21 Holiday Rom Com Books (That Aren’t About Christmas)
By: Angela & Melissa
Updated:
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn a referral fee from qualifying purchases.Two of our favorite things are holiday reads and exploring new cultures, traditions, and viewpoints through the pages of books. We have lots of lists of Christmas-themed novels, but we’ve been wanting to put together a list of light, fun books celebrating other winter holidays observed next door and around the world, including Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, and Lunar New Year.
We view this list as just a starting point, and we’d love to hear from you. If you celebrate one of these holidays, tell us what book(s) you’d recommend we add. And if you celebrate a winter holiday we don’t yet have on the list, tell us about it – and share some books we should read!
Multicultural Winter Holiday Books
We were so excited to come across the first book on the list because it celebrates not one, not two, but THREE winter holidays. Only three times a century (or every 30 to 33 years) do Hanukkah, Ramadan, and Christmas overlap.
Three Holidays and a Wedding
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Maryam is on her way to her sister’s impromptu wedding, and Anna is headed to meet her boyfriend’s wealthy family. These two strangers are seatmates on a flight to Toronto when they find themselves in extreme turbulence. The scary flight causes the two women to confess their deepest hopes and fears to each other.
They think they’ll never see each other again, but the rough ride leads to an emergency landing in Ottawa. Instead of making it to Toronto, the duo (along with Maryam’s sister’s entire bridal party and Saif, the love of Maryam’s life) find themselves at the quirky Snow Falls Inn in a picture-perfect town. Could being snowbound in a small town unexpectedly turn into the best holiday ever?
Thoughts On This Book
If you’re looking for a book that features multiple winter holidays, including Ramadan, Hanukkah, and Christmas, this is a great pick!
Hanukkah Romance Books
The eight-night Hanukkah festival, known as the Festival of Lights, is a relatively minor holiday in terms of religious observance within Judaism, but it has many joyful traditions. In 2025, Hanukkah begins on the evening of Sunday, December 14th.
Families and friends gather each night to light a new menorah candle, symbolic of a miracle in which a small amount of oil lasted for eight full days. Although most families now use candles, rather than oil, to light their menorah, foods fried in oil (such as potato latkes and jelly donuts called sufganiyot) nod to the celebrated miracle.
We’d love to expand this Hanukkah section into a full, standalone list in the future. If you celebrate this holiday, please share your book recommendations with us in the comments below!
The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah
Book Summary
Evelyn Schwartz’s Hanukkah plans look different from most. Rather than spending the holiday with family, she’ll spend the eight nights producing a live, televised musical version of A Christmas Carol. Long hours and impossible deadlines are far from festive, but it’s her dream job. The dream is upended, however, when Evelyn lands in the medical bay with a migraine, and she discovers that her ex-husband, David Adler, is filling in for the usual on-set doctor.
It’s been two years since David left Evelyn, but she’s still the same driven workaholic he remembers. He’s not surprised to learn that she’s still putting her career above everything, including her health.
When Evelyn starts seeing ‘ghosts’ from her past heartbreaks, and each one leads to David, he finds himself spending more time with his ex than he ever expected. And it’s becoming harder for him to deny the chemistry that’s still there. Could they have a Hannukkah future?
Another Book by This Author
Jean Meltzer is also the author of the popular holiday novel The Matzah Ball, in which Rachel, the daughter of a rabbi, has been hiding her career as a bestselling author of Christmas romance novels. When her publisher asks her to pen her first Hanukkah novel, Rachel is convinced that there is nothing magical or merry to write about.
Desperate not to lose her contract, Rachel agrees to volunteer for a Jewish music celebration being held in New York City on the last night of Hanukkah, hoping it will inspire her writing. The catch? Helping with the festival forces her to work side by side with her old summer camp archenemy, Jacob.
Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book
100% Would Recommend to a Friend
Book Summary
Abby Cohen is the only Jew on the tourism board for her small Vermont town, and as such, she’s been tasked with planning the town’s inaugural Hanukkah festival. The problem is that every vendor in town simply wants to repurpose their Christmas decorations. Can’t the Three Wise Men from the light-up Nativity scene just wear yarmulkes?
Desperately in need of support, Abby puts out a call for help online and is surprised to discover that she’s not the only Jew within 100 miles, like she thought. It turns out there’s also Seth, the annoyingly cheerful man who comes into her cafe each day.
