I’m a huge fan of audiobooks. In fact, my mood is improved tenfold when I listen to an audiobook while doing everyday tasks or chores. Driving? Listen to an audiobook. Grocery shopping? I pop my earphones in. Dishes or cooking? Thank goodness for my Bluetooth. And during the holiday season, to-do lists seem to multiply by the second. If you’re looking for a companion as you get ready for the whirlwind of holiday activities, may I recommend ten fantastic holiday romances? Each are charming, seasonal, and the perfect background noise for any of your errands and duties, especially when you need a moment or two to enjoy yourself.
The Mistletoe Motive by Chloe Liese
I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance and grouchy vs. sunshine pairing. And though it was a novella and I didn’t get as much time with Jonathan and Gabriella, I fell hard for this book and listened to it way too quickly. In fact, this might go on my list of books to revisit every holiday season.
Synopsis: He loathes the holidays. She loves them. She’s full of festive cheer. He’s brimming with Bah, Humbugs. Besides unreasonably seasonable names, the only thing Jonathan Frost and Gabriella Di Natale have in common is a healthy dose of mutual contempt. Well, that and the same place of employment at the city’s most beloved independent bookstore, Bailey’s Bookshop. But when the store’s owners confess its dire financial state, Jonathan and Gabby discover another unfortunate commonality: the imminent threat of unemployment.
With the Baileys’ requests to minimize expenses, win new customers, and make record sales dancing in their heads, Jonathan and Gabby conclude—barring a financial Christmas miracle—one of them will soon be cut from the payroll. Neither are willing to step down from their position, so they strike a bargain. Whoever has more sales in December gets to stay on in the new year; the loser will resign. With a lifetime’s worth of festive tricks up her sleeve, Gabby should easily outsell her nemesis, except the unreadable Mr. Frost’s every move seems purely designed to throw her off her game.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Gabby’s deceptive ex won’t quit pursuing her, and her anonymous online friend suggests they take a break. Worst of all, as the pressure mounts to save the bookshop and her job, Gabby meets a new, tender side of Jonathan. Is this the same man she’s called her cold-hearted enemy?
Maybe he’s got a motive she just can’t figure out—or maybe Jonathan Frost isn’t as chilly as she once thought. Maybe Jonathan and Gabby already know—and love—each other in ways they never thought possible.
On Sale Now, via Kobo. Order Here
A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
I don’t think you necessarily need to listen to or read the previous books in the Bromance book club series to enjoy this one but I think the background can help. If you haven’t read these, I can only describe them as hilarious, heartwarming, and hopeful. The concept is one of my favorites in all the romance series I’ve read. Men work to better themselves by reading romance novels to learn how to treat their wives and girlfriends right. And Colton, a country singer and one of the only remaining single members of the Bromance Book Club, finally gets his chance at love. I cannot wait to find out how the book club helps him out.
Synopsis: Country music’s golden boy Colton Wheeler felt the most perfect harmony when he was with Gretchen Winthrop. But for her, it was a love him and leave him situation. A year later, Colton is struggling to push his music forward in a new direction. If it weren’t about to be the most magical time of year and the support of the Bromance Book Club, he’d be wallowing in self-pity.
It’s hard for immigration attorney Gretchen not to feel a little Scrooge-ish about the excess of Christmas when her clients are scrambling to afford their rent. So when her estranged, wealthy family reaches out with an offer that will allow her to better serve the community, she’s unable to say no. She just needs to convince Colton to be the new face of her family’s whiskey brand. No big deal…
Colton agrees to consider Gretchen’s offer in exchange for three dates before Christmas. With the help of the Bromance Book Club, Colton throws himself into the task of proving to her there’s a spark between them. But Gretchen and Colton will both need to overcome the ghosts of Christmas past to build a future together.
On Sale Now, via Penguin Random House Audio. Order Here
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
When this book came out a few years ago, it seemed like every romance reader I know had raved about it. I was sold as soon as I saw it was about a small town and set at a Christmas tree farm. Throw in the added bonus of this being a friends-to-lovers romantic comedy and it has all the makings of a five-star read for me.
Synopsis: A pasture of dead trees. A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams.
In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since she was a kid, she enters a contest with instafamous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, she might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on the application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only … there is no boyfriend.
Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just came home for some hot chocolate, and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process.
