A Seamless Love by Judith Miller - 3 stars
This story had a great setting and interesting historical details. Hannah is ambitious with her career as a seamstress with custom embroidery, and spends extra hours on special projects for the company owner's wife. Contrary to the book synopsis, she's not dating a Pinkerton agent, but a businessman from Chicago who spends a lot of time on the road (suspicious). I had hoped for more development of her relationship with Daniel, but the majority of the story focused on her trials with her beau and workload.

Pin’s Promise by Nancy Moser - 4 stars
I enjoyed the character growth as Pin learns to be patient and understanding, while Jonathan realizes the differences in treating patients in the town rather than a hospital. An endearing but abused set of children really steal the show, giving Pin and Jonathan the opportunity to look beyond themselves and draw closer together because of the shared trials. I loved the strong sense of community and service.

Mending Hearts by Stephanie Grace Whitson - 4 stars
Rachel and Adam have both suffered great loss, and I loved Rachel's two aunts that are the heart of the community- caring for Adam's children and bringing Rachel into their fold as well. Rachel's talent as an artist are brought into the story in subtle ways, inspiring those around her. Although Rachel's exuberant friend Nel sets her cap for Adam, the interference gives both Rachel and Adam time to heal from their broken hearts before discovering the love blossoming between them. A supporting cast full of personality!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Cute collection of Christmas romances. I liked the sewing angle in each of the stories. A clean easy read perfect for a winter's night with a good cup of tea.

I received this book from NetGalley and wasn't required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

I loved all three of these delightful Christian novellas that feature vibrant young women who find great fulfillment working with needle and thread as millions of women have done throughout our history and still do to this day. Hannah, Penelope and Rachel are beautiful young women who think they know exactly what they want when their lives change in a way that they never could have anticipated. As their stories are revealed the women will grow in both maturity and faith as they learn to trust in God’s plan to heal their hearts and lead them to the love they are all meant to find. I went on my own spiritual journey as I read these heartwarming holiday romances that begin in 1883 Pullman, Illinois, travel to far off Summerfield, England at the start of the Twentieth Century and then finish on the plains of Missouri in the spring of 1890. And what a wonderful journey it turns out to be! I promise you won’t be disappointed. I read a complimentary copy of this book provided by Barbour Publishing through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.

An Historical Romance Collection

3 Stories Thread Hope and Love Through the Holidays

I try to commit myself to only reading Christmas themed books through the Christmas season. This is a wonderful example of the true meaning of love during the season. I fully enjoyed each story.

I really enjoyed reading this book as Christmas is approaching quickly! Each of the three stories made me smile and tugged at my heart. I will be searching out books by each of the authors to find more books to enjoy.

3 authors give us the tales of Christmas of old. All good tales with author's who I enjoy. Good stories to settle in for comfortable reading.

Ebook from Netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

Overall I enjoyed this collection. I did like the longer format of each story.
In 'Seamless Love', I found life in Pullman interesting. I did not care for Hannah being strung along by a manipulative, controlling man. the way she is written, it seems she is smarter than that. I kept wishing that Daniel would have said something to her, as they were such good friends. The repeated thoughts and whining about her beau became a bit tedious for me. When Hannah's eyes are finally opened, I said "it's about time" out loud. There are misunderstandings and reconciliations, and a quick ending.

I loved the Aunts and children in 'Mending Hearts'. I hate that Rachel's heart and all she had planned for her life was broken. Seeing her personal growth was nice. I loved seeing Levi's healing and growth as a man and father. I must say I was a little surprised with this story as it was someone else that had eyes for the widowed father.

My favorite was "Pin's Promise'. There are two very strong storylines running throughout. I was sad reading Annie's heartbreaking story. Though it was nice reading her backstory having met her in "The Pattern Artist"
I loved Pin and Jonathan's story. Each needed a bit of time to adjust and grow when he returned from medical school. Their story did have a happy Christmas ending but I would like to see more!

