New Christmas Books 2025

Christmas People

Author: Iva-Marie Palmer

Year: 2025

Genre: Christmas Romance

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Aspiring screenwriter Jill Jacobs is not a fan of Christmas, as her first love broke up with her on Christmas Eve years ago. Adding insult to injury, she is not looking forward to heading home for the holidays and having to tell her family she’s not doing so well in LA.

On her first night home, after imbibing way too much, Jill wakes up in a transformed hometown filled with the holiday spirit. She thinks she must be hungover until she realizes she is stuck in a Hallmark-like Christmas movie town version of her life.

She cannot get home until she completes the plot of the seemingly scripted town. This means she has to be the heroine in a love story and maybe find new inspiration to reignite her screenwriter dreams.

Why Kirsten loves it

I was cracking up as our heroine tried to figure out what was going on in a decidedly un-Hallmark-like way. Her grittiness against the idyllic backdrop made for a unique spin on a tale that could have seemed overdone. It was clever and cute! #gifted by St. Martin’s Press.

The Gingerbread Bakery

Author: Laurie Gilmore

Year: 2025

Genre: Holiday Romance

More info: Dream Harbor #5

Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Annie owns Dream Harbor’s Gingerbread Bakery, and she’s made a huge success of it. Now she’s even making a gingerbread cake for her best friend’s wedding. One of the groomsmen is Mac, her ex-boyfriend and owner of the local bar, who has just moved back.

Told in a dual timeline, we get to experience both of their relationships. Can Mac and Annie make it work the second time around?

Why Kirsten loves it

This steamy story is the latest in the Dream Harbor series, but it also acts as a prequel because it’s a dual timeline. It was hard to pick which timeline story I liked more, but the edge might go to the present day because it was fun to check in on the other characters in the series and see a wedding!!

Find this book in: Christmas Books 2025 / Bakery Romance Books

My Favorite Holidate

Author: Lauren Blakely

Release Date: October 7, 2025

Genre: Holiday Romance

More info: New York Times Bestselling Author

Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

This book was self-published last holiday season and was republished this year with a major publisher. However, the description on Amazon is INCORRECT

Fable catches her boyfriend cheating on her at a Thanksgiving dinner at her boss, Wilder Blaine’s, house. At the same dinner, her sister gets engaged to her billionaire boss’s best friend.

With the wedding coming up in just a few weeks, on Christmas, she and her boss decide to fake-date for the season. She can get back at her horrible ex, and he can escape his aunt’s attempts to set him up on dates.

With the help of his daughter, Mac, the two vow to become the best-fake daters anyone has ever seen. And to do that, they will have to practice, a lot.

Why Jackie loves it

When I was reading this book, I could not help but think of Christian Grey, but with all green flags instead of the blaring red flags. This book is 5 kisses of spicy, but it is also a healthier, kinder version of a love story. I loved every minute

Find this book in: New Christmas Books 2025 / Christmas Romance Books / Billionaire Romance Books

Christmas at the Ranch

Author: Julia McKay

Release Date: September 23, 2025

Genre: Christmas Romance

More info: Second-Chance Romance

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Emory is a journalist whose father has been arrested for financial crimes. Her mother seems to be in denial, and she needs to get away from the headlines. She gets into her car and starts driving until she finds herself at Tate Wilder’s family ranch, the place she spent her happiest Christmas as a teen.

She fell in love with Tate back then, but it all went wrong. This is a story told in two timelines. The present and the past as Emory reads her diary entries. What went wrong with their relationship in the past. Do they still have feelings for each other now or is it too late for them.

Why Jackie loves it

Ranches and romances are the newest thing, so throw in a touch of Christmas, and I was so excited to read this book. The fact that the ranch was a few hours north of Toronto was an added bonus for me. I love this second-chance romance that is more horses than ho-downs. Aside from one steamy romance scene at the end of the book, the rest is clean, as told by an 18-year-old to her diary.

