Holiday Reads I Can't Wait To Nibble

When the holidays roll around, though I know Santa's probably bringing me a sacks of long-awaited titles, my nose tends to jerk me in the direction of my local bookstore. Why this is? Well, I blame it on holidays releases. Following is a list of the romances I can't wait to nibble this holiday season!

1. Winter Kiss by Deborah Cooke

A novel in Cooke's Dragonfire series. "One kiss can melt the coldest heart." I'm cold so give me some lip gloss and a winter's kiss from the crazy dude walking around in the blizzard with his shirt open. We could both use the extra heat...

2. Mistletoe Rules by Stacey Joy Netzel
What!? You missed Dragonfly Dreams? Shame on you. Well, this year Stacey delivers the Christmas goods again with three mistletoe-themed stories in one. As far as contemporary reads go, this one's first on my list this Christmas...

3. A Christmas Ball by Jennifer Ashley, Emily Bryan, & Alissa Johnson

PB & J. Elizabeth & Darcy. Turner & Hooch. Christmas & Recency Romance. All things that go oh-so well together. For my Regency fix this season, I'm going with this baby from Dorchester. The last great Regency anthology I read was The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor from Harlequin. I think this one will put a smile on my face, too...

4. It Happened One Night by Lisa Dale

A heart-warming fix to go with my hot cocoa and chestnuts. This author's new for me. She hooked me with the book trailer, which made it an instant add to my Shelfari wish list. Something tells me I'm going to have to break out the tissue for this puppy...

5. A Highlander Christmas by Dawn Halliday, Cindy Miles, & Sophie Renwick

Ho ho...hubba! The holidays would not be complete without my plaid and the quintessential alpha, now would it? Therefore, I'm spending Christmas with my family, dogs, and my friend Mr. Mullet here. How much would I have to pay to get my hubby to wear a getup like that? I think the sword would cheer him up...

6. A Cowboy Christmas by Janette Kenny

Now what kind of western romance author would I be if I didn't celebrate the joy of the season with another open-shirted friend - the one in the Stetson. Snowy ranch. Fire blazing. How did those shirt buttons get on the floor? Hmmm. (I'm noticing a trend. Have we moved on from cropping hero's faces? Now every hero must be posing open-shirted in a blizzard. Me likey...)

7. Hot for the Holidays by Lora Leigh, Angela Knight, Anya Bast, & Allyson James

For those in the romance world, you'd have to be deaf, blind, and dumb not to have heard of Lora Leigh's new anthology. The candy cane in question made this an inpulse buy for droves of readers - including moi. I didn't even read the blurb. I just bought the darn thing. Something tells me Hot for the Holidays is as...well, yum as what Berkley Jove's art department unleashed on our pocketbooks...

8. Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole & Gena Showalter

Speaking of buzz, here's yet another anthology that set the hive buzzin this season. An how often is it that we see hardcover anthologies? This book will make a nice addition to my keeper shelf since. Seeing as it is in the NYT Bestsellers' Top 20, you don't have to be a Cole or Showalter groupie to appreciate it...

9. The Lost by J.D. Robb, Patricia Gaffney, Mary Blayney, & Ruth Ryan Langan

Haha - you knew I was going to go there! I have be spending Christmas with highlanders, cowboys, and assorted other sculpted paranormal beings. But New Years is for one hero and one hero alone: Roarke. Yeah, that's all I have to say...

As you can see, there no #10. This is where you come in. Readers, sound off: what other holiday read should romance readers be sure to check out this season?

I should mention that I'm giving away a paperback with The Roses of Prose holiday contest. Win a free tote full of goodies like The Way Back Home. Yep, that's three cowboys in one, folks - a very Merry Christmas indeed! Visit TRoP to see how to enter...