Book picks similar to
Merry Mistletoe by Emma Davies


christmas
christmas-reads
romance
contemporary

It Must Have Been the Mistletoe


Judy Astley - 2014
    even though they are, in fact, about to split up. Thea herself is newly single - her sister and brother are both settled, with children, homes and a future. But Thea's boyfriend has ditched her in favour of his pedigree dogs, and Thea can't decide whether or not she minds.There will be copious food and drink, holly and mistletoe, lots of bracing walks and a wintry barbecue on the beach. If it seems an odd way to celebrate the final break-up of a marriage and the Moving On to new partners, no- one is saying so. But then no-one had anticipated that the new partners might actually turn up to complicate the sleeping arrangements.As Cornwall experiences the biggest snowstorm in living memory, the festive atmosphere comes under some strain. Will Thea manage to find some happiness for herself? Will the mistletoe work its magic on them all?

The Christmas Shoes


Donna VanLiere - 2001
    But if you open your eyes, and watch carefully, you will believe....Robert is a successful attorney who has everything in life-and nothing at all. Focused on professional achievement and material rewards, Robert is on the brink of losing his marriage. He has lost sight of his wife, Kate, their two daughters, and ultimately himself. Eight year old Nathan has a beloved mother, Maggie, whom he is losing to cancer. But Nathan and his family are building a simple yet full life, and struggling to hold onto every moment they have together. A chance meeting on Christmas Eve brings Robert and Nathan together-he is shopping for a family he hardly knows and Nathan is shopping for a mother he is soon to lose. In this one encounter, their lives are forever altered as Robert learns an important lesson: sometimes the smallest things can make all the difference. The Christmas Shoes is a universal story of the deeper meaning of serendipity, a tale of our shared humanity, and of how a power greater than ourselves can shape, and even save, our lives.

Summer at 23 The Strand


Linda Mitchelmore - 2018
    It’s a small act of kindness that starts a magical tradition all summer long…A delightfully uplifting holiday read, perfect for fans of Lilly Bartlett, Tilly Tennant and Eve Devon.

The Xmas Factor


Annie Sanders - 2006
    Beth: it's only September and already she has performance anxiety. Not surprising when she has agreed to lay on the annual Christmas Eve village bash - the piece de resistance of her husband's former wife - not to mention having to host Christmas for his difficult offspring. New to this frenzied build-up to the festivities, Beth begins to lose sight of what it all means. To her the Christmas lights are looking more like the headlamps of an oncoming train. Carol: glamorous magazine editor, who put her aspirational Christmas issue to bed sometime in July and is so involved in finding a scoop to save her ailing magazine that she fails to notice the impending festive rush. Panicked and wracked with guilt, she is determined to make it a picture perfect time for her little boy and, opting for convenience, books a lovely-sounding cottage in a quaint village. Even the best laid plans have a habit of unravelling - and no plan at all is a recipe for disaster. So when these two Christmases collide, it looks like it's going to be anything but goodwill towards men...

Christmas at the Little Cottage by the Sea


Rachel Griffiths - 2019
     Driving around unfamiliar country lanes, while enduring the scorn of her teenage daughter, wasn’t how Pippa Hardy thought she’d start the Christmas holidays, but her sat nav seems to be more confused than she is. Joe Roberts has had a difficult year following the loss of his mother. Added to this, he’s trying to run his own business while dealing with pressure from his sister about when he’ll finish renovating their mother’s house. So when his best friend, Luke Hardy, invites him to a remote Welsh cottage to join his family for Christmas, it seems like the break he needs. Christmas at a cottage by the sea sounds appealing, but sometimes having all the people you care about together in one place can be a festive recipe for disaster – especially when unexpected guests arrive. As snow falls, carols play and Pippa and Joe face the ghosts of Christmas past under the mistletoe, they realise that there might actually be more than festive magic sparkling between them. What readers are saying about Rachel Griffiths: ‘a gorgeous story that has a wonderful charm and a lovely uplifting vibe’ – Rae Reads ‘It has a gorgeous feel-good theme running through it and you can sense the story is written from the heart.’ – Adele ‘I just adored every part of it and I have already become attached to the characters. Perfection.’ – Jessica’s Book Biz ‘Such a lovely story with gorgeous characters to fall in love with too! I didn’t want it to end!’ – J.A. Dunham ‘In this book, winter has definitely arrived, Christmas is looming, a romance might just be blossoming and a face from the past is causing emotions to run high.’ – Stacey, Whispering Stories, Goodreads reviewer ‘The thing I love most about Rachel's style of writing, is that it's just such an easy read and her novels always leave you feeling happy and in a better mood. It's an easy escape into a different world and I love it.’ – Stacey, thecosiestcorner.blogspot.com ‘Fantastic smooth writing, a good storyline and a dollop of magic in the air makes this a terrific read.’ – Grace J. Reviewer Lady, Goodreads reviewer

