Katie & Rel’s Novel Gift Guide is back! We had so much fun putting our Christmas 2018 guide together, we wanted to do it again. Books are the best kind of Christmas gifts, don’t you agree? The aren’t costly, they provide hours of enjoyment (even more if your recipient re-reads), and you may be opening up a whole new experience for your reader, introducing them to a new author with a great backlist, or enabling them to try a new genre they might not otherwise have read. Katie – Fiction Aficionado – and I have each shared our recommendations, grouping them in threes (mainly), as giving just one book isn’t always enough. I promise you, that your reader will think you are the best if you give them a bundle of books under the tree! We have also taken a different approach this year, sometimes recommending three books by the one author, or suggesting firsts in three different series, to give your reader some variety.

We hope Christmas 2019’s Novel Gift Guide eases your way in selecting some book gifts for your reading friends and family ~ we all need a little help with Christmas gift ideas! If you have questions about any of these books or want other ideas, don’t hesitate to post your questions in the comments below, or head on over to Katie’s blog and ask for her thoughts too!

Happy Christmas giving and reading to you!

 

Contemporary Romance

My contemporary romance selections are the first books in a series, so if you buy this trio of books, you are really giving them the gift of these books, plus the gift of anticipation of more to come! Victoria, Courtney, and Lisa write authentic love stories with characters and circumstances that are grounded in every day life. And I totally give my vote to Katie’s choice of Carla’s complete series – I’ve even read her final book in the series (releasing, Feb 2020) and it completes the series so very well.

Rel recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”B07MXN4L55″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]When He Found Me[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B01N2L5857″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Just Look Up[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”0988547619″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Once Upon a Montana Summer[/easyazon_link]

 

Katie recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”1496420241″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Saturday Night Supper Club[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”1496420284″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B07T57NWSG” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Solid Grounds Coffee Company[/easyazon_link]

 

Cozy Mystery

I’m NOT a cosy (as we spell it) mystery fan, but Jenny B. Jones has convinced me I need to change my tune! I adored her Enchanted Events Mysteries – now looking spiffy with new covers – and recommend them to anyone who loves humour, mystery, and Beau Hudson! If you don’t know who Beau is, that’s even more reason to gift these stories to a friend or yourself! I also loved Heather Day Gilbert’s first Belinda Blake mystery, so clearly, I’m not so opposed to cosy mysteries after all 🙂

Rel recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”B07JD5GM3T” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Enchanted Events Mysteries[/easyazon_link]

 

Katie recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”B07FRXWSVM” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]A Caffeine Conundrum[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B00B85MQ5S” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Rules of Murder[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B07HVYQ9XZ” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass[/easyazon_link]

 

General Fiction

Do you have readers who love diving deep into life and pain and hope and redemption? Get ALL these books! Highly recommend the stories and writers in our General Fiction suggestions.

Rel recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”0718075668″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Solace of Water[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”0718084780″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Send Down the Rain[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”0718037626″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Feathered Bone[/easyazon_link]

 

Katie recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”0800734912″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]We Hope for Better Things[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”1496402235″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]How the Light Gets In[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”0800728785″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Missing Isaac[/easyazon_link]

 

Historical Fiction

Deeply moving stories with meticulous attention to historical detail and nuances in these selections. These stories are exceptional and will appeal to the lover of history in your life. They will experience different eras and continents, along with a compelling story not to be missed. Yep, I’m with Katie with her trio, too.

Rel recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”0764219081″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Between Two Shores[/easyazon_link]  ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”1601429940″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Many Sparrows[/easyazon_link]  ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B07F93RQW4″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Seamstress[/easyazon_link]

 

Katie recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”0785224505″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Becoming Mrs. Lewis[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”0735291861″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Of Fire and Lions[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”0825446058″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]My Dearest Dietrich[/easyazon_link]

 

Historical Romance

These stories have all the feels! Mimi Matthews was a new find for me this year – thanks in part to Katie – and each of these books begin a new series. I’ve read the current three books in both Mimi’s and Tamara’s series and enjoyed every page. I’m looking forward to reading Elizabeth’s second Hope & Glory novel when it releases in 2020. As for Katie’s selections, you know Carry Me Away is one of my all time favourite historical romances, and I’m hoping to get to my copies of Sandra’s and Carolyn’s novels soon.

Rel recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”B07DLNC967″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Matrimonial Advertisement[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B07PYVW73P” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Spice King[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B07HR9D65R” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Merciless[/easyazon_link]

 

Katie recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”B07HGHB57M” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B0186TC6GC” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Carry Me Home[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B017GF1I1Q” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]One Plus One Equals Trouble[/easyazon_link]

 

Novella 

Looking for a short and sweet story to give – a tiny stocking stuffer (maybe of the ebook kind) – then you can’t go past these Christmas delights! My selections will be sure to fill you with a festive spirit. On another note, I love the covers for Sarah’s novellas. You can find them in one collection by clicking on the link below the covers.

