Five and Dime Christmas may be my new favorite Christmas compilation. With heartwarming stories based out of a now extinct department store, it grants a sense of nostalgia with the timeless hope of love at Christmastime. Each story follows the 'Happy Ever After' of a young saleswomen in 1881 (or thereabouts) and the subtle ways each author connected her story to another within the book were a cute part of each story. I had never heard of the authors from this particular compilation and each novella inspired me to look at their other works for my own personal reading.

I loved each of the heroines and would look forward to pulling this book out with my other 'Christmastime books' to curl up with in the busy season for a quick satisfying read in the midst of Holiday craziness.

Woolworth's Stores may be gone forever, but love and Christmas miracles remain timeless in 'Five and Dime Christmas.'

These are sweet, extremely clean and overtly Christian historical romances. I have fond memories of both shopping at and eating at the Woolworth lunch counter with my Mom as a little girl.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. 3-1/2 stars.

For those who remember Woolworth Brothers’ Five and Dime, these lovely novellas will bring back fond memories. If this is all new to you, then enjoy taking a short look at what it was like in 1881 when you worked at a retail establishment - one that sold all sorts of wonderful things. You can relax and enjoy a time when life moved slower and there was more appreciation for the little things.

This early copy was received through Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. These thoughts are my own and were in no way solicited.

I had higher hopes for this series of novellas, but they turned out to be soppy romantic fodder that would do better as a Hallmark movie than a book.

To be fair, the first story was interesting, with the woman who worked in the store having to work under the man who might do away with her brother’s job. That plot appeal was quickly undermined, however, by annoying moments, like where the main character fawned over the love interest’s British accent.

It seemed like each story had a perfect main character (with some kind of sob-story to give her sympathy: orphan, disability, left at the altar), while the love interest was a great man (strong, tall, “husband material” to quote from the last novella) who just had to get over his own insecurities in getting to know the main character.

Each story mentioned Christmas and God, but these elements were used more as a backdrop to romance than really demonstrating the importance of Christmas and having a relationship with God.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very well written collection of historical short stories. I enjoyed all four selections. I recommend this book.

Charming, charming, charming. Loved this novella of a Five & Dime Christmas.
1881, Scranton Pennsylvania is the center of these four novellas. Four young ladies are each working in Woolworths department store. Each has their own story to tell. And each one finds love along the way.

A Merry Little Christmas finds Hattie working to help her family. When a handsome Englishman keeps coming into the store, she is intrigued. When she takes on a secretarial job, she finds her boss to be Timothy Branson, the very same Englishman who frequents her store. But when she finds out her brothers job may be on the line because of Timothy's work, can they reconcile their differences. And make a difference?

In A Home for Christmas socialite Essie Banfield takes a job at Woolworths to give her life purpose. When she meets Pastor Max Warner, who has taken in six homeless boys, she finds her heart full of compassion and wants to help. Will Max turn her down when he finds out she is not who he thinks she is.

The Light of Christmas finds Henry catching the eye of independent Lizzie. This is a delightful story of a slow love bloom.

Lunch with Maggie. Poor Maggie Larson, left at the altar, and turned off to marriage. A charming widower and his daughter lunch at the counter every Friday. Will Seth's slow attention bring Maggie's heart back to God and love?

This clean Christmas collection by Susanne Dietze, Patty Smith Hall, Cynthia Hickey, and Christina Lorenzen can be read anytime of the year. But it certainly put me in the Christmas mood with it's faith based elements.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love Christmas stories. Pack four love stories set in an old department store, one has the makings of a fun read. All four stories by different authors are set in the Woolworth Store in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Nostalgic considering Woolworth is no longer in business. I can remember my trips to the five and dime growing up. One could buy just about anything there. Each story begins with a Bible verse. Faith elements are woven throughout the stories but this adds to the wholeness of the story. The characters are fun and quirky. If you are looking to start the season off with a good read, this is the stories to do it with. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1881 at the Woodworth’s Five and Dime where four couples will find love. The stories are A Merry Little Christmas by Susanne Dietze = Hattie and Timothy, A Home for Christmas by Patty Smith Hall = Essie and Pastor Max, The Light of Christmas by Christina Lorenzen = Lizzie and Henry and Lunch with Maggie by Cynthia Hickey = Maggie and Seth. All the stories are well written and are sweet and clean, these are all Authors I have not read before but I will be looking to see what else they have out. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A Merry Little Christmas: 3.5 stars
A Home for Christmas: 3 stars
The Light of Christmas: 2 stars
Lunch with Maggie: 3.5 stars.

