This was a fun romantic comedy read for the Christmas holidays. I had trouble keeping track of all the characters at the beginning since so many were introduced right at the outset of the book. The characters are what make this book interesting and the setting is described in a way that makes the reader picture it in their mind. Lots of happy endings as appropriate for a Christmas time story.

I received this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

The town of Henry Adams is awhirl with preparations for Christmas and all the various other celebrations and happenings that will be happening during the season. This is book 11 in the series which has been receiving new books for almost 15 years, but the first one I have read. The characters very clearly have appeared in the previous books. There were introductions to each character so I never felt lost, but I likely missed out on a lot of the emotion by not having read the others in the series. Beverly is a very gifted writer because if the book were written by someone less talented I would have been completely lost and given up. The book changes POV to different town members often so we get most of the story lines simultaneously rather than following one or two people. There were story lines I was more interested in than others, but the book moved quickly so I never felt bogged down by the ones I cared less about. I greatly appreciated the diversity in the character and the sense of community within the town. I can see myself reading the other books in the series.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Christmas to Remember, the 11th book in the Blessing series by Beverly Jenkins. It's Christmas in Henry Adams! Both new and current residents of the small town prepare for the holiday and wedding of the city.

Town owner Bernadine Brown is ready to say "I Do" to Mal July. Wedding preparations are in full swing. Meanwhile Brain has broken up with the girl he loves much as physics. Reverend Paula has been praying for someone to share her life with; could the new charming chef be the one? There's a lot going on this Christmas!

Ms. Bev don't miss! The Blessings series is good for the soul. I know I'm in for a 5⭐️ read with every new release. A Christmas to Remember lives up to the name. It is a full holiday novel with all the cozy feels.

A Christmas to Remember is available now.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Ms. Bev is an auto-buy author for me. If she pubs a book, I want it. I really enjoyed the latest installment of the Blessings series, particularly the stories about the adoptees and finding their birth families.

Beverly Jenkins has thrilled her readers once again with a heartwarming story. The original residents are growing and marriages are taking place. We even had a young romantic couple needing advice on a long distance romance. Bernice and OG finally gets married and they are still learning to communicate. I look forward to more residents moving into the community and new activities to keep young people in town. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it gets a thumbs up review.

Henry Adams, Kansas is the setting for A Christmas to Remember. Bernadine Brown and Mal July are preparing for their Christmas wedding, but it’s not the only thing that is going on in this busy small town. As the town prepares to celebrate Christmas, many townspeople explore the relationships in their lives.

This is the eleventh book of the “Blessings” series and the first one that I have read. This was a hard book to read as a standalone novel. There were a lot of characters, and I had a hard time keeping track of who they were. I think if I had started this series at the beginning and really knew the characters, I would have enjoyed the novel even more. I liked the characters and their stories. I especially loved Reverand Paula Grant and her sage wisdom, and Thornton Webb, the new chef in town.

This was my first Beverly Jenkins novel, but it won’t be my last. I was also pleased to see she is a Michigan native. I am originally from Michigan. I enjoyed that her characters are African American and that the setting, Henry Adams, is a historic black community in Kansas. I think my next stop will be reading the first book in this series, Bring on the Blessings.

Returning to Henry Adams at any time of the year is one of life’s pleasures. Returning at Christmas time, especially with so much happening in this town right now, is the icing on top of the Christmas cake for me…or the star on the Christmas tree. A Christmas to Remember brings back so many memories of the journies these residents have been on for a long time and adds a few new characters and situations where we get to catch up but see ahead somewhat to more possibilities coming to the town of Henry Adams.

I had an absolute blast with A Christmas to Remember. There are romances to get caught up on, ones that are almost perfect until questions arise. There are lives to cherish even as those people go through some difficult changes themselves. There are new residents who are still finding their way in this compassionate town. And there is that special magic of the Christmas season combined with Beverly Jenkins’ amazing way of turning a phrase and finding the just right word to have the reader transported into this world. A classic wordsmith and master storyteller – that’s my opinion of Ms. Bev’s way with words. She could write a grocery list, and I’d devour it. *smiles in bookdragon mode*

If you can only add a few new Christmas Romances this year, please consider adding A Christmas to Remember. I doubt you’d be disappointed and perhaps grateful that you’ve been introduced to a wonderful town and a compassionate community.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Welcome Home

As we prepare for the Christmas Holidays in Henry Adams, Kansas. We are excited about the wedding of Mal July. and Bernadine, Chef, has become Chief Chef of the new eatery, The Three Spinsters.
The children we were introduced to in Bring On The Blessings, A Second Helping, and Something Old and Something New are now young adults dealing with life on the adult side.
A Christmas to Remember, the last book in the series, gives us a flashback from start to finish, allowing us to catch up on primary and secondary characters.
The eleven books in the series each can be read alone, but I suggest you read them in orderto get the full effect.

