This set of three novellas is a great way to put yourself in the Christmas mood. They are sweet encouraging stories. Faith is a strong theme throughout demonstrating the strength of Amish families.
A Christmas Reunion, written by Shelley Shepard Gray is about an Amish family, the Troyers. They are unique in that they associate closely with non Amish friends, or Englishers. Mark Troyer invites his friend, an Englisher, Brandt, to spend Christmas with them. I had to forget what I know of the Amish that live in my area. My limited knowledge of the Amish is that they like to keep separate from the Englishers. The Troyers also have relatives who are Englishers. Brandt has discovered a new faith in God and his family has distanced themselves from him because of it. The closeness of Mark’s family and their acceptance of him brings him peace. Mark’s cousin, Tricia and Brandt develop a close friendship as they celebrate the season together. Will her family approve of their newfound relationship and will they be accepted?
The second novella is We Gather Together, by Lenora Worth. This story is about a large Amish family reunion held at an Inn owned by an Amish family. Lucas and his family are there for their family reunion while Kayla and her family are there for her sister’s wedding. Problems arise because of an old family feud between the two families. The two grandfathers courted the same girl. When she made her choice, the feud began between the one time friends. Kayla and Lucas try to bring the families together and their friendship grows. They both depend strongly on their faith in God. Can they overcome and resist being drawn into the feud?
Hitting all the Right Notes by Rachel J Good, is the third and last story of this collection. Mark, a young Amish boy, loves to listen to his English neighbors, the Musselmans, when they play their instruments and sing. As he grows older he helps Mrs. Musselman, now a widow, with various chores. Unknown to his parents, she gives him music lessons and he discovers he is very talented. Mark’s Amish friends are from the “wild” young men who don’t conform to all the rules. Some drive cars and have cell phones. They decide to form a band and call themselves, ”The Amish Rebels”
Joline is a young Amish woman who also is drawn to the English music. She comes from a large family and is responsible for looking after her siblings. She has made friends with some Englisher girls and they take her to hear Mark’s band. Mark’s parents find out about his activities and are shocked and disappointed. When he refuses to stop, they kick him out. He ends up staying at the center where Joline works. One by one, Mark’s friends decide to join the Amish church and drop out of the band. Joline fills in as a band member and their friendship grows. When it becomes clear that she will not give up singing, her family sends her to live with a relative. Will they find their way back to each other?
This is an easy and lighthearted collection.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

A Christmas Reunion by Shelley Shepard Gray

Shelley Shepard Gray’s novella in The Christmas Gathering anthology is A Christmas Reunion. In A Christmas Reunion Englischer Brandt joins his Amish friend Mark for a Christmas gathering. Unbeknownst to most of the group, after meeting at last year’s Christmas gathering, Brandt and Mark’s cousin, Tricia (who is also Amish) have been writing each other for the last year. With each letter, Brandt and Tricia have gotten closer. Looking forward to reuniting at Christmas, Brandt and Tricia are using the gathering to consider taking their friendship to the next level so that they can be reunited forever.

Shelley Shepard Gray has become an instant go-to Author for me for anything she writes, especially when it comes to Christmas books. A Christmas Reunion is a sweet read. I loved meeting Brandt and Tricia! I thought it was an interesting twist that Brandt and Tricia had “secretly” been writing one another. I loved the other characters in the story as well–especially Uncle Abel and Aunt Annie. I loved the aspect of the Christmas Scavenger Hunt and how Uncle Abel and Aunt Annie created a new one every year. I want to do Uncle Abel and Aunt Annie’s Christmas Scavenger Hunt myself! A Christmas Reunion is a sweet story from beginning to end. While A Christmas Reunion was a complete story for The Christmas Gathering anthology, as a reader I was wanting more of Brandt and Tricia’s story–wanting more of a glimpse of how their friendship evolved during the letter writing phase and wanting to know what’s going to happen to their relationship after the story is over. Even though I want more of the story, it doesn’t take away from A Christmas Reunion being an excellent story and edition to The Christmas Gathering anthology.

