Today, I’m featuring 5 delightful and heartfelt Christmas novellas for your December TBRs.
5 novellas + a warm cuppa + a cozy blanket + a cheerful fire = one satisfying reading season

***This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links

Once Upon a Christmas Carol by Melody Carlson

Once Upon a Christmas Carol is a contemporary fiction romance with festive vibes and a poignant family theme. Carol Langstrom plans to avoid the stressful and hectic Christmas season with a trip to the Bahamas. Her plans are derailed by bad weather and she finds herself stranded in snowy Michigan on her aunt’s farm. With Hallmark movie vibes, this novella features sweet romance, an abundance of Christmas spirit, and a new appreciation of family. I recommend this charming uplit story for your December reading.

Thanks #NetGalley @AustenProse @RevellBooks for a complimentary eARC of #OnceUponAChristmasCarol upon my request. All opinions are my own. 4 Stars.

On a Midnight Clear by Tracie Peterson, Misty M. Beller, and Karen Witemeyer (a 3 novella/short story collection)

On a Midnight Clear is a collection of three novellas with well-loved tropes (one novella and two short stories). Each one is Christian Fiction and is inspired by the Christmas Story/Nativity.

The Shepherd’s Heart by Tracie Peterson is a frontier story and features one of my favorite tropes, a marriage of convenience. Through life’s challenges, will Angel and Vincent grow to love each other?

Highly atmospheric, No Room at the Inn by Misty M. Beller is a forced proximity romance between Hope, an Innkeeper, and Noah, a snowed-in traveler.

The friends-to-lovers romance in A Star in the West by Karen Witemeyer begins with innocent correspondence between Stella and Frank, a visiting mathematics professor.

All three novellas/short stories are enjoyable and inspirational one-sitting reads for cold winter days or nights curled up by the fireplace.

Thanks #NetGalley @AustenProse @Bethany_House for a complimentary eARC of #OnAMidnightClear upon my request. All opinions are my own. 4 Stars.

A Carol for Mrs. Dickens by Rebecca Connolly

A Carol for Mrs. Dickens is a poignant Christmas story featuring a magical sprig of holly and three memories that restore Mrs. Dickens’ Christmas Spirit.

Catherine “Kate” Dickens is married to Charles Dickens and they are the parents of several children. Mrs. Dickens is feeling the stress of mothering, planning/hosting lavish parties, and decorating during the Christmas season. Through a magical sprig of holly, Kate revisits three memories from the past. Will these visits renew her Christmas spirit?

A Carol for Mrs. Dickens is atmospheric, compelling, and poignant. Mrs. Dickens is relatable, and we cheer for her well-being throughout. With its message of the true meaning of Christmas, this will be an inspirational and wonderful Christmas read and gift! My full review here.

Thanks #NetGalley @AustenProse @ShadowMountn for a complimentary eARC upon my request. All opinions are my own. 5 Stars.

Recommending ALL 5 novellas:

I’m thrilled to recommend 5 novellas for your December TBR! In addition, if you are looking for selections for #NovellasInNovember, these are perfect!

Related: My Year in Novellas 2025

---

---

QOTD:

Do you read novellas or short stories?
You might be interested in more novellas in this post.

---

---

Let’s Get Social!

Find me at:
Twitter/X
Blue Sky
Instagram (Threads link in bio)
Goodreads and StoryGraph
Pinterest
SubStack: @carolreadingladies
Reading Ladies Book Club on Facebook

---

---

Happy Reading Book Buddies!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for reading bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, teaching, and connection. Books take us to places we’ve never been, teach us about our world, and help us understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley

---

---

***Blog posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price.

All books I review are purchased or borrowed from the library unless explicitly stated that the book is free (arc).

Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website receives all credit for book covers and author photos.

© ReadingLadies.com