Beverly Jenkins never fails to deliver! This book continues to follow the lives of the people in the town of Blessings. This has been one of my favorite series to read. The characters are fully evolved and the town, while not perfect, is filled with respect and compassion. I would love to visit a town like Blessings. Beverly is a gifted storyteller! This book doesn’t disappoint.

This book is everything that I have come to love about The Blessing Series. I liked that new characters have been added, sad that a character that I was looking forward to knowing more about decided to leave Henry Adams without really giving it a real chance. I'm hoping that we get more stories about this wonderful town, especially the children like Preston and Amari. Hopefully we'll see Eli James come home and Crystal finally step into her destiny. I think their love will stand the test of time. I just knew something was up with Chef when he made his first appearance in a previous book. The Blessings series book 11 is a beautiful story, and a lot of loose ends are wrapped up.

Despite enjoying her work a lot, I struggle to write reviews of Ms Bev’s books, and finally came across a review by Wendy the most Super of Librarians, for the novel Forbidden, which articulates why beautifully: the romance is surrounded by a lot of community shenanigans.

In the Blessings novels, it’s more like a couple romance plotlines are submerged in the concurrent stories of many other people in the community, so each book focuses on one part of the tapestry that is life in the majority-Black town of Henry Adams.

Beware: the backstories for some of the characters can get pretty dark–as in, “a parent murdering her own child” dark. Generally, Ms Bev goes light on the details, but the evil is there all the same; mention of miscarriages. Also, there’s Jesus stuff.

Allow me to start by confessing that I have skipped a few of the books in the series; several are in the TBR cordilleras, some in print, some digital, but reading was hard for many years, but they stayed buried in there when I started reading again this year. Then I got this ARC, and here we are.

It is also worth noting up front that these are the only books where there’s overt Jesus stuff that I enjoy reading; I think it’s because the characters who are religious aren’t constantly preaching–to other characters or the reader–and because while most of the characters are at least somewhat spiritual, they all behave like most regular lay people in the world.

I mentioned at the top that the romance plot threads in the series aren’t the focus of these novels in the way many genre romance readers are used to, and it bears repeating: like all the other Blessings stories, this is an ensemble book; there are so many subplots (some truly minor here but which may pop up again in later installments), that it’s impossible to give a coherent summary of the plot–you will notice that the publisher’s blurb doesn’t really try to do it.

Because the narrative moves from one character’s inner life or family concerns or career planning or what have you, to those of another character, there may be some repetition of things already said; so, for example, there’s rehashing of Mal’s previous transgressions against Bernadine from both their points of view, both as inner dialogue and in conversation with others. The same can be said about Reverend Paula’s upbringing and her relationship with her young cousin Robyn, and about Preston’s backstory, and his relationships with Leah, his other best friend Amari, and his parents, and so on with other characters, both secondary and minor.

Reading a Blessings story is like getting a loving hug; there’s conflict and some drame, because some of the characters have truly horrible backstories, and because these are mostly overachieving Black people living in the U.S., where being a wealthy Black man won’t protect you from having the cops try to arrest you for driving your expensive car, but there’s also the guaranteed happy ending for people who are decent and kind to others.

No need to be meek, mind; no one here is of the “keep offering the other cheek until they get tired of hitting you” school of thought. You try them, you’ll find them, and you either learn, or live to regret your choices.

And while there isn’t any swearing on page, there also isn’t any cutesy replacement for it; when some characters cuss, it is mentioned that they do so, as well as their reasons for it.

When you need comfort, read Ms Bev’s Blessings.

A Christmas to Remember gets 8.25 out of 10

Ms. Beverly never disappoints. This was a good read from cover to cover. Well thought out plot and relatable characters.

