On the Way to Christmas by Sheila Roberts, Melissa Ferguson and Amy Clipston Review

 Hello 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'm Kirby, and I'm delighted that you chose to stop by my little bookish corner of the internet.

I actually planned on sharing this review with you all yesterday, but my heart just wasn't into doing so. I'm absolutely heartbroken and grief stricken for the horrific events that plagued my province over the past few days, and I just couldn't bring myself to focus on book reviews of bookstagram photos.

My prayers are with every single person who was affected by this senseless tragedy, and I pray, among many other things, that healing will come for the victims and their families, and for the entire communities that have to try and rebuild their sense of safety and security after everything was shattered.

If you'd be able to keep these communities in your prayers as well, I'd be most appreciative.

Now I'm going to try and dive into everything I wanted to say about today's review.

If I'm being honest, I enjoy reading at all times of the year, but there's just something extra special about reading during the fall and winter months.

I love curling up with a fuzzy blanket, a hot cup of tea, and a wonderful story in front of the fireplace. It's extra special when that book is one that gives the perfect autumn, Christmas or winter vibes.

And if you're like me and love getting to gobble up as many Christmas stories as you can as the holidays draw near, then you're going to love today's review.

I recently had the chance to read and review an upcoming Christmas novella collection by three authors I've really enjoyed in the past, and today I can't wait to tell you all about it.

Keep reading down below for my full review.

On the Way to Christmas by Sheila Roberts, Melissa Ferguson and Amy Clipston:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: October 11th, 2022

Genre: Christian Fiction/Christmas Read/Novella Collection

Synopsis:

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, anything can happen.

In this glittering and heartwarming collection, three of today’s bestselling sweet romance novelists offer up the gift of cheer for the winter holiday season.

A Christmas Do-Over by Sheila Roberts

Darby doesn’t want to go home for the holidays, but a career fail sends her slinking back to the small town she always wanted to escape. No one there is especially glad to see the former mean girl—especially not her sister, Erica, or childhood best friend, Gregory. Darby is working hard to be a better person, but has she eaten enough humble pie to make amends?

Dashing Through the Snow by Melissa Ferguson

When Willow’s boyfriend of seven years dumps her on the eve of a romantic getaway, she decides to take the two-week train trip on The Christmas Express alone. Hurt as she feels, she can’t anticipate how the hilarious rebound ride with conductor Oliver, elf Ian, and aging world adventurer Clarence will heal her heart—and renew her sense of worth.

A Perfectly Splendid Christmas by Amy Clipston

Kacey adores the metropolitan life, but when she gets away to help her sister during a family crisis and run her bakery, she falls in love with former classmate Drew. The problem: he’s a small-town man, and she’s a big-city woman. Is their love big enough to overcome such a major difference?

Curl up with your favorite holiday drink and sink into three worlds where dreams once thought long-gone are still within reach.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

If you're in the mood for something light and heartwarming that will put you right into the Christmas spirit this holiday season, then this lovely novella collection might just be what you're looking for.

I adore Christmas stories, and love getting the opportunity to read new to me ones each and every year. When I found about this novella collection set during Christmas that features stories from three authors I've loved in the past, I knew I wanted to go ahead and give it a try.

Overall, I did enjoy this collection, although I would definitely say that I enjoyed certain stories more than others.

A Christmas Do Over by Sheila Roberts:

Sheila Roberts is usually one of my go to authors for charming Christmassy stories, and I had a feeling hers would end up being one I'd enjoy. I loved the originality of this one being about a former mean girl whose life has not turned out the way she's planned, and who ends up realizing that she might have missed out on the best things imaginable by having the attitude she did. 

This one was definitely a winner, and I loved the cozy small town vibes, and the growth and maturity the reader gets to see in the main character as they follow along on her journey.

Final Rating 4/5.

Dashing Through the Snow by Melissa Ferguson:

Melissa Ferguson is an author who is really hit or miss for me, and unfortunately, this one ended up being a miss. I loved the premise; I mean what's not to love about a spectacular themed Christmas train setting that gives off all the Polar Express vibes. However, I found the characters were kind of annoying (except for Oliver and Clarence), and the entire story just seemed too improbable to be enjoyable. The writing was more comedic, and for some reason it just didn't work for me this time.

Final Rating: 2.5/5.

A Perfectly Splendid Christmas by Amy Clipston:

Amy Clipston's contribution was definitely my favorite of the three, which probably isn't surprising since she's one of my all time favorite authors. I enjoyed the fact that one was set within her fictional town, Splendid Lake, and how it's a kind of second chance romance, and a friends to something more romance.

The small town setting was beautiful, I loved the emphasis on family and friendships, and the entire story played out like the perfect plot for a made for TV holiday movie. 

I breezed through this one quickly, and I was honestly sad when I reached the end.

A beautiful Christmas romance, and definitely the stand out of the trilogy in my opinion.

Final Rating: 4.5/5.

Thanks so much for Thomas Nelson 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 (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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