Find this book in: Second Chance Romance Books / Christmas Romance Books

Yours for the Season

Author: Emily Stone

Year: 2025

Genre: Holiday Romance

More info: Look for more by this author in Emily Stone Books Ranked

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Go-to holiday romance writer, Emily Stone, is back with another heartwarming story set in Scotland! After a rough year, the last thing Melanie expects is to see her ex-boyfriend, Finn, on her doorstep begging for her help. He needs her to fake that they are still together to give his mom her perfect Christmas wish. In exchange, she gets to publicly dump him after the holiday. Will she get the ultimate revenge, or will she confuse her fake feelings for real ones?

Why Kirsten loves it

I love a second-chance romance, and this holiday story was adorable! Emotion-wise, this story was lighter than most of Emily Stone’s books, but I’m OK with that. It was nice not to be sobbing for once. I also loved all the highland Christmas activities throughout this one.

Find this book in: Emily Stone Books Ranked

The Spiced Cocoa Cafe

Author: Harper Graham

Year: 2025

Genre: Holiday Romance

More info: Maple Falls #2

Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Liam is a total Grinch, but he wants to win Maple Fall’s holiday window competition to help save his llama farm. Cassidy is the new owner of the local chocolate shop, and she too, needs to win the contest. Sparks fly as they compete against one another while trying to figure out the identity of the person sabotaging all the town’s Christmas decor.

Why Kirsten loves it

This book is SPICY. Oh my lord! It’s also funny and sweet, but if you can’t handle spice, there are references in every chapter, so this is not the story for you. If you can handle it, this small town romance is filled with a great cast of characters and tons of Christmas events and references to create the perfect spicy holiday story.

Find this book in: Bakery Romance Novels / Christmas Books 2025

Chef’s Kiss at the Chalet

Author: Sookie Snow

Year: 2025

Genre: Romance

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Eleanor is so excited when she is admitted to her dream school in London. With a degree from the culinary school, she an work anywhere in the world. The problem is the tuition. Eleanor agrees to take a job as a chalet girl in a small town in the Rockies. Working for the holiday season will give her the money she needs to pay for her tuition- if she can survive Mrs. Hawthorne. She has been warned that Mrs. Hawthorne is demanding and particular, but Elle is not afraid of hard work.

When Elle arrives in Maplewood Creek, she has a romantic encounter with Charles, thinking it was a one time thing. When Elle gets to the chalet, she realizes Charles is a Hawthorne. Will they be able to survive a season or will Elle’s dreams of culinary school be ruined?

Why Jackie loves it

I love this holiday romance. It is the perfect amount of romance and spice with descriptions of food that will make you so hungy. It takes place in the winter over the holiday season, but does not feel like a traditioal holiday romance. This is one that is perfect for the entire winter season.

Find this book in: New Christmas Books 2025 / Best Holiday Books

Holiday Ever After

Author: Hannah Grace

Year: 2025

Genre: Holiday Romance

Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Clara wants to run the creative department of her family’s toy corporation, so she’s the first one tapped to fix a business relationship that’s gone sour. She heads to Fraser Falls to help the town responsible for her PR nightmare. But local toy maker, Jack, is not so willing to accept her help after a different person from her company stole part of his livelihood.

Kirsten’s Thoughts

Fraser Falls is the stuff of Hallmark Christmas movie magic; however, the toy plotline at the center was far too complicated, and the book was just too long. Jack was a jerk, Clara was a little bit of a mess, and this just wasn’t the holiday story I expected from Hannah Grace. #Gifted

You Make it Feel Like Christmas

Author: Sophie Sullivan

Year: 2025

Genre: Holiday Romance

Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Maisie Smart is a photographer who had a one-night stand with Nick King, a professional hockey player. When he bolted the morning after, she was embarrassed and has spent the last 6 months trying to forget it ever happened. Nick is a mess who cannot stop thinking about that night. When the two of them wind up at Tickle Tree Farms for the holidays, the second meeting might be harder to walk away from.

Why Kirsten loves it

This was so cute – and there are cameos from Sullivan’s other books in this one! I loved the Christmas activities and the way the romantic leads were supportive of one another – plus no third-act break-up – a true Christmas miracle!

