The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan

THE SECRET CHRISTMAS LIBRARY by Jenny Colgan has such a beautiful, festive cover that I was immediately drawn to it. Other readers in my book group have recommended titles by her, too, and this was a wonderful cozy holiday read with a great setting – castle in Scotland filled with hundreds, no, thousands, of books. The castle is home to Jamie McKinnon, a kind, young (and attractive) laird who is trying to save the estate. His plan is to find a special book which his puzzle-loving grandfather apparently hid before his death. As a result, Jaime invites experienced “book hunters” Mirren Sutherland and Theo Palliser (attracted to each other in a past adventure) to join him in the quest. Jaime’s sister, Esme, turns up as well, joining the group and housekeeper Bonnie as they each contribute to solving a rather involved riddle. I loved the description of the snow-bound, chilly castle and couldn’t wait to get under the covers and read each night. THE SECRET CHRISTMAS LIBRARY, which the author calls a “fairy tale of sorts,” is that as well as a fun mystery with a touch of romance. Enjoy!

A Ferry Merry Christmas by Debbie Macomber

A FERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS by Debbie Macomber is a wonderful addition to her collection of gentle romance and holiday stories. In this newly published novel, she introduces Avery and Harrison who meet on a ferry in the middle of Puget Sound. Instead of a quick ride, however, they are stranded for hours due to mechanical issues with the boat. Readers meet other passengers like James, an expectant father anxious to get to his very pregnant wife, and Virginia, an older women estranged from her twin sister. There’s also Beth and Olivia, a mother/young daughter on their way to see Santa Claus. It’s not really a spoiler alert to say that Macomber seems to sprinkle the ferry riders (and even some relatives waiting on land) with romantic pixie dust amidst a delightful holiday spirit. Short (272 pages) and sweet, A FERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS is a perfect holiday read, especially for Macomber’s many fans (over 200 million copies of her books are in print worldwide).

Snow Kissed by RaeAnne Thayne

SNOW KISSED by best-selling author RaeAnne Thayne is a sweet romance filled with the spirit of the Christmas season. Hard-working proprietor of a flower shop, Holly(!) is a single Mom to five-year-old Lydia who has special needs. Shortly before the holidays she meets Ryan, a military helicopter pilot and brother to one of her employees. As they say, “sparks fly” and their mutual attraction grows quickly even though he will have to return to his base in San Diego. There’s drama with an ex-husband and extended family, but the real focus of the story is how Holly and Ryan come to care for and respect each other. This is a terrific holiday tale (set in small town Idaho so plenty of seasonal snow) and will certainly appeal to Thayne’s many fans as well as readers of authors like Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, Fern Michaels, Nora Roberts, and Susan Wiggs.

My Beloved by Jan Karon

MY BELOVED by best-selling author Jan Karon is book fifteen in the Mitford series featuring Father Tim Kavanaugh and his many parishioners in a small town in North Carolina. It was refreshing to return to Father Tim’s simple truths (I understand. Thank you. I'm sorry. Love you.) and the endearing cast of characters who make up his friends and extended family. They always seem ready for a challenge – whether it is running a bookstore or rehabbing a derelict building. I especially enjoyed the scenes with (former mayor) Esther and Ray Cunningham as they get ready to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. And then there is the mystery of the disappearing love letter – will it be found/returned in time for Christmas? In between, Karon sprinkles observations (“They say you fall because you're old. You do no such thing. You fall because you're not payin’ attention.”) and mini-homilies (“That's one of the things friends are for - to listen to our repeat stories.”). Jan Karon puts her heart into these books and of MY BELOVED, written after her daughter’s death, she says, “The characters are essentially the same, but the author is different. In MY BELOVED, I opened up like I hadn't done since Candace's diagnosis. Opening up can be scary but I didn't run - I surrendered. … I was laughing, hard. And crying, hard. And I knew I was home.”

The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily

THE TWELVE DAYS OF DASH & LILY by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares) is meant to be a romantic holiday interlude. Dash is his charming self, if a bit troubled by Lily’s withdrawal… and poor Lily: her grandfather has had numerous health problems and she has lost her ability to appreciate the wonder of Christmas. I missed Lily’s joie de vivre while admiring Dash’s willingness to be there for her. Still, the dialogue here is entertaining and the characters (especially after watching Netflix’s Dash & Lily) seem like family. The issues deepen, too, as these teens mature and learn more about themselves, each other, and their relationship. Readers will be rooting for them and, like me, looking forward to the next book in the series: Dash & Lily Mind the Gap.

Christmas by the Book by Anne Marie Ryan

CHRISTMAS BY THE BOOK by Anne Marie Ryan is exactly what the title and cover imply – a feel good story filled with Christmas and books. The setting is a small village named Stowford nestled in the Cotswolds where bookstore owners Nora and Simon are facing financial difficulties and the prospect of closing their store. They decide to deliver six books to cheer up other residents and, of course, there are unintended consequences as their gifts help an out-of-work Shakespearean actor, a single dad, a retired teacher, and more. Pure escape and not very demanding (except for the fairly large cast of village residents), CHRISTMAS BY THE BOOK is a delightful, hope-filled, holiday read.

Christmas Themed mysteries

These Christmas themed mysteries offer a light, quiet diversion and chance to send part of the holidays with favorite characters. 

CHRISTMAS SWEETS by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, Leslie Meier is another collection of three novellas by prolific mystery writers: The twelve desserts of Christmas; Nightmare on Elf Street and The Christmas thief, respectively.   Fluke’s story takes place at a boarding school where a few students are spending the holidays with two romantically inclined teachers. Hannah Swenson, of course, makes an appearance along with several holiday recipes. Levine’s nightmare story involves a murdered Santa with one of his elves as a key suspect.  And, Meier transports Lucy Stone from Tinker’s Cove, Maine to Florida where her own daughter is embroiled in a puzzling theft. Familiar characters and the holiday theme (plus some great recipes!) make this a fun read – cozy up by the fire and enjoy! 3.5 stars

CHRISTMAS CARD MURDER by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, Peggy Ehrhart was just recently published and contains a collection of three stories by these authors: Christmas Card Murder; Death of a Christmas Carol; and Death of a Christmas Card Crafter. As I often do (guilty pleasure), I enjoyed escaping reality for a bit with the Lucy Stone story which involved a threatening message on an old Christmas card found during a house renovation. Frankly, though, I gave up in the midst of Death of a Christmas Carol after a human character “barked” for about the tenth time; who says that?  Ratings on amazon and GoodReads are more positive for this set of stories so maybe I missed a clever play on words instead of the editor missing a chance to improve the writing? 2.5 stars

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRITS ON TRADD STREET by Karen White is a blend of mystery, history, and romance with a dash of paranormal spirits.  Technically part of a series set in Charleston and featuring Melanie Trenholm, this title can be read alone. Disturbed by some construction, the spirits are related to a long ago spy ring. Melanie deals with their attempts at messaging as well as current day rivals, business concerns, and holiday entertaining obligations. A light and undemanding, entertaining read.  3.0 stars