What Books To Read this Christmas Holiday Season!

What Holiday Book Should I read?

It’s that time of year! Time to curl up in a front of a fire – or go to bed early – with a lovely, cozy holiday book.

But there are so many! How can you choose?

I developed the Lindsay Emory Holiday Book Quiz to help you pick the perfect read this Christmas.

Get a piece of paper and a pen and answer this easy 6 question quiz!

1.       My favorite holiday recipes come from …

a.   Great Grandma Margaret’s time tested recipe books

b.      Pinterest

c.      Hallmark Home & Family

d.      Nigella Lawson

2.       My feelings about Emma Thompson…

a.       She was iconic in Sense & Sensibility

b.      She’s ruined Christmas with Last Christmas

c.       Oh! She married her cute coworker, right? That actor?

d.      I just love her British accent. It sounds so posh.

3.       My perfect holiday season isn’t complete without…

a.       Traditions like Christmas crackers, stockings & caroling

b.      A re-watch of Love, Actually

c.       A marathon of Hallmark movies & baking cookies

d.      A charcuterie board & champagne

4.       My Spotify holiday playlist includes…

a.      Carols and Celtic music

b.      Last Christmas by Wham!

c.       All I Want For Christmas is You by Mariah Carey

d.      Classics by Michael Buble and Tony Bennett

5.       My must-have holiday wardrobe accessory…

a.      A hand-knitted Scottish wool scarf

b.      A red Starbucks cup

c.      A fun Christmas sweatshirt & holiday leggings

d.      A French linen apron & Loro Piana sweater

6.       The holiday recipe I most want to try to make:

a.       A traditional figgy pudding

b.      Hot chocolate spiked with Peppermint Schnapps and Godiva liqueur

c.       Stuffed Caramel Pretzel Skillet Cookie (from Hallmark Channel Home & Family)

d.      Martha Stewart’s classic eggnog with fresh grated nutmeg

Now review all your answers… Did you get…

Mostly A’s? You will LOVE a historical romance!

Carriages, long walks in the country and yule logs make you swoon like a debutante at a Christmas ball.

A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong – Cecilia Grant (FREE!)

The Swan – Piper Huguley

How the Dukes Stole Christmas – Tessa Dare, Joanna Shupe, Sophie Jordan and Sarah MacLean

Mostly B’s? You’re a Rom Com Fan (Who’s Probably Pissed about that Last Christmas Plot Twist)

Mix meet cutes with a little banter and add a whole lot of romantic tension and that’s your recipe for a perfect holiday read…

The Island Christmas Spirit – Lindsay Emory

Royal Holiday – Jasmine Guillory

One Day in December – Josie Silver

UPDATED FOR 2020: Try the Christmas Actually anthology! 11 short holiday romantic comedies!

Mostly C’s? You’re a Tried and True Hallmark Addict

You know exactly what you want to read about - a reindeer farm, a baking contest, a small town inn. Lucky for you, I have the best Hallmark movies in book form picked out for you…

The Secret Ingredient – Nancy Naigle

Sleighbell Sweethearts – Teri Wilson

A Gingerbread Romance – Lacey Baker

Mostly D’s? You Will LOVE yourself some Designer Destination Holiday Porn

How does Christmas in Cornwall, Colorado, Nantucket, or Wales sound? You’re sure to love a literary trip to a beautiful spot where breathtaking views, charming villages and decadent dinners await…

Christmas with the Duke – Katrina Cudmore

Named of the Dragon – Susanna Kearsley

A Perfect Cornish Christmas – Phillipa Ashley

A Wedding in December – Sarah Morgan

Let it Snow – Nancy Thayer

Did I get it right? Or just mostly right? I can’t wait to hear what you’re reading and loving this season!

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I could receive a few coins for posting them. As always, thank you for your support and encouragement!

Best Books to Read Now - July 2019

Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!

Welcome to the Best Books to Read Now Book Club! My (hopefully) monthly blog featuring my reading list, my TBR pile and the books I think you and your best friends should be reading. 

If you’re not sure whether you’ll agree with  my recommendations, check out my blog post on My Reader Wheels and my podcast, Women With Books . Those should help you decide if you’re going to be into my recommendations.

The best book club recommendations for you and your friends!

I love months like this ^^ where there’s a beautiful variety of covers and genres on the shelf.

The Right Swipe - Alisha Rai
Amazon || Apple Books

For Alisha Rai fans who might be nervous about a different direction indicated by that (adorable) cover, don’t worry. This book still has all the Alisha Rai elements you know and love. The Right Swipe has the right amount of angst, sex, social issues (like consent and CTE), diversity, a strong, wry heroine and a professional football player. What’s not to love?

Learn all the ins and outs of proper swipe technique in The Right Swipe.