She soon learns that Seth’s parents have been begging him to bring a ”nice Jewish girlfriend’ home to NYC for Hanukkah. He promises that if she poses as his fake girlfriend, he will introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make her festival a success. It doesn’t take long, however, for Seth to start melting Abby’s frozen heart over latkes, doughnuts, and winter adventures in Manhattan.
Our Thoughts On This Book
This Hanukkah novel will transport you to the heart of New York City, and you’ll love joining Abby as Seth and his friends introduce her to the wide variety of Hanukkah pop-ups and celebrations around the city.
Forced Proximity
One Night, Two Holidays
Book Summary
Jack’s plans to spend Christmas with his family are derailed when a record-breaking snowstorm leaves him stranded and alone in Chicago.
Nessa, on the other hand, doesn’t have any Hanukkah plans. With her roommates away and her family busy elsewhere, she is prepared to spend the holiday binge-watching TV.
When the storm knocks the power out, these two neighbors team up to help each other find the holiday cheer they’ve been missing. As they try to fry latkes from whatever ingredients they can scrounge and stuff stockings with improvised gifts, they stumble on the unexpected joy of blending Hanukkah and Christmas into something entirely their own.
As the storm rages outside, sparks begin to fly between Jack and Nessa. But can the magic last beyond the holidays?
About the Authors
Ali Brady is the pen name for the best friend writing duo of Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey. They first met in a writing group, where they began as critique partners, exchanging early drafts of their individual works before later deciding to co-author novels together.
Alison lives in Chicago, where she works as a creative director and is the Founder of Artists Against Antisemitism. Bradeigh lives in Utah with her husband and four children and works as a doctor.
Another Novella Option
Sometimes a novella-length book is exactly what you need during the busy holiday season. We were very excited to find a short Hanukkah option specifically about book lovers, but the rating is a bit lower than we’d hoped. Booked for the Holidays is a novella-length romance featuring an author and an editor; however, it’s only available in audiobook form via Audible Original.
Eight Bright Lights
Book Summary
Set over the eight nights of Hanukkah, this multi–point of view novel follows three different women.
Hannah is stuck in a dead-end life in South Devon until her estranged father dies, pulling her to Tel Aviv, Israel. With only her handsome-yet-insufferable host for company, she has just a limited time to sort out her father’s affairs — and along the way, she’ll discover things about herself she never knew.
Meanwhile, back in London, Hannah’s cousin Rachel is trying to plan a simple Christmas wedding while chasing her big break at a fashion magazine. But when an article exposes a long-held family secret, everything gets a lot more complicated.
Wedding planner Ella never planned to quit her job and burn bridges with her terrifying boss, but when she does, she’s left with just one client. Can she still pull off Rachel’s wedding while everything else is falling apart?
What to Expect in This Book
This novel is structured around the eight nights of Hanukkah and is deeply tied to Jewish identity, family, grief, and love. Christmas is also present in the story, but mostly as a backdrop to the wedding drama.
Eight Nights to Win Her Heart
Book Summary
Andie’s father died recently, and her only job prospect is on the other side of the country, so she’s now faced with spending her first Hanukkah alone.
Leo has had a crush on the cute girl across the hall from his apartment, but it wasn’t until she dropped her grocery bags and he spotted drug store Hunkkah candles that he finally had the courage to say something to her. Leo offers to join Andie for the first night of the holiday, and the two slowly begin to fall for each other one night at a time.
Consider This Before Reading
Readers say this book gets pretty steamy, so keep that in mind if it’s not your thing.
Book Summary
Marisa Silver is a nice Jewish girl, but she can’t wait for Christmas. Her floundering confectionery business needs the kind of boost that only the Christmas season can bring.
Desperate to land the catering contract for the town’s couples-only Crystal Christmas Ball, Marisa not only lies about having a Christmas-loving boyfriend, but she also doesn’t correct the Ball’s chairwoman when she mistakenly believes that Marisa’s boyfriend is famed Scottish rugby player Alec Elms.
Fortunately, Alec agrees to go along with a fake-dating charade, but he has ulterior motives of his own. Their very public ‘relationship’ quickly gets more personal than either of them planned.
Love and Latkes
Book Summary
Batya fled her hometown of Rivertown, New York, years ago, hoping to escape her embarrassing past. She was also hoping to get over her unrequited crush on Abe Neumann. But when she’s chosen as the web designer for a latke fry-off competition, she learns that it will require her to return to Rivertown. Unwilling to give up the career opportunity, she agrees.
Abe is now an accountant, but he dreams of owning his own Jewish deli one day. He can’t pass up the opportunity to enter the latke contest because the prize money could put him closer to his dream. Seeing Baty again, however, has him wishing for more than just a win.
