Living in Dubai means December looks a little different for all of us in the desert. No snowstorms, no frost on the windows, and definitely no need for three layers of knitwear to go for a hot girl walk. And while we love our Dubai winters, sometimes we get a bit of Christmassy FOMO.

If you’re looking for the perfect Christmas romance books to give you all of the wintery, snowy, Christmass feels during the holidays, these books will deliver all the festive vibes ❄️

Even better? Many of the best holiday romances are novellas, which means they’re short, sweet, and easy to inhale in one or two sittings—perfect for the lazy days between Christmas and New Year’s when time feels like a social construct and all you want is to curl up with a good story (preferably one involving mistletoe and a grumpy hero).

Here are 12 Christmas romance reads you should definitely add to your December TBR list!

1. How My Neighbor Stole Christmas - Meghan Quinn

2. Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal - Meghan Quinn

**Rivals-to-Lovers • Small-Town Comedy • Holiday Hijinks**

Atlas “Max” Maxheimer already has his hands full trying to keep his family’s Christmas tree farm from collapsing, but things truly go off the rails when a rogue bottle of soda knocks him out cold—and straight into the path of Betty, the town’s newest (and most suspiciously cheerful) resident. She’s helping her uncle open a rival tree farm *right next door*, which means Max is convinced she’s the villain in his holiday story. Betty, meanwhile, thinks Max is dramatic, grumpy, and extremely bad at minding his own business.
What follows is pure festive chaos: blizzards, PR disasters, attempted grand gestures that absolutely should’ve stayed as drafts, and a stolen ornament with emotional damage of its own. As their rivalry spirals into chemistry neither can deny, this small-town feud becomes a laugh-out-loud, heart-squeezing journey from enemies to something a lot more complicated—and much more swoonworthy.

3. Good Spirits – B.K. Borison

4. Can I Tell You Something — Holly June Smith

**Brother’s Best Friend • Secret Identity • Spicy Audio Creator MMC**

Hannah can’t wait for Christmas at her family’s snowy chalet: cozy meals, ski days… and sneaking off to listen to her favorite audio-erotica creator, the faceless voice she’s hopelessly obsessed with.
Meanwhile, Cameron plans to spend the holidays alone recording content—until his best friend drags him home for Christmas and drops him right into Hannah’s orbit. The shock? The woman he’s been unknowingly turning on for months is his best friend’s little sister.
What follows is an adorable, flustered, high-chemistry holiday romance about fantasy colliding with reality, and two people realizing the voice they’ve been craving belongs to someone standing right in front of them.

5. See You Next Winter — Holly June Smith

**Second Chance • Holiday Friends-with-Benefits • Snowy Alpine Romance**

For years, Kayla and Ryan have shared a Christmas tradition: two snowy weeks together in their favorite Alpine village, exchanging presents, secrets, and increasingly irresistible chemistry. Their “festive friends-with-benefits” pact always ended on the same terms—no strings, no promises, goodbye until next year.
But then Ryan stopped coming. No explanation. No closure. And Kayla has spent winters trying (and failing) to forget him.
Now Ryan is back, determined to finally face the feelings he ran from. The nostalgic spark between them roars back to life, but this time they aren’t teenagers stealing kisses on ski lifts—they’re adults who might finally be brave enough to build something lasting.
A cozy, snowy, heart-refreshing second-chance romance for readers who love longing, soft intimacy, and winter wonderland vibes.

6. Tis’ the Season for Revenge — Morgan Elizabeth

**Revenge Glow-Up • Grumpy/Sunshine • Age Gap**

Abbie spent four years molding herself into the perfect partner for her uptight lawyer boyfriend—only for him to dump her on Halloween while she’s wearing a Playboy bunny costume. Fueled by heartbreak, tequila, and her ride-or-die group chat, she decides on the ultimate revenge: date his powerful, devastatingly hot boss.
Damien Martinez is everything Richard wasn’t—confident, grounded, kind behind his grumpy exterior—and he’s instantly taken by Abbie’s newfound sparkle. What starts as a plan to get Abbie invited to the firm’s prestigious Christmas party turns into genuine connection, affection, and the kind of chemistry that makes revenge the least interesting part of the story.
Fun, fierce, and empowering, this romance gives us a heroine reclaiming herself, a hero who adores her for it, and a holiday season full of glow-ups and second chances.

7. The Plight Before Christmas — Kate Stewart

**Second Chance • Snowed-In Family Chaos • Emotional Slow Burn Heat**

Whitney’s December is already a disaster: a breakup, a broken toe, and a promotion she deserved but didn’t get. All she wants is a quiet, booze-soaked escape at her grandparents' cabin. Instead, she gets ambushed by the one man she swore off forever—her ex, Eli, the heartbreak hurricane who blew her world apart nearly twenty years ago.
Forced into a week of cozy family Christmas traditions, lingering tension, and painfully familiar chemistry, Whitney does everything she can to keep her guard up… until one mistletoe kiss, one too-strong cup of eggnog, and one very bad decision turn the holiday nostalgic in all the wrong (and right) ways.
Emotional, messy, funny, and full of unresolved passion, this second-chance romance shows what happens when the ghost of Christmas past walks back into your life and lights you up all over again.

