Best Christmas Romance Books (2026): 5 Picks Compared

The best christmas romance books pair small towns with holiday chaos and end with a happily ever after. We compared five Christmas romances by trope, page count, series position and publication date, using only what each listing publishes.

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The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	The Christmas Tree Farm	9.8/10	Buy on Amazon
2	My Favorite Holidate	9.8/10	Buy on Amazon
3	My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Quinn	9.7/10	Buy on Amazon
4	The Gingerbread Bakery	9.6/10	Buy on Amazon
5	One Day in December by Silver	9.6/10	Buy on Amazon

1

The Christmas Tree Farm

Laurie Gilmore·9.8/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A grumpy x sunshine Christmas romcom, 368 pages, Book 3 of 6 in the Dream Harbor series, readable as a standalone.

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Pros

• 368 pages with a complete HEA arc
• Book 3 of 6 in the Dream Harbor series is stated
• Each book can be read as a standalone is stated

Cons

• October 2024 publication date, the oldest of the full-data picks
• No stated reading age or grade level
• Spicy content, per the listing

2

My Favorite Holidate

Lauren Blakely·9.8/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A fake-dating holiday romance, 384 pages, with a never-before-published short story included.

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Pros

• 384 pages, the longest here
• A never-before-published short story is included
• October 2025 publication date is stated

Cons

• No stated reading age or grade level
• No series information is stated
• Spicy content, per the listing

3

My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Quinn

Meghan Quinn·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

Fits readers who enjoy an enemies-to-lovers Christmas romance, and skips anyone who wants no romance.

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Pros

• A town Christmas contest drives the plot, with the holiday as the setting
• Listed as Book 1 of 3, so the series starting point is clear
• 480 pages from Bloom Books, published October 15, 2024

Cons

• Romance is the core plot, a fake relationship that turns real, so check before buying for a younger reader
• Book 1 of 3, so readers who want the full series will need two more books
• No reading age or grade level is stated on the listing

4

The Gingerbread Bakery

Laurie Gilmore·9.6/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

An enemies-to-lovers Christmas romance, Dream Harbor Book 5 of 6, readable as a standalone.

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Pros

• Dream Harbor Book 5 of 6, standalone, is stated
• Enemies to lovers dynamic is stated
• September 2025 publication date is stated

Cons

• No page count is stated
• No stated reading age or grade level
• Spicy content, per the listing

5

One Day in December by Silver

Josie Silver·9.6/10 Shelf Score

i

The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

Fits readers who want a long love story that starts on a snowy December bus, and skips anyone who wants a short holiday read.

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Pros

• Opens with a snowy December bus meeting, so winter sets the story
• Follows friendship and romance across years, not a single season
• 416 pages, with a publication date of October 16, 2018

Cons

• The Christmas content is limited to one party, with most of the plot spanning years
• Heartbreak and missed chances drive much of the plot, so check it for romance content
• No reading age, grade level or series position is stated on the listing

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More picks to compare

• A Married Little ChristmasThree feel-good novellas, deluxe edition, 272 pagesCheck on Amazon
• The Naughty List Agreement408-page advent romance from Katherine GarberaCheck on Amazon

Compare the picks

Book details as published on each listing, collected 23 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs fit for the reader, contents and edition, and value. None of the listings state a reading age or grade level. How we pick explains the weights.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best christmas romance books

Pick your trope

The Christmas Tree Farm is a grumpy x sunshine story with forced proximity, The Gingerbread Bakery is an enemies-to-lovers story, and My Favorite Holidate is a fake-dating story. See our fiction lists for more romance reads.

Check the series

The Christmas Tree Farm is Dream Harbor Book 3 of 6 and The Gingerbread Bakery is Book 5 of 6; each can be read as a standalone, per the listings. My Favorite Holidate states no series. See our classic romance novels for standalone reads.

Compare the length

My Favorite Holidate states 384 pages, The Christmas Tree Farm states 368 pages, and The Gingerbread Bakery states no page count.

Before you buy

• Check the trope: grumpy x sunshine, enemies to lovers and fake dating are all here.
• Note the series: two are Dream Harbor books that read as standalones.
• Confirm the length: one states 384 pages, one states no page count.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which of these is the longest?

My Favorite Holidate states 384 pages. The Christmas Tree Farm states 368 pages; The Gingerbread Bakery states no page count.

Which are part of a series?

The Christmas Tree Farm is Dream Harbor Book 3 of 6 and The Gingerbread Bakery is Book 5 of 6; each can be read as a standalone, per the listings. My Favorite Holidate states no series.

Which was published most recently?

My Favorite Holidate states October 2025, The Gingerbread Bakery states September 2025, and The Christmas Tree Farm states October 2024.

Still deciding? Our top pickThe Christmas Tree Farm

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Related lists

See every fiction list. Also see our classic romance novels.

More lists: romance graphic novels, historical romance novel, romance novel authors.