Since Valentine's Day is on Monday, today's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is, not surprisingly, a love freebie. My mind always blanks on freebies and I'm especially stumped on this one because I'm just not much for romance. In fiction, anyway (in real life, I've been married to my college sweetheart for 24 years). I mean, I don't mind a love story; I just don't want it to be the only story in a book, you know? Still, there are a few romance novels I've seen around lately that I wouldn't mind reading. What do the books on this list have in common? They're light, sweet, and funny (at least as far as I can tell—if I'm wrong, let me know, please). Swoony, without being smutty (I hope). I'm a right prude, so I don't want anything more than that, thank you very much!

If you want to join in the TTT fun, click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

1. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood—This love-in-the-lab rom com sounds super fun (even though I'm not a fan of fake dating tropes). It's gotten lots of rave reviews all over the book blogosphere. Plus, just look at that cover. It's adorable!

2. Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis—Two strangers trapped in a snowstorm together fall in love in this "heartwarming" novel. This one got a lot of buzz around the holidays. Sounds like a fun Christmas read for the end of the year.

3. What You Wish For by Katherine Center—I've enjoyed several of Center's novels, so I'm definitely up for this one. Set in a school, it's about an unrequited romance between a librarian and her new principal that gets a second chance to blossom.

4. So Not My Thing by Melanie Jacobson—Jacobson's sweet, sassy romances are always entertaining. Her newest is the first in a duology set in the author's native Louisiana. It's an enemies-to-lovers story about a pop star and the woman whose most humiliating moment was plastered all over the Internet because of him.

5. Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham—This historical novel features a woman who helps run her family's 100-year-old bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina. When she discovers an old, forgotten love letter in the store's attic, it sets her off on a treasure hunt that just might end with a romance of her own.

6. A Reluctant Bride by Jody Hedlund—I've enjoyed other books by Hedlund, so I might be up for this one. It's the first in a series about a group of British women who board a bride ship bound for British Columbia in the 1860s in search of escape, improved circumstances, missing family members, and—oh, yeah—love.

7. An Impossible Imposter by Deanna Raybourn—Okay, this one is a bit of a cheat since it's more mystery than romance. It does, however, feature one of my favorite literary couples, so there ya go...This is the seventh installment in the Veronica Speedwell series, which is tons of fun. In this newest outing, Veronica and Stoker are tasked with deciding if a man with amnesia is really a client's long-lost brother.

8. The Happy Camper by Melody Carlson—I'm not someone who enjoys camping (although sleeping in an RV is infinitely more appealing than braving a tent), but this love story about a woman whose camper makeover mirrors the transformation of her life, looks like a cute, happy read.

9. Otherwise Engaged by Joanna Barker—I loved Barker's debut Regency romance, so I'm definitely up for more. This one features a spunky woman who saves a child's life, thus attracting the attention of her handsome older brother. As the two fall for each other, she must tell him the unfortunate truth—she's already engaged to marry another man. 

10. A Lady's Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett—The plot summary of this historical romance is giving me Deanna Raybourn vibes (see #7). It's about a brilliant female scientist in Victorian England who is on a secret mission for the Crown. She's assigned a bodyguard, who turns her head more than she'd like.

There you have it, ten romance novels I might actually read. Might. We'll see. Are you a romance novel lover or hater? Which are your favorites? Based on the list above, what titles would you recommend to me? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!  

Don't you love the festive Top Ten Tuesday image above?  It's a perfect complement to today's topic:  Top Ten Christmas Books I Hope to Read in December 2019.  If you don't celebrate Christmas or you want to highlight non-holiday books, that's okay too.  Personally, I love to read holiday books to get me in the Christmas spirit.  This year, however, I'm a Round 1 judge for the Cybils Awards, so I'm busy, busy, busy reading books that have been nominated for an award in the YA fiction category.  Our shortlist is due on December 29, so the rest of my reading year will basically be taken up with that.  Since I'm not sure exactly what I am and am not allowed to say about the process, I'm going to focus on the Top Ten Christmas Books I Would Have Liked to Read in December 2019.

Before we get to that, though, I want to encourage you to join in the TTT fun.  It's a great way to spread the love around our great book blogging community.  You can revisit favorite blogs, find new ones to enjoy, and of course, gather awesome reading recommendations to add to your TBR pile.  What's not to love?  Joining in is super easy—just hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read a few quick instructions, create your own TTT list, and get clicking.

Alright, here we go with the Top Ten Christmas Books I Would Have Liked to Read in December 2019:

I'm not much for re-reading, but I make exceptions for the following three books:

1.  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens—I try to read this classic novella every December.  It's a quick read and one that never fails to put a smile on my face.  There are so many powerful lessons in this deceptively simple story!  It always reminds me that generosity trumps greed, people's hearts can change and that Christmas is a time for forgiveness, unselfishness, and love. 

2.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling—Rowling's descriptions of Christmas at Hogwarts are just ... magical.

3.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott—Always a fun read, this is one of my favorite classic novels.

I haven't read any of the following yet.  Maybe next Christmas?

4.  Christmas novels by Jenny Colgan—The Scottish author has penned a number of holiday novels.  I'll probably start with Christmas at the Cupcake Café and go from there.

5.  Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva—As I mentioned above, I love Mr. Dickens' famous carol.  This novel, about the author and how his most loved work came to be, sounds excellent.

6.  A Christmas by the Sea by Melody Carlson—Wendy Harper and her son travel to Seaside, Maine, in order to fix up the cottage Wendy inherits when her grandfather dies.  Although she has every intention of selling the place ASAP, her son insists it's their new home.  Does he know something his mother doesn't?  Sounds like a sweet holiday story!

7.  Christmas Bells by Jennifer Chiaverini—I've read a little bit about the sad story behind Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," which was set to music and became a beloved holiday carol.  This novel goes into more depth.  One of these Christmases, I really need to read it.

8.  Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle—A woman who is clamoring to save the small store her family has owned for generations pens a desperate letter to Santa asking for help.  Little does she know, the person reading her letters is the handsome owner of the chain megastore that she holds directly responsible for putting her store out of business ... A fun holiday rom-com?  Yes, please!

9.  The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury—Another romance, this one revolves around a bookstore that has brought people together for decades.  When a devastating flood threatens to close it forever, its customers (including an estranged couple who made many happy memories at the bookstore) must rally together to save it. 

10.  Sentimental Journey by Holly Schindler—This lovely author has had a special place in my heart ever since she told me she posted my glowing review of her first novel, A Blue So Dark, on her fridge because she was so proud of it!  LOL.  Schindler writes in a variety of genres, but her holiday story collection is particularly fun.  The novellas all center around Ruby's Place, a rundown restaurant and bar that was once the sparkling center of life in little Sullivan, Missouri.  Although it appears deserted, there are some delightful spirits who inhabit the place and are eager to help return it to its former glory.  I've read the first two installments in the series, but haven't yet gotten to this third one.

There you go, ten books I'd like to read in December 2019.  Even though I will likely not get to them next month, I hope to someday.  Have you read any of these?  What are your favorite Christmas reads?  What will you be reading during the holiday season?  I'd love to know your answers.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.

Happy TTT!