4.5 stars for this sweet short Christmas story. I'll agree with other reviewers that it helps to have read "If I Were You" prior to reading this. Though this story stands alone, the prior book helps to understand the background and relationship dynamics. This short story picks up about a year or so after that book left off. Audrey and Eve have settled in to doing single motherhood together and at Christmas-time their sons find the "wish book" catalog and want EVERYTHING for Christmas. This story was about how these moms worked to curb the commercialism of their young sons and instead bring to them the spirit of giving. This had some cute moments - I really enjoyed their Christmas play, some sweet moments - I appreciated their ideas of becoming the wise men, and some inspirational moments - I liked the part where their neighbor took down her gold star and why. All in all, this was a nice jaunt back in with these familiar characters to see how their story arcs continued and a sweet Christmas story that really embodies the spirit of the season. Special thanks to Tyndale and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

Audrey Barrett and her best friend, Eve Dawson have pooled their resources to raise their sons in America. Audrey, a war bride whose husband passed away before she could arrange for immigration for herself and their infant son, struggles to navigate a new life in the United States. Eve helps pave her way. Both women have sons the same age.

Eve struggles with the mistakes from her past and her need to pay back the debt she owes. Her stubbornness threatens to ruin her relationship with the most loving man she’s ever known.

When the boys, Bobby and Harry, discover a Sears Christmas Wish Book, they get a case of the gimmies that neither mother knows how to deal with. When the boys star as two of the Three Wise Men in their school’s Christmas program, Eve and Audrey use the teachable moment to encourage the boys to bring wise gifts to others in their community.

Along the way, both women learn their own lessons about accepting gifts graciously.

What I Loved About This Book

If you’ve read Austin’s book If I Were You, you’ll love this sequel. Even if you haven’t read it, you’ll still enjoy this heart-warming post-war Christmas story. I remember the Sears catalog and all the glitz contained within its pages from my childhood. Readers will relate to the theme of making Christmas meaningful without focusing on all we could get.

As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I smiled. What fun we had as kids looking through the Wish Book and choosing our favorite toys! This Christmas story follows up on Lynn Austin's World War II story about Eve and Audrey, two British women who survived the war and relocated to the United States with their young sons. Now the boys are kindergarten aged, and this Christmas finds them wanting every toy they see, plus a dog and a dad. It was a sweet, squeaky clean, albeit somewhat predictable story to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas. As the two women try to find ways to quell the selfishness and greed they see in their sons, they also sort out their own emotional struggles. For those who enjoy reading Christmas stories, this book would make a great advent calendar of sorts. Not every day before Christmas is represented, but it does count down from 20 days before Christmas until Christmas Day. While not as gripping a tale as If I Were You, it was enjoyable to catch up with Eve and Audrey again. I was glad to receive a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.

A delightful story following closely on the heels of the novel, If I Were You. Highly recommend reading that book first, otherwise there would be many spoilers.
This is a story full of joy and hope, with the anticipation of Christmas and something new as Eve and Audrey face their future. The little boys are charming and add a spark of excitement to the seasonal tale. Their sweet innocence is refreshing as they turn from the wanting-every-toy-in-the-catalog phase to learning the joy of giving to others. The author seamlessly works a redemptive message into the narrative as the true meaning of Christmas shines through.
The transformation in Eve is lovely as she must learn to forgive herself in order to move on. Audrey likewise has her own lessons to learn. It was a satisfying read overall and a nice way to round out the story begun in If I Were You. It made me feel a bit nostalgic with the mention of songs and other traditions from the 1950's.
A fun read anytime of the year. Recommend!

(An ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)

The Wish Book Christmas is set during the 1950’s in a quint Connecticut town. Best friends Eve Dawson and Audrey Barrett are on a mission to teach their children the true meaning of a Christmas. Of course, Bobby and Harry are entranced with the Sears Christmas Wish Book and hatch a plan to have Santa buy them every toy they desire. Their plans are realigned when their mom’s teach them the importance of giving gifts and focusing their attention on Jesus and his birthday. This book is an endearing holiday book that reminds us some of the best gifts are not found under a tree and a lot of the time they are undeserved.

