BB #15: Thanksgiving Romance Books, Historical Romance, Christmas Movies + Reading Update
Your mid-week serving of all things bookish and beyond!
Hey book besties, welcome to Bookish Brunch! A mid-week break to catch up. Grab your favorite drink, get comfy, and let's dive into what I’ve been reading, what I’ve been loving and a sprinkle of fun. Share with me in the comments or chat what you’ve been up to!
BB #15: Thanksgiving Romance Books, Christmas Movies + Reading Update
Hello friends!
So yes, this newsletter is a little late (cue sheepish grin). Thanksgiving week had me juggling family time, leftover pie, and a seriously chaotic schedule. And next week is not looking any better! I hope you all had a fabulous time if you celebrated—and if not, I hope you snagged a good book and avoided all the chaos.
For the festive crowd, I’ve got a list of Thanksgiving romance books to lift your mood this weekend. Yes, they exist, and yes, they are perfect for when you need a bite-sized slice of feel-good vibes to pair with your leftovers. Even a book about sentient leftovers!
Meanwhile, I’ve been busy. I’m putting the final touches on Romanceopoly 2025 and my new 2025 digital planner and Notion templates, both launching next week! Oh, and in very exciting news—I’m officially starting my Inkspire YouTube channel! It’s all about planning, blogging, and staying organized (with zero toxic productivity, I promise). Sign up for the Inkspire newsletter here to stay in the loop and get a 10% off coupon for your first purchase.
Here’s what’s coming in this edition of Bookish Brunch:
Christmas movies I watched, plus a review of the disappointing new season of a series I’ve been watching.
My reading update. I read 5 books this week.
Let’s chat about historical romance: What’s going on with the genre, and should we do a Historical Romance-only book club in 2025? Vote below!
Books I added to my TBR this week, from Kindle Unlimited to 2025 releases. Plus some exciting book world news.
So grab your drink of choice (still rocking pumpkin spice? I won’t judge) and dive in. We’ve got books to chat about!
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What’s New This Week
Mercury Retrograde is living up to its full potential. I’ve had more than one technology mishap this week and I’m ready for this to be over.
I live for farmer David Beckham updates. It always puts a smile on my face.
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I also just ran across the news that Barnes & Noble is going to be opening 60 new stores by the end of the year. This makes me happy because, after struggling for so long, it seems bookstores are fully making a comeback.
I have recently seen several historical romance authors talk about how publishing houses are not buying their historical romances and are even encouraging them to write in different genres. We saw this happen with paranormal romance. Honestly, I know this will increase the likelihood of some amazing historical romance being self published. But, why can’t publishing houses get with the program? If they were to put the same marketing and funds behind other genres as they do with contemporary romance (and now romantasy) we wouldn’t be having these conversations. Alas, hopefully the historical romance authors will decide to self publish and if/when that happens, we need to be there to support them.
And on that note I had another idea. In this week’s episode of the Extra Bite podcast I asked you guys to let me know how you would feel about us bringing the old League of Lusty Ladies book club back in 2025. I see that mostly we’re looking for Kindle Unlimited only in that poll (if you haven’t voted, go here to vote). But I had an idea! What is 2025 is a historical romance year and we pick a historical romance on Kindle Unlimited every month to try?
Don’t forget that you can get 20% off your lifetime subscription to our Substack if you sign up between now and December. That will be your price as long as you stay subscribed.
On the blog:
Watch our Thanksgiving special Novel Nights where Laura from
, Victoria from and I chat about our holiday traditions of the past and today.
Plus, this week you can’t miss our Thanksgiving romance books list. I had a chat with Kelly Reynolds on the podcast last Friday and she mentioned a sentient romance about a woman who finds her boyfriend cheating on her and then the Thanksgiving leftovers come to life for some shenanigans. Well if you want some unhinged but also some sweet harvest and Thanksgiving themed romance books, most super short, to get you through this holiday weekend, then head over to the blog. I’ll personally be going with a scarecrow romance because I haven’t read that yet and I always say, try everything once!
Plus, we also got the final round books for the GoodReads Choice Awards 2024. Watch our reacting to who made the cut and if our predictions are still right. Don’t forget you can vote in the Novel Nights Readers Choice Awards and enter for a chance to win a month subscription to our Substack community and the Bibliolifestyle community.
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Community posts you may have missed:
Don’t forget to download the November Insider and 2024 Holiday Reading Guide
Books I Added to my TBR this week
So many books added to my TBR this week. Some from online recommendations, other from cover reveals (see next section) and then there’s also my research for the Database update. Be sure to go check out the database for lots of December and 2025 book releases that were added!
Book Mail
Two December books hit my shelf this week. I already read Designs on You by Jaci Burton (see thoughts farther down) and I can’t wait to try Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson.
Bookish News
Kate Golden revealed the beautiful cover of her upcoming contemporary romance IF NOT FOR MY BABY releasing August 5, 2025. This is a rockstar romance between a Hozier inspired hero on tour who falls for his backup singer.
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I’ve been meaning to start the Monster Smash Agency for a while and I’m utterly in love with the cover for LESSONS WITH THE MOTHMAN by Kathryn Moon, coming January 14, 2025.
Jennifer L. Armentrout announced she will be opening a romance-only bookstore in 2025 called Miss Willa’s Bookshop. Plus! She also announced that she is working on producing/writing a reality TV show where contestants have to live in a romantasy world and pass challenges to get keys. Or something like that. You can read more about The Key here.
And also, how did I miss this? Marked Men (Rule!) by Jay Crownover is coming to a theater near you this January. And starring no other than Outer Banks star Chase Stokes. Funny enough that I find this this week, since I just finished watching season 4 of Outer Banks (my review farther down this newsletter) Who’s excited to watch this? Here’s the trailer:
You can read my review of Rule by Jay Crownover here. And grab a copy on Amazon to read before the movie comes out! Also, I don’t know if I’m ready to see my baby Rome (my favorite of the series) on screen!!
