9 of the Best Christmas Novels to Sleigh Your TBR

Lila Macapagal and her family and friends who frequent the Brew-ha Café are back for a holiday-themed whodunit! In this installment of the series, Lila’s Christmas plans for the café and her family are made complicated when her estranged cousin Ronnie returns home.

Lila does not trust Ronnie, nor his shady business plans. And when he’s accused of murdering one of his investors, her suspicions appear to be proven right. But for the sake of her family, Lila investigates the crime herself.

While taking time off from her day job, event planner Morgan Ross returns to her hometown. It has been seven years since she’s been to Fern Falls, with her memories making it painful to visit her dad or her best friend and first love, Rachel Reed.

But when Rachel’s family Christmas tree farm is in trouble, Morgan uses her event planning skills to start a fundraiser and save it from corporate greed. The longer Rachel and Morgan spend time together, however, the more old feelings reignite.

Co-workers Venus McGee, Draya Carter, and Jackie Benson often commiserate about having to work with their boss Rufus Jackson. But on the night of the company Christmas party, their wishes that he would disappear from their lives are answered in an unexpected way: murder.

When they discover the next day that Rufus was killed, the three must team up to find the real killer. Not for Rufus’s sake, but because they were framed.

Married couple Margery and Clementine have unexpectedly become known for their amateur sleuthing skills in their small English village. Both would prefer a quiet, comfortable life.

But when a music teacher is murdered right before the upcoming school Christmas concert and drama teacher Mrs. Smith is implicated in the crime (falsely, or so she claims), Margery and Clementine are the only hopes of finding the real killer.

When struggling celebrity Bettie Hughes accidentally plays a vinyl of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” backwards, she summons Hall — a personified spirit of the Christmas season. His goal? To help her find joy and cheer as she reconnects with her estranged family over the holidays.

But when Bettie and Hall’s relationship takes a romantic turn, both can’t help but worry about their future together. Because if Bettie feels joyful enough, Hall’s mission will be fulfilled and he’ll return to the realm of holiday spirits.

When baker Gabriel Capras opens a shop next door to her café, Sari Tomas enters a prank war to keep him from stealing her customers. But as Christmas approaches and their banter starts to feel like flirting, Sari realizes she may be falling for Gabriel in this heartwarming, steamy contemporary romance.

To uncover the truth about her sister Faith’s suspicious death, journalist Hope Fisher travels to rural Benediction, Virginia. But after a near-drowning almost takes her life, Hope puts her trust in local Gage Graham as she risks her life to bring her sister’s killer to justice. If you prefer your holiday reads to keep you at the edge of your seat, this romantic suspense is the perfect choice.

I’ve heard this one described as a new adult romance with Schitt’s Creek vibes. When Matthew Prince’s wealthy parents cut him off and send him to live with his grandparents in a small town called Wind River, he feels as though his life is over. But after he signs up to help with a charity gala in the hopes of getting back in his family’s good graces, he unexpectedly falls for local college student Hector Martinez.

After her Aunt Liliana passes away, Lily reluctantly returns to Endgame House. Why? Because now, the games begin. As stipulated in her aunt’s will, Lily and her cousins must solve a series of clues over the 12 days of Christmas to compete for the deed to Endgame House. And if Lily’s suspicions are correct, one of these clues might lead her to uncovering who murdered her mother years ago.