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Judy Garland once famously instructed us to make the Yuletide gay, and the publishing industry is really doing its part this holiday season. There are so many queer holiday romances coming out this year that I couldn’t even fit them all on this list. From stories about exes getting a second chance at love over the holidays to Christmas Princes, these queer holiday romance books are full of holiday cheer and Christmas magic.
Personally, I love nothing more than filling my cold winter days with cute holiday romances — especially the queer ones. I find it’s the perfect way to get me in the holiday spirit. That, and nonstop Christmas music, of course. Which means there are few things more festive than a good holiday romance with Silver Bells playing in the background.
These queer queer holiday romances aren’t just good for your holiday reading, though. Each and every one of them makes for the perfect bookish gift, whether as a last-minute ebook or a carefully wrapped present under the tree. That’s the beautiful thing about holiday romance books — they’re perfect for reading and gifting. Basically, they’re here to fill your every holiday need. So fill all your stockings — and your December days — with these festive holiday romance reads full of queer love and LGBTQ characters.
I’ll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone
Get ready to swoon with this Christmas romance perfect for fans of The Holiday. Bee Tyler needs a break from her nonstop life, and Clover Mills could use some time away from her Christmas-obsessed hometown. The home-swap app Vacate offers the perfect solution to both their problems. Now Clover can live it up in San Francisco while Bee gets a break from the constant grind of work and big city life. Add a little romance for each and it turns out swapping places for the holidays might just be the best decision Bee and Clover ever made.
Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake
Ashley Herring Blake has written some of my favorite romance books, so this book is my holiday wish come true. Exes Charlotte and Brighton haven’t seen each other since Brighton left Charlotte at the altar. Which makes the fact that they’re both in Colorado for Christmas and pretending they don’t know each other pretty awkward. The more time they spend together, though, the more old memories make them second-guess their estrangement. Is it too late to get any of that old magic back, or will this be the first Christmas of the rest of their lives?
The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch
Royal romance meets The Nightmare Before Christmas in this adorable holiday romp. Coal, the Christmas Prince, is still trying to prove to his father that he’s responsible and can help run the holiday when he finds out about the plans to make a marriage alliance between him and his best friend, the Easter Princess. Unfortunately, the prince of Halloween is much more Coal’s type — and he’s here to throw a wrench in everyone’s plans. Coal still needs to prove himself. But maybe the problem isn’t with Coal’s plans; it’s with his father’s idea of how to run Christmas.
If you’re looking for a cute, funny holiday read, this is it! And the sequel, out next year, follows Coal’s younger brother, Kris, and the St. Patrick’s Day Prince in Go Luck Yourself.
All You Want for the Holidays by Quinton Li
Perrin Pavlou is ecstatic to finally be accepted into her dream artist residency — until she finds out her ex-best friend is the only other resident. That means they’ll be spending the next week — and Christmas — together. Inari Kan is hoping this residency will give them a chance to focus on their writing. So spending the entire time with their high school crush isn’t exactly what they had planned. Will this residency end up a disaster or will it be exactly the second chance Perrin and Inari need?
The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky
Can saving Christmas turn around this marriage on the rocks? When Patrick and Quinn discover the burglar they caught breaking into their house is actually Santa, it’s too late to undo the damage. Now, if they don’t want Christmas to be canceled, they’ll have to take up the mantle and deliver all these presents themselves. It’s not just for one night, though. They’ll have to get through an entire year as Mr. Claus and the first-ever Merriest Mister if they want to keep the holidays afloat. Can their marriage — and the holiday — withstand the pressure?
Make My Wish Come True by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick
The author duo behind She Gets the Girl is back with a YA Christmas romance about two former friends faking a relationship for the holidays. Caroline hasn’t thought about her childhood friend Arden for years, putting all her efforts into becoming a journalist instead. But when Arden, now an actress with a party girl reputation, shows up on her doorstep with a big favor to ask, Caroline is drawn back into her orbit. In exchange for the promise of an article in Cosmopolitan, Caroline agrees to pretend to be Arden’s longtime girlfriend for 12 days. But when old feelings start to resurface, Caroline and Arden will have to decide just how fake this relationship really is.