When the celebrity host of the competition has to pull out, Batya is asked to step up to the challenge. With Hanukkah approaching, can Abe do the same?
Thoughts On This Book
Readers warn not to crack this book open on an empty stomach! The descriptions of Jewish food go far beyond latkes and will leave you feeling very hungry. In addition to the shared food, this second-chance romance also explores the traditions and culture related to Hanukkah.
Eight Dates and Nights
Book Summary
This cozy YA romance introduces us to two very different teenagers. New Yorker Hannah is visiting her grandmother when a freak snowstorm leaves her stranded in Texas. She’s missing the latkes and reliable wi-fi from back home.
She wanders into an old deli where she meets the only other Jewish teen in town, Noah, who is overflowing with Hanukkah spirit. It’s a bit much for Hannah, but she still agrees to help him try to save his family’s deli.
Thoughts On This Book
This young adult novel has been described as short, sweet, and charming!
The Holiday Trap
Book Summary
Greta loves her tight-knit hometown in Maine, but it can be hard being a lesbian in such a small community. She needs space to figure out who she wants to be. Meanwhile, her family keeps meddling and signs her up for a dating auction right before Hanukkah.
Truman was crushed when his boyfriend dumped him and even more upset to learn that the boyfriend had a secret husband and daughter.
Enter Greta and Truman’s mutual friend, Ramona, who facilitates a month-long house swap. Over the winter holidays, each of them will have a chance to try on a new life…and maybe fall in love with the perfect partner of their dreams.
Another Book to Consider
For another novel that combines both Hanukkah and Christmas, consider Seasons of Love by Helena Greer, in which Miriam Blum inherits her great-aunt’s Jewish-run Christmas tree farm.
The Dreidl Disaster
Book Summary
Olivia Nachman is the outgoing mayor of a small town in New York’s Hudson Valley, and she’s recently been elected to the county legislature. She’s worked hard to serve the town and the Jewish community, but her mayoral legacy is suddenly in jeopardy due to a public relations disaster.
The town is set to accept a dreidl sculpture from a local hockey team, crafted from championship-winning hockey sticks. But the team representative coordinating the event presents a proposal to the town that amounts to little more than Christmas traditions painted blue for Hanukkah. The hockey team sends in “fixer” Artur Rabinovitch to clean up the PR mess.
Artur knows how to spin a story to fix almost any problem, but in this case, he initially makes things worse. He turns to Mayor Olivia for help, but she is loath to trust him. To make matters worse, Artur finds himself attracted to Olivia. Can he find a way to mix business and pleasure without his career spinning off course?
About the Series
This is the third of four books in the Last Girls Standing series, each of which focuses on one of the four Nachman women. While this novel can be read as a standalone, there are many recurring characters (including Artur) and references to earlier events, so you’ll get the most out of it if you read the full series.
Eight Nights of Flirting
Book Summary
Shira has a plan. She’s determined to have a boyfriend by Hanukkah, and she has her eyes on her great-uncle’s assistant, Isaac. The only problem is that this 16-year-old hasn’t perfected her flirting just yet.
When Shira gets snowed in with her former nemesis / former crush, Tyler, he agrees to give her some pointers. Shira isn’t prepared to discover that Tyler is actually a nice guy, and she likes hanging out with him.
What to Expect in This Book
Many reviewers describe this as one of those perfect YA rom-coms that is equally adorable and readable for adults.
Kwanzaa Books for Adults
The secular holiday of Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 to January 1 each year. This week of festivities celebrates the African-American community and culture. Family and friends gather each day to share delicious meals and exchange gifts. The holiday encourages people to honor seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility (teamwork), cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
Seven Days Seven Dates
Book Summary
Anniston (Annie) Buckley is a devoted single mom and, despite her divorce, still a hopeless romantic. But raising her son and building her career haven’t left much time for love.
This year, she decides to be bold and enrolls in a seven-day matchmaking program inspired by the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa. She trusts the Brightons, the couple who run the program, because they’re known for creating real connections. They promise an experience that goes far beyond simple blind dates.
Sam Harding is fresh off a bad breakup and no longer believes in fairytale love. Still, as a close friend of the Brightons, he agrees to take a leap of faith and join their Kwanzaa matchmaking program.
Over seven days, Annie and Sam navigate both doubt and discovery as they question their pasts and begin to imagine new futures. Each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa brings them closer together, and they begin to wonder if this dating experiment might actually lead to love.
