Bitchery reader Liz has a seasonal request:
As you know it’s Christmas time here in the U.S. which means there’s
an abundance of Christmas themed romance novels. I, for one, am a
sucker for the Christmas romance. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the
last time I read one I enjoyed. There are new releases, new releases
of old releases, and anthologies (last year I bought one because it
had Jenny Crusie’s name attached. Boy that was a mistake. Her
contribution was the only worthwhile story and it still wasn’t
completely satisfying) (SB Sarah notes: Candy agreed with you) and for many of these I’m not familiar enough
with the author to be sure if their Christmas romance is worth the
price of admission.Therefore my request is for recommendations. What’s the Bitchery’s
favorite Christmas themed romance novel? Bonus points if it involves
contrived situations under mistletoe.
Ok – so bring it on. Are there any worthwhile Christmas romances? Full length or -gasp!- short story anthologies?
In that review I linked to, Candy made a point that romance short stories are really freaking hard to pull off, because it’s such a tiny amount of pages in which to fit the introduction, attraction, conflict, resolution and happy ending. I have a hardback of Christmas short stories published over 10 years ago, featuring short stories by Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught. The McNaught story is a sequel to a longer novel that features an ancillary character from the earlier novel – one way to pull off a short story is to build a lot of the backstory in another full length novel, though that does require two purchases on the part of the reader. That’s not a big deal for a fan, but for someone just walking into the story, it’s annoying.
Deveraux is famous for the “we were meant to be” cliché of “She’s the One if she can tell the twins apart” and using that method in any length story means that one of the two protagonists has to accept that whether he likes it or not, the one who thinks he looks nothing like his identical twin brother is the one he’s meant to be with – even if she’s annoying or just plain crazy. Add Christmas and you’ve got holiday romance! Good holiday romance? Not necessarily, but holiday romance just the same.
So – what’s your recommendation for Christmas-themed romances? Full length or short story – bring it on!
Ooh ooh, I’m first! And I’m going to take the opporunity to shamelessly self-promote my Christmas novella from last year, The Twelve Lies of Christmas, which features a con artist and a cranky British spy. I also have an erotic short, which has one of Santa’s elves being pretty pissed off that his new boss is called Candy Kane and looks like Santa’s Little Stripper.
I do vaguely recall that Deveraux anthiology, although happily, I don’t seem to have it on my shelves.
Mary Balogh has a number of Regency Christmas stories, from the mid-1990s or earlier, that are pretty good. I’ve read Christmas Belle and A Christmas Bride, which is unusual and fairly dark. Her web site has a list of all her books and it’s easy to pick out the Christmas ones; many are in print or in your library.
Marian’s Christmas Wish by Carla Kelly. I reread it every holiday season—hands-down my favorite holiday romance and one of my favorite Regencies of all time.
My favorite Balogh Christmas collection is Under the Mistletoe. They’re all good stories, but every time I read “The Best Gift” I bawl like a baby. And I don’t even celebrate Christmas!
I just finished Christmas Angel by Jo Beverly. It was good. Also, if I remember right, Forbidden Magic was also set in the Christmas season. That one is one of her better books.
I miss the Signet Regency Christmas collections that would come out each year. They always featured top Regency authors like Carla Kelly, Barbara Metzger, Mary Jo Putney, Mary Balogh and were usually grouped around a theme.
I don’t have a copy, but I remember the Christmas Carol themed one as being especially good.
I have to confess I haven’t read Christmas romances though I have read some Valentine’s Day ones. I may have to check out some of the suggestions.
It’s not exactly a romance novel but Tanya Huff’s Second Summoning (Book 2 of the Keeper Chronicles) is freaking awesome. Sex on Christmas Eve produces an anatomically correct Angel an, of course, balance must be kept so an equally but opposite anatomically correct Devil is created. Highly amusing and but I would recommend reading the first book. If you like Terry Pratchett and the Dirk Gently Detective novels, you’ll like this one.
If you’re a fan of SF, you should check out Connie Willis’s Miracle and Other Christmas Stories. Several of them are (low-key) romances, including “Spice Pogrom” and the titular “Miracle.”
Not exactly a Christmas novel, although it’s billed as such, Suzanne Brockmann’s latest release All Through the Night is brilliant. It’s a gentle, intense, completely fulfilling, brilliantly constructed, just plain love story. It takes place over Thanksgiving and just before Christmas, although that doesn’t play a really big part in the story at all.
Oh, yeah, it’s a love story (a sequel, really, to Force of Nature) between two men.
Other than that, my favorite Mary Balogh short of all is “The Wassail Bowl” in A Regency Christmas Feast, 1996, ISBN 0-451-19046-7 (according to her website). I recall reading many of her Christmas novels, too, and most of them were great.
Somehow those Christmas romances always seem to end up being one of those things that sound great at the time & turn out to be “why did I do that”…and yet every year at this time I find myself looking at that section of books at the UBS.
I loved Suzanne Brockmann’s “All Through the Night,” but I’ve been following Jules Cassidy’s story for, what, eight books now?
