Looking to get into the festive spirit now? sick of waiting to put your decorations up?
Why not start your festive TBR (to be read) pile now to help get you in the mood for Christmas.
We have scoured the internet for some top Festive reads so that you don’t have to
Festive Thriller
In the picturesque village of Kibblesworth, DI Tom Stonem is dreaming of a quiet Christmas alone.
But in the shadow of the Angel of the North, a body lies waiting. The dead man is posed with a child’s Christmas list in his pocket, and the first mysterious item – 1. No angel – is crossed off.
When a second body is found – a woman, stabbed in the abdomen after her work Christmas do – Stonem is convinced there’s a grim connection between the crime scenes and the seemingly innocent list. 2. Red partee dress. Could this be a murderer’s twisted code?
As a blizzard rages in the Tyne & Wear countryside, the body count is snowballing. Can Stonem stop the killer before they get everyone on their Christmas list?
Festive Romance
Every book in the Dream Harbor series can be read as a standalone.
Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good.
Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor taking a break from his life in California. And most importantly, taking a break from his latest run of disastrous dates.
After a run in with Kira in her fields, Ben has no intention of offering to help the grumpy owner set up her tree farm, despite the fact she’s clearly got no idea what she’s doing.
Kira knows she should stop being so stubborn, but her farm is not all cute and cozy like people always show on social media, it’s borderline dangerous with no heating, and she’d rather no one saw it.
But somehow fate finds Ben at Kira’s farm once more, and as Kira watches him swing an axe at the first tree, she finds herself appreciating his strength and questioning why she refused help in the first place…
The Christmas Tree Farm is a spicy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed!
Tropes:
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Small Town
- Forced Proximity
- One Bed
- Second Chance
Historical Romantasy
In the darkness of night, magic awaits…
Nottingham, 1906
Marietta Stelle longs to be a ballerina but, as Christmas draws nearer, her dancing days are numbered – she must marry and take up her place in society in the New Year. But, when a mysterious toymaker, Dr Drosselmeier, purchases a neighbouring townhouse, it heralds the arrival of magic and wonder in Marietta’s life.
After Drosselmeier constructs an elaborate theatrical set for her final ballet performance on Christmas Eve, Marietta discovers it carries a magic all of its own – a magic darker than anyone could imagine.
As the clock chimes midnight, Marietta finds herself transported from her family’s ballroom to a frozen sugar palace, silent with secrets, in a forest of snow-topped fir trees. She must find a way to return home before she’s trapped in Everwood’s enchanting grip forever.
In the darkness of night, magic awaits and you will never forget what you find here…
Tropes:
– Finding the magic of Christmas
– True love
– Festive fun!
Classic fiction
Ebenezer Scrooge was a mean, miserable, bitter old man, until one Christmas Eve changed everything…
‘Bah! Humbug!’
Guided by three ghosts, Scrooge visits his past, present, and what could be to come should he not learn the true meaning behind Christmas.
Festive Thriller series
As the snow begins to fall, the body count begins to climb…
DI James Walker is ready for a quiet family Christmas in the sleepy village of Kirkby Abbey.
But when he opens an early Christmas present left on his doorstep, he soon realises it is no gift. Inside is a gruesome surprise, and a promise – twelve days, twelve murders. Not long after, the first body is found, half frozen in the snow.
As the blizzards descend, panic spreads through the remote Cumbrian village – there’s a killer amongst them, and with eleven more victims to go, anyone could be next….
Can James stop the killer before they strike again?
Queer Romance
Quinn wants to save his bookshop, the last thing he needs is to fall in love…
Hay-on-Wye’s only queer bookshop is always a hive of activity. So when it’s threatened with closure, its owner Quinn Oxford is determined to do whatever it takes to save his beloved shop.
That is until romantic novelist Noah Sage arrives in town. Gorgeous, brooding and clearly unhappy to be there, Noah is the distraction Quinn doesn’t need. Noah has a history with Hay and it’s one he’d rather not face. But when the snow leaves him stranded, he’s left with no choice.
Hay is a small town, meaning Quinn can’t help but bump into Noah wherever he goes. And as the two grow closer together, is it possible that Noah’s feelings towards Hay will thaw? Can Quinn have a real-life romance and save his beloved bookshop? Or will he need a Christmas miracle…
The perfect festive romcom for fans of Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall!
Tropes:
- Small Town
- Forced Proximity
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Bookshop
- Seasonal romance
Murder mystery
Anna’s Christmas Eve To Do List:
1. Wrap the kids’ presents
2. Peel the potatoes
3. Get rid of the dead body?!
Hungover and exhausted after her family’s annual party, all Anna Johnson wants for Christmas is to finish her to-do list and finally sit down with the world’s biggest glass of wine.
But when she stumbles across a dead body in her larder, her plans are well and truly buggered.
A mysterious death in her home really is the last thing she needs, but with her judgemental in-laws arriving in less than twenty-four hours, turning her house into a crime scene is not an option. If she’s going to save Christmas, it’s up to Anna to find out what the hell’s gone on. Oh – and figure out what to do with the body before one of the kids finds it.
And you thought burning the turkey was the worst that could happen…
Rom Com
Cat didn’t think anything could be worse than going back home for Christmas, until she wakes to find Jay, her brother’s best friend—her high school nemesis— casually sipping coffee in the kitchen.
Nothing in Cat’s life is going according to plan. After giving up on her real dream, she settled for a practical psychology degree that she can’t seem to finish. With her final class over (and only an extension for her final paper left hanging over her head) she has no choice but to head home for the holidays.
Now she has to navigate living under her brother’s shadow, helping with the family Christmas shop, and getting over her mental block to write her final college paper all while dealing with Jay breathing down her neck.
It seems nothing short of a Christmas miracle could salvage her holidays. She is in for a week of unexpected revelations and hard truths as she reevaluates everything she thought she knew about herself and her brother’s best friend. Could he possibly be the thing that brings a little jolly to her Christmas break?
This enemies to lovers romantic comedy delivers the Christmas feels with a strong female lead, hilarious hijinks, spicy one bed, all set in a small town back drop.
Share your festive tbr with us
If you have your festive TBR all set or if we’ve inspired you, tag us in your posts on Instagram @bookmarkedbychris that showcase your books to get you in the mood for Christmas
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