This is a delightful little collection of Christmas novellas! Reading about all the chilly cheerfulness was perfect in the middle of this hot summer. I think the fourth novella, Lunch with Maggie, might be my favorite of them all, but I really truly enjoyed the first one, A Merry Little Christmas, also. And A Home For Christmas, while not perfect, was an enjoyable read. The Light of Christmas was the only one I had trouble connecting with. I'm not sure what it was, but I spent the whole novella wanting to DNF it - and I finished it uncertain if I wanted to go to the trouble of reading the fourth novella. I'm glad I did though, because the final installment was a lovely ending to a beautiful set. The small town Christmas joys were out in full force and I may look up three of these authors to see if they've written any other cute Christmas tales. The stories clearly fit together well, and managed to be different enough to not feel repetitive or recycled. There were similar themes, of course, but all in all, it was a good collection and I'd recommend the first, second, and fourth stories in it. And, who knows, maybe the third one will connect with you in a way it didn't for me.

This book is perfect for the Christmas season! It is a collection of four novellas wrote by different authors. Each of the stories are well written and holds your attention. They are the perfect length to relax with after a hard day. I loved the bible verses! I loved everything about this book and highly recommend it to everyone!
I received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Five and Dime Christmas is a wonderful novella collection full of heartwarming Christmas tales that will tug at your heartstrings and remind you of the true reason for the reason this Christmas.

Set in the 1880's, the collection follows four lovely young ladies that work at the popular Woodworth's five and dime store in Scranton, Pennsylvania. I appreciated that each novella was distinctive from the others, and I loved how the faith element was at the front and center of each one.

With the way our world is going nowadays, this collection was a much needed respite, and I could barely bring myself to put it down.

A Merry Little Christmas was a cutesy holiday romance that finds clerk Hattie falling for the handsome Englishman who continuously frequents the store. However, as she takes on a second job working for him, a huge obstacle emerges that seems to put their chance at future happiness at stake. Only by trusting the One who knows the way better than they ever could can this couple ever find their way to happily ever after.

5/5.

A Home For Christmas tells the story of socialite Essie Banfield who has taken a job at Woodworth's to try and give her life more meaning. When a handsome pastor who has taken in six boys off the street starts to steal her heart, Essie begins to wonder if God has even more in store for her future than she could have ever imagined.

This one was a wonderful tale that spoke of the need for charity and compassion, and how it's such an essential part of the Christian faith. This one definitely gave me all the Christmas feels.

5/5.

The Light of Christmas was kind of a poor girl/rich boy type of romance, and was a tenderhearted story about store clerk Lizzie who's caught the eye of Woodworth's newest employee, Henry. However, when Lizzie discovers that Henry is from one of the most prominent families in Scranton, she's not sure she could ever measure up to his family's grand expectations. A wonderful, heartwarming romance that emphasized the need for Jesus and community, and how nothing is ever impossible for our Heavenly Father.

5/5.

Lunch With Maggie is the last of the four stories, and it ended up being my personal favorite. A touching story about a woman who's been left at the altar, and a charming widow and his young daughter who capture her heart, and begin the process of bringing her heart back to Jesus and back to love.

5/5.

This collection is a beautiful bunch of stories, and I enjoyed each and every one. It's definitely needed this holiday season to remind us all to keep our eyes on Jesus, and I highly recommend it.



Final Rating: 5/5.

Thanks so much to Barbour Fiction for allowing me to advance read and review this one!

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

A Merry Little Christmas by Susanne Dietze - Hattie and Tim are so cute together. I love that Tim visits her everyday. They have some challenges to overcome, but with trust in the Lord they make it through.

A Home for Christmas by Patty Smith Hall - I loved Essie and Max's story. Essie has no idea how wonderful she is. Luckily Max sees it. This was a wonderful sweet story.

The Light of Christmas by Christina Lorenzen - Henry was such an awkward guy at the beginning of this story. I'm glad he finally caught his stride. Lizzie was so strong and independent. I loved her character and longed for her to find love and family again. Lizzie and Henry seemed like an odd match in the beginning but that quickly changed and I really enjoyed their story.

Lunch with Maggie by Cynthia Hickey - Maggie and Seth are wonderful people and so good together. They've both suffered heartache, but were better for it. This was a beautiful story.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley and this is my honest review.

I enjoyed this set of four Victorian stories of faith and romance centered in the Woolworth store in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The stories reflect the time period when influenza was dangerous and took many lives including some of the family members of a couple of the characters. I like how the four authors came to blend the stories together creating a flow between their varied characters. The tradition of celebrating Christmas during the time period features the beautiful glass ornaments that were brought over from Germany.
I remember the three Woolworth stores my family shopped in here in Maine over the years and could easily imagine the store in this book.
I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This is my own personal opinion. It added the spirit of the holiday even during "Christmas in July" for me.

