11 Great Christmas Books Set in North Carolina
As we researched North Carolina books for the Read Around the USA challenge, we found that many authors have chosen the state as the setting for their Christmas books. This gave us the perfect excuse to put together a North Carolina Christmas novel list!
Best North Carolina Christmas Books
The Asheville Christmas Cabin
Book Summary
When their jet-setting aunt invites the Chambers sisters to spend the month of December at the family’s cabin in Asheville, North Carolina, they aren’t sure what to expect. They spent many happy childhood summers and holidays at the cabin, but for the past 25 years, everyone has been avoiding the place.
The triplets, born on Christmas Day, owe a lot to their aunt, so even though they each live in different states, they agree to leave their individual lives behind to spend an entire month at the cabin.
Noelle, a big-city girl, comes face-to-face in Asheville with her first love, who is now a single dad. Eve is a stressed-out mom to three kids, but a month at the cabin gives her a chance to let go of control. Angie’s marriage is falling apart, but the time away in the Blue Ridge Mountains allows her to reconnect with her daughter.
The Book Girls Say…
The Asheville Christmas Cabin is the first of four books in the Carolina Christmas trilogy, all of which are included with Kindle Unlimited.
Also Featured on These Book Lists:
Through the Snow Globe
Book Summary
What if you could have one more day with someone you lost? That’s the underlying premise of this novel that blends It’s a Wonderful Life and Groundhog Day into a compelling holiday read.
Diana is no longer looking forward to Christmas. Her fiance, Linus, was critically injured in a bike accident, and she’s losing hope that he’ll ever open his eyes again. The night before Christmas Eve, she finds a hidden snow globe of their small town and realizes that Linus bought it for her before the accident. The next day should have been Christmas Eve, but instead, Diana wakes up on December 4th, the day of the accident.
She soon realizes that she’s in a loop of that day, experiencing a different variation of events each time. Along the way, she uncovers startling truths about herself, her relationship, and even her career.
Also Featured on These Book Lists:
Book Club Books for Christmas
14 Must-Read Magical Realism Books for Christmas
Book Summary
When Maggie was 16 in 1996, she was sent to live with her aunt in Ocracoke, a remote village on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. She was homesick until she met Bryce, one of the few other teens on the island. He taught her about all the wonders of the town while introducing her to photography.
In 2019, Maggie splits her time between running a successful gallery in New York and photographing remote locations worldwide. However, as Christmas approaches, she is struggling to come to terms with a sobering medical diagnosis. As she grows more dependent on her assistant, she also begins to tell him the story of another Christmas, decades earlier—and the love that set her on a course she never could have imagined.
The Book Girls Say…
If you love reading books set on the Outer Banks, don’t miss our full OBX reading list!
The Santa Suit
Book Summary
This heartwarming novel brings the magic of Christmas and is also a testament to the power of second chances!
Ivy Perkins is recently divorced and is looking to make a big change in her life. So, she buys an old farmhouse sight unseen. Ivy knows it will be a labor of love… but it might be more labor than she counted on.
As she sorts through all the junk the prior owners left behind, she comes across a beautiful, decades-old Santa suit. Tucked in the pocket is a handwritten note from a little girl whose Christmas wish was for her father to return home from the war. Ivy’s desire to learn more about the note’s author draws her into her new community and may even result in a second chance at love.
The Book Girls Say…
This book will really put you in the holiday spirit because it celebrates the spirit of joy and giving rather than the material aspects of the season.
Also Featured on These Book Lists:
Mary Kay Andrews Books: The Ultimate Author Guide
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Evergreen Christmas
Book Summary
Each year, Noel, North Carolina, hosts a series of Christmas competitons. This year, a newcomer to town has decided to challenge the resident Christmas tree decorating champion.
Barrel racer and horse breeder Jordyn Banks was thrilled to discover affordable land for sale in the Appalachian Mountains. In addition to putting down roots for her business, she’s also hoping to find a real sense of home and family in the tight-knit community. She didn’t expect to inherit a controversial Fraser Fir.
Her neighbor, Nate, has been raising his six-year-old daughter on his won since losing his wife during childbirth. He runs a thriving tree farm called Frosted Firs Ranch, and he’s the nine-year reigning Christmas tree decorating champ (a tradition that started with his late wife).
Jordyn is determined to harvest the a Fraser Fir from her property and compete for the best decorated tree in the town square. This year, Nate will finally be challenged in more ways than one.
The Book Girls Say…
This book is slated to be the first in a cozy near Christmas series focused on each of the town’s annual Competitons of Christmas.
