The presents are wrapped and under the tree, carols are playing on the radio, and the hot cocoa is chasing the chill away. I don’t know about you, but after all the hectic hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays, I’m ready to curl up in an overstuffed armchair with a good book and watch all the Christmas lights turn on along my street as the sky gets dark outside.

What am I reading, you ask? Why, The Christmas Heirloom, of course.

This new novella collection from Kristi Ann Hunter, Becky Wade, Karen Witemeyer and Sarah Loudin Thomas is my favorite holiday read of 2018. These charming romances take you from Regency England all the way to present-day Washington state, following four generations of women. A legend claims that true love finds whoever possesses the family’s heirloom brooch, passed down from mother to daughter for over 200 years. Will the legend hold true for Sarah, Ruth, Fleeta, and Maddie?

If you’ve been reading Kristi Ann Hunter’s Haven Manor series or Becky Wade’s Bradford Sisters series, you’ll want to catch up with their characters in this collection. I enjoyed Hunter’s “Legacy of Love” with Miss Sarah Gooding and Mr. Randall Everard most, but all four authors did a fabulous job.

I love The Christmas Heirloom! These stories are festive and romantic, and the whole collection just begs to be read and re-read. It doesn’t even need to be the holidays, because these novellas are charming no matter the season. : )

The Christmas Heirloom is a wonderful collection of loosely connected novellas written by some of Bethany House’s most talented authors. Each story is set in the time and place where its author excels, but the titular heirloom, a silver-and-amethyst luckenbooth brooch, links the stories with warm family ties and a romantic legend. Each features a generous dose of Christmas cheer, with heartwarming romance mixed with heartfelt faith, seasonal trappings, and the just-right amount of sentiment for tears and grins throughout.

I’ll pick one minor bone with the collection as a whole for generally avoiding discussion of the sweeping geographical shifts through the generations of one family. I wish that it had been acknowledged, since people generally tended to either remain in or close to their own climate zone, or to migrate in groups. I’m not bothered that these stories are literally all over the map, but I wish we’d had a given reason for all the movement.

Even so, in my eyes the best thing about this collection is how the unique style and voice of each author shines through. I am familiar with other works from all four (some more than others), and I can attest that each novella represents its author well. This makes it a great introduction to a group of prolific authors, and if one or more stories stands out to you, it’s a safe bet that other works by its author will appeal to you, as well. And considering that each story can be read relatively quickly, this book is a convenient choice for the busy holiday season.

My favorite novella in this collection was Gift of the Heart by Karen Witemeyer. This isn’t a big surprise because she’s one of my favorite authors, and, as I told my husband, I would follow her to the moon.

“What about Venus?” he asked.

I pretended to think about it, then nodded. “No atmosphere? No problem.”

Disclaimer: Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC. I was not required to review; my opinions are my own.

Disclaimer 2: I’m sure I learned all about Venus in school, but I don’t know a thing about it now.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts.

I read this one because I enjoy Karen Witemeyer's books, and her story in this one did not disappoint.

Legacy of Love by Kristi Ann Hunter
4 stars

This story might have had a rough, sluggish start from too much telling and big history dumps, but it finished with a flourish of emotion, music, and gracious love. I wept my way through the final three chapters, which bumped my rating up to four stars, despite the slow and boring beginning.

Gift of the Heart by Karen Witemeyer
5 stars

This heartwarming story was fun, emotional, and quite romantic (sorry to burst Ruth's balloon on that last bit). I cherished little Naomi, the numerous nods to my favorite book of the Bible, and the way Mrs. Witemeyer can make me cry and laugh in the span of a few precious lines. This is a five-star story for me.

A Shot at Love by Sarah Loudin Thomas
3 stars

Swearing "by the name of all that's holy" is profanity and directly contradicts Matthew 5:33-37, in which Jesus instructed us not to swear by the Lord.

The misunderstanding near the climax was a poor disguise for the "boy loses girl" aspect of the typical plot. I had hoped for a bit more creativity than a woman misunderstanding a simple act of kindness.

The use of collateral felt like a copycat from Mrs. Witemeyer's novella in this collection. I had hoped each author would bring a unique perspective to the heirloom jewelry.

Overall, this story was backwoods charm paired with sharpshooting talent. I enjoyed Fleeta most of the time, and the atmosphere and dialect really popped for me. This was an okay, three-star introduction to Mrs. Thomas's writing.

