The Desert Flowers - Mistletoe and Holly by Judith Keim is a beautiful and heartwarming finale to the Desert Flowers series. Just when I thought the story was over with the third installment, the author surprised us with a lovely Christmas novella. It was such a joy to reunite with the beloved characters from the previous books and meet new ones who are in need of some holiday love, cheer, and miracles.

Juanita Sanchez and her husband Pedro, who have always been a surrogate family to Alec Thurston, take on the role once again for Ivy Barrett and her son Benjy. Both Ivy and Benjy have faced rejection and judgment, making them skeptical of miracles and unconditional love. With the help of Juanita's Kitchen, a new endeavor by Juanita and the Desert Flowers, they embark on showing Ivy, Benjy, and others the true meaning of holiday miracles and building friendships.

This novella perfectly captures the essence and true spirit of the holiday season. It is heartwarming, uplifting, and filled with messages of love and kindness. The bonds and connections between the characters are beautifully depicted, particularly the deep love shared between Juanita and Pedro, as well as the everlasting friendship among the Desert Flowers.

Judith Keim has once again created a captivating story that will touch readers' hearts. The Desert Flowers - Mistletoe and Holly is a must-read for fans of the series, but it can also be enjoyed as a standalone. I highly recommend diving into this heartwarming tale that reminds us of the importance of love, family, and spreading joy during the holidays.

I am immensely grateful to NetGalley, Wild Quail Publishing, and Judith Keim for providing me with an e-ARC of this book. The opportunity to read and review this novella was a true delight.

Novella length holiday story of strong women friendships. All of the women at one point or another in their life have been down on their luck. One has a young boy who because of growing up poor his mother doesn't want him to believe in Santa because of not being able to afford presents for him. The boy is such a sweetie. I really enjoyed getting to know him. It was pleasing to see how the women helped those less fortunate with their soup kitchen and kind words.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

A boy who doesn’t believe in Santa Claus and a woman eager to help him discover the joy of giving to others.

When Juanita Sanchez and the Desert Flowers—Willow Sanchez, Rose Bowers, and Lily Walden —open Juanita’s Kitchen, the food kitchen Alec Thurston and they formed as a charitable organization, a young woman named Ivy Barrett and her seven-year-old son, Benjy come into their lives. Ivy is appointed head of the kitchen staff and they all work together to open the kitchen before the holidays. But when Christmas decorations are hung and talk about Santa Claus begins, Ivy makes sure Benjy understands that Santa Claus has never been in their lives and he shouldn’t dare hope he ever would. Distressed, Juanita and her husband, Pedro, set out to show them the spirit of giving is still alive and well, even for those who don’t believe.
An irresistible slice of escapism and a joy to read. Compelling, absorbing and highly entertaining. Fast-moving and fun! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Juanita Sanchez and the Desert flowers Willow Sanchez Rose Bowers and Lily Walden open Juanita’s kitchen they form a charitable food kitchen where a young woman Ivy Barrett and son Benny come into their lives. Ivy is appointed head of the kitchen staff and they all work together to open the kitchen for the holidays. But when Christmas decorations are hung and talk of Santa Clause begins Ivy makes sure Benny understands that Santa Clause has never been in there lives and he shouldn’t hope he ever would. Juanita and her husband Pedro set out to show them the spirit of giving is still alive and well even for those who don’t believe. This was an incredible holiday story for everyone to read.

I really thought that 'Willow' was the third and last installment in the Desert Flowers series until the author decided to treat us to a Christmas novella. We get to meet all the old characters again and a few new ones who are in need of some festive love, cheer and miracles.

Juanita Sanchez and her husband Pedro, who have spent their lives taking care and being a surrogate family to Alec Thurston, find themselves reprising the role for Ivy Barrett and her son Benjy, who do not believe in miracles and unconditional love because they have only experienced harsh rejection and judgement. With the help of the newly opened Juanita's Kitchen, Juanita, Pedro and the Desert Flowers show what holiday miracles and building friendships are all about.

A heartwarming novella that does manage to capture what the true spirit of the holiday season is all about.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Wild Quail Publishing and the author Judith Keim for the e-Arc of the book.

