22 Best New Holiday Rom-Coms For 2026

Published Nov 15, 2026, 11:00 AM EST Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, and horror of all kinds. They also cover Marvel and DC TV shows and movies, with a robust knowledge of comic books. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes. Dani is also part of ScreenRant's books team, using their fiction writing and literature studies as the backbone for their book analyses. They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale, have shared their articles. Their review of Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer. In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18. Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Every year, romance authors bring a fresh slate of holiday-themed rom-coms with snowy sweetness and mistletoe magic, and these are the best books this season has to offer. Whether you’re jingle-bell rocking, roasting chestnuts by the open fire, or eating latkes, there’s no doubt that the winter holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s a great time to spend with family and share joy with our communities. No matter which holidays and traditions you celebrate, we can come together through our shared love of swoonworthy romance and reading. Holiday rom-com books have been releasing since late September and early October, so there are already a plethora to choose from. In 2026, holiday-themed books feature couples that find love during Christmas, Hanukkah, and the winter solstice. Because of oversaturation, it can be hard to know which books are worth your time, though. I’ve curated a list of 22 worthy holiday rom-com novels across different tropes to cozy up with this winter. Grab your favorite beverage and a blanket, and let's get to reading! Snowed-in Rom-Coms The “snowed-in” trope is a staple of holiday rom-coms, adding a fun, wintry twist to forced proximity. These four books will put their couples to the test, forcing them to re-evaluate what matters most. They also must fight the magnetic pull that draws them together. For those who prefer spicier stories, Mistletoe All The Way and The Holiday Haters are the way to go. ‘Tis the Damn Season is a little steamy but mostly sweet. Meanwhile, All I Want for Christmas Is Hughes feels similar to the best Hallmark movies. Mistletoe All The Way by Lauren Blakely (Released: October 6, 2026 / available here): Scrooge-ish veterinarian Dr. Noah Lennox returns home to fight for his grandfather’s sleigh-ride fam, and he’s roped into the town’s Mr. Holiday competition by the Christmas-loving Eloise Langston. Sparks start flying, and then they get snowed in together. All I Want For Christmas Is Hughes by Jenny Lane (Released: November 2, 2026 / available here): Santa’s son, teacher Nick Smith, tries to suppress his magic, but librarian Ben Hughes brings it back to life a little more each time they’re together. Though he vows to avoid Ben, Nick drives him home for Christmas, where they get snowed in together. The Holiday Haters by Jessica Sherry (Released: November 3, 2026 / available here): Two strangers, Cleo and Hardy, make a pact to support each other through their family festivities without fake dating, but their pact is tested when they start to develop real feelings. ‘Tis The Damn Season by Rachel Lacey (Released: November 10, 2026 / available here): A year after kissing a stranger, real estate photographer Whitney Rayne shoots a Vermont home, agented by Liza Snow, the woman she can’t stop thinking about. Things heat up when a tree falls, and a snowstorm hits. Fake & Accidental Relationship Rom-Coms Fake dating and accidental relationships are a cornerstone of the rom-com genre, appearing year-round. However, they have a special kind of magic when placed during the holidays. All these books play into the fact that family and communities can add pressure to be happy and in a relationship during the holidays. However, the comedy looks very different. Some books, like Christmas Staycation, feel like screwball rom-coms, while others, like Dodging Mistletoe, derive humor from witty banter and charming absurdity. Christmas Staycation by Meghan Quinn (Released: October 13, 2026 / available here): Taran agrees to a fake engagement with her ex to make her family’s Christmas happy, but she’s secretly pining for her ex’s cocky, disastrous brother, Nolan. Dancing In The Snow by Cozy Dubois (Released: November 11, 2026 / available here): Em was ghosted by their girlfriend, Sara, and they kept up the lie for five years. This year, they need a holiday-party date, so their best friend recruits Sarah, a married woman, to play the fictional girlfriend. The Moment Winter Ends by Whitney Amazeen (Released: October 27, 2026 / available here): Surfing heartthrob Logan Henry and single mom and journalist Elena Ferrera get snowed in at an inn, where a miscommunication leads to an accidental marriage. Now, they have to save face and stay married for their reputations. The Christmas Getaway by Debbie Mason (Released: October 13, 2026 / available here): To prove she’s moved on from her ex, Charlotte Webb travels to Scotland, claiming she has a boyfriend there. After Charlotte bonds with her 12-year-old seatmate, Matilda, Matilda’s father, Ewan, agrees to pose as her boyfriend, but both are shocked when sparks start flying. Dodging Mistletoe by Kelsie Rae (Released: November 10, 2026 / available here): When Noelle’s dumped by her boyfriend on the way home for Christmas, rockstar Dodger rescues her, pretending to be her boyfriend on a family video call and offering to join her for the holiday. Forced