NOTE: This post first appeared in the Roswell Daily Record.
Since we’re still in the winter holiday season, let’s grab our cocoa, sit by the fire and prepare for round two of thematic romances to keep us warm!
Mistletoe for My Minotaur by Honey Phillips is a good place to start our list of naughty and nice. As the blurb says: “Welcome to Fairhaven Falls – where the holiday lights twinkle, love sparkles, and monsters know exactly how to unwrap your… heart!” The minotaur in question is the town’s mayor and he gets himself into a fake relationship with the woman of his dreams and then has to figure out how to turn the situation into a real romance. She has lots of secrets, there’s magic and of course a Happy Ever After (HEA) ending. AmazonKU
Zoe Chant is one of the most creative paranormal romance authors I know, in terms of the shifters she brings forward as characters in her novels. There’s A Pegasus for Christmas and then there’s also Splashing Through the Snow, which pairs a marine paleontologist and a marine biologist. His problem is he keeps turning into a giant, armored prehistoric fish at the most inopportune moments. In addition, there’s a curse on him and she hates all winter holidays but the only solution to his problem is to convince her to embrace the joy of the season. Flying kittens and magical pets help out and of course there’s an HEA. AmazonKU
If aliens are more to your taste, Tails of Scrooge by Anna Sinclair is one of the most unusual retellings of the old Dickens tale I’ve ever encountered. Scrooge here is a grumpy alien boss and he gets paired with a straight talking female mechanic as they try to solve the mystery of why women are disappearing from the town. Readers praised the unusual world building and the mystery solving. AmazonKU
Christmas with an Alien Savage (Kutarian Warriors book Four) by Alexa Grant and Ivy McAdams pairs a human woman living on an alien planet, happily married to her savage, with a baby on the way and a strong desire to show her new friends and in-laws what the season can be all about. A Rosie Christmas: A Bride Program Novella (Saving Ceraste) by Dane Griggs has a similar theme as the woman in question is serving as a Human Bride Liaison on an alien mothership. She believes a big holiday celebration will help the homesick brides as well as educating their hosts about some aspects of human society. During the course of Rosie’s many travails in helping the brides and organizing the festivities, she falls in love with one of the alien warriors. AmazonKU
The Alien Christmas Grump (Holiday with an Alien Fated Mate Book Three) by Alina Riley has a hunky green alien who needs fast cash to repair his collapsed roof so he takes a job at the mall as Santa, even though he doesn’t really know much about the traditions and isn’t happy to be there. His human assistant portraying the token elf for the children takes it upon herself to educate him despite his off-putting attitude and to help him see the joy in the season. HEA? Of course! AmazonKU
Santa’s Secret by JA Armstrong puts a whole new spin on the concept of Santa, beginning with the description of the Female Main Character as living a “sunny life” as a single Lesbian mom working as an aerospace engineer and professor in Florida. Then good old Dad Claus needs help back in Greenland and off she has to go. After ten years in the Arctic she’s pretty lonely and her daughter wants to write a letter to Santa to help her mother find romance…but what do you do when your mother is Santa Claus? Suffice it to say there’s magic, a new lady geologist arrives in town and the rest is all HEA. Readers praised the book for putting them in the holiday spirit. AmazonKU
Horned Up for the Holidays is a series of three books set in the same world but each standing alone, written by three different authors. The books are on the steamy side and Holidays Ablaze by Lucy Limon was a particular favorite. A down-on-her-luck chef and a kingly demon are trapped together in a tiny cabin by an avalanche and have to figure out how to help each other and of course fall in love in the process. Readers say this one is spicy, sassy and steamy. Holly’s Unjolly Christmas by Lark Green and Beastly and Bookish by Catrina Bell round out the trilogy of fun reads. AmazonKU
Ten authors came together to write the “tentacular” Tinsel and Tentacles series featuring a variety of MM holiday romances, all of which feature a main character with tentacles. Kraken Klaus by Charlotte Brice weaves the pollution of the ocean into the plot, Tentacles Rock by K. C. Carmine is a rock star romance where the singer in question falls in love with a tentacled waiter, Twelve Days of Squidmas by K. L. Hiers has a man desperate to throw his family the customary big holiday party despite the recent loss of their beloved grandmother. He gets help from, and falls in love with a tentacled creature from another dimension, and so forth. Many creative ideas for the plots! AmazonKU Series Page
I haven’t ever written a science fiction holiday romance but I do dabble in fantasy occasionally and several years ago I wrote Winter Solstice Dream, which is a novella inspired by the Cinderella fairy tale. The FMC is the castle cook and the MMC is a highborn mercenary required by treaty to marry one of the spoiled daughters of the local nobility. Of course it all gets sorted out – did I mention my FMC can work magic? And yes, there is a pair of glittery crystal shoes. I have to admit to rereading this book any number of times but especially at this season. I really need to write more adventures for this couple.
Of course there are many other scifi and paranormal romances centering around the holidays but I hope this column has given you a good starting point to explore the tropes and themes. Happy holidays and happy reading!
