I don’t think anybody does Christmas like Harlequin and Silhouette, and I never even try to make it through the season without them. When you take a helping of romance and add a dash of holiday zest, a truly heartwarming happily ever after is the result.
And seriously, who doesn’t want a secret baby for Christmas?
Anyway, I go through a heap of category romances during the holiday season. A warm, fulfilling romance that doesn’t require a huge investment of more-precious-than-usual time is the perfect antidote for the stress of the season, and the price is definitely right. Four bucks, give or take a little, isn’t too great a burden on the gift budget.
Plus, whether it’s because the holiday is so family-focused or because I’m too exhausted to feel all that jolly, I’m not in the mood for the graphic sex overload. I also don’t want heavy violence and graphic terror. I just want some ooey-gooey, warm and fuzzy, a little over the top true love. Give me a holiday banquet of Special Editions, Romances, Desires, Historicals—and, okay, a Blaze or two because you’ve gotta be a little jolly, after all—and I’m a happy girl.
My plan, every year, is to grab a few category romances for my stocking. (Some people think it’s sad I fill my own, but you can fit a lot of things moms don’t usually buy for themselves in there—that Victoria’s Secret lip gloss instead of Chapstick…the $15 salon nail polish instead of Wet-n-Wild…the pen nobody needs to know was $80.) And every single year I creep down into the basement and pluck them—one at a time—out of the Official Christmas Present Hiding Place (aka near the washer and dryer because you can all guess how often my guys go there).
So far this year, these are the series stocking stuffers that didn’t quite make it to my stocking:
Dear Santa by Karen Templeton (SSE)
Texan for the Holidays by Victoria Chancellor (HAR)
His Christmas Bride by Helen Brooks (HP)
Christmas Presents and Past by Janice Kay Johnson (Everlasting)
Her Christmas Surprise by Kristin Hardy (SSE)
A Christmas Wedding Wager by Michelle Styles (HH)
A Spirit of Christmas by Margot Early (Everlasting)
Baby, It’s Cold Outside by Cathy Yardley (Blaze)
Christmas in His Royal Bed by Heidi Betts (Desire)
A Western Winter Wonderland by Pam Crooks, Jenna Kernan, Cheryl St. John (HH)
Oops. I’m definitely going to have to restock this weekend. It’s a good thing there were a couple of holiday Supers I had my eye on.
So what about you? Have you read a fabulous holiday category you want to give a shout out? Or do you have an old favorite worth haunting the UBS for? (If it’s not available as an ebook—yay for the growing awareness of building digital backlists!)
Let’s hear some holiday cheer for the publisher and authors who bring us the best in Christmas romance year after year!
And seriously, who doesn’t want a secret baby for Christmas?
Me. I even put it in my letter to Santa: Dear Santa, please do not bring me a secret baby for Christmas, love, Lynn.
I always buy those Harlequin omnibus Christmas paperbacks, because I like reading shorter stories during the festivities, and I find new authors that way. One I reread every year is Christmas Kisses by Linda Howard, Debbie Macomber and Linda Turner.
Some of the Blazes look pretty good this month, too, so Santa, if there’s any room to spare after you stuff my stocking with dark chocolate truffles . . .
by Lynn December 20th, 2007 at 8:38 amI was looking for some holiday reads to put on my list for Santa so this is the perfect topic. Thanks for the recommendations, Shannon.
And yay for ebook versions!
by Kimber December 20th, 2007 at 8:45 amNot a secret baby fan myself
(though I wouldn’t mind a surprise baby for Christmas but I might as well ask for a porsche).
One category selection that I do read, however,
are the anthologies.
Short and sweet and I can read them on commercial breaks.
I was reading one (in the bookstore) that I especially enjoyed (a historical)
by Kimber Chin December 20th, 2007 at 9:04 ambut can I find it on Harlequin’s site?
Nope.
Please, Santa, more secret babies! Real ones, fictional ones, my own, other people’s so I can take care of them, just more babies in general. Human babies are preferred, but I’d like a kitten for my birthday, if you don’t mind. 
by Kimber An December 20th, 2007 at 9:17 amYeah, I’m on the “Do not want a secret baby list”, but I’m glad I read this since you reminded me that on my last trip to Borders to buy “gifts” I picked up Harlequin’s A Blazing Little Christmas. How can you resist a title like that?
I haven’t read it yet, but it does have Jacquie D’Alessandro, Joanne Rock and Kathleen O’Reilly. All writer’s I’ve had good luck with in this past.
Let’s hear it for Christmas nookie!
by Melanie December 20th, 2007 at 9:35 amJust read Trish Morey’s The Boss’ Christmas Baby (Presents), Samantha Hunter’s Talking In Your Sleep (Blaze) and am now tackling Karen Templeton’s Dear Santa.
And it’s not H/S, but Holidays are Hell is a pretty fun read, too! (Marjorie Liu, Kim Harrison, et al)
I love Christmas romances! I love them all year round, to be honest.
by Charlene Teglia December 20th, 2007 at 11:12 amI just like reading your blog!!! Merry Christmas to you and yours!!! have fun with all the reading!
by Donna December 20th, 2007 at 12:16 pmA plug for the Western Winter Wonderland anthology, which is a very good “sweet” read. Ideal for Christmas Eve reading, assuming you’re not cussing a blue streak while putting the kids’ “some assembly required” toys together.
One of my favorite Christmas categories is a Temptation from several years ago, The Nights Before Christmas by Vicki Lewis Thompson. A sexy read featuring a blue collar hero.
I ordered all the November HSR titles since very blessed one has a Christmas-theme. I couldn’t help myself. I love Christmas-themed categories and I love the HSR line.
by Wendy December 20th, 2007 at 12:27 pmHey Charlene! Thanks for picking up The Boss’s Christmas Baby. Hope you enjoyed it. I loved writing a Christmas book, it just adds another warm and fuzzy dimension.
Merry Christmas all!
by Trish Morey December 20th, 2007 at 11:10 pmI’m having Gay Christmas Werewolves (my own) and whatever else looks good off the Torquere Press Single Shot page. But I won’t know until Saturday.
On the more conventional front, I’m finishing A Baby by Chance. (Chance, I regret to say, is the hero)
by Angelia Sparrow December 21st, 2007 at 12:28 amI buy more category romances during the Christmas season than at any other time. I buy all lines, all themes, which is good–shakes me out of my box.
by Becca December 21st, 2007 at 12:57 amShannon, give me the warm and fuzzy Christmas romance books too. It’s just the perfect time to read them, isn’t it?
And I love Christmas romance movies as well. I was just thinking the other day that there doesn’t seem to be as many Christmas romance movies on tv this year (I live in Australia), which is disappointing. So I’ll watch a couple of Christmas movies that I’ve taped over the years instead. They always make me feel good.
And then I thought as a Desire author that if only one person gets that same warm and fuzzy (and sexy ) feeling when they read my books, then I’ll be very happy.
Thanks for writing a great post and for reminding me that there are many others out there who enjoy Christmas romances, whether they are novels or movies.
Maxine
by Maxine Sullivan December 21st, 2007 at 6:50 amI love Christmas romances! I have a list of what I’m reading over the holidays…so far I’ve read A Christmas Wedding Wager (you’ll love it!)and I’m currently reading His Christmas Angel by Michelle Douglas. Once I’m out of the deadline cave, I have the second half of Christmas by Candlelight (Helen Dickson’s contribution) to read, and a 2-in-1 Betty Neels waiting for me!
by Donna Alward December 21st, 2007 at 9:55 am