Because of You by Becky Wade
1 star

Too much junk clogged this one up for me, despite the wonderful finale that was sweet and innocent and charming. From gross, surfacey, sensual junk ("She'd kept the shirt because it flattered what she considered to be her best feature, her fairly well-endowed chest.") to alcoholic references (including two at a church function [disrespectful to God] as well as enough alcohol/bar stuff to make sure everyone knows that the leading lady loves partying hard and doesn't feel an ounce badly about it [which isn't responsible or Christ-like, which she claims to be wanting to personify]) to a gal going on and on and ON about her best friend's husband's drop-dead-gorgeous looks... there was just far too much worldly gunk for me to enjoy this one. There was also an inappropriate and disrespectful line that claimed a physical attraction between a man and lady was "a greater miracle than the feeding of the five thousand." I just don't believe that a growing attraction between two people is greater and more mind-blowing than using five loaves of bread and two fish to feed over five thousand people (Matthew 14:13-21).

~~~

Overall, I'm glad I read this collection. The story I had been most looking forward to was a keeper for sure, and I am sure I'll read that particular one again.

I enjoyed The Christmas Heirloom a great deal, especially the last story. I am not much of a fan of historical stories so since only the last story was contemporary, it is not surprising that it was my favorite. Not only that but Becky Wade is one of my favorite authors. What I liked about this group of stories was how the heirloom brooch connected them all, as it was passed down through the years. This connection through all the stories added a different dimension and made me anxious to see how it all came about.. All of the stores are very different and yet the heirloom was the thread that held them together. I have read a lot of Christmas stories this season and this group of novellas was one of the best I've read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love Christmas stories no matter their setting. Whether they’re Victorian (my favorite), WWII, contemporary, or any period in between, I just enjoy a good Christmas tale. The treat of this collection from Bethany House is that we get four unique stories set in different eras throughout history. And while each novella is written by a different author, each one connects as they tell the stories of true love spanning generations of the women in a family.

Kristi Ann Hunter’s Regency novella might have been my favorite. I’m a big fan of that era and I loved getting to see another side of that world as our heroine was a companion to Lady Densbury. I found Sarah to be a likeable and relatable character who I love to befriend and share a piece of cake with.

Karen Witemeyer’s western might not have been my favorite novella in the collection, but I did find it to be well written with a swift pace.

Sara Loudin Thomas’s novella had me intrigued. I like reading about the 1950s and Appalachian stories and so I did enjoy that part. The gunsmith aspect wasn’t my cup of tea, but I did like heroine Fleeta.

Becky Wade’s novella was a sweet offering of true love and learning to live with grief. Leo was my favorite hero from this collection. You can’t go wrong with a bookish hero.

All in all, I think The Christmas Heirloom has something for everyone. If you’re a fan of inspirational romance and Christmas stories, there is a novella for in this collection.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for the chance to read this collection of Christmas love stories that span generations.

When four talented writers of Historical and Contemporary Christian Romance get together and write four novellas connected by a piece of jewelry that is handed down from generation to generation, the expectations can be high. The Christmas Heirloom lives up to this expectations.

As the luckenbooth broach comes into each story, the reader experiences a new generation and their troubles. With romance, drama, faith, and a little sharp shooting, these are four novellas that will have you rooting for each of the heroines and possibly leaving you with a sigh or two. Having at least one of them be part of an ongoing series is a treat for the particular author's readers, but does nothing to hinder a nice, cozy read for newer readers. And what a great way to step outside of your preferred reading eras!

I went into this collection having enjoyed everything I've ever read by these four authors (small admission here: I've only one novella previously from Kristi Ann Hunter, but I've been wanting to read more), and finished it with that being unchanged.

If you enjoy Christmas novellas with a lot of heart, then I highly recommend The Christmas Heirloom, and since I read it through NetGalley I'm quite tempted to put a copy under the tree for myself this year.

This review refers to a digital galley read through NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed each of the stories in this collection by four of Bethany House's strong authors! It was neat that they took place in different eras, connected by the heirloom brooch that is passed down the maternal line. With each story I was immersed in the setting and characters, and a full story arc was achieved in the space of a novella. The romances were sweet and full of chemistry between the lead characters, making the stories come to life. This is a collection that I plan to read again in the future! It would also make a lovely Christmas gift for readers and fans of wholesome romance.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

