What a sweet Christmas novella! I've read several Melody Carlson Christmas novellas and this may be my favorite.

While living in her home state of California, Amelia Richards finds that she and her young son are barely getting by. She takes a risk and uses her meager funds to travel by train to Montana to the hometown of her son's paternal grandparents.

I loved the pure love of a mother shown by Amelia as well as the time period references such as Lindbergh's stolen child and the introduction of penicillin.

Another well done Christmas story by author Melody Carlson.

I really enjoy Melody Carlson’s books – especially her Christmas ones. So, when I discovered this book on NetGalley, I just had to request it. I’m so glad I found this book, too, because it was the perfect book to put me in the holiday spirit!


This book was so sweet! The Christmas Blessing just filled me up with those cozy Christmas feels. I really loved the 1940’s setting, also.

Another thing I loved were the characters, especially Amelia. I loved that she wasn’t perfect, and would own up to her mistakes. I also really loved George and Helene. I really appreciated the fact that, while Helene was harsh at times, she was never painted in an overtly negative light. This is something that I was afraid would happen based on a few comments by some side characters in the beginning of the novel.

I really loved the plot, too. This is a rather small book, so the story was a bit fast-paced, but it never felt rushed. Things just kept moving along. I appreciated that though, because my fear was that this book would become frustrating, but because of its pace, it never did. So that was very nice!

The Christmas Blessing is just one of those books that remind you of Christmas and make you want to read them by the glow of the Christmas tree with a cup of tea. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet and short Christmas story.

A truly beautiful and inspiring novel. Showing that our hopes and prayers can be answered in unexpected ways.
This is the story of a couple separated by war before they can be married. The girl becomes pregnant and as she is poor and unable to afford to care for the child, a son. As her parents are already dead she decides that the best thing she can do is take him to live with her deceased husbands parents.
I hope to read more by this author and recommend this book.
I was given this book by NetGalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

I always look forward to Melody Carlson's Christmas book each year. The Christmas Blessing did not disappoint. It was a delightful Christmas book that transported me back in time to WWII and the hardships that couples faced. This was a charming, feel-good read that I highly recommend.

This book was short and sweet. I gravitated towards it for several reasons: it was a romance, Christian, took place during WWII and it was a Christmas story. It was a perfect read for a cool, rainy night.

Amelia is devastated when she finds out that her fiancee and father of her baby has been shot down over the Pacific Ocean. She is broke, is sharing an apartment with a friend and has recently been told that she can not bring her baby to work. Her last recourse is to try and find James' parents. She knows the name of the small town they live in, so she and Jimmy climb aboard the train and head off. She has no idea what kind of welcome she will receive, but she wants Jimmy to get to know his grandparents. She also dreams that she will be welcomed as part of the family, but only time will tell. In the 1940s, a baby being born out of wedlock can ruin a woman, but Amelia is lucky. When Jimmy gets sick, she leaves him at the home of Helene and George to be taken care of, George is a doctor. They take him in, nurse him back to health and immediately have an attraction to him. Helene wants to adopt him. Will Amelia give her son up? Will she find happiness? Will she be accepted into James' family? This was a novella that did a good job of presenting the story, and solving the situation. I can see how this could easily have been a longer book, but the shortness was one of the things that attracted me to it. If you are not a fan of novellas, you might want to pass on this one, but if you like a short, sweet story that will have you running the gamut of your emotions, pick this one up.

The Christmas Blessing Is a beautiful story, yet there is one thing that is wrong as the book that is supposed to be Christians to worry , she's pregnant out of wedlock. She lives life like she was married to the man in the war. He was killed in the war before they moved to be married. She lost her job instead of living off her roommate she took the baby and – hey wait now I can't tell you everything , it will ruin it – the rest is so lovely , interesting, adorable and exciting . I would have loved this book totally except for the fact that she had this baby out of wedlock but we are so forgiving people , but was that asked for? This book is tender , reconciliatory , faith based and twisty.

Quick feel good holiday read is how I would describe The Christmas Blessing. . I am sure that this book will bring a tear to many. It is a story of hope, love, loss, and making difficult choices.
Amelia has a child out of wedlock. Her fiancé is off to war before he knows and Amelia receives word that he is presumed dead. Amelia is faced with how to support herself and her child. She has no family support and was completely on her own. Novella’s are intended to be short which doesn’t allow the time to really develop characters. I had a hard time deciding what I thought of Amelia and the choices she made. I think I would have enjoyed this more had it been a full story with a little more background or story. The spiritual aspect was weak at best. But it was a cute read that I am sure will be enjoyed by those wanting a light read.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Perfect Christmas read!

