Sweet story that was perfect for the season! I loved the characters and the relationships that VanLiere creates! It's a compelling and fun read!

Another great book in the Christmas Hope series by Donna VanLiere. What I particularly like about this author is that she always has some kind of twist in her story and within her characters to pull the characters together in a unique way. Her stories are heartfelt and kind and the entire series has been so enjoyable.

Heartwarming story about how a single table can have a ripple effect. Not only did this table matter and have meaning to one woman, but over an extended period of time another as well. The table is the center of their home.

This is one of the most touching books I have read in a while. It shows a parallel from 1972 and 2012 of two women in very different seasons of life.

In 1972, Joan Creighton and her husband John decide to learn to cook and make a new dining room table, respectively. In the midst of these experiences, it is discovered that Joan has cancer. The story does an excellent job of describing the emotional turmoil not only for the individual, but also for the family.

In 2012, Lauren Mabrey is newly married to Travis. Having been a foster child for most of her life, she is uncertain how to cook or home decorate. She works a few jobs to help make ends meet. In the process of working at Glory's Place, she needs a beautiful cast of characters who love her deeply and well. This is important because a major change is about to occur for Lauren.

Most of the plot centers around Lauren uncovering a dining room table that has a drawer with family recipes in it. It feels a lot like a mother's love to her daughter, and Lauren decides that she wants to find the owner of these cards (while learning to cook).

The parallel timelines are very well done, and it is a beautiful surprise at the end on who the true owner of the cards is! I highly recommend this read. I am certainly going to be looking forward to reading more by this author.

Note: I received an advance reader copy of this book from #NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Great Christmas Read

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This is a Christmas story, and this is the 10th book in the Christmas Hope series. This is way more then a Christmas story. This story is also different then most other Christmas/holiday story I have read before. This story follows two families that is going through life changes events near Christmas. The time lines are 1972 and 2012. I did find the time lines hard to follow at first because there was nothing big happening or very different to make them stay apart in my mind, but that changed fast. I will definitely look to read more books by Donna VanLiere.

Full disclosure--I have had this one on my kindle for quite a while and finally downloaded it in audio to listen to in order to review. I finished this one while grocery shopping (I listen always while shopping) and found myself with tears streaking down my cheeks in the middle of the produce section. Explain that one to the Sunday shoppers! This books takes us through two families who are both going through life changes, John and Joan in 1972 and in 2012 Lauren and her husband and friends. When Lauren finds out she is pregnant, her friends take her to a second hand store to buy a table and when she gets home she finds recipe cards tucked underneath. Not being much of a cook she is inspired by these and begins cooking but not only that she begins trying to find the person who owned the table so she can return the recipe cards. Joan was diagnosed with breast cancer and John tells her he will build her a table and have it down before Christmas. This story went back and forth between the two storylines and weaved its way perfectly. I highly recommend this one no matter what time of year it is.

I love second chances, and this magical story by Donna VanLiere delivered the perfect one. Full of emotions, and perfectly written The Christmas Table is a must-read for the holidays.

The Christmas Table is a holiday read full of emotion, faith, and family. Great read to enjoy during the holidays.

The story is set in two different time periods, 1972 and 2012, and goes back and forth throughout the book. Both stories are connected by a table that has a drawer full of family recipes. When we meet Joan, she is putting together recipes that she received from her mother, and it's in 1972. In 2012, Lauren is awaiting the arrival of her new baby when she buys a kitchen table at a garage sale.

It was so beautiful and heartwrenching to read about the stories and how they are connected. This is really an emotional read and it was so captivating.

I give The Christmas Table 4 stars. There are few books that make me actually cry when I am reading, but this one sure did. The situations and story are so easy to understand and relate to.

Overall I enjoyed this book. The duel storylines from 1972 and 2012 were interesting and went together well. The ending when they were all brought together was sweet and so nice to see all the little pieces finally go together and the mystery of who owned the recipes and table first was finally found. There was a lot going on in this book and because of that at times it felt like too much was happening, but it also worked and made sense to have so much going on because of the duel storylines and because all of this series are companion novels several of the characters we had already met before.

I think if you've read the rest of the series you will enjoy/love this one as well.

I'm not really sure where the series can go from here, but as always I'm interested in continuing it if more books get published.

I'm a sucker for a feel good story that tugs at the heartstrings, and this fit the bill! I had been in a bit of a reading slump and this story, these characters helped to pull me out.

The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere is the tenth full length book in the holiday romance Christmas Hope series. The Christmas Hope series is another that changes characters in each book along the way so all ten full length and the one novella in the series can be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so.