It Started With A Kiss


Miranda Dickinson - 2011
    What would you do to find the one that got away? As the singer in a wedding band, Romily Parker has seen her fair share of happy endings, even though her own love life isn't quite as simple. On the last Saturday before Christmas, (shortly after disastrously declaring her love for best friend Charlie), Romily has a brief encounter with a handsome stranger whose heart-stopping kiss changes everything. Determined to find him again, Romily embarks on a yearlong quest, helped (and sometimes hindered) by enthusiastic Uncle Dudley, cake-making Auntie Mags and flamboyant Wren. Will she find the man of her dreams? Or could true love be closer than she thinks? The ONLY book that you'll want to curl up with this winter -- perfect for fans of Jill Mansell and Sophie Kinsella.

Home with My Sisters


Mary Carter - 2016
    As children, the Garland sisters seemed to fit together as seamlessly as their names. Banding together helped them survive their free-spirited parents, who moved from place to place and whim to whim, until their father took off for good. But as the girls grew up, they became virtual strangers.   This Christmas, they intend to spend the holidays in their usual way: far apart. But their ailing grandmother wants her girls around her once more, and Hope, always the peacemaker, convinces her reluctant sisters to travel to Leavenworth, Washington. Hope is immediately charmed by the unique setting, modeled on a Bavarian village, and by her grandmother’s handsome, mysterious neighbor. Still, there’s scant trace of celebration within the Garland family. Joy’s main motivation for visiting is to secure start-up funds for a coffee shop. Faith, oblivious to her children’s unhappiness, is waiting until the holidays are over to announce that her marriage is over and she has a new love. With a festive schedule of candy-cane martinis, hot tubs, and snowball fights, Hope tries to expose and heal old resentments, but moving forward as a family will take more than a little seasonal goodwill.   Against a stunning winter backdrop, Mary Carter brings rare insight to the deep and complicated nature of sisterhood—a bond that endures far beyond childhood, and can always bring us home again.

Winter Solstice


Rosamunde Pilcher - 2000
    Gradually she settled into the comfortable familiarity of village life -- shopkeepers knowing her tastes, neighbors calling her by name -- still she finds herself lonely.Oscar Blundell gave up his life as a musician in order to marry Gloria. They have a beautiful daughter, Francesca, and it is only because of their little girl that Oscar views his sacrificed career as worthwhile.Carrie returns from Australia at the end of an ill-fated affair with a married man to find her mother and aunt sharing a home and squabbling endlessly. With Christmas approaching, Carrie agrees to look after her aunt's awkward and quiet teenage daughter, Lucy, so that her mother might enjoy a romantic fling in America.Sam Howard is trying to pull his life back together after his wife has left him for another. He is without home and without roots, all he has is his job. Business takes him to northern Scotland, where he falls in love with the lush, craggy landscape and set his sights on a house.It is the strange rippling effects of a tragedy that will bring these five characters together in a large, neglected estate house near the Scottish fishing town of Creagan.It is in this house, on the shortest day of the year, that the lives of five people will come together and be forever changed. Rosamunde Pilcher's long-awaited return to the page will warm the hearts of readers both old and new. Winter Solstice is a novel of love, loyalty and rebirth.

