I'd like to apologize to the author and the publisher for not putting this review up sooner as the season for Christmas romances is over. However, if you are in the market for one, this is typical of the genre--very heartwarming and sweet, with the love and joy of Christmas in abundance.

If you've read VanLiere's other Christmas books, you'll enjoy catching up with prior characters but you don't need to have read the other books to enjoy this one. Grade: B

THE CHRISTMAS STAR - Donna VanLiere

WARM AND SENTIMENTAL - 3 stars

#9 in the Christmas Hope romance series

Plot - 3 stars - Gabe is a recovering alcoholic who now has a new life. He works as a janitor at a local elementary school, he's studying to become a teacher, and he volunteers with children. However, he's divorced because of his alcoholism years ago. When his special little girl friend tries to set him up with another volunteer, it turns out to be his ex-wife. Definitely awkward.

Writing - 3 stars - I liked the hopefulness of her writing, and it was easy and light to read. But it got a little overly sentimental.

Characters - 3 stars - The main characters were great. Gabe is a nice hero--trying hard to overcome his past and build a strong and loving future. Amy is also starting over, and she's sweet and friendly, especially with the children at the local volunteer shelter. Maddie, the little girl who brings them together, is cute and funny, with the typical little girl issues compounded by her physical problems. My biggest problem was with the secondary characters of Gloria (founder of the children's home) and Miriam (a worker there). They have a contentious relationship, which seems totally counter to the sentiment of the story. Gloria is often rude to Miriam (who admittedly is somewhat annoying), and I thought that was over-the-top. It rubbed me the wrong way every time she spoke so disrespectfully.

Title - 3 stars - Pretty self-explanatory. The star is a key landmark and inspiration for the people in the book.

Cover - 4 stars - Beautiful holiday cover that really set the tone for the book. But, interestingly, there was a lot of mention of a Christmas star on top of the stable scene, and there is no sign of that on the cover.

Overview - 3 stars - The pluses - sweet, warm, hopeful. Most of the characters were appealing, and I was happy to root for their success. The negatives - A little too schmaltzy for me. And it was a bit rushed at the end and tied up a little too neatly.

The Christmas Star by Donna VanLiere is the ninth a Christmas Hope Novel. It is November 2011 in when Amy Denison volunteers at Glory’s Place in Grandon. She meets the precocious Maddie who is a foster child with cerebral palsy. Maddie has decided to play matchmaker and has the perfect man for Amy. Amy, though, was hurt by her ex-husband and she is not sure she is ready to let another man into her heart and life. Amy is pleasantly surprised by the man Maddie has matched her up with and it has her reconsidering her stance. Lauren Gabriel, a volunteer at Glory’s place, is thrilled when her boyfriend, Travis Mabrey proposes. They want a simple Christmas wedding at the gazebo in the park which has a beautiful new star above it this year. Miriam has her own ideas for their wedding and it will be up to Gloria to rein her in. Can they pull off a wedding in one month? The staff, children and volunteers at Miss Glory’s are busy preparing for the annual fundraiser. This event provides the money to run the center for the next year. It is a busy time of year and it will be all hands on deck. Magic and romance are in the air at Miss Glory’s place.

The Christmas Star is a sweet Christmas story. After I started reading The Christmas Star, I discovered that it continues the story of the characters in The Christmas Town (which I had not read). It also features characters from other novels in the Christmas Hope series (Miriam, Ben and Gloria for example). While The Christmas Star can be read alone, I felt I was missing key details on the characters. The Christmas Star is nicely written with steady pacing. It is a shorter story with only 221 pages (perfect for reading in front of a fire on a snowy afternoon). I did feel the characters lacked development and depth (but you can only do so much in such a short book). I did like the friendly people who volunteer their time to help children. Ben, the bag boy, returns in The Christmas Star. The slips of papers he puts into patron’s bags of groceries provide inspiration and hope. I like that Amy and her match are getting a second chance at finding love and getting their happily ever after. However, the romance between them was rushed. I like the happy ending of The Christmas Star even though it is anticipated (easy to predict how the book will end). Maddie is the highlight of the book. She is a bright and happy child despite her circumstances. Some of the elements featured are faith, hope, love, second chances, friendship, redemption, kindness and forgiveness. The Christmas Star is a feel-good Christmas story that will leave you with a smile on your face.

This is the ninth book in Donna VanLiere's Christmas Hope series and it was just what I expected. A story of hope, love, belief, and second chances with a Christian message. I always look forward to her Christmas stories because I know it will have a wonderful message with a happy ending.

