Nothing like four talented authors getting together to write everyone’s favorite genre: Christmas novella.
I thought the idea of a brooch being passed down through generations fantastic! And what a bittersweet beginning with the telling of its own story
💚
Tis the season to revisited beloved characters/settings and see them finding love.
Well done!

Wow, I loved all four stories! I guess I missed the memo that they were all tied to each other so when it finally clicked I was so happy! The stories were just the right length... not too short! I was drawn in to each one right away and didn’t want to put the book down. Each one tugged at your emotions in good ways. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

WARNING: This review may contain a few spoilers. Hi, today we are going to look at a delightful 4 story compilation novel called The Christmas Heirloom written by four awesome and talented authors (Karen Witemeyer; Kristi Ann Hunter; Sarah Loudin Thomas; Becky Wade.)

In the first story we meet a lovely young woman, Sarah Gooding,who works as an aid for an older woman. The older woman’s grandson is secretly in love with Sarah, but due to his status it is somewhat forbidden for him to pursue her. However, Grandmother has different plans. On the last Christmas of her life, she leaves Sarah a special gift, and heirloom brooch, and her grandson Randall soon finds out that his grandmother has been match making them for quiet a while. When she suddenly dies on Christmas day, Randall and Sarah realize that the brooch was all in her plan.

We next meet Ruth Albright, an offspring grand child to Sarah and Randall. Ruth has been down on her luck. Her husband had recently died and she decides that she should find a job as a cook for a hotel in another town, in order to take care of her precious daughter Naomi. However, until she can earn enough wages she cannot afford the house she would like to buy. The towns folk recommend her to the elite towns businessman, but they warn he is not too easy to persuade. Ruth finds her self having to give up the heirloom brooch in order to secure her loan. However, more is in store for this businessman and Ruth. We’ll just say for now, without spoiling too much that the brooch ends up back in the right hands.

In the third section of the novel, we meet this fiesty young lady named, Fleeta.Fleeta has lived with her Aunt and Uncle since her parents had died. As her Aunt is bedridden due to a difficult pregnancy, the Aunt tells Fleeta to get the brooch from her jewelry box. Fleeta’s Aunt explains that this is the only item from Fleeta’s mother and that it supposedly leads you to true love. Because Fleeta is not the sensible feminine type she hestiates to wear the brooch. Fleeta has dreams of owning her own gun shop and she can definitely out shoot almost anyone. However, the new young man in town on business gives her a run for her money. Will the brooch give her true love with this competitive gun shooting young man? You will have to find out.

Lastly, we meet Maddie, who has given up on love and devotes her self and time to church activities. Until her old crush and deceased best friend’s husband comes to town to find a life for his little son, life becomes slightly complicated for Maddie. Maddie feels guilty to have feelings for her best friends husband although she knows Olivia died tragically leaving behind a precious little boy and man who would do anything for his son. Maddie tries to ignore her feelings. As Maddie and him work together to help a family in need for the holidays they both soon feel the energy between each other. As Maddie is going through things in the attic of her parents home, she stumbles a brooch with several beautiful gems in side it. Will this brooch hold true to its past and is there true love for Maddie? Will Maddie get over the guilt she has for her best friend and the feelings she is beginning to feel? Well you will just have to find out.

Now you may ask what I thought of this novel. I enjoyed the novel quiet a bit, but as it was in digital form I feel that digital book lack something that a paperback or hardcover book contain. I’m not sure what it is though. Anything, I found this book very well written, but the last story just didn’t seem to have the effect on me as the previous three did. I’m not sure what it was, maybe because I felt that the brooch didn’t contain the same significance it did in the previous stories. I’m not sure. So I give this book 4 stars in stead of 5 for this reason, but overall I did enjoy the flow and how each story tied with the other. 🙂

These novellas are a continuing story of an heirloom broach that is handed down to the women in the family and they share their romantic love stories through almost a 200 year span.. Stories of strong interesting women who find their true love after being given the family broach. 
I requested a copy through NetGalley, my review is voluntary.

Legacy of Love by Kristi Ann Hunter

Delightful and a nice start to the series, I especially enjoyed seeing the characters learn their worth and find an unexpected connection in this story.