What a pleasure to revisit Eve and Audrey in this Christmas-themed sequel to If I Were You! Those who haven’t read If I Were You will have no difficulty following The Wish Book Christmas (but they may find themselves compelled to pick up the book that sets the back story.) Now making their home in America with their two young sons, post-wartime widows Eve and Audrey worry about the boys’ obsession with the Christmas Wish Book. Harry and Bobby want nearly every toy in the catalog! As the two mothers creatively nurture a desire to give rather than simply get, the women learn some life lessons of their own.

If you’re looking for a happily-ever-after, feel-good Christmas story, this one won’t disappoint. But that doesn’t mean the book is trite or completely predictable. As in If I Were You, Eve and Audrey grow and change in ways the reader may not completely anticipate.

From the retro Christmas scene on the cover to the vivid details that enabled me to envision the 1951 Wish Book and take a seat near the Christmas tree in the modest bungalow, I was pulled right into the 1950s, one of my favorite story eras!

I was provided with a free ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

First sentence: Bobby Barrett stepped off the kindergarten school bus and his foot sank into a pile of fresh snow. Some of the snow fell inside his galoshes and soaked into his socks, making him shiver. He couldn’t remember there being this much snow back home in England, where he was born.

Premise/plot: The Wish Book Christmas is the sequel to Lynn Austin's If I Were You. The year is 1951, the season, Christmas. Eve Dawson and Audrey Barrett are living together with their two sons Bobby (Barrett) and Harry (Dawson). Both women are working hard while prioritizing family. When the boys get their hands on a Sears Wish Book catalog, well, their domestic peace is temporarily threatened. These two boys get a case of the GIMMEs. They want EVERYTHING. Well, not everything. Not baby toys. Not girl toys. But every other toy is GIMME, GIMME, GIMME. Can these two mamas figure out how to show their boys the true meaning of Christmas?

In addition to being a cozy historical read, it is also a romance.

My thoughts: I enjoyed If I Were You. I did. But even before I knew this book was a sequel to a book I've already read and enjoyed, I wanted it. THAT COVER SAYS READ ME, READ ME, READ ME. It has to be one of the best covers I've ever seen. I also remember my own Wish Book years. There is a JOY in having a Sears Wish Book in hand and writing that letter to Santa. (For the record, I never wanted everything--nor expected everything.)

As for the book itself, well, it has a definite cozy, nostalgic vibe. It isn't as intense and suspenseful as the first book. There really isn't any conflict. It's just a comfy-cozy, holiday-themed, light-and-fluffy romance. Definitely has some predictable (but always welcome) themes of what the Christmas season really means.

If a book comes up with the name Lynn Austin on it, I am jumping at the chance to read it. The Wish Book Christmas fulfills every expectation for a Lynn Austin book. There's mercy, love, forgiveness, blessings, and grace to be mined through this short novel. And there's nostalgia.

The Wish Book came every fall to our house, in fact, we had two wish books at least come to us: J C Penney and Sears and Roebuck. My mom set a budget to spend for us for Christmas and birthdays, and then filled in extras with S & H Green Stamps, Gold Bond Stamps, and Wonder Market Stamps. She saved the stamps all year long and then redeemed them for gifts for all of us.

Audrey and Eve live in the same house with their two sons, who are the same age. The boys find the Wish Book and begin wishing for everything in the book that appeals to toys. Their greed for things is overwhelming to the boys' mothers who want to teach them that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Audrey and Eve were first introduced in the book, If I Were You, where Audrey finds out that Eve has been impersonating her for four years. In that book, Eve finds forgiveness and salvation; and Tom. In this book, Audrey and Eve find that God longs to be gracious to them and to bless them beyond all they could ask or imagine, but they have to accept what God wants to do for them. At the same time, they have to teach their sons what truly loving is all about.