Gabe is a maintenance worker at the school that Maddie attends. Maddie is a seven year old sweetheart who is a foster child who divides her time between school and Glory's an after school program. She and Gabe have a special friendship and she wants him to meet Amy. Amy volunteers at Glory's and she is single like Gabe, and old like him. It is Maddie's mission to get the two to meet because she thinks they are perfect. When they do meet, there is a surprise that no one was expecting.

I love the character of Maddie. Not only does she live in a foster home, but she has cerebral palsy. The story does not bash foster homes, in fact, Maddie lives in a good one. She is a strong little girl who is willing to try pretty much anything even if she is not successful. She has a charm and innocence about her that made me want to give her a big hug and let he come and live with me. As I said earlier, this is a story full of second chances and with faith, not being afraid to take a leap into the unknown. It was a very quick read and perfect for a Christmas Eve story. The publisher, St. Martin's Press, generously provided me with a copy of this book upon my request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

The Christmas Star is an inspirational romance filled with hope and God's mysterious was, one of which includes a 7 year old matchmaker! The story was cute, the romance was sweet and full of heart. If you enjoy inspirational romances, this one is for you!

A sweet holiday story and only my second book by Donna VanLiere. I didn't mind the third person narrative as much in this one as I did in the previous book I read by her, but it still did feel a bit awkward at times, The story wrapped up a bit too neatly, but it was still a nice holiday story.

This was such sweet little read-in-one-day story! I’m such a sucker for happy, Christmasy romances this time of year, so when I saw this was available for request, it was a no-brainer! I have read this series for years, starting with The Christmas Shoes when I was in high school, and these books never disappoint.

As Christmas approaches little Maddie, a spunky, sweet-natured seven year old who has grown up in foster care plays matchmaker. Amy and Gabe are two individuals who have had some rough patches in their lives and are looking for a fresh start. Can little Maddie work some magic?

A sweet story about second chances, reminding us to never give up on hope or love. I enjoyed this one.

http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2018/12/3-short-christmas-books-for-2018.html

I loved this book. It is such an uplifting story. Great character interaction. Maddie is adorable. I wanted more about all the characters. I must read

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

What a sweet read! I am a sucker for second chances, small towns, and holiday reads. In The Christmas Star by Donna VanLiere, I got all three! Narrated by the author, I listened to this story in one sitting. Maddie, Amy, and Gabe will steal your heart, no question about it.

Seeking Hearts
When the story opens, Amy Denison is heading to Glory’s Place for her first day volunteering at the after school program. Her life isn’t where she wants it to be. A bad marriage that ended in divorce left her a little bitter and unsure of herself. She’d always dreamed of having a large family of her own, but at 32 she knows time is running out on her dream. In her heart something is missing, and since she is resigned herself to be an old maid, she believes it’s a child.

Enter Maddie, a precocious 7 year old girl who I fell in love with from the start. She’s as much a part of the story as the two main characters. Funny, kind, and just an all around good kid, I wanted to reach into the pages and hug her. When she meets Amy, she knows the perfect person for her is the janitor at her school, and the little matchmaker gets to work.

Gabe is the unknowing match Maddie has in mind. Spending the last few years getting his life back on track hasn’t been easy for Gabe. But he did it. He’s sober, in college working on a teaching degree, and still nursing a broken heart for the girl who left him. He has no intentions of dating the woman Maddie has picked out for him. Until he meets her.

Christmas Hope
Sometimes things happen and you don’t know why or how. This is a book about that. You don’t know why things happen the way they did, but you trust in what is before you, even when you are a little scared.

Told in dual POV and a few other perspectives from other townsfolk, The Christmas Star is one of those books that is so sweet it makes your heart ache. If you enjoy second chance holiday romances, I highly recommend it.

Please note that while this book is a part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

Donna VanLiere writes such uplifting stories. Thank you for yet another wonderful story that captures everyone's heart. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for such a great read.

It wouldn’t be the holiday season without a new Donna VanLiere read. I think her Christmas reads are the sweetest and cutest books around and her newest doesn’t disappoint. In The Christmas Star we meet Maddie who is seven and in foster care. She goes to the after-school program at Glory’s Place and soon meets and strikes up a great friendship with its newest volunteer Amy. They hit it off and soon Maddie decides to find someone for Amy and makes it her mission.

Amy is looking for something more to do with her life. She is single and after being divorced for a while she decides she needs something else in her life so she tries her hand at volunteering at Glory’s Place. She doesn’t think she will become attached to any of the kids but soon she finds herself really caring for Maddie. They become fast friends and soon Maddie as her heart.