We Gather Together by Lenora Worth

Lenora Worth has been on my TBR list for a long time and I’m thankful that I was finally able to read her work in The Christmas Gathering anthology by way of We Gather Together. We Gather Together tells the story of a long standing family feud between the Myer and Hollinger families. Unbeknownst to both families, the Hollinger’s scheduled a Christmas Wedding at the Shadow Lake Inn while the Myer’s Family scheduled a Family Reunion at the Shadow Lake Inn. When Kayla Hollinger and Lucas Myer meet, they each find a instant friend that slowly turns into something more. Lucas and Kayla know that their friendship cannot continue unless both families can forgive and trust. Teaming up, Lucas and Kayla come up with ideas to get their families together in hopes of reconciling.

I love We Gather Together by Lenora Worth from beginning to end! I love the family feud aspect to the story, because, to me, it gave Kayla and Lucas’ story a type of Romeo and Juliet spin to it. I love how the theme of forgiveness and trust and how important those attributes are are woven through out the story. I love how Kayla and Lucas did their best to follow what they believe God wanted them to do and follow God’s Word. I love meeting the King Sisters and their families (and I am looking forward to reading their stories). The King Sisters and other family members always seem to be around to offer sage advice and Godly Wisdom to Kayla and Lucas and help them out when they needed it. I love the powerful story and lesson of forgiveness and trust that We Gather Together gave The Christmas Gathering anthology.

Hitting All The Right Notes by Rachel J. Good

Rachel J. Good hits very unique notes with her contribution in The Christmas Gathering anthology with Hitting All The Right Notes. Hitting All The Right Notes is the story of Amish Rocker (yes, you read that right–Amish Rocker) Mark of the hit group Amish Rebels, a band that consists of young men that are on their Rumspringa before they decide to join their Amish Community, and Joline, a Amish Groupie who is the Amish Rebels No. 1 fan and has a musical gift herself. While the music the way the Amish Rebels create it went against Amish rules, singing in and of itself wasn’t bad–but putting it before God and what His Word says is. The Amish Rebels and Joline during this season of their lives, fail to see the heart of the matter until what they have held dear regarding music begins falling apart, causing them to see clearly what God meant for them all along.

Rachel J. Good’s plot in Hitting All The Right Notes was genius, not to mention very unique for the Amish Genre! I have never read a plot like it in Amish fiction before! I wasn’t sure what to expect from Hitting All The Right Notes and if I would consider it a full novella, but it exceeded my expectations. Hitting All The Right Notes covered a lot of ground for a novella to where it felt like it was a full fledge story at times. I love Mark as a character and my heart broke for him as he struggled with love for the music he made and the love he developed for God and his Amish Faith. With Mark’s struggles at the same time came Wisdom and Strength to do what he believed what God wanted him to do. I must admit at the beginning, when I met Joline, she got under my skin a little bit because, to me, Joline came across as very immature for her age and, later on, portrayed stalker-like tendencies when it came to Joline constantly trying to be around Mark. As Joline grew, I myself, grew to like her. I’m thankful that Joline opened up her heart to God and saw how she was coming across to others. I love how Joline and Mark saw what God was trying to show them in how to live and treat others and how the theme of honoring family and forgiving others was woven through out the story. Despite my hesitations with parts of the story, I love Hitting All The Right Notes and it’s characters–especially Ms. Vandenberg (read A Christmas Gathering to find out about her). Rachel J. Good’s Hitting All The Right Notes is a wonderful story in The Christmas Gathering anthology.

The Christmas Gathering (As A Whole)

I really enjoyed The Christmas Gathering from beginning to end! Shelley Shephard Gray, Leonora Worth, and Rachel J. Good each wrote a unique and wonderful story. I love the twists that the Authors brought to their stories and the Amish Genre. I love how each story is full of characters that are real, spunky, and have flaws. I love how each story brought out different Biblical Themes that we all learn and deal with in our lives–Trusting God for the Plans He has for us, Forgiveness, and Honoring Our Families. If you are looking for a fun Christmas read to read during the Season, then I highly recommend The Christmas Gathering by Shelley Shephard Gray, Leonora Worth, and Rachel J. Good! I cannot wait to see what these Authors create next!

