Romance Books Perfect for the Holidays
Happy Holidays
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Happy Holidays 🎄
Written By: Shayne (Bookseller)
Entangled with Fae Series by Tessonja Odette
In order:
Curse of the Wolf King: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling
Heart of the Raven Prince: A Cinderella Retelling
Kiss of the Selkie: A Little Mermaid Retelling
A Taste of Poison: A Snow White Retelling
A Dream So Wicked: A Sleeping Beauty Retelling, Book 5, will be released 06/30/2023
In Curse of the Wolf King, our main character Gemma Bellfleur is captured by King Elliot, the Unseelie King of the Winter Court. Elliot has been cursed so that he is stuck in his human form, which he despises, and he needs Gemma’s help to free himself. The only way to do so is for someone to sacrifice that which they hold most dear of their own free will for him or for him to permanently give up his wolf form, which he refuses to do. They decide that Gemma must teach him the rules of high society so he can secure a bride, but a romance between the two of them hinders their plans.
Are you tired of the fairy tale retellings, like I am? That’s a fair assessment as it seems everyone and their aunt is writing a novel that uses a fairy tale as a jumping-off point. Then they add a twist, whether they tell the story from the villain’s point of view or make the hero into the villain. What sets these books apart is that Tessonja creates an elaborate magical world with interconnected stories that don’t rely very much on the original tales. The main female characters are strong yet flawed.
These novels are stand-alone books, so it’s unnecessary to read the entire series, which includes four books so far.
The world is initially set up in The Fair Isle Trilogy, so if you want to read all the books that she has written within the universe:
The Fair Isle Trilogy:
To Carve a Fae Heart
To Wear a Fae Crown
To Spark a Fae War
Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
Are you trying to find a gift for a special someone in your life for the holiday season? How about a romance novel? We have been expanding our collection, and romance novels are no longer just for women. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams provides a lovely example.
This series is made up of stand-alone books, which means that it isn’t essential to read each of the five books to enjoy one of them, which is standard for a romance series. Each book covers a separate couple among a group of interconnected friends. I enjoy this series because the men read romance novels to improve their relationships, learn to be better human beings, and understand the plights of the modern woman. The novels also have strong female leads and cover heavy topics like toxic masculinity.
In the first book, “the boys,” help the main character, a major league baseball player, desperately try to repair his marriage of three years. They encourage him to read a regency romance to understand better how to communicate with his wife.
If you’re interested in a holiday-specific read, there is a novel in this series called A Very Merry Bromance, which is the fifth book in the series and takes place around Christmas.
A Rake of His Own by A. J. Lancaster**
A Rake of His Own is also a stand-alone that focuses on side characters that made appearances in the first four books of the Starliel Series. To get the full effect of their will-they-won’t-they relationship and all the lovely flirting and awkward sputtering, then reading the first book is encouraged. Furthermore, the fifth book contains some spoilers, obviously.
A Rake of His Own is a gaslamp fantasy and romance, meaning it takes place during the 1800s and contains fae, monarchies, and magical elements. This specific book follows the adventures of Marius and Prince Rakken “Rake” Tempestren. When Rakken appears nude and bloodied in Marius’s dorm room, and a body is found in a campus greenhouse, he is pulled back into the world of the fae. The prince is a rake (a man of immoral character), a rake was found next to the body, Marius is a botanist, and the Prince’s nickname is Rake. Get it? The title works on multiple levels!
This m/m slow-burn romance was one of my favorite books of the year. Marius is a grown man grappling with his sexuality and newfound ability that isolates him from everyone. He is depressed and insecure, and the reader can’t help but want to hug him and tell him everything will be just fine. Rakken hides his trauma under a thick layer of charm and lewd comments and never allows anyone to see his true self. Throughout the book, the two of them are forced together by the mystery they must solve, and watching the two characters break down each others’ walls is emotional yet heart-warming.
**Content Warnings: Mentions of past sexual assault, no scenes in the book
Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
This novel employs a few tropes that romance authors frequently use, including enemies-to-lovers and fake dating. In the case of this novel, the female main character, Catalina, hears that her ex is engaged. In a moment of insanity, she lies to her mother and insists that she has a long-term boyfriend she’s bringing along to her sister’s wedding, which is only a month away. Her mother is ecstatic, and as the novel goes on, Catalina digs herself further and further into the lie. Surprisingly, her co-worker, Aaron, offers to pretend to be her boyfriend, even though they loathe each other. As time progresses, she realizes it’s true, and they end up in Spain together, and romance ensues, with a lot happening in between. And, uh-oh, the one-bed trope makes an awkward and steamy appearance.
If someone were to judge this book by the trope that it employs, they would be missing out on a surprising and enjoyable book. Perhaps tropes are tropes for a reason: because they are enjoyable, at least up to a certain point. The great thing about this book is that it doesn’t strictly stick to the script that a frequent romance reader like me has come to expect. The relationship between the two changes slowly, more realistically than some of the novels. How am I supposed to believe that two people fell in love in a week? The author doesn’t try to sell us that ridiculous idea, and that allows the reader to feel like they’re reading more than a half-written fan fiction where they force two characters together.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
This book is part of a trilogy that covers the love lives of three sisters, called The Brown Sisters, in birth order. The second and third books are as follows.
When Chloe Brown almost gets mowed down by a speeding car, she realizes that her obituary would be incredibly boring. She has been forced to be a hermit because of the chronic pain from her fibromyalgia, which has driven all her friends away and left her scared and lonely. A lover of lists, Chloe decides she needs to write a list to spice up her life and push her boundaries. Little does she know that the spiciest thing is the fit ginger living in her apartment complex. Chloe slowly starts to realize that she likes her men like she likes her sushi: with extra ginger.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown is delightfully quirky, a wonderful trait that continues throughout the trilogy. The characters are unique and hilarious, refusing to fit any of your preconceived notions about women in romance novels, regardless of skin color. If someone in your life is an anglophile and interested in romantic comedies, then look no further.
