Day 4 of the 12 Books of the Holiday Season...guest blog post by Justine Alley Dowsett

Not being a big fan of the Christmas season, (controversial, I know!) when I was asked to write about my ‘favourite Christmas book’, I almost had to say no. I mainly read science fiction and fantasy and I couldn’t think of a single Christmas-themed book that I’d ever read, let alone liked. But then I thought about it some more and realized that there are a fair number of books that are set throughout the holidays, or include the holidays, without specifically being Christmas-themed.

One that immediately comes to mind for me is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I remember reading that book when I was younger and really relating with the main character, Jo March. Jo’s an aspiring author writing in a time where she has to take on a male pseudonym to be able to publish her novel and get the recognition she’s always craved. Like Jo, I was a very creative and inventive and the oldest child. I loved theatre and inventing games and things to do for my many younger siblings. I also dreamed of one day seeing my name on bookshelves everywhere.

I can’t remember now if Little Women inspired me to want to be an author or if I just related with Jo and followed in her footsteps, but either way, Little Women is the closest thing to a Christmas book that I can say I enjoyed.

Does anyone have any Christmas-themed fantasy or sci-fi novels they want to recommend?

In return, I’ll recommend one of my own. Unintended, written by my sister and myself is not a Christmas-themed book by any stretch of the imagination, but it spans about six months, ending during the holiday season. A romantic comedy of errors, Unintended is about Mackenzie en Shareed, a young woman betrothed to a Prince to uphold a treaty and prevent a war. Unfortunately, Mackenzie’s first act upon her arrival in her new kingdom is to accidentally marry the wrong man. Mistaken identities, arranged marriages, and a whole bunch of plot twists will keep you laughing in this Shakespearian style rom-com.

https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/adult-fiction/products/unintended-ebook

https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/adult-fiction/products/unintended-paperback

Promo code: README for $5 off Unintended Paperback!