Grab a cup of hot cocoa and read these heartwarming Christmas romance books by the light of the tree
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29 Christmas Romance Books to Put You in the Holiday Spirit
Updated on Dec. 13, 2024
On Sale
Kiss Me at Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
For fans of: A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss and The Marriage Sabbatical by Lian DolanÂ
So many holiday romances feature young, perfectly coiffed couples. Sure, there’s the odd single-dad-in-a-small-town trope or the ice-queen-who-never-found-love stereotype, but sometimes I crave a Christmas romance with characters who feel real. That’s what I found in Kiss Me at Christmas. After Harriet, a school counselor, realizes it will be her first Christmas as an empty-nester, she does what she always does: throws herself into work. But when a handful of her charges get in trouble for trespassing, Harriet must pay penance by leading them in a community-service production of A Christmas Carol. If only the lawyer pitted against her wasn’t the same handsome stranger she had a very uncharacteristic one-night stand with just days before. I thought this 2024 Christmas novel read like a warm hug of found family, second chances and sweet holiday magic.
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A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
For fans of:Â Meet Me in Los Feliz by Kelly Reynolds
A Merry Little Meet Cute, published in 2022, is a Christmas novel for readers whose holiday vibe is more “smoke and spice” than “sweet and nice.” Meet Bee Hobbes, a plus-size adult film star just recruited for her first family-friendly feature. A wholesome holiday movie in Christmas Notch, Vermont, sounds like an easy enough gig until her handsome bisexual co-star recognizes her as “Bianca Von Honey.” Can the two keep it clean on set while exploring their hot-and-heavy connection behind the scenes?
“A Merry Little Meet Cute (and the whole Christmas Notch series) by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone is hilarious,” writes Carley Morton, the owner of Under the Cover Romance Bookshop in Kansas City, Missouri. “I love the found family and all the LBGTQ+ representation in this book. This one is perfect for anyone who loves Christmas, puns and a lot of spice.”
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Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
For fans of:Â The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa
Although 2019’s Royal Holiday is the fourth book in Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date romance book series, you can enjoy it as a stand-alone holiday read. Vivian Forest is thrilled when her daughter invites her on a whirlwind Christmas work trip to style one of the British royals. As the tag-along family member, she’s prepared to stay out of the way while exploring as much of London as possible. But then she meets the royals’ private secretary. A little flirtation never hurt anyone, right? Readers who love London, the royals and midlife romance will fall head over heels for this one.
A Home for the Holidays by Taylor Hahn
For fans of: The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood and Maame by Jessica George
I was not ready for the emotional roller coaster that is A Home for the Holidays, which came out in 2024. Not all festive seasons are packaged in glitter and bows, after all. Some holidays are hard. For those years, Taylor Hahn has written us a big-hearted, feel-good novel that handles themes of grief and alcoholism as deftly as it weaves together blossoming romance and found family.
The book begins two weeks before Christmas, when wedding singer Mel Hart learns that her mother has died. In a daze, she agrees to spend Christmas at her mom’s estranged friend Barb’s house. But she’s not the only one escaping home for the holidays. Barb’s son, who’s in the middle of a divorce, also shows up. And that’s when things get interesting.
The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish
For fans of:Â The Lights on Knockbridge Lane by Roan Parrish and Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur
Published in 2022, The Holiday Trap takes on the house-swap trope featured in the flick The Holiday and gives it an LGBTQIA+ facelift. This Christmas, Greta is swapping her small-town life in Maine for the Big Easy, while Truman trades heartbreak in New Orleans for fresh coastal air. Temporarily swapping lives gives them each a chance at new love—but what happens when the holiday ends?
“The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish is a delightful mix of Christmas and Hanukkah, small-town charm, big-city excitement and heartwarming queer love stories,” says Leah Koch, the owner of The Ripped Bodice bookstore, a romance-centric bookshop with locations in Brooklyn, New York, and Culver City, California. “It’s a perfect seasonal escape that continues to enchant readers with its inclusive and festive spirit.”
All I Want Is You by Falon Ballard
For fans of:Â Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Just a few pages into Falon Ballard’s latest, I knew I was in the hands of an expert romance author. All I Want Is You brims with snappy banter, strong sexual tension and a flurry of fun romance tropes: second-chance romance, enemies-to-lovers and, of course, forced proximity (why not?). This is the story of Jessica and Nick, two romance writers who happen to be exes—and who happen to get stuck sharing a room when a snowstorm pummels the festive small-town hotel where they’ve gathered for their publisher’s annual awards party. Will the two be able to maintain their distance to avoid getting hurt again? This sweet-and-spicy holiday read goes down easily, especially when paired with a peppermint hot chocolate in a cozy cafe on a cold December evening.
Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicoll
For fans of: The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park and Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello
I’m a sucker for nostalgic holiday homecoming stories that take place in small towns. In Some Like it Cold, which hit shelves in 2024, Elle McNicol offers a charming, slow-building young adult romance that will thaw the Grinch-iest of hearts. Eighteen-year-old Jasper Montgomery has always struggled to fit in. In Lake Pristine, her neurodivergence has been something to hide, not celebrate. So she decides to spend one last Christmas break in town before bidding it goodbye forever. That means one more holiday spent in the orbit of her angsty high school rival, Arthur Lancaster. One more season of his brooding and banter. But this is a holiday romance, so as the snow falls and Christmas draws near, Jasper realizes there might be more to Arthur’s gruff exterior than meets the eye.
The Christmas Wager by Holly Cassidy
For fans of:Â That Fine Line by Cindy Steel
The Christmas Wager, published in 2023, is one of those Christmas romance books that opens like your favorite Hallmark Christmas movie: Bella is a cutthroat Los Angeles businesswoman who needs to clinch the deal with a Colorado shop owner by Christmas. Jesse is a small-town handyman whose love for the holiday season is matched only by his love for his grandpa, the business owner in question. And he steps in just in time to save his grandpa from signing over his business for a shockingly low price. So the two icy strangers make a deal: They’ll compete in the town’s annual holiday games. Whoever wins gets to set the price. Get ready for a hilarious, wholesome face-off between strangers who have every reason to hate each other—but can’t deny a seed of attraction.
A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss
For fans of:Â The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
When I first started reading this 2023 release, I wasn’t sure why it had been marketed as a romance novel. The book begins as three half-sisters reunite for their father’s funeral one dreary November day. There, the women receive a set of strange instructions to unlock their inheritances in time for the winter solstice.
“Jenny Bayliss is an auto-buy holiday author for me, and A December to Remember absolutely did not disappoint; it gave me all the gloriously warm, cozy December feels I was looking for, and then some!” writes Kate Tamberelli, a literary agent and the co-author of the rom-coms The First Date Prophecy and The Road Trip Rewind. “It’s bursting with sweet, swoony romance, but it’s also a beautiful story about sisters finding their way back home—and back to one another—all wrapped up in some charming solstice magic. I fell in love with the whole town of Rowan Thorp, the kindness, the whimsy, the cheer. I never wanted to leave!”
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Wrapped with a Beau by Lillie Vale
For fans of: Beach Read by Emily Henry and Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
I expected another sweet, wholesome Christmas romance when I got an advance copy of Wrapped with a Beau in early fall 2023. While this small-town enemies-to-lovers story has plenty of sugar, it was also loaded with enough spice to make me blush (or maybe it was just the crackling warmth of the fire?). In the book, Elisha Rowe is a Piney Peaks native determined to make her town famous again by finagling the filming of a sequel to a 50-year-old Christmas classic shot in the house across the street. The only problem? The house was just inherited by city slicker Ves Hollins, who is equally determined to sell the place so he can get back to his life. Of course, sparks fly.
Flying Home for Christmas by Helen Whitaker
For fans of:Â One Night on the Island by Josie Silver
Flying Home for Christmas, published in 2023, begins with one of the sweetest meet-cutes I’ve ever read or witnessed in a romantic Christmas movie or book. It’s Christmas Eve, and a gnarly snowstorm has frozen operations at Portland International Airport. No one’s flying in or out until early Christmas morning. Miraculously, Londoner Thea snags the last hotel room left in the airport region. But when she arrives, the manager miserably tells Thea and a tall, handsome stranger that, thanks to a glitch, the reservation system double-booked them into the same room. Two perfect strangers stuck together on a snowy Christmas Eve: It’s the perfect setup for what turned out to be one of my favorite Christmas romance books on the list.
The Wake-Up Call by Beth O’Leary
For fans of: The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary and Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel by Karen King
This 2023 enemies-to-lovers romance belongs in your stack of festive feel-good books made for the holiday season. The Wake-Up Call will transport you to the front desk of the impossibly cozy Forest Manor Hotel, where Izzy and Lucas must survive the holiday shift together despite her bitterness over being rejected by him the year before. When Izzy finds some wedding rings in the lost-and-found closet, the two compete to be the first to find the rings’ owners—and earn enough reward money to save the hotel. Throw in a little grumpy/sunshine banter and a light mystery subplot, and you’ve got one of the best Christmas romance books for winter vacation.
