Sometimes, you need to escape from all of the festivities and what better way than through the pages of a good book? So, if you need to take a quick break or two from the gatherings and hustle of the holiday season, here some book recs!
If you want to escape and fa-la-la in love.
Situationship by Marina Adair
Marina Adair blends the fun of falling in love all over again a second chance romance with a thoughtful and heartfelt exploration of the modern family—and where a situationship can lead.
A Ghost in Shining Armor by Therese Beharrie
In this spellbinding romantic comedy from acclaimed author Therese Beharrie, a woman with a supernatural talent is haunted by one persistent spirit—and a seductive, impossible love . . .
In the Event of Love by Courtney Kae
This queer romcom that combines everything people love about Hallmark-style holiday romances with laugh-out-loud humor and a sweet and steamy love story between two women.
The Boxing Baroness by Minerva Spencer
A brilliantly imagined story of romance between an undercover spy and an educated and strong woman in the first of a witty, Regency-set, feminist series exploring the role of women in a rigidly patriarchal society.
Hope Creek by Janet Dailey
Old rivalries, new ventures, and long-lost loves converge when the daughter who once walked away from the dark chaos of her childhood returns to her Lowcountry hometown, hoping to put the past to rest.
A Yuletide Kiss by Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries, and Mary Jo Putney
The reigning legendary queens of Regency Romance, bestselling authors Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries, and Mary Jo Putney, deck the halls with this delightful Christmas collection of three sparkling holiday interconnected romances, as stranded travelers find merriment, mistletoe, and holiday romance awaiting at a quaint country inn
If you prefer a bookish mystery instead of the mystery of what to make for a family gathering.
Murder in Westminster by Vanessa Riley
This first in a vibrant, inclusive historical mystery series from a acclaimed author Vanessa Riley portrays the true diversity of the Regency-era, as an aristocrat whose skin color and notorious family history have left her with few friends she can rely on is named as the prime suspect in a murder case
Steeped in Secrets by Lauren Elliott
Flat broke and divorced, intuitive gemologist Shay Myers has changed since leaving her artsy hometown of coastal Bray Harbor sixteen years ago. But when she moves back under strange circumstances, old instincts may be the only key to spilling the tea on a deadly mystery.
A Trace of Poison by Collen Cambridge
In this captivating English murder mystery from an acclaimed author, Agatha Christie’s housekeeper must uncover the killer amongst a throng of crime writers.
Photo Finished by Christin Brecher
The first in Christin Brecher’s new cozy mystery promises photo taking fun—and satisfying sleuthing—when Liv Spyer, a bright-eyed aspiring young photographer trying to make her dreams come true in New York City must develop her keen eye to solve a murder and save her career!
Murder at the Majestic Hotel by Clara McKenna
Against all expectations in Edwardian England, newly married American heiress Stella Kendrick and British aristocrat Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst are bucking traditions—and investigating murder—on their honeymoon in the latest installment of the Stella & Lyndy Mysteries from acclaimed author Clara McKenna.
A Dark and Snow Night by Sally Goldenbaum
It’s holiday season in the picturesque, coastal town of Sea Harbor, Massachusetts! But in USA Today bestselling author Sally Goldenbaum’s latest Seaside Knitters Society mystery, the knitting club sleuths will have to take a break from crafting cozy Christmas gifts to investigate a murder at the Mayor’s holiday party.
If you need a break and want to prep for some conversation talking points.
The Scandalous Hamiltons by Bill Shaffer
An Alexander Hamilton heir, a beautiful female con artist, an abandoned baby, and the shocking courtroom drama that was splashed across front pages from coast to coast—this is the fascinating true story behind one of the greatest scandals of the Gilded Age
Don Rickles by Michael Seth Starr
In the first-ever biography and in-depth portrait of Don Rickles, New York Post television editor and celebrity biographer Michael Seth Starr delivers a hilarious, moving, and long-overdue look at the real man behind the sting.
A Haunted History of Invisible Women by Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes
From the notorious Lizzie Borden to the innumerable, haunted rooms of Sarah Winchester’s mysterious mansion, this offbeat, insightful, first-ever book of its kind explores the history behind America’s female ghosts, the stereotypes, myths, and paranormal tales that swirl around them, what their stories reveal about us—and why they haunt us.
The Healing Powers of Herbs and Spices by Cal Orey
exploring the many ways fresh herbs in your fridge and dried spices in your kitchen cupboard can provide medicinal powers, home cures, weight loss benefits, beauty treatments, and adventurous flavors and textures to enhance plant-based dishes.
Elizabeth and Monty by Charles Casillo
The critically acclaimed dual biography of the lifelong, platonic “love affair” between Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift.
Tiny Buddha’s Inner Strength Journal by Lori Deschene
Tiny Buddah’s Inner Strength Journal offers exercises, prompts, and challenges to help us strengthen ourselves mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually and feel confident in our capacity to handle even life’s hardest challenges.
If you need some thrills after you’ve been asked the same questions over and over…
Chosen to Die by Lisa Jackson
Lisa Jackson’s chilling, New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel returns to the merciless winters of Grizzly Falls, Montana to pit two of her most fascinating characters—detectives and friends Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli—against a ruthless serial killer determined to make Pescoli his next victim.
The Missing by Lisa Childs
Laden with Gothic atmosphere and brilliantly plotted twists and turns, Halcyon Hall, a former insane asylum-turned-luxury resort on a remote island off the coast of Maine, becomes the setting for a rash of grisly crimes.
One Last Chance by Kat Martin
Kat Martin mixes high-octane adventure with sizzling romance for an explosive thriller featuring a dangerous cult, an ex Green Beret, and a female private investigator who will stop at nothing to rescue her missing sister and unmask the high-stakes conspiracy at the heart of the Children of the Sun
No Strangers Here by Carlene O’Connor
Set in Ireland’s striking, rugged countryside, an Irish veterinarian grapples with life, death, family dynamics, and the secrets at the heart of her small community.
You Can Hide by Rebecca Zanetti
Rebecca Zanetti’s thrilling suspense series follows FBI Special Agent Laurel Snow as she strives to navigate her complicated family life when her newly discovered sociopathic half-sister becomes the target of a dangerous killer.
Secrets by Fern Michaels
Fern Michaels blends mystery and drama in this twisty new Lost and Found novel, as siblings Cullen and Luna set out to uncover the secrets behind a long-lost diary.