Title: A Christmas to Remember
Author: Beverly Jenkins
Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyager, William Morrow Paperbacks
Series: Blessings Book 1
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"A Christmas to Remember" by Beverly Jenkins
My Sentiments:

'A Christmas to Remember' was a lovely read about what happened during this Christmas season in the small town of Henry Adams, Kansas. The story was standalone; however, I suggest that you read the series because there are many characters that I would like to know more about. This is series eleven. But it was still quite an exciting story. It had plenty of drama with emotions all over the place where we see people coming and going in the fantastic town along with some great people.

It was a beautiful read of how this town showed the reader how this place was getting ready for this holiday season...with couples that found love, forever homes for foster children, and big plans for this Christmas season. How will things go for Henry Adams as the new chef, Thornton Webb, who arrives a little early? I don't want to leave out Mayor Sheila, Rev. Paul Grant, Bernadine Brown, Malachi July, Tina Craig, and other interesting characters that give the readers one fantastic series. This was indeed 'A Christmas to Remember' for the town of Henry Adams.

Thank you to Net Gallery and the publisher for the early ARC read and for giving my opinion.

This is a very sweet and wonderful story. Be prepared to keep track of a lot of great characters. The many citizens of this small black owned town are proud of their heritage. They support each other in everything they do financially and emotionally. Each character is well developed and easy to like. The story is easy to read as you follow the life, challenges and joys of each character. This is a great book that you will be happy to purchase.

I found this book really hard to follow which made it really hard to get pulled into. There are so many characters, although they are likeable, there are multiple storylines going on at once and quite difficult to keep everyone straight. The town of Henry Adams is a charming place that is full of good-hearted people which make you want to figure out all the connections and keep reading.

Chef Thornton Webb has sold his restaurant and is moving to Kansas to help start a new restaurant! When he arrives in Henry Adams, Kansas it was close to Christmas and the town was preparing for a special wedding. Bernadine was marrying Mal and she wanted a very simple wedding. The menu for the reception was what they had shared on their first date!

Reverend Paula was going to officiate the wedding and she also was a counselor on the side. Chef Thornton had his eyes set on Paula but she couldn’t understand what a good looking younger guy could see in her. The whole town was working to get those two together. This town also had lots of foster kids in it and they were lucky to have such loving parents now. This story was such a sweet story and it makes you feel warm and cozy!

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

When I requested this book, I didn’t realize it was the 11th in a series. Definitely feel like you need to read this series from book 1 as I was lost on who some of the characters were and their backstory. This book is very enjoyable even without knowing every detail from previous books. Henry Adam’s sounds like a fascinating place full of intriguing people. I hope to revisit it in future books.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

A contemporary look into the town of Henry Adams and its residents.

This is the eleventh book in the series.
I would recommend starting with book one. Especially if you are looking for an introduction into the townspeople.

Overall a good read that I would recommend.

This was my first Beverly Jenkins read; overall I enjoyed the book, it gave a very heartwarming experience centered around a lovely small town. I was confused a lot with all of the characters and then saw that this was the 11th book in the series. I now want to start from book 1 and will reread this once I’m caught up on who’s who.

I have been waiting patiently for this story for a while and I must admit that it definitely didn't disappoint!!!
It has everything that I have come to absolutely love about The Blessing Series. I loved that new characters have been added, sad that a character that I was looking forward to knowing more about decided to leave Henry Adams without really giving it a real chance. I'm hoping that we get more stories about this wonderful town, especially the children like Preston and Amari. Hopefully we'll see Eli James come home and Crystal finally step into her destiny. I am so hopeful that we get to know more about little gems dropped by gentleman Pastor Paula visited; especially regarding our beloved Tamar July!!!
I can't wait until another Blessing Novel is released!!!!

A lovely installment in the long running series about the people of the town of Henry Adams, Kansas that likely be most enjoyed by those who have read at least one of the preceding novels and can fully appreciate the changes that have come and are ahead for the characters. Bernadine, who bought the town using her divorce settlement, and Mal are about to be married but the wedding planning is totally stressing them out. Meanwhile, Reverend Paula finds herself attracted to the new chef in town even as Brain sees his romance fizzle. While Bernadine and Mal are the centerpiece of these novels, it's those other characters that round things out and make this feel like a real place. As always, Jenkins is a good storyteller who will pull you in and make you root for (almost) everyone. Thanks to the publisher for the arc. A good read.

