The movie follows Joanna Moret, a lifestyle and romance expert, who is struggling to apply her own principles to her own personal life. She is recently single and feeling quite lonely as the holiday season approaches. However, she is given the opportunity of a lifetime when she is asked to throw the MacAllen Holiday Gala, which could lead to her own TV show if everything goes well.
Despite her success, Joanna is feeling the pressure and is worried about being exposed as a fraud. To make matters worse, she is also concerned about her holiday loneliness. In a desperate move, she asks the morning show producer, Ted, to pretend to be her boyfriend. Ted agrees, and they begin to develop a fake relationship to impress the MacAllen's and Joanna's fans.
As they begin to spend more time together, Joanna and Ted start to develop real feelings for each other. However, Joanna is hesitant to pursue a real relationship because she fears it would undermine her career as a romance expert. Despite her reservations, Joanna eventually decides to take a chance on love and confesses her feelings to Ted.
The MacAllen Holiday Gala turns out to be a success, and Joanna's career is on the rise. But even more importantly, she has found love and genuine happiness with Ted by her side. A Christmas for the Books is a heartwarming tale of love, friendship, and the true meaning of the holiday season.