All three of these short stories were available before. It's nice that they are in their own book, but I already read them.

4 stars to Leslie Meier's candy canes of christmas past, a novella in the "Lucy Stone" mystery series. What a fun book! It started out a little concerning as 20% into this 100+ page story, there was no mystery yet... but then it suddenly got cooking with tons of side stories. Definite series read.

Story
Lucy Stone is reminiscing one holiday with her children about her first Christmas with her eldest son when they lived in Maine. They'd just moved to town and knew very little folks, having left a cushy life back in Manhattan. Lucy meets the librarian and gifts her a glass candy cane that turns out to be remarkably similar to one located next to the librarian's mother when she was found dead at the bottom of the stairs 50 years ago. Everyone thought it was her TB disease that caused the fall, but her daughter the librarian suspected potential foul-play. Through various intro meetings with folks about town, Lucy puts the puzzle together and learns who she thinks really killed the librarian's mother when she gets her Christmas present from her husband.

Strengths
1. The concept of solving a 50 year old murder is great. And it seems reasonable. No one trying to kill her in the process. It's just a light mystery with the readers and the characters getting the clues all at the same time. I loved the approach.

2. The use of side-stories and meeting new friends works really well as a character study and intro for me. I'm not sure if this is a newer book in the series or an older one, but I definitely will go back and read from the beginning. Great family fun.

Suggestions
None yet... it was that fun and readable.

Final Thoughts
If you have an hour to spare, and just want a light-hearted puzzle to solve, go for this one!

Thank you NetGalley for my arc. I was bummed to discover the Hannah Swensen story was recycled from a previous book. Overall though, it was a cute mix of stories for the holiday season.

I have already told people to look forward to this lovely little holiday sweet from Joanna Fluke, Laura Levine and Meslie Meier. This one is a no-brainer to add to our library's collection.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed this collection of novellas, because it allows for a drop in visit on some well-loved characters while I wait for the next novel in a series. The only negative about this collection is that the Joanne Fluke story had about as many pages of recipes as it did story. I do enjoy the inclusion of recipes, but I felt like this was more of a short story injected with an over abundance of recipes to make it novella-length.

This is a lovely little book of somewhat short Christmas mysteries involving some of my favorite female sleuths. One story was a repeat I had already read but the other two were fun and full of holiday spirit in spite of murder and mayhem! This is a fun read that will get you in the holiday spirit if you aren't there yet. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corporation for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a charming collection of fun Christmas stories with some delightful recipes sprinkled throughout from favourite authors Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine and Leslie Meier.

This book would be a great start to anyone’s holiday season.

3 series in one from the authors original books. Hannah swenson bakes cookies for kids who have to stay behind for Christmas. She stays with them for Christmas eve with her family, friends and co workers

I was a little disappointed to discover that my annual dose of Hannah Swensen Christmas cheer was a recycled story published in Sugar & Spice in 2006......but, while waiting for the next book in the series, (coming out in February 2020!) I'm willing to take any dose of Hannah that I can get! Plus, the book has two more awesome Christmas theme cozy stories! Laura Levine contributes a Jaine Austen holiday tale. I have had the Jaine Austen series on my TBR shelf for a long time. Gotta move it up to the top and start reading! And, Leslie Meier has a holiday Lucy Stone Christmas gift for readers.

Ok....Hannah first.... (of course!) The Twelve Desserts of Christmas: Sugar & Spice (the book this story was originally published in) is a collection of Christmas romance novellas, so this story is more romance angle than cozy mystery. There are quite a few recipes included and a bit of a mystery to solve....but it's mostly Christmas kissie face fun. No dead bodies in this story. Six students remain at the boarding school outside Lake Eden, MN. The kids are staying at the school for Christmas break so two teachers have to remain as well. Is there romance in the air? Maybe....but someone really, really wants to squash any chance of romance. Hannah, delivering lovely baked holiday cheer, is on the case to find out the truth.

Cute story! And there are of course 12 yummy recipes included as well! Despite the fact I was disappointed this was not a new story, it will still fun to read!