A set of three stories by different authors, linked by the theme of sewing.
I really liked the illustrations of early sewing machines, they were a lovely addition to the book.
The first story - A Seamless Love - was by a writer who was new to me, but I will certainly be looking for further by Judith Miller. The characterful writing meant I was right there in Pullman! I always appreciate learning something when I am reading, as well as enjoying a good story - & this satisfies both with its interesting historical setting.
The second was by Nancy Moser, already familiar to me & the reason I chose this book. As good - or better - than her full-length novels, Pin's Promise had unexpected storylines (which made a welcome change from being able to predict what will happen.) It is good to know that growing up does not necessarily mean growing apart...
The final member of the trilogy was Mended Hearts, by Stephanie Grace Whitson. I love this story, & I especially love Rachel’s two aunties : what special ladies!
There are lessons to be learned from each of these stories, I’m so glad to have read them.
I came to this collection because of Nancy Moser, but am delighted to have ‘found’ other good writers to add to my favourites.

Three talented young women find love at Christmastime in these three romantic novellas.



A Seamless Love

Hannah works at the local millinery and dressmaker's shop, she receives order for the guests of Mrs. Pullman. She finds that her old flame Daniel, is moving to town in hopes of working with Mrs. Pullman. Hannah grows over the course of the book, confronting things from her past.



Pin's Promise

Penelope "Pin" is a seamstress at a sewing emporium, she works hard while waiting or Jonathan to finish medical school so that they can marry. But now that Jonathan is done with medical school, Pin is ready to get married, but the more she pushes the mores he resists. Jonathan is having a tough time adjusting to being a small town doctor, and wonders if this practice is a good fit for him. I really enjoyed the die characters in this story like Annie, whom Pin takes under her wing and teaches to sew.



Mended Hearts

Rachel comes to live with her aunts after the death of her father. She's not the only visitor, there is a girl and her baby brother who live with her aunts as well since their mother died. Rachel bonds with the children and she enjoys quilting. The children's father Adam works hard on the farm, and has had a hard time connecting with the children since her wife died. But with Rachel's help he starts spending with the kids. This was my favorite of the collection, the children were adorable and I liked how Rachel and Adam come to admire each other and their strengths.



Heartwarming historical romances for the Christmas season.





Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Christmas Stitches: An Historical Romance Collection 3 Stories of Women Sewing Hope and Love Through the Holidays is an amazing collection of beautiful and inspiring stories published by Barbour. Written by Judith Mccoy Miller, Nancy Moser, Stephanie Grace Whitson these stories focus on three talented young girls lived at the end of 1800 in USA and England.

I read A Seamless Love by Judith Miller. We are close to Chicago Illinois; Hannah Cooper works for the Pullmanns. Being very good at sewing, having a special talent, mrs. Pullman decides as said in a letter addressed to her of wanting her for design and stitch gifts for guests attending parties.
It also meant a promotion in terms of visibility and an advancement of career, a lot of work, little hours and responsibilities but also the constant love and appreciation of her mother.
At the beginning of the story Hannah tried to tell to Daniel that she was in love for him but she was refused by him. Her future is still uncertain sentimentally...
Profoundly human and felt, this one is a short story that will touch a lot of chords: the one of work, and fear of losing it, career advancement, talent, appreciation, sacrifice and love, of course.
The other tales are Pin's Promise by Nancy Moser and Ended Hearts by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Highly recommended.

I thank NetGalley and Barbour for this ebook.

Anna Maria Polidori

I received a copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review.
#ChristmasStitches:AnHistoricalRomanceCollection #NetGalley
1. A Seamless Love *****: Beautiful story of second chance romance between friends.
2. Pin's Promise ****: Two children who make promises to each other. They just don't see the ending the same way.
3. Mending Hearts *****: One widowed farmer who married for duty finds love with a jilted lady of the city.

A wonderful,wonderful collection of novella length stories with the common thread of sewing. 3 top authors bring these old-time stories to you. This is a delightful way to spend the day reading these with your cup of hot cocoa and snuggly blanket. Wonderful stories of characters struggling but with God's help there is hope and love this holiday season. These stories remind me of my grandmother who was quite the seamstress. She taught me as well but I was never as good as her. I know you'll enjoy these holiday stories as much as I did. I will definitely be buying this collection for friends for Christmas.
Pub Date 01 Oct 2018
I received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.

