This YA book is at the top of my list this year.
It is so much more than a romance.

Kristy Woodson Harvery does it again!
She makes it on my favorite list each year.
She just knows how to write a story that captures my attention.

Dorothea Benton Frank wrote an amazing story.
I listened to this and it made me feel like I was there.

This is a book I just didn’t want to put down.

I hope your reading this year has been amazing.

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Christmas
Source: St. Martin’s Press ( Netgalley )

Goodreads:  From Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Homewreckers and The Santa Suit, comes a novella celebrating love and the warm, glittering charm of the holiday season.

When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family,

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

Filled with family ties, both rekindled and new, and sparkling with Christmas magic, Bright Lights, Big Christmas delivers everything Mary Kay Andrews fans adore, all tied up in a hilarious, romantic gem of a novel.

Ope’s Opinion: This story was great from beginning to the end. It was a clean, wonderful romance that happened so naturally. There were several side characters that added so much to the story. 

It was such a good read for the crazy busy days leading up to Christmas. It felt cozy and easy to read each time I was in need to a quiet moment. 

Mary Kay Andrews is really good at giving me the Christmas feeling. 

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christmas
Source: Thomas Nelson ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: Like walking onto the set of your favorite Hallmark Christmas movie, Mistletoe Season invites readers to fall in love alongside three couples, featuring old flames, opposites attract, and even a royal romance.

Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts

Mistletoe is Hailey Fairchild’s kryptonite. Every time she’s kissed someone under the mistletoe it’s led to love disaster. Not a good thing for a romance writer! When she was a gawky high school girl, her hunky neighbor, Carwyn Davies, star of the basketball team (and her dreams), kissed her under the mistletoe on a dare. But the kiss wasn’t a dream come true. It was a mortifying moment she’s never forgotten, and now she’s about to go home for the holidays, unengaged and . . . determined to say no to mistletoe. Especially if Carwyn is anywhere around.

Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller

Emmy Banks has always loved Christmas. How could she not when she lives in Mistletoe, Missouri? Kieran O’Neill has spent years abroad, renovating an old Irish castle, but returns to Mistletoe for his mother’s seventieth birthday. He reconnects with Emmy, his sister’s close friend, and spends time with her in her charming antique shop. When the weather turns colder, things start to warm up between Emmy and Kieran. But can Emmy risk her heart when she knows he’ll never stay in Mistletoe and she’ll never leave?

The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham

Prince Arran St. Clare has lost his freedom and fairytale life in exchange for a three-month “punishment” in the small town of Ransom, North Carolina. To prove he is ready for the royal life for which he was born, Arran must engage in the Christmas charity fundraiser, The Mistletoe Wish. But when kindness, authenticity, and hard work prove more appreciated in Appalachia than a royal pedigree, Arran must face the mirror and find out who he is beyond the crown. Add a beautiful and intelligent woman who doesn’t recognize her own worth, some mistletoe, and a little Christmas magic, and it all might be enough to help the rebel-prince understand what truly matters most.

Ope’s Opinion: I listened to this book. I didn’t really enjoy the Scottish accent. It felt fake to me. The last short story felt monotone and at a slow choppy pace. I do in general like short stories during the busy the holiday season.

The third story was my favorite in spite of the narrators voice. I also enjoyed the clean romances each of them wrote about.

Publisher: Griffin
Genre: Christmas
Source: Griffin ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: Anita Hughes’s Christmas at the Lake is a heartwarming holiday romance set in a charming Christmas village on the shores Lake Tahoe.

On Christmas Eve, just hours before their wedding, Rebecca Huntley is left at the altar by Ben Cole, her college sweetheart and fellow co-founder of the hugely successful dating app, Dealbreakers. He’s fallen in love with the app’s head of legal, and they are going to leave for three weeks in St. Bart’s.

Rebecca is shocked but a small part of her isn’t surprised. Dealbreakers matches potential couples by the things they hated, instead of what they had in common. Lately, she and Ben seem to have less and less in common. He craves the trappings of success, while Rebecca enjoys simple things.

Rebecca decides to go on their honeymoon to the cozy Christmas Cove Inn in the charming small town of Christmas Cove on the shores of Lake Tahoe. There, Rebecca runs into an old college friend, Zach Mason, who had always had a crush on Rebecca. Through a misunderstanding, Zach believes Rebecca is married to Ben, and Rebecca believes Zach is in a relationship with a sophisticated older woman, when really, he is a waiter at the hotel.

As Christmas week unfolds, will the two learn the truth about each other and then be open for a second chance at love? Or will they begin the new year with broken hearts?

