This was my first book by Donna VanLiere. I had read that she did fantastic Christmas stories and wanted to try her. I'm so glad I did!
The Christmas Table is a dual timeline story of two different families. This was really different than any other story I've ever read. Part of the time you are in 1972 with Joan and her family and part of the time is 2012 with Lauren and her husband and friends.
Joan is struggling with metastatic cancer and her family is learning the importance of faith and hoping that Joan lives till Christmas. Lauren has her own hopes for Christmas. One is learning to cook from old recipe cards she finds in a table she buys at a garage sale. The precious recipe cards passed down from a mother to daughter send Lauren on a journey to discover the rightful owner of the cards and the memories written on them.
I absolutely adored this book!

In 1972 John Creighton is determined to make a beautiful wood table for his wife Joan for their Thanksgiving meal, while Joan is determined to learn to cook, using recipes her mother gave her when they married several years ago. These recipes also contain memories from her childhood as she reads through them, selecting foods to try. However, Joan is diagnosed with breast cancer which then spreads to her lungs. Will she live to see Thanksgiving and the table John is making?

Fast forward forty years to 2012, Lauren Mabrey is volunteering at Glory’s Place in Grandon. It’s a place where children can come after school for help with homework … a safe place for these children of moms who cannot afford after-school care. Lauren discovers that she and husband Travis are pregnant. Everyone at Glory’s Place wants to help her spruce up their home and get ready for the baby. She buys an old table from a local woodworker who refinished it. In a drawer in the table, she finds several old recipe cards. Lauren sets out to find the owner of these cards because of the personal notations written in them. With only one name mentioned in the cards … Bud, a local dairy farmer … will she find the person who should have these cards?

I’ve read several of Donna VanLiere’s Christmas stories and THE CHRISTMAS TABLE certainly does not disappoint. It is just as charming, heart-warming and uplifting as all her other Christmas tales. Ms. VanLiere returns us to Grandon and Glory’s Place, where we get reacquainted with several old friend (supporting characters). The story line toggles back and forth from 1972 to 2012 several times, coming together at the end with an inspirational conclusion. This is a story about finding your way back to God, as well as finding your way in life, and having faith and hope to face each day. It’s about spending time around the table with family and friends. Warning: Eat before reading this book! These delicious recipes will make you hungry. Ms. VanLiere includes a few of them at the end of the book. Can’t wait to try some!

This inspirational book was different because two stories were being told at the same time until they intertwined together. One was about a family in 1972 and the other was the current story from 1972. Everything centered around a kitchen table that John made for his wife, Joan. If that table could talk the stories it would be able to tell about John and Joan and their children, Gigi and Christopher. It could also tell you how they found faith.

In 1972 when Lauren bought the table she discovered a hidden drawer underneath the table and it was filled with family recipes. This prompted her to want to return the recipes after making a copy of each for herself.
This is a touching story about the two different families and how it brought them and many others together to relive events from forty years ago. There are some surprises too that made the story special. There are also some delicious recipes at the end of the book. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

With a dual timeline and two sets of main characters, this is a heart-tugging and warm Christmas story about family, friends and finding your purpose in the world. The first timeline is 1972 with John Creighton and his wife Joan. They have two young children and Joan has cancer that she is battling bravely. John wants to do something special for his wife, so he decides to build a kitchen table for the family. Flash forward to 2012 with Lauren Mabrey, a young woman who has just discovered that she is pregnant. She and her husband have just started housekeeping, so they need to establish a special place for their new baby. Lauren gets the assistance of her helpful friends at Glory’s Place to find a new kitchen table and to decorate the baby’s nursery. The table is what draws the two timelines together. I really enjoyed reading Joan’s recipes that she got from her mother and that she is trying to pass down to her own daughter before the horrors of cancer take her away from her family. When Lauren discovers the recipe cards in the Christmas table, she starts learning how to cook, but she is also determined to find the one who wrote the recipes to begin with, knowing that they are a legacy. What a wonderful story this was of hope and love and what we leave behind! The story lines were engaging, and each time I read about Joan and then switched to Lauren, I was eager to go back to the other character, whoever it was at the time, in order to continue their story and discover the end of the story. There was a lot of emotion in each chapter, building to the end that was satisfying and also tear-bringing. Fans of VanLiere’s Christmas tales will find a lot of love within the pages of this book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

The Christmas Table is a sweet, heartwarming, Christmas book about faith, friendship, family, love and hope. Families forty years apart are linked by a very special table. This book has wonderful characters and tells a great story. I could not put it down.

