New Christmas Romance Books of 2026

If you’re already dreaming about your holiday reading, you’re in the right place because I’m keeping track of all the new Christmas romance books coming our way in 2026.

Every year I look forward to seeing which authors are releasing new holiday romances, and this year there are already so many books worth putting on your radar.

I’ll be reading as many as I can and sharing my favorites along the way, so you’ll find both the Christmas romances I’ve personally read and recommend AND even more new releases to consider for your holiday TBR.

Whether you’re looking for fake dating, small-town charm, snowy getaways, second chances, Christmas mysteries or just all the cozy holiday vibes, there’s a lot to look forward to this year.

I’ll continue updating this list as new books are announced and as I make my way through my holiday TBR, so be sure to check back throughout the season!

For even more holiday reading ideas, be sure to browse my Holiday Romance Hub.

📚 Get New Christmas Romance Book Picks First

I’m always reading and discovering new Christmas romance books, and I’ll share my latest favorites, mini reviews, and must-read holiday releases in my free newsletter before updating this list. Subscribe below so you never miss a festive romance worth adding to your TBR:

🎄 Christmas Romance Books Coming in 2026

Christmas Staycation
by Meghan Quinn

Tropes: ex’s brother, forbidden romance, small-town romance, holiday romance

Taran has somehow agreed to fake a wedding with her ex to keep her family’s Christmas from falling apart, but it’s his brother Nolan who sees straight through the whole charade.

Nolan is a cocky major league baseball player who’s convinced Taran deserves better, and he’d very much like that “better” to be him. A messy fake wedding, an ex’s brother romance AND another Christmas in Kringletown? This one sounds like classic Meghan Quinn holiday chaos.

A Married Little Christmas
by Abby Jimenez

⭐ READ & RECOMMEND

Tropes: fake dating, second chance romance, friends to lovers, holiday romance

Three brand-new Christmas romances from Abby Jimenez in one book? This immediately became one of my most anticipated holiday releases.

Between fake dating, a town called Little Christmas and three different love stories, this sounds like such a fun book to work your way through during the holiday season.

→ Read my full review

Counting Down to You
by Emily Stone

Tropes: fake dating, holiday romance, emotional romance, grief and healing

Emily Stone has become one of the authors I immediately associate with emotional Christmas romances, and this year’s release sounds like it will continue that tradition.

An Advent calendar left behind by a best friend, a seasonal job in the Alps and a fake relationship with her boss sounds like the recipe for another heartfelt holiday read.

The Little Shop of Merry and Bright
by Jenny Bayliss

Tropes: holiday romance, magical realism, second chance at life

Jenny Bayliss puts a contemporary spin on A Christmas Carol with a heroine who gets a glimpse at alternate versions of her life.

The idea of questioning the choices that brought you to where you are while surrounded by all the coziness of Christmas makes this one of the more unique holiday premises on my list.

→ Read my full review

Not Home Alone
by Kayley Loring

⭐ READ & RECOMMEND

Tropes: enemies to lovers, second chance romance, fake dating, forced proximity, small-town romance

If you like your Christmas romances with plenty of humor and snark, put Not Home Alone on your list.

I had such a fun time with the enemies-to-lovers tension between these two as they’re forced into close quarters over the holidays. I especially loved all the Home Alone and The Nutcracker nods, and Loring’s humor throughout.

This was a fun holiday rom-com and an easy one for me to recommend if you want a Christmas romance that will make you laugh.

→ Read my full review

The Christmas Yes List
by Melissa Ferguson

Tropes: small-town romance, opposites attract, holiday romance, low-spice romance

After deciding she’s done being a people-pleaser, Chloe sets out to collect ten rejections before Christmas only to meet a man who keeps saying yes to every wild idea she throws his way.

The premise alone sold me on this one, and it has also been made into a movie releasing this year.

Mistletoe All the Way
by Lauren Blakely

Tropes: grumpy sunshine, fake dating, small-town romance, holiday romance

A grumpy veterinarian returns to his hometown and finds himself paired with a Christmas-loving optimist who is supposed to transform him into the town’s holiday ambassador.

Between the holiday competition, fake dating and grumpy-sunshine dynamic, this has such a fun combination of Christmas romance tropes.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder
by Ally Carter

Tropes: childhood enemies to lovers, forced proximity, romantic suspense, holiday romance

A billionaire’s grandson, the housekeeper’s daughter and a Christmas party that ends with a missing heir set up Ally Carter’s latest combination of romance and holiday mystery.

I loved the concept of childhood rivals being thrown together while trying to figure out who had plans for murder, especially after enjoying the holiday mystery setup of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year.

The Santa Claus Con
by Laura Kung Jessen

Tropes: rivals to lovers, workplace romance, romantic suspense, holiday romance

FBI agent Scarlett Payne receives a cryptic threat from someone claiming to be Santa who plans to sabotage New York’s massive Santa Claus Con, forcing her to call on fellow agent and former rival Nathan Lambros for help.

Nathan goes undercover as one of the Santa contestants while Scarlett works the case, giving them just one day to figure out who’s behind the threat. FBI agents + a Christmas convention + a holiday mystery certainly makes this one of the more unusual Christmas romances of the year.

