A Keepsake Christmas Collection Review

 Happy Wednesday Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

I recently had the opportunity to read and review an upcoming Christmas collection release, and today I'm here to share with you all what I ended up thinking about it.

A Keepsake Christmas by Elle Rush, Melissa McClone, Kristen Ethridge, Tess Thompson, Barbara Hinske, Rachael Bloome, Kathryn Cantrell, and Tammy L Grace:

Source: Complimentary Copy Provided by one of the Authors in Exchange for an Honest Review

Publication Date: November 2nd, 2021

Genre: Sweet Romance

Synopsis:

8 special ornaments, 8 special women, 8 memorable Christmases. Bring the spirit of Christmas into your heart with this collection of all new sweet holiday romances set in the popular series of eight bestselling authors.

No Matter How Far by Barbara Hinske. Where hidden treasures can hold the key to a heart and offer an unexpected path home...

A Lot Like Christmas by Kathryn Cantrell. The place where destiny is the ultimate matchmaker. All you have to do is believe.

The Last Cottage on Pinewood Lane by Melissa McClone. Will performing during a Christmas fundraiser bring a former figure-skating star the healing and love that have eluded her? Or will being back under the glaring spotlight only lead to more heartache and regrets?

Tinsel and Teacups by Elle Rush. A bubbly barista and a shy, single-father antique dealer must set aside their rivalry to find the best Christmas teacup ever when they are nominated to run the Holiday Beach food bank fundraiser. Will the spirit of Christmas overcome their competitive streaks?

Blessings on State Street by Rachael Bloome. Abigail Preston wants nothing more than to skip Christmas this year. But her holiday-free hideout in the quaint, charming town of Blessings Bay comes with a mysterious and unexpected house guest. Can two heartbroken strangers find hope and healing in the most Christmassy town on the coast?

One Unforgettable Christmas by Tammy L. Grace. An exhausted ER doctor looking to escape the city. A beach-loving workaholic executive stuck in a snow-covered valley. Will the charm of the town and the magic of the holidays be enough to mend their broken hearts?

The Cowboy's Christmas Wish by Kristen Ethridge. Sarah Murdoch knew bringing her daughter, Jamie, halfway across the country to Port Provident, Texas would cause more anxiety than feel-good Christmas memories. But when Jamie bonds with Grant McCray, the owner of Beachcomber Stables, she begins to come out of her shell.

I'll Be Home For Christmas by Tess Thompson. High school sweethearts Jennifer and Jack were supposed to be together forever. But Jack's one night mistake tore them apart. Will they have the ultimate second chance at love more than 30 years later? Or is the secret she kept from him too much to forgive? Can the magical spirit of Christmas in Emerson Pass bring forgiveness and healing for these two star-crossed lovers?

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

I had the opportunity to advance read and review A Keepsake Christmas as part of Rachael Bloome's ARC team, but I decided to go ahead and read the entire collection as I usually love Christmas sweet romances, and all the other authors in this collection were new to me. I ended up loving a few of them, really liking a couple of them, and then not personally enjoying a couple as well.

Overall, I think this is a great collection full of heartwarming moments, sweet romance, and all the Christmassy vibes, and I loved how each story circles around a special Christmas ornament that plays an essential role to each individual story. I'm not going to go into super great detail for each individual story, as I don't want this review to be as long as one of the stories themselves, but I'm going to touch base on why I did or didn't like each.

First off, I want to start with the best of the best. My favorites were as follows:

No Matter How Far by Barbara Hinske:

I read this entire story in one sitting, and it was really tempting to turn right around and reread. It was something different having it be about an older couple, I loved how magical the small town felt, and I loved the focus on heirloom ornaments, a little mystery thrown in for good measure, and the fact that it could have easily been a full length novel and I still would have been invested from start to finish. This was my favorite of the collection, and I can't wait to read more of this author's books in the future.

Blessings on State Street by Rachael Bloome: 

Rachael is one of my all time favorite authors, and I had a pretty big feeling her story was going to end up being one of my favorites, and I was definitely proven right. This beautiful story focuses around grief and healing, and learning to come to terms with the fact that we can't change the past, but we can move forward into the future. I also loved the fact that she tackles tougher issues in this beautiful story including infertility, adoption and fostering, and that made a great story even better in my opinion. This was such a heartwarming holiday romance, and I loved the setting, the characters (especially the hilarious neighbor), and the slow burn romance.

One Unforgettable Christmas by Tammy L Grace:

This was my final favorite from the collection, and another one that I devoured almost completely in one sitting. This one focuses around secrets, past hurts, and needing to move forward, and is set in a breathtakingly beautiful small town, including a gorgeous ski lodge that I truly wish was a real place. I loved that this one is both an older couple romance, and a second chance romance story, and of course that a bookshop plays a big role in the plot of the story. I'm happy to have discovered another author of sweet romances, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Next on to the ones that I really ended up liking:

The Last Cottage on Pinewood Lane by Melissa McClone:

A heartwarming holiday tale about a former figure skater who has struggled with living up to the expectations of her highly successful family. Set in a quirky small town that she ends up visiting for the holidays, I thought this one read pretty much like a Hallmark Christmas movie, and I really enjoyed it.

The Cowboy's Christmas Wish by Kristin Ethridge:

This one was both heartfelt and endearing, and I loved how it focuses around adoption, and the many struggles that can come along with it. Sarah and Grant's relationship is a little rushed, but I loved how so much of it starts out from his bond with her adorable little girl, and grows from there. I also loved the fact that this author chose to incorporate a brief mention of the true reason for the season, and that definitely made it stand out to me.

Lastly, I'm going to mention the additional three briefly that I personally didn't care for as much as the others.

I'll Be Home For Christmas by Tess Thompson:

I expected to love this one, as I usually really enjoy second chance romances, but I found this one was more spicy than sweet in my opinion than the others in the collection were, and I didn't really care for either of the main characters.

A Lot Like Christmas by Kathryn Cantrell:

I found this one kind of hard to follow as it seemed really unrealistic, and I thought that Iris was kind of immature, and grated on my nerves with her never ending talk about fate, love at first sight, and destiny. I did really enjoy the story with the ornament in this one though, and how devoted she is to her grandmother.

Tinsel and Teacups by Elle Rush:

Another one I expected to love based on the synopsis, but I thought the romance was way too rushed, and I couldn't sympathize with Rachel's character, especially in the way she treats Owen horribly for the first part of the story, all because of a big misunderstanding.

Overall, I think this collection is a great deal for the low price point, and I can guarantee you'll personally enjoy at least a few of the eight romances included. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it, and I enjoyed taking a chance on many new authors, and reading a new story by one of my all time favorites.

Definitely pick this collection up if you're looking for some new sweet romances to enjoy during this Christmas season.

Final Rating Overall: 4/5.

Thanks so much to Rachael Bloome for the opportunity to advance read and review this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this collection from one of the authors (Rachael Bloome) as part of her street team. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.