This is a heartwarming, feel-good Christmas story! It alternates between two time periods and narrators. Joan tells the backstory behind the Christmas table and Lauren tells the present-day story of how she finds the table years later. I loved the premise of the story. Lauren finds handwritten recipe cards hidden in a drawer in the kitchen table she just purchased and wants to find the family that previously owned it to return the cards. Meanwhile, she uses the cards to learn to cook. The characters in this book are so warm, caring, and supportive of one another. It helps the reader connect with the characters. I loved that each recipe card contained a family memory that corresponded with the recipe. It inspired me to do a similar project with my family recipes. Some of the recipes mentioned in the book are found at the back of the book. I would highly recommend this book to readers that love a heart-felt story and love to cook!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

When Lauren buys a table at a local furniture builder, she doesn't realize what a treasure she has. She discovers a secret drawer full of recipe cards. As she reads and tries out the recipes, she can't help but try to find the previous owner of the table. A fun, heartwarming Christmas story.

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the ARC of The Christmas Table (Christmas Hope # 10)by Donna VanLiere. This was a sweet and heartwarming multigenerational story about family both chosen and given. The added bonus of recipes throughout the story made this an extra fun read. I had not read any of the others in this series and can definitely be read as a stand alone. Reading this one definitely makes me want to go back and read others from this series. I absolutely loved the ending. TW: Cancer/Illness.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

I recently became a huge fan of sweet Christmas tales and make them a mandatory part of my November/December reading line up. The Christmas Table is a perfect addition to my holiday reading. This sweet Christmas story explores two different time periods , two different couples and a shared Christmas table.
I really enjoyed the included recipes! The romance and Christmas spirit were perfect.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exhange for my honest review.

Even though I don't consider myself a religious person, every year I am drawn to Donna VanLiere's Christmas offering. Her "Hope series" offers hopeful stories about faith and believing in miracles; a few of her books have been made into Hallmark movies as well. Each of the books can be read as a stand alone but, this years story does have a few characters from an earlier story. This year's story is told in (2) timelines (1972) and (2012).

In this story (1972) John Creighton is determined to build a holiday table for his wife Joan. The only problem is that he has only done small woodworking problems in the past. The family has (2) young children and Joan has been busy learning to cook, using recipes passed down from her own mother. Joan has also found out she has breast cancer which has spread and she is undergoing treatments.

(2012) Lauren and Travis Mabrey are a young couple who are expecting their first child. Lauren grew up in foster homes and longs for a real home and family. Lauren buys a used table and in the drawer of the table she finds recipes, each has a special message written on them. Lauren is certain the person who originally owned the table did not intend to part with these recipes. She is determined to find the family and return the recipes.

The story alternates between these stories and made for a mostly uplifting read. I loved seeing how Lauren was able to form a beautiful family and home. She had a community of people willing to make sure that happen for her. At the end of the book and peppered throughout are the recipes, many of which seem worth trying. I thought this was a nice holiday story for believers and non-believers alike.

I started this one on audio (very good) but, I also supplemented it with the eBook to see the recipes in print.

Christmas stories are some of my favorites. The Christmas Table by Donna Vanliere put me in the holiday mood. It was a wonderful escape into the lives of two families that were decades apart but were impacted by a handmade dinner table. They persisted through struggles like we all have by faith, love and cooking treasured family recipes. Several recipes are included at the end, and I’m planning to try Toffee Popcorn with Chocolate Drizzle. Sounds yummy!

Y'all, I'm not crying, you are. You definitely need tissues to read this book. The Christmas Table is a story of love, family, hope and loss. There are two timelines and families of people in this book. One couple who starts the table and recipe timeline and a pregnant woman who needs the grounding and roots that the table represent.
Reading the description made me sad that a family heirloom created by a family member's own hands wasn't kept in the family and cherished for holidays or just family dinners in the future. This table represents so much to so many. This is a wonderful, hopeful read.