Gift of the Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Though this was a novella, I thought it a well fleshed-out story in a very believable timeline. With Karen’s usual humor and endearing characters, this story takes a hero who would consider himself unlikely and pairs him with a darling little girl and a strong woman who never expected a second chance at love.

A Shot at Love by Sarah Loudin Thomas

I laughed out loud more than once while reading this story. Fleeta’s penchant for outshooting the boys was hilarious and an outward show of her fortitude. I liked Hank as her match, a man who respected her and was equal to the challenge of showing her his care. I really liked the setting of 1950s Appalachia, too.

Because of You by Becky Wade

This novella ties in to Becky’s “Bradford Sisters Romance” series in setting. Besides the fun cameos of familiar characters, this story wonderfully concluded the collection with a friendship-to-romance plot that touched on the nostalgia of the season but focused more on the joy in serving. It also handled themes of grief in a very real and tangible way, having both Leo and Maddie come to terms with honoring the past and choosing joy and good things for the future. It ended with great possibility, not with everything worked out. and I liked that.

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy. This is my honest review.

The Christmas Heirloom: Four Holiday Novellas of Love Through the Generations

Four Christmas novellas by four different authors, all connected as the stories are all about a broach that brings the wearers true love.  The stories are all in different era’s yet still connected by the broach that has been passed from Mother to Daughter for almost two hundred years.  I loved all of the stories, each so different yet connected.  The stories were rich in content and well written characters, the stories linked together and so heartwarming!  Each a holiday story with a feel-good ending!!  I give this book 5 stars.  I truly enjoyed the stories.

I received this book through NetGalley.com for promotional purposes.  I’ve decided to write this review of my own volition as I loved the book…..#NetGalley #TheChristmasHeirloom #KristiAnnHunter #KarenWitemeyer #SarahLoudinThomas #BeckyWade 
Description as found on NetGalley.com:
Perfect for the Christmas season, four beloved authors bring their bestselling, award-winning talents to a multigenerational collection of romantic holiday novellas. In stories ranging from 1820s Regency England to present-day Washington state, readers will be treated to Christmas tales of an heirloom brooch passed from mother to daughter for almost two hundred years. Will the family legend claiming the brooch brings love to its recipient hold true for these women separated by the years but bonded together by the ties of family?

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. While he may be far above her station, she can't help but notice that his desire to make this Christmas special for his grandmother matches her own.

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 as the holidays draw near.

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 mother's brooch might be how a fellow hunter turns her attention from competition to romance one December.

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? (less)

This was a wonderful book. I wish I would have had a chance to review it when I first finished it, I was on a short vacation with my family.

This is a romance that spans generations. It starts with a Dowager who passes along a locket she received from her husband when they were married. She gives it to her Lady's Companion, who marries her grandson. The locket is passed on to through the maternal line. It brings love into the lives of the women who receive it.

Each story was well written and a joy to read.

Source: I requested a copy through netgalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

The four novellas in this collection follow four women from different time periods that all inherit the same heirloom brooch and then find love around Christmas time. It's from a Christian fiction publisher, so there are frequent references to God, faith, church, and bible passages, and all of the romances go no further than a kiss on-page, but overall the religious elements are fairly mild.

Legacy of Love by Kristi Ann Hunter - Set in 1827 England with the first woman to inherit the brooch, Sara Gooding is a paid companion to a dowager countess who is hopelessly infatuated with her employer's grandson. Randall may be a third son, but third son of an earl still puts him out of her reach. The story is very sweet, with the countess character cast as a joyous, irreverent matchmaker between her grandson and employee. The relationships between all three principles is great, and themes of grief and finding one's own purpose are also touched on.

Gift of the Heart by Karen Witemeyer - Set in 1890 Texas, a widow named Ruth and her young daughter move into a resort town to take a new job as a cook. She catches the eye of the local hotel owner, Bo, and uses her family heirloom brooch as collateral for a loan on a house. Her determination to pay off the loan as quick as possible and get the brooch back for her daughter warms Bo's hermit heart and draws him out of his shell. Bo is a great 'gruff exterior, squishy center' type of hero, and I greatly enjoyed it, but I felt like there was more page time devoted to him and the daughter than to him and Ruth. Still, a sweet little found family story only marred by some atrocious "not like other girls" tropes sprinkled throughout. CW: Bo has a physical impairment and there are some ablest comments from side characters. 

