How can Christmas be celebrated joyfully and with the hope of the Christmas season in the midst of heartbreak? Can healing be found in the midst of heartbreak? Olivia Newport brings us hope of healing under these ircumstances in Christmas in Blue where in the wake of a personal loss deeper than anyone realizes, Angela plans to bypass as much of the season as possible. She just wants to get through her duties as the church organist by going on autopilot. Instead under silent protest, she finds herself in charge of the town’s celebration. After a mysterious young man, Gabe, arrives in town the townspeople suspect he is the reason that one set of plans after another disintegrate until little is left of their traditions. Yet Angela warms to Gabe because she suspects they share a secret, his real reason for coming to town. Even when all they have to work with is a garish supply of blue Christmas decorations, Gabe helps Angela discover the hidden beauty of hope. Then in Christmas in Gold, Astrid, after eighty years, finds change is nothing new for Her. By the time she was twenty, she had survived the destructive Nazi regime, caring for her family under brutal circumstances, moving to America, and losing her husband. At forty she was widowed again and left to build a new life with her children. Now, she faces a move into an assisted living community and meets a young woman on the brink of despair, she resolves to stir up hope through tragedy one more time.

I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Colors of Christmas by Olivia Newport is warmly written about how grief changes the way we look at Christmas. How at sometime in all our lives, we all have a blue Christmas. But we also have the grace of God and friends to get us through.
Beautiful heartfelt story line. My favorite book for the season.
Absolutely FIVE stars.

Two wonderful Christmas stories that spoke of hope and faith. Both stories were well worth reading Astrid was in the first story and there was a lot of history of Nazi Germany and her history there. She had fallen and broke some bones in her leg and her family pretty much forced her to sell her home of 40 years and move to an assisted living home. She did find friends there and helped a young physical therapist who was struggling with life (and a stalker). It had a sweet ending.
The second story was about a woman struggling to enjoy Christmas since her best friend had passed away in the year. A stranger showing up helps her change her mind. Also a good story about Christmas and hope and faith. I got this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Two stories in one. There was a GOLD version about elderly Astrid, leaving her home and moving to an assisted living facility. Due to her traumatic child experiences during WWII, she is more flexible than most on her accommodations. She also misses her two grown children who are so busy with their own grown-up lives. The second story was a BLUE version about Angela who lost her best friend during the year. Angela inherits her friend’s dog and her friend’s town Christmas celebration management, reluctantly. I enjoyed both stories as they told about finding Christmas spirit after significant loss.

I enjoy reading Christmas books/novellas at Christmastime. I was hoping I had found two Christmas romance novellas, written by an author I respect. Unfortunately, I found two women’s fiction novellas (or if there was romance, I didn't see it in the pages I read), which didn’t interest me. The story is full of redundancies and I didn’t feel the pacing worked, probably due to the repeated information.

These two novellas weren't for me, but I plan to read more books by this author in the future.

First Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a charming little Christmas read. Both stories have a friendly predictable plot line of a Christmas novel that you secretly hope for...and of course everything wraps up nicely and just as you think it should. Normally I do not like that in a book but this time of year I prefer it.

I really enjoyed Newport's style of writing and her ability to quickly make the characters relatable and developed in such a short time. Overall a nice, sweet and short Christmas read.

"We didn't think of it as courage. It was what we had to do. Just take the next step, do the next thing."

This is two stories in one. An elderly lady who has survived the Nazis, falls, and is put into an assisted living facility. She keeps having past visions of her life. Carly is younger, all she cares about, is the here and now, and truly wants Christmas over. This is a first time read, with this Author. I liked it, however, not during the Holidays. I wish it were set for some other Holiday.
I highly recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!
carolintallahassee 👒

In the first a piano teacher suddenly gets tasked with arranging the town's Christmas celebration. That will teach her not to miss a meeting. A stranger appears in town and every thing that goes wrong seems to be his fault. , The celebration is the best one ever. The second story tells of a woman who moves into an assisted living facility. While she adjusts to the move, she is missing three gold ornaments that mean the world to her. Both stories are great entertainment.

Colors of Christmas was my first contemporary novel by Olivia. Newport. I had read several of her historical fiction novels. The author uses two colors gold and blue as a theme to tie the plot and unite the two distinct stories together in the collection. Both deal with loss in different ways, and intertwine Christmas throughout in a heartwarming way. Cuddle up with a blanket, hot cocoa, and a pet this holiday season and enjoy a delightful read!

