Sweet and Spicy Romantic Christmas Novellas
Christmas novellas are a brilliant way to meet your reading goal before the end of the year. Enjoy these fast-paced romances for a single sit-down reading session. Some have spice, some are just sweet!
The holiday season is notoriously busy and if you’re not careful, it can pass you by in a blink leaving you wondering where the warm and fuzzy festive feelings went.
I’ve learned that I need to carve out time for myself to sit by my pretty Christmas tree with a cozy drink and a book but as a busy mom it can be so hard to make that commitment.
Enter these quick-read holiday novellas. These might be the most perfect invention for book lovers ever. All the Christmas vibes and swoony romance I want this time of year with a low-commitment for the time it will take to finish the book.
I paused for several afternoon reading sessions with a cup of cocoa over the course of December and was able to finish most of these novellas in a single reading session each. They definitely made my holiday season more merry!
How I Rate These Books
I personally read each of the novellas on this list. If you’re new to my book reviews, you’ll want to check out how I rate spicy books here and then reference how I give star ratings to books here.
This is a lighter version of my full book reviews since the novellas are so short. I usually give more detailed thoughts in my longer book reviews here.
Not all the books on the list are spicy, so there should be a little something for everyone on the list below.
My Favorite Christmas Novellas
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spicy Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Open Door
Liked: The backstories and swoony feelings
Disliked: Nothing, it was a perfect quick read.
SUMMARY:
For two former childhood friends, a blustery winter storm stirs some frosty—and scorching—memories in a delightfully sexy short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.
All newly minted pediatrician Jamie Malek wants is to borrow a roasting pan for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, that requires her to interact with Marc—her best friend’s troublemaking brother, who’s now a tech billionaire. He’s the one who got away. She’s the one who broke his heart. Outside, a howling blizzard. Inside, a crackling fire. Suddenly, being snowbound with the man she never expected to see again might not be such a bad way to spend a winter’s night.
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spicy Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Open Door
Liked: Excellent balance of romance to spice
Disliked: Nothing, loved every moment.
SUMMARY:
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, especially for a comic book illustrator whose late-night naughty fantasies become real in a festive and spicy short story by bestselling author Alexis Daria.
All Evie Cruz wants for Christmas is a nap. And maybe some ornaments for her naked Christmas tree. And while she’s making a list, she wouldn’t mind unwrapping her sexy upstairs neighbor like a present. Luckily, the building’s Santa-themed party and a surprise sprig of mistletoe give her just the opening she needs to make all her wishes come true.
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spicy Rating: 🚫 None
Liked: Typical Mary Kay Andrews (fun banter, interesting characters, a bit of intrigue).
Disliked: MKA is at her best with longer format books, this one went too fast.
SUMMARY:
Tilly Farriday isn’t feeling very jolly this season. Recently divorced and broke, she’s squatting in one of her rental agency’s properties until her new home is ready. The sprinkles on top of the burnt Christmas cookie that is her life? The new owner shows up early, forcing Tilly to hide in the attic to save her job…and what remains of her dignity.
George Holloway is here to sell his granduncle’s house—and to reconsider whether he and his fiancée are right for each other. Amid home repairs, George notices strange noises and missing food, but as much as he gets his rental agent on the phone, Tilly dodges every invitation to meet. He’s sure that someone’s here with him, and it’s certainly not the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, or Future.
As Tilly and George circle each other, they both wonder where their lives are headed and if, maybe, meeting each other is just the Christmas miracle they need.
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spicy Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Open Door, Plot to Spice ratio is low compared to others on this list
Liked: New-to-me author, I'll be reading more of her work.
Disliked: The jump to the spice felt a little jarring. I'm guessing her longer books have better lead in.
SUMMARY:
A single mother working in a thrift store. A gentle giant farmer who can’t find jeans that fit. When opposites attract, they find themselves making alterations in more ways than one in this smoking-hot short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey.
Evie Crowe is starting over in a strange town with her newborn, and men are the furthest thing from her mind. If only the quiet, hulking farmer, Luke Ward, would stop coming into the thrift shop and piquing her reluctant interest. Evie wants to stay single all the way—she can’t trust anything more than friends-with-holiday-benefits. But Luke is in it for the long haul. He’s fixed on making this a Christmas Evie will remember forever. If she gives him a chance.
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spicy Rating: 🌶️ Light innuendo
Liked: The magical whimsy and Scottish setting.
Disliked: The insta-love trope.
SUMMARY:
Maren Kelly and her friend Penny may be lost in the Scottish Highlands, yes. They may be caught in the blizzard of the century, sure. But despite their dire straits, Maren is going to honor her ailing mother’s wish for them to experience all the magic, mystery, and whimsy Scotland has to offer, even if she freezes to death trying. When they’re rescued by the dashing Duncan Campbell, who seems like he walked straight out of the seventeenth century, Maren is more than a wee bit bewildered.
Their shelter is Duncan’s castle in Highglen, a captivating village that feels somehow familiar…as does the laird himself. Brimming with holiday cheer and friendly, boisterous family members, Highglen is a safe haven in the frigid winter storm. Maybe it’s the carolers and the warm hearth—or Duncan’s comforting brogue and stolen kisses—but Maren feels as though she’s come home. And in Duncan, she may have found her long-awaited soulmate.
But is this a miracle that could last a lifetime?
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