If you want some stories to stir your Christmas spirit, then the Christmas Heirloom novella series is for you! Besides the cover being absolutely stunning, the stories within are equally beautiful.

About the series:

In Kristi Ann Hunter’s “Legacy of Love,” Sarah Gooding never suspected returning a brooch to an elderly woman would lead to a job . . . and introduce her to the woman’s grandson, a man far above her station.

In Karen Witemeyer’s “Gift of the Heart,” widow Ruth Albright uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local banker. But the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love.

In Sarah Loudin Thomas’s “A Shot at Love,” Fleeta Brady’s rough-and-tumble childhood means she prefers hunting to more feminine activities. She never expected her family’s brooch might be how a fellow hunter turns her attention from competition to romance.

In Becky Wade’s “Because of You,” Maddie Winslow has spent years in love with a man whose heart was already spoken for. When a church Christmas project brings them together and she stumbles upon an old family brooch, might it finally be her turn for love?

My Thoughts:

I can’t remember the last time I read a string of stories so quickly. First of all, I loved the idea of an heirloom that ties all four stories together. It was fun spanning the time from the 1800s until present day, traveling with the heirloom, experiencing the different love stories. Each novella was unique and interesting.

“Legacy of Love” Kristi Ann Hunter does a great job kicking off the series. Having loved her stories in the past, I was looking forward to her unique humor sprinkled into an enchanting plot. I was NOT disappointed. Though I was surprised how tender and heartwarming the ending was. It truly was a delightful read!

Karen Witemeyer’s “Gift of the Heart” hooked me from the beginning until the last word. The heroine was strong yet possessed a kind heart. Also, the hero reminded me a lot of John Thornton from North and South, and so that’s a very good thing as well!

“A Shot at Love” by Sarah Loudin Thomas is a new-to-me author, and I was impressed at how well she can place you directly into the scene! I will be on the lookout for future stories from her.

Becky Wade’s “Because of You” kept me up late into the night reading—well past this mama’s bedtime. BUT! It was so worth it. This author certainly knows how to engage her reader with snappy dialogue, vivid characters, and an enamoring plot. She writes so well that I think I’d five star her grocery lists. LOL. But seriously, this novella ranks high among my favorites!

All in all, I was majorly impressed at how well these stories fit together and how fabulously it had kept my way-too-easily-distracted attention. I recommend this tender collection to any and all readers who are hunting for the perfect Christmas read!

*I received a copy from the publisher on Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

To purchase this novella series click here!

I fully enjoyed this collection of stories through multiple generations. While I don't often read novels from each of the time periods portrayed, it was a nice change of pace. Each had its unique characters, with the unifying item being an heirloom brooch passed down through the ages in a bag with the other owners' initials embroidered on it. A great clean read to get in the Christmas spirit with some favorite authors!

It was while I was reminiscing over my own heirlooms that I came across The Christmas Heirloom, four short novellas based on a Luckenbooth brooch that has been passed down from mother to daughter through the centuries. It was the perfect holiday read! 

Briefly, there are four complete novellas centered around the heirloom brooch. In the first, Legacy of Love, we are at the beginning of the brooch's story. Sarah is a companion to a dowager Countess who is dying. It is Sarah's wish to bring her as much happiness as possible during her final days. Sarah's story, as she entertains others on the piano and with her very frank talk, is endearing. As she falls for the dowager's grandson, it would appear that there is no hope of a "happily ever after" ending: a son of a nobleman with a mere companion, but the dowager has other ideas and it is her wish that the two of them find love and happiness together. Her final Christmas gift is bestowing her well-loved Luckenbooth to Sarah. The story is as beautiful as it is uplifting and I enjoyed it tremendously. 

The second story, Gift of the Heart, takes us to Texas where Sarah's granddaughter, Ruth, has moved to start over after the death of her husband. All that Sarah wishes for is a good life for her daughter. It's just after the Civil War and there are many poor, out of work people throughout the south but Sarah has found a job in a resort town as a cook at a café. It is there that she fortuitously meets the resort's owner, a recluse who rarely goes out due to a crippling injury. However, this pair bonds over their love for Ruth's daughter and soon that bond turns to love. This is a heartwarming tale of romance and hope and one that I'm sure will delight readers who love romance, faith and hope, especially during the holidays. 

