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A Joyful Christmas

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Member Reviews

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.

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Short historical Christmas romances set in times of hardship for the characters (1800s). The romance parts are sweet, and the stories focus on the religious elements of Christmas.

The pacing is slow, but each story has sweet ending.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley in return for a fair review.

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These authors are all new to me and I am now a fan. I can't tell you how each story will touch you. Each one in this collection is unique and heartwarming. I shed some tears and more than a few giggles. A Christmas celebration that takes you through to another time. I loved every one of them and plan to continue to follow these authors.

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A Joyful Christmas is a wonderful collection published by Barbour Publishing.

These historical stories cover time periods between the 1860's through the 1880's and feature authors Erica Vetsch, Carrie Turansky, Liz Tolsma, Vicki McDonough, Liz Johnson and Cynthia Hickey. Three of the authors I had read before, but the other three were new to me. I always enjoy reading and discovering new authors and this collection provided the perfect opportunity.

I love Christmas stories and will read them any time of the year. We need more of the love, joy and giving associated with this special time of the year. These charming stories brought all of that to light and will surely warm a reader's heart. I enjoyed each one!

I appreciate Barbour, through Netgalley, making a copy of A Joyful Christmas available for review.

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A Joyful Christmas is a delightful and heartwarming collection of novellas that will leave each and every reader who chooses to pick it up with a big smile on their face. Each novella features a different historical setting, and focuses around the importance of faith and the true meaning for the Christmas season. While I did think a couple of the novellas stood out over the rest, I was honestly pleasantly surprised by this entire collection, and I love the fact that I've discovered some new to me authors in the process.

With how crazy everything has been lately, I really enjoyed reading this sweet collection that reminds us all of how God is always faithful, and included heartwarming and simple holiday romances that gave me all the warm fuzzies.

I recommend fixing yourself a cup of hot chocolate or apple cider, grabbing some yummy Christmas cookies, and settling in to read this beautiful historical novella collection that will have you instantly in the Christmas spirit.

Final Rating: 4/5.

Thanks so much to Barbour for allowing me to advance read this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Barbour) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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This collection of novellas are perfect for a quick Christmas read anytime of year, They are well written, light, Christian romance centered around a Christmas theme. I enjoyed them. I received this advanced readers copy from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

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A collection of clean, historical, Christian romances set during the Christmas holiday. Well written and enjoyable.

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Six engaging, well-written novellas set during the Christmas season in Civil War era America. Honestly, there’s not a dud in the bunch. Novellas can often be tricky, but these were so well-paced that I became invested in each story. Well done.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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I often struggle to enjoy novellas. The characters seem to get over their struggles so quickly that it's almost unbelievable. I cannot imagine how difficult it is to condense a story down to novella length.
I was impressed by this group of authors and how they made me forget my misgivings. Each story drew me in and made me smile. I could relate to something in each of the historical stories and it helped the experience
If you love Christmas stories or historical Christian romance, I believe you will love this collection. make sure you preorder it soon!

I was able to read an ARC on Netgalley but freely give my honest review.

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A Joyful Christmas
All six books are Christian based books and each one in there own right are very well written and all have a wonderful storyline.
Christmas Castles by Cynthia Hickey- A Mail order bride who is strong and independent and becomes a single mother and has to fight for her land & family. She does so with the help of the neighbor and trusting in the Lord. The author has done a wonderful job in giving a quick quality Christmas read!

A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson- Cora discovers a wounded Union soldier that she brings to her grandfather to help treat. Jed and her fight their attraction because of the war and the atrocities of what Cora has witnessed. Jed makes no promises and she can only pray and wish upon the angel he has given her that he will return. The author author has delivered an excellent Christian Christmas book for you to read and discover if her wishes come true and in what way!

An Irish Bride for Christmas by Vickie McDonough- A single Christian man is thrust into being a guardian of his three old niece because of her parents death he is lost. The Judge informs him that he has until Christmas to find a bride if he wants to regain custody. Of course, he does. This is where Larkin, an Irish orphan comes into play. She is currently the nanny of the little girl. There are sparks, but are they romance sparks? Read and find out, because you won’t believe the going’s on is this town! The author has written a fun filled and sneaky, but Christian Christmas book!

Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma- If you have a dream of your life turning out one certain way and then because of a twist of fate it is gone! How would you feel? Grateful to the person who might be able to change your life and alter your life just because it’s in your best interests? Adie always wanted stability and a farm, but she might have to marry the Preacher Man and then where would her life take her? Different churches in small towns and frugal living? She wanted to be settled in one place and farm the land. Did she put her trust in a good man and the Lord? This was a great read!

Shelter in the Storm by Carrie Turansky- Rachel & her father a local doctor give refuge to a art war journalist. Rachel who has already suffered one lost love is having feelings for James, but worries if he returns that he could die. Another gentleman enters the picture and James has healed and leaves! Does Rachel trust in her feelings for James and that God will keep him safe or does she go with the man who is here now? This is also a good storyline by the author because it shows depth of character.

Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch- Beth & blacksmith learn what Christmas Service is and that a person doesn’t have to do it all alone. This is one of the best Christmas stories I have read because it tells about Christmas spirit and loving your fellow man! I loved how the author truly felt the Christian spirit in the characters and their was no spite , but only loving spirit and helping hands! Wouldn’t that be wonderful if we had that everywhere in our lives, but it’s so great to read in these short stories!

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A Joyful Christmas
6 Historical Stories
by Cynthia Hickey; Liz Johnson; Vickie McDonough; Liz Tolsma; Carrie Turansky; Erica Vetsch
A Christmas Collection to Warm the Heart
Grab a warm cup of tea and watch as romance is kindled and joy is restored to broken lives during six by gone era Christmas celebrations.
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?
Impressions: This was a hit or miss collection of novellas for me. Some of these short novels hit the spot and others were meh.
Liked: A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson, An Irish Bride for Christmas by Vickie McDonough, Shelter in the Storm by Carrie Turansky
Disliked: The other novellas in this collection just didn’t spark anything for me.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

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What a wonderful collection of Christmas novellas! Each of the stories are well written heartwarming inspirational reads. This book will put you in the Christmas spirit and would make a wonderful gift. This book was an absolute joy to read. Thank you Barbour Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

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I enjoyed this book. The stories were very uplifting. I felt that some stories were better than others. They each had a Christian Christmas theme. I enjoyed the fact that they featured normal people overcoming great hardships to share in the celebration of the birth of Christ. Many of the books also featured children or family. I really enjoyed the first book where the heroine wed a man by proxy and when she arrived in town, she was a widow, mother and owner of a ranch involved in a range war. The hero was the neighbor who helped her, at his own loss. This story was so sweet. I truly enjoyed show they developed and worked with each other. The heroine was a no nonsense woman who wore pants. The hero respected her independence. The second story was a about a heroine who saved her Yankee Captian when he is shot in her hometown in the South. She goes to great strides to help him. She doesn't care what side he is on because she feels that the was doesn't take into account that every who was killed left an open scar on every family. This was very sweet and touching. The third story was about a man who had lost everything, even his niece was taken away by the mayor's wife because he was single!. This was such a nice story of redemption and being honest and good when faced with the opportunity to do evil and bad. The fourth story was about a heroine that found her hero battered and bruised at the front door. But he was not a soldier, he was a war correspondent who covered the battles in Kentucky. This was another nice story. The last story was about a heroine who had her very own Christian hero under her nose, but had to learn to appreciate that you can have a job to support you and your family and still serve the Lord. This was an anthology that hit all the stops. I recommend this book with 5 stars. I liked the characters, the story lines. Some of the stories were more sophisticated than the others and I did find a couple of spelling errors, but nothing of note.

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A Joyful Christmas is six novellas put together by Barbour Publishing. I highly recommend this book as I thoroughly enjoyed each historic story especially how scripture and prayer were intricately woven in and the characters were well-written.
A Christmas Castle is set in Prescott, Arizona in December 1867. Annie Morgan comes to town as a bride only to find her husband has died. She thought her dreams had to until she is given the task of caring for his 4-year old daughter, May. Neighbor Drake Carter helps in warding off another neighbor, Ben Hayward from taking her land. A little gold, a sod house and another marriage all play a role in this inspirational novella by Cynthia Hickey.
A Star in the Night is a novella set in Franklin, Tennessee just after a civil war battle which had taken place not far from the home of Cora Sinclair and her grandfather, Horace Sinclair in December 1864. On her way home from tending the wounded soldiers at a nearby farm, she finds an injured Jedediah Harrington who needs healing himself after being shot. Cora tends to his wounds as Jed tends to her haunting dreams.
Jackson Lancaster needs a bride by Christmas if he wants to keep his newly orphaned niece, Rosie, according to the judge and the interfering wife of the mayor in An Irish Bride for Christmas by Vickie McDonough. In the meantime, said wife has her servant Larkin Doyle watch over Rosie and tells her the uncle has abandoned his niece. Jackson worries about keeping his stagecoaches secure from bandits that had killed his family and is sad that he can only see Rosie on supervised visits. It is a heartwarming tale of misunderstandings corrected in 1880 Prairie Flats, Illinois.
The next story tells of the dangers of a Northwoods Wisconsin logging camp in Under His Wings. Adie move from job to job with her father and is helping the camp cook prepare meals at Camp Twelve for the winter of 1875. The Preacher Man, Noah Mitchell, is cutting partners with her father and is only in camp to earn money to go to seminary. Noah makes a promise to his partner that he must keep in this tender tale written by Liz Tolsma.
Shelter in the Storm by Carrie Turansky is another novella set in Tennessee near Nashville in the latter part of 1864. Rachel Thornton and her sister are the children of the local doctor and have remained unscathed during the war and have been able to keep their large home which bodes well since Amos, their servant, found a wounded man at their gate. While her father is away, Rachel tends to his wounds and the doctor then allows James Galloway to stay and recover but will the war call this artist back to the front lines to paint the battle scenes?
Erica Vetsch tells a very heartwarming eye-opening story in Christmas Service. Beth Sorenson has always pictured herself as a wife of a preacher. When the opportunity comes to direct the Christmas pageant, she seizes the chance to shine but has a hard time allowing others to help. Blacksmith Todd Rambek steps in as her assistant but he wants more than that since he had just asked her grandfather, the preacher of this Minnesota log cabin church, if he could court Beth.
Overall, I give A Joyful Christmas an excellent rating and recommend it as a great Christmas book. I received a copy of the book from NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for review and the opinions are my own. #NetGalley #AJoyfulChristmas #Barbour Publishing

