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Who’s excited to dive into some new 2025 Christmas books? Welcome to one of my favorite reading seasons of the year! I always like to put together a roundup of new books that look like they are worth reading. Here are nine 2025 Christmas novels that all sound so good.
Here is what I look for in a good Christmas book:
- I want all the Christmas vibes. It needs to take place during the Christmas season, and Christmas has to play a role in the story.
- I want feel-good. Something I was thinking about recently is that I don’t tend to read books like this the rest of the year (maybe I should), but I have a theory as to why I like them during the holidays. As a working mom of four kids, the holidays are wonderful but stressful. There’s just so much to do. That means my entertainment needs to be the opposite and be a de-stresser.
- A good story well-told. I don’t believe you should sacrifice good writing for a feel-good story. I still want a book that is well written and a story that has some depth.
I believe all of the books on this list are going to deliver! (The first one I have already read, so I know that one fits the requirements.) Most of the other books are by authors I’ve read and can vouch for them. There are a few that are new-to-me authors, but I’ve heard from other readers that they fit the requirements.
What 2025 Christmas book are you most excited to read this year?
New 2025 Christmas Books to Read
Snow Kissed by RaeAnne Thayne
I loved this clean Christmas romance book! This is like a Hallmark movie in a book, but better. (Sometimes, Hallmark movie characters can come across a little too perfect, IMO.) I like that the two main characters in Snow Kissed, Holly and Ryan, both have some serious challenges they are dealing with when they meet, which adds a nice layer of depth to this sweet story. Holly is a single mom who owns a flower shop in a small town in Idaho. Ryan is a helicopter pilot in the military visiting from San Diego to help take care of his 12-year-old niece, Audrey, while her mom, Kim, is in rehab. Kim works for Holly at Evergreen & Ivy. Audrey has been staying with Holly and helping to watch Holly’s daughter, Lydia. While there is an almost instant attraction when the two meet, they also don’t think it’s a realistic relationship, given the distance. But when Holly needs a date to a wedding (for her ex-husband’s sister), Ryan agrees to be her plus one and pretend to be in a relationship with her. I loved how the fake-romance played out in this book. This is a perfect holiday read with all of the Christmasy and feel-good vibes!
Read my full review of Snow Kissed by RaeAnne Thayne!
Thank you to Canary Street Press for sharing an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.
- Genres: Romance (Fake-romance trope)
- Length: 282 pages
- Publication Date: Oct. 7, 2025
The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan
The first book I ever read by Jenny Colgan was The Christmas Bookshop (which I loved!), so when I saw that she was coming out with another Christmas book, this one went right on my TBR. Book hunter Mirren Sutherland is hired to find a priceless missing book hidden somewhere in Jamie McKinnon’s crumbling Scottish castle, but her rival, Theo, shows up to help with the search. When a snowstorm traps them all inside over Christmas, they must work together to solve the treasure hunt left by Jamie’s grandfather, racing against time while navigating romantic tension and shifting alliances. This book includes a bit of mystery, romance, and a book about books.
- Genres: Romance | Mystery
- Length: 305 pages
- Publication Date: Oct. 14, 2025
The Christmas Stranger by Richard Paul Evans
The King of Christmas Fiction is out with another one, and fans are loving it! Paul has lost all will to live three years after his family died on Christmas Eve. His life takes a turn when a stranger appears and challenges him to find a reason to live, warning that the path will be unexpected. This challenge leads to a series of interconnected, tragic, and seemingly unrelated incidents. A robbery introduces him to Collette, a woman who has also lost her love. Then, he rescues a young boy who is being bullied. These events bring Paul, Collette, and the boy together, making Paul question the stranger’s identity and the deeper meaning behind these events as he hopes to find a new purpose in life.
- Genres: Christian | General Fiction
- Length: 272 pages
- Publication Date: Nov. 4, 2025
A Christmas Carol by Joshua Ingle
I love A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It’s one of my favorite Christmas classic books to read this time of year. This is a modern retelling that early readers are saying they might like more because it’s a bit more relatable. Ben Scrooge is forced to confront his past when his dead business partner, Marley Jacobs, escapes from Hell, pursued by the relentless Ghost of Christmas Past. As they race through history and relive the choices that hardened Ben’s heart, he is gripped by regret and the realization that the ghost seeks to rewrite history itself. Determined to save each other and their world, Ben and Marley must risk everything to change their fate. This is a book about redemption, courage, and compassion.
