A Christmas Duet by Debbie Macomber

 

A happy, heartfelt holiday romance with all the small town Christmas trimmings!  This is a clean enjoyable story with believable characters. It’s characterized as Christian but it doesn’t have enough Christian content for me to call it that. However, there was nothing objectionable in it either.  I really liked this one! It’s exactly what we would expect in a holiday tale from this author.

Hailey Morgan is a music teacher whose real passion is writing songs, but she doesn’t have a lot of time to do it and doesn’t get any support from her family or her former boyfriend.  Her best friend and fellow teacher, Katherine Stockton, gives her the opportunity to spend the holidays in a rustic, secluded cabin so she can concentrate on her song writing.  Over her family’s protests, Hailey decides to go to the cabin without telling them where it is.  Upon arriving at the cabin she is greeted by an intruder, a very scarey racoon.  The local handyman, Jethro or Jay as he prefers to be called, comes to the rescue. He also happens to be a former member of a rock band and they bond over their interest in music.

Hailey’s solitude is disrupted when her flighty sister, Daisy, shows up and crashes her vacation.  Eventually her family finds out where she is and shows up. Strained family dynamics, and an overbearing and manipulative mother  are combined with all the small town festivities of tree lighting, parade and caroling.

I was given a digital ARC of this book but as soon as I’m able, I’m going to find a hard copy to keep on my bookshelf for future Christmases.

This is from the publisher’s website:

“Hailey Morgan’s life has always revolved around music. She once had big dreams of becoming a professional songwriter, but the reality of life has led her to working as an assistant high school band teacher in Portland. As the holidays approach, Hailey dreads the annual tradition of spending Christmas with her family and dodging her mother’s meddling questions about her love life.

When Hailey’s close friend offers her the use of her family’s empty cabin for a rejuvenating solo holiday retreat, Hailey finally decides to do something to make herself happy. However, her arrival in the small town of Podunk, Oregon, is anything but peaceful when she discovers the cabin has been invaded by several wild animals. Luckily, Jay, the son of the town’s main store proprietor—and an incredibly handsome and charming former musician to boot—is more than willing to help.

Soon Hailey and Jay are nearly inseparable, chopping down and decorating a Christmas tree, sipping hot cocoa in front of a cozy fire, and best of all, playing music together. Jay’s positive feedback and encouragement inspire Hailey to believe she might succeed as a songwriter after all. But even in her snow-dusted oasis, family holiday drama still finds Hailey, interrupting and threatening her newfound peace and confidence. Meanwhile revelations from Jay present complications of their own. Suddenly her Christmas paradise has become a winter storm and Hailey must weather through the challenges to stand up for herself and embrace the holiday spirit.”

I don’t very often give a 5 star rating but this one deserves it! 

Go HERE to read an excerpt 

Go HERE to learn more about Debbie Macomber and her books 

 

 

 

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed  are my own.

 

The Christmas Gathering – Three novellas by Shelley Shepard Gray, Rachel J. Good and Lenora Worth

 

This set of three novellas is a great way to put yourself in the Christmas mood. They are sweet encouraging stories. Faith is a strong theme throughout demonstrating the strength of Amish families.

A Christmas Reunion, written by Shelley Shepard Gray is about an Amish family, the Troyers. They are unique in that they associate closely with non Amish friends, or Englishers.  Mark Troyer invites his friend,  an Englisher, Brandt, to spend Christmas with them. I had to forget what I know of the Amish that live in my area. My limited knowledge of the Amish is that they like to keep separate from the Englishers. The Troyers also have relatives who are Englishers. Brandt has discovered a new faith in God and his family has distanced themselves from him because of it. The closeness of Mark’s family and their acceptance of him brings him peace.  Mark’s cousin, Tricia and Brandt develop a close friendship as they celebrate the season together. Will her family approve of their newfound relationship and will they be accepted?

The second novella is We Gather Together, by Lenora Worth.  This story is about  a large Amish family reunion held at an Inn owned by an Amish family.  Lucas and his family are there for their family reunion while Kayla and her family are there for her sister’s wedding. Problems arise because of an old family feud between the two families. The two grandfathers courted the same girl. When she made her choice, the feud began between the one time friends.  Kayla and Lucas try to bring the families together and their friendship grows.  They both depend strongly on their faith in God.  Can they overcome and resist being drawn into the feud?

Hitting all the Right Notes by Rachel J Good, is the third and last story of this collection.  Mark, a young Amish boy, loves to listen to his English neighbors, the Musselmans, when they play their instruments and sing. As he grows older he helps Mrs. Musselman, now a widow, with various chores. Unknown to his parents, she gives him music lessons and he discovers he is very talented. Mark’s Amish friends are from the “wild” young men who don’t conform to all the rules.  Some drive cars and have cell phones.  They decide to form a band and call themselves, ”The Amish Rebels”

Joline is a young Amish woman who also is drawn to the English music. She comes from a large family and is responsible for looking after her siblings.  She has made friends with some Englisher girls and they take her to hear Mark’s band.  Mark’s parents find out about his activities and are shocked and disappointed. When he refuses to stop, they kick him out.  He ends up staying at the center where Joline works.  One by one, Mark’s friends decide to join the Amish church and drop out of the band.  Joline fills in as a band member and their friendship grows. When it becomes clear that she will not give up singing, her family sends her to live with a relative.  Will they find their way back to each other?

This is an easy  and lighthearted collection.

Go HERE to learn more about this book.

I received a complimentary ARC* of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed  are my own.

 

 

*   Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) are a preview copy and are not a finished product. They may differ from the final published work and may include additional editing.

A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson ~ a book review

This one is a keeper!  It’s the perfect book to read if you want to put yourself in a Christmas mood.  It’s easy to read, the characters are engaging and the plot is delightful.  However, if the typical holiday movie is not your cup of tea, you may not love it as much as I did. 

Here is the blurb from the publisher’s website:

“Adelaide Smith is too busy for fairy tales. She's been working hard to put herself through law school, and she's determined to stay focused on her goals. Then she receives a letter notifying her that she is a direct descendant of King Maximillian Konig V, the ruler of a small European principality called Montovia.

What? No. That's the stuff of cheesy made-for-TV movies, not real life.

Still, curiosity gets the best of her, leading to a Christmas break trip chock-full of surprises, including a charming village, an opulent palace, family mysteries, royal jealousies, a handsome young member of Parliament, and the chance at a real-life fairy tale romance.”

This is a contemporary novella, so it doesn’t take long to read. There is a strong element of Christian faith but it doesn’t come across as “preachy”. 

This story has all the feel good elements of a happy holiday fantasy. A lovely Christmas village, a handsome "prince", a beautiful historic castle, and a couple of mysteries to solve.

My copy is a hard cover copy, another big plus!

Go HERE to read an excerpt 

Go HERE to learn more about Melody Carlson and her other books 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed  are my own.