Loved this book. Ms. Jenkins fails to amaze me each time. Bringing together each character and their lives intertwined perfectly.

Thorn is a popular chef who is ready for a change so sells his restaurant in California to be the chef in a small town called Henry Adams in Kansas. It was founded by former slaves, and many of their descendants are living there still. The townspeople accepted him readily as he was introduced to them and to their customs, including the three women who are putting together the new restaurant where Thorn will be in charge. While the story felt too slow for me and was sometimes confusing with all of the different characters, it was quite heart-warming, as was the town.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced read.

Henry Adams is a quiet laid back town that was purchased by Bernadine Brown in which she brought new life and easy living to the people who lived there. Now she and Mal are about to be married on Christmas and both are wondering are they ready to give up having their own space and live together under one roof.
Several children who were in foster care bounced from one home to the next she had connected them with families in Henry Adams to adopt them.
Then there is the town Priest Pastor Paula who dedicates herself to helping others but is also wondering will she find that special someone. Perhaps the new Chef Thorn who just moved from California might be the one.
I love how the author wrote the storylines for the characters whether they were major or minor there was a nice takeaway and life lessons to learn from.
I highly recommend this book to read where it will make you smile, laugh and take you away to a place where you might want to live and/or visit.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this review is of my own honest opinion and thoughts..

This book felt like being dropped into the middle of a story from the first page. I struggled to make sense of what was going on and, for me, it never came together in the end.

It should be a part of descriptions when books are part of an established series. This is #11 in a series and I missed a lot of background info that would have made the story easier for me to understand. This was more of a slice of life book than a romance in my opinion. It was sweet but I definitely wouldn't read it as a standalone because you will miss context that will deepen your connection with the story.

Beverly Jenkins books are like putting a big cozy sweater with a roaring fire with a cup of tea with a dab of honey on a cold, rainy day. She draws you in with the detailed character development. The town and characters is where I’d love to live. Your always rooting for all conflicts to be resolved so that everyone is happy.

Loved this! Atmospheric, festive, heartwarming, with great characters and some depth. Great holiday read! Will definitely be recommending for holiday reads!

Beverly Jenkins is a gifted storyteller and I’ve enjoyed her contemporary and historical novels. I realized quickly as I started A Christmas to Remember that this is very much part of a series. I read it as a stand alone but clearly there is much history in the community and ongoing relationships both good and bad. The setting is a town called Henry Adams, Kansas. It is a town originally founded by freed slaves. Bernadine bought the town when she got a large divorce settlement and is trying to revitalize it. The focus in this story is on Bernadine as she is planning her wedding to Mal and the arrival of Thornton Webb, a chef and successful restaurant owner, who is going to head the new restaurant in town. He may be the answer to Reverend Paula Grant’s prayers as a potential partner. There are other happenings too with many of who I assume are the town regulars. This is an engaging story but I probably would have enjoyed it more had I read previous books in the series. (Although there is a bit of recapping so a new reader isn’t lost.) Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving a voluntary review. (3.5 Stars)

In an effort to read more broadly the authors who are popular, I delved into this upcoming Beverly Jenkins. While it is part of a series, reading it as a standalone was not a problem, although prior series knowledge would have helped. Interesting plot, developed characters, but not really my type of novel, as I'm not a romance reader usually. But now I'm armed with some knowledge of romance queen B. Jenkin's style and better recommend her titles to library patrons.

This is one of the most emotional books I read. It's a town where emotions are high and love has everyone tested. It makes you evaluate yourself and the hard decision that can either make you the better person or the villain in the story. Amazing book and Beverly Jenkins always delivers the story and it really puts the reader's perspective in life.

10/10

When I started reading this book, I thought it was overwhelming. Then I stopped, just reading the book and thinking about what I was reading. Henry Adams is a small town, and the people are busy, and when I settled in, yes, I felt like the town welcomed me and I settled in and became a part of their journey.
There is so much to Henry Adams, they created their town, by working together, the town has many blessings, and there is always room for one more.
They don't take things for granted, they navigate through life, they are celebrating Christmas, and always thinking and caring about the people that live there, I started this review by being overwhelmed but soon realized, this book was meant for me to read, to help me see, how I needed to bring these things back into my life. I used to be like the people who live here, but I was on autopilot, just going through the motions of living, but this book, has changed me, and has lit the spark in me to live life again and not just go through the motions.
It is an amazing town, with amazing people. I received an ARC from William Morrow Paperbacks through NetGalley. Yes, this book has been a blessing to me.