10 Regency Christmas Romance Books You Can Finish in One Evening

I read historical romance more than any other genre.

Every time I try something new, I end up back with a duke and a ballroom.

Christmas versions are my favorite, so I read them all through December.

December evenings fill up fast, so I picked books that fit into one night.

Several of these are novellas, and a few are anthologies of short stories.

Pick one for tonight and tell me which one you chose.

A Bride for Christmas by Aileen Fish

I wanted a sweet, slow burn Christmas historical romance, and this one delivered.

Nash Sinclair is a war hero who just wants a wife to spend the holiday with.

Lady Julianna has decided that her perfect man doesn’t exist.

She announces that only a dragon-slayer will do, and Nash takes her seriously.

His nieces and nephews jump in to help him, and I laughed out loud at their plans.

Kisses, She Wrote by Katharine Ashe

This is a short Regency Christmas romance that moves fast.

Princess Jacqueline is shy, and she is secretly in love with the Earl of Bedwyr.

The earl finds her diary, which is full of kisses and longing.

I loved watching Jacqueline get flustered while Cam slowly noticed the girl behind those pages.

It’s quick, a little scandalous, and perfect for a single evening.

Season for Surrender by Theresa Romain

Louisa is a bookworm, so of course I connected with her right away.

She accepts an invitation to a Christmas party because she wants one last big adventure.

Lord Xavier starts out as a reckless rake and gradually falls for her wit and quiet courage.

The house party setting gave me a Regency holiday rom-com with scandalous wagers.

This is my pick if you want a Christmas romance with a clever, bookish heroine.

A Winter Scandal by Candace Camp

Thea discovers a baby in a manger, and I was hooked from that moment.

She is sure a rakish lord must be responsible.

That lord is Gabriel, and the two of them end up solving the mystery together.

They fight their attraction the whole way and lose that fight slowly.

If you like a Victorian Christmas romance with a mystery and a slow burn, start here.

Christmas in the Duke’s Arms (Anthology)

This anthology holds four stories, and every one of them takes place around a cozy little inn.

My favorite was A Knight Before Christmas, because Penelope and Levi’s quiet longing got to me.

Licensed to Wed is a sweet enemies-to-lovers story.

In the Duke’s Arms gives you a brooding hero, and The Spy Beneath the Mistletoe adds some adventure.

Four short stories make it easy to finish in one night.

The Duke’s Match Girl by Lila DiPasqua

This steamy second chance novella is a retelling of The Little Match Girl.

Leo and Suzanne were childhood sweethearts, and they meet again on a snowy Christmas Eve.

Suzanne is bold and clever, and she refuses to be hurt a second time.

Leo is a duke who is desperate to win her back.

It’s a novella, yet the romance never felt rushed to me.

A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

Edward is a grumpy hero with a soft heart, and I fall for that type every time.

Sophie wants to protect her family without losing herself.

Neither of them knows how to reach the other at first, and that awkwardness felt real to me.

Their slow burn is quiet and hopeful, and it ached in the way I like.

I also loved the winter setting, where the gaslight and snow made everything glow.

How the Dukes Stole Christmas (Anthology)

This anthology is full of dukes, and each story gives you a different setting.

You get ballroom waltzes, snowy castles, and a touch of New York magic.

The Duke of Christmas Present is my favorite because it moved me the most.

Meet Me in Mayfair came second for its playful banter.

Each couple faces loss, a second chance, or loneliness, and enchanted shortbread appears along the way.

The Christmas Knight by Michelle Sinclair

This one is a medieval Christmas romance, so it’s a change of pace from the Regency balls.

Bronwyn offers herself in marriage to protect her sisters.

The knight who shows up turns out to be nothing like the brute she expected.

Secrets, duty, and desire all complicate their trust at Hunswick Castle.

I admired Bronwyn’s strength on every page.

A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong by Cecilia Grant

This Christmas novella reads like a road trip where nothing goes to plan.

Andrew is uptight, and Lucy is free-spirited, so they clash and fit together at once.

A falcon errand leads to a carriage mishap and a snowstorm.

They end up stranded miles from where they were headed.

Lucy was my favorite part, because she brought joy to every scene.

Now it’s your turn.

Which of these ten will you read first?

Leave me a comment with your pick, and tell me if you finished it in one night.

I read new ones every December, so I’d love your recommendations too.