When I requested this book from NetGalley, I was not aware that it was the fourth in a series! I feel I would have gotten more out of it had I read the previous books, but it was still a good stand-alone read.,

Juanita is getting a soup kitchen ready as a tribute to Alex, who died earlier in the year. This novel revolves around getting it established, new employees and characters, and a gentle romance. It also addresses a young boy who doesn't believe in Santa Claus and how both he and his hard-working mother came to see that we all have Santa within us.

I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a heartwarming holiday story. Although it is a standalone, it would be better to read the previous books to really get a good sense of the characters.

The story follows Juanita Sanchez and a dedicated group of women (the desert flowers) who open a soup kitchen with funds from benefactor Alec Thurston. I didn’t realize I was jumping into a series as this is book #4. This book introduced Ivy as a culinary student and single mom. She and her delightful son become part of the soup kitchen business. Son Benjy dreams of a real Christmas, but disillusioned Ivy doesn’t have time for the magic. Juanita and her husband want to bring the joy of the season to Benjy and restore hope to Ivy.

As always I love the books by this author , this one was no different. The desert flowers Rose,Lily, and Willow along with Juanita, Willow's mother who ran the kitchen at Alex's Desert Inn Resort started a soup kitchen in Alex's memory.. They had to hire some people to work there. They hired Ivy to oversee the kitchen and she and her son Benjy lived upstairs so someone was there all the time. From here you must read the book as it is A VERY GOOD READ

A nice story overall, of Juanita and her daughter and friends as they open their new restaurant. More than that though, it is a place to share and give back to the community. Liked the story, but felt I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous books in the series first. Would still recommend. A good story to read prior to Christmas.

Judith Keim's "The Desert Flowers" Series quickly became a favorite of mine. This is one that took me right in to the holiday spirit. I am in love with "Misteloe and Holly.". New characters are introduced that I was officially dedicated to. I cannot believe how Judith comes up with these entertaining and stories that create more love and friendship in my heart. She has yet to write a book that I am not devouring.
Thank you to the publisher, Judith Keim and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
#TheDesertFlowersMistletoeandHolly #NetGalley

The Desert Flowers—Mistletoe and Holly is the fourth installment in Judith Keim’s Desert Flowers series. While each book stands alone, so much is added to the story if read sequentially. This story picks up a few months after the third book left off. The three Desert Flowers, Rose, Lily, and Willow, along with Willow’s mother Juanita Sanchez have pooled resources to open a friendly soup kitchen establishment where they will offer fresh, home cooked meals to those less fortunate, homeless, poor, senior citizens just scraping by.

After finding and purchasing the right property for their charity, and with Juanita taking on the role of overseeing the meals and the kitchen, they proceed to build out the property with a large working restaurant style kitchen and a large dining room on the first floor, a small office and two en-suite bedrooms on the second floor.

Then comes the task of staffing the establishment. In their search they are looking to work with people who truly need a step up in life, but with certain skills to smoothly get the job done. These important people include an injured veteran, a grandmother raising her two grandchildren, a couple of ladies starting over in their 40s, and a young single mom, Ivy, and her 6 year old son Benjy. Ivy, who is also attending college part time to get a restaurant degree, is hired as manager and she and her son are given the upstairs rooms as a bonus.

In this lovely story we see how the Desert Flowers embrace their charitable practice and how they make a difference in the lives of their employees and those they serve. This is a lovely holiday story. Judith Keim’s work never disappoints. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

When the ladies come together to make Juanita‘s kitchen they hire Ivy. She is a single mother of Benji and hasn’t had the happiest of times things were so bad for Ivy she wouldn’t even allow Benji to believe in Santa but before it’s over not only will Benji believe in Christmas but Ivy will start to believe in love. This book was so good all the ladies come together at the request of the deceased Alex Thurston he called Willow, Rose and Lily his desert flowers. I have three previous books with each of the ladies finding love but I think Lily and Jake is my favorite. I love Juanita and her husband the ladies Judith kind write some of the best characters and I can’t recommend this book and this series enough. If you’re in to sweet romance then you need to read the desert flowers mistletoe in Holly by Judith Kind it truly is a great Christmas romance. I received this book from NetGalley And the author but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate most of my review.

