If you’re like me, you love reading books about the holidays. There’s something magical about seeing the atmosphere, romance, and warmth on the pages of a book. As the days get colder, there’s nothing quite like curling up with a cute book and relaxing. In honor of the approach holidays, here are five great winter reads, specially selected for those of us in our 20s.
How I Picked the Books
These books weren’t picked deceptively. If they happen in the winter season, particularly around a holiday, they’re here. If they had themes or content related to the holidays, even better. I hope you enjoy!
Great Winter Reads Book #1: Royal Holiday
Jasmine Guillory is one of my favorite authors. Her books are the perfect balance between cute and substantial in the rom com arena. Guillory has a knack for creating strong female leads, and Vivian is no different. If you’ve read any of the other books in Guillory’s The Wedding Date series, you’ll recognize Vivian as previous heroine Maddie’s mom (The Wedding Party). While Vivian had a background role in that book, she is the main character here, and she earns her spotlight.
Vivian follows her stylist daughter Maddie to England. While Maddie is there for a work trip, Vivian wants to enjoy her time and explore. After all, it’s not often that she’s given an opportunity to do so. She quickly meets Malcolm Hudson, the Queen’s private secretary. There’s an instant attraction between the two, which develops further as the story progresses. Of course, both have to weigh professional duties and the fact that their romance is limited by time.
Who it’s for
I know that the plot is about an older divorced mom finding love again. And yes, that does make it a little unrelatable for people our age. But there are so many relatable elements too, and Jasmine Guillory is a pro at bringing life and originality to rom coms. If you want a cute travel read, a British love interest, and a second chance at love, this is for you. If you don’t like the idea of parents having intimate thoughts/scenes, then it’s probably not for you.
Great Winter Reads Book #2: In a Holidaze
Full disclosure: this is one of the only Christina Lauren books that I haven’t read yet. However, I fully intend to change that this year. I’ve been waiting for forever for this to be available from the online library, and for some reason it just keeps not being there. However, like every other Christina Lauren book, it seems super cute and festive.
It begins with our protagonist, Maelyn, who is at a stalemate in life. She hates her job, lives with her parents, just messed things up romantically, and will soon have to say goodbye to her beloved cabin. She and her family have had every holiday in this cabin with two other families, and this is unthinkable for her. As such, she begs the universe to fix it, which sends her into a time loop centered around this.
Like any Hallmark-esque rom com, this centers around finding true love and the holiday spirit. But who doesn’t love that?
Who it’s for
If you like romcoms, Hallmark movies, or anything generally Christmas-y, you’ll like this. Christina Lauren creates (create? What verb do you use if it’s one penname for two authors?) sweet, smile-inducing books that make you feel like everything is right in the world. If you don’t like happy endings and neatly wrapped up romance plots, however, it’s probably not for you.
Great Winter Reads Book #3: The Secret Bridesmaid
I love this book so much that I even took the physical copy with me to Europe last November. For me, that’s a lot of commitment–extra weight in baggage, less space, something I love so much that I will sacrifice room to read it again–and it was worth it. Katy Birchall’s The Secret Bridesmaid is so cute and witty, and you won’t want to put it down.
The premise is this: Sophie has made a business of acting as a bridesmaid at weddings. Brides hire her, then she plans their weddings and pretends she’s known them for forever. She’s a pro at this–so much so that she’s hired for the society wedding of the year. This doesn’t come without its challenges, seeing as the bride is firmly against the idea. The wedding quickly becomes the biggest challenge of Sophie’s career as she finds herself dealing with not only these challenges, but also falling for the bride’s brother.
Who it’s for:
If you love classic rom coms, Pride and Prejudice-type stories, and witty banter, this book is for you. The characters are likeable, the plot is quick, and the writing is fantastic. I genuinely have no complaints about this book. I think the only reason you might not like it would be if you don’t like rom coms. For the rest, it was perfect for people in the 20s–and for anyone else.
I included this on my list of rom coms for college students. Feel free to check it out here if you want similar book recs!
Great Winter Reads Book #4: Valentine Princess
Okay, it’s a little early for Valentine’s Day. And picking something in the middle of a series is a strange choice. But come on–who doesn’t love The Princess Diaries?
When I was in elementary and middle school, I was obsessed with Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries. To tell you the truth, I don’t know if I watched the movie until after I read the books. While it’s the opposite case for most people, I’d recommend going back and re-reading the stories. It’s peak 2000s YA, and honestly pretty nostalgic.
We all know Mia at this point, and Valentine Princess chronicles a point of frustration in Mia’s high school relationship with Michael. It centers primarily around him telling (or not telling) her he loves her and making her feel special on Valentine’s Day. While it makes more sense to read the other books first, I think this is enjoyable for anyone.
Who it’s for
2000s nostalgia. High school relationships. Frustration over young love. This book has it all. If any of the above apply to you, you’ll probably like it. If you don’t like diary-entry books and slightly self-obsessed teenage protagonists, you probably won’t like it.
Great Winter Reads Book #5: Little Women
How could I end without a classic? Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is a Christmas classic, especially for those who have watched either movie iteration of it. This is the story of sisterhood and coming of age in the 1800s. One of my favorite childhood books, The Penderwicks, was even based off of it.
In this story, we have the four sisters: Meg, the beautiful eldest; Jo, the headstrong writer; Beth, the fragile flower; and Amy, the spoiled and artistic youngest daughter. Each girl finds their unique path and identity over the course of the novel, but not without important lessons and heartbreak. While it is certainly more character-driven than plot-driven, this story is a staple in terms of women’s literature and American literature.
Who it’s for
If you like classic literature, coming of age, sisterhood, and cozy reads, this is your book. If you don’t like older writing that can be slow at times, you might want to skip out on this one. While I definitely recommend reading the book first, you can always watch a trailer of the movie here to see if it’s up your alley.
A Final Word
While there are many more great winter reads, including the classic play A Doll’s House and the contemporary romance Kiss Me, Mi Amor, these are five of my favorite holiday-esque selections. From nostalgic to romantic to heart-warming, these five books cover all of the emotions that you want to feel during the winter season. Let me know what other books you like to read during the holidays!