This collection focuses on the three seamstresses using their skills to brighten the lives of people around them. However, they all have to deal with egos so that they can see the bigger picture. Hannah Cooper, a talented seamstress, rejected by a childhood friend is keen to move on with one of the most eligible bachelors. but can she really forget him? Penelope fondly referred to as Pin because of her precocious nature is forced to use her skills to mentor a young needy girl as she also navigates her relationship challenges with her beau, Jonathan. Rachel Ellsworth moves to the small town in Nebraska for temporary visits with her maiden aunts She finds solace in quilting and taking care of two motherless children. But what will happen when she begins to notice the children's father...

I found the book's description to be a tad sensationalised and not a 100% full representation of the stories. I would not be able to share those specific plot points without including spoilers. Nonetheless, the stories were charming and interesting. Rachel Ellsworth's story "Mending Hearts" tagged my heartstrings the most. I enjoyed seeing how Rachel dealt with the cards that life gave her and the role of her faith.

Overall, the Christmas Stitches Collection is a comforting pick leading to the Christmas season

Reading historical fiction, I fill, is usually a bit of a hit or miss. Either the tone gets everything just right, or it just feels like something’s missing. This collection, luckily, falls squarely in the “hit”-section. From the overarching theme of the “stitches” to the way these love stories all developed in such a vastly different way, I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed myself this much seeing a historical world unfold.
Where A Seamless Love truly opened my eyes to the world of factory-towns in the late 19th century, Pin’s Promise had me at the verge of tears. Mended Hearts, finally, was built just beautifully from Rachel’s departure to the Christmas-conclusion. All these stories, in fact, managed to get that feeling of Christmas just right.
I will say that the descriptions on Goodreads seem to be quite (vastly?) different from the stories as they were in the eBook, but, you know… That actually just meant I went in knowing less about the stories before I started reading them. And honestly? I would advise you to do the same.
The three stories in Christmas Stitches breathe such an other-century sense of calm and joy at Christmas, that I think reading without any idea of exactly what is going to happen, is probably the best way to go. And the best way, as well, to leave you feeling absolutely fuzzy as well!
Rating: 4/5

Seamstresses piece together beautiful clothing, quilts and home goods. In these three stories they try to piece together beautiful lives, with not always the results they were expecting. Historical Christian romances, these three women, Hannah, living life in a "company town", Pin, young, not so patient and yearning to be wed and Rachel, dealing with her grief and changed situation as best she can. These stories, warm the heart and sooth the soul. A wonderful warm Christmas read!

In Christmas Stitches, An Historical Romance Collection, is three stories set in the late 1800 and early 1900's. Each story involves a young lady who is talented with a needle and who finds that love may be more complicated than stitching. Each story is unique and fun and I enjoyed them all! They also each had an inspirational tone that reminds us that God is in control, a reminder we all need sometimes!
The first story was A Seamless Love by Judith Miller. Hannah has loved Daniel for a long time, but when he rejects her advances because he doesn't want to ruin their friendship, she moves on. Years pass and she starts to see a man named Louis. Of course, once she is taken, Daniel realizes what he has lost. When they start to spend time together again, they discover that their friendship is there, but can they stitch together a future as well?
The second story is Pim's Promise, by Nancy Moser. In this one, Pim and Jonathon have loved each other since they were children, but they had to wait to marry. Jonathon went away to school to become a doctor and has finally returned and Pim is in a hurry for a wedding. But Jonathon wants to take his time and get used to his new position in his father's office. When a young girl and her brother come into their lives, needing more help than they can give, they discover that life has more in store for them than either imagined. Can they work together to find the life they have always dreamed of?
The final story is Mended Hearts by Stephanie Grace Whitson. I will admit that this author is why I chose this book. I have loved her books for a long time and I was not disappointed by this little story either. It was a lot of fun, but really sweet as well. Rachel has to move in with two spinster aunts in Nebraska when her father dies unexpectedly. Her fiance promises to wait for her to turn eighteen and then they will wed, like they have always planned. However, when he changes his mind, Rachel must learn to make the best of life where she is now. By taking life one day at a time and relying on God's promises, she starts to look forward to the future. And, maybe, that future will hold Adam, a young widow with two children who have wormed their way into her heart.
I really enjoyed all three stories. I laughed and cried and smiled a lot. It was well worth the read. Anyone interested in sweet stories with a good message will be happy with these.
I received a free copy of this story through NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I found Christmas Stitches to be delightful and surprising. Each of the stories provided an insightful look at the unpredictable nature of life and how God intervenes, in some of the most painful experiences of life. I was impressed with the tough issues that were tackled in an uplifting but realistic manner. They're a perfect Christmastime read for a Christian.

