22 Best Holiday Rom-Coms for 2026: Snowed-In Stories to Read This Winter

Holiday romances for winter

The 2026 holiday-book season includes romances set around Christmas, Hanukkah and the winter solstice. The selection presents 22 novels across different tropes, while noting that holiday-themed books had been coming out since late September and early October.

The snowed-in setup anchors four of the described books, bringing characters together and testing what matters to them. The romances vary in tone: two are characterized as spicier, one as mostly sweet, and another as reminiscent of Hallmark movies.

Four snowed-in pairings

In Lauren Blakely’s “Mistletoe All The Way,” veterinarian Dr. Noah Lennox returns home to fight for his grandfather’s sleigh-ride family business. Christmas-loving Eloise Langston draws him into the town’s Mr. Holiday competition, and the pair later get snowed in together.

Jenny Lane’s “All I Want For Christmas Is Hughes” follows Nick Smith, a teacher and Santa’s son who tries to suppress his magic. Librarian Ben Hughes helps bring it back, and Nick drives him home for Christmas before they are snowed in together.

Strangers and old sparks

Jessica Sherry’s “The Holiday Haters” pairs strangers Cleo and Hardy, who agree to support one another through family festivities without pretending to date. Their pact is tested as real feelings develop.

In Rachel Lacey’s “‘Tis The Damn Season,” real estate photographer Whitney Rayne shoots a Vermont home represented by Liza Snow, the woman she cannot stop thinking about after they kissed a year earlier. A falling tree and snowstorm bring the two closer.

Other holiday rom-com tropes

Fake dating and accidental relationships also feature among holiday rom-coms, where family and community can create pressure to appear happy and partnered. The stories use different kinds of comedy. “Christmas Staycation” is described as a screwball rom-com, while “Dodging Mistletoe” draws humor from witty banter.