I admit it - I love Hallmark Christmas movies!
Yeah, they are cheesy. Yeah, they are predictable. Yeah, the story lines are not very original. All of that really doesn't matter, because they always make me feel better and heighten my Christmas spirit.
If you're into Hallmark Christmas movies too, you might have noticed, that they use a steady store of tropes for each of their movies. For this list, I have tried to identify some of these tropes and find books that match them.
Some of the tropes are somewhat generic. Others are super specific. Some books even fit more than one trope. Two things they all have in common, though, are Christmas cheer and a Hallmark-worthy happily ever after.
A single parent struggles to balance parenthood, career and Christmas when true love is added to the mix
Christmas at Holiday House by RaeAnne Thayne
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
When Abby agrees to play nurse for her best friend's grandmother for a couple of weeks, she didn't expect to be roped into planning an elaborate Christmas celebration. And she certainly didn't expect to meet Ethan and feel the things she's starting to feel. This is so not what she or her son, Christopher, needs. But Christmas works in mysterious ways.
This is the perfect feel good story - both Ethan and Abby have challenges, fears and hesitations. But together they learn that none of that matters as long you're surrounded by the right people. Add a little Christmas and it's the perfect Holiday story.
Read it if you like: finding love in unlikely places, single mothers finding love, second chance at love
A Scrooge character, who hates Christmas, meets a Christmas enthusiast and learns the meaning of Christmas and love
Christmas at Fireside Cabins by Jenny Hale
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
A Christmas getaway has been the tradition for Lila and her three friends for years. This year, their trip takes them to Fireside Cabins. But it won't be a trip like all the others. Theo, the silent, brutish coffeeshop owner, stirs something new and scary in Lila. And a sense of home finally finds here were she least expects it.
One of the most pervasive Christmas tropes is that of the non-believer finding love and Christmas cheer. Theo is a straight up non-believer but with Lila he discovers the meaning of Christmas and love. If that doesn't get your Christmas motor running I don't know what will.
Read it if you like: opposites attract, finding your own way in life, wrong first impressions
A small-town business is in trouble as a bigger company threatens to ruin the small-town-charm at Christmastime
Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
In the small town of Pleasant Sands, Angela is struggling to keep her Christmas store going. The competition from the newly opened chain store Christmas Galore isn't helping things. In desperation, Angela decides to write a letter to Santa. Little does she now, that the guy answering her letters is none other than Geoff, the owner of... Christmas Galore.
Hidden identities. Enemies to lovers. Snowball fights. Tree decorations. This book ticks a lot of my Christmas romance boxes. Angela and Geoff get off to a really rough start but it is so heartwarming to see how they are able to find each other in spite of their differences.
Read it if you like: falling in love via letters, Christmas nostalgia, double POV romances
A blast from the past brings romance, holiday cheer and a second chance at love
The Christmas Blanket by Kandi Steiner
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
When a blizzard gets in the way of Eliza's plan to surprise her family for Christmas. She hasn't been home for four years, so being stuck in a snowbank was really not how she imagined spending Christmas. But when she is saved from her stranded car, her Christmas takes a turn for the worse... because her savior is none other than her ex-husband, the very reason why she has been gone for so long...
This novella is really cute! Sure, it's a little short (it's a novella after all) and it's a bit more x-rated than Hallmark usually allows (steamy!), but it still gives a great Christmas vibe. And it has one of my favourite things - second chance at love!
Read it if you like: second chance at love, steamy romance, trapped lovers
A struggling inn gets a new owner at Christmastime
Christmas on Mistletoe Lane by Annie Rains
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
After her grandmother's death, Kaitlyn inherits her B&B in the small town of Sweetwater Springs. Which is fine for Kaitlyn, there's nothing keeping her in New York anymore. Actually, she is quite looking forward to getting out of town. Only... She didn't expect the stipulation in her grandmother's will forcing her to work with the surly ex-marine Mitch. And she certainly didn't expect to be falling for him!
If you're looking for a sweet romance and a wholesome cast of lovable characters, then look no further. Both Kaitlyn and Mitch are characters to fall in love with, but so is the rest of the eclectic town, Sweetwater Spring. I might just keep reading this series!
Read it if you like: lovable characters, making it on your own, facing past mistakes
Opposites attract amidst holiday cheer
The Christmas Letters by Brenna Jacobs
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
While volunteering, Dahlia finds a ten year old letter to Santa that was never answered. The letter strikes a cord and Dahlia decided to finally answer it. She doesn't expect a reply - but she gets one. Slowly, feelings start to bloom. The only thing getting in the way of the perfect holiday romance is that damn paramedic Connor, that she can't get out of her head or her life!
Who would have thought that a letter to Santa could evolve into romance? Not me, but that's exactly what happens here. Dahlia and Connor are complete opposites and the deck is definitely stacked against them. Still, they have a sweet, adorable Christmas romance.
Read it if you like: overcoming differences, nicely paced romance, not too much Christmas
A celebrity wants to escape fame and goes to spend Christmas at a small town
Romance & Christmas Miracles by Sky Corgan
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Kline West is a huge country star, living in New York. This year, however, he is coming to spend Christmas with his estranged father in the small Texas town of Bandera. Aurora is excited to finally meet the famed Kline, whose music she adores! But can the reality live up to her idea of him? And can the rift between him and his father be fixed with a little Christmas magic and Aurora?
The star coming home for Christmas - or going to a small, sleepy town in general to get away from his fans or the press - is such a Hallmark trope. This book is a bit short, but it has the music, the fame and the romance to suit your Christmas desires. Kline and Aurora are so sweet together!
Read it if you like: incognito stars, mistletoe, Christmas music
Christmas magic allows a couple to have a do over on their love
The 12 Christmases of You & Me by Jennifer Joyce
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Two years ago Maisie lost her best friend Jonas. They haven't talked since their big fight. Now, suddenly, a strange magic lets Maisie travel back in time and relive the Christmases of her and Jonas' past. Can she fix their friendship with this unexpected do-over? Or is he lost to her forever?
I adore Christmas magic and magical twists! I think this is one of my favourite Holiday twists and since Hallmark doesn't do this enough (in my humble opinion) it was so great to get this trope in a well-written, funny, romantic and engaging book. You'll find yourself pulled into this story and the relationship between Jonas and Maise.
Read it if you like: Christmas magic, second chances, friends to lovers
Two people strike a bargain and pretend to be dating for Christmas
Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Elle and Darcy did not hit it off on their first date. It pretty much couldn't have gone any worse. Still. There's something to be said for fake dating a person you're not likely to fall for during the Holidays to get your families of your back. Right? This agreement could either go really well or really, really wrong.
This is the novel for you if you wished Hallmark had more queer content. Sure, they're getting there, slowly but steadily. But they've yet to make a movie where the main couple is queer. If you ask me, this book could be a great first LGBTQ holiday romance for Hallmark! Warning! It is a bit more x-rated than Hallmark usually is.
Read it if you like: LGBTQ and queer romance, laugh-out-loud moments, fake dating