My Must-Read Christmas Books for 2024!

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends in the U.S.! I hope you have a wonderful celebration filled with joy and the creation of new memories with family and friends.

This weekend also marks the official start of the holiday season, a time when many readers transition to Christmas-themed books. Personally, I kicked off my holiday reading back in September, so let me help take the guesswork out of finding your next festive read.

Whether you’re picking something for yourself or searching for the perfect gift, here are my Must-Read Christmas Books for 2024 from my 20 Books of Christmas 2024 Challenge. Each of these earned a glowing 4.5- or 5-star rating from me. Simply click on a book cover to read my full review.

Happy reading and happy holidays!

The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts:

The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts was the first Christmas book I read in 2024, and it certainly set the bar high. With its cozy holiday setting and relatable, middle-aged characters, this story quickly became a comforting escape each time I picked it up.

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma, this novel centres around Frankie Lane, a well-meaning but sometimes overzealous matchmaker who can’t help but meddle in the love lives of everyone around her. Frankie is a widow who has already experienced her great love. Since losing her husband Ike in a tragic accident, she has regained balance in her life and is content focusing on her shop, Holiday Happiness, while steering clear of romance for herself. But for everyone else? Frankie’s matchmaking enthusiasm knows no bounds.

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery:

One Big Happy Family is the kind of book that feels like wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket on a chilly winter night. It’s a story filled with humour, love, and just enough chaos to keep you laughing, all while tugging at your heartstrings in the most unexpected ways making it one of my Must-Read Christmas Books for 2024.

The novel introduces us to Julie Parker, a middle-aged, divorced woman who owns a towing business—a family legacy. Julie is strong, independent, and always in control, or at least she tries to be. But when her adult children, Nick and Dana, ask to spend Christmas at the family cabin to honour their late father, her carefully laid plans for a quiet holiday go out the window. And that’s just the beginning.

Christmas in Chestnut Ridge by Nancy Naigle:

Christmas in Chestnut Ridge is exactly the heartwarming holiday escape I was hoping for. Nancy Naigle has crafted a story that not only celebrates the magic of Christmas but also explores themes of community, self-discovery, and the unexpected ways love can take root.

Set in the picturesque town of Chestnut Ridge, Naigle paints a world where tree farms and twinkling lights set the perfect holiday scene. From the moment Sheila is persuaded to join the Christmas Tree Stroll fundraiser, I was drawn into the festive charm of the town. The joy of decorating, the sense of community, and the coziness of hot cocoa in hand – it’s all there, making me wish I could step into Chestnut Ridge myself.

The Holiday Cottage by Sarah Morgan:

Sarah Morgan has delivered another heart-warming read with The Holiday Cottage, easily one of my favourite books from her in recent years. Set against the charming, festive backdrop of the Cotswolds, the story follows Imogen, a successful marketing professional whose seemingly perfect life conceals a much more complicated reality.

Imogen is the quintessential career woman. She’s proud of her accomplishments, especially given the difficult childhood she endured with a self-absorbed single mother. But while her professional image is polished, her personal life is anything but. Her colleagues don’t know that her glowing stories of family holidays are fabrications—she’s always escaped Christmas by burying herself in work. That is, until her inevitable burnout forces her boss to give her an unwelcome gift: a month off work.

Christmas in Bethel by Richard Paul Evans:

Christmas in Bethel by Richard Paul Evans is a moving tale that intertwines the power of literature and the resilience of the human spirit. Leigh Beth Stilton, the protagonist, has endured more than her fair share of pain and heartache. After a childhood steeped in instability, an abusive marriage, and the daily traumas of her work as an EMT, Leigh has lost all connection to the festive cheer of Christmas. It’s a time of year that only deepens her sense of despair, until a book titled Bethel finds its way into her hands.

The words of the mysterious author, J.D. Harper, resonate with Leigh in ways she never thought possible. His writing speaks to her wounded soul, and for the first time in a long while, she feels truly seen and understood. The connection Leigh feels with Harper’s work helps her navigate her darkest moments, and she devours all his novels. When she gets the chance to meet J.D. at a book signing, serendipity brings them together even before the event—in the most unexpected of places, a coffee shop. Can you see why it’s one of my Must-Read Christmas Books for 2024 ?

Santa’s Secret by Fern Michaels:

Fern Michaels has done it again with Santa’s Secret, the third instalment in her charming “Santa Crew” series. This festive novel takes us on a delightful holiday escape, following Francesca (Frankie) and her lifelong friends Amy, Rachael, and Nina as they embark on an adventure to Italy, each in search of something special. Although it’s part of a series, you can easily enjoy this book as a standalone, though long-time readers will savour the return of these well-loved characters.

The 13th Gift by Joanne Huist Smith:

The 13th Gift is a true story of loss, love, and the unexpected ways we find hope. After the sudden death of her husband, Joanne Huist Smith is left grappling with grief while trying to stay strong for her three children. With Christmas fast approaching, their pain feels insurmountable—until mysterious gifts begin arriving on their doorstep 12 days before the holiday. Each gift is accompanied by a note from “True Friends,” sparking curiosity and offering a glimmer of joy to the struggling family. As the Smiths work together to uncover the identity of their secret benefactors, they also begin to find their way back to each other and to the healing power of hope.

The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler:

The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler is a holiday novel that lingers long after the last page, with a story as heartwarming as it is beautifully written. From the very start, Morgenthaler’s deep respect for the land that Sienna Naples calls home shines through. Sienna is a character shaped by both loss and resilience. Her mother is gone, and her father, though alive, has been moved to a care home due to dementia, which makes visits painful, as he often doesn’t recognize her. Additionally, she’s recently gone through a painful divorce, sacrificing much to keep her family’s land. The farm, though dear to her, is a place where she’s often reminded of all she’s lost.

It’s in this period of isolation that Guy Maple and his four-year-old daughter Emma enter her life. Guy arrives in Sienna’s world as a result of an ad that was meant to be a joke. However, he’s not laughing. Money is tight, and his young daughter is suffering from stage-five chronic kidney disease. Emma needs a transplant, and Guy’s struggle to prove he can afford her anti-rejection medications is jeopardising her place on the transplant list. What begins as a marriage of convenience quickly deepens into something more as Sienna steps in to help Emma through her own health insurance plan, which would ensure Emma gets the coverage she needs. If you only read one holiday story this year, make it this one.

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That is my list of my Must-Read Christmas Books for 2024! Have you read any of these books or are there any books here that you’d like to read? Do you have any Christmas Books you’d recommend? Let me know in the comments.

As always, I hope you have a wonderful day!