Nightmare on Elf Street: Laura Levine jumps in after Joanne Fluke's tale with a story featuring Jaine Austen. I have never read any of the series yet. Most of the books have been on my TBR shelf waiting for me to get to them for several years now, so this novella gave me a perfect jump start to move the series to the top of my to-read list!

Jaine heads to the local swanky upscale mall hoping for an advertising job, but somehow ends up dressed as an elf for the holiday season. The only thing worse than dressing in striped tights and a hat with a fuzzy pompon is......a dead santa.

Although it took awhile for the mystery to appear in this holiday story, I enjoyed every bit of this holiday tale. A horrible minimum wage gig that involves an elf costume....a cat named Prozac who refuses to don reindeer antlers for a photo....and a drunk, unruly, horrific santa claus. What's not to love?? This story definitely earned the Jaine Austen series a higher spot on my TBR list! Book one is sitting right at the tippy top! Humorous and fun, this story was an entertaining read!

The Christmas Thief: Leslie Meier offers up a short mystery featuring her sleuth Lucy Stone. Lucy and her friend Miss Tilley fly to Florida to help Elizabeth Stone out of a serious predicament. Elizabeth has been put on leave at her job at a hotel in connection with some missing jewelry. Not just any jewelry. Very, very expensive jewelry. Millions of dollars. Yikes! Can the three ladies work together to salvage the holiday and keep Elizabeth out of trouble??

My favorite story in this collection is Nightmare on Elf Street. Just imagining Jaine Austen in that horrible costume having to deal with a nightmarish santa claus.....oh my! The humor made the story entertaining and fun. This story easily breezed by the recycled Hannah story because it's one I already read 13 years ago!

Cute Christmas cozy collection! And I will definitely be awaiting these holiday novella collections each holiday season! It's become a reading tradition for me!

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

A great holiday collection filled with love, murder and mayhem.

12 Desserts of Christmas - Hannah Swensen strikes again. This time Christmas is filled with love when two boarding school teachers try to find love while the students in their charge try to keep them apart. But in true Hannah style, she gets to the bottom of the mystery with treats and desserts.

Nightmare on Elf Street - Laura Levine - Nothing says Christmas than an elf accused of killing Santa. This story was filled with a great storyline and great laughs.

The Christmas Thief - Leslie Meier - Lucy and Miss Tilley once again come together to help solve the mystery of a jewel thief at a Christmas party. This is my first book with these characters and they were so enjoyable I cannot wait to read a book with them again. Completely interesting and a great addition in the collection.

This collection of holiday-themed short stories is a cozy addition to these well-established author's repertoires.
Each story is short and sweet. I was slightly disappointed that Hannah's story is set in the near past, as her last book was set up for a major cliffhanger, but it is a cute little romance nonetheless. The other two books are a good little read(s) as well, and fans of Jaine and Lucy Stone will be pleased to revisit an old literary friend.

A little bummed to find out that these aren’t new stories, but ones that have been published in other holiday collections. Especially since I didn’t like the Joanne Fluke and Leslie Meier stories the first time I read them. Laura Levine’s Story is still hilarious as all her books are.

My favorite cozy mystery author, Joanne Fluke, is what drew me to this anthology, and I’m so glad it did! I enjoyed each story and am happy to have some new-to-me authors to check out now.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Christmas Sweets is a book of three short cozy mysteries.

In 12 Desserts of Christmas by Joanne Fluke, Hannah Swensen returns. She still has an uncanny ability to solve mysteries, but not a murder this time. Strange things are happening at Lakes Academy where six children and two teachers are in residence during Christmas break. I am looking forward to trying some of the yummy-sounding recipes!