On Sale Now, via Penguin Random House Audio. Order Here
The Remaking of Corbin Wale by Roan Parrish
The last sentence of the book’s description reads: “The Remaking of Corbin Wale is a magical holiday romance that is my M/M romance take on Practical Magic.” Aren’t you intrigued? I certainly am. Also, it’s set at a bakery and the holidays and baked goods are practically synonymous in my mind. Listen while baking or eating your favorite baked goods. You can’t go wrong!
Synopsis: Last month, Alex Barrow’s whole life imploded—partner, home, job, all gone in forty-eight hours. But sometimes when everything falls apart, better things appear almost like magic. Now, he’s back in his Michigan hometown, finally opening the bakery he’s always dreamed of. But the pleasure of opening day is nothing compared to the lonely and beautiful man who bewitches Alex before he even orders.
Corbin Wale is a weirdo. At least, that’s what he’s heard his whole life. He knows he’s often in a fantasy world, but the things he feels are very real. And so is the reason why he can never, ever be with Alex Barrow. Even if Alex is everything he’s always fantasized about. Even if maybe, just maybe, Corbin is Alex’s fantasy too.
When Corbin begins working at the bakery, he and Alex can’t deny their connection any longer. As the holiday season works its magic, Alex yearns for the man who seems out of reach. But to be with Alex, Corbin will have to challenge every truth he’s ever known. If his holiday risk pays off, two men from different worlds will get the love they’ve always longed for.
The Remaking of Corbin Wale is a magical holiday romance that is my M/M romance take on Practical Magic.
On Sale Now, via Tantor Media. Order Here
Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds
This YA book about a teenager on a mission to find a boyfriend before Hanukkah might be the best to listen with younger readers during decorating, baking, or other activities. The snowed in hijinks and rivalry romance make for an exciting listen!
Synopsis: Shira Barbanel has a plan: this Hanukkah, she’s going to get a boyfriend. And she has the perfect candidate in mind—her great-uncle’s assistant, Isaac. He’s reliable, brilliant, and of course, super hot. The only problem? Shira’s an absolute disaster when it comes to flirting.
Enter Tyler Nelson, Shira’s nemesis-slash-former-crush. As much as she hates to admit it, Tyler is the most charming and popular guy she knows. Which means he’s the perfect person to teach her how to win Isaac over.
When Shira and Tyler get snowed in together at Golden Doors, they strike a deal. Shira gets flirting lessons in exchange for career connections for Tyler. But as Shira starts to see the sweet, funny boy beneath Tyler’s playboy exterior, she realizes she actually likes hanging out with him. And that wasn’t part of the plan.
Amidst a whirl of snowy adventures, hot chocolate, and candlelight, Shira must learn to trust her heart to discover if the romance she planned is really the one that will make her happiest.
On Sale Now, via Penguin Random House Audio. Order Here
The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
I’ll warn you, this audiobook might make you want to move to a small English village. I fell in love with the way Jenny Bayliss described the British town and the holiday activities. Mulled cider and hot chocolate and various dates around the countryside, oh my! Listen to this while getting cozy and finding time to relax during the holiday rush. You won’t regret it.
Synopsis: When it comes to relationships, thirty-four-year-old Kate Turner is ready to say “Bah, humbug.” The sleepy town of Blexford, England, isn’t exactly brimming with prospects. Anyway, Kate’s found fulfillment in her career as a designer, and in her delicious side job baking for her old friend Matt’s neighborhood café. But then her best friend signs her up for a dating agency that promises to help singles find love before the holidays. Twenty-three days until Christmas. Twelve dates with twelve different men. The odds must finally be in her favor . . . right?
Yet with each new date more disastrous than the one before–and the whole town keeping tabs on her misadventures–Kate must remind herself that sometimes love, like mistletoe, shows up where it’s least expected. And maybe, just maybe, it’s been right under her nose all along. . . .
On Sale Now, via Penguin Random House Audio. Order Here
A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli
A Type-A practical analyst meets a free-spirited man on a group honeymoon in this entertaining and sweet rom-com. If an opposites attract romance sounds good for this holiday season, we recommend popping in the headphones and taking a few hours to listen.
Synopsis: Twenty-nine-year-old Niki Randhawa has always made practical decisions. Despite her love for music and art, she became an analyst for the stability. She’s always stuck close to home, in case her family needed her. And she’s always dated guys that seem good on paper, rather than the ones who give her butterflies. When she’s laid off, Niki realizes that practical hasn’t exactly paid off for her. So for the first time ever, she throws caution to the wind and books a last-minute flight for her friend Diya’s wedding.
