Books like The Christmas Love Letters — picked by fans

Christine has a brain injury, which causes her memories to degrade every time she sleeps. She wakes up every morning as a blank slate, and her devoted husband explains who she is and then helps her get through the day. Unbeknownst to him, she starts keeping a journal—and soon realizes that his story about how she was injured is a little different each time.

I'm never in the mood for a thriller with a big twist in the penultimate chapter. I always want one with a big twist at the end of every chapter, and this book absolutely delivers. Is the husband a good guy or a bad guy? I changed my mind a dozen times over the course of this book, expertly manipulated by the author. I read the whole thing aloud to my wife on a long drive, and the time went by in a blink.

This was my first Freida McFadden book, and I was drawn in from the start and though I wasn’t sure how I felt about the narrator (the maid) or the husband and wife who hired her; I love a main character who makes me cringe and that she was the housekeeper privy to the owners’ secrets kept me guessing.

The prologue set me up for an ending that I never saw coming. Is she a housemaid or something else? I read this in one sitting!

I love stories of adventure set in alternative magical worlds and was enchanted by this one. The world building is incredible with a wealth of interesting characters and a riveting plot. The writing is so beautiful and evocative it sang from the pages.

The protagonist of the story is Zarya who has been trained to fight but forbidden to use her magic by her guardian, who has kept her a virtual prisoner by a magical force that won’t allow her to venture far. One day she breaks free and goes in search of the truth of her past and is swept into an adventure with demons, dark magic and romance.

A real escapist read inspired by Indian mythology and culture. It’s the first of a quartet so I can’t wait to read the rest.

I love reading uplifting stories showing how the actions of others can affect our lives, and this emotionally engaging story was a fascinating read.

A dual timeline story, about Mattie and granddaughter Ashlee, it relates how Mattie made an important decision after witnessing Rose Parkes’ refusal to give up her seat. Years later, Ashlee is a young, successful lawyer who also has an important decision to make. She returns to her family home to visit her dying grandmother, Mattie.

As she reads the story her grandmother has written Ashlee realises that it is the real story of her grandmother’s life, and reading it has a big impact on Ashlee’s life and decisions. Beautifully told, with strong, warm characters.

Any and all of Jenny Bayliss’s books can be read at Christmas and leave you feeling just as good as a hot toddy with the perfectly sized slice of spice cake.

Each of her books is a delectable treat and an immersion in the holiday spirit, but Meet Me Under the Mistletoe is my absolute favorite. Probably because I adore the heroine – Elinor Noel, or Nory for short. She owns her own vintage bookshop in London, but grew up in the English countryside.

Her parents’ home was near a posh private school, which Nory received a scholarship to attend. Throughout the years, she’s remained close with her old school chums and now two of them are set to be married just before Christmas in the old castle on the school grounds. 

Isaac has taken over as head gardener for the castle estate. He tormented Nory when they were children,… show more.

A family reading session bathed in the glow of the Christmas tree lights is one of my traditional activities during the Christmas season.

I like this anthology because the selected stories are the perfect length – neither too short to disappoint the older members of the family nor too long to lose the attention of the younger ones. I am also fond of the illustrations which perfectly illustrate the classic stories in a contemporary style, and enthrall young listeners.

I would recommend this collection for any family Christmas gathering.

I love this book because it compiles great Christmas stories by some of America’s finest writers, from Jack London and Edna Ferber to Katherine Anne Porter and John Updike.

I like the substantial emphasis on humor, with stories by Damon Runyon, Dorothy Parker, and Mark Twain, as well as the moving and thoughtful tales of American life the book contains. I like that it is thoroughly American, showing the country from the Wild West to New York and points in between, all landscapes, social classes, and cultures.

A ‘snowed in / only one bed’ classic. Our heroine is on her merry way to meet her half-siblings for a Christmas country house party, until the snow causes her carriage to come a cropper! What is a girl to do but seek shelter at the nearest castle, where a brooding Scottish widower awaits. In true Romancelandia style, the surly Earl of Darkross turns out to be rather a dish, and it isn’t long before her Yuletide journey turns from cold to scorchingly hot. 

This may be a novella, but don’t let its length fool you. It’s packed with Louisa’s trademark wit and snark. Set in Australia, it sees Ethan’s nightmare come to life––forced to go shopping on the busiest day of the year in one of the biggest shopping centers in the country. But can a Christmas miracle come from the chaos? Why, yes, yes it can. You’ll laugh out loud as Ethan and Tyler find their happily ever after.

Gideon Holiday loves Christmas. He’s literally dripping with holiday cheer. Unfortunately, his grumpy next-door neighbor, Paul, the man Gideon is crushing on something fierce, hasn’t a drop of appreciation for the holiday or the accompanying festivities. That holds true until Paul finds out the younger brother he raised plans to visit for the holidays. Just like when they were kids, Paul seeks to give his brother a joyous holiday to make up for the tough times they had when his brother was a kid. But since he knows nothing about getting into the holiday spirit, he’ll need Gideon’s fabulous Christmas powers to make this the best holiday his younger brother has ever had.

This story is filled with humor and heat. While Gideon is teaching Paul how to loosen up and join in on the neighborhood holiday fun, Paul also teaches Gideon that he doesn’t have to be lonely. It’s… show more.