“Beth O’Leary earned a major fan when I read her 2019 debut, The Flatshare,” writes Reader’s Digest Books Editor Tracey Neithercott. “And while that’s still my favorite of her books, I can say The Wake-Up Call does not disappoint. The romance is fun and funny, and the side characters shine.”
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Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello
For fans of: The Holiday Switch by Tif Marcelo and So, This Is Christmas by Tracy Andreen
Brimming with heart-swelling chemistry and witty bookworm banter, Love in Winter Wonderland, published in 2023, is the story of two college students working at the local Black-owned bookshop, Wonderland. While the two don’t get along initially, the news that their beloved bookstore is in financial trouble gives them sudden and disorienting common ground. As the two race to raise enough money to keep Wonderland open past Christmas Eve, their fledgling friendship develops into deeper feelings of admiration and, yes, maybe even love. It’s a charming young adult book that will give you all the warm fuzzies.
Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle
For fans of:Â Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle
Looking for an escapist read as the holiday season nears? Pick up a copy of Just Like Magic. When it begins, main character Bettie is fretting over how to measure up to her family’s expectations this holiday season. And then she accidentally summons an actual Christmas spirit named Hall. (Yes, as in “deck the halls.”) He’s handsome, sweet and the perfect fake fiance to get Bettie through Christmas.
“This is so over the top, and yet I was laughing the entire way through,” says Neithercott. “It’s a sweet, light escape in the way the best holiday romances always are.” If you’re a fan of fantasy romance but want something grounded in our world for the Christmas season, this ridiculous (and ridiculously hilarious) 2022 read is for you.
One Day in December by Josie Silver
For fans of:Â A Winter in New York by Josie Silver
One day in December, Laurie is minding her own business on the bus home when she locks eyes with a stranger outside. Her world is turned upside-down in just a few seconds—could love at first sight be real? She spends the next year scouring the streets and bus stops nearby for her missed connection. The plot thickens when, a year later, Laurie meets her best friend’s boyfriend at a holiday party. You’ve guessed it: It’s the guy from the bus! Thus begins a yearslong tale of Decembers filled with all the darkness and lightness of friendship and love. Brimming with sentimentality that borders on angst, One Day in December, published in 2018, is the sort of holiday story you’d expect from a comforting Lifetime Christmas movie.
Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley
For fans of: The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
Sure, you could stick strictly to romances that center on Christmas, but why not celebrate all winter holidays at once? That’s what you’ll get with this sweet, swoony and inclusive title. “My favorite Christmas romance book of last year was Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley,” says Christmas romance author Jenny Bayliss, whose books include Kiss Me at Christmas and A December to Remember. “I loved it because, alongside the cute romances that bloomed within the snowy town, there was also a wonderful sense of community, of people surprising one another in the kindest and best ways, of old hurts being forgiven and new friendships forged. It had all the ingredients of a holiday classic, embracing Christmas, Hanukkah and Ramadan for an absolute festive treat. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes their holiday romances sweet and thoughtful, with an extra helping of love, understanding and goodwill to all.”
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Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
For fans of: Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur and The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
Alison Cochrun has made a name for herself as a beloved author queer of love stories. In her 2022 Christmas novel, Kiss Her Once for Me, she takes on the festive season with the tale of Ellie, a down-on-her-luck barista who agrees to marry her boss so that he can claim his inheritance and split it with her. When they travel to meet his family for Christmas, she realizes she’s met his sister, Jack, before. One year ago, on Christmas Eve, the two shared a magical evening that started at a bookstore and ended with a broken promise to meet again. So what will it be: Destroy the ruse for a chance at real love? Or get Jack to stay quiet so Ellie can get the money she desperately needs?
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In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
For fans of: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
I read In a Holidaze, published in 2020, on a cold, rainy weekend that called for a comfort read. The story of two old friends finally getting a chance under the mistletoe, thanks to a Groundhog Day–style time loop, was such a treat. Maelyn Jones is stuck in a rut. She’s living with her parents and hates her job. And she just found out that the cabin where she and family friends have spent every Christmas together since childhood is about to be sold—all before she’s had the guts to tell one of those friends that she’s been in love with him for years. But when a post-Christmas car accident knocks her back a week, she gets to fix a few things. This fast-paced read is a fun blend of a time-travel book and a classic Christmas rom-com.
The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber
For fans of: A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr
No list of Christmas romance books is complete without Debbie Macomber. This prolific author has churned out more than 150 cozy fiction books, several of which have been turned into Hallmark Christmas movies. Her 2022 holiday love story, The Christmas Spirit, focuses on best friends Peter Armstrong and Hank Colfax. Peter is the local pastor, while Hank is the local bartender. When the two decide to swap jobs until Christmas, hilarity, holiday magic and—of course—some holiday romances unfold.