A Shot at Love by Sarah Loudin Thomas - Set in 1958 West Virginia, a young woman named Fleeta is an expert marksman and artist with dreams of opening her own gunsmithing shop. Hank is in town on business to by timber for the logging company he works for. The two meet and have a perfectly ordinary romance. Despite Fleeta claiming to be staunchly anti-love, that didn't really have an effect outside of her internal dialogue and a lot of the short story was given over to her family interactions. Which is fine (the first two stories didn't have a LOT of conflict, either) but a pretty big source of potential tension is introduced late in the story and then never resolved. Just seemed an odd choice.

Because of You by Becky Wade - Set in present day Washington state, Maddie is hopelessly in love with a widower named Leo. The only problem being that Leo's deceased wife was Maddie's best friend, so she's been repressing her feelings for Leo since they met and that's a hard trend to reverse. But when Leo and Maddie are matched up for a Christmas charity event, feelings start to change. None of the stories in this anthology have a whole lot of impediment to the relationship, but this was the one story where...they kind of really needed it. The other couples had 'get to know you and grow closer' arcs, but Maddie and Leo didn't. And they replaced that with...nothin. Shopping for toys. A little bit of waffing and guilt over Leo's first wife, but it has barely any impact. I found it all kind of dull.

This was an enjoyable and sweet collection of romance novels. I liked how all of the stories were connected by a brooch that became a family heirloom in the first story "Legacy of Love" by Kristi Ann Hunter. Each story was set in a different era following several ladies who received the brooch from their mother who had received it from their mother and so on, with the last novella "Because of You" by Becky Wade taking place in present day.  Each story brought an element that I enjoyed. and most of the characters were relatable. "Gift of the Heart" by Karen WItemeyer and "A Shot at Love" by Sarah Loudin Thomas rounded out this collection. Because each novella was set in a different era, it was a little difficult at times for my mind to switch from one era to the next but it was still enjoyable to read.

Diese Anthologie besteht aus vier Kurzgeschichten, die sich alle um ein Erbstück drehen, das durch die Jahrzehnte und Familien immer von Mutter zu Tochter weitergegeben wird.

Kristi Ann Hunter's "Legacy of Love"

Zunächst hat Randall Everard, dritter Sohn des Lord Densbury, die neue Gesellschafterin seiner Großmutter Sarah Gooding als langweilig, ruhig und angepasst eingestuft, aber dann muss er plötzlich entdecken, dass sie doch Mitgefühl, eine Meinung und Courage hat. Die Dowager Countess wünscht sich sehnsüchtig eine Frau für ihren Lieblingsenkel und dass sie es noch erlebt Urgroßmutter zu werden.

Hier lernt man das Erbstück und seine Bedeutung kennen. Diese Luckenbooth Brosche, mit einem großen Amethystherzen in der Mitte, steht dafür, dass die Liebe von größter Bedeutung ist und führt ihre Erbinnen zu ihrer großen Liebe. Das familiäre Setting erinnert schön an Downton Abbey.

Karen Witemeyer's "Gift of the Heart"

Die zweite Geschichte spielt in Texas in den späten 1800ern. Die junge Witwe Ruth Albright ist nach Hope Springs gekommen, um dort nach dem Verlust ihrer Farm mit ihrer Tochter Naomi als Köchin einen neuen Anfang zu finden. Ihr letztes Besitzstück ist die Brosche ihrer Großmutter. Schon bald lernt sie den sehr zurückgezogen lebenden Geschäftsmann Bo Azlin kennen.

Eine herzerwärmende Geschichte. Sie hat mich an die Historicals von Carla Kelly erinnert, die sich auch um die Nöte, Ehre und Gefühle nicht so wohlhabender Menschen drehen.

Sarah Loudin Thomas's "A Shot at Love"

Gerade hat Fleeta Bradys Tante, die sie nach dem frühen Tod ihrer Mutter großgezogen hat, ein Baby verloren. Sie nimmt das zum Anlass, ihr die Brosche ihrer Mutter zu übergeben. Fleeta findet die Geschichte dahinter für sich nicht passend, da sie nicht an die große Liebe glaubt und auch nicht auf der Suche nach einem Mann ist. Sie möchte Waffenschmiedin werden. 
Hank Chapin ist im Auftrag einer Bauholzfirma Ende der 1950er auf Geschäftsreise in Bethel und will auch die Möglichkeit zur Jagd wahrnehmen. So trifft er bei einem Preisschießen auf Fleeta.