People are complicated. Everyone has positive attributes as well as faults – but none are dealbreakers when you’re really in love.

Ope’s Opinion: This was an entertaining read. It actually had three romances in one story. The main story was a contemporary romance, the other two were in the past. It was enjoyable to see how the three came together.

In this book, things were repeated – you were there when something happened, then a character would tell someone else and the whole thing was repeated. This happened over and over again.

I loved the setting and the description of the snow falling on the lake and little town. All of that made me feel like getting in the holiday spirit.

Publisher: Miranda Liasson, LLC
Genre: Christmas
Source: Miranda Liasson, LLC ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: She invented Mr. Right…just in time for the holidays.

Every tangled web starts with one tiny white lie. The kind you spin when you’re desperate.

One day I, Mia D’Angelo, third-year pediatric resident, was telling my mom that I’d finally met the perfect guy. Gushing about how amazing he was. And how happy I was.

It was all true. Until my “perfect guy” turned out to be my co-worker and my only competitor for a spot in the best practice in town…and then suddenly I was dumped…again. But I kept going with the stories, to get her through a very tough time.

My mom’s health crisis ended, and just when I thought things had settled down, my family wanted to meet my wonderful boyfriend for Christmas.

So I asked (okay, begged) just about every male I knew under forty, except for Dr. Braxton Hughes.

Don’t get me wrong. I could always count on him in a pinch. At work, that is.

Brax is an amazing pediatrician, but he would never fit the bill as a boyfriend. Maybe in looks. And charm. And his big heart. The problem is that he’s the biggest commitment-phobe this side of the Mississippi.

He’s the kind of guy I would definitely never take home for Christmas. There’d be no kissin’ under the mistletoe, no canoodling under the tree—because my heart could not survive falling for him again.

My car is packed and I’m down to no one, when magically, there he is, duffle in hand, melt-me smile on his face.

Oh, joy.

Keeping it professional is going to be a whole lot harder than I thought. Especially when he charms my parents, my whole family, and even my dog.

And Dr. Wrong…well, he’s suddenly looking awfully right.

Ope’s Opinion: This is exactly what I needed to get into the holiday spirit. It was a very Hallmark kind of story with characters you want to be happy together. I really liked that there was not too angst and only a little too many steamy scenes. The steamy scenes were not too detailed.

Each of the main characters had careers. Each of them also had some things in their past they needed to work through. It was good to see them bring out the best in each other.

Of course it ended the way you wanted it to. There was an epilogue that allowed you to see where they are now.

Publisher: Revell
Genre: Christmas
Source: Revell ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: Whitney Garrett is preparing to enter culinary school in the spring, but first she has to sell enough homemade pies at the local Christmas markets to pay her tuition. When her oven breaks, Whitney asks Marie Sloan, proprietor of the Red Door Inn, if she can use the inn’s kitchen to keep up with her orders. Marie agrees, with a Whitney has to watch the three Sloan children and cook breakfasts for the Red Door in return.

The inn is busy with holiday guests–including Aretha Franklin Sloan’s perpetually single nephew Daniel and Ruby, a businesswoman in town to purchase Aretha’s antiques store. Intent on making a Christmas match for the two, Aretha enlists Whitney’s help in her schemes. But the deeper Whitney gets, the more she realizes that Ruby is definitely not the right woman for Daniel–and the more she thinks that she just might be his perfect match.

Cuddle up for some warm holiday cheer as New York Times bestselling author Liz Johnson explores the unforeseen consequences of meddling with mistletoe when love is on the line.

Ope’s Opinion: This such a good holiday story. It would make a very good Hallmark movie that everyone could enjoy. The characters are fun to read about and the setting is where you want to be for Christmas.

Liz Johnson knows how to write Christian fiction.

Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Romance
Source: Berkley ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: A woman inherits a beach house, along with a series of weekend guests, while butting heads with the irritable (and irritatingly handsome) man next door, in this sparkling new escape from Jane L. Rosen.
 
When a Zoom disaster upends Addison Irwin’s decade-long career at a posh Manhattan advertising agency, things look bleak for the thirty-something mid-western transplant. But an unexpected inheritance from an aunt she barely remembers—a property on Fire Island, complete with guest house and artist’s studio—changes everything.
 
While debating whether to stay or sell, Addison learns that she’s also inherited her aunt’s list of eclectic guests, tying her to the island for seven summer weekends. Eager to convince Addison to keep the house rather than let a new buyer build a monstrosity in its place, the neighbors welcome her to their laid-back community. Well, all except the moody guy next door, who seems intent on glowering his way through life.
 