Brazen and the Beast - Sarah MacLean
Amazon || Apple Books

The day a new Sarah MacLean book comes out is pretty much a national holiday in Romancelandia. I talked to Sarah about the new direction she took in this series, called Bareknuckle Bastards, in an episode of my podcast Women With Books (click here to listen.) She went a little darker than the usual Mayfair ballroom. The heroes aren’t your usual dukes, the heroines have, ah, alternative interests. But all that makes such a richer, more vibrant story that I really enjoyed.

Southern Side of Paradise - Kristy Woodson Harvey
Amazon || Apple Books

Another former Women With Books guest, you can also listen to my conversation with Kristy about this fantastic series here. This is the third (and final?) book to that series and I loved going back to Peachtree Bluff, Georgia. If you want a satisfying family saga beach read, go back and start this series from the beginning!

Taylor Swift needs a book like this to read by the pool.

The Golden Hour - Beatriz Williams
Amazon || Apple Books

All my recommendations are good for book clubs, obviously, but I think this one in particular would really get some good discussions going. I know I haven’t really stopped thinking about it and I’m begging my ‘real life’ friends to read it so they can talk to me about it. (Or you - hit me up if you’ve read it and want to discuss it.) It’s gorgeously written (of course, it’s a Beatriz Williams book) and it’s dual timeline - one is early 1900’s Germany and one is World War II era Bahamas (with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor!) It takes a while for all the scandalous pieces to fall in place but when it does, it’s a fascinating and absorbing tale.

And yes, there were some books I did not love this month…. I’ll be talking more about those and why I think they didn’t connect with me in my newsletter this month.

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Make sure you’re following me on Facebook because that’s where I post great books on sale!

And what about you?
I’d love to hear what you’ve read and loved lately or what you’re looking forward to reading next!  If you want these book recommendations (and a sneak peek at my TBR list and advanced reading copies) sent straight to your inbox, remember to sign up for my newsletter where I’ll be including all the best book club recommendations throughout 2019!

Best Swoony Historical Romance Books!

In honor of V-Day, I am bound by the ancient romance author code to recommend romance books.  Of course, it’s hard to narrow that down. Romance is a huge genre and has been around since Helen of Troy’s face inspired a slightly emo love triangle.

So I sat down and really thought about what I would like to read on a day devoted to eternal passion and devotion (and chocolate hearts!) and the answers came rather quickly. Passionate, swoony historical romances!  It’s one of my favorite sub-genres and I have re-read all of these at least three or four times.

*UPDATED with my new favorites for 2019 and 2020!!!*

Want to know what to read after Bridgerton on Netflix? Keep Reading!
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Almost a Scandal – Elizabeth Essex

Amazon || Apple Books

All of Elizabeth’s heroines are intrepid and all of her heroes are masculine yet not jackhole-y so you could start anywhere in her backlist but this is the one that I got started with and the one that I recommend to anyone who likes a bit of spying, naval warfare and adventure on the high seas with their swoons.

As You Desire – Connie Brockway

Amazon

I’ve re-read this 4 or five times. The way that Harry loves Desdemona…. The literal definition of S W O O N. This book gets my heart every time but there’s also an Egyptian archaeology sub-plot that will scratch your adventure/ The Mummy itch.

If you’re young and haven’t seen The Mummy yet, it’s on Netflix and why haven’t you?!?

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished – Sarah MacLean 
Amazon || Apple Books

Everyone has a favorite Sarah MacLean and this one must be mine because I’ve re-read it several times (and not just because of the ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)  If you’re new to the series, please start with the 1st (A Rogue by Any Other Name) and then work your way to this one, the third. TRUST ME. I know that’s mean of me to suggest the 3rd book and then tell you to start two books back, but… it’s Valentine’s Day. Treat yourself. (Check out my interview with Sarah on the Women With Books podcast here.)

Treat yo self to 3 (or 4) Sarah MacLean novels!

A Lady by Midnight – Tessa Dare
Amazon || Apple Books

I have lots of favorite Tessa Dare books too, but this one is the most swoony IMO. Take a grumpy war veteran with PTSD, a sweet puppy, a quirky cast of characters in Spindle Cove and you have a perfect chocolate box of romance. (Check out my interview with Tessa on the Women With Books podcast here.)

Ignore the improbably bold naked chest pose and look at Diana Gabaldon’s cover quote! She is RIGHT about this book (and all things, probably.)

The Spymaster’s Lady – Joanna Bourne

Amazon || Apple Books

This is the only book on the list that I have NOT re-read, which I just realized makes me a liar but I couldn’t NOT include one of the best historical romances I read last year. Yes, I just got to this classic last year but OMG. It sent me into a bit of a depression, honestly, because I wasn’t sure if I could ever write a love story like this. It’s got an unforgettable voice, twists, a lot of spying and a heroine who is lovably stubborn and imperfect and who has to be dragged kicking and screaming (literally – but for good reasons) into love. (And it’s pretty obvious by now I like spying in my books…isn’t it?)