They Know If You’ve Been Bad or Good
by Alta Hensley

Tropes: why choose, forced proximity, romantic suspense, dark holiday romance

Hailey thought she’d escaped her criminal past until her ex-boyfriend and former partner-in-crime, Liam, reappears with news that the mobster they once robbed has finally found them.

Their search for the stolen diamond they hid years ago takes them into the Canadian wilderness, along with Knox, Hailey’s protective security-guard boyfriend. But someone else is waiting for all three of them, trapping them together in a remote cabin as a winter storm closes in.

Break the Ice
by Kristen Bailey

Tropes: grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, road trip romance, holiday romance

Phoebe has just 24 hours to deliver a rescue puppy to her sister’s family in time for Christmas, but there’s one major problem: she doesn’t have a working car.

Enter Joshua, her sister’s American house sitter, his orange VW Beetle and a Christmas Eve road trip complete with a blizzard and an unexpected night snowed in together.

Chasing Kaylee Kringle
by Codi Hall

Tropes: romantic suspense, small-town romance, forced proximity, holiday romance

Kaylee Kringle has been on the run and is now hiding in Holiday, Idaho when FBI agent Rick Diaz finally tracks her down. She’s the only person who can testify against a dangerous motorcycle club, and now her secret hiding place may not be so secret anymore.

An FBI agent, a town called Holiday and a Christmas lights spectacular make this one very different from your typical cozy Christmas romance.

Holiday Rebound
by Natasha Madison

Tropes: grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, small-town romance, holiday romance

After Chloe’s boyfriend dumps her two weeks before Christmas, she decides to take the surprise vacation she had planned for them anyway, only to arrive in a festive small town and discover that every one of her reservations has been canceled.

With nowhere else to stay, she ends up spending ten days with JB, the grumpy owner of a Christmas tree farm who wants absolutely nothing to do with holiday cheer. A Christmas tree farmer who hates Christmas plus a stranded heroine on the world’s worst rebound trip? Much more my idea of a holiday romance setup.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Meltdown
by Sheila Roberts

Tropes: friends to lovers, small-town romance, holiday romance

Jordan Frost is heading home for Christmas with one very big secret: the eccentric family in her newly published holiday novel was inspired by her actual family, and she’s hoping they’ll never figure it out.

Unfortunately, her high school friend Charles recognizes the woman he’s never gotten over behind the pseudonym. Between her publishing secret, family holiday chaos and Charles’s determination to finally become more than a friend, this sounds like a fun home-for-the-holidays setup.

Who Needs Mistletoe?
by Sarah Estep

Tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, opposites attract, second chance romance

Ten years ago, Ivy’s confession of love for one brother accidentally landed in the hands of the other. Now she’s back home for Christmas and comes face-to-face with Grant, the man whose reaction helped send her running in the first place.

A small-town Christmas, complicated family history and realizing you may have spent years wanting the wrong brother? I’m intrigued.

A Very Merry Detour
by Court Behr

Tropes: sapphic romance, opposites attract, forced proximity, holiday romance

Alaina sets off on a cross-country Christmas road trip determined to win back her ex, only to get stranded in a snowy Utah ski town and rescued by Priscilla, a grumpy bookstore owner with no interest in Christmas cheer.

A festive Christmas bucket list may just convince Alaina that the love story she needs isn’t the one she originally set out to find.

The Christmas Curse
by Alix Kelinda

Tropes: enemies to lovers, neighbors to lovers, grumpy sunshine, holiday romance

Devra is convinced her family is cursed after more than 30 years of December disasters, so her solution is simple: avoid Christmas as much as possible.

Then holiday-obsessed Bradley moves in next door and covers his house in decorations. A Christmas-hating heroine feuding with “Mr. Christmas” himself while trying to outrun a possible family curse sounds like such a fun setup.

The Holiday House Swap
by Lauren Appelbaum

Tropes: house swap, second chance romance, holiday romance

Phoebe and Arden impulsively swap homes for the holidays, sending one to Seattle and the other to Florida and setting two different love stories in motion.

One finds herself welcomed into a family Hanukkah celebration while the other unexpectedly runs into the college friend whose heart she once broke. I love the idea of getting two holiday destinations and two romances in one book.

Falling Like Snow
by Misty Wilson

Tropes: YA romance, friends to lovers, small-town romance, holiday romance

Bramble Falls is getting its first-ever Falling Snow Festival, and Sloane finds herself juggling festival planning with some increasingly complicated feelings for her best friend Asher and hockey player Micah.

If you read Falling Like Leaves, this YA Christmas romance gives you another reason to return to Bramble Falls for the holidays.

Light Up My Life
by Kasie West

Tropes: YA romance, rivals to lovers, forbidden romance, holiday romance

Think Romeo & Juliet meets a cozy Christmas rom-com.

Jasmine and Ryan come from neighboring families that can’t stand each other, and their rivalry intensifies when both families compete to have the best-decorated house in town. The problem? Jasmine and Ryan may not hate each other nearly as much as they’re supposed to.

