There exists a particular species of reader—perhaps you are one—who believes that the most delicious sort of love story ought to arrive wrapped in frost and starlight, with a generous dusting of magic upon its pages. If this describes you, dear soul, then you have stumbled upon just the right corner of the literary world.
For what could be more magnificent than romance blooming amidst winter’s enchantment? Below, you shall find the finest holiday romantasy books to accompany you through the festive seasons of 2025 and beyond—tales of witches and ghosts, fae princes and cursed strangers, all finding love beneath the mistletoe.
Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller, and deservedly so! Here we have Nolan Callahan, a delightfully grumpy Irish ghost who has spent a century haunting as the Ghost of Christmas Past. He expects nothing more than another routine assignment—until he meets Harriet York.
Harriet, a people-pleaser of the highest order, cannot fathom why she requires haunting at all. Yet as she and her spectral visitor examine her past together, they discover threads binding them across time itself. With Christmas Eve approaching like a ticking clock, these two must unravel their connection before Nolan fades forever.
Booklist declares it “a merry mash-up of A Christmas Carol and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir,” and we must heartily agree. The Annapolis Christmas setting provides the perfect backdrop for this soul-stirring tale.
Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey
From the masterly pen of Tessa Bailey comes this opposites-attract Christmas romance set amidst the glittering department stores of New York’s Fifth Avenue. Stella Schmidt, fresh from rebuilding her life after considerable hardship, finds herself hypnotized by a holiday window display—and catches the attention of the store’s handsome owner.
Aiden Cook, with his Southern charm and unending optimism, sees past Stella’s protective exterior to the remarkable woman within. She wears the garments of a goth goddess; he moves through the world like sunshine itself. Yet together, they discover that true love often flourishes between the most unlikely partners.
Surrounded by the magic of Christmas in New York, this tale proves that second chances arrive just when we need them most.
The Wedding Witch by Erin Sterling
The third installment in the beloved Graves Glen series whisks readers to a magnificent Yuletide celebration in the Welsh countryside—and then, through a delightful mishap of magic, back to 1957!
Bowen Penhallow, a solitary witch who studies dark and ancient magic atop a Welsh mountain, reluctantly attends a friend’s wedding. There he encounters Tamsyn Bligh, a human who deals in magical artifacts and has featured prominently in Bowen’s dreams. When a powerful spell sends them tumbling through time, they must work together to solve a mystery spanning generations.
Library Journal calls it “a charming and sexy grumpy-sunshine-meets-magic romp,” and Kirkus Reviews names it “a winsome, witchy rom-com.” Perfect for those who desire both Halloween shivers and Christmas warmth in a single volume.
Winterfrost Market by Jenny Sandiford
At the enchanting Winterfrost Market, where Midwinter celebrations transform the world into a fairy tale, young Elsie tends her family’s traveling tea house. But when her mother fails to return from a journey to Midwinter Haven—a land rumored to hold elves, witches, and fae—Elsie must venture beyond everything she knows.
She enlists the help of a captivating tracker named Kit, whose secrets run as deep as winter snow. Together they journey into a realm of magic that Elsie never believed possible, discovering along the way that some guides are more than they appear.
This cozy fantasy with its clean holiday romance and generous sprinkling of enchantment is just the book to accompany a cup of tea on a frosty evening.
Twelve Days of (Faerie) Christmas by C.J. Brightley
When Charlotte encounters the mysterious Ronan, her comfortable life transforms into a confusion of magic, monsters, and—most peculiarly—birds. A great many birds, arriving in accordance with a certain beloved Christmas carol.
Yet Ronan’s increasingly ridiculous gifts prove the least of their concerns. A love curse binds them together, ticking like a bomb, and they have merely twelve days to unravel its secrets before one or both are destroyed.
This clean fantasy romance novella weaves traditional Christmas elements into a tale of fae enchantment with delightful humor. At approximately 41,000 words, it makes for perfect holiday reading when time grows short but the heart yearns for magic.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
What if the universe granted your deepest Christmas wish—but demanded you live the same holiday over and over until you got it right?
Maelyn Jones has reached her breaking point. Living with her parents, trapped in a dead-end job, and freshly mortified by a romantic disaster, she leaves her family’s beloved Utah cabin for what seems the final time. In desperation, she whispers to the universe: “Show me what will make me happy.”
