Dear Santa by Debbie Macomber

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. 

About the book-

 Lindy Carmichael isn’t feeling particularly joyful when she returns home to Wenatchee, Washington, for Christmas. The man she thought was “the one” has cheated on her with her best friend, and she feels completely devoid of creativity in her graphic-design job. Not even carolers or Christmas cookies can cheer her up—but Lindy’s mother, Ellen, remembers an old tradition that might lift her daughter's spirits.

 
Reading through a box of childhood letters to Santa and reminiscing about what she'd wished for as a young girl may be just the inspiration Lindy needs. With Ellen's encouragement, she decides to write a new letter to Santa, one that will encourage her to have faith and believe just as she’d done all those years ago. Little does Lindy know that this exercise in gratitude will cause her wishes to unfold before her in miraculous ways. And, thanks to some fateful twists of Christmas magic—especially an unexpected connection with a handsome former classmate—Lindy ultimately realizes that there is truly no place like home for the holidays.

My thoughts-

I am in the camp of people that think Hallmark movies are absolutely wonderful, and I count down the days every year leading up until it is time to watch them. I also love books that read like Hallmark movies, and find myself reading them often between August and December. Dear Santa is the perfect sweet small town romance with a twist of Christmas magic to make you soon. The characters were well developed, and the story was a page turner. I highly recommend to my fellow hopeless romantics. 

Amish Christmas at North Star: Four Stories of Love and Family (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. 

About the book-

One night four lives entered the world by the hands of an Amish midwife, just outside North Star, Pennsylvania.
Rebekah’s Babies, as they are called, are now grown adults and in four heartwarming novellas each young person experiences a journey of discovery, a possibility of love, and the wonder of Christmas.

Guiding Star by Katie Ganshert
Curiosity gets the best of Englischer Chase Wellington when he investigates the twenty-five-year-old disappearance of an Amish baby. When he finds adventurous Elle McAllister in Iowa will his discoveries upend her world?

Mourning Star by Amanda Flower
Eden Hochstetler slips from her parents’ fudge shop to investigate the death of her friend Isaac.  Who is guilty? Isaac’s handsome great nephew Jesse, an angry Englischer, or someone else?

In the Stars by Cindy Woodsmall
Heartbroken Kore Detweiler avoids North Star after Savilla Beiler rejects his love.  But when he is unexpectedly called to return home, he and Savilla must join forces to keep a family together.

Star of Grace by Mindy Starns Clark and Emily Clark
Andy Danner left North Star to join a new Amish settlement in Mississippi. His little brother devises a scheme to bring Andy home for Christmas and unwittingly unleashes the power of forgiveness in a reclusive widower’s life.

My thoughts-

Around October, I start itching to immerse myself in all things holiday related. I love the joy and spirit of the holiday season and I want to make it last as long as I can! One of the ways I like to do that is by reading Christmas themed books. I am not generally a fan of short stories, but there is something about Christmas short stories that I can't get enough of! The draw to this book is that one of my favorite authors, Katie Ganshert, wrote one of the stories. Amish fiction isn't her normal genre, so I was even more curious to read it and see how she did. Not surprisingly, her story was my favorite in the book and loved that she was the anchor to the stories (her story was the first one in the book and she wrote the epilogue). The book was about several babies who had been born on the same day by the hand of the same midwife 25 years prior. We get to find out where they are now in life and enjoy reading about their romances. The stories stand well alone but are tied together because the main characters were all born on the same evening. While I really liked the stories and would recommend the books to friends looking for a lighthearted read, something about them didn't feel like traditional Amish fiction, so that may rub some people look for traditional Amish fiction the wrong way. I still think it is worth a read and full of innocent romance. I recommend Amish Christmas at North Star to anyone who enjoys Amish fiction or Christmas themed short stories.

The French for Christmas by Fiona Valpy (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

A year to forget. The perfect escape. And a little Christmas magic…

Touching, uplifting, and filled with delicious French cooking, The French for Christmas is the perfect Christmas treat.

Evie used to LOVE Christmas, but this year she can’t wait for the tinsel and presents to be a distant memory.

When her best friends offer the use of their cottage in the beautiful French countryside, Evie jumps at the chance. With her soon-to-be-ex-husband, celebrity chef Will Brooke, plastered over the news with his latest ‘love interest’, leaving the country seems like the perfect plan.

Armed with her French grandmother’s tattered notebook of recipes, Evie is determined to ignore Christmas altogether and bake herself back to happiness.

And when Evie meets her next-door neighbour – the très gorgeous doctor Didier she finds a very willing taste-tester. But is it possible that he could be interested in more than just her Tarte Tatin?

With snow falling, a special Réveillon dinner and a little Christmas magic in the air, could Didier even be the one to thaw Evie’s heart? Or will a visit from the ghost of Christmas past change everything?

My thoughts-

I have not been in the same situation as Evie and I can't even imagine the pain she feels, especially such a loss during the holidays, so I absolutely understand her wanting to avoid Christmas and just be on her own in a different place. This book was so sad to me the more I learned about Evie and her life, how things ended with her husband and what led to that happening, his success in the wake of all of her sadness, so I enjoyed reading about her finding herself and a new beginning in Paris. I didn't feel completely connected to this book for some reason. I thought it had a great message and I liked the overall story, but found myself bored and skimming in several places. I still think it is was worth a read. 

About the author-

Fiano Valpy is the author of The French for Love, The French for Always and The French for Christmas. She also teaches yoga at her home in the Bordeaux winelands. Learn more about her at fionavalpy.com/

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