Have you read The Christmas Gathering? What did you think of these stories?

Thank you to Jean for giving me a copy of The Christmas Gathering via NetGalley and the Publisher to review, letting me be on Shelley’s Street Team, and for giving me the information I needed for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My review is also on Amazon, Goodreads, and my blog Leslie's Library Escape..

This is a 3 stories in 1 book all dealing with families at Christmastime.

A Christmas Reunion by Shelly Shepard Gray is a story about an Amish girl being attracted to an Englisher who was invited to her Uncle and Aunt’ place over Christmas the year before and started writing letters over the year. They meet up again at the Christmas gathering and they end up in the same group for a scavenger hunt and continue to learn more about each other.

We Gather Together by Lenora Worth is a story about Lucas and Kayla whose families have held a grudge against each other since their grandfathers were teenagers. Both families end up at the same Inn, one for a wedding the other for a family reunion. Lucas and Kayla work together to get their grandfathers to make up.

Hitting All The Right Notes by Rachel J. Good is a story about a teenage Amish boy named Mark who gets kicked out of home when he starts up a band with some of his friends. They travel around but one thing leads to another and they end up back in their hometown and all have to decide if they want to go back home and join the church.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. The review expressed here is my honest opinion.

This book contains three separate stories of Amish holiday time. They are sweet stories and each is different than the others. I enjoyed each of the stories. The stories were all good and I think my favorite was The Christmas Reunion. In some ways reminded me of family holiday get-togethers and there is often a "stray" person as a guest. In this case it was a non-Amish young man and how he related to the family members. The second story was about a long-standing family feud of two Amish families. It's interesting how it continues through time until...a new romance blossoms between the feuding families. The last story was about "Rebel Amish" and the problems that occurred as a group of young Amish youth start a band, which is not abiding by the Amish rules. I enjoyed all the stories and they were fun holiday reads.
I received an ARC of this book through netGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Merry Amish Christmas 2024!
The beautiful cover of this book is a sweet introduction to the collection of three stories for the holiday season. Three of my favorite authors and Kensington Books offer this set of Amish novellas.
I received an advanced reader's copy through NetGalley and this is my own unsolicited opinion.

A Christmas Reunion by Shelley Shepard Gray is an interesting story surrounding a special party hosted by an Amish couple for their family and friends, including English. The Troyer's son, Mark, has invited his friend, Brandt Holden. The school guidance counselor looks forward to the gathering where he feels part of a family after taking part the year before. Mark's cousin Tricia is anxious to see if Brandt will come back. Can the two have any chance at more than a friendship? This was an interesting and different idea for a weekend party, especially with the mix of fifty Amish and English people.

We Gather Together by Lenora Worth takes us to the Shadow Lake Inn and the meeting of Kayla Hollinger and Lucas Myers. He is at the in for a reunion with his family. Kayla is there for her sister's dream wedding. The attraction between the two is heartbreakingly challenged when they realize that they are on opposing sides of their grandfather's decades long sworn enemies battle. This is quite the scenario, a family feud with an Amish Romeo and Juliet without fatal drama. Who better to help them than the King sisters and their parents? It's a cute story with strong faith at the center. The stubborn men show the reality that Amish are human, far from perfect. I really liked it.

Hitting all the Right Notes by Rachel J. Good shines a light on the strict way of life for an Amish boy who absolutely loves music. The novella does a great job of traveling over a few years' time as Mark Troyer becomes enamored with the music his English neighbors thrive on. Over time he makes decisions that separate him from his family and send him on a journey that eventually leads him to beloved series character, Mrs. Vandenberg. Rebellious Joline Lapp is a main character in this story. She is continuing on her path sneaking around her parents who run the STAR center to make her own music dream come true. This is such a good story.

