I have read three of the six stories before--all six were previously published--but I enjoyed getting to refresh my memory. I am usually not a fan of formula historical romances, Thankfully my three favorites veered slightly away from the norm.

If you are looking for a good historical romance Christmas collection you will love this book.

I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.

This book is a collection of sweet, clean romance stories by several different historical fiction authors. Each story depicts life in challenging times during the 1800's. It is excellent for quick reads during the always busy holiday season. Each story has a strong heroine and loveable man, both with strong faith in God, that she helps, partners with or tolerates. One that I particularly enjoyed tells of a female lead who knows in her heart that she must marry a certain man because of his career. The humor in the story is truly delightful.
Each story is set with Christmas day in the time period but can be read any time of year.

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of the book.

This book is a wonderful Christmas historical read. Cozy up with a hot beverage and a warm fire. The stories will take you back to lion the 19th century. All take place at Christmas. These are short sweet and clean stories.

A wonderful collection of Christian Christmas stories written by different authors. Each story is set in the 1800s and is very well written with lovable characters and heartwarming tales of love and devotion. This book would make a great addition to your Christmas story collection!
Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing, Inc. for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Today I'm featuring another Christmas story. Yes, it's that time of year already! At least where books are concerned.

All the stories take place in the United States. Two take place during the Civil War, and several take place in the Midwest after the war. While each one touches on Christmas and the Christmas story in at least a small way, only one had Christmas as the major theme rather than a setting. Most of the stories did have a strong faith message.

My favorite here was Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch. It was much more light-hearted than The Lost Lieutenant, which is the only other one of hers that I have read. This sweet story had a powerful message as Beth had to learn that the church is indeed a body and no member is more important than another. I loved Todd, the blacksmith, and the way he relentlessly pursued her to woo her and yet was not afraid to speak the truth to her to show her the error of her thinking.

As with many such collections, my ratings for the various stories differ, ranging from 3 1/2 stars to 4 1/2 stars. If you are intrigued by the sound of any of the stories in the collection, I encourage you to grab a copy - if a story isn't to your taste, there are many more to choose from.

I’ve read a few of the novellas in this collection so far. They’re really sweet stories and I recommend this collection. Sometimes I need a short story in between books, or just want to read novellas due to time. This one is a sweet collection with Christmas themes. Definitely one to enjoy!

A set of historical novellas that each features a lady who ends up meeting a swoon worthy hero who was not in her view as a potential husband. They were all quick reads but felt complete with well written main characters and an interesting plot. Each story found its completion at Christmas time. Nice introduction to the Christmas season a wee bit early.

The perfect pre Christmas read. Six heartwarming stories, clean, wholesome and full of festive spirit x

A Joyful Christmas is a sweet, fun collection. I liked every story, with An Irish Bride for Christmas by Vickie McDonough being my favorite. I enjoyed the way the story progressed and the wonderful bond between Jackson and his niece. Any reader who loves Christmas romance tales should read A Joyful Christmas.

These six historical romance stories are sure to get you in the Christmas spirit. They are faith based and very inspirational. I especially liked Under His Wings.
Many thanks to Barbour Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Christmas Castle by Cynthia Hickey - Drake and Annie are thrown together under unusual circumstances, but it is beautiful to watch their relationship develop as they serve each other. This was a beautiful story.

A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson - Cora and Jed also met under less than ideal circumstances, but I enjoyed reading about their relationship as it grew. They were so sweet as they worked to serve each other and their love grew.

An Irish Bride for Christmas by Vickie McDonough - Jackson is such a wonderful man and I was so mad at how things turned out for him in the beginning. Mrs. O'Keefe is a terrible person. Luckily love comes out of the situation. Larkin is a wonderful Irish lass and you couldn't help loving her and Rosie. I'm glad they all got their HEA.

Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma - Noah and Adie are such sweet people in a really rough situation. This story reminded me a little of the gift of the magi. They were both willing to give up their dream for each other.

Shelter in the Storm by Carrie Turansky - Rachel and James are both sweet people. I enjoyed reading about their friendship budding through his recovery and finally becoming more. I can't imagine how hard it was for Rachel to see him return to the war. I'm glad they got their HEA.

Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch - Beth is a very determined woman even though her priorities may be a little misplaced. However, I relate to her when it comes to delegating. I'm terrible at it. However, I'm learning that her grandpa is right and easier is not always better. I really felt for her though when things went south and imagine I would have said the same things. Lucky for her Todd was there and what a good guy he is. I liked him and how he tried so hard to show his love. He is just the man she needs.

I received this book from the publisher Barbour Publishing through Netgalley. This is my honest review of this book.

An enjoyable and engrossing anthology of six novels set between 1860 and 1880.
All of them are well written and entertaining, I liked the well thought characters, the Christmas spirit and the vivid historical background.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A wonderfully warm, joyful collection of Christmas novellas. All six novellas move along at a quick pace, but still manage to offer a satisfying story. I did enjoy some more than others, but none were a disappointment. I loved the time period and the simplicity of Christmas celebrations. Each novella offers a sweet, clean romance, in addition to a message of hope and love. I thoroughly enjoyed this compilation and highly recommend it to all lovers of sweet, tender, romantic Christmas tales.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given.

A Joyful Christmas by Cynthia Hickey; Liz Johnson; Vickie McDonough; Liz Tolsma; Carrie Turansky; Erica Vetsch
Publication Date : September 1, 2020
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Description from NetGalley...
“A Christmas Castle by Cynthia Hickey
Married by proxy in Missouri, Annie Morgan sets off for Tombstone, Arizona, to join her new husband as a cattle rancher. But too soon she finds herself a widow with an unexpected daughter and butting heads with her handsome neighbor.
 
A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson
Wounded within Confederate territory, Union officer Jedediah Harrington finds refuge at the tiny cabin of Cora Sinclair and her grandfather. Still haunted by what she saw as a battlefield hospital volunteer, Cora finds that only Jed can understand. But, though she longs to give him her heart, the risks to both of them are too great.
 
An Irish Bride for Christmas by Vickie McDonough
When Jackson Lancaster’s brother and wife die, he takes his three-year-old niece home. But a meddling busy-body makes the judge give her custody “because an unmarried man shouldn’t raise a little girl.” Now Jackson has until Christmas to find a bride or lose his niece forever. Larkin Doyle is grateful her employer took in the orphan and believes Jackson abandoned his niece. When her heart says otherwise, will romance blossom? 
 
Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma
Adie O’Connell, orphaned and left alone in a dangerous Wisconsin logging camp, seeks the stability she once knew when both her parents lived. Despite the compassion and friendship offered by Noah “Preacher Man” Mitchell, she refuses to consider marriage to a man always drifting from one job to another for God.
 
Shelter in the Storm by Carrie Turansky
The daughter of a wealthy Tennessee doctor, Rachel Thornton begins nursing James Galloway, a wounded artist-war correspondent. As James recovers, their hearts draw closer together. Having already lost one sweetheart to the war, Rachel is hesitant to reveal her feelings for James, who insists on returning to the front lines. Would she be safer in the arms of another man?
 
Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch
Beth Sorensen has been put in charge of the Christmas pageant at the little log church, and this year she wants something different. But she didn’t count on a Minnesota blizzard paralyzing the whole town. Can the blacksmith teach this preacher’s daughter about what it means to serve one another in love through the storm?”
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Thank you to @NetGalley #barbourpublishing #barbourbooks for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
Most of the authors were new to me. This is a Christian Christmas Romance anthology. Overall, the stories were quick and charming read. They were charming and uplifting. A couple of the stories had some difficult scenes, but all had good endings. It was sometimes hard to read when the women in the stories had to marry a man for safety, security and shelter. And then, had to learn to love each other after the fact. I would say to space out the stories to be more enjoyable, as they start to read the same if you don’t.

Adorable and a quick read. Perfect for Christmas time with a cup of tea, coffee or cocoa. Allows for a nice bit of escape from the world. My favorites were A Christmas Castle and Christmas Service.

I think one major problem I have been having with Christian fiction novellas in the past few years is the repeats. I've been reading in this genre since I was 13-14 years old so ~20 years and I have a lot of copies of these stories in other collections on my shelf. An Irish Bride for Christmas I just reread last month. I hope that moving forward they do work on getting new stories into the collections.