You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky
For fans of: Smitten with You by Annie Gale and You & Me by Tal Bauer
Fancy a small-town holiday fling with Schitt’s Creek vibes? Look no further than Timothy Janovsky’s 2022 Christmas rom-com, You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince. Matthew is young, hot and rich. In other words: spoiled. So he’s predictably pouty after getting stranded in his grandparents’ small town for Christmas. But when he gets the opportunity to leave town early if he takes over the local charity gala, he jumps at the chance. He’ll just have to keep his eye on the prize (freedom!) instead of on Hector Martinez, the impossibly sexy local with an attitude.
“It’s hard to root for a spoiled-brat character, but Timothy Janovsky manages to make Matthew Prince likable,” writes Neithercott. “The story has the best of both Christmas and rom-coms: A festive scene of baking cookies? Check. Enough banter to keep you laughing from start to finish? Double check.” The book is as frothy and sweet as a cup of Christmas eggnog.
The Wishing Bridge by Viola Shipman
For fans of:Â Sweet Tea and Christmas Trees by Rachel Hanna
Big-city dreams and small-town life collide in the latest heart-warmer from bestselling author Viola Shipman. When The Wishing Bridge opens, Henri Wegner has one goal: close a big deal that’ll keep her job secure. All she has to do is convince her parents to sell their Christmas store to a big corporation. But her cutthroat plan starts to crumble as she spends time in her hometown, which isn’t quite as awful as she remembers. This 2023 women’s fiction title has it all: family drama, holiday cheer and a strong emotional heart.
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Two Christmases by Suleena Bibra
For fans of:Â Two Houses by Suleena Bibra and Holidays with the Wongs by Jackie Lau
Would you rather spend the holidays in New York City or the countryside of South Carolina? That’s one of the central questions in this 2022 city-meets-country Christmas love story. Sonia Gupta and Beau Abbot are total opposites. She’s a lively New York art lover. He’s a Southerner in town on business. Despite their differences, sparks fly, and the pair agree to give each other’s favorite holiday setting a shot. But what’s the end game if you fall for a person but not their home? Two Christmases is the perfect holiday romance for Hallmark Christmas fans who crave more diversity (and a little steaminess).
In the Event of Love by Courtney Kae
For fans of:Â Christmas in Mistletoe by Clare Lydon and Christmas Mouse by Rachel Spangler
If a slow-burning sapphic love story between two friends with history sounds like a treat, reach for this 2022 romance. “My absolute favorite holiday romance is In the Event of Love by Courtney Kae,” writes Falon Ballard, author of All I Want Is You and co-host of the podcast Happy to Meet Cute. “Set in the most idyllic small town ever written, it’s a second-chance romance with so much heart, yours will grow three sizes. Plus, it’s as deliciously spicy as a cup of piping-hot cider.”
Curious about the plot? After a professional nightmare lands her in the tabloids, event planner Morgan Ross decides the only way to lick her wounds in peace is to head home for the holidays. Once there, she discovers the Christmas tree farm owned by the family of her childhood best friend, Rachel, is in trouble. She tells herself she can step in if she doesn’t let old feelings for Rachel get in the way. But the most wonderful time of the year sure is ripe for romance…
Amor Actually: A Holiday Romance Anthology edited by Mackenzie Walton
For fans of:Â A Christmas to Remember: An Anthology by Lisa Kleypas, Lorraine Heath, Megan Frampton and Vivienne Lorret
Short stories are easy to squeeze into the gaps of a busy December. You can get a quick hit of festive romance while waiting in the school pickup line or enjoy a satisfying narrative arc in that 30 minutes of reading before bed. Amor Actually is a 2021 holiday anthology with nine love stories from Latinx authors. Each is a happily-ever-after tale taking place on Christmas Eve in New York City. Consider it a holly, jolly version of the Amazon Studios feel-good Modern Love series. Fair warning, readers: Spice level varies by story, so stay alert if you’re not one for steamy romances.
The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park
For fans of: The Holiday Switch by Tia Marcelo
If you love Romeo and Juliet retellings, add The Christmas Clash, published in 2022, to your stack of Christmas romance novels. Between being in different crowds at school and their families owning rival restaurants in the Riverwood Mall food court, Chloe Kwon and Peter Li were never meant to be friends. But then comes the news that the mall is closing. As Chloe and Peter band together to brainstorm how to save Riverwood before the new year, they bond over food, family ties and more than a little flirtation. It’s a sweet, festive love story with strong Asian American representation.
