Happy Tuesday Bookish Friends :)
You're all getting a bonus post from me this week. Why is that you may ask? Well it just happens to be release day for an amazing collection of holiday stories by four very talented ladies, and I'm very excited to have had the opportunity to read and review this one for you all.
I hope you'll all take a chance on this lovely Christmas collection, and let's go ahead and jump right into the review.
The Christmas Heirloom: Four Holiday Novellas Of Love Through The Generations by Karen Witemeyer, Kristi Ann Hunter, Sarah Loudin Thomas, and Becky Wade:
Source: Publisher (Bethany House) Via NetGalley
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: October 2nd, 2018
Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction/Contemporary
Synopsis:
In Kristi Ann Hunter's "Legacy of Love," Sarah Gooding never suspected returning a brooch to an elderly woman would lead to a job . . . and introduce her to the woman's grandson, a man far above her station.
In Karen Witemeyer's "Gift of the Heart," widow Ruth Albright uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local banker. But the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love.
In Sarah Loudin Thomas's "A Shot at Love," Fleeta Brady's rough-and-tumble childhood means she prefers hunting to more feminine activities. She never expected her family's brooch might be how a fellow hunter turns her attention from competition to romance.
In Becky Wade's "Because of You," Maddie Winslow has spent years in love with a man whose heart was already spoken for. When a church Christmas project brings them together and she stumbles upon an old family brooch, might it finally be her turn for love?
*****synopsis from goodreads*****
My Review:
A reader expects amazing things when they pick up a novella collection with the names of Karen Witemeyer, Kristi Ann Hunter, Sarah Loudin Thomas, and Becky Wade on the cover. I expected sweet, holiday stories, tender moments, swoon worthy romances, strong female protagonists, and an emphasis on following God's direction throughout each and every obstacle, and I'm happy to say that this delightful holiday collection delivered on each and every one of these expectations.
In The Christmas Heirloom, these four much beloved authors each write a story in their usual time periods that all connect through the passing down of a beautiful brooch from generation to generation, and mother to daughter. Each novella gives the reader a look into a different branch of the family tree, and the way that the brooch helped each woman find the true love of her life that God had planned for them.
The collection opens with Kristi Ann Hunter's Legacy of Love, set in 1827 in Lancashire, England. In this sweet story we're introduced to Sarah, who's a companion to the Dowager Countess of Densbury, and who's started to develop feelings for the Dowager's grandson. I enjoyed the comedic side to this novella, the fact that it's more of a slow burn romance, and the way the characters were well developed, and kept me glued to the story throughout all the happenings. This was for sure one of my favorites in the collection, and was a great way to start things off.
From there the reader is transported to the year 1890 in Karen Witemeyer's Gift of the Heart. This tender, and heart warming story focuses on Ruth and her daughter Naomi, who've come to the town of Hope Springs to start a new chapter in their lives after the passing of Ruth's beloved husband much too soon. As her circumstances aren't financially viable, she's forced to make a loan arrangement with the owner of the local hotel, and soon Ruth realizes that it's not just money on the line, but her heart as well. This one was perfectly paced, had the lovely addition of Ruth's young daughter and a playful town cat, and spoke of the need to overcome our own views of faults before we can truly let anyone else in. I loved this one from start to finish.
A Shot At Love by Sarah Loudin Thomas transports the reader a few generations to 1958, and unfortunately this one was my least favorite of the four. While I enjoyed both Fleeta and Hank's characters, and the lovely town setting, I felt the romance seemed too rushed, and it wasn't as believable as the ones in the other novellas. I also felt that this one didn't emphasis the brooch quite as much as the other stories, but I did still enjoy it overall, just not as much as the others.
And lastly we come to Because of You by Becky Wade, which is set in the present time, and was without a doubt my favorite of the stories. In Becky's classic, pull you in and never let you go writing style, the reader is introduced to Maddie. She's been in love with Leo for as long as she can remember, but has never acted on those feelings as Leo was married to her best friend Olivia, who passed away in a tragic accident a few years prior. I enjoyed how much Christmas is emphasized in this one, and the way that both Leo and Maddie have to come to terms with their grief before they can truly move forward with a relationship. And of course, I loved the brief appearances of other beloved characters from Becky's Bradford Sisters series.
This lovely collection is just what anyone needs to get into the holiday spirit, and is the perfect opportunity to take a chance on stories by these very talented ladies. Full of heart warming moments, beautiful romances, Christmas spirit, and God's grace and love, The Christmas Heirloom is everything I was hoping for and more, and I can't possibly recommend it enough.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks so much to Bethany House and NetGalley for the opportunity to advance read this.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Bethany House) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.