Jaimie and her cat Prozac return in Nightmare on Elf Street. She is hired by a mall to be an elf at Santa Land. When one of the Santa Land workers end up dead, and she is a suspect, Jaimie sets out to reveal the murderer, nearly getting herself killed in the process.
The third story, The Christmas Thief, by Leslie Meier, is a bit of a change from the rest of the stories in the series. Lucy and Miss Tilley fly to Florida to help Lucy’s daughter solve her own mystery. Elizabeth has been put on leave as she is a suspect in a case involving jewelry missing from the upscale hotel where she works. The three work together to find the real thief.
These three stories are a fun, fast read. I didn’t like the second book as much as the other two. I admit it may be because I haven’t read any books in that series, and am not familiar with the protagonist. This is a great book for quick Christmas stories. Christmas Sweets is a book of three short cozy mysteries.

In 12 Desserts of Christmas by Joanne Fluke, Hannah Swensen returns. She still has an uncanny ability to solve mysteries, but not a murder this time. Strange things are happening at Lakes Academy where six children and two teachers are in residence during Christmas break. I am looking forward to trying some of the yummy-sounding recipes!
Jaimie and her cat Prozac return in Nightmare on Elf Street. She is hired by a mall to be an elf at Santa Land. When one of the Santa Land workers end up dead, and she is a suspect, Jaimie sets out to reveal the murderer, nearly getting herself killed in the process.
The third story, The Christmas Thief, by Leslie Meier, is a bit of a change from the rest of the stories in the series. Lucy and Miss Tilley fly to Florida to help Lucy’s daughter solve her own mystery. Elizabeth has been put on leave as she is a suspect in a case involving jewelry missing from the upscale hotel where she works. The three work together to find the real thief.
These three stories are a fun, fast read. I didn’t like the second book as much as the other two. I admit it may be because I haven’t read any books in that series, and am not familiar with the protagonist. This is a great book for quick Christmas stories.
In 12 Desserts of Christmas by Joanne Fluke, Hannah Swensen returns. She still has an uncanny ability to solve mysteries, but not a murder this time. Strange things are happening at Lakes Academy where six children and two teachers are in residence during Christmas break. I am looking forward to trying some of the yummy-sounding recipes!
Jaimie and her cat Prozac return in Nightmare on Elf Street. She is hired by a mall to be an elf at Santa Land. When one of the Santa Land workers end up dead, and she is a suspect, Jaimie sets out to reveal the murderer, nearly getting herself killed in the process.
The third story, The Christmas Thief, by Leslie Meier, is a bit of a change from the rest of the stories in the series. Lucy and Miss Tilley fly to Florida to help Lucy’s daughter solve her own mystery. Elizabeth has been put on leave as she is a suspect in a case involving jewelry missing from the upscale hotel where she works. The three work together to find the real thief.
These three stories are a fun, fast read. I didn’t like the second book as much as the other two. I admit it may be because I haven’t read any books in that series, and am not familiar with the protagonist. This is a great book for quick Christmas stories. by Joanne Fluke, Hannah Swensen returns. She still has an uncanny ability to solve mysteries, but not a murder this time. Strange things are happening at Lakes Academy where six children and two teachers are in residence during Christmas break. I am looking forward to trying some of the yummy-sounding recipes!
Jaimie and her cat Prozac return in Nightmare on Elf Street. She is hired by a mall to be an elf at Santa Land. When one of the Santa Land workers end up dead, and she is a suspect, Jaimie sets out to reveal the murderer, nearly getting herself killed in the process.
The third story, The Christmas Thief, by Leslie Meier, is a bit of a change from the rest of the stories in the series. Lucy and Miss Tilley fly to Florida to help Lucy’s daughter solve her own mystery. Elizabeth has been put on leave as she is a suspect in a case involving jewelry missing from the upscale hotel where she works. The three work together to find the real thief.
These three stories are a fun, fast read. I didn’t like the second book as much as the other two. I admit it may be because I haven’t read any books in that series, and am not familiar with the protagonist. This is a great book for quick Christmas stories.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Nightmare on Elf Street by Laura Levine 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Christmas Thief by Leslie Meier 3⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Twelve Desserts of Christmas by Joanne Fluke 2 ⭐️⭐️

I will definitely read more books by Laura Levine, by far my favourite in this collection.
I enjoyed Nightmare on Elf Street the most and thought the characters and whodunit were interesting.

