Exclusive! Romance Authors Talk to FIRST About Their New Holiday Novella Collection
It's a good day to be a romance reader: Five best-selling authors just announced they're releasing a collection of Christmas novellas, available soon. That's right, romance fans! Tessa Bailey, Alexis Daria, Ali Hazelwood, Olivia Dade and Alexandria Bellefleur are coming together to release an Amazon Original collection called Under The Mistletoe, which will include five festive novellas penned by the popular authors.
Each novella in the collection has its own cover (see them below). It will be available in ebook and audiobook formats only on November 12, but you can pre-order it now . Keep scrolling to learn what each holiday novella is about and find out what the authors told FIRST about their short, steamy festive stories.
'Cruel Winter With You' by Ali Hazelwood
The queen of women in S.T.E.M novels is back with another swoon-worthy tale that follows two childhood friends who get stuck together after a blizzard.
"It's been such fun working on this collection," Ali Hazelwood exclusively told FIRST."I got my start in fandom and writing fan fiction, and I adore collaborative projects that are built around a holiday theme. I'm a massive fan of every single author on the team, so this is truly a dream come true for me," says Hazelwood, who is best known for her 2021 mega-seller, The Love Hypothesis.
This is Hazelwood's first holiday novel.
'Merry Ever After' by Tessa Bailey
Tessa Bailey's work in the collection not only has a stunning pink cover, but according to the author, it also features a " "—something we didn't know we needed until now!
The short story follows a farmer who is shopping for jeans but instead finds the girl of his dreams.
"Over the last couple of years, it has become a habit of mine to write a story set during the holiday," Bailey told . " I'm slightly addicted. The cozy weather and Christmas magic just hit different. What can I say? Being involved with these amazing authors is just a bonus and an honor."
Earlier this month, the Fangirl Down author also re-released her novel Window Shopping, which is another holiday romance.
'All by My Elf' by Olivia Dade
Best known for her Spoiler Alert series set in the world of fan fiction, Olvia Dade's first holiday-themed romance takes place in the world of academia. After a blizzard locks two professors in their offices, they have no choice but to keep each other company and, of course, play Never Have I Ever. But what happens when the flakes keep falling, and the feelings keep rising?
'Merriment and Mayhem' by Alexandria Bellefleur
Firefighters take center stage in Alexandria Bellefleur's latest tale. After a baking project goes wrong, Everleigh finds herself attracted to the man tasked with saving her. But is it a fling, or will there be flames forever? Only time will tell.
"It was such a pleasure contributing to a collection of holiday stories penned by myself and four other authors whose work I absolutely adore," the Truly, Madly, Deeply author told FIRST. "The stories are short, sweet and spicy. It's perfect to warm up with as the weather gets chillier."
"I love that this collection is like a little holiday treat from us to our readers."
This is Bellefleuer's first book centered around the holiday season.
'Only Santas in The Building' by Alexis Daria
In this romantic novella, a comic book illustrator finally gets a chance with the man of her dreams thanks to her building's Santa-themed party.
"I love writing short holiday romances," Daria, best-selling author of You Had Me at Hola, told FIRST. "It's always a fun challenge to see how much humor, spice and beloved tropes I can pack into a one-sitting read. Only Santas in the Building takes place in New York City and includes the mysterious appearance of handmade ornaments, an homage to a Mariah Carey classic, a plethora of Christmas puns and more."
"Being part of the Under the Mistletoe collection with powerhouse authors like Ali, Tessa, Olivia and Alexandria has been an honor, and I hope readers enjoy these short and steamy winter tales!"
This is Daria's second holiday novella.
This story was originally published October 17, 2024, 6:00 PM.