8. The Christmas Fix — Lucy Score

**Small Town • Grumpy/Chaos-Sunshine • Single Dad Romance**

When Cat King arrives in the struggling holiday town of Merry, Connecticut, she’s determined to save their beloved Christmas festival and revive the local economy. Enter Noah Yates: a sexy, stoic single dad and the town’s overworked, under-impressed contractor who wants absolutely nothing to do with Christmas—or with Cat’s big ideas.
Sparks fly fast as their clashing personalities collide: Cat brings chaos and charm everywhere she goes, while Noah is straight lines, schedules, and tightly guarded emotions. But as they spend the season rebuilding Merry together, the grumpy contractor and the unstoppable optimist discover that the biggest renovation happening is the one in their hearts.
A small-town, slow-burn romance full of holiday lights, community spirit, and swoonworthy chemistry.

9. Forever Never — Lucy Score

**Childhood Friends to Lovers • Found Family • Emotional Slow Burn**

When Brick Callan rescues Remi Ford from a life-threatening situation, he becomes her fierce protector—something he’s been quietly doing since childhood. Remi returns to the snow-dusted island of Mackinac to heal, hide, and rebuild her life, only to find that the town she once loved feels both comforting and complicated. Especially when Brick is involved.
Brick has always been the strong, silent type: loyal, steady, a man who shoulders everyone else’s burdens without question. But with Remi back, old feelings resurface—stronger, deeper, impossible to ignore. As the two navigate trauma, found family, and a web of secrets, they discover that home isn’t just a place. It might be a person.
Cozy, emotional, and beautifully character-driven, this is a winter romance full of vulnerability, devotion, and slow-burn intensity.

10. My December Darling — Lauren Asher

**Grumpy/Sunshine • Best Friend’s Ex • Small-Town Holiday Romance**

Catalina’s December was supposed to be simple: show up as maid of honor for her sister’s winter wedding—even if her sister is marrying *her ex*. What she didn’t expect was to be thrust into close proximity with Luke Darling, the best man, her ex-boyfriend’s best friend… and the man she’s been trying very hard not to be attracted to.
Luke has spent years keeping his distance from Catalina out of loyalty, but now that she’s back in Lake Wisteria—fiery, funny, stubborn as ever—he can’t ignore the connection between them. He knows dating her would break every rule he’s lived by… and he wants her anyway.
A sweet, charming, grumpy-meets-golden holiday romance about taking risks, healing old wounds, and finally choosing the person who feels like home.

11. Hostile for the Holidays — Erin Hawkins

**Enemies-to-Lovers • Fake Dating • Holiday Redemption Arc**

Getting sick on a flight home is bad. Getting sick on a flight *next to your childhood rival* is worse. When Jasper Jensen swoops in to take care of her—and then promptly learns she needs a fake boyfriend to dodge an old flame—he seizes the opportunity with a smirk.
In exchange, she agrees to attend his family’s over-the-top Christmas Eve party to get his matchmaking relatives off his back. What follows is a holiday season full of reluctant bonding, emotional surprises, tender acts she never saw coming, and the slow unraveling of everything she thought she knew about Jasper.
Between wedding chaos, family drama, and stolen moments lit by Christmas lights, enemies become allies… and something more.
Cute, funny, heartfelt, and full of slow-growing tension that pays off beautifully.

12. A Merry Little Meet Cute — Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone

**Rom-Com • Plus-Size FMC • Celebrity x Co-Star Forbidden Romance**

Bee Hobbes—aka Bianca Von Honey—is a confident, plus-size adult film star whose career takes a wild turn when she’s unexpectedly cast in a wholesome, family-friendly Christmas movie. The catch? Absolutely no one on set can know her real job.
Things get even more complicated when she discovers her co-star is Nolan Shaw, former boy-band heartthrob, fallen-from-grace celebrity… and longtime crush. Oh—and he just so happens to recognize Bee from her ClosedDoors account.
Between secret hookups, PR landmines, intrusive reporters, and the sugary-sweet town of Christmas Notch, Bee and Nolan must keep their off-screen chemistry hidden or risk blowing both of their careers to bits.
A hilarious, body-positive, sex-positive rom-com filled with banter, swoons, and the joy of being fully seen and loved.

If you’re anything like us and your reading mood swings like the weather, don’t worry, we’ve got you. This list keeps things cozy and contemporary, but if you’re craving something spicier, darker, or a little more monstrous, make sure to check out the rest of the Secret Pages Society holiday lineup:

→ 12 Days of Steamy Christmas Romance Books to Heat Up Your Holidays
→ 12 Days Of Monsters Under The Mistletoe: Paranormal & Creature Christmas Romances
→ 12 Days Of Dark Christmas Romance Books: The Dark (Romance) Side of December

There's a holiday romance for everyone, so hopefully you find some good picks to add to your reading list!

May your December TBR be merry, bright, and just a little bit feral.

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12 Days Of Christmas Romance Books for your December TBR