Check out Colors of Christmas: Two Contemporary Stories Celebrate the Hope of Christmas by Olivia Newport

Thank you netgalley for giving me this book that contains 2 stories.
First story: I loved this one! The characters were simply charming, and this really managed to get me in the Christmas mood. I am very glad it had a happy ending too, and that I got to know more about history. Great one!
Second book: Oh, this was also nice. I just felt as if I enjoyed the first one more, but the spirit of Christmas was definitely spotted in this novella as well.
After all, I am looking forward to more works of this writer!

Colors of Christmas Two Contemporaries Stories Celebrate the Hope of Christmas by Olivia Newport have been written specifically for people in sufferance.

I can tell you I felt a lot this book because it's a series of years we live at various levels robust sadness in our family during this period of the year because of little or big problems and or/loss.

Questions are many and Christmas' meaning is the born of a new baby, new life, but Christmas was and remain also a feast of Light, of vision, of redemption.
If just an example like Ebenezer Scrooge can become true, Christmas is a miracle for the hearts and souls of people.

It's a feast against the obscurantism of our feelings, our sentiments, it's a feast that wants to give and wants to spread the best of us, our joy, our enthusiasm for future in the moment of the year in which there is the most profound lack of light in the real sense of the word and where the shadows of darkness, figuratively could attack us with more simplicity.

It's a feast for children and families. Children because of course being Little Jesus Christ the Star of the festivity it is felt a special sentiment for babies and children.

But, it's undoubtedly a feast for families. All reunited. In their functionalities and dysfuncionalities.

Sure, it's not said that in this moment of the year we won't receive sufferance or grief, pain and tears. How can we metabolize pain when is it too much? How can we find comfort?

The author speaks for everyone. People with a loss in the family, dad, mother, sibling, a friend, people without job, people in sufferance for a divorce, a break-up.

These two stories are very intelligent and beauty.

I focused my attention in Christmas in Gold and being a reporter, who started this job interviewing people in pain during the last Second World War Conflict it was wonderful reading Astrid's story.

Astrid is in his 80s and falls injuring various bones. Her son doesn't live close to her and so he thinks it's arrived the moment for her mom of spending her final years in an apartment and structure for elderly people.
Astrid is sad to leave her house, her normality for this new reality and apartment although she discovers pretty soon a new world and routine made by physiotherapists, and new friends. The time the one close to Christmas.
Astrid slowly slowly remembers the time during the Second World War spent in Germany, her devotion for her parents and her papa, the decision of becoming catholic, the trip to the USA. It's also a culinary story this one, German food one of the most beloved and appreciated of the USA.
At the same time this tale tells also the story of Carly, her little son and her ex boyfriend a real stalker. But maybe thanks to Astrid and her optimism the future of this girl won't remain obscure for too much time!


I loved so badly to read this book, as always another great one by Barbour.

Highly suggested for sure for everyone!

I thank NetGalley and Barbour for this eBook.

Title: Colors of Christmas
Author: Olivia Newport
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"Colors of Christmas" Two Contemporary Stories Celebrate The Hope of Christmas By Olivia Newport

My Thoughts....

Two Contemporary Stories Celebrate The Hope of Christmas:

Christmas in Gold

What a story that had me in tears...What will happen when a older woman [Astrid] falls and breaks her ankle. Then her family wants to put her in an assistant living facility. Wow, what a family! You will just have to pick this one up to see how it will all come out as she meets a Physical Therapist named Carly.

Then next we have....

Christmas in Blue

This was such a wonderful contemporary heartwarming story of 'love, loss and the beauty of family and friends.' What will happen as a mysterious stranger [Gabe] appears in town to help Angela. How will this take a turn and instead of dread there will be 'joy and tenderness in Angela's heart' for this holiday.

Both of these stories are well written and will contain a message that is only for the reader to receive. I found these stories tender, so endearing and hopefully one hearts will be lifted for this Christmas holiday season from the read. I was left to be reminded to be 'thankful and never take anything for granted.'

Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing, Inc. for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book is two stories. One is Christmas in Gold features Astrid. In this book she's an 80 year old woman. This story focused on WWII in Germany. I'm not a big war story fan. I have read so many, it was such a devastating and brutal time with so many losses. However, Astrid's story was a good one, as she works to help other's change their lives. She reminds me of someone the amazing women who survived the most horrible situations during that war. The impact her life has on others is a strong point of this story. It might need kleenex if you start crying.

