Book picks similar to
December Magic by Tracey Mayhew


christmas
romance
contemporary
holidays

Becoming Hank


Maggie M. Lily - 2021
    But, long before parenthood, they were in love.Take a step back in time to meet a young Henry "Trip" Trellis before he met Darla and changed the course of his destiny.Haven't read the Building the Circle series? No worries. This short read will introduce the family and leave you hungry for more!

Silent Night


Natasha Preston - 2014
    Join Cole, Oakley and their family for Christmas day in this 7,000 word short story.

A Perfect Christmas Gift


Lori Wilde - 2019
    Dismayed to find a stray dog who’s just had puppies in the house they’ve rented for the event, Evan calls local vet, Chloe Anderson to bail him out. Chloe is the most charming woman Evan’s met in a very long time, despite her silly Christmas costume and plethora of pet hair on her clothes. He loves her bubbly attitude and bright smiles. But the town is suspicious of Evan and his wily boss, and they warn Chloe that big-city men simply can’t be trusted. As Evan's feelings for Kringle and the adorable veterinarian grow, he finds himself yearning for the most perfect Christmas gift of all…Chloe’s love.

Christmas Carol


Michele Gorman - 2013
    And a very uncomfortable weekendCarol hates Christmas. Being recently dumped, she’s not crazy about weddings either. So her sister Marley’s nuptials, over the Christmas weekend, are making her positively Scrooge-like.When she arrives for the weekend at the stately home in rural Scotland to find her three ex-boyfriends in attendance, Carol comes face-to-face with her past. As the snow falls outside and the fire crackles in the hearth, will Carol get her most wished-for gift?

Christmas Lights


Christine Pisera Naman - 2007
    Christmas Lights, Naman’s first work of fiction, evokes that same warmth and tenderness in stories set during the holiday season and centered on the lives of ordinary women. In separate vignettes, we meet Katherine, who is taking care of her ailing husband; Julianna, juggling with construction paper, scissors, and rubber cement in a room full of high-spirited four-year-olds; Adrianna, struggling with the difficulties of marriage; Cassandra, the busy mother of toddlers; Victoria, searching for a love to call her own; Alexandra, a young woman waiting for word from her doctor about an uncertain diagnosis; and Isabella, discovering the gift of motherhood. The lives of all the women come together in a moving conclusion that perfectly captures the heart and soul of the holiday spirit. Alternately laugh-out-loud funny and poignant, Christmas Lights celebrates the most significant aspects of the season. Small, beautifully designed, and full of festive cheer, it is the ideal gift for anyone longing to rediscover the magic of Christmas.

Secrets and Mistletoe


Julia Jarrett - 2021
    Is she? She’s mother of one of my students and should be off limits. But I can’t seem to stay away from her. Even if we have to keep it a secret at first, our chemistry needs to be explored and under the mistletoe seems the perfect place to do just that.But when things start to get real, I’ve got my work cut out for me proving to Abby and her daughter that this Christmas, we might all get the gift of love.

Miss Christmas


Gigi Garrett - 2015
    She’s the Director of Horticulture at Rockefeller Center, which means she’s in charge of finding the biggest and most perfect Norway spruce and transporting it to Manhattan. When she stumbles upon The Tree of her dreams on an idyllic Massachusetts dairy farm, Miss Christmas—as she’s called—is on seventh heaven. That is, until she meets the farm’s owner, handsome Sam McCary, and discovers he doesn’t share her holiday spirit. Will Holly be able to convince him to share his tree with the world? Or will workaholic Holly learn that sometimes there’s something even more important than tinsel-trapped success? Join Holly and Sam—along with a colorful supporting cast and charming small town—as they discover that Christmas miracles are all around us, if we’re only willing to see them in plain sight. Note: This is an expanded and updated version. There are additional scenes from 2015's edition. It's also hopefully going to be on Hallmark's 2017 movie line-up.