You're all getting a bonus post from me this week. Why is that you may ask? Well it just happens to be release day for an amazing collection of holiday stories by four very talented ladies, and I'm very excited to have had the opportunity to read and review this one for you all.
I hope you'll all take a chance on this lovely Christmas collection, and let's go ahead and jump right into the review.
The Christmas Heirloom: Four Holiday Novellas Of Love Through The Generations by Karen Witemeyer, Kristi Ann Hunter, Sarah Loudin Thomas, and Becky Wade:
Source: Publisher (Bethany House) Via NetGalley
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: October 2nd, 2018
Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction/Contemporary
Synopsis:
In Kristi Ann Hunter's "Legacy of Love," Sarah Gooding never suspected returning a brooch to an elderly woman would lead to a job . . . and introduce her to the woman's grandson, a man far above her station.
In Karen Witemeyer's "Gift of the Heart," widow Ruth Albright uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local banker. But the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love.
In Sarah Loudin Thomas's "A Shot at Love," Fleeta Brady's rough-and-tumble childhood means she prefers hunting to more feminine activities. She never expected her family's brooch might be how a fellow hunter turns her attention from competition to romance.
In Becky Wade's "Because of You," Maddie Winslow has spent years in love with a man whose heart was already spoken for. When a church Christmas project brings them together and she stumbles upon an old family brooch, might it finally be her turn for love?
*****synopsis from goodreads*****
My Review:
A reader expects amazing things when they pick up a novella collection with the names of Karen Witemeyer, Kristi Ann Hunter, Sarah Loudin Thomas, and Becky Wade on the cover. I expected sweet, holiday stories, tender moments, swoon worthy romances, strong female protagonists, and an emphasis on following God's direction throughout each and every obstacle, and I'm happy to say that this delightful holiday collection delivered on each and every one of these expectations.
In The Christmas Heirloom, these four much beloved authors each write a story in their usual time periods that all connect through the passing down of a beautiful brooch from generation to generation, and mother to daughter. Each novella gives the reader a look into a different branch of the family tree, and the way that the brooch helped each woman find the true love of her life that God had planned for them.
The collection opens with Kristi Ann Hunter's Legacy of Love, set in 1827 in Lancashire, England. In this sweet story we're introduced to Sarah, who's a companion to the Dowager Countess of Densbury, and who's started to develop feelings for the Dowager's grandson. I enjoyed the comedic side to this novella, the fact that it's more of a slow burn romance, and the way the characters were well developed, and kept me glued to the story throughout all the happenings. This was for sure one of my favorites in the collection, and was a great way to start things off.
From there the reader is transported to the year 1890 in Karen Witemeyer's Gift of the Heart. This tender, and heart warming story focuses on Ruth and her daughter Naomi, who've come to the town of Hope Springs to start a new chapter in their lives after the passing of Ruth's beloved husband much too soon. As her circumstances aren't financially viable, she's forced to make a loan arrangement with the owner of the local hotel, and soon Ruth realizes that it's not just money on the line, but her heart as well. This one was perfectly paced, had the lovely addition of Ruth's young daughter and a playful town cat, and spoke of the need to overcome our own views of faults before we can truly let anyone else in. I loved this one from start to finish.
A Shot At Love by Sarah Loudin Thomas transports the reader a few generations to 1958, and unfortunately this one was my least favorite of the four. While I enjoyed both Fleeta and Hank's characters, and the lovely town setting, I felt the romance seemed too rushed, and it wasn't as believable as the ones in the other novellas. I also felt that this one didn't emphasis the brooch quite as much as the other stories, but I did still enjoy it overall, just not as much as the others.
And lastly we come to Because of You by Becky Wade, which is set in the present time, and was without a doubt my favorite of the stories. In Becky's classic, pull you in and never let you go writing style, the reader is introduced to Maddie. She's been in love with Leo for as long as she can remember, but has never acted on those feelings as Leo was married to her best friend Olivia, who passed away in a tragic accident a few years prior. I enjoyed how much Christmas is emphasized in this one, and the way that both Leo and Maddie have to come to terms with their grief before they can truly move forward with a relationship. And of course, I loved the brief appearances of other beloved characters from Becky's Bradford Sisters series.
This lovely collection is just what anyone needs to get into the holiday spirit, and is the perfect opportunity to take a chance on stories by these very talented ladies. Full of heart warming moments, beautiful romances, Christmas spirit, and God's grace and love, The Christmas Heirloom is everything I was hoping for and more, and I can't possibly recommend it enough.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks so much to Bethany House and NetGalley for the opportunity to advance read this.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Bethany House) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.
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