Five and Dime Christmas: Four Historical Novellas by Cynthia Hickey, Susanne Dietze, Patty Smith Hall and Christina Lorenzen Review

 Happy Wednesday Friends :)

I hope you are all having a great week, and I want to thank you for choosing to stop by The Preppy Book Princess today.

I'm Kirby, and I love sharing reviews of the many books I devour on a regular basis with you all.

I'm not much of a summer person if I'm being honest. I don't love the heat, big crowds or bugs, and that pretty describes summer where I'm from.

I wait all year for fall, and my favorite months of the year are September through December.

To say I've been a little impatient this year waiting for fall to arrive is an understatement, and one thing that's been helping along the way is reading wonderful stories that are set during either the fall or Christmas seasons.

Today I'm excited to be bringing you all another book review of an upcoming 2022 Christmas story, and I can't wait to tell you all about this wonderful title. This one actually releases tomorrow, and I can guarantee that you're not going to want to miss out on it!

I hope you'll all keep on reading down below to check out my full review.

Five and Dime Christmas: Four Historical Novellas by Cynthia Hickey, Susanne Dietze, Patty Smith Hall, and Christina Lorenzen:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Barbour

Publication Date: September 1st, 2022

Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction/Novella Collection/Christmas 

Synopsis:

Christmas Is a Time for Romance at a 1880s Department Store
 
Visit Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1881 where the Woodworth’s Five and Dime has become the center of Christmas commerce—and a great place to fall in love.
 
A Merry Little Christmas by Susanne Dietze
Woolworth’s store clerk Hattie Scott’s heart is touched by a handsome customer, but when she takes on additional secretarial work to earn money for Christmas, she learns her new boss is Englishman Timothy Branson—her favorite customer. . .and a threat to her brother’s job! Can two proud hearts overcome their differences to help her brother. . .and find love?
 
A Home for Christmas by Patty Smith Hall
Essie Banfield doesn’t need money but welcomes the challenges of working a job where she meets a minister and six little boys who inspire Christmas wishes. But will Pastor Max Warner trust that she is more than just a socialite with charitable intentions?
 
The Light of Christmas by Christina Lorenzen
A job is the only thing independent orphan Lizzie Miller needs, and Henry Kimball is singularly focused on proving his success outside the family business. But could the lure of an old-fashioned family Christmas bring them together?
 
Lunch with Maggie by Cynthia Hickey
Maggie Larson works the lunch counter where she befriends a girl who’s lonely father delivers milk each Friday. Friday’s noon hour becomes the highlight of Maggie’s week, but after being left at the altar, she closed her heart to love and to God. Will Seth Jamison be able to unlock her heart?

(synopsis from goodreads)
 

My Review:

Five and Dime Christmas is a wonderful novella collection full of heartwarming Christmas tales that will tug at your heartstrings and remind you of the true reason for the reason this Christmas.

Set in the 1880's, the collection follows four lovely young ladies that work at the popular Woodworth's five and dime store in Scranton, Pennsylvania. I appreciated that each novella was distinctive from the others, and I loved how the faith element was at the front and center of each one.

With the way our world is going nowadays, this collection was a much needed respite, and I could barely bring myself to put it down.

A Merry Little Christmas was a cutesy holiday romance that finds clerk Hattie falling for the handsome Englishman who continuously frequents the store. However, as she takes on a second job working for him, a huge obstacle emerges that seems to put their chance at future happiness at stake. Only by trusting the One who knows the way better than they ever could can this couple ever find their way to happily ever after.

5/5.

A Home For Christmas tells the story of socialite Essie Banfield who has taken a job at Woodworth's to try and give her life more meaning. When a handsome pastor who has taken in six boys off the street starts to steal her heart, Essie begins to wonder if God has even more in store for her future than she could have ever imagined. 

This one was a wonderful tale that spoke of the need for charity and compassion, and how it's such an essential part of the Christian faith. This one definitely gave me all the Christmas feels.

5/5.

The Light of Christmas was kind of a poor girl/rich boy type of romance, and was a tenderhearted story about store clerk Lizzie who's caught the eye of Woodworth's newest employee, Henry. However, when Lizzie discovers that Henry is from one of the most prominent families in Scranton, she's not sure she could ever measure up to his family's grand expectations. A wonderful, heartwarming romance that emphasized the need for Jesus and community, and how nothing is ever impossible for our Heavenly Father.

5/5.

Lunch With Maggie is the last of the four stories, and it ended up being my personal favorite. A touching story about a woman who's been left at the altar, and a charming widow and his young daughter who capture her heart, and begin the process of bringing her heart back to Jesus and back to love.

5/5.

This collection is a beautiful bunch of stories, and I enjoyed each and every one. It's definitely needed this holiday season to remind us all to keep our eyes on Jesus, and I highly recommend it.

Final Rating: 5/5.

Thanks so much to Barbour Fiction for allowing me to advance read and review this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Barbour) via Netgalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)