Have your tissue box close by as you start this wonderful story of love, faith, loss, and a Christmas Blessing, by Melody Carson.
Amelia Richardson is down on her luck. She has a newborn son, no job, no family, and no place to actually call home. She lost the love of her life, James, and father to her newborn son Jimmy, in the war. She is desperate to make a better life for herself, but most importantly for her son. So she packs their few belongings and leaves her hometown in search of her love's family to let them meet there grandchild and hopefully find a job and better way of life. They face many difficulties on this journey, and both end up seriously ill. All Amelia has to hold on to is her faith in a God that has brought her and kept her and her son this far. Out of desperation and love for her child, she makes the most difficult decision of her life. Just when she is ready to give up, because she no longer has anything to live for, she receives the greatest Christmas gift of all.
I absolutely loved this book! It is filled with hope and love and the joy of the Christmas season!
I received a copy of this book book from Netgalley, but was not required to give a positive review. This is my honest opinion.

I loved this book. I liked the romance and the tough, hard and impossible decisions that any mother would have to make for her child. I also liked the surprise at the end of the book about the son that everyone thought was dead was actually alive.

Amelia discovers she is going to have a baby when she discovers the father has died in a plane crash as he is serving in WWII. She doesn't know what she can do so she decides to take her son and travel with the last of her funds to his grandparents. When she arrives she and the baby are sick and in desperate need. A challenging time is ahead and a time to learn to lean on God and trust in his mercies. A lovely Christmas story. Thank you Net Galley and Revell for allowing me review this story. I was not required to give a positive review.

Romance, Christian, period
This was a war-bride story, but more the girl that was supposed to be the bride that didn't have her HEA, and had to live and figure out what to do with the baby and her life.
Amelia and Jimmy's journey to her fiance's hometown, to figure out their future and glimpse at the past was a cute read. Lacked a little something for me as a reader, but still a fun read. Definitely a HEA with twists and turns, all seemingly not good for both of them. Between her purse being stolen, them both getting sick, and not knowing where to turn, things appeared very bleak for Amelia.
Her illness, the parents, the holiday setting, definitely twists your heart, but not the 'depth' of writing that would make it a 4 star read for me. Characters were there, but just not as fleshed out. More of a tell type story. Still a 'feel-good' read that if you are looking for a quick holiday read wouldn't go wrong.

This charming, historical book was a fantastic book. This was the first book that I have read by Ms. Carlson. I enjoy reading Christian fiction. The Christmas Blessing demonstrated Christ’s love for us even when we make mistakes. The message provided along with the story was remarkable especially as we get closer to the holiday season. As I was reading her book, it was easy to follow along throughout the story. Her writing is smooth and fluid and on point at all times. As you read, you wonder what is going to happen next. Honestly, many times as I read books, I can guess where the story is going. However, with this story I was pleasantly surprised at something that occurs during the story. This is a great book!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.

I read this book in one evening. It was a very emotional (yes I cried) story and pulled at this Momma's heart.

I have read several of Melody Carlson books and I do believe this one is my favorite!

I received a copy from Revell via Netgalley. Thank you Revell! All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

No one does Christmas quite like Melody Carlson. Seriously, this woman belongs in the Christmas hall of fame for best Christmas novella collection. Each year my mother and I anxiously await our Christian book catalog so we can see what the new Melody Carlson book will be about. This year, I had the immense pleasure of getting to review one of her Christmas books—that made my year! Well, I mean, it did until the USPS lost my review copy. But, the publisher graciously sent me the ebook and here I am, happily reviewing another Melody Carlson Christmas novella.

I loved this book more than all prior books and I would say it’s largely because I love historical fiction—especially WWII fiction. This book whisked me away to a different era and into the life of a young woman who is struggling to make it as a single mom. War has claimed her love and she finds herself desperate to provide for her son.

I don’t want to give away too much of the story but this book is a feel good Christmas read. The story flows at a nice pace. The characters are easy to love and I appreciated that they felt genuine and authentically realistic. And though the romance is a bit cliche—it works well for this book. Sometimes you need a predictable Christmas romance to warm you to your soul.

Melody Carlson is truly the queen of Christmas novellas. I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next year!

Melody Carlson has written a Christmas novel set during WWII. “The Christmas Blessing” is truly that. This novel is a very sweet and endearing story set to touch the heart of everyone who reads it.

