Adult Fiction,  book stack

New Aussie Christmas Romance Books 2022

We all know I love a Christmas romance story and, while it’s fun to coy up with snowy story sometimes it’s nice to see our own summer Christmas in a book too. I always have my eyes peeled for new Aussie festive stories hitting our shelves and today I’m sharing three that have caught my attention this year.

Beneath a Christmas Sky

Under Christmas Stars by Alissa Callen
Small-town teacher Freya George is determined to make up for last year’s disastrous Christmas. This year she will stop at nothing to ensure that she and the Woodlea community have the best holiday season ever. But from the moment Freya meets cattleman Drew Macgregor, her plans unravel faster than red Christmas ribbon …

Christmas at Coorah Creek by Janet Gover
English nurse Katie Brooks is here to stay after travelling halfway around the world to outback Queensland. But she hadn’t anticipated being rescued on day one by Scott Collins: Coorah Creek’s prodigal son … who is determined to leave town as soon as possible. Can a small-town Christmas change their minds?

The Christmas Wish by Jacquie Underdown
Returning home, schoolteacher Brielle hopes a quiet Christmas will quash the ever-present feeling that she no longer belongs anywhere. For single dad Luke, romance is off the agenda – no matter how appealing his one-time antagonist Brielle has become. It’s not only his heart that’s at risk – it’s that of his young daughter too. But after a Christmas wish is cast, the spirit of Christmas conspires to create some holiday magic.

Above the Mistletoe by Juliet Madison
Determined to escape all things Christmas in far-off Australia, Angelette hadn’t counted on being forced to stay at the local Christmas-themed pub, where the owner is intent on enforcing holiday cheer. But embracing Christmas will mean opening up about the one reason Angelette vowed never to celebrate Christmas again. And that will take a miracle.

His Christmas Feast by Nora James
Jilted French chef Christophe has sworn off women. Until his sexy neighbour Emily turns up at the lavish Christmas party he throws at his country home. The trouble is, Emily, the queen of mixed signals, is hiding something. Will he ever understand her? Or will the fence they’re building between their two properties keep them apart for good?

Harper Collins (under their HQ imprint) have released one of the collections every Christmas for the past few years (I’ve written a little bit about them previously here) and I always look forward to picking it up. I think these collections are not only a fun way to get some festive spirit into your reading over the Christmas season, but also a great opportunity to discover a new favourite Aussie romance author. I actually read and reviewed Janet Gover’s Christmas at Coorah Creek recently (check my review out here).

The Christmas Trip by Sandy Barker

It’s a year on and our three May Ladies are all loved up but still living worlds apart.

Chloe has had a whirlwind year amongst the glitz, glamour (and demanding work) of Hollywood. She’s taken on the role of Assistant Producer on the film, ‘An Extraordinary Woman: The Eloise Capel Story’, Archer’s passion project and as Archer’s girlfriend, she’s now schmoozing with A-listers.

Jules is immersed in her Melbourne life, working for a non-profit and sharing an increasingly crowded flat on the waterfront with flatmate, Ash ― and their frequent visitors: Ash’s boyfriend, Davo, and Jules’ love, Matt, and his dog, Dexter. She’s considering moving out on her own, only Matt keeps hinting at Jules moving to his vineyard down south.

Lucy, meanwhile, is stuck in long-distance-relationship hell. While her career is flying high ― a promotion and frequent trips to the US for work ― her relationship with Will has stalled. She doesn’t want to be a part-time girlfriend, finding their time apart agonising, but Will seems perfectly content.

When Archer’s planned Parisian proposal at Christmastime is derailed by an ash cloud over Europe, he hatches a plan to bring all six of them together for a Christmas ― and a marriage proposal ― to remember. In Hawaii!

The Christmas Trip is the sequel to Sandy Barker’s The Christmas Swap, and I enjoyed both books so much
(you can see my reviews here and here). While this one is set in Hawaii rather than Australia I still felt the Aussie vibes thanks to the summer setting as well as the Aussie characters and writer.

A Holly Jolly Christmas by Katie Montinaro

Holly has one thing and one thing only to prove to her family – that she is a capable and organised adult, who can host the perfect Christmas day. The only problem is, Holly is neither of those two things. Disaster seems to follow Holly wherever she goes and this time, it’s in the shape of The Christmas Ruiner; a smug stranger who appears at the worst of times, taking the last of everything Holly needs to impress her family. Cue her best-friend Shawn; knight in shining amour and all-round Good Guy. Even though he’s made it perfectly clear that they are just friends, the lines between friends and something more are becoming blurred. The more time they spend together, the more Holly can’t ignore her feelings. Can Holly pull off the impossible to put on the perfect Christmas, and capture the heart of the man of her dreams?

A Holly Jolly Christmas by Katie Montinaro is a fun festive novella with an authentic contemporary feel. Montinaro nails the Aussie Christmas vibes in this one, without setting it at the beach, or using stereotypes, and I think this makes it feel super relatable. You can see my review here.

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I’d love to know if you have any Christmas books on your tbr for the season! Do you have any Aussie faves I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments!

xo Bron

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