‘tis the Season…. of Light, Love and of Books. Right in time before Christmas, novum publishing has comprised a list of books that will edge their way right through to your heart with every page.
Whether you are a Christmassy kind of person or not, it seems that the season of love leaves nothing and no one quite untouched. Surrounded by cold temperatures and early nights and the memories of a year full of events as well as those of Christmasses past, we are left with more time to ponder and reflect on the choices we did or did not make. We take the journey inward and get in touch with our emotions, we crave the closeness of the people and pets we love and allow ourselves to give in to our cheesy and romantic side. It is simply the perfect time for romance, in fact – which is why we at novum publishing decided to gift you with a list of our top picks for romantic novels as an early Christmas present:
1. A Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh
A father’s last wish, a promise for his daughter and her new husband to keep and an unexpected love to be found – those are the main ingredients of Mary Balogh’s historical romance classic “A Christmas Promise”. Balogh manages to wrap it all up in a delightful package of witty dialogue and relatable and lifelike characters with a lot of backstory and depth to them. With the idyllic setting of England in wintertime it is not only the perfect read for the holiday season, but also sure to win you over with its genuine and loveable characters who are not without flaw or prejudice. The love story of Randolph Pierce, Earl of Falloden, and Eleanor Transome, daughter of a wealthy merchant, starts out in quite an unromantic way as they are joined in a marriage of convenience, with consent only very reluctantly given on both sides. As the last wish of a dying man, the deed is done, and little do these two souls know that they might have been destined to be together all along.
2. A little less than love by Carys Smith
May we introduce a special gem of a romantic novel right from our own publishing house? “A little less than love” by Carys Smith is not your average Christmas romance novel, but captivating and ever so suited to the season nonetheless. It tells the story of Lecce, a woman who is suddenly confronted with her past as she stumbles upon a long forgotten box of letters and postcards that, once opened, catapult her right back into the tumultuous throng of her two great loves. As it turns out, the unassuming cardboard box is akin to Pandora’s box, as she cannot deny the pull of the memories she soon finds herself engulfed in and cannot help but go on to wonder…wonder about what has, and what might have been. If you seek mindless indulgence in a secure happy ending, save this one for another time – but if you, like us, like to embrace the whole spectrum of emotions also during the festive season, we warmly recommend this read. It is also a story for the LGBTQ community as Lecce’s loves were both women, and the highly descriptive book will leave you with many things to ponder and think about.
3. The Duke and I ( Part One of the Bridgerton Series) by Julia Quinn
As another historical romance novel of quality, we include “The Duke and I” not for reasons of any seasonal setting, but rather for its quick-witted and funny characters and, as the first part of Julia Quinn’s highly successful Bridgerton Family Series, a suggestion to try binging a consecutive series of romantic books instead of streaming a series on Netflix. In her novel, Quinn introduces us to Daphne Bridgerton, at the ripe old age of twenty-two nearly but not-quite on the shelf and, while immensely popular with men, mostly seen as a friend by the male species. Longing for love, she accepts the offer of her older brother’s best friend, Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, to attempt a charade: they will enter a fake betrothal to prove that “men are sheep” – where one goes, the rest will soon follow. As Daphne becomes all the rage, they are drawn all the more deeper into an amorous scheme that they are not at all sure they can escape again. Burned with desire and budding feelings unprecedented in their intensity, they might just make their engagement real, but Simon will have to face the demons of his past if there is to be a happy ending for this fiery couple.
“Books and Binge” instead of “Netflix and Chill” might just be on top of your holiday to-do list after indulging in this read, and with the Bridgerton series including eight books at the core, one special edition (“Happily Ever After”) and a newly launched series telling the stories of an older branch of the family and their ancestors, you will find more than enough literary fodder to literally carry you through the holidays
4. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Let us introduce you to a pageturner that will have you in tears of joy and sorrow in no time. The story of the unbreakable bond between star-struck lovers Allie and Noah will enchant you and take you with them to relive their love story, from its origins in the 1940ies right up to the “now”, where they are united in love – but after all that they’ve gone through when they were young, they find themselves facing a cruel enemy that can only be fought against by reviving bittersweet memories over and over again. We do not want to give away too much here, but rest assured that “The Notebook” will not leave your eyes dry for long. The beautiful tale about the true love that unites two people from different backgrounds and that helps them withstand the test of time is not a New York Times Bestseller for nothing, and if you feel like adding yet another dimension to your experience of this story, you can turn to the 2004 movie adaptation with Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling.
Let this list of romance recommendations be our little bow to the season of love. So freely indulge in your guilty pleasure or give romance a try this Christmas, and please let us know what you think about our picks in the comments below. Did we miss a romance novel that should absolutely have been included in the list? What is your favourite romance novel? 🙂
Have yourselves a very Merry Christmas!
Yours truly,
novum publishing
P.S.: If you are planning on writing a romance novel yourself and want to publish it but are unsure about how to go about it, be sure to browse through our blog for writer’s lessons and helpful insights, tips and tricks.
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