Good Spirits

Author: B.K. Borison

Year: 2025

Genre: Holiday Romance

Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Nolan is the Ghost of Christmas Past and thinks the holiday season will be a routine haunting until he meets Harriet York. She is sweet and kind. Neither of them has any idea why she is being haunted.

The more time they spend together, the more their connection deepens. Soon, Nolan is wishing he had a future that involved more than just hauntings. With their deadline of Christmas Eve approaching, Nolan and Harriet need to find answers. They are not sure what the consequences will be.

Why Jackie loves it

This is a really delightful Christmas romance book. I loved how the story came together in the end. Nolan and Harriett each had something to give to the other, so it did not feel like a savior/ knight in shining armor situation.

Find this book in: New Christmas Books 2025

A Spell for Midwinter’s Heart

Author: Morgan Lockhart

Release Date: September 23, 2025

Genre: Christmas magical romance

More info:

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range:

Plot

In this holiday romance, Rowan Midwinter returns home to help save her town’s winter festival. Not only would the holidays not be the same without it, but the town depends on the festival to sustain itself.

Rowan is not excited to see her estranged coven. She has not used her magic in years- since something went terribly wrong, and she is not willing to risk hurting anyone in the town. Her magic is going awry and seems to get worse whenever Gavin McCreery is around.

If Rowan wants to save the town, she will have to figure out what is wrong with her magic and bring the festival into the 21st century.

Why Jackie loves it

This is an adorable romance that is the perfect blend of magic, romance, and Christmas. I read it in one sitting and loved every minute.

Find this book in: New Christmas Books 2025

The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah

Author: Jean Meltzer

Release Date: October 21, 2025

Genre: Holiday Romance

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Evelyn is the director of the live TV musical A Christmas Carol. Her work consumes her life. When she collapses from a debilitating migraine on the set, she winds up in the on-set hospital, where her ex-husband is subbing for the doctor.

They’ve been divorced for two years after he walked out on her because of her inability to prioritize their relationship. They also suffered a trauma in their relationship that they never talked about. Now, Evelyn is hallucinating ghosts, the Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah, that keep bringing her back to memories of David and their past.

Trigger Warnings

Difficult divorce, pregnancy loss, chronic illness

Why Jackie loves it

This is a romance that is unlike many others. It deals with difficult topics that are heartbreaking at times. Evelyn suffers from debilitating migraines as well. Meltzer’s description of the pain is so accurate that I felt Evelyn’s pain. I laughed and cried while reading this book, and I love that it is perfect for Hanukkah and Christmas. This Hanukkah take on A Christmas Carol is a must-read for the holidays.

Find this book in: New Christmas Books 2025 / Best Holiday Books

Undead and Unwed

Author: Sam Tschida

Year: 2025

Genre: Holiday Fantasy

Spice Rating:💋💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Tiffenie is a three-hundred-year-old vampire who is in a bit of a bind! She works at a plasma bank that pays her barely enough to make ends meet. When is accidentally almost kills her neighbor and has to turn her into a vampire, it seems like the right time to move to the house she just inherited in Vermont.

The house is condemned, but she is determined to make things work. The small town seems like something out of a Hallmark movie, even if everything closes by 8:00. When her e-boyfriend, Vlad, shows up in Vermont, things become a lot more complicated for everyone

Why Jackie loves it

The start of every chapter is named for a trope, and I think this is hilarious. As much as this romance is funny, it is also a story about self-acceptance. Slowly, Tiffenie begins to see things differently. And while technically this is a Christmas romance, it is perfect for all winter long.

Find this book in: Best New Christmas Books 2025

Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon

Author: Matthew Norman

Year: 2025

Genre: Holiday Fiction

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

Grace and Henry both lost their spouses shortly after the start of the new year. Now, it’s been a year, and they’ve become friends because they understand one another, despite their mother’s meddling schemes. Together, along with Grace’s kids, they decide to tackle a tradition Henry had with his wife – an annual holiday movie marathon.