Thoughts On This Book
Readers love how each date is intentionally tied to one of the seven principles, which makes the romance feel thoughtful and earned.
A Mistletoe Affair
Book Summary
Longtime friends Janelle, Sandra, and Vicki run a successful event agency, planning lavish parties in the wealthy enclave of Wintersage, Massachusetts. Vicki, the trio’s floral designer, is a shy, hopeless romantic. She comes from a prominent family and has always done what’s expected of her, but no one expected her to fall for her best friend’s divorced brother.
The truth is that Vicki has had a crush on Jordan since she was 15. He’s an attorney turned political strategist, and he’s recently found himself caught up in a political scandal. He’s also discovering that being a single dad is harder than he ever imagined.
As they prepare for Kwanzaa celebrations, Vicki is asked to design her own float for a local parade. Her family isn’t very supportive of the idea, but to her surprise, Jordan is the one person who is there for her.
Thoughts On This Book
This is a quick read at just 217 pages from the author of the popular rom-com series The Boyfriend Project. Readers say that while Kwanzaa is not the sole focus of this steamy romance book, they very much enjoyed this aspect of the story.
For a novel focused more specifically on Kwanzaa, consider Kwanzaa Angel by Shirley Hailstock, which is a second-chance romance set in a small town in New Jersey.
The Kwanzaa Brunch
Book Summary
This novella introduces readers to Sienna and Booker. Sienna feels like she’s living a version of Groundhog Day – same job, same city, same friends, no romance. But then she meets Booker. He’s new to Atlanta, having just accepted a job at Precision Software.
Booker is looking for a fresh start after leaving a stressful and an ex-wife behind. He’s determined not to fall for the first pretty woman he meets. But crossing paths with Sienna could put his resolve to the test.
Other Novella Options
If you like the quick format of novellas for the busy holiday season, you may also want to check out a collection called Holiday Dream, which includes three short stories by different authors. The second story in the collection, Whisper to Me by Carmen Green, is about a teacher named Iman who meets a widower named Cedric. As they celebrate Kwanzaa, they find that the tradition opens their minds and their hearts.
Another Kwanzaa novella option is Kwanzaa by Chance by Ember Davis, which is available with Kindle Unlimited as of October 2025, but keep in mind that it’s very spicy in the romance department while being pretty light on Kwanzaa.
Lunar New Year Books for Adults
Lunar New Year, which marks the first new moon of the lunar calendar, is an event celebrated by numerous cultures on a range of dates. One of the most well-known of these celebrations is the Chinese New Year, which typically falls in either January or February. Beginning on February 17, 2026, it will be the Year of the Horse.
The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties
Book Summary
Meddy Chan and her new husband have just landed in Jakarta after a romantic honeymoon throughout Europe. They’ve arrived in Indonesia just in time for Chinese New Year with Meddy’s extended family.
Things quickly get interesting when an unexpected guest shows up. The former beau of Second Auntie comes bearing extravagant gifts and declares his intent to win her back. This romantic gesture backfires when one of the gifts, instead meant for a powerful business rival to seal an alliance, ends up in the wrong hands.
Trying to fix the mix-up, they decide to return the gift, but that ‘simple’ errand spirals fast, pulling Meddy and the Aunties into a decades-long feud between two of Jakarta’s most powerful business factions.
About the Series
We’ve developed a real love of contemporary cozy-style mysteries, and Jesse Q. Sutanto does them so well! She’s the author of the popular Vera Wong series, as well as the Aunties series, which begins with Dial A for Aunties.
The books in the Aunties series, of which The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties is the third, are described as 33% crime, 33% romance, and 33% comedy. As a result, you’ll definitely need to suspend your disbelief and just enjoy the over-the-top twists without worrying too much about realism.
This book can definitely be read as a standalone, and the plot makes sense on its own. However, the main characters do carry forward from one book to the next, so you’ll miss some of the character development and emotional payoff if you haven’t read the first two books in the Aunties series.
Lunar Love
Book Summary
Olivia’s grandmother has built a successful matchmaking business relying on the traditional Chinese zodiac. Now, just as Olivia is poised to take over the family business, a new app created by one of LA’s most eligible bachelors threatens to destroy her family legacy.
When the two businesses go head-to-head, Olivia and Bennett strike a deal. Each will find a match for the other, and whoever falls in love is the loser. But will it turn out to be the man trying to steal her business that ultimately steals her heart?
