Get your holiday rom-com fix with this fun new novel from writing duo Christina & Lauren. Maelynn Jones is dreading the holidays this year. She hates her job, messed up her love life, and wishes she could move out of her parents' house. To cap it all off, this is the very last Christmas that she'll spend in her favorite place in the world: a snow Utah retreat that her family shares with two other close families. At least...she thinks it's the last Christmas until she slips on her way out, hits her head, and finds herself repeating the holiday from the beginning again. Now, Mae gets a chance to win back her true love as she finds a way out of this weird time loop. Swoony, funny, full of cheer (and open door).

This baking show-inspired novella is on my list of holiday reads this year and comes highly recommended from a romance-enthusiast friend. Adriana Herrera writes heartfelt, realistic romance; her characters have depth and charm. She also writes amazing food scenes. In this holiday story, pastry chef Kiskeya Burgos is determined to win this year’s Holiday Baking Challenge in Scotland, but sparks fly when she faces off with home-cook Sully Morales. Heads up for open door moments.

I thoroughly enjoyed this slow-burning, sexy, and socially engaged series opener, with cameos from some Reluctant Royals characters, featuring a whip-smart queen and a shy but sexy king. When Shanti Mohapi marries the king of Njaza, he tells her that they're to be married in name only, with no relationship and practically no contact with each other. But when he realizes that he needs to make changes to the fabric of his country, Shanti is the best advisor and partner he could ask for. As they work together to create new beginnings for Njaza, they can't help but fall in love. Cole has a well-deserved reputation for writing intelligent, inclusive novels, and also for writing open door romance, so heads up for several such scenes.

From Leigh: You ever start a debut and think to yourself, “where has this been all my life” and then you get real excited to see where an author’s career goes from there? That is exactly how I felt from the start of this contemporary romance novella. Sam’s first line made me chuckle and then I was swept away into their karaoke experience when their friends don’t show up for their usual night out. But this turns out to be Sam’s gain because it means their only focus is on Lily, another regular who knows how to rock a song and can make a killer dress that suits her fat body perfectly. The way the chemistry built between these two! It’s the perfect lead in for a one night stand and more.