I found the other two stories in the collection okay but they did not really grab me.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Christmas Sweets is a wonderful trio of short cozy mysteries by three wonderful authors.
The Twelve Desserts of Christmas by Joanne Fluke has the cookie baker Hannah Swensen puzzling out a mystery at a boarding school where two teachers and six children are spending Christmas break. No, no bodies this go around but fun little mysteries and wonderful recipes from Hannah;s cookbook. It will put you in a nice holiday mood.

Nightmare on Elf Street by Laura Levine has our favorite writer, Jaine, working as a Christmas elf in the mall with Santa in the hopes of a copy writing job after the holiday season is over. Of course, nothing is ever easy with Jaine. Trying to get her cat, Prozac to sit still for a Christmas card photo leads to all kinds of mall mayhem and the discovery of a dead Santa. Jaine's investigative skills come in handy as she tries to find the culprit.

The Christmas Thief by Leslie Meier is more about Lucy Stone's oldest daughter Elizabeth, as she is tapped to assist with a major Christmas event at The Cavendish in Palm Beach. When a major jewel theft occurs, Lucy and Miss Tilly arrive to help Elizabeth uncover the thief in time for a family Christmas in Tinker's Cove.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this collection in exchange for an honest review.

I love it when three different stories can transition to the next fluidly, even with them having nothing to do with each other and these stories mastered that. All of these authors have such an easy way of making the words really flow for the reader, and have them hooked right from the start.

Interesting book to read. Lots of lovely ideas to put into practice. What’s not to love over the festive holiday season

This book caught my eye, because one of my guilty pleasures from long ago were the Hannah Swenson books by Joanna Fluke and I haven't read any of her books for some time. So I decided to give this a try, and to my surprise, I enjoyed the other two short stories even more. I think it's partly because I was expecting a murder in the Hannah Swenson story and it turned out to be a silly little mystery/romance. It wasn't a bad story, it just wasn't really a mystery. Still, I did enjoy it and it makes me want to revisit her books and catch up with what Hannah has been up to in recent years (according to an introduction by Joanne Fluke, Hannah has accepted a proposal of marriage, but I don't know who from, so now I need to check it out!). I was not at all familiar with the other two authors, but ended up really enjoying the stories. The second one involved Jaine Austen, her stubborn cat, and the hilarious job she has as Santa's elf working with a "good" Santa and a "bad" Santa who's a real jerk. This one ended up being a murder mystery and I enjoyed it enough that I may have to check out some books from the series. Like the Hannah Swenson books, though, they're probably mostly stand-alone books. The third involves Lucy Stone's oldest daughter and her job at a swanky hotel. Although Lucy and Miss Tilley don't show up until close to the end, I loved them and am definitely planning on checking out some of their books. What all three books seems to have in common is that they're great for a quick read, not really very deep, but quite entertaining with a particular "style". I'm glad I was able to read this book. Thanks to #NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas Sweets in a trilogy of Christmas-themed novellas from three leading ladies.

I have always been a HUGE fan of the Hannah Swenson series by Ms Fluke and the Lucy Stone series by Leslie Meier. This is my first read on Laura Levine and her Jaine Austen series.

The Twelve Deserts of Christmas by Joanne Fluke is a re-release from Ms Fluke, apparently from 2006. It is moreso focussing on a friend of Hannah and Andrea’s, but still includes the gang. Even though I have read every book, I don’t recall this story, and I truly enjoyed it. It takes place while Hannah was still in the triangle of Mike and Norman.

The second book, Nightmare on Elf Street by Laura Levine was ok, but just not of my particular interest. I know she has her own loyal fan base and I can appreciate it for the cute mystery it is.

Lastly, is The Christmas Thief by Leslie Meier. It mainly involves Elizabeth (Lucy’s eldest daughter) at her place of employment at the posh Cavendish Hotel in Florida. Luckily Lucy and Miss Tilley arrive to help solve the crime with Elizabeth and help save the day.

I truly enjoyed this trilogy and give it 5/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am submitting this review to my GR account immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Bookbub, and B&N accounts upon publication.