.png)
Shopping for love?
Cosy romances set in Christmas shops
The kids have gone back to school, the leaves are falling and you've noticed that the nights are drawing in. And we all know what that means, don't we?
Yes, Christmas is coming! Which also means that the shops are bringing out their festive products (if they haven't already!).
Which brings me to those enticing romances that are actually set in Christmas shops - or shops with a Christmassy theme, like the pop-up gifty type shops that appear at this time of year. So with that in mind, I've found a selection for you - and I've written two myself!
The Best Little Christmas Shop - Maxine Morrey
Lexi never imagined she’d spend the holidays in her family’s cosy Christmas shop, icing gingerbread men and decorating wreaths to distract herself from a failed engagement.
Still healing from heartbreak, she’s convinced that romance is off her Christmas list for good. But that’s until gorgeous single dad Cal Martin walks through the door …
Christmas takes on a whole new meaning as Lexi begins to see it through the eyes of Cal’s adorable five-year-old son. And as she finds herself edging close to the mistletoe with Cal, she can’t help but wonder if this magical season could bring her the happiness she thought she’d lost for ever.
After all, sometimes the best gifts come when you least expect them.
The Little Christmas Shop on Nutcracker Lane - Jaimie Admans
It’s the most magical time of year, and anything can happen…
Nia Maddison has always believed that wishes come true on Nutcracker Lane. So, when she gets the opportunity to run her own Christmas gift shop on the most magical street in town, it feels like her wishes have been finally granted.
But working late one night, Nia discovers yet another boyfriend has cheated on her. As she trudges home – alone, again – she passes the (supposedly) magical nutcracker and half-joking thinks a wish can’t hurt. Cracking a nut in its mouth, she wishes to find Prince Charming.
The next day Nia gets to work to find another decoration shop has opened directly across the lane from her own, and she can’t resist having a nose around.
Whilst there, she accidentally backs into a human-sized Nutcracker, knocking it over and breaking it. Mortified, she flees from the store but when she gathers her resolve to go back and apologise, she stumbles across the gorgeous shop owner James, who looks exactly like Prince Charming…
Could her Christmas wish from the night before really be coming true?
Flora's Travelling Christmas Shop - Rebecca Raisin
Flora loves Christmas more than anything else in the world, so she’s gutted when her Scrooge-like boss fires her from Deck the Halls Christmas emporium. But now she finally has a chance to follow her dreams – and what better place to start than the home of Christmas?
Before she can say ‘sleigh bells’, Flora’s on her way to Lapland in a campervan-Christmas-shop. She can’t wait to spend her days drinking hot chocolate and taking reindeer-drawn carriage rides, but something Flora didn’t expect was meeting Connor, a Norse god of a man who makes her heart flutter and snowflakes swirl in her stomach. There’s just one problem: Connor hates Christmas.
Can Flora convince Connor of the joys of Christmas – and will she find a festive romance along the way?
The Christmas Shop - The Christmas Shop
Angela Carson wants nothing more than to be the third-generation to run her family's holiday store, Heart of Christmas, successfully. They've weathered over sixty tourist seasons, major hurricanes, and urban sprawl, in their old decommissioned lighthouse. But the national chain that set up shop in their small North Carolina town of Pleasant Sands may be more than Heart of Christmas can survive.
Encouraged by her niece to ask Santa for help through the Dear Santa app, Angela gives in and lets the words fly in a way that, if Santa were real, would no doubt land her on the naughty list. What's the harm when it's just a computer-generated response?
Geoff Paisley has been at his mother's side running the mega-chain Christmas Galore for the last ten years. When his mother falls ill, Geoff promises to answer the Dear Santa letters in her stead. Soon he realizes the woman he's been corresponding with on Dear Santa is Angela. How could the woman that grates his every last nerve in person have intrigued him so deeply through those letters?
When Geoff reveals that he's her Dear Santa, will Angela be able to set aside their very public feud to embrace the magic of the holiday and possibly find true love?
The Oddest Little Christmas Shop - Beth Good
When Pippa hears that her great aunt Evelyn has been unwell, she is determined to spend Christmas with her in the snowy Scottish Highlands. Her great aunt runs a Christmas Shop, and an extra pair of hands is always welcome.
Then Pippa discovers she is not Evelyn's only helper that year. Normally she would be ecstatic to share house room with a gorgeous-looking Scot. But things start going wrong from the moment she meets Ben, who seems intent on rubbing her up the wrong way - and is most definitely not who he says he is!
A short pick-me-up romantic comedy from author Jane Holland writing as Beth Good.
Daisy's Christmas Gift Shop - Hannah Pearl
When Prince Charming is right in front of you . . . But he just doesn’t know it.
Self-appointed queen of romance Daisy Kirk believes in happily-ever-afters. It’s why she opened up her very own bespoke gift shop in the heart of London — so she can spend her days helping strangers find the perfect present for their nearest and dearest.