This is a compilation of four stories by different authors all centered around Christmas and Woolworth’s 5 and Dime in the 1800's. It is a great collection and would make a delightful gift for all the Christian romance fans on your list.
A Merry Little Christmas by Suzanne Deitz is set in Scranton PA in 1881. Hattie Scott works at the Five and Dime to help pay her family’s debts. Tim Branson has come from England to advise Slocum Iron and Coal Company, where Hattie's brother works, on ways to improve production of steel. Hevisctaken by Hattie the first time he sees her and visit the store daily for purchases. When he needs a part-time secretary the agency sends him Hattie. They work together on a plan to improve the mill and save everyone’s jobs but will the owners approve it?
A Home for Christmas Patty Smith Hall is the story of a pastor, Max Warner, who is caring for six young boys who were alone and living on the streets. Essie works at Woolworth’s where he shops for six of each item on his trips. Her family is well off and she is working to bring purpose to her life. When she learns why he buys six of things she begins helping him, especially adding treats like a bit of candy or cookies along with necessities. Will they develop more than a working relationship? Will her father accept a poor preacher as his a son in law?
The Light of Christmas by Christina Lorenzen is the story of two people looking to find their own way in the world. As fate would it Lizzie and Henry work together at Woolworth’s. She is in housewares and he is across from her I’m tools. She wishes some day for a family to care for again after losing both her parents and working hard to make ends meet; he wishes to move up and become a bookkeeper rather than be given a job a his father’s mill. Coming from two different worlds will they find love and happiness together?
Lunch with Maggie by Cynthia Hickey is the last story in this book. Seth has lost his wife to influenza and us raising his young daughter alone. He begins taking Annie to Woolworth’s for lunch each Friday and begins a friendship with Maggie as she wants on them. Both he a Maggie have vowed never to be married. Will their friendship grow and change their minds?
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Five and Dime Christmas by Susanne Dietze, Patty Smith Hall, Cynthia Hickey, and Christina Lorenzen contains four historical novellas set during the 1880s. All four stories are set in Scranton, Pennsylvania with the female main character working at Woolworth’s Five and Dime. There is a Bible verse at the beginning of each novella that relates to the story. These are charming Christian stories that take place during the holiday season. The Christian element is nicely done (not preachy). I liked the characters in each story. The main characters are likeable and realistic. I especially liked Essie Banfield and Pastor Max Warner. The four stories are connected by Woolworth’s and the ladies who worked there. I thought the various authors writing styles as well as the story plots worked well together. I enjoyed the wonderful descriptions that brought the scenes alive. I could just envision the Woolworth’s with its lovely Christmas display in the window. I like that each one is a novella which makes them easy to read in a short timeframe (perfect for someone who is busy). The stories will get you in the mood for Christmas. Five and Dime Christmas has four cozy Christian tales that will touch your heart.

So sweet!
I was immensely moved by these tender stories centered around the old Woolworth's five and dime and lunch counter.
The common thread of the store tied the stories together so nicely but each one, like the people and relationships were unique respectively. The faith element was wonderful and touching. I am grateful to have read this unexpected treasure and I foresee purchasing a few copies to gift away at Christmas 🎄.
5 ☆
All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher.
Read:
8/13-8/17/2022

What a sweet and wonderful read! This book is a compilation of four Christmas stories set in a Five and Dime (Woolworths) in Scranton, PA in 1881. Each story is about a young woman who all work at the Five & Dime and are friends. Each one is set with unique circumstances that bring them to work at the store that Christmas season. I loved each one of the stories and the wonderful men who are drawn to these women. This is a definite Christmas read, but would be enjoyed anytime of year. This is a clean Christian read that I highly recommend! I will re-read every Holiday season and share with my friends!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are voluntary and unbiased and are entirely my own.

You know you are wrapped up in a Christmas book when you put it down and are stunned when you look outside to see summer. I was so wrapped up in the cozy feels of this book I could have sworn it was winter.

Each story in this lovely novella will transport you back to Woolworth's Five & Dime. I remember the lunch counter fondly from my youth and could picture my Woolworths in all its glory. While it probably wasn't a five and dime during my time, the lunch counter was always a constant. It definitely brought back a lot of warm memories. I loved how each story included characters from the other stories. It was a delight to read.

The faith element was perfect, as were the romances. I was sorry to put this book down. If you are looking for an excellent book to read now or you want to wait until Christmas, you will not be disappointed in this charming collection. I highly recommend it!

I received a review copy from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Novella 1 by Susanne Dietze
“A merry little Christmas”
4/5 Stars
This story was very cute. Loved how the characters worked together to solve the company problem.

Novella 2 by Patty Smith Hall
“A Home for Christmas”
5/5 Stars
Essie has a lame foot she thinks no one will be with her because of it but is wrong of course. Really liked this one.


Novella 3 by Christina Lorenzen
“The Light of Christmas”
4/5 stars
Cute story. Rich Guy, poorish girl scenario.

Novella 4 by Cynthia Hickey
“Lunch with Maggie”
5/5
This story was my favorite of the 4. I felt like this story had a lot more depth to it. Loved the coming back to God after loss element.

Overall great collection of novellas. I love how all 4 are connected and all four girls work together at the same Five and Dime.

"Five and Dime Christmas" was a great collection of stories that transported me back to simpler times. Lovely.