I've enjoyed all the Beverly Jenkins books I've read. I requested this one not realizing it was a #11. There seems like the previous books had a lot of drama and heartache. We get recaps and I wasn't lost but I'm sure it would be better to read in order.
This one has a wedding, a new romance and second chance. This small town is so close knit with such a great community and support. Though they have their struggles as well.
Love the mental health rep that is represented. Mental health has such a stigma and there is trauma and grief from so many direct and indirect sources. Some of it is from verbal and mental abuse and some is diagnosed or undiagnosed conditions. I think we are all on the mental health spectrum. That isn’t to diminish those that struggle. But as I watch my sister click on the lock mechanism for the tenth time, not fully happy that it's locked and notice that most of my moms side does that, I wonder.
All of us need someone to talk to and to process all our thoughts and feelings. Especially someone who isn’t related to us but has our best interest in mind. So having their pastor be their sounding board and counselor is a great option. That is a position that sometimes gets overlooked but that is in most of their training to help keep their community healthy and seeking help.

Thank you avonbooks for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

We're getting a new character in Henry Adams, Kansas. Chef Thornton Webb is moving out of San Francisco to launch the Three Sister restaurant. We also get updates from our favorite characters. Gary Clark and Eleanor "Nori" Price are celebrating their marriage and Mal and Bernadine are the next ones up. Mal's friends aren't convinced this is the right move for him but he is.
This is a nice little book that moves the stories of many of our favorite characters along just a little bit. If you have been reading the series, you will enjoy it. If you haven't been reading the series, I recommend you start from the beginning.

Four stars
This book comes out October 24, 2023
Follows On the Corner of Hope and Main
ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Title: A Christmas to Remember
Author: Beverly Jenkins
Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyager, William Morrow Paperbacks
Series: Blessings Book 1
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"A Christmas to Remember" by Beverly Jenkins
My Sentiments:

'A Christmas to Remember' was a lovely read about what happened during this Christmas season in the small town of Henry Adams, Kansas. The story was standalone; however, I suggest that you read the series because there are many characters that I would like to know more about. This is series eleven. But it was still quite an exciting story. It had plenty of drama with emotions all over the place where we see people coming and going in the fantastic town along with some great people.

It was a beautiful read of how this town showed the reader how this place was getting ready for this holiday season...with couples that found love, forever homes for foster children, and big plans for this Christmas season. How will things go for Henry Adams as the new chef, Thornton Webb, who arrives a little early? I don't want to leave out Mayor Sheila, Rev. Paul Grant, Bernadine Brown, Malachi July, Tina Craig, and other interesting characters that give the readers one fantastic series. This was indeed 'A Christmas to Remember' for the town of Henry Adams.

Thank you to Net Gallery and the publisher for the early ARC read and for giving my opinion.

This is a very sweet and wonderful story. Be prepared to keep track of a lot of great characters. The many citizens of this small black owned town are proud of their heritage. They support each other in everything they do financially and emotionally. Each character is well developed and easy to like. The story is easy to read as you follow the life, challenges and joys of each character. This is a great book that you will be happy to purchase.

I found this book really hard to follow which made it really hard to get pulled into. There are so many characters, although they are likeable, there are multiple storylines going on at once and quite difficult to keep everyone straight. The town of Henry Adams is a charming place that is full of good-hearted people which make you want to figure out all the connections and keep reading.

Chef Thornton Webb has sold his restaurant and is moving to Kansas to help start a new restaurant! When he arrives in Henry Adams, Kansas it was close to Christmas and the town was preparing for a special wedding. Bernadine was marrying Mal and she wanted a very simple wedding. The menu for the reception was what they had shared on their first date!

Reverend Paula was going to officiate the wedding and she also was a counselor on the side. Chef Thornton had his eyes set on Paula but she couldn’t understand what a good looking younger guy could see in her. The whole town was working to get those two together. This town also had lots of foster kids in it and they were lucky to have such loving parents now. This story was such a sweet story and it makes you feel warm and cozy!

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

When I requested this book, I didn’t realize it was the 11th in a series. Definitely feel like you need to read this series from book 1 as I was lost on who some of the characters were and their backstory. This book is very enjoyable even without knowing every detail from previous books. Henry Adam’s sounds like a fascinating place full of intriguing people. I hope to revisit it in future books.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

A contemporary look into the town of Henry Adams and its residents.

This is the eleventh book in the series.
I would recommend starting with book one. Especially if you are looking for an introduction into the townspeople.

Overall a good read that I would recommend.