Rel recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”B07YCVWX6N” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]A Shot at Love[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B07GTCFPWS” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]A Holiday by Gaslight[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B07YSRX8NV” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Christmas at Whitefriars[/easyazon_link]

 

Katie recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”B07MB813WJ” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Book Nerds and Boyfriends[/easyazon_link]

 

Romantic Suspense

My favourite genre was well represented in 2019 with FIVE Susan May Warren heartstoppers released, completing her Montana Marshalls series. This series makes the perfect Christmas gift (ebook or print) for the reader in your life – just be ready to be ignored for a while as they are hard to put down! Katie’s offerings are the first books in their respective series, leaving plenty of opportunity to gift more on birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day….

Rel recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”B07R214NL6″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Montana Marshalls[/easyazon_link]

 

Katie recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”0800735323″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Living Lies[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”0800727215″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Oath of Honor[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B01HMPHE4K” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Wild Montana Skies[/easyazon_link]

 

Speculative

If you only buy one book for Christmas, make sure it’s Ronie Kendig’s Brand of Light. It’s simply epic and will appeal to ANY reader, not just those who enjoy a space opera/sci fi type of novel. But if you have readers to buy for who love books out of the ordinary to stretch their mind, experience another world, and capttivate heart and mind, grab these stories that cross the gamut of space opera, science fiction, fantasy, speculative, allegorical, and more!

Rel recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”162184093X” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Brand of Light[/easyazon_link] || [easyazon_link identifier=”0764232223″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Mark of the Raven[/easyazon_link]  ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”0718099427″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Pages of her Life[/easyazon_link]

 

Katie recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”0785224939″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Baggage Handler[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”078521724X” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Romanov[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B07R5BVF2Z” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]One Mind’s Eye[/easyazon_link]

 

Suspense/Thriller

Perfect for readers who love a thrill in their life all while remaining safely ensconced in their comfy reading chair! Both Katie’s and my selections fit the bill. Siri’s and Steven’s are stand alone novels, but the rest are the start of some brilliant series that will keep your thrill loving reader on the edge of their seat.

Rel recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”0785228616″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]State of Lies[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”0785225250″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Synapse[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”0800735773″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Gryphon Heist[/easyazon_link]

 

Katie recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”B07NDNXFRL” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Storm Rising[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B07D6YKXJG” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Mind Games[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”1501169092″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Line Between[/easyazon_link]

 

Time Slip

Want to have your cake and eat it too? These time slip novels give you both an historical and contemporary story line that will captivate you from beginning to end. This has been an emerging genre over the past few years and they are sure to please readers who want a bit of both, along with an often haunting and redemptive story line.

Rel recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”B077DZVJ16″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Hidden Side[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”0764232665″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Whose Waves These Are[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”0764233882″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Echoes Among the Stones[/easyazon_link]

 

Katie recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”B07JDKWNN7″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]A Lost Castle Collection[/easyazon_link]

 

Women’s Fiction

Does your reader long for a book with substance and challenge and encouragement? I selected three Catherine West novels because they are THAT GOOD! Each of her stories brings something new and intriguing, always a fresh take. And a word to the wise, I recommend you gift a box of tissues with all of these selections. Your recipient will thank you!

Rel recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”1091453233″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]As the Light Fades[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B075M1WZ3G” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Where Hope Begins[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B00MXLUY46″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Yesterday’s Tomorrow[/easyazon_link]

 

Katie recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”1496427246″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Things I Never Told You[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B072TPH95J” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Heart Between Us[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”0785221409″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Enlightenment of Bees[/easyazon_link]

 

Young Adult

Do you have a teen or young adult reader in your life? You will become their favourite book-buying Aunt or Mum or Dad or brother if you gift this wonderful medieval romantic series from Jody Hedlund! I’m yet to read any of Katie’s choices, but I trust her taste in books implicitly 🙂

Rel recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”1733753400″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Always[/easyazon_link] – prequel novella  ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B07ZQ3C4JL” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]The Lost Princesses[/easyazon_link]

 

Katie recommends…

[easyazon_link identifier=”0785224459″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Coral[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”1683700287″ locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Orphan’s Song[/easyazon_link] ||  [easyazon_link identifier=”B07VLHGVZV” locale=”US” tag=”relzrevi-20″]Heart of a Royal[/easyazon_link]

What books have you bought as gifts this Christmas?