"A Joyful Christmas"
Oh, boy, 6 really Good , Clean, Sweet, romance stories of people with Faith in the late 1800's. Sometimes faith is strong, sometimes weak, and sometimes mis-placed. Sometimes one must learn to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
Oh, I hope my review does not turn you away, these are not preachy stories. Just good clean wholesome stories that have at least one character whose faith is getting them through their life. This book is a worthy read. Happy Reading !

note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher with the request I would post my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was great to have 6 stories in one bind up. All the stories are set during the War of Independence and for me it was very interesting to gain some knowledge of that era in the USA history.
The characters and situations were well written and the settings were very believable. You could feel the emotions, struggles and situations the characters found themselves in. I am not going to go into detail of each story as I think it is better to read them without knowing much about them, as I don’t want to give plots away. I would recommend this book.
Reading these stories has made me want to read more novels set in this historical period.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Barbour Publishing Inc and the authors for sending me this book to review.

A Christmas Castle by Cynthia Hickey
A sweet, inspirational novella! I love a strong heroine, and Annie definitely fit that. 3.5/5 stars

A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson
A very sweetly romantic story! As always with novellas, I wish there was a bit more time for the story to develop, but this novella is still satisfying and inspirational. With Cora, the reader see an interesting, important, and relevant side of war and trauma to see the effects of such situations on nurses. Fans of Tamera Alexander’s Carnton novels will appreciate this story. 4/5 stars

An Irish Bride for Christmas by Vickie McDonough
A sweet story, but it definitely felt rushed in terms of romance. I have a love-hate relationship with novellas, and this was one story I really wanted to continue, since it needed more time to develop. 3/5 stars

Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma
I loved this novella! I wish it were longer, but readers will be inspired and fulfilled by Adie and Noah’s story. 4.5/5 stars

Shelter in the Storm by Carrie Turansky
A sweet, inspirational story perfect for fans of Tamera Alexander’s Carnton novels! 4.5/5 stars

Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch
A lovely conclusion to this inspirational novella collection! I love Erica Vetsch’s stories, and I my only complaint is that this story isn’t longer. 4.5/5 stars

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

This is a wonderful anthology of previously published Christmas historical stories that provide a generous helping of Christmas spirit. While I enjoyed some more than others, this collection is by and large a fairly solid one with no major disappointments.

“A Christmas Castle” by Cynthia Hickey

3 stars

This was kind of an odd one for me. I liked it conceptually…it just fell a bit short in terms of the execution. I rooted for Annie being in a situation she didn’t expect, but wasn’t sure if the romance really won me over.

“A Star in the Night” by Liz Johnson

5 stars

This one is absolutely adorable. I love how Jed and Cora bonded while he was staying with her and her grandfather, recuperating from his injuries. I love how they connected, and it lasted even after they parted, waiting for them to reunite again.

“An Irish Bride for Christmas” by Vickie McDonough

4 stars

This one was charming, and it delves into the complexities of custody of a little girl. I rooted for Jackson to work things out so he could have security in his job and take care of Rosie, he liked that he and Larkin bonded over their shared concern for Rosie.

“Under His Wings” by Liz Tolsma

5 stars

This one was beautiful, with Adie initially resisting the prospect of marriage due to the obstacles presented her; but the love she and Noah shared and their mutual faith brought them together.

“Shelter in the Storm” by Carrie Turansky

5 stars

This one was similarly good, and I loved the romantic tension that grew between James and Rachel due to happenstance, but she has to figure out if she’s moved on from a previous heartbreak.

“Christmas Service” by Erica Vetsch

4 stars

This is a wonderful short about the importance of service and giving back in one’s community. I like how Beth had a very firm idea of her vision when it came to this concept, as well as her own prospects, but she came to learn from Todd’s unique perspective in both respects.

***

If you love Christmas and Christian historical romance, this is a great collection that you should definitely pick this up.

A Joyful Christmas, is book with 6 historical Christmas stories. I love Christmas stories, especially about the olden days. This book does not disappoint. Curl up by the fire with a hot mug of cocoa, while reading these stories. I would read book by these authors again.