There are two romance plots (one gay, one straight) and one Troubleshooter-style threat. As usual, she does a superb job of weaving them together and manages not to get too sugary with Robin and Jules’ gay wedding.
I really liked the romance storyline with Robin’s personal assistant Dolphina Patel, a character who showed up in the last book, and a reporter who does a great gray-area -to- hero conversion.
A couple laugh-out-loud moments had me practically hugging the book with glee.
It does contain some of Brockmann’s PFLAG-mom exposition on gay rights issues, which I think needs to be heard. If it annoys you, it’s easy enough to skim over.
It’s a novella, but a long one, so you get your money’s worth. Suzanne is donating the profits to MassEquality Educational Fund, which is fighting to preserve the equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.
(crosses her fingers and hopes someone mentions any one of the WINTER STUDS stories. All three are set at Christmastime and each story follows one brother through the holiday. Ruby Storm, Ruth Kerce and I each wrote one of the three stories and it comes out in print VERY soon!)
🙂
That said, I’m afraid my favorite holiday “romance” will always be Miracle on 34th Street. I’m such a sap!
Diana
For erotic short fiction, I can recommend the just-released Naughty or Nice, edited by Alison Tyler.
I’m watching this thread with interest. I have several favourite Christmas-themed books, but none of them are romances. A sad lack. (Although since someone brought up Pratchett, I will just plug Hogfather.)
Lisa Kleypas has a couple of good Christmas novellas—the first is in “Wish List,” which also features Lisa Cach, Lynsay Sands, Lisa Cach and Claudia Dain. Also “Gift of Love” with Kay Hooper.
That said, those Signet Christmas collections are great and Balogh rocks the teary Christmas vibe like no one else.
There are a couple of (super-short) erotic Christmas stories in A Changeling for All Seasons, but the best is the Kate Douglas “My Valentine” story.
Also, Lori Foster’s Christmas stories in various anthologies are good, I wouldn’t say “great,” but really nice.
Oh God yes, Hogfather. Brilliant.
I think there’s a Dark Hunter short story set at Christmas, included at the end of one of the other books, but I can’t remember which one.
For suspense-romance, I have to put in a good word for Barbara Michael’s “Stitches in Time” – it’s one of my favourites by her. I love it for being funny and involving, and it’s very Christmassy. Unfortunately, I don’t recall any contrived mistletoe situations, so it’ll have to get by on merit alone.
Elizabeth Mansfield wrote ‘A Christmas Kiss’, a Regency romance that has just been re-issued. Barbara Metzger seems to have a short story published every year (Regency again), plus she has done several novels—my favorite is ‘THE CHRISTMAS CARROLLS’ from 1997.
I actually blogged about readers who make the mistake of asking, on any forum prowled by writers, for recommendations. (Foolish mortals!)
Okay, so you’ve been warned. With that in mind, you might want to check out my December 6 Cerridwen Press release, Mrs. Claws (originally issued in 2005 as Mrs. Claws, or The Nightsweats Before Christmas).
It is NOT erotic romance…if that’s what you’re looking for. But it is amusing and touching.
For what it’s worth, I deeply love this offbeat story and its characters.
Christie Ridgway’s Not Another New Years and Must Love Mistletoe are good. Kind of hot, too. She does a very California Christmas, however, so if you want snow instead of surfers, look elsewhere.
I was also going to suggest Not Another New Years and Must Love Mistletoe by Christie Ridgeway…I loved these books when I read them last year. Although the love story of two secondary characters stole the show for me in Not Another New Years. I thought Dez and the brother should have had their own book.
I personally lurve that Devereax/McNaught anthology. There’s two more Christmas anthos that Deveraux did (in a succession of years). Love ‘em all. In fact, it might be time to curl up for a reread.
Third the love for All Through The Night and I also just scarfed up Holidays are Hell by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Vicki Pettersson, and Marjorie M. Liu. I enjoyed three, the fourth I probably would have liked better had I read the author’s related story. Three of the four stories are connected to the author’s series (Liu’s is not). I had not read any of the series and didn’t feel hampered by my lack of knowledge but, if you don’t like jumping in in the middle then this is probably not for you.
Mary Balogh has a number of Regency Christmas stories
Oh, I believe I saw one of her books the other day but had never read her so I was uncertain if it was worth it. I shall look into it.
I miss the Signet Regency Christmas collections that would come out each year.
I seem to remember seeing a bunch of Signet’s at Target yesterday. I don’t know if they’re quite what you’re talking about but they were Christmas stories.
One of my favorite Christmas books is a really old Temptation by Lyn Ellis (Virginia “Gin” Ellis) called CHRISTMAS KNIGHT. I know it’s on my keeper shelf somewhere. I loved that book! I’m going to ahve to try and hunt it down.
Disclaimer: I’m twisted. I really enjoyed Jennifer Crusie’s tale of Christmas snark “Hot Toy” in the Santa Baby anthology.
And ditto on the other stories in Hot Toy.
Other Christmas stories…I know I’ve read a ton of Christmas stories in the past, but I can’t think of anything else off the top of my head!