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The Christmas Cafe by Eliza Evans
For fans of: Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
Welcome to Silver Bells, Wisconsin. It’s a town so cozy that the Holiday Channel has sent an all-star cast there to film its next December romance movie. That’s good news for the Christmas Cafe, the town’s happy little hideaway teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Resident baker Sylvie West knows that if she can entice the crew to film a scene inside the cafe, the resulting fame might keep the business from sinking. Getting the attention of lead actor Royce might be a ticket to a different kind of happily-ever-after in the wonderfully festive Christmas Cafe, which was published in 2023.
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Mistletoe in Juneau by Dahlia Rose
For fans of: Wrapped Up in Christmas by Janice Lynn
Mistletoe in Juneau is the kind of wholesome holiday love story you’d see on the Hallmark Channel. It was published by Hallmark Publishing, after all. Meet Danni, a social media influencer escaping to Juneau, Alaska, for Christmas. Her trip is meant to be a temporary break from city life, but meeting the town’s handsome ex-military state trooper might have her second-guessing her life’s trajectory. This 2021 novel is perfect for Debbie Macomber fans who are looking for more diversity in their fiction or who want to read romance books by Black authors.
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A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr
For fans of: The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber
A Virgin River Christmas, Robyn Carr’s fourth installment in the Virgin River book series, is a 2008 stand-alone novel about Marcie Sullivan, a widow who arrives in town to find one of her late husband’s fellow marine combatants. At first, Ian’s gruff exterior intimidates her. But as she pushes her way into his daily life by becoming part of the Virgin River community, he can’t help but take notice. Can two stubborn, wounded hearts help each other learn to trust—maybe even love—again? But of course!
Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander
For fans of:Â You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky
Readers on the hunt for fresh queer rom-coms will want to add this 2023 holiday novel to their must-read list. Meet Eli Ward, a trans man who is fresh off a scandal that threatens to end his career as a TV writer and comedian. After dragging his feet home for the holidays, he runs into his ex-boyfriend, Nick. Nick, who is now divorced. Nick, who is a single father. Nick, who is so much hotter than Eli remembers. They’re both dealing with a lot—Eli, his career; Nick, his daughter—but they just might be the best thing for each other.
“Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander is a queer, kitschy, Florida fever dream of a Christmas book perfect for holiday lovers and seasonal grumps alike,” says Becca Title, owner of Meet Cute Romance Bookshop in San Diego. “It uses the classic holiday romance ‘return to your hometown’ premise perfectly to examine all the ways our relationships change and the even more surprising ways they stay the same. Make your Yuletide gay!”
Other holiday romances to read
Despite the profusion of red and green and Santa themes, we know there’s more to the festive season than Christmas. And that means there are other types of winter holiday romances to read. Check out these happily-ever-afters for settings that involve Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Diwali.
- Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot
- Eight Nights to Win Her Heart by Miri White
- A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli
- The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
- Lighting the Flames by Sarah Wendell
- Kwanzaa by Kismet by Layne Daniels
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At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite books for over 100 years. We’ve worked with bestselling authors including Susan Orlean, Janet Evanovich and Alex Haley, whose Pulitzer Prize–winning Roots grew out of a project funded by and originally published in the magazine. Through Fiction Favorites (formerly Select Editions and Condensed Books), Reader’s Digest has been publishing anthologies of abridged novels for decades. We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in fiction, including James Patterson, Ruth Ware, Kristin Hannah and more. The Reader’s Digest Book Club, helmed by Books Editor Tracey Neithercott, introduces readers to even more of today’s best fiction by upcoming, bestselling and award-winning authors. For this piece on Christmas romance books, Leandra Beabout tapped her experience as a Christmas romance book reader and a longtime journalist who has written dozens of articles about books for Reader’s Digest to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Leah Koch, co-owner of The Ripped Bodice bookstore in Brooklyn, New York, and Culver City, California; email interview, August 2024
- Becca Title, owner of Meet Cute Romance Bookshop in San Diego; email interview, August 2024
- Carley Morton, owner of Under the Cover Romance Bookshop in Kansas City, Missouri, and host of the Smut Stuff podcast; email interview, August 2024
- Kate Tamberelli, literary agent and co-author of The First Date Prophecy and The Road Trip Rewind; email interview, August 2024
- Jenny Bayliss, author of Christmas romance books including A December to Remember and Kiss Me at Christmas; email interview, August 2024
- Falon Ballard, author of All I Want Is You and co-host of the podcast Happy to Meet Cute; email interview, August 2024