Christmas in Blue features Angela , who is deeply depressed. She's suffered a great loss and is barley dealing with it. Her heart is broken, her grief is overwhelming. Even Christians don't always know how to handle loss. She finally gets a precious dog named Blitzen and all kinds of things start changing. Who's this guy that has the town all a stir? Is he going to make her situation better, or worse? Will Angela pull out of her situation and make Christmas happen for the town, even if she can't feel it yet? This first book was pretty good. It showed Angela's situation quite well and you should really read the ending. I found this story to be realistic in many ways, and thankfully not as in need of possible tissues.

Both books are memorable reads, even if difficult ones for me at the moment because of the topics they deal with. This isn't a light fluffy read, but it is a poignant remind of lives and focusing on God at Christmas time.

My copy came from Celebrate Lit via Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions of this book are my own, left of my own free choosing.

Overall, I like both of these stories. But in all honesty, I liked the first one much better. I think it may have something to do with the order to books were presented. After reading Christmas in Gold, I had such high expectations for Christmas in Blue, which truly isn’t fair to the author. And unfortunately because of this the story fell a little bit flat for me.

In Christmas in Gold I loved hearing Astrid’s story. First, it was nice to have an older main character. The stories she shared with Carly were very interesting, and I picture myself sitting in a chair with a cup of tea next to her telling them. I found Carly’s story to be so sad and tragic, but a good example of what many young single moms may be going through today, or even just single women trying to break free of an abusive relationship. It certainly wasn’t a coincidence that Carly and Astrid both ended up at the retirement home. This story was touching, and a great reminder of how to treat others.

Christmas in Blue was still a sweet story, I just didn’t connect with the characters as much. It almost had that predictable “when it rains, it pours” feel to it, and every glitch that came up I could almost see it coming. However, through it all, it displayed the reminder that even when things do not go our way, God has a plan. We can stress about the holidays, or whatever is stressing us in life, but when we do that we tend to miss out on what’s important. I enjoyed the church service that was written in this story, and could picture myself in attendance. This was a great start to the holiday season for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC for my Kindle.
What a good "feel good" book for the holidays!
Light and easy to read but will bring your spirits "up" once you read it.

Christmas stories both filled with real life worries and travails, but threaded through with the true spirit of Christmas,where love, family and kindness. Win through.

Both stories had a significant influence to the color it centered around. This really was enjoyable to read.

First story was centered around gold and the elegance this color brought to Christmas. The story was slow to unfold but picked up speed rather quickly. But I was disappointed at how cut off the ending seemed. I would have like more details of the future.

Second story was all about blue. The meaning was to show how people deal with grief at Christmastime. It is a hard time for those who have lost loved ones. I enjoyed this story and it was encouraging to reach out to others that are hurting and to show the love of Christ.

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

I enjoyed Colors of Christmas. These two stories are unique reads for the holidays. They both deal with real, although not so cheery themes, such as dealing with loss, sadness, danger, etc. during Christmastime. They certainly aren’t downers though, for they ultimately offer a healing salve to the common maladies of everyday life and the emotions many deal with—especially during the Christmas season.

Both Christmas in Gold and Christmas in Blue are contemporary reads with unique main characters dealing with sensitive matters. Various themes—growing older, losing independence, grief, a stalker, and other burdens—are dealt with sensitively and leave you feeling uplifted and warm.

I especially enjoyed Christmas in Gold. Astrid is an unforgettable character who has endured much in her life. Her recollections of war torn Germany are vivid and heartbreaking, and her gold Christmas ornaments hold memories more valuable than commonplace holiday decorations. In Christmas in Blue, I didn’t find Angela as easy to relate to, although her story still kept my interest.

Overall, this book is well worth the read. Each story showcases characters with unique hardships and their transformations. I love Christmas stories, particularly ones that celebrate the true HOPE of Christmas. (I recommend you don’t skip over the Author’s Notes in the beginning of the book—they contain interesting and valuable information.) Kudos to Olivia Newport for these great reads.

Cover: Love
Title: Love
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press
Pages: 320
First Line (Christmas in Gold): They rode in silence, the murmur of Alex’s expensive late-model white SUV lulling Astrid into drowsiness.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review.