Amelia Richards receives news that her fiancé has been shot down in the Pacific theatre. He doesn’t know about the baby and now never will. Amelia is down to her last penny and decides that she needs to see James’ parents, tell them about their engagement and the birth of their grandson. She wants to live near them so that Jimmy will have family near. She doesn’t count on becoming deathly ill, or Jimmy being ill. She decides to leave Jimmy with James’ parents until she can get well and come get him. She doesn’t count on the parents’ wanting to adopt the baby and pay her off. The story just gets sadder and sadder, but then, just when the reader least expects it, the ending pops up and we feel good again. This is one of those feel-good stories that may bring your holidays a little boost.

If you are looking for a book to lift your spirits, The Christmas Blessing by Melody Carlson is for you. I was caught between the pages from the beginning and read it straight through.

It is close to Thanksgiving in 1944 and Amelia Richards is determined to take her infant son James to meet his grandparents for the first time. The only problem is, they don't know about her or little Jimmy. She met James, a handsome Navy pilot and they enjoyed a whirlwind wartime romance. They had a license and were set to marry but just the day before the wedding, the Navy called him back to duty. A duty that would lead to his plane being shot down over the Pacific.

Amelia and little Jimmy embark on journey by train from San Diego to Rockford Montana. Down on her luck, she makes a decision that will change their lives for good. She finds a resilience and strength that she never knew she possessed. Montana is very different than San Diego and all too soon Amelia learns that she is alone and broke. I found her courage and determination to do the best for Jimmy very admirable.

Melody Carlson captures the human spirit so well. Each year I look forward to her annual Christmas book. I recommend The Christmas Blessing wholeheartedly and hope you will pick up a copy at your favorite bookseller. This book has found a spot with my Christmas Collection and will be read again as the season draws near each year.

Another sweet Christmas tale by Melody Carlson. This is different from other books of hers that I have read in that it is set in WWII and not a contemporary story. Amelia meets James, and they fall immediately in love, plan to marry, but James is sent back to combat before they can, but not before Amelia becomes pregnant, although they do not know before he leaves.

It may be that she was trying to match the morals of that time period, but this book seemed more judgmental than previous books, and I really did not like Mrs. Bradley.

All in all, this book is exactly what you can expect from this author. Like a Phil Collins' song, if you like one, you'll probably like them all.

The Christmas Blessing
By Melody Carlson
In this sweet story by Melody Carlson, we meet Amelia Richards, single mom to young Jimmy in the days of World War 2. One New Years Eve, she meets James, a young navy pilot. The two dance the night away and spend every minute available together. They plan to wed immediately, even getting a wedding license. However, on the eve of their wedding day, James is called back into service early. He is reported as dead two months later. When Amelia discovers she is pregnant with his child, she decides to say that they were married and she is a war widow. However, she finds the deceitfulness goes against her beliefs as she struggles to raise her young son, Jimmy. When she finally reaches the end of her abilities, she decides to visit James’ parents, even though they have never met. She wants them to meet Jimmy but she is worried what they will say when she tells them who she is.
Once she arrives in the small town that his parents live in, she is stunned to discover they have a large home and are very well off. She doesn’t want them to think she is trying to take their money, but she isn’t sure what to do. She is running out of options. When Jimmy gets sick, she does the only thing she can think of…She places him in the manger scene outside of their home and runs away. James’ family takes the young boy in, but has no idea he is their grandson. George, James’ father, is a doctor and he takes care of young Jimmy. Helene, George’s wife, is ecstatic at having a young baby in the house after her despondency since James passed away. She is happy to take care of him.
When George has a young patient who is as sick as young Jimmy was, he learns that Amelia is the mother and they work together to discover the best solution to her dilemma. Since I don’t want to give away the good stuff, I will stop there. However, it is a great story. It made me smile, laugh, and cry. People who enjoy historical romances will find this to their liking, especially since a little Christmas is thrown in the mix!
I received a free copy of this story from NetGalley for my honest review.

When she receives the news in late 1944 that her baby's father was shot down in the South Pacific, Amelia Richards loses hope. Jobless and broke, she has nowhere to turn for help but her infant's paternal grandparents. The only problem is, they don't know that she--or their grandson--exists. When Amelia discovers that the family is wealthy and influential, dare she disclose the truth of her relationship with their son? Or could the celebration of the arrival of another unexpected baby nearly two thousand years ago be the answer to her dilemma?

Beloved author Melody Carlson pens a story of love, hardship, and reconciliation that will leave readers filled with Christmas joy.