Note: As of this writing, this book is free with Kindle Unlimited. (Amazon has a Kindle Unlimited Black Friday special: $.99 for three months.)
- Genres: Sci Fi & Fantasy
- Length: 450 pages
- Publication Date: Oct. 28, 2025
The Christmas Ring by Karen Kingsbury
Vanessa is a widow on the hunt for her family’s long-lost heirloom ring. In the process, she meets Ben Miller, the good-looking antique dealer. What first starts as a friendship blossoms into a sweet romance, but neither is sure if the romance has legs. Vanessa is organizing the annual military dance, and she’s also nervous about her daughter’s return from college because she hasn’t told her about Ben. Ben is starting to learn more about the origins of the ring. He thinks he’s found the ring, and he takes off in a hurry to try to grab it before it’s gone forever. In the meantime, Ben and Vanessa learn some important eternal truths.
This book is already a movie, released in theaters on November 6.
- Genres: Romance | Christian
- Length: 265 pages
- Publication Date: Sep. 5, 2023
I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
One of my favorite Christmas novels I read last year was by Jenny Bayliss, so when I saw that she was coming out with another one, it went right on my TBR list. Fred Hallow-Hart (Fred is short for Frederica) returns to her quirky hometown of Pine Bluff after a breakup and eviction, only to be swept back into her family’s Christmas cracker business and into unexpected romantic sparks with both her childhood best friend and a charming journalist. As she navigates old wounds, new feelings, and a town full of eccentric women who love her fiercely, Fred is forced to confront who she really is and what (and who) she truly wants. It’s a cozy holiday story about coming home, healing, and finding love in all its messy forms.
- Genres: Women’s Fiction | Romance
- Length: 247 pages | 5 hours 22 minutes
- Publication Date: Oct. 21, 2025
A Little Merry Christmas by Elizabeth Standish
Amanda is a perfectionist who works in advertising, and she has put in the work that should get her the promotion she knows she deserves. She is crushed when she finds out it has gone to someone else, but she refuses to give up. In an attempt to secure a co-director spot, her boss has agreed that if she successfully runs a pro bono campaign, she will get the position. She finds a perfect opportunity in a local animal shelter, which may need to close down if they aren’t able to raise the funds they need. She plans the perfect campaign that should do the trick. In the process, Amanda not only falls in love with a Labrador who is in need of a foster home but she also starting to fall for the shelter’s vet, Elias. Early readers say this book is like a Hallmark movie in a book.
- Genres: Romance
- Length: 216 pages
- Publication Date: Nov. 18, 2025
A Ferry Merry Christmas by Debbie Macomber
I’ve read two Debbie Macomber Christmas books (The Christmas Spirit and Can This Be Christmas? ) and enjoyed both of them. That book definitely made me want to read more of her books. Avery is trying to spend Christmas with her brother Reed, but she has to take a ferry to get to the Seattle-adjacent island where he lives. However, the ferry breaks down in the middle of Puget Sound. She and the other passengers are very frustrated as they are anxious to get to their destination. She finds a way to turn lemons into lemonade when she strikes up a friendship with Harrison, who has been gone for several years in the Navy. There are other story lines going on with some of the other passengers as well. Not to mention that her brother Reed starts to form a connection with a coworker who is waiting for her brother. This is a story about blessings that can come from the unexpected.
- Genres: Women’s Fiction | Romance
- Length: 247 pages | 5 hours 22 minutes
- Publication Date: Oct. 21, 2025
Ten Christmases Without You by Jenny Hale
I’ve never read a Jenny Hale novel, but I know a lot of readers rave about her. And this one sounds so good! This is Emmy’s tenth year without her mom. She lives in New York as a PR assistant, but isn’t very happy with her job. She’s traveling home to Tennessee to spend the holidays with her sister, but what she doesn’t know is that her sister has invited a childhood friend and former crush, Charlie, to join their family Christmas dinner. Even though this one may sound like a downer, early readers say this is an uplifting story. While there is romance, there’s a lot more going on than just that. It’s also a reminder that many people deal with grief around the holidays, and it’s okay to recognize that.
Note: As of this writing, this book is free with Kindle Unlimited. (Amazon has a Kindle Unlimited Black Friday special: $.99 for three months.)
- Genres: Romance | Christian
- Length: 300 pages
- Publication Date: Oct. 23, 2025
Which 2025 Christmas book are you going to start with? If you’ve already read one or more of these, I’d love to hear about it. Drop a comment below!
More Christmas Book Roundups From Previous Years