As Grace and Henry’s friendship grows, they learn to lean on one another to get through their respective grief and even being to start healing.

Trigger Warnings

Death of a Spouse, Grief

Why Kirsten loves it

This is sort of a romance, but it’s really more about Grace and Henry dealing with their respective grief in their own ways. Henry’s grief was unexpected while Grace’s husband has cancer. Because of how their grief manifested, their stories were very different and they way they healed was different and beautiful.

And I can’t leave out Grace’s kids and their connection to their mother, their family unit, and Henry – oh and the mice! They brought much-needed levity to the story, rounding it out and keeping it from being too heavy.

Find this book in: New Christmas Books 2025 / Christmas Book Club Books

I’ll Be Home for Christmas

Author: Jenny Bayliss

Year: 2025

Genre: Fiction

Spice Rating:💋💋

Age Range: 18+

Plot

After a terrible breakup, Fred is moving back to her childhood home in her small town of Pine Bluff. Feeling like a failure, she can’t just sit around and mope – instead, she throws her skills into helping her Aunts and Mom with their Christmas Cracker business.

Along the way, she reconnects with her best friend (and former crush) and sparks a new romance with a reporter in town to cover the Pine Bluff Christmas market. Can Fred make a plan to escape Pine Bluff once more or was she always meant to bloom in her hometown?

Why Kirsten loves it

Jenny Bayliss’s Christmas stories always have the perfect mix of warmth and heart. The love story is secondary in this one, because it’s really about making peace with your roots and taking the path you initially rejected. It was a lovely story for the holiday season. #gifted by PRH Audio.

Find this book in: Christmas Book Club Books / New Christmas Books 2025

Christmas at Hollybush Farm

Author: Jo Thomas

Year: 2025

Genre: Holiday Fiction

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Jemima is headed home for a visit to her father’s farm with her soon-to-be fiancé, Matthew, when she makes a startling discovery. Her dad has sepsis, and he is facing financial ruin. She springs into action, putting her love and job in jeopardy, as she tries to help her father’s farm and the whole town through their financial woes in time for Christmas.

But the more she digs into small-town life, the harder it is for her to remember why she wanted to leave. Will this Christmas be the one she comes into her own?

Why Kirsten loves it

This is exactly the kind of Hallmark-esque Christmas novel I was looking for. It’s got a small town, a Christmas market, a hint of a love story, and a woman going back to her roots! #gifted by PRH Audio

Anne of Avenue A

Author: Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding

Year: 2025

Genre: Holiday Fiction

More info: For The Love of Austen #3

Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋

Age Range:18+

Plot

Persuasion lovers rejoice! This modern retelling of Austen’s classic takes readers to Manhattan at Christmas when Anne Elliot and Freddie Wentworth are reunited after she broke his heart years ago. Imagine her shock when she finds out he’s living in her childhood home.

Why Kirsten likes it

While this is billed as a holiday romance, it’s really a romance with a hint of holiday. There is a brief scene on Thanksgiving and then a moment when a Christmas tree is going up, but it really has limited holiday content. I mention that because some Austen fans would turn away from the holiday billing, while others will want more than it has.

As retellings go, this one comes from writers well-versed in writing modern-day Austen. While I enjoyed seeing scenes from Persuasion adapted to a modern setting, there is something about the plot of the book as a whole that doesn’t lend itself as well to adaptation as, say, Emma. Still, it was clever and fun!

Find this book in: Jane Austen Retellings

A Heart for Christmas

Author: Sophie Jomain

Year: 2025

Genre: YA Fiction

More info: Special Advent Calendar Technology

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 12+

Plot

April was born with a heart defect and needed a heart transplant at 16. Now, two years later, she has almost put her life on hold. She lives with her mom but is spending Christmas with her father in the Alps. Everything scares her, especially disappointing her parents who disagree about almost everything about April. Should she get fresh air and exercise, or will it be too much?

She is so excited for her best friend, Eva, to arrive. But in the meantime, Augustin, Eva’s brother, is there to keep her company.