This is the best unexpected happy read I've had this year. Christmas Table will be my stocking stuffer gift to all readers on my list this year. Book 10 in the Christmas Hope series and it's a winner. You will need your box of Kleenex but every tear is worth the wonder story. In 1972 John promises his wife, Joan a beautiful table for their Thanksgiving dinner. You then find yourself reading about Lauren in 2012 who is expecting a baby and finds a table in a second hand shop. The table and the recipes she finds in the secret drawer inspire her to learn to cook. The two timelines intertwine beautifully and the final chapters are so unexpected and wonderful you are speechless. The entire series by Ms VanLiere is inspiring and a perfect Christian read for the holiday. It can certainly be read as a stand alone but you'll be inspired to read them all. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Christmas Table, book ten from the Christmas Hope series, is my first introduction to Donna VanLiere's stories and it will not be the last. Five stars.

The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere

John Creighton is determined to build a kitchen table for his wife, Joan, by Thanksgiving. Asher is battling breast cancer. Lauren is pregnant and trying to learn how to cook by using her Mom’s recipes.

This book was about two families and how they cope with their problems.

It was a warm and cozy story.; about sickness, families and how the characters coped with everyday living. But, there was so much cooking and recipes that I felt I was reading a cooking journal.

Thank you Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for review.

This was a super sweet and charming Christmas story with a large dash of love. It is a story of two families, one in 1972 and one in 2012, with an interesting twist to the connection between the stories. Young wife Lauren finds a hidden drawer in an old dining table filled with recipes full of warm and loving notes from a mother to a daughter. She uses them to learn to cook and in the process realizes that the recipes must have been put in the drawer by mistake and someone will surely want them back. So she set off to find the owner. It was a Hallmark movie in a book, and made a great quick happy read.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was my first Christmas book of the season. It was a cute book with wonderful character development. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

This book is both inspiring and enjoyable to read. It follows the journey of a table built for Christmas. The table affects the lives of several people in very different ways but brings them together in a most unusual way. The author handled the characterizations perfectly and built a storyline which leads you to keep reading. I would definitely recommend this book.

This book is heartfelt and had a lot of great emotional pull. It was not one of my favorites that I've read this year, but overall it was good.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review


Heartwarming Christmas dual timeline (1972/2012) where two couples each receive news that tests their faith, but ultimately gives them the strength they need to rise above.

A tug at your heartstrings kind of tale, this will no doubt be on Mom's Christmas list this year.



Goodreads review published 02/11/20
Publication Date 06/10/20

I have not read much by this author. However, watching movies made from some of her previous books has made me seek out her writings. This novel is destined to become another memorable Christmas story. The author skillfully weaves a story between two time periods around a table. As I began this book, I found myself already trying to connect the title with the wonderful stories presented. The connection came soon enough. I have to say that reading this story had me laughing at times as well as crying. My advice to readers: if you are a person who feels things deeply, keep your tissues ready. You will need them, but you will also appreciate the various emotions you experience. I see a movie in this book’s future. Many thanks to the author for a memorable read!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the publisher and Net Galley. However, the thoughts expressed are my own.

I Loved this book!!!! At first I was a little confused going from 1972 then to 2012 and then back. But I figured it would all tie together and boy did it ever! I Love the Faith and belief that is in the book. The characters are all so well thought out and written. The Christmas Table is a must read!!!

A poignant Christmas tale involving two families and one table. In 1972, a young husband begins building a kitchen table for his wife, who eagerly begins learning to cook using her mother's memories. The table - with those same recipes still in the drawer - shows up in a secondhand furniture shop nearly five decades later, and its new owner is determined to get those recipes back to the family where they belong, learning a sad family story in the process. (Netgalley review)

Lovely inspirational story about family, friends, and finding faith. The cover gives a good description of the story so I won't repeat the storyline. It is a quick read and one that will leave you with a good feeling. There are some excellent recipes tucked in the actual book but the author included a few recipes at the end of the book that look quite simple but delicious! Read and enjoy.
I was provided an advanced reader copy of the book and was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Just the kind of story I love to read this time of year. The Christmas table is inspirational and full of Christmas magic. This book kept me interested the whole time and I read it quickly. The characters are great.