As the sun sets earlier and the air grows colder, December continues to be one of the most wonderful months of the year. Why, you ask? Winter break. A whole two weeks without classes to celebrate the winter holidays, and, for the characters in these novels, find love.

Talk Santa to Me by Linda Urban

Urban’s young adult rom-com features a young woman determined to do everything in her power to stop her nefarious Aunt Carole’s evil plan to change the Hollydale Holiday Shop into a hollywoodized nightmare. Grappling with the loss of her grandfather and her huge crush on the boy who works at the Christmas tree lot next door, Francie puts on her suspenders and tackles the holiday season head on.

While the premise of this novel is straight-up cheesy, it really packs a punch when the author explores the idea of Santa through Francie’s memories of her grandfather. What does Santa do when a child asks for something impossible? Why does it matter if a child does or does not believe? Francie’s budding romance, while important, is not the central focus of the story. If you are looking for a heartfelt story about family, friends, and the true meaning of christmas, this book is just for you.

Loving in a Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello

This upbeat rom-com about a failing London bookshop and two teens who band together to save it is sweet and entertaining. Trey is struggling to balance popularity at school and helping his parents with the bookstore. Artsy Ariel needs to do something special to get a scholarship to  a prestigious arts program, and the failing local bookshop next door might just provide that opportunity. Together they both make mistakes, share their dreams, and eventually fall in love.

I thoroughly enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers dynamic in this rom-com and found the audiobook version especially entertaining. Love in a Winter Wonderland does a good job of exploring the character and emotions of both characters rather than featuring a round character with a flat romantic interest as so many rom-coms do. This book’s British origins means that the author often uses harsher language than readers may be used to in a teen romance, and the readers should be aware that several teens drink alcohol over the course of the novel.

I’m Dreaming of a Wyatt Christmas by Tiffany Schmidt

Noell, an aspiring ballet dancer is not simply having a wonderful Christmas. Her friends don’t seem interested in her Christmas pageantry, her father has gone emotionally MIA, and to top it all off, her plan to escape to rural vermont to babysit two adorable children is getting spoiled by the arrival of their older stepbrother, Wyatt. 

This adorable Christmas romance features adorable five year old escapades, big dreams, and enough moments under the mistletoe to keep you entertained this winter break. I chose to listen to this book as an audiobook found that version of it expressive and entertaining. Noelle’s dreams and problems are big, but I appreciate how the author also explores and validates big moments in the lives of those around her. The banter between Noelle and Wyatt is entertaining, but also bears emotional significance. This book is a brilliant choice for you if you want a fun yet deep read this holiday season!