Only Crusie’s story stands out.
I’ll second the rec for Marian’s Christmas Wish by Carla Kelly. I just finished it and it’s fabulous—might be my favorite Kelly, which is saying a lot.
Ellora’s Cave has three Christmas anthologies in paperback. They are called White, Hot Holidays 1 – 3 and they’re available through Amazon.
Yes, I have a novella in the third one but I really enjoyed all of the stories I’ve read so far. I love holiday-themed stories.
I really loved Eloisa James’s An Affair Before Christmas. It isn’t entirely Christmas-centric, but the story definitely is worth it.
On the other hand, it is the second in her latest ‘series’ so it will probably be hard to understand without reading the first book: Desperate Duchesses
Every time I read the phrase ‘Christmas romance’, my mind goes back to that technicolor-vomit cover the Bitches featured last year where Duncan of the long shoulder dong was snuggling with the heroine in front of an atomic reactor. In fact it’s got so bad that I now use the phrase “he enjoyed her joy” as a sex euphemism.
You bitches have gone too far.
I really loved Eloisa James’s An Affair Before Christmas. It isn’t
entirely Christmas-centric, but the story definitely is worth it.
On the other hand, it is the second in her latest ‘series’ so it will
probably be hard to understand without reading the first book: Desperate
Duchesses
Actually I’m reading that right now and didn’t even realize that it was the 2nd in a series so it’s not too difficult to understand.
Hands down the funniest Christmas romance I ever read was Charlene Teglia’s Yule Be Mine. I originally bought it on Fictionwise, but my bookshelf lists it as No Longer On Sale, so I’m not sure where it might be available. Love that book and I think I’m gonna’ have to go re-read it. Now.
I do believe Signet have released a new Regency anthology.
Harlequin Historicals also has two out—A Western Winterwonderland (Western authors including Cheryl St John,Jenna Kernan and Pam Crooks)and Christmas Wedding Belles (Regency authors including Nicola Cornick and Miranda Jarrett)
And for a spot of shamless self-promotion, the Harlequin Historical December Christmas release is A Christmas Wedding Wager by Michelle Styles—a Victorian Christmas story set in the North East of England with a self made man as the hero…I make no claim for the book except that I really enjoyed writing it. It has a very Christmasy cover.
One Holiday-themed book I really enjoyed was Christmas with Eve by Elda Minger. (published in 1996 by Harlequin Temptation)
The characters are wonderful – smart, reasonable and believable. I loved that Eve was able to stay logical and rational despite her worries. Max is absolutely sexy and so sensitive, but wonderfully take charge in bed. *grin*
Oh man, I was SO excited when I saw someone mention “Christmas Knight” because I didn’t think anyone else on the planet had read it but me – but it’s not the same “Christmas Knight”! There is another book with the same name which I believe is an old Harlequin Temptation book. I can’t remember the author, but I do remember the plot: Christy (Christmas) Knight is a photographer who decides to help her elderly father out by taking a job as Santa’s helper (her Dad Robert plays Santa) and photographer at a local mall, which has recently been opened by a man called Adam (I forget his last name). He’s all very bah humbug about Christmas until he meets Christy, who is about 15 years his junior. They do end up together but not without the usual turmoil. Anyone else know which one I’m talking about? It’s one of my very favourites that I love to reread every Christmas.
Dayle kindly recommended my new collection, Naughty or Nice. Two years ago, Cleis pubbed my first one: Merry Xxxmas. Both books are filled with deliciously decadent erotic stories about the holidays, featuring authors including Saskia Walker, Shanna Germain, Stan Kent, and Rachel Kramer Bussel.
Happy Holidays!
Alison Tyler
http://gotnaughty.blogspot.com
My M-I-L asked us to get her books by Marcia Evanick for Christmas, and one of them is called A BERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS, published in 2004. Dunno if it’s any good, I haven’t read it. That would be bad form since I’m to give the book as a gift. 🙂
I love Nora’s novella—can’t remember the title—of the two little boys (Zack and Zeke?) who want Santa to bring them “The Mom” for Christmas. She’d have yellow hair (I think that’s right) and like boys and dogs and make cookies. Or some such. And so she appears, in the form of the new high school music teacher. I love that story.
Also like Mary Balogh’s Under the Mistletoe anthology. The stories are somewhat similar, so I’d advise reading them one at a time, with a break in between each. Good stories, though. I think she’s SUCH a good writer. My favorite is the one with the estranged couple—the husband shows up at his country house where his wife has been living with her parents. Her mother is dominant and pushy and one of those mothers who keeps their kids down with little criticisms. Like…the mom is always telling the daughter that she can’t run the house…but of course the mother won’t give the daughter a chance to even try, because the mom has to be the boss. I enjoyed the story because I enjoyed seeing the daughter grow a backbone—and enjoyed how the daughter’s husband supported her, even though their relationship was strained.
Mary Jo Putney also has a short story that features Lord Randolph from “The Rake”. He’s the guy who was engaged to Alys back when she was 18 and she overheard him making a snide comment about her to his buddies. It was nice to see him get a happy ending.