The Kiss Before Midnight


Sophie Pembroke - 2014
    Heading home to Liverpool for Christmas, Molly Mackenzie isn’t just looking forward to the mulled wine and mince pies – she’s got high hopes for who she’ll find under the mistletoe this year!Unable to forget the delicious near miss with her brother’s best friend, Jake, last New Year’s Eve, Molly’s got a new resolution at the top of her list: seduce Jake and get this crazy chemistry out the way before it has serious repercussions on the rest of the Mackenzie family.Only Molly has underestimated the magic of the holiday season… The more stolen moments in the snow that she shares with Jake, the more determined she is to make it a whole lot more than just a kiss before midnight.

The Office Party


Whitney G. - 2020
    I tear the tag off whatever my sister gifts me, add a five-dollar amazon gift card, and hand it off to him.It’s not until my sister sends me a text that I realize how terrible of a decision that was.Georgia: Why haven’t you sent me a 'LOL' about the brand-new vibrator I got you? I really do hope that you use your boss’s face as a muse, like my note says. :-)If that’s not bad enough, this year’s "luxury trip" will be in my hometown--the place I've avoided for years. At the resort that my grandmother owns...If the universe gets me out of this, I will never ‘regift’ anything ever again…

Merry and Bright


Kristen Ashley - 2015
    The story of how Elvira met Malik.

One Winter Night


Heather Tullis - 2016
    The need to sell his grandma's house adds an unexpected complication. It would be easier if his neighbor didn't have all those farm animals. Kaya Feidler's family has owned their land for nearly a hundred years--long before the neighbors were there. There's no way she's giving up the animal therapy business she's been struggling to make profitable. She gets a temp job helping Jonah in the gallery. Spending time together is a recipe for romance, but can they overcome their own hangups to be more than friends?

Chocolate Kisses


Judith Arnold - 1993
    If she succeeds, her catering business, Fantasy Feasts, will flourish. If she fails, she may go bankrupt. But a lot can go wrong in one day: car accidents, spilled dip, crushed cakes...and the distraction posed by Ned Wyatt, sexy bachelor brother of the party’s shrewish hostess. Once he gets a taste of Claudia’s homemade chocolate kisses, he wants Claudia catering only to him.Story originally appeared in the Harlequin Valentine Anthology My Valentine 1993

Romance at the Christmas Tree Lot


Marcia Lynn McClure - 2014
    The fact that this tall, dark, and handsome Christmas tree shopper was at the lot to buy a Christmas tree for his grandparents was endearing enough on its own. But add to it the fact that he’d paid enough attention to his grandma’s Christmas ornaments to know she liked Radko ornaments was just too adorable! When Craig had called her over to help a new customer, Mayvee hadn’t expected to see a guy so classically handsome that he looked like he’d stepped straight out of Hollywood’s Silver Screen era. But at the same time, he was more rugged-looking than any truly manly-man she’d ever seen.

Santa, Baby


Jennifer Crusie - 2006
    You'll believe in Santa all over again with these seductive stories from: JENNIFER CRUSIEMayhem ensues under the mistletoe as a determined shopper grabs the very last hot toy action figure off the shelf, only to find herself plunged into the middle of a real-life spy game--in the arms of a sexy secret agent. . . LORI FOSTERTwo dedicated coworkers with a lot of secrets (and fantasies!) between them must plan a Christmas party side by side--and discover a love worth celebrating--in this steamy office romance. CARLY PHILLIPSA "mistletoe moment" begins when a no-nonsense lawyer intent on seducing her boss meets his twin instead--after giving him a scintillating kiss that leaves him begging for more. . .

The Clumsy Santa


Sue Brown - 2017
     Falling in love with Santa is the last thing Charlie Johnson expects when he takes a holiday job as an elf in Santa’s Grotto. Nick is the shyest and clumsiest man Charlie has ever met, but that’s just part of his charm. Charlie falls for Santa, whilst Santa falls head over heels onto the floor. At least they can laugh together about it! But after several weeks, Charlie starts to despair he will ever be more than Santa’s helper. His holiday job is nearly over, yet Nick hasn’t declared anything more than friendship. Will Charlie ever get his real Christmas wish?