Also Featured on These Book Lists:
Shepherds Abiding
Book Summary
The beloved Mitford series is about Father Tim and his small community of Mitford, North Carolina. Book #8 in the series, Shepherds Abiding, lets us peak into what Christmas looks like in Mitford.
Father Tim has found a derelict nativity scene, and is determined to restore it. This isn’t easy as he’s always worked with his mind and not his hands. But, he’s determined to bring it back to life and he can’t wait to see how much his wife Cynthia will enjoy it.
The Book Girls Say…
Many reviews have said this book was their first trip to Mitford and it read well as a stand-alone. However, if you read the series in the late 90s/early 2000s when it was new, it might be a special treat to revisit Mitford this Christmas.
Christmas in Peachtree Bluff
Book Summary
When a hurricane threatens their town, three generations of Murphy women unite.
Caroline has just announced her divorce, and her 15-year-old daughter Vivi is not taking the news well. When she gets in trouble at home, Caroline decides Vivi needs a change of scenery and drops her off in Peachtree Bluff with her mom, Ansley, for Christmas break.
However, the storm changes everyone’s holiday plans. When Ansley, her husband Jack, and Vivi are forced to shelter in place, things look grim, especially since the bridge to the mainland is closed. It’s up to Caroline and her sisters to get to the island so they can help save their family and the town.
The Book Girls Say…
The topics in this book might feel a little too raw for some readers right now, but we wanted to include it on the list because the overall message is of healing and restoration, not of destruction. It brings hope, Christmas spirit, and the message of bonding as a community in trying times.
Christmas Joy
Book Summary
Joy is a successful market researcher in DC, but when her aunt takes a fall that lands her in a rehab center for the holidays, Joy heads home to take care of the family farm, even though the leave of absence may cost her a big promotion.
In addition to taking on the farm, Joy also finds that she has to contend with her former crush, Ben – who always helps Ruby with the annual Christmas Home Tour. And then there’s Molly, the little girl who shows up at the farm unexpectedly.
The Book Girls Say…
There is a Hallmark Christmas movie of the same name based on this book! The author also wrote Christmas Angels, which is set in the mountains of North Carolina.
Also Featured on These Book Lists:
Christmas on Mistletoe Lane
Book Summary
Sweetwater Springs is a small town in the North Carolina mountains. Kaitlyn recently lost her big city job but gets a new lease on life when she inherits her grandparent’s B&B in this quaint locale.
Unlike Kaitlyn, Mitch is trying to run away from his hometown. But then he learns that he’s unexpectedly become part owner of the Sweetwater B&B. Unfortunately, his headstrong (and pretty) partner in the business is making it very difficult to implement the changes he thinks are necessary to make a profit.
Book Summary
Lacy’s heard the legend of the Christmas Cottage – that any couple that spends the night will find everlasting love – but she doesn’t buy it. She doesn’t believe in happily ever after, but her best friend does, and she’s the one who is getting married – so it’s Lacy’s job to make sure the cottage is perfect for the newlyweds. But when she gets snowed in with the best man, all bets are off.
The Book Girls Say…
In 2023, the Hallmark movie adaptation, also titled The Christmas Cottage, is available on Amazon.
Sinister Sprinkles
Book Summary
Donut shop owner Suzanne is shocked when her ex-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend, Darlene, is murdered at the Christmas festival.
When Max (the ex-boyfriend) becomes a suspect, Suzanne is left sifting through her mixed-up love life, looking for clues.
The Book Girls Say…
This book is #3 in a series, but readers say the series gets better starting with this book, so it might be worth jumping in here and then continuing with book #4 if you enjoy it.
Printable Version of this List
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Join the 2024 Christmas Reading Mini Challenge
Can’t get enough seasonal reading? Neither can we! We have a brand new self-paced Christmas reading challenge just for you. To make it easy and fun, we include highly-rated book recommendations for each of the Christmas reading prompts.
Want to read even more holiday books? You can also download the printable for last year’s Christmas reading challenge with four more unique Christmas reading prompts. Combine the two challenges to keep your TBR filled all the way until New Year’s Eve!
More Holiday Books to Enjoy…
- How to Create a Christmas Book Advent Calendar
- 30 of the Best Christmas Books for Adults
- Charming Christmas Novels Set in Europe
- Christmas Books Set in the UK
- 8 Snowy Canadian Christmas Novels
- Hallmark Christmas Movies Based On Books
- 25 Christmas Romance Novels for 2024
- 14 Holiday Rom Com Books (That Aren’t About Christmas)
- Book Club Books for Christmas
- 17 Christmas Cozy Mystery Books & Thrillers