The next moment brings screeching tires, colliding metal, and darkness—followed by Mae awakening on an airplane, Christmas week beginning anew. With each hilarious catastrophe sending her back to that plane, she must discover how to break the time loop and finally find her true love beneath the mistletoe.
Publishers Weekly awarded it a starred review, calling it “a fantastical twist on holiday cheer.”
The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
In the sleepy English town of Blexford, where snow falls upon cobblestone streets and neighbors know one another’s business, Kate Turner has been convinced to try a dating agency promising love before Christmas. The arrangement? Twelve dates with twelve different gentlemen.
What follows is a charming parade of romantic mishaps, each encounter more entertaining than the last. Yet the reader cannot help noticing that Kate’s oldest friend, Matt, who owns the neighborhood café where she bakes, seems rather attentive throughout her adventures.
PopSugar notes that “with its cozy, small-town setting and adorable premise, The Twelve Dates of Christmas is the perfect book for anyone looking for a charming holiday romance.” The British village atmosphere proves as comforting as a warm scone.
A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews
For readers who prefer their Christmas magic of the historical variety, this award-winning Victorian romance transports us to 1861 England, to a country estate in rural Derbyshire glittering with gaslight and holly.
Sophie Appersett has resigned herself to marrying outside her class to save her family. The darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe seems utterly without emotion—grim, silent, impenetrable. After two months of courtship, Sophie invites him to Appersett House for Christmas, determined this shall be his final opportunity to reveal his true self.
Winner of the 2019 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for Holiday Fiction, Library Journal compares it favorably to Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South. Kirkus Reviews declares it “full of comfort and joy—a sweet treat for romance readers.”
Walking in a Witchy Wonderland by Juliette Cross
This anthology gathers five delicious short stories featuring the Savoie Sisters of New Orleans, the witchy family readers have grown to adore in the Stay a Spell series. Each tale brings holiday mischief and romance in equal measure.
From hexed gifts enhancing already sizzling relationships to jealousy finally pushing friends out of their comfortable platonic arrangement, these stories offer paranormal romance with abundant humor. One even introduces a grim reaper who inspires immediate animosity—and attraction—in a most particular witch.
Those new to the series would do well to begin with Wolf Gone Wild, but readers familiar with these beloved characters shall find this the perfect holiday treat.
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
Though set during autumn rather than Christmas, this witchy romance deserves mention for establishing the beloved Graves Glen series. Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart the only way a young witch could—with vodka, weepy music, and a curse upon her terrible ex-boyfriend.
The hex seemed harmless enough. But when Rhys Penhallow returns to Graves Glen, Georgia, chaos erupts: murderous wind-up toys, an angry ghost, and a talking cat with opinions to share. Vivi and Rhys must set aside their considerable chemistry to save the town from her accidentally powerful magic.
Reviews compare it to Practical Magic and Hocus Pocus, making it essential reading before diving into The Wedding Witch.
Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter
Two paranormal romance powerhouses combine forces in this collection featuring a vampire and a Valkyrie whose love seems impossible by the very nature of their beings.
Murdoch Wroth, a brutal vampire soldier, feels his heart beat for the first time in three centuries when he encounters Daniela—an exquisite Valkyrie who is part ice fey. Her freezing skin cannot be touched without inflicting pain beyond measure. Yet the desire burning between them refuses to be denied.
This “holiday collection with bite” delivers romance as fierce as a winter storm and twice as memorable.
Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
For readers who prefer their Christmas magic grounded in the real world, this friends-to-lovers tale spans ten years of annual flights from Chicago to Dublin.
Every Christmas, Molly and Andrew book seats beside one another for the seven-hour journey home to Ireland. They share terrible airplane wine and updates on their lives—and nothing more. But when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight, Molly vows to get Christmas-fanatic Andrew home by any means necessary.
What follows is a delightful adventure involving taxis, planes, boats, and trains—and perhaps the realization that what they have been seeking has sat beside them all along.
Finding Your Perfect Holiday Romantasy
Whether you crave ghosts and Yuletide curses, fae princes in winter markets, or witches tumbling through time, the holiday romantasy genre offers enchantment for every taste. These books transform the festive season into something more magical still—proof that love, like Christmas itself, arrives most wonderfully when wrapped in a bit of mystery.
So pour yourself something warm, find your coziest blanket, and allow these tales to transport you. For in the pages of a holiday romantasy, winter becomes not merely a season but an invitation to believe in magic once more.