Outlander – Diana Gabaldon
Amazon || Apple Books

The first book in this series fits as a historical romance, IMO, even if Ms. Gabaldon doesn’t agree.  If you’ve been living blindfolded under a rock in the middle of a desert island and have not read this book and if you like time travel, hot Scottish men and  plucky modern heroines… well… Happy Valentine’s Day.

Lord of Scoundrels - Loretta Chase
Amazon || Apple Books

What can I say about Jess and Dain and this book that hasn’t been said 1000 times already? This is a romance classic, one where you can instantly find a kindred spirit by just saying the words, “the glove scene!” Or, “the naughty watch!” Or, “then she shoots him!!!”

Crap. I’m going to have to go re-read this now. I love it so much.

A Lady Awakened - Cecilia Grant
Amazon || Apple Books

This is such a unique one, but a delicious, delicate, deliberate exploration of two people falling love. Another classic, it’s a fantastic example of a slow burn romance even though the two main characters have a deal to get the woman pregnant as soon as possible. The fact that Cecilia Grant can put all that together…

Mr. Impossible - Loretta Chase
Amazon || Apple Books

Yes! Another Loretta Chase book! Another book set in Egypt with strong The Mummy vibes. What can I say? I have a type! And I know what I like!

Destiny’s Captive - Beverly Jenkins
Amazon || Apple Books

I’ll never forget the first time I saw this cover (RWA San Antonio). I gasped, loudly. Also… pirates! Rebels! Smugglers! And this tag line: “She stole his ship… and his heart.” I enjoy everything Beverly Jenkins writes because I really love American-historical romances but this one has that adventure and that nautical spirit that I also love (if you can’t tell by now…)

Unclaimed - Courtney Milan
Amazon || Apple Books

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve re-read this one by Courtney Milan. Like the rest of these authors (Sarah Maclean, Tessa Dare, Beverly Jenkins) she’s so prolific and everyone has a favorite and this one is mine. It features a chaste hero and a courtesan heroine and the slow burn… (there’s that phrase again… wow. My reader wheels are fully evident, aren’t they?)

A Wicked Kind of Husband - Mia Vincy
Amazon || Apple Books

I think I gushed enough about this book throughout 2019 that it deserves to be put on this list. It’s funny, it’s fresh, it made me sob. What more can you want from a romance? Find more about the book (and Mia Vincy!) here: Women With Books Interview.

Bringing Down the Duke - Evie Dunmore
Amazon || Apple Books

If you are a historical romance reader, do not let this cover confuse you or stop you from picking it up. This is a terrific Victorian romance set amongst the suffrage movement that also made me have all feels and I cannot WAIT until the next one comes out later this year (HINT HINT ARC GODDESSES…)

And for more book recommendations, follow my Best Books tag here!

Best Books to Read Now: July 2017

Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!

An Extraordinary Union - Alyssa Cole

Amazon | iBooks

This was totally my catnip book. Spies, Civil War, a woman with extraordinary mental abilities (the heroine has a perfect memory!).  A great start to a series and a great book to read during the patriotic season!

The Day of the Duchess - Sarah MacLean

Amazon | iBooks

In the middle of this, I was comparing it to my favorite Sarah Maclean, (Yes, I always mention it. Temple’s book, No Good Duke Goes Unpunished) because my heart was clenching in that oh-so-painful-but-good way and I realized it was because they’re both stories of second chance love.  There’s also more of SESILY, a secondary character who’s been in at least two or three of this series and I’m really hoping that Ms. MacLean puts us out of our misery and gives us the Sesily (and the American?) book that we’ve been dying for.

Slightly South of Simple - Kristy Woodson Harvey

Amazon || iBooks

This was my book club pick for the summer. I told my book club that I was picking a book with a beach on it, so I did, and so I read it by the beach when we were able to get away to Mexico last month. This is a great, easy read, about sisterhood, second chances and summers gone by.

The Deep End- Julie Mulhern

Amazon || iBooks

I’ve had this on my TBR list for a really long time, and was finally in a place where I could read a straight up mystery (I don’t like reading it when I’m writing it) and I give this an enthusiastic two thumbs up (I think I’ve already hand sold a few more copies). It’s set in the 1970’s, in a Kansas country club set. The time period isn’t too much, and as a writer, I appreciated that the setting allowed Ms. Mulhern to write mysteries where no one could call the police on their cell phones, which really changes plots these days.  A start to a five book series, I think, so you’ll have a lot to binge!

