In Sarah Morgan’s humorous romance, The Christmas Escape, Alix finds herself the last-minute caretaker of young Holly. Alix’s friend Christy was originally planning a Christmas visit to Lapland, but has to stay in London with her husband Seb. Alix is more than glad to chaperone the little girl who affectionately calls her “Aunt Alix”, but all of her hopes for a happy vacation vanish when she is told she will be assisted with childcare by Zac, a friend of Seb and the last person Alix would want to travel with. Arriving at the inn run by Christie’s Aunt Robyn, the pair find that their hostess thought them a couple and, to the disappointment of Alix, reserved only a single cabin. An engaging story for the playful banter between the two adults and just enough romance to keep the reader’s attention, The Christmas Escape is a great seasonal read.
If you enjoy Christmas romance or cozy romance in general, try these great seasonal romances.
For a shorter read for fans of cozy romances, the anthology Kissing Santa Claus offers novellas by Donna Kauffman, Jill Shalvis, and Helenkay Dimon. Of the three stories, the best in this reader’s opinion is Bah, Handsome! by Jill Shalvis. Hope O’Brien is the proprietor of a Colorado resort with more debt than guests. Her troubles are multiplied with the appearance of Danny, the accountant of her step-brother Edward. Danny has come with a message from Edward, the Scrooge in this Christmas story who is demanding repayment of the loan he made to Hope. Initially at odds, Danny and Hope soften toward one another. Danny might even be the Christmas miracle she needs to turn around her failing business and ensure her future happiness. Much like Alix and Zac in Morgan’s Lapland Christmas, Danny and Hope prove that love can bloom in the most unlikely of places.
A brush with mortality compels a tough-love businesswoman to gather her estranged family for a Christmas reunion in Scotland, where she teams up with her adorable granddaughter to help her daughters reconcile.
Catherine Pine is hoping her Christmas is a bit more jolly than last year's. That one was her first without her husband, and with her kids and their families absent this year, she's worried. But things change when her good friend invites her on a Christmas cruise to lift her spirits. Suddenly every day is an adventure and she's making a bunch of new friends, including the lovable Sophie Miles. It's like a gift from Santa when Sophie and Catherine meet the charming Dr. Rudy Nichols, a perfect match for hypochondriac Sophie. But he comes with a two-legged lump of coal, his guard-dog daughter. And then there's chocolatier Trevor March, who's also interested in the scrumptious Sophie. Can he convince her that chocolate is the perfect cure for what ails her? Who knows what Santa has in store for these holiday travelers?
In the snowy perfection of Aspen, the White family gathers for youngest daughter Rosie's whirlwind Christmas wedding. First to arrive are the bride's parents, Maggie and Nick. Their daughter's marriage is a milestone they are determined to celebrate wholeheartedly, but they are hiding a huge secret about their own: they are on the brink of divorce. After living apart for the last six months, the last thing they need is to be trapped together in an irresistibly romantic winter wonderland. Rosie's older sister, Katie, is also dreading the wedding. Worried that impulsive, sweet-hearted Rosie is making a mistake, Katie is determined to save her sister from herself! If only the irritatingly good-looking best man, Jordan, would stop interfering with her plans... Bride-to-be Rosie loves her fiancé but is having serious second thoughts. Except everyone has arrived--how can she tell them she's not sure? As the big day gets closer, and emotions run even higher, this is one White family Christmas none of them will ever forget
There's no place like Happily Inc. for the holidays. Wynn Beauchene has a thriving business, a great kid and a mildly embarrassing crush on the guy next door-local cop Garrick McCabe. She's a strong, independent woman who can't help dreaming what-if about a man she barely knows. Until he needs her help Garrick's pregnant daughter will be home for Christmas, and his house needs a woman's touch. Garrick and his little girl were tight once and he's hoping a small-town Christmas will bring her back to him. But thawing his daughter's frosty attitude will take more than a few twinkle lights. Maybe sharing the holiday with Wynn and her son will remind her of the joy of family.
Michelle and Max are not planning on a happy holiday. Their marriage is in shambles and the D word has entered their vocabulary. But now their youngest daughter, Julia, wants everyone to come to her new house in Idaho for Christmas, and she's got the guest room all ready for Mom and Dad. Oh, joy. Their other daughters, Audrey and Shyla, are driving up from California and hoping to meet a sexy rancher for Audrey along the way. What they don't plan on is getting stranded on a ranch when the car breaks down. The ones with the shortest drive are Grandma and Grandpa, also known as Hazel and Warren. It's still a bit of a trek, and Hazel doesn't like the idea of driving all that way in snow, but Warren knows they'll have no problem. They have a reliable car, and snow tires and chains if they need them. They'll be fine. Surprises lie in store for all three sets of intrepid travelers as they set out on three very different adventures, all leading to one memorable family Christmas.
Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there’s a moment of pure magic and then her bus drives away. Certain they’re fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn’t find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they “reunite” at a Christmas party, when her best friend, Sarah, giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It’s Jack, the man from the bus. It would be. What follows for Laurie, Sarah, and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming, and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.