The City Baker's Guide to Country Living


Louise Miller - 2016
    But the getaway turns into something more lasting when Margaret Hurley, the cantankerous, sweater-set-wearing owner of the Sugar Maple Inn, offers Livvy a job. Broke and knowing that her days at the club are numbered, Livvy accepts.Livvy moves with her larger-than-life, uberenthusiastic dog, Salty, into a sugarhouse on the inn’s property and begins creating her mouthwatering desserts for the residents of Guthrie. She soon uncovers the real reason she has been hired—to help Margaret reclaim the inn’s blue ribbon status at the annual county fair apple pie contest.With the joys of a fragrant kitchen, the sound of banjos and fiddles being tuned in a barn, and the crisp scent of the orchard just outside the front door, Livvy soon finds herself immersed in small town life. And when she meets Martin McCracken, the Guthrie native who has returned from Seattle to tend his ailing father, Livvy comes to understand that she may not be as alone in this world as she once thought.But then another new arrival takes the community by surprise, and Livvy must decide whether to do what she does best and flee—or stay and finally discover what it means to belong. Olivia Rawlings may finally find out that the life you want may not be the one you expected—it could be even better.

Christmas at Fox Farm


Helen Pollard - 2021
    Robins dart across frosty hedgerows and holly bushes are covered with ruby-red berries. But this year they will need an extra pinch of festive magic to keep Christmas alive…Living at Fox Farm, with its cosy café, beautiful pottery studio and charming gift shop, is a dream come true for thirty-one-year-old Daisy. The kindly owner, Jean, and the close-knit village feel like the home and family Daisy has never had. She’s been looking forward to her first magical Christmas in the countryside.When Jean suddenly falls ill, Daisy is the first to lend a hand. She ropes in Alex – Jean’s handsome but stubborn nephew – to help her. When the pair discover the farm is almost bankrupt, it seems like the annual Christmas celebrations will be cancelled. Alex and Daisy need a plan, and quickly, if they are to pull off Christmas against the odds and save Fox Farm.From the get-go Daisy and Alex cannot agree on anything, from the mince pie recipe to the colour scheme for the tree. Soon, however, in true Christmas spirit, they find themselves coming together in the face of decorating disasters, tripping over each other at the holiday barn dance and tracking down a missing Santa Claus.But when Daisy discovers the secret Alex is keeping about the future of Jean’s farm, will she run from the only place that has ever felt like home? Or will she find a way to save Christmas and the farm, and open her heart to a new beginning for her and Alex?Grab a mug of hot chocolate and a mince pie (or two!) and lose yourself in this utterly charming and romantic holiday tale that proves home is where the heart is. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Heidi Swain and Holly Martin, this is the book that will make your Christmas!

One Christmas in Paris


Mandy Baggot - 2016
    The Eiffel Tower glitters gold and the scent of spiced wine is all around, but all Ava can think about is Leo, her no-good, cheating ex. Debs is on a mission to make Ava smile again, and as they tour the Christmas markets, watch lamplight glittering on the river Seine, and eat their body weight in pain-au-chocolat, Ava remembers there’s more to life than men ... Until they cross paths with handsome, mysterious photographer Julien with his French accent and hazelnut eyes that seem to see right inside her. Ava can’t ignore the intense chemistry between them, but her fingers have been burned before and she can’t forget it, especially when her ex, Leo, starts texting again. Can Ava really trust Julien – and what exactly is his secret? Will Ava go home with a broken heart, or will she find true love amongst the cobbled streets of Paris? Join Ava and Julien in the most romantic city in the world this Christmas, as they discover the importance of being true to themselves, and learn how to follow their hearts. One Christmas in Paris is a gorgeous, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy – perfect for fans of Jane Costello, Miranda Dickinson and Lucy Diamond. What people are saying about Mandy Baggot’s books: ‘I adored every single second … goes straight to the "My Favourites" shelf and is going to stay there FOR EVER … 10 stars out of 5.’ On My Bookshelf ‘I LOVED THIS BOOK … it's warm, sweet, romantic, likeable, cosy - just the perfect book to curl up on the couch in front of an open fire with. Gorgeous.’ Behind Green Eyes ‘If you love Christmas, and are looking for a book that will fit with absolute perfection, this is the book for you. I really loved it … so many laugh-out-loud moments … will have you laughing at the memory long after you've put the book down.’ Being Anne Reading ‘Leaves you with a lovely warm glow in your heart and a tear in your eye.’ Sincerely Book Angels ‘If I had to pick five Christmas themed novels to give to my friends this year I have to tell you that One Wish in Manhattan would be in that bundle. What an amazing, Christmas magical story this is … I simply adored One Wish in Manhattan.’ Keeper Bookshelf