I feel that this is a nice way to incorporate some quick-read Amish stories into a reader's busy Christmas season. I give the collection a 4 out of 5 stars.

This is a book with three novellas, connected by the holiday, family and faith.

The Christmas Reunion by Shelley Shepard Gray
This story is a sweet romance about two people who don’t seem to totally fit in. Brandt was rejected by his parents when he was a senior in high school, so he goes to the Troyer family reunion since he has nowhere else to spend Christmas. His first year there, he met Tricia and they began a correspondence by letter that led to love for him, and he hoped for Tricia, too. The family reunion activities are fun-filled, especially the Scavenger Hunt and the family love that is evident is heartwarming. Good, well-paced story with lovable characters.

We Gather Together by Lenora Worth
This is a story of a longstanding feud and two families who end up at the same BNB for Christmas. One family is there for a reunion while the other is there for a wedding. Kayla meets Lucas there, and they are attracted to each other, but unfortunately, their families hate each other. So the two of them plan to set up activities that forces the families to be together, in the hope that the feud will end. The plot is cleverly written and well paced, and the characters are endearing and believable.

Hitting All the Right Notes by Rachel J. Good

This is the story of two young people who choose music and rebellion over God and family, at least until an elderly lady advises them and helps them to see the truth. Mark is a talented musician who dreams of having his own band and even brings his dream to reality, but he loses his family in the process. Joline is a young Amish woman who has a crush on Mark from the first time she sees him. Their story of how God works things out for the best for both of them is heartwarming and realistic. The plot is well paced and the characters are well developed and relatable. This would be a great story of young adults who are facing tough choices in life to read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

3 Great Stories

These are three wonderful stories that are connected by the Christmas theme, but that is the only similarity. Each one is unique and wonderful read.

The Christmas Gathering by Shelley Shepard Gray
Tricia and Brandt have a special connection, but there's just one small problem. Brandt is English, and Tricia is not. Theirs is a fun and engaging story of what can happen when love is at the center of everything.

We Gather Together by Lenora Worth
What do you do when you meet someone that you click with but find out that your family will never let you pursue a relationship? When Luke and Kayla find themselves in this predicament, they hatch a plan. However, obstacles come up at every turn, making it seem like an impossible feat. But love turns things around in a surprising way.

Hitting All the Right Notes by Rachel J. Good
Andrew thinks he has things all figured out with his music career. Joline thinks her plan for pursuing music, and Andrew is perfect. However, when each one's plans come to a halt, they are left thinking of what is next. As unexpected help comes, along with some turn of events, love ends up coming through in a very sweet and special way.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. All comments and opinions are voluntary and completely my own.

I enjoy Christmas stories, and especially novellas since that means I can read more stories. I even read them year round. And I will re-read this one, I’m sure.

All 3 authors have written Christmas tales of family and friends. And even enemies. With drama, forgiveness, and holiday cheer, these are satisfyingly Christmas.

As the way with novellas, they are a bit rushed and a few of the details I question, but I still enjoyed each one and recommend them.

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

Great reads! 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙂𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 has one of my favorite tropes - interfaith romance. I like that Brandt and Tricia’s love story blossomed over time, not in a week or less. The ending was a little surprising for me but that’s one of the things I love about Gray’s books.

𝙒𝙚 𝙂𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 was a sweet story about Lucas Myer and Kayla Hollinger who had a chance meeting when both families stayed at an inn on Lake Erie. This story is my least favorite trope, feuding families. This meant there were a lot of characters but Worth does a good job of writing in character reminders without being obvious.

𝙃𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 was my favorite of the bunch. This bad boy, Mark, was after my heart when he fell in love with music. Being Amish, this was strictly a no, so of course he was thrown out of his house when it was discovered that not only had he chosen music, he had formed a rock band. This story was so good, I literally clapped at the end.

Thank you NetGalley and every one else that helped with giving me this ARC book.

Total overview:

Language: None

Faith: There is a lot about the Amish faith. The last two were more Amish then the first one as that one had more of a Christianity that I know of.