What a wonderful holiday story! The book has two storylines that left me guessing at how they would work out in the end. It has a fantastic ending. I enjoyed every bit of the book even as I had to bring out the Kleenex. It left me feeling good and hopeful. You can't ask for more! I could read this book over and over! I fully recommend it! I received a copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The Christmas Table is my first read in the Christmas Hope series. So you can totally read it as a stand alone. I loved everything about this book and it was what I needed during these trying times. It gives you hope and inspiration. I felt the love and humanity. Its about the faith and true family values. It was like a feel good movie but in words. I could not put this book down and it makes me want to put up my Christmas tree in October!

This book was very different from what the cover and the blurb had me believing, but not in a bad way. It’s a much heavier and more serious plot than I assumed a Christmas tale would contain, but works it well to the HRA. The story flips back and forth between 1972 and 2012, following two families as they prepare and deal with some life changing events. In 1972, we’re dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis; 2012 is a pregnancy and preparing for the coming baby. I liked the contrast of these two events and how each family dealt with them. I loved the support each family (and friends) gave the women in both time periods. Binding the two stories together is the role the kitchen table plays in each family. The table is made by the husband in 1972, then found and refinished in 2012. The table has a drawer in which recipes from the 1972 family are left, that the 2012 mom-to-be discovers. While trying out these recipes, memories and family ties are made and strengthened in both eras. There is a very strong Christian message throughout this book that even though I don’t usually read, melded into the story nicely. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my freely given, honest review.

The Christmas Table is the tenth book in the Christmas Hope series by Donna VanLiere. A story that brings me a warm and fuzzy feeling! A feel-good, faith-filled story of two women, Joan, and Lauren, and one homemade table.

This book was very well written and demonstrates a heartwarming story that was told in different span of time. An inspirational read, just in time for the holidays and this pandemic. Definitely a tearjerker and a must read especially if you enjoy reading drama, family lighthearted stories, and Christmas traditions.

Note: Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was an enjoyable quick read. This story has got a storyline in the present and one in the past. I like how in the end they came together. I liked how recipes were used throughout the book, but it did seem to slow down the book. IFor me this was the first book I read by this author, and I didn't feel like I missed anything. So this can definately be read as a standalone.

The Christmas Table is a heartfeels fantastic holiday read. You get several family stories rolled into one that will fill your heart and even bring tears to your eyes. I really loved this one and the magic of this dining table. It gives Lauren a sense of family she didn't have growing up as she discovers a recipe box written from a mother to her daughter as she learns to cook for her new growing family. It brings people together and heals the past. I love learning the story behind Joan and her husband as she battles cancer and the bond she forms with her children in the kitchen. This book will give you the feels and then some. You will not be able to put it down.

This was my first read by Donna VanLiere and I was very pleasantly surprised. Holiday stories and clean stories are not usually my go-to but I really enjoyed this one immensely. I loved the back and forth between two different time periods and trying in my own mind to find out where and how everything connected. I loved the recipes. I loved the twist when the secret or mystery was revealed. I loved how I cried when the story went a completely different way than I expected. All in all a wonderful holiday story with amazingly lyrical, beautiful writing. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Beauty, emotions, family and love are such emotions that came over me reading this story. I was drawn in by Joan's husband building her an incredible gift a dining table she had dreamed of. Years later Lauren purchases the table from a second hand shop that had recent restored the piece. She discovers a drawer of receipt cards and decides its time to learn to cook. She had bounced from foster home to foster home so she never had someone to teach her to cook.