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I chose this book because of the authors. I knew it would be a great read, and I was not disappointed! Written by six expertly gifted storytellers, A Joyful Christmas is a collection of easy-to-read, heartwarming novellas set in the mid and late 1800’s in Arizona, Tennessee, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Steadily flowing plots; loveable, believable characters; sweet romance; expressive prose; bits of humor; and strong faith elements make for entertaining, feel-good, inspirational stories that make you smile and even shed a few joyful tears! In this book, you will meet six endearing couples—Annie and Drake, Cora and Jedediah, Jackson and Larkin, Adie and Noah, Rachel and James, Beth and Todd—who all find love at Christmas time, but whose touching stories can be enjoyed any time of the year! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book in e-book form from the publisher via netgalley but am under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

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A Christmas Castle by Cynthia Hickey
Awww beautiful story filled with sacrifice and love in the most beautiful season of the year; Christmas. Drake and Annie did not sign up for the misfortune that hit them close to Christmas but they both decided to make the most out of the situations surrounding them and love met them along the way. With hearts and lives dependent on God they made it through.

A Star In The Night by Liz Johnson.
Heartwarming and tear jerking story of love that endures all things with the beautiful miracle of Christmas.

An Irish Bride For Christmas by Vickie McDonough
Jackson and Larkin finding a home with each other despite the hurdles and challenges. Lovely story filled with the miracles of Christmas.

Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma
This story is sure to bring out a few tears. I loved and admired how Noah protected Adie even when it meant forfeiting his dreams. At the end of the day they both had their dreams fulfilled and love to top it all.

A Shelter In Tge Storm by Carrie Turansky
James and Rachel's story is one of love, sacrifice and joy. Thrown together by unlikely circumstances but bounded by love they got to be together in a time of war.


Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch
Todd and Beth! Amazing story of discovery for the both of them and love in earnest. I loved how Todd pursued Bety even when she did not give him the time of the day and how he choose to be patient with her. Love is patient and Todd shone that truth clear and clear.

I recieved a copy of this book from Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.

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I loved this book, each story had a lovely tale to tell, and anything about Christmas is just wonderful in my opinion.

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What an absolutely delightful and fun collection of novellas for Christmas! I kind of wish it was Christmas instead of July with temperatures in the high 90s. But it was so fun to read these amid their snowy Christmas weather. Just made me feel good. I enjoyed it so much. Easily and quickly read, each one will bring a smile to your face and heart. Recommended.

*My thanks to Barbour Publishing for a copy of this book via Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

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A Joyful Christmas 6 Historical Stories

I have been loving historical fiction these days, specifically Christian romance so this book hits the spot. It has six historical romances set in the late 1800’s America. Two of them were during the civil war.

The stories are short with a simple plot but very enjoyable. Since they are short, the couples fall in love with each other at a very short time. Normally I don’t enjoy those but I don’t mind it here. Each author has a different writing style so it makes each story unique. I like all the heroines. Their characters are varied from strong women to meek ones.

I am pleased with two of the stories, A Christmas Castle by Cynthia Hickey and Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch. Annie from A Christmas Castle is feisty and faces things head on. I just like this marriage of convenience trope. Annie and Derek are a perfect match! The choir rehearsal from Christmas Service was hilarious. I like Todd here. He is calm and a good man.

All of these stories are Christian fiction but not preachy. Talks about God come up in conversations and show in their actions. I have enjoyed this book a lot. I look forward to reading more Christmas stories. 5 stars

Thank you #netgalley and Barbour Publishing, Inc.for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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With novella collections like these, some stories will be better than others and I found that each story in this collection had its own flair of originality and likeability. I found A Christmas Castle to be both humorous and suspenseful and I liked that Annie was a strong-willed woman who can handle her own. I also really enjoyed Under His Wings for its message and Christmas Service for the flawed, self-centered main character. I found that all of these tales captured a message of the gospel and executed it delightfully well through such a short time. Great work from Hickey, Johnson, McDonough, Tolsma, Turanksy, and Vetsch! Thank you to Barbour Books and Netgalley for the eARC and the privilege of reading this collection in exchange for an honest review.

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