Sex, Snow & Mistletoe (A Short Story)


Laura Barnard - 2015
    Forced to attend some snotty bitch's wedding is not the way to start out the holidays. But when a car crash pushes her into the path of a handsome stranger she's glad to follow his snowy, sexy and seductive path. But is he too good to be true? And will she make it to the wedding before her best friend loses her mind with worry? Please note this is a short story of 10k words

A Cornish Christmas Reunion


Laura Briggs - 2018
    But with her husband Matt temporarily teaching on the other side of the Pond and their baby to care for, it's all Julianne can do to focus on the festivities--and she's not the only one. Her friend and former assistant Kitty has a quandary of her own to solve, Pippa has an unruly child demanding sweets, and even visiting Dinah's gingerbread biscuits can't fully cheer them as the holiday grows near. And as the weather threatens to cancel overseas flights, Julianne can't help but worry that her much-anticipated Christmas plans with Matt are in jeopardy. Will it be a Christmas to remember at Cliffs House? Will dangerous winter weather keep Matt from returning home in time for the holidays? And is Julianne and Matt's baby as adorable as everyone imagined? These answers and more await readers new and old in one more visit to Julie's beloved Rosemoor Cottage and seaside manor of Cliffs House.

A Very Lucky Christmas


Lilac Mills - 2018
    can they? Christmas is meant to be the happiest time of year so why is absolutely everything going wrong for Daisy? Reeling from a bad breakup, moving back in with her parents and hounded by trouble at work she really shouldn’t be surprised when things go from bad to worse..and she ends up in A&E!Her great-grandmother persuaded her to plant a silver sixpence in the Christmas pud for luck but choking on the coin isn’t the ‘change’ she’d wished for. Yet when dashing Dr Noah Hartley saves the day things finally start to look up. With Christmas Day just around the corner Daisy’s determined to make her own luck...and hopefully bag herself a dishy doc in the process! A heart-warming christmas romance perfect for fans of Holly Martin, Debbie Johnson and Daisy James What readers are saying about A Very Lucky Christmas:"This book!!! I laughed so hard and loved these characters!" Reader review"This is a perfect Christmas read!" Reader review"This fun Christmas romance has it all" Reader review"This book is hilarious and the perfect Christmas season read" Reader review"It’s a fun and festive romance with some bite, perfect for Christmas" Reader review"A delight of a book... I couldn’t put it down. Absolutely hilarious... a relaxing read - but hard to get away from." Reader review"Great festive read." Reader review"I was so drawn into the storylines and the characters... Funny, full of laughs and... heart-warming." The Cosiest Corner"I really enjoyed this book... It was lovely to curl up on the sofa on a really wet day and forget about the world outside. I would definitely recommend this book." Reader review

Small Town Christmas


Magdalena Scott - 2014
     With his dad's death, the work of the family Christmas tree farm has fallen to Jim Standish. But how can he hold everything together for the sake of his grieving family, when his own secrets are pulling him apart? When a new tragedy puts Melissa and her son in closer contact with the Standish family, ignoring the past is no longer an option. Everyone involved will have to move forward--but how? This is a wholesome, heartwarming story about second chances: facing difficulties of the past and not only moving on, but becoming stronger because of them. It's about "coincidences" in life that may be more than that. A sweet little boy, and a delightful touch of Christmas magic make Small Town Christmas a story that ends on a sigh!