Books I Read This Week
Another week that I think overall I did pretty well with my reading. Not as many “winners” but certainly had a great time reading.
Moonlit Temptation by Sarah E. Green
🌟🌟🌟1/4
I picked this up for the secret society aspect, I stayed for the brother’s best friend. This was a super quick read. Our heroine lands in London for her birthday and she’s met by just her brother’s best friend. Her brother had to bail thanks to their father. So he decides to show her a good time around town. And things get complicated from there. I loved the “fling” and the tropes. But I think this was very light on the secret society element. I was definitely expecting more of that which is why I ended up rating it as I did. This is a fun age gap, billionaire, new adult, angsty romance.
The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by K.J. Charles
🌟🌟🌟
I was completely swayed by the pretty cover into reading this. But if I’m being honest, I’ve had this on my TBR since it released. And then again when book 2 came out. So I decided to take the plunge this week. It’s been a while since I’ve read a K.J. Charles book and this one gave me something I come to expect, tenderness. There was tenderness in this romance which I appreciated. However, this book was also a bit forgettable. Yes, lovable characters especially with the hero trying to look out for her sister in the face of a fortune hunter. But a bit underwhelming all the same in the end.
The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore
🌟🌟🌟🌟
I wasn’t planning to jump right into book 2 of this series, but then I saw a TikTok that said how spicy this book was (by a male reader, by the way) and I just had to see for myself. Because, the first book wasn’t spicy! Not closed door, but also no 🌶️. I am happy to report back on that. It does have more spice than book 1! Although I won’t be categorizing this as a spicy book any time soon, I can certainly see how someone who read book 1 would feel that way about book 2. But onto the book. The story was so cute. The hero has been in love with the heroine for a while and just hasn’t found a way to make his move. Then the perfect opportunity lands on his lap. She owns a bookstore and she discovers there’s some messages being left inside the pages of some books. So they team up to investigate and of course one thing leads to the other. I breezed through this one. It’s perfect for this season, a great laid back and relaxing romance full of small town charm (and meddling).
Designs on You by Jaci Burton
🌟🌟🌟
A divorced heroine, single mother to 2 kids who has to still co-parent with her ex-husband, falls for the much younger brother of her sister’s partner. They are complete opposites not just in age and where they are in life, but also career (she’s an interior designer and he’s a game designer). He’s a risk taker, she’s the cautious type. This story was sweet and full of charm. But at times that can simply feel a bit too sweet and can get boring. I think I would’ve enjoyed this a bit more as a novella, so it would pack more of a sense or urgency and excitement. Even though it felt dragged out, it’s a story full of lovable characters, adorable kids and dogs and a great sense of family unity.
Something Extraordinary by Alexis Hall
🌟🌟🌟1/4
Two friends who decide they will go off to Gretna Green to get married so they can escape their respective fates of marrying. Why is this a solution? Because they are best friends and love each other! Not in the attraction sort of way. This book felt like a proper adventure. It was funny, a bit outrageous, and an overall good time.
What I’m Watching
Outer Banks Season 4
I was excited and eagerly anticipating the release of Season 4. I’ve had the best time watching this series, sometimes stressful, angsty, but always full of wild adventures and shenanigans. Whether they are treasure hunting or just pissing off the kooks. Season 4 stirred up some drama and yet another treasure hunt, but it just felt disjointed all along. And then we added some old family secrets and drama to the mix! While we always have that mix, it felt forced and didn’t make sense. Needless to say, this season was already feeling a bit messy. And then we get two things that I felt were not necessary. I won’t mention due to spoilers but one is huge and at the very end of the season and the other is pretty massive but a few episodes before that. That latter I could still deal with, although why was that necessary? But the ending?? No can do. It was pointless, useless, talk about unnecessary! Maybe, I could’ve accepted it more if it hadn’t felt so pointless. Writers could’ve done better with that. I don’t know how I feel about continuing to watch the show if they make a season 5. I did do some online digging and found some tea amongst the cast too, so maybe that’s up in the air. Or their ending was the way to solve this fighting? Anyway, definitely my least favorite season and as it stands probably my last. But if you want to watch the previous seasons, I do recommend and there’s no big cliffhanger if you want to skip this one.
🌟🌟1/2
Our Little Secret
Is Lindsay Lohan turning into a holiday movie queen? Why, yes. Apparently she is! I have enjoyed her holiday movies so far and while this isn’t my favorite it was a cute and fun story about two childhood best friends turned lovers who broke up and find themselves back in each others lives when they are faced with each other at their significant other’s family Christmas. Yep, they are dating siblings. And now they have to pretend not to know each other. Cute and great for a relaxing, kind of funny and a little adorable holiday movie.
🌟🌟🌟1/2
Christmas with the Singhs
I kept watching this movie thinking, where do I know him from??? And finally my husband figured it out! He's from the Virgin River show! I definitely like him better in that show, but the acting hasn’t improved. ;) This movie had some fun moments that still made it worth the watch. But honestly, I was more invested in the rekindling of a romance between his divorced parents then seeing them get their HEA. It was just ok.
🌟🌟🌟
What I’m Listening
These are the songs or artists that I added to my playlist this past week.
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Now it’s your turn! Share with me in the comments or the chat what you’ve been up to, reading, loving and all the things.
Sharing our love for books as Under the Covers Book Blog since 2011, running the Romanceopoly yearly reading challenge since 2019 and hosting the Reading Under the Covers podcast since 2020. Join our Substack community and have access to all paid member features.