This book is a quick read, but don't let its brevity fool you into thinking there's not much substance in it. There are a lot of deep spiritual concepts to be mined from this book if the reader takes the time to dig for them. Pride and greed are two of the most battled concepts in this book, but there are others as well. Mrs. Herder has steeped herself into mourning the loss of her son during the war that ended six years prior has to come to realize that her love for her son didn't die when he did, and that it is no disrespect to him that she continues living. In coming to that conclusion, she teaches Audrey the same thing, that Audrey's love for her husband didn't die when he did, but it is no disrespect to him that she continue living.

This is a five star book with two thumbs up and a favorite toy in the Christmas Wish Book.

Tyndale House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Oh my goodness, I dearly loved The Wish Book Christmas. This story is a sequel to If I Were You (which I also really loved.) The Wish Book Christmas starts where If I Were You ends. Audrey and Eve try to teach their sons, Bobby and Harry, the real meaning of Christmas after the boys discover the Sears Christmas catalog and start listing the entire toy section as their wants for Christmas. I loved getting an update on Audrey and Eve’s stories. The story is such a sweet Christmas story. Thank you to Netgalley and Tyndale House Publishers for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

For those that read Lynn Austin's If I Were You, this is a must read as Eva and Audrey's story continues as they adjust to their life in America. As Christmas approaches, the boys thought of what Christmas means is very different that what either mother can deliver or what for their boys to understand.

The Wish Book Christmas by Lynn Austin welcomes readers back to the familiar characters of If I Were You. Even if you had not read that story, you will still enjoy this novel, but I think to understand and fully embrace the forgiveness story, you need to read If I Were You. I love reading Christmas stories when it is 93 degrees outside. It makes me smile and bring a warmth to Christmas. Austin crafted a story that a lot of children need to read and understand. Our family does not spend a lot on our boys for Christmas. We plan a trip with each individual child during the year instead. Much better than gifts. I do like the idea of giving three gifts to help others like the Wise Men did to Jesus. I love the Happy Birthday Jesus Party too. We do that in our house too. I love the snow. It was everywhere. Something I want more of. I really enjoyed this story. It shares a wonderful Christmas and life lessons about gifts. Plus, it was a delight to spend time with. I definitely want a paperback copy of this novel to put on my shelf. I highly recommend this book to others.

I received a complimentary copy of The Wish Book Christmas by Lynn Austin from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

THE WISH BOOK CHRISTMAS by LYNN AUSTIN is the sequel to If I Were You but it can be read as a stand alone. The characters are delightful and the story shows how two little kindergartners, Bobby Barrett and Harry Dawson, take their role in the school play as the "smart kings" seriously. With some encouragement from their mothers, they learn how to give gifts with a glad heart. To start with they want every toy they see in the Christmas Wish Book and their mothers are determined to teach them the true meaning of the season.
Eve Dawson and Audrey Barrett need to learn to take the gifts that are offered to them without feeling obliged to make up for their past mistakes. God has given us the free gift of His Son Jesus and there is absolutely nothing we can do to deserve salvation.
It is a charming Christmas story.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Tyndale House Publishers, The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The Wish Book Christmas was a delightful, and yet thought provoking, follow up to Lynn Austin's If I Were You. The story continues of two friends who had grown up together, yet very differently, suffered and served in their home country of England during WWII, and then parted, only to discover how their lives and sons intertwined again in the USA after the war. The Wish Book Christmas brought back many memories for me of growing up a decade after the 1951 setting in the book. Christmas during my growing up years always included looking through the latest mail order catalogs to "wish" for presents. Lynn brings her Christian insights into forgiving and growing past our difficult life events and following God's leading. Another terrific novel by Lynn.

Lynn Austin's The Wish Book Christmas reunites us with her characters from If I Were You. Audrey and Eve are building new lives for themselves in the United States after leaving post-war England. Both women strive to teach the real meaning of Christmas to their five year old sons while finding their way to forge forward in relationships and new opportunities. If you're looking for a "feel good" Christmas book, this is it! It wouldn't be a far fetched to imagine a Hallmark movie spin-off of the story.

I was given a copy for the book in turn for an honest review for NetGalley. All opinions are mine.