As we move to the third story, A Shot at Love, I began to feel a slight shift in the narrative. Because each story is written by different authors, it is only natural that the stories reflect those author's unique writing styles. Fleeta, an unusual name for a rather unusual woman, was orphaned at a young age. Told repeatedly that her mother died of a "broken heart" after Fleeta's father was killed, Fleeta has no use for love or romance preferring, instead, to spend her days hunting and shooting and occasionally doing wood carvings. When she meets Hank, a fellow gun enthusiast, her thoughts begin to shift. Could she actually fall in love with Hank? This was a very well written story and I easily empathized with these West Virginia characters. I am, however, extremely anti-gun and hunting and the story revolves primarily around both. Despite that, the story was written well enough that I did enjoy following the brooch's tale down to Fleeta, a woman so clearly not a jewelry type gal. 

The final story was one that I, personally, didn't care for. It is now contemporary times and the brooch was "lost" in the attic until it was discovered by Maddy, a young woman who is gathering items for a garage sale where the proceeds will be used for the family in need whom she is helping. Her partner in the holiday shopping is the widow of Maddy's best friend and the man she has been secretly in love with for years. Their story is a beautiful one and, of course, they find love in the end. There were multiple reasons that I didn't connect with this last story. I'm an historian and the fact that the heirloom meant so little to Maddy's mother, who was quite flippant about it, made me cringe. We had followed the brooch from mother to daughter for years and here was a woman who didn't care at all. It broke my heart. Also, each of these stories are faith based. It's been years since I've read what is now considered "Christian Lit," but at one time it was the only type of literature that I did read. The first three stories had faith and hope at the core of their story lines. This message was beautifully incorporated into the story and was a reflection of these women's lives. By the fourth, however, it became the focal point of the story and was not just about faith but was based on the doctrine of this particular writer. Faith is nearly universal, regardless of your religious ideological beliefs. Doctrine is not. It is specific, not just to Christianity, but to unique beliefs within that Christian faith. Had I not been so involved with the brooch and its story, I would have skipped this last story completely. 

Overall, the first three stories are worth purchasing and reading the book. They were incredibly well written and utterly enchanting. If it had just been these stories, I would have given the book a 5 star rating and I still highly recommend the book. 

Thank you to #Netgalley and #BethanyHousePublishers for my copy of this beautiful Christmas tale.

I'm never really sure how to review novella collections. I enjoyed all four of the stories. I thought they tied together really well even though they were written by different authors. I think they would be enjoyed most read in order. Each story is set in a different time period, but the characters are all related and mentioned through out all the stories. If your looking for sweet historical romances this holiday season, you should give this book a try.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley for the purpose of review.

The Christmas Heirloom
By: Kristi Ann Hunter, Karen Witemeyer, Sarah Loudin, and Becky Wade
This captivating collection of Novellas follows a Scottish luckenbooth brooch as it travels through the generations of women leading them to find love.
Starting this collection Kristi Ann Hunter tells the tale of Sarah Gooding as she boldly defends her employer to her family. Her boldness is noted by her mistress’s grandson and sparks a quest for him to know more of this spirited girl.
Karen Witemeyer tells the tale of widow Ruth Albright as she struggles to provide for herself and daughter. Using her family heirloom, a luckenbooth brooch, as collateral is her only hope to make due this winter.
Sara Loudin tells the tale of Fleeta Brady a tomboy like no other to unexpectedly find love after receiving a family heirloom brooch from her aunt.
Becky Wade brings this collection of stories to an end in the modern day. Maddie Winslow struggles through her guilty past to accept the love she has for her past time crush. A little gift from her forgetful mom reminders her that she can find happiness.
These novellas were well written and easy to read. The authors weaved each story together nicely. I think this collection is a great read. I was so intrigued by the generations of women it made me want to look back at my own family tree.

This Christmas novella collection was excellent company over my recent travels. The stories were engaging but short enough that I felt I could read significant portions of them in small snatches of time while in a vehicle or before falling asleep in a hotel room. These novellas feature one family's treasured heirloom as it passes from one generation to the next, beginning in Regency Era England and ending in current day Washington state.

