A Couple of Holiday Women's Fiction Books to Relax With

by Donna Huber

We are days away from Christmas! Have you finished everything on your list? If so, it's time to relax with a good holiday book.

If you are looking for more books to read for Christmas, be sure to check out all the 25 Days of Christmas Reading recommendations.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

Christmas at the Nantucket Restaurant by Pamela Kelley

October 2025; Sourcebooks Landmark; 978-1464246210
audio, ebook, print (272 pages); women's fiction

I love reading books set in Nantucket. I usually read Nancy Thayer's books but she didn't have a Christmas book this year. But Pamela Kelley is another great author who writes about Nantucket and she did have a Christmas book this year. I enjoyed last year's book The Christmas Inn so I was looking forward to this book.

Christmas at the Nantucket Restaurant is the second book in The Nantucket Restaurant. I have not read book 1, but there is enough info provided to figure out the gist of what happened in that book. It also looks like this is a re-release of the series under a slightly altered title. 

I thought that this might be a romance novel in which each book focuses on a different couple getting together. But it isn't really a romance. There is some dating for newly single Mandy, but the plot is much more of a women's fiction story. The story also isn't just focused on the sisters Emma, Mandy, and Jill. Bartender Gina also gets a lot of page time as she catches the eye of 2 eligible bachelors. It isn't high stress or angsty in her figuring out who she prefers. 

Everything is really sweet. It is the perfect book to take a break from the craziness of the holidays and relax with.

Buy Christmas at the Nantucket Restaurant at Amazon

A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan

October 2025; Canary Street Press; 978-1335001085
audio, ebook, print (368 pages); women's fiction

For the past three years, I have read Sarah Morgan's Christmas books and really enjoyed them. 

I struggled to get into the story as I felt the beginning was a little on the slow side. It might be because the opening scene with Becky's flight canceled (as well as trains and buses), and the only option, a car rental, was a little too much like another favorite Christmas book. But it diverted soon with her bumping into a childhood friend who is also going to the same town for Christmas. He luckily has a car parked at the airport and offers to drive them home.

I think what made the story slow at the beginning is that the first couple of people introduced (Becky and then her twin sister Rosie) are very unhappy. I didn't want any real stress from my characters, and their unhappiness was the focus for longer than I wanted it to be. Then we meet Hayley and Jamie, and while Hayley is worried about meeting Jamie's close-knit family (she grew up in a group home), there is more lightness to their storyline.

The book picks up when all the siblings arrive at the family home, and things become more light-hearted.

I don't usually like predictable and obvious plotlines. However, in a Christmas book, it is something I don't mind as much. And this book was predictable. The fake relationship trope is a popular one during the holidays, as single people want to avoid the endless questioning of "when will you get married?" or the variation "who are you dating?" 

I loved when the family was all together, getting ready for the holidays, and just enjoying each other's company. 

If you are looking for a holiday novel with a little more tension but a solid happily-ever-after for everyone, then get this book.

Buy A Merry Little Lie at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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