This book follows the lives of both Joan, as she battles breast cancer, and Lauren as she grows her life, family and friendships.

This touching heartfelt novel captured my interest from the very beginning.
I loved the past and present connection throughout.
The characters were charming and memorable and especially loved Lauren and how she handled the struggles that she conquered.
I love the warm fuzzy feelings that I got while reading this thought-provoking story.
A special bonus there are many recipes throughout that sound delicious!!!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for fair and honest review.

Every once in a while, I read a book which just happens to be the most perfect read for what’s happening in my life at that time. The Christmas Table is story of love, family and community with a message of keeping faith during some of our darkest hours. It really is just what I needed.

This book is the tenth in a series but can be read easily as a standalone. It is told in two time frames - 1972 and 2012 and surrounds the importance of a family table originally built by John Creighton for his wife Joan. John has never really built anything, but promises to build Joan a table for their young family in time for Thanksgiving. Inspired by John’s creativity, Joan decides to use the recipe cards her mother has given her and learns to cook and bake, with her children alongside her making memories. Her progress slows when she begins a courageous battle, fighting breast cancer.

The second story is of Lauren and her husband Travis who are expecting a child of their own. Lauren purchases a refinished table second hand and discovers recipe cards within its drawer. Feeling a need to learn to cook, she uses the recipe cards to teach herself and enjoys her success in creating delicious meals. She feels the love and stories behind each recipe, and determines the need to return the recipe cards to their rightful owner. The challenge of finding the owner is one that proves to be quite difficult.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved how the two stories were intertwined as well as the sense of community felt by reading the book. I was touched by the support that the men, in particular, gave each other What stood out to me the most, however, was the spiritual message that was spoken by several of the characters in this book which helped maintain their focus during difficult times. What more can I say? This is an absolutely beautiful and moving story and one that I am sure to remember for years to come.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

Today is the day. Something that seems so simple buy many of us lose sight of in the chaos of daily living. The Christmas Table is a wonderful reminder to look for beauty in the moments, to cherish the memories we make and know that faith and love are powerful. Through Lauren, a woman building a family with her husband Travis, we experience the joy of finding family in unlikely places and something Lauren doesn’t expect based on her childhood experiences. Through Joan, we experience the power of love and faith as their world is tested. I felt every emotion for both of these women that inspired me and lifted my spirits. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

This was a nice read and a lovely Christmas story. I'm not sure I'd label it a romance novel, but it was pleasant enough. It just was not what I expected. Still, it is a nice holiday read.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Christmas Table.

This was such a sweet and wonderful holiday book. It was my first Donna VanLiere and won't be my last!

I loved the story of building the table and seeing the recipes in the 1972 storyline and then seeing how hard Lauren worked to find the original owners of the table.

This story is the power of family and the memories that sharing recipes can evoke.

5 stars! The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere was everything a book should be-good story, warm and charming characters, entertaining so much that I didn’t want to put it down. The premise is simple-John is building a table for Thanksgiving in 1972. His wife, Joan, is determined to learn to cook so that she can serve really good food on John’s Thanksgiving table. Life interrupts both John and Joan’s plans, though.

Lauren and Travis are newlyweds. Lauren volunteers at Glory’s place and Travis works for the city. Lauren discovers she’s pregnant and her co-workers at Glory’s place determine to help the young couple get their home ready for the baby, starting with a new kitchen table. Yep, they find John and Joan’s Thanksgiving table at a resale shop! Then Lauren discovers the recipe cards!

I absolutely loved this book! In addition to the main couples, there are the supporting characters who reminded me of the characters from Steel Magnolias. And, I also loved that I didn’t know this was Christian fiction going into it. What a great surprise! But it’s not preachy, Christian fiction.

The Christmas Table is an easy read. I flew through it but I’ll remember it because I loved it! It is book 10 in the Christmas Hope series but it reads as a stand alone so don’t let that stop you from picking up this book! I’m definitely going to pick up more of them!

Thank you to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the advanced copy of #thechristmastable!