What to Expect in This Book
While this book isn’t explicitly set during the Lunar New Year, it’s filled with Chinese astrology, making it a perfect read for the holiday.
Another Book to Consider
If you are interested in a literary fiction novel rather than a rom-com, pick up Daughters of the New Year by E.M. Tran. The book, which opens on the eve of the Lunar New Year, uses the Vietnamese zodiac to structure its timeline as it tells the story of the three adult Trung sisters.
Lunar New Year Love Story
Illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Book Summary
Vietnamese American Val (short for Valentina) grew up believing her parents had a once-in-a-lifetime love story. When she learns the truth, she turns cynical about romance and about her own future in San Francisco.
The cutesy St. Valentine imagery she used to adore now just feels fake. But during a Lunar New Year / Tết celebration, a lion dancer presses a red paper heart into her hand. That small moment sparks something in Val and sends her on an unexpected journey toward love, family, and belonging during the New Year festivities.
Thoughts on This Book
We don’t often include graphic novels on our lists, but one of our readers specifically recommended this one to us and called it a perfect pick for readers who are new to the format. They especially loved how Gene Luen Yang and illustrator LeUyen Pham highlight the different ways the Lunar New Year / Tết is celebrated across Asian cultures.
Gene Luen Yang is also the author of the 2006 award-winning American Born Chinese, which helped bring Asian American coming-of-age stories to mainstream graphic novels.
A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year
Book Summary
The Wong family has a reputation for meddling in their kids’ love lives. After their Thanksgiving matchmaking efforts, Alex is dreading the Chinese New Year. The only solution he can come up with is to arrive with a girlfriend. But first, he needs to lay the groundwork to make it seem believable.
Jo is the obvious choice. She and Alex have been friends forever, and they’ve bonded over their broken engagements. The way Alex sees it, all they need are a few dates and a few kisses around town to get people talking, and then his parents will hear all about it.
But what happens when their fake relationship starts to feel real as the Chinese New Year approaches?
Thoughts On This Book
This holiday novella is a short 104 pages, but it’s filled with laugh-out-loud moments and steamy scenes. This is book 3 in the Holidays with the Wongs series. Each one follows a different Wong sibling as they find love. There are overlapping characters, but they can be enjoyed as standalone reads.
Books About Diwali for Adults
Each year, Diwali takes place during a five-day period sometime between October and November. We know what you’re thinking – that’s fall, not winter. But Angela lives in Colorado, where it frequently snows during both of these months, so we are being loose with our definition of “winter” so that we can share these final two books with you.
Diwali, an Indian festival of lights, gets its name from the row of clay lamps that families light outside their homes. These lamps symbolize the spiritual victory of light over darkness and good over evil. While Diwali is a major Hindu holiday, it is also celebrated by Sikhs and Jains.
A Holly Jolly Diwali
Book Summary
Twenty-nine-year-old Niki loves art and music, but became a data analyst because she loves order and stability. But when she gets laid off, she realizes that she can’t control everything and impulsively books a flight to a friend’s wedding in India.
She arrives just in time to celebrate Diwali, where she meets Sameer. He’s a London street performer and pretty much Niki’s opposite, but she’s drawn to him nonetheless.
When Niki and Sam join the bride, her new husband, and their friends on a group honeymoon, their connection grows deeper.
Thoughts On This Book
While many reviewers praise this book as a sweet, cute rom-com, other reviewers appreciate that it also contains themes of family conflict, self-discovery, and reconnecting with your cultural roots.
Another Diwali Book to Consider
If you’d like a short novella-length read about Diwali, consider New York to Mumbai by Shikha Narula. It was recommended to us by a reader who notes that, while the writing is not particularly strong, it’s a quick read that will teach you a lot about Diwali. In this story, a young Indian-American woman, Princey, is encouraged by her father to go to India on business and to learn more about the traditions of their homeland.
Sleepless in Dubai
Book Summary
In this hate-to-love teen rom-com, neighbors Nikki and Yash accompany their families on a holiday to Dubai to celebrate the five-day Diwali festival. The two teens have a rocky history, but their families keep trying to set them up.
Can betrayals and conflicting ambitions be set aside long enough for the two teens to discover the true meaning of the Festival of Lights?
Thoughts On This Book
Readers say the audio version of this YA book is particularly great.
What books or holidays are we missing? We always appreciate hearing suggestions from our readers!
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Our free three-prompt mini-reading challenge is perfect for anyone who enjoys reading seasonally. Each prompt comes with a list of recommended books for you to choose from, making it a fun and easy way to enhance your winter reading.
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