"Legacy of Love" by Kristi Ann Hunter
Sarah Gooding works as a companion to the elderly Lady Densbury, whose grandson Randall she secretly admires from afar. When Lady Densbury's health begins failing and her family is not respecting her wishes, Randall may be Sarah's biggest ally in making sure the woman's final holiday is full of joy and peace.

"Gift of the Heart" by Karen Witemeyer
From Regency England to 1800s Texas, our heroine is now Ruth Fulbright, a widow with a young daughter who hopes to support herself by moving to a resort town and getting a job as a cook. She's forced to pawn her family heirloom in order afford housing, and as she gets to know the town's reclusive banker, finds that her second chance in life may hold more than she ever imagined.

"A Shot At Love" by Sarah Loudin Thomas
Fleeta Brady is not like most girls in 1950s West Virginia. She's loved hunting and sportsmanship as long as she can remember, and she's been saving to purchase her own gunsmith shop. Through twists, turns, and an unexpected friendship, Fleeta finds that there may be more love in life than she expected with her orphaned background.

"Because of You" by Becky Wade
In modern day Washington, Maddie Winslow is paired up with widower Leo for a church holiday project - which is both wonderful and terrifying because she's had a crush on him for a long time. Working closely together for the benefit of others will force them to reevaluate if their friendship is growing to mean more to each other as well.

Easy to read but overflowing with the delights of the season, The Heirloom would be a nice addition to your holiday reading list.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Every so often I read a novella series. They can be hard to get into because they are written by multiple authors. But they’re also a great way to learn about new authors if you can’t commit to a whole book. I really enjoyed The Christmas Heirloom collection. I think series of novella’s are more enjoyable when they revolve around a central subject. The subject of this series is a beautiful luckenbooth brooch that is passed down through generations of women.

The first novella, “Legacy of Love,” is by Kristi Ann Hunter. She’s an author I’ve never read before, but I’d definitely like to read more in the future! Her story opens the series with the first gift of the brooch. Sarah Gooding is Lady Densbury’s companion, but she’s secretly in love with the dowager’s grandson. As a servant with an unknown background, Sarah isn’t considered good enough to marry the son of an earl. But her employer has different ideas, and a Christmas surprise is waiting for everyone.

The second novella brings us to the United States, as widow Ruth Albright tries to start over again in a new town. “Gift of the Heart” is written by Karen Witemeyer, and takes place in the old west. Ruth uses her brooch as collateral for a loan to rent a house with her young daughter. Bo Azlin, the owner of the local resort, seems gruff on the outside, but Ruth’s kindness can break through his hard exterior. Karen is another new author for me. I’m not usually a fan of western-style novels, so I was surprised that I really enjoyed this one! (The fact that it’s loosely a modern-day story of Ruth is a fun side benefit!)

Sarah Loudin Thomas wrote the third novella in this series, A Shot at Love. I have read Sarah’s books before—with mixed feelings. Some of them I love, and others, not so much. One thing I do love about Sarah, is she writes about West Virginia, and she does it in a way that shows the true character of my beautiful home state. A Shot at Love is characteristic of her unique style. Fleeta Brady isn’t looking for love. She just wants to able to open her own gunsmithing business. When her aunt gives her a brooch and tells her it’s time to find true love, she’s determined to hide it away. But when Hank Chapin keeps finding and returning it, she might need to give him another chance. This novella is a winner in my book!

I’m going to admit that I basically read this whole series just for the last story! I love Becky Wade, and I’m a huge fan of her Bradford Sisters series. This novella, Because of You, is part of that series. The brooch has now made its way to the Pacific Northwest, and is given to Maddie Winslow. Maddie doesn’t need help finding true love. She’s been in love with Leo for years. But the young widower doesn’t seem to see her that way. Working on a Christmas mission team, they begin to spend more time together. Could Leo’s feelings for Maddie finally be turning? Can Maddie stop feeling guilty for loving her friend’s husband, and find joy in this new relationship?

This whole series was fun. I honestly enjoyed every novella. These stories are the perfect length for reading in snatches amid your busy Christmas season. With everything from Regency to modern-day romance, there’s something for everyone.

I LOVED this book! There are four lovely stories in this book, beginning in 1827 England through present day America.. The first story is a story of a hired companion, who meets her employer's grandson. She is given a valuable brooch, that is then passed down from daughter to daughter throughout the generations. I can't really say which story is my favorite, although Karen Witemeyer is one of my favorite authors. Each of these stories were enjoyable, even the modern day story! All I can say is that I LOVED IT!