Steadfast in her path since college, Addison is determined not to let this detour on Fire Island throw her off track. But soon, between the revolving door of weekend visitors and the up-and-down relationship with her neighbor (and his adorable dog), she finds herself in unfamiliar territory. Should she try to pick up where she left off—or embrace entirely new possibilities?

Ope’s Opinion: This was so much better than her book On Fire Island. This is one time when I am glad I gave an author another chance. These characters were relatable, fun to follow and had a good story line. I enjoyed Addison’s friends and their relationships. They were honest with her, even though they each had different opinions.

I did feel like Jane Rosen was trying to sell On Fire Island throughout this book. She kept referring to it and talking about it.

Depending on the story line, I may read another Jane L. Rosen.

Publisher: Storm Publishing
Genre: Thriller
Source: Storm Publishing ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: An unforgettable and emotionally charged story of two mothers whose lives are changed forever by a devastating accusation – and how far they’ll go to protect those they love.

I was so happy when my son, Knox, began dating my best friend’s daughter. Our kids grew up together and we used to joke, as we sipped wine and watched them play, that they’d get married one day. But when Knox came home late after a party, zipping his hoodie up to hide the scratches I caught a glimpse of on his collarbone, a chill went down my spine.

That night, our whole world shattered. Now, I hardly recognize my husband as he sweeps into action, calling in a hot-shot lawyer to defend our boy.

I love my son, but what if I don’t know him at all? It turns out, everything I thought I knew about my perfect family is a lie. And I’m about to discover just what I’ll do to stop it from falling apart.

This addictive novel will draw you deep into the heart of seemingly happy families and expose the dark secrets that lie within them. Fans of Liane Moriarty, Jodi Picoult and Celeste Ng will be utterly gripped by Such a Good Family.

Ope’s Opinion: This was such a great story – hard to read because it is so real and truthful. If you or someone close to you has been a victim of rape, this may be a hard story for you.

I feel like Caitlin Weaver did such a good job of showing the perspective of everyone involved and effected by Knox and Summer’s relationship. This story showed how one incident can change so many peoples lives.

It would have been a five chair for me, but I thought Caitlin Weaver could have come up with some other words beside “f” to show the emotions. In spite of this I am interested in reading another book by her.

Publisher: ForeFont Books
Author: Jerry Lathan
Contributor: Steven Manchester

Goodreads: The extraordinary story of a young fisherman who became the Founding Father of Christianity, the most influential and enduring institution in history.

2023 Paris Book Festival Winner · 2023 New England Book Festival Winner

He’s one of the most well-known figures in cultures around the world, etched into stained glass, painted in frescoes, even caricatured as standing at the gates of heaven with a long white beard and keys in hand. But long before he was portrayed as a venerated and untouchable figure, Peter was simply known as Simon, a twenty-something fisherman in a far-flung Jewish province controlled by the Roman Empire.

Loyal and faithful, impetuous and passionate, Simon’s quiet life is upended by the arrival of a man called Jesus of Nazareth, rumored to be the long-awaited Messiah who would rescue the Jewish people from oppression. When Simon meets Jesus, the mysterious man tells him, “You will be Peter,” a prophetic statement that would slowly transform Simon’s life. Eager to be free of the Romans, Simon joins Jesus in hopes that he can guard this leader who will, undoubtedly, build an army to challenge Rome. But as Simon waits for the army to form, he watches Jesus show a compassion for others Simon has never seen before. The miracles Jesus performs—healing the sick, feeding crowds of thousands—show not a display of military might, but of service and love.

Real, relatable and impeccably researched, You Will Be Peter draws on the four Gospel accounts to weave Simon Peter’s story into one seamless tapestry. Readers get a front-row seat to Simon’s three-year walk with Jesus, as Simon watches the Son of Man feed the hungry, raise the dead, upend the status quo and challenge the elite during one of world history’s most pivotal seasons.

In perhaps one of the greatest miracles, we can see ourselves in Simon, this ordinary man Jesus chose to accompany Him. Simon wasn’t well-educated, but he was faithful and headstrong. Though he could rush to judgment and use a foul word from time to time, he was the kind of friend who loved fiercely and was doggedly loyal—until he wasn’t. Although he failed, Simon wasn’t cast away from Jesus’ mission. In fact, his failures and subsequent redemption made him a more empathetic and capable rock upon whom the Church was built.

With storytelling artistry that transports readers to the first-century world, with the sights, sounds, and smells of that time, You Will Be Peter shares an age-old story told from a new set of it’s possible for one ordinary person, however unlikely, to change the world forever.

Steven Manchester is an amazing author.
I have read several of his books.
If this subject interests you, I would say pick it up now.