Juanita Sanchez and the Desert Flowers—Willow, Rose, and Lily open Juanita’s Kitchen, the food kitchen that was created as a charitable organization, to carry on Alec dream. They hired Ivy as the head of the kitchen staff, and she had a seven-year-old son, Benjy. They wanted to be open for the Christmas holiday. As they started putting out Christmas decorations, Ivy told Benjy that Santa wouldn't come to see him, she had once believed and learned he never came to her house. He didn't want him to go through what she did.
Juanita's husband took Benjy out in his workshop, and he and Juanita spent a lot of time doing things with Benjy. As the days went by, Ivy and Benjy discovered the love that was freely given to them, she took a step in moving forward by accepting the friendship of a young man who brought his elderly neighbor to the kitchen. She didn't have anyone, but she had him. Ivy began to see the magic of Christmas, through the people who worked in the kitchen, the ones who made the kitchen happen, and the ones who came to the kitchen.
Christmas morning, when they went downstairs, there were presents for them both. When they saw Juanita and Pedro, they both loved the pictures that Benjy drew for all of them. This is a story that will remind you of the magic of Christmas, what love and kindness can do to change someone's life, how sometimes people come into someone's life at just the right time. Juanita and Pedro's daughter was going to be married, so their lives were going to change. Benjy and Ivy, helped them as their daughter was moving on to become a wife, reminding them that life changes, but it was still going to be full of love, things to do, and they still have a purpose.
I received an ARC from Wild Quail Publishing through NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley, Judith Keim and Wild Quail Publishing for the copy of
The Desert Flowers - Mistletoe and Holly. This is my personal review.
What a wonderful book. This book will make anyone who reads feel like they are part of this story.
Juanita’s Kitchen is now a reality. The Desert Flowers can be so proud of what they have accomplished along with everyone else in the story. They have honored Alex in a perfect way.
This is a short but wonderful book.

With help from her late boss Juanita Sanchez and the Desert Flowers open a soup kitchen for those in need. There friendships are made. Love is found, and a little boy finds the magic of Christmas. Lovely book.

The Desert Flowers, Willow, Lily, and Rose work with Willow’s mother, Juanita, to open a charitable food kitchen before Christmas to help the community but also to honor the memory of Alec Thurstan. Ivy Barrett, a single mother to seven-year-old Benjy, is hired to run the kitchen. Ivy hasn’t had an easy life but is doing the best she can to provide a good life for herself and Benjy. She’s not into Christmas and doesn’t want to give her son false hope and have him believing in Santa Claus. As Juanita and The Desert Flowers get to know Ivy and Benjy better, they open their hearts to them and devise a plan to show them the true meaning of Christmas. A heartwarming story of heartache, loss, new beginnings, new friendships, and so much more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a quick little holiday read. I had never read this author before, but even though it was part of a series, I thought it was a good stand alone story. I liked the friendships of the women, but also how they opened their hearts to others who needed a second chance in life and love. It was a sweet Christmas story. I will be reading more by this author. Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. If you like light, clean, holiday stories, with a bit of romance thrown in, you will like this one!

When I requested the novella, The Desert Flowers - Mistletoe & Holly by Judith Keim from Netgalley, I wasn’t aware that it was a part of a series. There were references to past books and I was curious about some of these references However, it didn’t really affect my enjoyment of this story. It is a sweet read about the true meaning of Christmas, of Santa, and families - the ones you are born into and the ones that you gather around yourself, IA lovely homage to the Christmas season.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Will Quill Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest revie</i>

I was unfamiliar with this series and after reading this book, I know it is not for me. Although it is decently written, I could not get in to the characters or their lives at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wild Quail Publishing for the eARC copy of The Desert Flowers- Mistletoe and Holly.

I will start by saying this is the first book I read in the series and everything probably would have made a bit more sense with some more backstory. I believe this is a "novella" just based on the length. It's a very short quick read.

I absolutely loved this. Such a sweet heart warming holiday story about a group of women "the desert flowers" who open a soup kitchen and hire underprivileged people to help run it. One of those people ends up being a big part of the story, a women named Ivy and her son. The young boy has never had a real Christmas and has never received a gift from Santa. All that is about to change as they try to help this family and so many others throughout the holiday season.