Lately I’ve indulged in reading holiday romance–a Christmas present to myself!
Jenny Colgan’s Mure Island series culminates in two delicious books set during Christmas. Though Mure is a fictional location in Scotland based on Highland islands like Orkney and Shetland, it feels so very real and inviting. These novels are quirky, funny, and romantic. NOTE: there’s usually one steamy scene in each book. If that’s not your cup of tea, you’ll see the scenes coming and be able to skip them. No worries!
After October’s gluttony of horror novels, these stories lifted my spirits and put me in a holiday mood. I devoured each one quickly. I venture to say that they were as cheering and cozy as a Hallmark movie, though not quite so twee or formulaic. (Keep in mind, however, that I have a high “twee tolerance” when it comes to Christmas.)
The Cafe by the Sea (known as The Summer Seaside Kitchen in the UK)
The Endless Beach
Christmas on the Island (known as Island Christmas in the UK)
Christmas at the Island Hotel
And just to be thorough, here are additional romantic Christmas recommendations from the ten years I’ve kept this blog :
Winter Solstice, by Rosamund Pilcher
High Rising, by Angela Thirkell (more humorous than romantic but SO GOOD)
No Holly for Miss Quinn (Christmas at Fairacre), by Miss Read
A Christmas Bride & A Christmas Beau, by Mary Balogh (Warning: these get pretty sexy!)
A Holiday by Gaslight, by Mimi Matthews
Christmas Pudding, by Nancy Mitford. Can’t find my blog post about this one, but I’ve read it twice and it is hilarious. More farce than romance, but there’s still some of the latter.
HAPPY HOLIDAY READING!