The stories take place in 1827, 1890, 1958, and 2018. Quite a span! Excellent reading!

This was the choice of my book club for our annual Christmas book. What a perfect pick! There are four short stories from four very talented writers. I felt like each story could be read in an evening. During this busy time of year that is a real bonus. While each story is a stand alone novella there is a theme that pulls all of them together. The connecting thread that weaves throughout each story is a brooch that is passed from mother to daughter.

I enjoyed each of the stories and can't say that I preferred one over the other. The continuity between the stories was very smooth and made for an overall good read.. The last two stories, A Shot At Love by Sarah Loudin Thomas and Because of You by Becky Wade, are off shoots from their current series. If you're fans of these two authors you definitely don't want to miss this book.

So far this is my favorite Christmas read of the season. If you're looking for a stocking stuffer for your favorite reader this would be a wonderful choice.

The Christmas Heirloom novellas was a highly anticipated set of novellas for us two Chicks on Lit. However, it is often hard to give a fair review on a set of novellas as it is four separate stories each with a different author. It definitely hit the mark in getting us excited for the Christmas season! A family brooch appears in each novella as it travels through different generations and with each person brings a new love story. However, two of the stories we loved and were swept away. The other two were disappointing. The first two journeys we set off on are by Kristi Ann Hunter and Karen Witemeyer and we thoroughly enjoyed both of them. We have read Karen's books before and are sure to read more of Kristi Ann Hunter who is new to us. The last two stories by Sarah Loudin Thomas and Becky Wade left us wanting more. Becky Wade is one of our favorite authors so it was sad for us not to care for her novella as much, but we will definitely continue to read all of her books! Overall, all four tied together nicely and was nice to read with the upcoming holiday season.

Title: The Christmas Heirloom: Four Holiday Novellas



Author: Karen Witemeyer, Kristi Ann Hunter, Sarah Loudin, Becky Wade



Pages: 384



Genre: Christmas family sagas



Rating: 3.5



The Christmas Heirloom is a collection of Christmas Novellas that follows a brooch that is passed down to the women in the family. In the first novella Legacy of Love by Kristi Ann Hunter Sarah Gooding is a a companion to an elderly lady. A job that lead to love all because she returned a brooch. Sarah and the woman's grandson is what starts this family journey and legacy first in England and then to United States.

Karen Witemeyer's novella Gift of the Heart takes us to Texas with widow Ruth Albright with a story that is a bit a retelling of the story of Ruth from the Bible. Ruth will do anything to keep a roof over her daughter's head, even giving up her family heirloom brooch in order to do it.

In A Shot at Love by Sarah Loudin Thomas Fleeta Brady is a bit of a tomboy who prefers hunting and being outdoors to more lady like chores. After losing both her parents she's given up on love. But her mother's brooch and another hunter mite just have other ideas.

The final novella in this bind up is the Contemporary one by Becky Wade Because of You. That is set in the world of Bradford Sister's Romance series. Maddie Winslow who works for her friend Britt Bradford has found herself falling for her friend's widower Leo and his adorable toddler son. She keeps fighting her attractive because it's not right. Then the heirloom brooch reappears and someone makes their feelings known.

This was a fairly quick novella collection read. I liked the stories but Because of You was my favorite mainly because it is part of the Bradford Sister Romances series and I was already new characters. All in all a quick read. With a slight Hallmark channel Holiday movie feel.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Have ya'll read any of the other books by these four amazing authors? If you haven't, this will be an excellent introduction for you. If you have and already love them all like I do, I think you'll be especially pleased.

Let's be real, novellas are not always...well, the best. It can be hard to provide any real character development, story arcs are short, context can be missing or hard to find....but that is not the case in any of the four novellas in this lovely Christmas book.

Set in chronological order (1827, Kristi Ann Hunter; 1890, Karen Witemeyer; 1958, Sarah Loudin Thomas; and present day, Becky Wade) with a fun concept that ties them all together: a beautiful (and full of meaning) heirloom is passed through multiple generations, and it plays a special part to the main character in each of the stories. They are all woven together beautifully (and even go so far as to connect to some of the author's other full length novels.)

My favorite of the four stories is easily Becky Wade's present day novella, because frankly the more about the Bradford Sisters she writes, the better.

