Christmas-themed romance novels are as plentiful as shopping mall Santas, so we’ve picked a few of this year’s best and brightest for your enjoyment. Relax, put your feet up, pour a hot cup of Earl Grey and be swept away by these holiday tales.

PASSIONATE REUNION
Best-selling author Robyn Carr will delight her many fans with Bring Me Home for Christmas, an endearing story set in a small mountain town in Northern California. This tale of a lovers’ reunion stars Rebecca Timm and Denny Cutler. Once deeply in love, the young college student and Marine were torn apart when Denny’s mother died and he re-enlisted in the Corps. Now, several years later, Becca is considering a marriage proposal from another man. Before she can give him an answer, though, she knows she has to see Denny again. Becca is seeking closure when she travels to Virgin River—and what she finds there is a love that has endured and still holds them both in thrall. Despite their painful past and the broken hearts they’ve both suffered, is it possible that Becca and Denny can find a way forward, together? This latest entry is a wonderful addition to Carr’s Virgin River series.

A NEW SHOT AT LOVE
Prepare to be enchanted by Sheila Roberts’ The Nine Lives of Christmas. Even Ambrose the cat has an opinion about whether firefighter Zach Stone should get together with retail clerk Merilee White. Unfortunately, Zach is seriously commitment-shy, while Merilee is just . . . well . . . shy. But Ambrose is on his ninth and final cat life. He’s convinced that he’s required to atone for his past eight wicked-cat lives and is now on a mission to bring his human companion a serious dose of Christmas happiness. Unfortunately, Zach is not only uninterested in holiday trappings, he’s determinedly avoiding Merilee because he’s wary of the powerful attraction he feels toward her. Nonetheless, Ambrose is determined to play matchmaker. Zach has a wall of steel around his heart, and it isn’t until family secrets are laid bare that he’s able to see his world—and Merilee—with new perspective. The story has Roberts’ trademark humor woven into a well-crafted plot, combined with engaging characters that are sure to charm and delight readers.

ROMANCE IN THE WEST
New York Times best-selling author Linda Lael Miller transports readers back to the early 1900s and the American West in A Lawman’s Christmas. When Clay McKettrick arrives in Blue River, Texas, to begin work as the new town marshal, he’s accosted by a precocious six-year-old cherub. He takes her home and learns her mother is Dara Rose Nolan, the widow of the prior marshal. The small house the family lives in is part of the marshal’s compensation, and Clay now has the power to evict Dara and her two daughters from their home. But Clay is charmed by the pretty young widow, and Dara Rose finds the handsome young marshal irresistible. The two agree to join forces, but what begins as a practical decision to secure a future for her two daughters soon has Dara Rose struggling with whether she dares to risk falling in love. Miller has created a rock-solid Western setting, and she brings it to life with characters who are believable and admirable. Readers will love this heartwarming Christmas story.

Sensing that her law student boyfriend is about to pop the question and unsure of her feelings for an old flame, second-grade teacher Becca Timm talks her twin brother into taking her on a guys-only hunting and fishing trip with his ex-Marine buddies. Her secret goal? To see Denny Cutler, her former boyfriend who has settled in Virgin River, and to assure herself that the fire that once burned so hotly between them is definitely extinguished. But when a broken ankle keeps Becca in town longer than she expected, she reluctantly moves in with Denny. The enforced togetherness gives them time to sort out their past—and make sure they don't let another chance at happiness slip through their fingers. VERDICT Virgin River once again springs to vivid life, this time with all the warmth and sparkle of the holiday season, as the talented Carr weaves another touching, insightful tale of love, understanding, and forgiveness and offers a couple a welcoming place to call home. Carr (Harvest Moon) lives in Las Vegas.