Diese Erzählung hat ein etwas abruptes Ende, aber kann eine starke, eigenwillige und mutige Protagonistin aufweisen und spielt für eine Romance Novelle zu einer ungewöhnlichen Zeit.

Becky Wade's "Because of You" 

Washington, Merryweather, Gegenwart. Unglücklicherweise fand Maddie Winslow vor sechs Jahre im neuen Partner ihrer Freundin Olivia den Mann ihrer Träume. Aber seitdem hat sie sich ehrenhaft ferngehalten und beiden ihr Glück gegönnt. Aber nun, nachdem ihre Freundin schon seit 2 Jahren tot ist, wird sie ausgerechnet für die alljährliche Weihnachtsaktion für hilfsbedürftige Familien Leo Donelly als Partnerin zugelost.

Dieses Buch kann ich von ganzem Herzen als Vorweihnachtslektüre empfehlen. Es enthält vier herzerwärmende, abwechslungsreiche und unterhaltende Kurzgeschichten, die perfekt in diese Jahreszeit passen.

5 von 5 Sternen

I read three of the four novellas in this collection. The one by Karen W. I couldn’t get into, although that doesn’t reflect on her as an accomplished author.
The stories were fairly engaging, and it was fun to read them during the Christmas season.

Such a fun Christmas novella collection. Three of the four authors were new to me so this was a good way to get a taste of their writing.

Anyone who knows my reading habits much at all knows that I’m not typically fans of novellas - I love longer books and the deeper stories that typically come with more page time with the characters.  But when I learned 3 of my favorite authors had teamed up for a Christmas novella collection, I couldn’t resist checking it out!  Plus, I had the opportunity to read a new-to-me author’s work, which I almost always enjoy.  With that being said, this book definitely surpassed my expectations and I quite enjoyed it!
One of my favorite things about this book is that they worked the story lines so that each author was able to write the time period and geography that suits the rest of their writing.  Kristi Ann Hunter’s story is up first and it’s set in England in the early 1800s.  Karen Witemeyer is next and it’s set in the mid 1800s in America, and so on.  I’d never read anything from Sarah Loudin Thomas, despite the fact that I was born and raised in WV, so I had no idea what to expect of her story.  It was . . . .different.  At first I was a little unsure how it was going to play into the other stories, but she wove it in quite well.  And I was so excited that Becky Wade was able to connect her novella with her Bradford Sisters series!  I also really appreciated the fact that each story, while connected to the others, was complete on its own.  None of them were left with things left unfinished to be picked up in the next tale. 
I really don’t think I had a favorite in this collection, as they were all well written and fun to read!  If you’re looking for a very well done Christmas novella collection to enjoy with the season, or any time of the year, I would highly recommend this one!

(my review will also be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Christian Book, and Books-A-Million)

If you are getting just one holiday book this season, look no further!  This book is perfect with four novellas in one.  The Christmas Heirloom by  Karen Witemeyer, Kristi Ann Hunter, Sarah Loudin Thomas, and Becky Wade is a fantastic collection.  These authors are amazing storytellers and you'll be in for a treat as they weave separate but connected stories in this book.  I highly recommend it!  I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Rachel’s Back Talk: 

5 – award winning covers

Get in the Christmas spirit by reading this fabulous novella collection! This might have been one of my favorites because I loved how there was a common object that was included in each book and how it continued along through the same family though years apart. I loved the short, sweet, heart-felt stories that each of the authors wrote about.

Sarah Gooding in Kristi’s Legacy of Love was one of my favorite heroines. I’m also partial to historical stories 🙂 I loved Sarah’s heartfelt care and concern for her caretaker. It embodied so much of what Christmas should truely be about. But Sarah’s caretaker also has a grandson who she is quite determined to match them up! It was just so short and sweet and basically such a wonderful Christmas story.
And Sarah is where the whole family brooch tradition started and thus continued through each book. I loved the “ahh” moments as I read through the other books when the puzzle piece began to click!
 

I received a free copy from the author. No review, positive or otherwise, was required — all opinions are my own.

no time to read this tale yet!  I will look it back up in the future! x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

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.