The Holiday Haters
by Jessica Sherry

Tropes: strangers to lovers, slow burn, holiday romance

Cleo and Hardy are two strangers on a train with something important in common: neither is looking forward to going home for the holidays.

They make a pact to help each other survive their respective family festivities, but somewhere along the way their supportive holiday arrangement starts turning into something neither planned.

Christmas in Austenland
by Shannon Hale

Tropes: mistaken identity, found family, holiday romance

A Christmas trip to an immersive Jane Austen experience filled with cozy fires, mistletoe and Regency-style wooing?

As someone who can never resist a modern Jane Austen-inspired romance, spending Christmas in Austenland sounds like such a fun holiday escape.

The 12 Dates of Christmas
by Ruby Winter

Tropes: opposites attract, holiday romance

Burnt-out New York journalist Evie McClane escapes to London for December where she meets a Christmas-loving Brit who thinks twelve dates can change her mind about the holidays and maybe love along with it.

This one also doubles as a romance Advent calendar book, with 24 sealed chapters you physically open as you count down to Christmas.

→ See all my Romance Advent Calendar Book picks

The Naughty List Agreement
by Katherine Garbera

Tropes: marriage agreement, grumpy sunshine, holiday romance

Cora needs a toymaker to save her Winter Wonderland festival, while grumpy toymaker Nick needs to find a wife before Christmas Eve so he can remain Santa Claus.

A mutually beneficial agreement may solve both of their Christmas problems. This is also an Advent romance with enclosed chapters to open throughout the Christmas countdown.

The Twelve Loves of Christmas: An Advent Romance Collection

Tropes: anthology, forced proximity, second chance romance, rivals to lovers, friends to lovers, fake dating

What if you’d rather open an entire love story instead of another chapter?

This Advent collection includes 12 individually sealed short romances from authors including Alexandria Bellefleur, Olivia Dade, Alexis Daria, Sarah Hogle, Rebecca Jenshak, Jessica Joyce and Rebekah Weatherspoon.

The Twelve Days of You
by Ellie K. Wild

Tropes: road trip romance, brother’s rival, forced proximity, holiday romance

Blair is newly single, her business is struggling, and the longtime crush she’s never gotten over is finally coming home for Christmas. She’s determined to get there first and finally win him over, but her only way home is a ride with his brooding older brother West.

West has his own complicated history with Blair and one cross-country holiday road trip to convince her she’s been chasing the wrong brother all along. Now THAT is a twelve-days-of-Christmas setup I want to read.

The Heist Before Christmas
by Lucy Score

Tropes: established couple, romantic mystery, holiday mystery

Riley Thorn and Nick Santiago are back, and this time they’re dealing with holiday mayhem, wedding stress and another mystery to solve.

This isn’t a traditional Christmas romance about a new couple falling in love, but I’m including it for Riley Thorn fans who want some mystery mixed into their holiday reading.

Christmas Valley
by Maisey Yates

Tropes: cowboy romance, small-town romance, holiday romance

Christmas isn’t exactly Holly’s favorite time of year, but returning to Rustler Mountain puts her in the middle of the town’s holiday festivities AND in the path of a brooding cowboy she never expected to fall for.

A Christmas-loving small town, Oregon ranch country and an unexpected romance make this a great pick for readers who want some cowboy charm with their holiday reading.

The Christmas Competition
by Zoe Allison

Tropes: rivals to lovers, neighbors to lovers, small-town romance, holiday romance

Two rival neighbors in the Scottish Highlands go head-to-head in their town’s annual Christmas decorating competition, each determined to create the most over-the-top festive house.

But all that competition starts looking a lot like chemistry. A Scottish Christmas setting plus rival neighbors battling it out over holiday decorations sounds like such a fun seasonal rom-com.

A Crimson Ridge Christmas
by Elliott Rose

Tropes: cowboy romance, holiday romance, small-town romance, forbidden romance

This holiday collection takes us to Crimson Ridge for two interconnected cowboy Christmas romances: Bouquets & Buckles and the brand-new Saddles & Snowfall.

If your ideal Christmas romance includes cowboys, snowy ranches and a bit more heat with your holiday cheer, this gives you two love stories to unwrap in one book.

🎅 How to Pick Your Next Christmas Romance

Not sure where to start? I’ve done the hard work and picked your next holiday romance by vibe:

Not sure where to start? I’ve narrowed it down by what you’re in the mood to read:

Want a holiday rom-com? → Not Home Alone or Christmas Staycation

Want an emotional Christmas romance? → Counting Down to You

Want a Christmas mystery? → It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder

Want grumpy sunshine? → Mistletoe All the Way

Want something darker? → They Know If You’ve Been Bad or Good

📚 More Christmas Romance Books You’ll Love

Looking for even more holiday reading recommendations? Read more here:

• Best Christmas Romance Books
• Best Christmas Novellas
• Best Spicy Christmas Romance Books
• Best Christmas Romance Books on Kindle Unlimited
• Best Historical Christmas Romance Books
• Best Grumpy Sunshine Holiday Romance Books
• Romance Advent Calendar Books

Or browse my complete Holiday Romance Hub for all my seasonal romance recommendations.

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…because life is better with a love story 💕