Embla falls for Lizzie Lee’s Cotswolds Christmas romance in two-book deal
Embla, the digital-first imprint of Bonnier Books UK, has signed a two-book deal with author Lizzie Lee for two “utterly heartwarming” cosy seasonal romance titles.
Senior commissioning editor Stephanie Carey acquired world all-language rights from Lucy Morris at Curtis Brown in Embla’s first deal with the agency.
The Cotswolds Christmas Café, the first book in the deal, is described as a “gorgeous, joyous second-chance Christmas romance that will melt your heart”, set in the fictional Cotswolds village of Babblebrook, based on the village where the author grew up.
Embla published The Cotswolds Christmas Café on the 28th October 2025 and Lee’s second book,The Little Greek Guesthouse, will be released in summer 2026.
Lee said: “I’m delighted to be working with this dynamic and exciting publisher for my cosy romance books, and thrilled that readers will soon be meeting Marnie and the other quirky residents of Babblebrook.”
Carey said: “I fell in love with Lizzie’s cosy romance from the first page – it’s so full of heart and she knows exactly how to write the perfect escapist romance. We’re thrilled to have united with Lucy Morris and the Curtis Brown team as we embark on this festive trip to the Cotswolds. Everyone deserves to be swept off their feet, and I hope readers will fall in love with Marnie’s story this Christmas just like I did.”
Morris added: “Lizzie has written a romance that will make readers fall in love with Christmas all over again, with a quirky and relatable heroine, and a gorgeous chocolate-box setting. I’m so pleased that Stephanie and the team will be putting Babblebrook on the publishing map with this exciting launch and throwing open the doors to The Cotswolds Christmas Café.”