It is easy to strongly recommend this collection - and what better time of the year than now! Get one for yourself and give some as a gift!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

The Christmas Heirloom is an anthology made up of 4 christian holiday novellas. What makes this book so interesting is that all the stories tie in an heirloom brooch that has passed through families from mother to daughter for almost 200 years! The stories take place starting in the 1820's and span right up to present-day. What this brooch means to the family members, and if its magic will highlight their holiday season, you will have to read the book to enjoy the outcome.

This book is composed of 4 authors works; Kristi Ann Hunter, Karen Witemeyer, Sarah Loudin and Becky Wade. Each story has its own plot, location, and cast of characters. So it's fascinating to see where the multigenerational ties come in through the stories and introduce the Christmas heirloom connections. This holiday collection will fill you with holiday cheer and start your Christmas season in a wholesome celebration.

Legacy of Love - by Kristi Ann Hunter
The first story called Legacy of Love is written by Kristi Ann Hunter. Here we are introduced to Sarah Gooding who works as a dowager's companion. This is a woman who Sarah respects because of her character and strength in a family that is not so kind. Sarah has seen how her employer has aged so quickly in the past months, and fears that this may be her last holiday. One other family member that has redeeming qualities is the youngest grandson, Mr. Randall Everard. His sense of humor and ease with which he teases he grandmother, shows how much she means to him. He is the third son in this family so he will not have a royal station in his life, and his grandmother keeps pushing him to live his life and surprises both Sarah and Randall with an announcement of her own.

Gift of the Heart - by Karen Witemeyer 
Story number two, Gift of the Heart by Karen Witemeyer is my favorite of the collection. Ruth Fulbright is a widow with a young daughter Naomi, and she has moved to a resort town based on a promise of a job as a cook at a local diner. Plans were put in place for her before her arrival and she soon finds out that her room and board will cost more than she can afford. She needs to put down her first month rent as collateral which she simply cannot afford.

She tries to make a deal, and is told that in the spirit of fairness, this simply cannot be done. So she insists on speaking directly to the owner, Bo Azlin, and makes a business deal with her family heirloom that he does accept. Bo has kept himself out of the public eye due to a childhood accident that left him with only 1 working arm. As he gets to know Ruth and Naomi better, he sees the possibilities that life has to offer and makes changes to welcome new opportunities into his holiday and his future.

A Shot at Love - by Sarah Loudin
A Shot at Love written by Sarah Loudin is book three in this collection. Fleeta Brady is a tomboy and she has an artistic gift with guns and can out-shoot every man in her hometown. Fleeta lost her dad, and shortly after she lost her mom when she was a young girl, and she has been living with her aunt ever since. She is torn when she needs to do feminine activities like cooking and cleaning because she would rather be doing her passion of gunsmithing. She sees how much her aunt suffers after she looses another baby in childbirth, and never does get healthy again.

Fleeta has to step up and help her one female cousin to pick up the slack for her aunt. So when her aunt presents her with a brooch that Fleeta's mother wanted passed on to her so she could find love. Fleeta wants nothing to do with it and tries to hide it away. Now a stranger has come into town and has beaten her in the annual turkey shoot. This is a competition that Fleeta wins every year. Can this stranger change her way of thinking? One additional note on this story, I love when an animal gets to make a cameo appearance and contribute to the story. Here we are introduced to a very talented Blue Jay that makes a big impact on the story. I hope you enjoy Jack's part in the story as much as I did.

Because of You - by Becky Wade
In the fourth story, Because of You written by Becky Wade we are entering a present-day story of Maddie Winslow. Maddie has been in love with a man for years that she cannot have. Leo married her best friend Olivia. As the story begins we find out how close their meetings were, and how Olivia won Leo. Maddie would never do anything to ruin her friendship with Olivia despite the fact that she was truly in love with Leo. Next Leo and Olivia had a little boy named Charlie and Maddie knew that they were Olivia's guys.

Then a horrible accident happens and Olivia is killed and now Leo is a single father who has returned to Maddie's home town. They attend the same church and are paired together to help with a Christmas project that will help a family in need to have a Merry Christmas. As they work together to help this family have a happy holiday, they work on their own holiday journey. When Maddie finds an old Christmas heirloom in a box that has her name on it, can this make a difference in her future?

These novellas are well written and read so quickly, I hope you will enjoy adding The Christmas Heirloom to your holiday reading list this year.