Trigger Warnings

Heart defects, heart transplant

Why Jackie loves it

This is a sweet YA romance that has everything. There is parent drama, friend drama, and a sweet love story. If that weren’t enough, the advent part of it is amazing. I think this could be a book you read one chapter a day as a tradition for years to come. I also love that some parts of this book are written as text messages.

Find this book in: New Christmas Books 2025 / YA Christmas Books

The Secret Christmas Library

Author: Jenny Colgan

Year: 2025

Genre: Holiday Mystery

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 14+

Plot

One of our favorite authors, Jenny Colgan, is back with a holiday story set in the Scottish Highlands! Mirren Sutherland is an amateur antiquarian book hunter who has been hired by Jamie McPherson to find a book worth so much that it could save his crumbling estate. But his grandad was known for both collecting rare books AND being a lover of treasure hunts. Together, the duo, plus Mirren’s rival book hunter, Theo, must work to find the book!

Over the course of a snowed-in holiday, Mirren and the crew work together to decode the clues left by Jamie’s grandfather as they traverse the grounds in search of the mysterious book.

Why Kirsten loves it

Jenny Colgan is back! I adored this story and the scavenger hunt mystery to find the rare book around the grounds. The clues were laid out engagingly and the slow-burning romance going on in the background added to the story in a delicious way. It was the perfect cozy mystery with a hint of Christmas cheer!

Find this book in: Jenny Colgan Books in Order / Christmas Mystery Books

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife

Author: Martin Edwards

Year: October 2025

Genre: Holiday Mystery

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range:

Plot

The Midwinter Trust has invited six people to play a murder mystery game over Christmas. Each player was carefully selected and vetted, and the winner will receive a prize that will change their fortune (and they all need it). From a cozy mystery writer whose books are not selling, to the publicist whose poor ethics got her blacklisted, each participant has a background that relates to crime writing in some way. There are also six members of the Trust present to make sure the game is played fairly.

Soon after all the participants arrive, they realize that they are snowed into their remote area of England where Midwinter is located. One by one, people are being killed and the group needs to work together to find the murderer’s identity before they are next.

Why Jackie loves it

This is an interactive mystery because the reader is given clues throughout. There are riddles along with twists and turns. The cluefinders at the back of the book was helpful. I loved the idea of this story and the ending was unexpected. The pacing was a little slow at the beginning and it did take a fair bit to get into the heart of the mystery (25%). But it was worth it for this imaginative and well thought out book.

Find this book in: Locked Room Mysteries / New Christmas Books 2025 / Christmas Mystery Books

A Case of Life and Limb

Author: Sally Smith

Year: 2025

Genre: Historical Mystery

More info: The Trials of Gabriel Ward #2

Age Range: 16+

Plot

On Christmas Eve in 1901, a colleague of Gabriel Ward’s receives a box with a severed hand in it, then another gets a nose. While Gabriel is trying to sniff out who is sending the body part (and who was murdered), he is also defending actress Topsy Tillotson as she sues a newspaper for libel.

Why Kirsten likes it

It took me a little while to get into this story because of the cadence of the narrator’s “voice”. He’s a Sherlock Holmes-type of eccentric who knows a great deal of facts, but isn’t as aware of social graces. I really enjoyed how he solved the mystery – it was quite complex! But don’t let the cover and date fool you – this isn’t truly a holiday story. #gifted by Libro.FM

Merry Murdle

Author: G. T. Karber

Year: 2025

Genre: Puzzle

More info: Part of the Murdle Series

Age Range: 12+

Plot

Looking for a unique advent calendar or even just a festive puzzle book? Look no further than Merry Murdle! Santa is missing at the North Pole, and Deductive Logico is determined to find him (or prove he doesn’t exist) before Christmas. Laid out with 25 puzzles for each day of December, you can do one a day or solve them at your leisure.

Why Kirsten loves it

I did each of the puzzles during a travel day, and it made the day fly by! I loved the conclusion and the appendices in this one. I couldn’t sleep until the final puzzle was solved. #gifted by Murdle