win! This holiday novella is a quick festive read. It has the perfect balance of Christmas cheer, tasty Italian recipes (like Nonna's Wedding Soup and Shrimp Scampi), and suspense. Treat yourself to the whole series! (The novella is only 99 cents!)


2. A Hanukkah Miracle by Julia Barrett

My friend Julia has released a very sweet Hanukkah novella this season. It includes "mature" characters, an interfering Jewish mother, and an unexpected romance. If you're looking for a lovely Hanukkah story, this is it. I loved it! On sale right now for only $1.99.


3. I read two fabulous books by Barbara Wallace recently, Winter Wedding for the Prince and Christmas Baby for the Princess. These are both part of the Royal House of Corinthia Series. Wallace always does a superb job capturing Christmas magic, and these two novels really got me in a festive mood. Both have plenty of romance and wonderful happy endings. Happy sigh.


4. Melting Mr. Frosty's Heart by Liz Fielding

This was my first read by Fielding, and it won't be my last. I was super impressed with her writing. She really packs it into this quickie story--gorgeous writing, characters who pop off the page, and vivid imagery. Now I want to read the rest of the series.


5.  An American Mail-Order Bride Christmas Collection by E. E. Burke

Burke is an author who does not get nearly enough attention...I am always impressed with her books. These stories were perfect for the holidays...charming, sweet, romantic, and filled with great historical tidbits. This is an excellent deal for only 99 cents!


More books to come...

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Love, Penny

Holiday Reading Recommendations From Penelope

In spite of the fact that I have read a couple of stinker holiday romances lately, I still love this sub-genre. It's not enough to have your story take place at Christmas-time. A real Christmas romance should have some underlying themes that are Christmas-related....things like generosity of heart, love of family, belief in Christmas magic, the occurrence of miracles. (And for holiday erotica, lots of spanking....hee hee!) Here are some of my favorite Christmas reads....

1. Under The Mistletoe by Mary Balogh

Historical romance lends itself very well to Christmas-themed stories. Mary Balogh is the master of sentimental moments. It's a winning combination. This is a super romantic and lovely collection.

2. Dark Celebration by Christine Feehan

You wouldn't think that a bunch of Carpathian vampires would make for a funny, tender, and emotional holiday read, but you would be wrong! This book is an awesome re-visiting of my favorite Carpathian couples. If you are not familiar with the Dark series, I wouldn't recommend it. But if you do like Feehan's books, this one is great. (Skyler and Dimitri make an appearance....yay!)

3. A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr

I adore this book. I love stories with wounded heroes....Ian has a big red beard and has been traumatized by his time in the military. He is raw and angry, and only the love of a good woman can bring him joy again. This book kicks ass. Romantic, emotional, sexy. And did I mention the hero has a beard? Just checking!

4. An Affair Before Christmas by Eloisa James

Even though this book has the most preposterous premise for a historical ever (please see my review), it is still an adorable book. Sweet and satisfying and very Christmas-y. And this is my favorite line from a holiday romance....

"Poppy, what did you think that Christmas was for?"

"Nibbling on gingerbread men?" she whispered.

"I'm your gingerbread man," he said.

Yowzah!

5. A Simple Amish Christmas by Vannetta Chapman

This is one of my favorite Amish stories. It is sweet and romantic and the hero has a beard. (Well, he's Amish for God's sake!). I cried reading this one. In a good way. :^)

6. A Christmas Ball  by Jennifer Ashley, Emily Bryan and Alissa Johnson

This is a cute historical anthology, with stories by Jennifer Ashley, Emily Bryan (Mia Marlowe) and Alissa Johnson. Ashley's story was not my favorite, but I adored the ones by Bryan and Johnson. They were clever and funny and touching. Definitely recommend this one.

7. Santa's Wayward Elf by Paige Tyler

This is a very sexy, quirky holiday erotica. I was totally entertained. (Some other holiday erotica I enjoyed last year....The Christmas Fantasy by KT Grant, with a sexy firefighter and a curvy heroine, and Kidnapped For Christmas by Evangeline Anderson, a "light-BDSM" holiday story.)

8. All I Want For Christmas Is You by Lisa Mondello

I don't normally read traditional contemporary romances like this, but I'm really glad I checked this one out. It's all about family--you can't get more Christmas-y than that. Kyle is a wonderful hero. (Another traditional romance I read this year was Holiday Secrets by Jill Sorenson--it's a Harly!--I loved the surfer hero and the sweet HEA).

9. Christmas Elf by Tielle St. Clare

Another naughty elf story...this one is really funny, too. 

10. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

Not a romance novel. This is a children's book, and it makes me cry every single time I read it. In fact, my kids often say, "Hey, let's make Mom cry! Get out The Polar Express!" Then we read it and they watch my face on the last page. I start sobbing every time. Beautiful.

Have any favorites to add to the list?

Penny