Proximity Rom-Coms While some holiday rom-coms use the snowed-in microtrope, others use broader forced proximity. These books force the love interests to work together or share the same space whether they like it or not. A Very Merry Detour and Deck the Hauls add in an extra grumpy/sunshine dynamic. Yet, all of these forced-proximity couples reach a point where they want to be around each other. A Very Merry Detour by Court Behr (Released: October 13, 2026 / available here): Dumped by her boyfriend, Alaina drives cross-country with a festive bucket list to convince her ex-boyfriend to take her back. When she crashes into a snowbank and gets rescued by grinchy Priscilla, they decide to do the bucket list together. The Santa Claus Con by Lauren Kung Jessen (Released: October 27, 2026 / available here): Christmas-hating FBI agents Scarlette Payne and Nathan Lambros must team up when a mysterious figure threatens New York’s Santa Claus Con, even though Scarlette still hates Nathan for breaking her heart. A Christmas Inn, Maine by Aaron Kyte (Released: October 13, 2026 / available here): After getting dumped and fired, Adam Wheatley returns to his Maine hometown, where he sets out to renovate his aunt’s inn for a Christmas Eve grand reopening. However, he needs to recruit the help of swoonworthy contractor Graham. Deck the Hauls by Elizabeth Luly (Released: September 24, 2026 / available here): Struggling with her career, actor Emily Rossi takes a job in a HolLove movie at Red Tractor Farm. But she gets distracted by Dana Hoffman, the farm's hot, Christmas-hating lesbian owner. Emily sets out to change Dana’s mind. Second-Chance Rom-Coms Holiday movies and books love to use winter magic, whether metaphorical or literal, to give folks a second chance. Second chances and redemption are the basis of the best Christmas stories, like A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and It’s A Wonderful Life. Luckily, holiday rom-coms integrate this idea into love stories. Throughout the Christmas and Hanukkah season, couples in these books get the chance to find love again with someone they once lost, but it will require vulnerability and openness. Eight Ways To Say I Love You by Amanda Elliot (Released: October 27, 2026 / available here): After flunking out of college and moving in with his father, Leo David reunites with his childhood friend and crush, Shira Levinson, who’s thriving, at her family’s Hanukkah party. Over the next eight years, life takes them in different directions, but can they get their timing right? Merry Ex-Mas by Celeste C.C. Dador (Released: September 29, 2026 / available here): After a disastrous Christmas Eve date and uncomfortable run-in with her ex-best friend Robbie, Marygrace Silva wishes for a miracle. She slips, hits her head, and wakes up repeatedly with a different ex each time. Now That We Don’t Talk by Rachel Pologe (Released: October 20, 2026 / available here): To escape a too-serious friends-with-benefits relationship, Norah goes home for Hanukkah, but she’s determined to avoid Henry Cole, who broke her heart a decade ago. However, their mothers are dating, forcing them to spend the holidays together. Setting the Stage for Christmas by Tanya Boteju (Released: October 13, 2026 / available here): Bo Amaratunga must save a local landmark with a magical Christmas play, but she needs help from her former sweetheart, Val Morales, a set builder who has returned to town. The Holiday House Swap by Lauren Appelbaum (Released: October 20, 2026 / available here): Phoebe Keller loses her job, so she impulsively swaps homes with Arden Torres, a teacher escaping the holidays. Phoebe’s brother Sam invites Arden to Hanukkah, while Phoebe runs into Jonathan, an old friend whose heart she broke, at a Christmas market. Both women must decide if they’re ready for love. Short Story & Novella Rom-Com Collections For readers who want a shorter, less time-consuming read, these short story and novella collections are the ideal choice. Each story in A Married Little Christmas and Witching You Holiday Collection is a little longer but still easy to consume. Meanwhile, The Twelve Loves of Christmas and Snow This Is Love are even shorter but just as compelling romances. The best part about the twelve-story collection is that you can read it like an advent calendar, and the stories are so short that they won’t take an unbearable amount of time each day. A Married Little Christmas by Abby Jimenez (Released: October 20, 2026 / available here): A terrible Christmas dinner. A ridiculous holiday bet. A rushed and irrational wedding. Abby Jimenez shares three novellas, bonus recipes, plus full-page illustrations. Witching You Holiday Collection by Jenna Collett (Released: September 27, 2026 / available here): Three witches provide others with Christmas miracles every year, but can they create their own holiday happily-ever-afters? This collection tells each witch’s love story. The Twelve Loves of Christmas by Alexandria Bellefleur et al. (Released: September 29, 2026 / available here): Twelve of the most beloved romance writers tell stories of the different ways of falling in love during the most magical time of the year. The stories include straight and queer love stories, secular and spiritual, urban and small-town, steamy and clean. Snow This Is Love: Meant to Be Holiday Tales by Zoraida Cordova et al. (Released: October 13, 2026 / available here): Romance writers reimagine five fairy tales as holiday love stories, from Christmas to Lunar New Year. The cozy romances will keep readers believing in love and holiday magic.