On the Lindsay Emory books front, if you’ve been following along on my Facebook page, you’ll see that I just wrote a BOOK IN A WEEK.  At the end of the week, I had a first draft of my Mistletoe Key Christmas novella, hopefully releasing in November 2017!  Go check out the posts (and unedited snippets!) and then sign up for Mistletoe Key updates and giveaways here.

Or sign up for my general monthly newsletter here. I love sharing the highlights of my month and doing a monthly giveaway for subscribers.  HOPEFULLY, I will have a big announcement later this month (or early August) so please, check here or sign up for my newsletter so you can squee with me. 

Or if you just want just-the-facts book news, Bookbub (that site that sends you your favorite books on sale - if you're not subscribed you want to be) has a way for you to follow me and they'll update you on when my books are released. Just click follow and easy peasy: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lindsay-emory

RWA16 Roundup - Mystery, Magic and Girl Crushes

Prologue

Editors often suggest that a writer should start her story with a hook, or an inciting incident, or, in the case of a mystery, a body.

So here you go.

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That is a man in white boxer briefs, standing on a San Diego bar with motorcycle gloves and a helmet covering his, um, steering column.

Chapter One - the Setting

This was my third RWA National Conference to attend and, like the first two, it did not disappoint. Also, like the first two, it defied my expectations. San Diego was better than I expected it would be - the sun, breeze, coastal temperature put everyone (okay, me) in a happy mood. The city is walkable, has tons of attractions and restaurants and our hotel, the Marriott Marquis Marina was an outstanding place for a conference.  It was large, clean, the staff and service were impeccable and there were so many chairs and places to meet friends and colleagues.

Chapter Two - the Introduction of the Heroine

I've discussed in my previous blog posts about RWA Nationals (here and here) that there are always unexpected surprises that occur at the conference so this year, I came prepared.  I came to conference open to whatever magic might be brewing. As I told someone on my last day, I may not learn what I want, but I learn what I need. This year the standouts were Beverly Jenkins' keynote, getting to watch Love Between the Covers again (which is now available on iTunes and Amazon - go NOW and watch this uplifting documentary about friendship, self-determination and making dreams come true) and an amaze-balls two hour creativity workshop that I'm still working through, brought to us by Lori Wilde and the Indra's Grace yoga crew from "back home" in Texas.  I also got some great tips from Rachel Hollis on social media which was pretty cool since she's sort of awesome at all the platforms.

I signed at the Readers for Life literacy signing and at the Avon book signing where I was happy to just be in the same room with that amazing group of writers, and I gave out my buttons to readers, to librarians, to people I made a personal connection with.  I thought long and hard about what my swag should say this year and in the end, I just wanted to spread a positive message about the thing that we all love so much.

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It was so fun to watch people's faces go from "oh yeah, I'll take your crappy pin" to "Man, I need this" or "This is awesome."  It made my day and I hope it lifted them a little too.

Chapter Three - the Heroine Finds True Love

Warning - this chapter contains explicit fangirling which may offend those readers who aren't awesome and don't have friends. Or hearts.

The best best best part of any conference, but this one in particular, was my girls. The women who preached from the stage, the ones who listened to me debate minute career decisions while under the influence of tequila, the ones who immediately "got" me, the ones who made time to get to know me.  I am always in awe of this sisterhood, this sorority of Romancelandia.  That doesn't mean that there weren't those who got snippy or had bad table manners or tried to put me in my newbie place. Yeah, yeah, whatever. You do you. I do me. And I choose to celebrate talented writers and inspiring women. I choose to smile at everyone and drink with anyone who asks.

Me and the ever-awesome Sarah Maclean

I love Susanna Kearsley so much. If I ever move to Canada in November *cough* I want to live on her street.

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I finally got to tell Diane Kelly, the president of RWA, how she was the first person to welcome me to DARA and tell me she thought my vampire lawyer book sounded really good (let's just say this shows how warm and supportive she is).  I got to tell Sarah Wendell how I talk to her in my head and that she sounds sexier in real life (I don't think she reported me to the police.) There were so many other awesome moments and so many new friends, I just can't list them all.  Check out my social media and that of Alexandra Haughton, Julia Kelly and Alexis Anne for more fun pics of our adventures (and late night videos!.)

Chapter Four- the Happily Ever After

I left #RWA16 leaving uplifted and convicted (and almost 7k words written - whoop!).  Most importantly, my tribe is stronger than ever.  And even though I feel a leeetle like Margot Blythe when I say this, isn't that the best kind of happy ending?

Epilogue - the Cruel Cliffhanger

If you want to know the story of the man in the tighty whities pictured above, I'll be posting it in my next newsletter, along with some really fun giveaways and promos and book news, as always.  Sign up here to get the scoop!

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