The only problem is that Daisy’s own love life is non-existent. She’s too busy putting other people’s happy endings before her own. Not that she has eyes for anyone but her brother’s best friend, Eli. There’s little they agree on, but maybe opposites attract?
Either way, Daisy’s long held a torch for him. She only wishes he felt the same way.
Then she and Eli find themselves thrown together on a road trip to Wales. And sparks start to fly.
Will Daisy and Eli’s journey be a dead end? Or could Daisy get her long-awaited happy ending . . .
Mrs Clutterbuck's Christmas Emporium - Nicola May
When Mabel Clutterbuck opens a Christmas shop in sleepy Merrycombe Bay, she has no idea how much her little emporium is about to change the hearts and minds of the people who live there.
Mabel Clutterbuck reluctantly returns to the seaside town she grew up in to be closer to her ailing mother. However, the old woman's fading memories keep confusing Mabel with her sister Clara - the sister who sacrificed everything to care for their mother before recently disappearing without trace.
Determined to breathe new life into the old shop Clara used for her crafting endeavours, Mabel transforms it into Mrs Clutterbuck's Christmas Emporium, a magical haven filled with vintage decorations, festive treasures, and a little bit of wonder.
The true magic, however, lies in Mabel's Lucky Dip Gift Boxes. Carefully chosen for the hidden heartaches of the customers who buy them, each one brings comfort, hope, and unexpected joy. Not everyone in Merrycombe Bay is convinced, though, especially the formidable ladies of the local WI!
As Christmas approaches, an unexpected romantic encounter gives Mabel a glimpse of a future she never thought possible. And while she helps others find happiness, she begins to heal the parts of herself she thought would remain broken.
But beneath the sparkle of fairy lights and festive cheer, old wounds refuse to stay buried. Why did Clara leave Merrycombe Bay? And if she returns, will Mabel lose everything she's finally found - including the future she never thought she deserved?
The Cotswolds Christmas Fair - Lizzie Lee
Could this Christmas bring a fresh start?
It's not that Jen hates Christmas. It's just that she would be quite happy letting December slip by without so much as a flicker of a fairy light.
But when her friends surprise her with a weekend away, fate has other plans... and soon Jen finds herself snowed in in the last place she would ever choose to be - Babblebrook, a sleepy Cotswolds village that takes festive cheer very seriously. Worse still, it's where her snooty older sister, Julia, lives.
Before long, Jen is swept up in the charm of village life, helping Ted - her long-time best friend and short-time college fling - with preparations for the Christmas Fair. And when she bumps into the handsome stranger she met on the train from London, things seem even brighter...
Then a secret is uncovered that forces Jen to question everything. Is Jen ready to let go of the past and admit that all she wants for Christmas has been in front of her all along?
This book doesn't just feature one shop - there's a whole fair!!
The Cosy Travelling Christmas Shop - Lilac Mills
While bringing joy to others, can these two Christmas helpers also find some for themselves?
Seren’s great aunt Nelly hates being in a care home, especially around Christmas when Seren learns that Nelly and the other residents can’t enjoy the simple pleasure of browsing for gifts in the shops. So what if Seren brings the shops to them?
Converting an ice cream van into a gift shop, Seren travels around Tinstone to help out the less mobile. On her journeys, she keeps bumping into a reluctant – and handsome – Father Christmas, who has been roped into helping out this festive season.
But running her own business comes with risks and surprises that Seren's not sure she's able to tackle. Has she bitten off more than she can chew, or will her travelling Christmas shop provide some much-needed festive cheer for the residents of Tinstone?
The Ticklemore Christmas Toy Shop - Liz Davies
You’re never too old to fall in love…
There is a disturbance in the force and octogenarian Hattie Jenkins can feel it in her water. Still active and spritely, she guesses that the miserable-looking gentleman sitting morosely in the café where she works, might be the reason.
Widowed Alfred Miller has recently moved in with his daughter because she is worried that he’s becoming too frail and forgetful to look after himself. And he’s not in the least bit happy about it, especially since his home is soon be cleared and sold.
But when he enlists Hattie’s help to save some of his precious belongings, he doesn’t realise that Hattie’s mission is to save more than a few sticks of furniture. She’s on a mission to save him, too.
Available from Amazon
Would you like to be notified whenever I write a new blog post?
About the Author
Lilac Mills writes heartwarming romance inspired by life in the Welsh countryside, her love of simple pleasures, and the beauty of everyday moments.
She’s the author of over twenty feel-good novels, and also writes as Liz Davies and Etti Summers.
Please note: I use Affiliate links on my site. This means that if you order a book from Amazon via my link, I will earn a small commission. However, the cost to you will be no different than if you bought without using my link.
Comments