[Note from Frolic: We’re so happy to have author Teri Wilson back on the site! She’s pairing books with Love Actually characters. Take it away, Teri!]
It’s December, and you know what that means—it’s time to cuddle up on the couch with a blanket and a big bowl of popcorn and pretend that Hugh Grant is the British Prime Minister and Christmas Is All Around is the #1 song. Come on, you know you can feel it in your fingers and in your toes!
Love Actually premiered in 2003, and over the past seventeen years, it’s become a holiday staple. Even if you get mildly creeped out by the guy with the posters professing his undying love for his best friend’s new wife (not cool, dude), there’s a lot to love about this movie, actually. (We’re looking at you, Emma Thompson.) So we thought it would be fun to pair books with some of our favorite characters from this enduring holiday romcom!
Sarah, played by Laura Linney and One Day in December by Josie Silver
Remember Sarah? She’s the one who has been in love with her officemate, Karl, for “two years, seven months, three days and, I suppose, an hour and thirty minutes.” In solidarity with her unrequited love (hey, we’ve all been there), we’re pairing her with Josie Silver’s One Day in December, a romance that spans years and has a much happier ending than Sarah and Karl’s.
Mark (aka poster guy), played by Andrew Lincoln and An Ex for Christmas by Lauren Layne
Does a more divisive character than Mark even exist in the world of holiday movies? Whether his poster scene makes you swoon or elicits a big fat nope, it’s become downright iconic. It also goes perfectly with Lauren Layne’s frothy Christmas romcom An Ex for Christmas. I don’t want to ruin it by telling you why. Just trust me. If Mark is your guy, you’ll love this one.
Jamie, played by Colin Firth and Beach Read by Emily Henry
After having just discovered that his live-in girlfriend is cheating (with his own brother…ouch), Colin Firth’s Jamie heads to a remote, waterfront cottage in France to write his latest novel and ends up falling in love instead. So of course we’re pairing Jamie with Beach Read by Emily Henry, which also features a cynical author hero who’s hiding himself away in a waterfront cabin to write a book.
Juliet, played by Keira Knightley and A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan
So many of the plots and relationships in Love Actually are interconnected, and for most of them, Juliet’s wedding to Peter is where everything gets started. Juliet just wants to marry the love of her life and have a nice video recording of her special day, but instead, her wedding is the catalyst for a lot of drama with a capital D. (Can’t a girl enjoy a church flash mob in peace?) We’re thinking Juliet would love reading Sarah Morgan’s A Wedding in December, which features a Christmas wedding with its own share of drama.
Harriet, played by Shannon Elizabeth and A Merry Texan Christmas by Nicole Flockton
Surely you remember Harriet. She’s the Wisconsin girl who Colin the Brit (“Stateside, I’m Prince William without the weird family”) brings back to London in the closing scenes of the movie. She’s outgoing, gorgeous and rocking a cowboy hat right there in Heathrow Airport. In tribute to her Stetson, we’re pairing her with A Merry Texan Christmas by Nicole Flockton, a fun, flirty enemies-to-lovers romance between a bookshop owner and the town librarian.
The Prime Minister, played by Hugh Grant and Prime Minister by Ainsley Booth and Sadie Haller
If Hugh Grant dancing to the Pointer Sisters is your jam (all of us, basically), then your next book boyfriend just might be Gavin from Prime Minister, by Ainsley Booth and Sadie Haller. This seriously steamy read is about a fictional PM of Canada, not the UK, but still. *fans self*
Daniel, played by Liam Neeson and Christmas on Crimson Mountain by Michelle Major
Liam Neeson gives such a heart-tugging performance as widower Daniel. He’s doing his best to connect with his stepson in the wake of his mom’s death, and we can’t help but root for Daniel to find love too. We’ve paired him with Michelle Major’s RITA-award winning book, Christmas on Crimson Mountain, which has its own widower hero who is also struggling to overcome loss. Get out your Kleenex, y’all. This is an emotional Christmas read with an oh-so-satisfying ending.
Karen, played by Emma Thompson and Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Karen is everyone’s favorite, isn’t she? Is there anyone who actually sits dry-eyed through the scene of her crying in her bedroom to Joni Mitchell? No. No, there is not. We all love Emma Thompson as Karen, who is just doing her best to give her kids the best Christmas possible, including sewing costumes for their school’s big Christmas pageant. (“There was more than one lobster at the birth of Jesus?”) We’ve paired Karen/Emma with Sophie Kinsella’s Christmas Shopaholic, which contains a children’s Christmas pageant scene so hilarious that you’ll find yourself in tears again. This time, they’ll be tears of laughter. We promise.
About the Author:
Teri Wilson is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of romance, women’s fiction and romantic comedy. Three of Teri’s books have been adapted into Hallmark Channel Original Movies by Crown Media, including UNLEASHING MR. DARCY (plus its sequel MARRYING MR. DARCY), THE ART OF US and NORTHERN LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS, based on her book SLEIGH BELL SWEETHEARTS. She is also a recipient of the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction for her novel THE BACHELOR’S BABY SURPRISE. Teri has a major weakness for cute animals, pretty dresses and Audrey Hepburn films, and she loves following the British royal family. Visit her at www.teriwilson.net or on Instagram at @TeriWilsonAuthor.
Christmas Actually by Teri Wilson, out now!
Christmas actually is all around…
Join eleven best-selling and award-winning authors under the mistletoe as they share bite-sized holiday romances celebrating the joy and romcom sweetness of the Christmas season!
