Hello friends,
The holidays are such a complicated season, aren’t they?
They bring together people we love… and they also magnify the people we’re missing.
Each meet up can hold a mix of joy and sadness, celebration and ache. I’ve been feeling that a lot this year… how one moment you’re laughing with your family, and the next you’re aware of the empty chairs that used to be filled.
One of the greatest comforts in seasons like this, at least for me, is finding books that let me feel seen. Stories that capture those layered emotions in a way that feels honest and human.
Last year, I stumbled across a romance novel that explored grief with such care and depth that I still think about it. And if you’re looking for something that blends holiday warmth with the real, messy truth of loss, I can’t recommend Marie Landry’s At Home With You This Christmas enough. (And as a bonus—it’s always nice to support a Canadian author!)
Here’s what it’s about…
Hazel Morris is dreading the holidays. It’s her first Christmas without her mom, and the first since ending things with the man who truly loved her. Six months of grief and trying to stand on her own have left her exhausted, and she escapes to Honeywell Hollow hoping for a quiet holiday—until she arrives and discovers her aunt forgot they had plans and left town.
Meanwhile, Mason Reynolds still hasn’t told his family that Hazel broke up with him. Partly because he didn’t know how… and partly because he never stopped hoping she might find her way back. So when he walks into his parents’ house and finds Hazel standing there, it feels like a Christmas miracle—one he’s terrified to lose all over again.
What unfolds is a story that’s sweet and steamy, heartfelt and hopeful, grounded in grief but guided by the idea that healing doesn’t happen alone. It’s romantic, funny, and tender in all the right ways.
Marie wrote this very shortly after the loss of her mother.
If you do read it, please check the author’s note and content warnings, especially if grief or loss is a sensitive topic for you.
I had such a blast hosting our very first Office Hours with Colin Mustful from History Through Fiction. We loved answering your questions about writing, publishing, and marketing. If you’re an author or aspiring author who wants guidance, encouragement, or clarity, you’re always welcome to join us. Our next LIVE will be December 26th at 1pm EST.
Office Hours are a time to learn, ask questions, and get personalized insight from two people who love helping authors grow. Get ready for more happening in collaboration with History Through Fiction!
Right now you can check out the workshops I’ll be hosting for 2026 in partnership with them. Check out Colin’s writing workshops and then keep scrolling down to see what I’ll be teaching for the year.
And lastly… my current holiday reading stack
I’ve been slowly working my way through the books on my NetGalley shelf, and here are the holiday reads I still need to get to…
A sentimental advertising creative and a blunt, no-nonsense bar owner find a second chance at love while binge-watching iconic holiday movies in this poignant and heartwarming romance, from the author of Charm City Rocks and All Together Now.
The new year had barely begun when Grace White and Henry Adler both lost their spouses. Now, nearly a year later, the first holiday season since their “Great and Terrible Sadnesses” approaches. Although their mothers scheme to matchmake the two surviving spouses, it’s clear that neither is ready to date again. Yet no one understands what they are going through better than each other, and a delicate friendship is born.
When Henry sees an ad for a Christmas movie marathon—once an annual tradition for him and his wife—Grace offers to watch some films with him, despite her aversion to a few of his picks. Her two young kids, Ian and Bella, also join in whenever possible—bedtimes permitting, of course.
With each movie, Grace and Henry’s shared grief eases as they start to see a life beyond the sadness. But as they draw closer, other romantic possibilities leave them uncertain about their future together. Is their bond merely the result of loneliness and shared circumstances, or have they found something that’s worth taking a shot at . . . again?
Check it out HERE.
The highly acclaimed author of Accidentally Engaged delivers a heartwarming holiday romance, full of grumpy/sunshine vibes.
There are two things that Ruby Dhanji loves with her whole entire heart: Christmas and anything to do with the UK. For Ruby the holiday season means joy, generosity, and warm memories with her late mother. And now she’s on the verge of realizing the dream she and her mom always had: moving to England and opening a cozy inn. The only problem, Ruby needs some hotel experience first.
Rashid just doesn’t get all the holiday hype. But when he meets a woman dragging home a Christmas tree alone from the Winter Market, he has to offer to help—even if he soon finds Ruby adores all the things he dislikes. When Ruby discovers that Rashid’s family owns a luxury boutique hotel chain in Britain, she offers him a proposition: she’ll help him give his young nieces an amazing Christmas if he’ll facilitate an introduction to his family.
As Ruby and Rashid get closer, she realizes that the great big grump loves his large, eccentric family fiercely. And when their friendship turns to something more, she’s afraid she’s falling for someone weeks before she moves across the Atlantic and she’ll soon have to decide which dream she wants to chase.
Check it out HERE.
It’s a harmony of second chances, forced proximity and festive mayhem
in this warm and bright holiday romance!
Music was everything to professional soprano Charlie Ward…until her brother died, leaving her lost in grief. But when her beloved Gram moves into the Glendale Retirement Village, Charlie is cajoled into temporarily volunteering to direct the community’s new choir, their sights set on winning the Annual Christmas Choir Competition.
Only, the home’s activities director happens to be the super-cute guy she once spent a hot, hazy, sexy summer with. Julian Guerrero hasn’t forgotten Charlie Ward. Not even a little. Fortunately, he has his hands full with the lively residents who are determined to win, even if they must twerk their way to victory.
Amid mince tarts, gingerbread houses and Christmas lights, Charlie and Julian must find a way to transform their quirky singing seniors into a sensation. It’ll take hard work. It’ll take heart. And it’ll take just enough holiday magic to surprise everyone…Charlie most of all.
The Best Christmas Choir Ever is a spicy, fast-paced romance you can read in one sitting.
Check it out HERE.
And my current read is Yours For The Season
For an ambitious attorney and a rising-star chef, a cross-cultural fake romance takes an unexpected detour in a heartwarming and funny novel by the author of Much Ado About Nada and Ayesha at Last.
When Sameera Malik and Tom Cooke meet at a ho-hum holiday party, neither is looking for romance. Sameera’s working ridiculous hours at her law firm and healing from heartache while navigating a recently resolved family estrangement. Tom’s hustling to turn his social media stardom into a real career while fending off his family’s demands to give up his chef dreams and move back home. The two share a few laughs and a samosa-making lesson and go their separate ways.
But when one of Tom’s posts starts a viral rumor that they’re a couple, he suggests they keep up the ruse for a few months. It’s a good proposal, and a fauxmance will help Tom grow his popularity, and, in return, he can help Sameera land a wealthy client. The only problem? Their parents.
When Sameera’s very Muslim parents insist on meeting Tom’s very not Muslim family over Christmas in rural Alaska, the stage is set for misunderstandings, holiday hijinks, and an epic culture clash. As the Maliks and Cookes exchange holiday traditions and endless opinions on their children’s lives, Sameera and Tom realize they have a lot in common—including an attraction that’s starting to feel very real.
Check it out HERE.
If the season feels heavy for you, or joyful, or both… you’re not alone. Stories help us make sense of it all, and I hope you find one this month that feels like a warm hug.
Until next time,
Melissa
The Literary Assistant
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Thank you for mentioning support for a Canadian author! As for me, having no loved ones to be around at Christmas (and remembering the Christmases that used to be), the best thing for me to do is just work my security shifts, and probably help out those who find they have celebrated a little too enthusiastically. And, one new tradition has evolved for me, I will get to go to a live NHL game on New year's Day, courtesy of my employers.
You are right about the mix of feelings the holidays can bring. Emotions seem to be heightened at this time of year. Like you, I find great comfort in stories