Christmas Stitches is a cute and fun read! The authors’ different writing styles added to the charm of this fun book that will get the reader in the mood for Christmas. My personal favorite was Mended Hearts by Stephanie Grace Whitson – Whitson did so well on the characters’ personalities, and on growing their faith!

Sewing Hope and Love Through the Holidays

Barbour Publishing presents a collection of three historical romance novels that deal with difficult circumstances, betrayal, and loss, but also with love and forgiveness.
The first novel is from Judith McCoy Miller, an award-winning author whose avid research and love for history are reflected in her best-selling historical and Amish novels. Her novel "A seamless love" takes place in Pullman, Illinois, close to Chicago, where also other novels of her Pullman series take place. On Christmas eve 1983 Hannah Cooper wants to declare her love to Daniel Price but he is not ready for a relationship. In September 1988 Hannah works as a shopgirl and seamstress at Pullman but her true gifts lay in the design of decorations for dresses, purses, belts, ... and the beadwork sewn onto them. Now she is courted by Louis Nicholson who lives in works in Chicago. Hannah is hired for a special assignment while Daniel works at Chicago Mirror and Embossing. Louis seems to be unreliable as a suitor and Hannah is still friends with Daniel. After Daniel finishes his apprenticeship he moves back to Pullman whereas Hannah plans to move to Chicago. But will her path really lead her there?
Nancy Moser is the award-winning author of thirty inspirational contemporary and historical novels that focus on discovering our unique purpose. Her novel "Pin's Promise" plays in 1900 and 1906 in Summerfield, England, where also other novels from her Summerfield series take place. Penelope (Pin) Billings is gifted in sewing dresses and teaching others to sew. Jonathan Evers has trained as a doctor in the last years and is getting readjusted to life in his home village and working with his father after his studies. Pin and Jonathan have loved each other for a long time and have wanted to become engaged since childhood. Annie and Alfie are siblings in Summerfield who are growing up in desolate circumstances with parents who do not care for them and abuse them. They basically live from the egg money that Annie makes. Pin manages to develop a fragile relationship with Annie but the tragic death of Alfie pulls Pin and Jonathan apart. What will the future hold for all three of them?
Stephanie Grace Whitson's fiction titles have appeared on the ECPA bestseller list and been finalists for the Christy Award, the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, and ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year. She has also written the nonfiction work, How to Help a Grieving Friend. Her novel "Mending Hearts" that is part of this collection also deals with grief. In 1890 Rachel Ellsworth has to move from St. Louis, Missouri to York County, Nebraska after the death of her father who left her destitute in order to life with two maiden aunts. It is supposed to be only for a limited amount of time until Landis Grove will come for her in order that they can get married. In York Country she meets the two motherless children of Adam Friesen, Molly and the baby boy who those not even have a name. Rachel is able to make friends, not only with Molly, but also with others, especially through quilting. The letters from Landis which originally arrived daily become fewer and fewer until one day his mother sends a letter informing Rachel that Landis decided to marry somebody else. What will be her future now since it is impossible to return to St. Louis?
It is not the first time that Barbour Publishing has combined these three authors in a collection (see "A Patch Christmas"). I have enjoyed all three novels and can highly recommend this book for readers who love historical romance novels and Christmas novels.
The electronic advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.
#ChristmasStiches:AnHistoricalRomanceCollection #NetGalley

Three heartfelt Christmas stories, each set in a slightly different historical period. Each have messages of love and faith while adding different types of creative stitching. Having beaded, stitched and quilted, these stories were all very enjoyable. Highly recommended!