The story in The Christmas Table divides it’s time between two timelines changing the point of view between the main characters in each. In 1972 Joan’s husband, John, has promised his wife a new table before Thanksgiving but Joan’s illness has put him behind schedule. In 2012 Lauren Mabrey has discovered that she is expecting a baby and her friends begin to help her get read to welcome her little one. During this time Lauren purchases a new kitchen table and finds recipe cards inside that she is sure would be missed by their owner.

The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere is the first book of the Christmas Hope series that I have read myself and the story did read fine as a standalone. I loved the way the timelines were woven together in the end of the story and they did flow well all throughout with the characters being distinct from one another. I will say I did feel it could have gone a little deeper as it was a shorter novel leaving me wanting a bit more but overall it was a nice, sweet Christmas tale.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Having recently finished the previously published “The Christmas Table” by Donna VanLiere, I am happy to have had the chance for the e-copy; thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press!

'Tis the season for a holiday story and this was just the story I needed. While illness was part of the story line a bit of mystery was as well. As the story alternated from 1972 to 2012, I followed along more for the mystery and waited for what I hoped would be... the big reveal. This ending is what bumped Christmas Hope #10 to a five star rating for me.

"They're not just recipes. They are family stories and memories."

The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere is a 2020 St. Martin’s Press publication.

2012

Lauren and Travis learn they are about to become parents. Lauren’s friends from Glory House pitch in to help her prepare for the pending arrival. Visiting a local shop, Lauren buys a used table and discovers, by chance, a stack of old recipes. Not knowing how to cook, Lauren decides to try out these recipes. As a result, she realizes how special these memories must be for someone and hopes to find the table’s previous owner.

1972

John Creighton is trying to build a table for his wife, Joan, hoping to have it done by Thanksgiving. While John struggles with his project, Joan, who is battling breast cancer, begins work on the Thanksgiving meal- determined to make it more special than ever. For inspiration, she turns to her mother’s recipes…

In all the years I’ve been reading Christmas/holiday books, I have never read one of Donna VanLiere’s books!! I do have several of them on my Kindle- but… well, you know the score by now…

I’m thankful I made time to look through my TBR pile for older holiday stories before diving into some of the newer ones I’ve added this year. This is such a lovely story! The power of prayer and faith is woven throughout the story, as does the various stages in life and the challenges and wonders they present.

Overall, though, it’s an inspirational story that will warm your heart and leave you with a full heart and a smile on your face!!

Heartwarming holiday read with two connected story lines, one set in 1972 and one in 2012. Sometimes when I read a book like that, I'm pulled more to one of the story lines over the other, but this time I wanted to know what happened with both of them! VanLiere's books are comforting reads and are like Hallmark movies turned into books, but that's not a bad thing for me. It's nice to pick up a book and know that you'll get a holiday happy ever after.

This is book 11 of the Christmas Hope Series. John is determined to build his wife a kitchen table. Joan is determined to make her Thanksgiving dishes worthy of the table. So she turns to the recipes from her mother. Years later, a woman, Lauren, finds the recipes hidden in a table she just bought. She finds comfort in the recipes and the notes on them, Can Lauren solve the mystery of the recipes and find comfort that she is seeking?

I am very far behind in writing my reviews. I did enjoy this book, and plan to include it in an article & blog post about books related to Christmas. I happily give it 4 stars.

Think was a lovely Christmas story about two families, in 1972 and 2012, and a very special Christmas table that brings them together. I really liked the characters and the recipes! I’m glad the author included them, not only do they sound delicious but they’re part of the story.
I enjoyed this book, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Christmas in July - reading The Christmas Table was like the Hallmark Channel in a book, and not at all in a bad way. This was a lovely read full of small town charm and good feelings. It's set in two time periods, 40 years apart - in 1972 John is attempting to build a dining table for his wife, Joan. In 2012 newlywed Lauren finds a great deal on a table that's been recently refinished. When she gets it home, she finds a stash of handwritten recipes with notes from a mother to a daughter. She enjoys learning to cook from the recipe cards, but also feels compelled to try to find the daughter who she's sure would want to have those cards. There's a cast of supporting characters from the town in both stories. I haven't read the other books in this series, and as I came across those supporting characters I had that "there's a backstory there" feeling, but not in a way that kept me from enjoying the story at hand. As a nice bonus - while reading about all the dishes Lauren was learning to cook, I began to wish the recipes were actually in the book. Eventually I took a peek ahead and sure enough - at the end of the book, the recipes are there!
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

This is a Christmas story, but this is way more then a Christmas story. This story is also different then most other Christmas/holiday story I have read before. I love reading Christmas story in June and July. This story follows two families that is going through life changes events near Christmas. The time lines are 1972 and 2012. Everything in the story comes together over recipe cards and a table. I really loved this story, and the ending was so very good. I did find the time lines hard to follow at first because there was nothing big happening or very different to make them stay apart in my mind, but that changed fast. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (St. Martin's Press) or author (Donna VanLiere) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review , and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.