Maddie knows exactly the right person for Amy, it’s the nice janitor at her school and every time she plans on having them met something always happens. I love how just when you think they will meet they seem to always miss each other by mere seconds. However when they finally meet sparks fly but for totally different reasons then you think. I really did like this twist in the story I actually didn’t see that happening.

I think this story is cute and charming and I love this community of people that Donna VanLiere has put together in her books. I enjoy the people and how there is always an element of magic and Christmas miracles. These books are a series but all can be read as stand alone. So if you want a great Christmas read look no further than these books.

The Christmas Star by Donna Vaniere was an exceptional book. I absolutely LOVED this story...it was the perfect Christmas read. Heartwarming, sweet, and fun characters. Don't miss out on this incredible story!

This is a very heartwarming holiday story. Maddie attends the school where Gabe works, and is determined to have Gabe meet the new volunteer, Amy, at her after school program because Maddie is convinced, they are a perfect match for each other. Little does Maddie know, but Gabe and Amy have a history together. Gabe has turned around his life from the loser one he fell into years ago, losing Amy in the process. When they finally meet, things do not go quite as smoothly or successfully as Maddie hopes and has planned, but Maddie never gives up. However, the pair manage to at least begin working on getting together, with Maddie’s never-ending help and encouragement, and who knows? It is Christmas after all!

This is really a great story to read if you want to read something that is truly “Christmassy”. The characters are true-to-life and well-done. The story will touch your heart and truly bring out the Christmas spirit. I am sure every reader will agree that this one is a definite holiday classic. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Another great read by this author. Christmas books are part of Christmas for me. This book did not let me down. A young girl gets to play matchmaker. As some of her books have done in the past I could see this as a made for tv movie!

Maddie is a precocious seven-year-old girl in foster care that attends an after-school program called Glory's Place. She is close to the school janitor, and who really does his best to look out for the kids in the school, as well as the new volunteer at Glory's Place. Other volunteers are romantically involved, so Maddie decides that Amy and Gabe belong together.

This is obviously a book that is part of a series taking place in Grandon, but there's no need to have read earlier novels in the series. Gabe is a recovering alcoholic that is now sober and determined to be a better person after his prior failed marriage. Amy was hurt emotionally by her marriage falling apart and felt that volunteering would help her recover and find a new place for herself. With Maddie being determined to make them happy together, she plows ahead with all the subtlety a seven-year-old possesses -- absolutely none at all. The other characters in the book are fun but do overtake the main romance.

It's nice that this romance is a second chance for the characters, and that they're determined to do better this time around. Faith helped in getting them through their rough times, but the romance itself feels rather rushed. The ending is easy to predict from even a third of the way through the book and is unrealistic. It's meant to be a happy ending for everyone involved, but it also felt like it ignored a lot of concerns that should have been discussed by the characters. I like that Gabe and Amy find happiness, but I feel like there should have been a bit more work involved to get there.

Overly sweet and idealistic, especially regarding the child in foster care and how easily the ending worked out, but still a nice Christmas story with a gentle romance and second chances for everyone.

This was the most Christmas-y of Christmas-y reads. There's love, forgiveness, faith and all kinds of Christmas spirit. Did I know how this was going to work out within 20 pages? Yes. Did I care? Not in the slightest. I loved Gabe and Amy and Maggie. I loved all the characters at Glory's Place. I did really enjoy seeing the characters from the previous book but if you haven't read it you don't need too. This is Hallmark with a little more heart and happy tears and busy body characters and was a true delight.

It’s always a little hard to remember how all the characters fit together in this series, especially as it grows longer each year, but the joy and wonder of the stories never changes. I absolutely loved Gabe and Amy and Maddie, and couldn’t have hoped for a better Christmas story this year!

The 9th in a series that is all Christmas stories and I didn't know when I started this story that I was midstream in a series and I wish I had, hence me mentioning it right off the back. Throughout the story I felt as though I was missing some back story for some of the characters, so I wished that maybe I had started this series in the beginning, so I wanted to mention this before I started my full review.

In this book, there are two main characters. Amy Denison who has just started volunteering at an after school program helping with kids who don't have the best home life and need some after school care for one reason or another. Gabe works at the local school and one of the students who also attends the after school program wants to hook him up with the new volunteer, but nothing goes as easily as it should!

This was a sweet holiday story and at more of the novella length it was quick and simple and perfect for a holiday afternoon when life is a little extra busy. I am debating about going back to the beginning and reading a few more of these Christmas books.