NOTE: I wasn’t able to include these in the RDR column due to space limitations but here are a few more:
SHIFTER SCROOGE (HEARTS OF STONE BOOK FOUR) by C D Gorri
Striker Sanchez hates Christmas. What better way to spend the holiday season than house sitting for his former team leader in the middle of nowhere? Finally, he could get some peace and quiet far away from the grossly commercial season and all its trappings. Beatrix Gallo decides to drop in on her favorite cousin as a Christmas surprise. Spontaneity is the spice of life, right? Dressed in her best holiday jammies, Bea grabs some of her favorite supplies, and heads over to the reclusive cabin where her cousin lives with her new hubby. But …(more blurb on ebook seller’s page) Amazon
SNOW, LIGHTS AND MONSTER NIGHTS by Various
This charity anthology (all proceeds to St. Jude’s) is sure to warm you up on a cold winter’s night! Light, sweet, and spicy–perfect to curl up and read as the snow falls down! AmazonKU
A BEAR GRUMP CHRISTMAS (HOLIDAY SHIFTERS OF FROST MOUNTAIN) by Lisa Daniels and Scarlett Stone
Getting on that flight was a huge mistake. Maybe we should’ve waited until Christmas before going on a vacation. At least then we might’ve made it to Chicago. Yeah, we. That’s me and my ex-boyfriend, who are now stranded on Frost Mountain. I lost him after our plane crashed. And, yeah, there is something worse…There’s no way off this snowy mountain—I’m stuck here. Forever. That’s what the smoldering bear shifter who rescued me said. This grumpy man wanted me to pretend to be engaged with him for a night. I can barely stand him, but I could use some warmth and shelter. Too bad we’re snowed in. If I don’t get out of this cabin soon, I’m going to lose my mind this Christmas. Or, worse, give in to this temptation. AmazonKU
OUR ACCIDENTAL CHRISTMAS MATING: A WAITING HEARTS WORLD STORY (ASILO PRIDE) by Jena Wade and Lorelai Hart
Sometimes Santa sends you the one thing you’ve always wanted and it’s all covered in fur. Nicholas and I have been friends since the day he moved next door to my family when I was in kindergarten. We were inseparable, that is until the day before his sixteenth birthday, when everything has changed. I lost everything that day; my best friend, my joy, and the boy I was in love with. It’s been ten years and I still haven’t discovered why he ghosted me. But one thing I have learned is …(more blurb on ebook seller’s page) AmazonKU
CHRISTMAS PIE by Jodi Taylor
VS Note: A short story.
St Mary’s has never lacked for enemies, but danger has never been closer to home. A state of war has broken out between St Mary’s and the Women’s Institute – the Raffia Mafia. Markham, Max, Peterson and Miss Sykes must jump to Restoration London in search of real Christmas pie – the honour of St Mary’s is at stake. At least that how it all begins, but this is St Mary’s after all.
KNOT FOR CHRISTMAS by Evelyn Flood
Grace doesn’t hate Christmas. She just… prefers to ignore it. She learned a long time ago that it was easier that way. But when Lucas, Drew and Ben burst into her quiet life, full of teasing and fun and Christmas spirit, she realizes that maybe, just maybe… Christmas isn’t so bad after all. Especially when you have the right pack to spend it with. This is a short and sweet why choose Christmas omegaverse novella. AmazonKU
SNOWED IN: WHY CHOOSE HOLIDAY ANTHOLOGY by Various
Snowed in: Why choose holiday anthology is a collection of original, brand-new short stories for this holiday season. Volume 2 participating authors: Sydney St. James, D.E. Scion, R.A. Alyse, Ruby Smoke, Taylor Schafer, R.K. Pierce, Jenn Bullard, Kyra Alessy, Alisha Williams & Cassie Lein, Scarlett Phillips & MA Destiny, Cassandra Featherstone
**Volume 2 will contain PNR and OV themes. Please check the content and trigger warnings at the beginning of each story. Some stories may contain MM and MM+ couplings. Proceeds for this anthology will be donated to the Cancer Research Institute and World Central Kitchen. Amazon
MONSTERS, MARRIAGE AND MISTLETOE (PINE RIDGE UNIVERSE) by S C Principale
Rhea (AKA Mrs. Stein) has never gotten over her ex ending their marriage and abandoning her, but after several lifetimes apart, it’s time for them to bury the hatchet, the pitchforks, and the flaming torches, and be mature adults. After all, they’re both over two hundred. Manny Finklestein changed his name when he left Europe decades ago. He thought leaving Rhea behind would be the best thing for her. It was his fault that such a beautiful creature even existed—and was branded as a hideous monster. Manny is in shock (no pun intended) when he gets a message that Rhea is not only alive but in Pine Ridge for the holidays to say goodbye, part as friends—and get him to sign divorce papers. But what happens when magic, mistletoe, and merry-making combine with the former Mr. and Mrs.? Could they be destined for a real shot at love outside of a madman’s lab? It’ll take a holiday miracle to re-make this monster match. AmazonKU
CAROL OF THE WITCHES (THE WITCHES OF HOLIDAY HILLS COZY MYSTERY SERIES BOOK 18) by Carol Ridder Aspenson
In the picturesque town of Holiday Hills, every snowflake that falls has a touch of magic and every resident has a quirky secret or two. This year, the most awaited event is Bessie’s annual Christmas carol night where magicals from near and far come together to sing enchanting carols crafted by a rare and ancient family spell that can only be conjured once a year. But as the first snowflake settled on the doorstep of the Enchanted, the town’s beloved bookshop and coffee house, Bessie discovers that the charmed carol sheets have vanished! Without these magical notes, Christmas in Holiday Hills will be silent for the first time in centuries. Enter me, Abby Odell, a witch determined to make Christmas right, and find those music sheets. With the help of my Burmese cat familiar, Cooper, my bestie, Stella, and her familiar a drooly dog named Pony, of course. The problem is, we have no idea where to start. As the clues unravel, we stumble upon a plot twistier than a candy cane and finds there’s more at stake than just a song. AmazonKU