If you are dreaming of a white Christmas, these three novels of 2020 will provide you one. Each is set in a northern climate that has its fair share of snow, a little bit of humor, a lot of romance and some interesting and extra-special seasonal decorations. (All published in October.)
Author Jenny Colgan can be counted on to provide a really solid story, and the holiday-themed
Christmas at the Island Hotel (Mure #4; William Morrow, Oct. 20) is no exception. You don’t need to read the previous books in the series to enjoy this one, set on the remote Scottish island of Mure, where Flora MacKenzie and her brother Fintan are almost set to open a new hotel in time for Christmas guests. The people who help them bring this about include several islanders, a tattooed and contemptuous French chef, and one young man from Norway, exiled for his bad behavior and the need to grow up. Each character faces personal challenges, and all are stressed by the Christmas preparations. There are some tender moments, some soul-searching, some creativity involving a very special Christmas tradition, and some hilarious episodes including one featuring a kitchen, diners in the new hotel, and Bjark, an oversize and out-of-control dog. This is a heart-warming but unsentimental Christmas story.
New fallen snow, soft homemade sweaters, mince pies, tartan blankets, fairy lights, baubles—these are the elements of a small village English Christmas. While it would be enticing to step into this lovely scene, there are also slippery roads, some slipperier relationships and a few questionable partners in Kate’s
The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss (G.P. Putnam, Oct 13). Kate joins the exclusive holiday dating event which introduces her to men in a cocktail party, an escape room challenge, a gingerbread house contest and nine other Christmas-themed activities, but will any of these men she meets be the one that she can settle down with? The problem is that Kate’s childhood friend, Matt, is dating another woman but keeps cropping up in her life and in her mind. The book’s snowy setting is beautifully described, but for all its loveliness, the author keeps it real with some pretty ticklish situations.
There’s nothing like putting it all out there, and that’s what the residents of Moose Springs, Alaska do in the opening line of Sarah Morgenthaler’s second book in the series,
Mistletoe and Mr. Right (Sourcebooks, Oct. 6). The townies do NOT like Lana Montgomery’s plans for condos near the mountain resort overlooking their town, and they aren’t afraid to say so, but she is prepared to step up and show them how much the little Alaskan community means to her. She and best friend Zoey are prepared to brave northern cold to track down the “Santa Moose” that is destroying the locals’ Christmas decorations. She is also prepared to lend a hand to Rick Harding, a struggling business owner who is the exact opposite to her own confident, savvy and wealthy self. More “rom” than “com,” this does have a couple funny scenes where the attire of the local animals gets out of hand.
These three books will provide an entertaining respite from holiday stresses. Do you look for new holiday books to read each year or do you like to return to old favorites?
Many thanks to the publishers and Edelweiss for advance copies.
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