Niki arrives in India just in time to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, where she meets London musician Sameer Mukherji. Maybe it’s the splendor of Mumbai or the magic of the holiday season, but Niki is immediately drawn to Sam. At the wedding, the champagne flows and their flirtatious banter makes it clear that the attraction is mutual.
When Niki and Sam join Diya, her husband, and their friends on a group honeymoon, their connection grows deeper. Free-spirited Sam helps Niki get in touch with her passionate and creative side, and with her Indian roots. When she gets a new job offer back home, Niki must decide what she wants out of the next chapter of her life. Does she want to cling to the straight and narrow like always, or to take a leap of faith and live the kind of bold life the old Niki never would have dreamed of?
On Sale Now, via Penguin Random House Audio. Order Here
Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle
This book is a bit wacky in the best ways. A materialistic young woman who pretends to be rich on insta but in all reality is broke (a la Alexis Rose) conjures up the holiday spirit in hot guy form and is taught the true meaning of Christmas. I’m here for it.
Synopsis: Bettie Hughes once knew the comfort of luxury, flaunting a collection of designer purses and an enviable dream home in Hawaii. That was before she lost all her money. Long obsessed with her public image, Bettie boasts an extravagant lifestyle on social media. But the reality is Bettie is broke and squatting in Colorado, and her family has no idea.
Christmas, with its pressure to meet familial expectations, looms when Bettie plays a vinyl record of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” backward and accidentally conjures up Hall, the Holiday Spirit, in the form of a charming and handsome (if offbeat) man. Once the shock wears off, Bettie knows she’s stumbled upon the greatest gift. She’s given a chance to make all her holiday wishes come true, plus a ready-made fiancé.
But as some of Bettie’s wishes lose their charm, she finds herself thrown off-kilter by Hall’s sweet nature. Suddenly, grumpy Bettie is finding her heart merry and light. But the happier she gets, the shorter Hall’s time on earth grows. Can Bettie channel the Christmas spirit and learn to live with goodwill toward all men? Or will her selfish ways return as soon as the holidays are over?
On Sale Now, via Penguin Random House Audio. Order Here
Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun
I loved Alison Cochrun’s swoony debut, The Charm Offensive, on audio so her latest sapphic romance is definitely going on my holiday TBR. This romance features all the best tropes (marriage of convenience, second chance romance). Plus, it’s partially set in a bookstore, making it a near guaranteed new favorite read of the year.
Synopsis: One year ago, recent Portland transplant Ellie Oliver had her dream job in animation and a Christmas Eve meet-cute with a woman at a bookstore that led her to fall in love over the course of a single night. But after a betrayal the next morning and the loss of her job soon after, she finds herself adrift, alone, and desperate for money.
Finding work at a local coffee shop, she’s just getting through the days—until Andrew, the shop’s landlord, proposes a shocking, drunken plan: a marriage of convenience that will give him his recent inheritance and alleviate Ellie’s financial woes and isolation. They make a plan to spend the holidays together at his family cabin to keep up the ruse. But when Andrew introduces his new fiancée to his sister, Ellie is shocked to discover it’s Jack—the mysterious woman she fell for over the course of one magical Christmas Eve the year before. Now, Ellie must choose between the safety of a fake relationship and the risk of something real.
On Sale Now from Atria Books, Buy Here
You’re A Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky
Described as perfect for fans of Schitt’s Creek and Red, White, and Royal Blue, I was also sold by the description: a fish-out-of-water, spoiled society guy meets a charming local in the small town he’s stranded in and is better for it. Throw in a grump versus sunshine trope (which we love, right?) and I have a good feeling about this audiobook.
Synopsis: Matthew Prince is young, rich, and thoroughly spoiled. So what if his parents barely remember he exists and the press is totally obsessed with him? He’s on top of the world. But one major PR misstep later, and Matthew is cut off and shipped away to spend the holidays in his grandparents’ charming small town hellscape. Population: who cares?
It’s bad enough he’s stuck in some festive winter wonderland. It’s even worse that he has to be with Hector Martinez, an obnoxiously attractive local who’s unimpressed with Matthew altogether.
Just when it looks like the holiday season is bringing nothing but heated squabbles, the charity gala loses its coordinator and Matthew steps in as a saintly act to get home early on good behavior…with Hector as his maddening plus-one. But even a Grinch can’t resist the unexpected joy of found family, and in the end, the forced proximity and infectious holiday cheer might be enough to make a lonely Prince’s heart grow three sizes this year.
On Sale Now from Dreamscape Media, Buy Here
Photos Courtesy of Atria Books, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, Kobo Originals, & Putnam