Romance/Sex: The most was a few kisses and saying the ladys are pretty.

Action/Adventure: None

<b>A Christmas Reunion<b>
Five Stars
Brandt and Tricia must navigate their feeling as they meet once again at the rambunctious Christmas party that Tricia's uncle and aunt have hosted for several years.
The only thing that might be an inconsistencie would be this:

“When my Annie and I decided fifteen years ago to start this gathering.... “And now, here we are. Five years later with a full bus.”

This might not be an inconsistencie but I don’t think it would take ten years to plan a gathering.

The writing was very enjoyable me, and there were no parts that dragged for me.

<b>We Gather Together<b>
Four Stars
Despite the long family fude between Kayla. and Lucas' familys the two of them struggle to get their family to forgive.
No inconsistencies
The writing seemed stilted and awkward, but the story line was very interesting.

<b>Hitting All the Right Notes<b>
Four Stars
Mark's love of music pushed him from his family. Joliene's love of music is about to do the same
No inconsistencies
The writing was very well done with no dull parts that I can think of, though the style was slightly different in the sense that the story took place over several years.

Three Amish novellas all centered around Christmas.

A Christmas Reunion by Shelley Shepard Gray: Tricia Goyer is excited to see her cousin's friend at a Christmas reunion held each year by her family. One problem is he is English! This novella weaves a sweet tale about their time together and their family's reaction.

We Gather Together by Lenora Worth. Kayla Hollinger meets Lucas Myer on the shores of Lake Erie, and they discover that their family's long-standing feud is still in full swing. But they enjoy each other's company and hope to bring healing where years of division have ruled. A family reunion and a wedding seem an unlikely mix - can they pull it off?

Hitting All the Right Notes by Rachel J. Good. Andrew left the Amish community years ago to pursue his love of music but after being scammed he finds himself without a job. Now back in his hometown, he finds himself offered a job where one of his fans is employed. But she has very different ideas from him as to what the future should hold. What will become of Andrew as Christmas approaches?

I was gifted a copy of this anthology by the publisher through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Three standalone Amish romance stories written by different authors. All three have their own HEA. Each couple has to deal with hard decisions about their futures and figure out what God's plan is for them.
I received a copy of this book from the author. Review voluntarily given.

Readers who want to get in the Christmas spirit will enjoy these sweet stories. Readers will be able to sample each of the author's styles of writing learning more about the Amish. I did think the story "All the Right Notes" was a little unusual but enjoyable. Recommended.

A wonderful way to start into the fall season with 3 lovely stories by these incredible authors. These couples overcome obstacles from Family feuds , falling for an Englisher, to being banished from their family. Will they have their Christmas Miracle?
I received a copy of this ARC book, I’m not required to leave a review. This is my honest opinion! Must holiday read! Enjoy

The Christmas Gathering is a compilation of three novellas written by three popular Amish fiction writers--Shelley Shepard Gray, Lenora Worth, and Rachel J. Good.

We Gather Together by Lenora Worth is tied in with the Shadow Lake Inn series and features characters from those books, and Hitting All the Right Notes by Rachel J. Good ties in with the Surprised by Love series and includes one of our favorite characters, Mrs Vandenberg. This story focuses on the STAR Center, a place for troubled teens, which is overseen by Mrs Vandenberg.

All three of these feel good novellas are faith-filled and share the theme of forgiveness. They are definitely a fun, Christmas-y read! Release date is Sep 24.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonPublishing for an advanced e-pub of this book. All opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

#TheChristmasGathering #NetGalley

For me, this is a mixed bag of stories. First, I really liked the sweet story of 'We Gather Together'. Her sister is getting married, and his family is having a reunion at the same inn. Unfortunately, their grandfathers are involved in a long-time feud. The first story 'A Christmas Reunion' didn't ring true to me, which is important for me in Amish stories. Since it's forbidden for an Amish person to marry an outsider, I didn't believe that an Amish family would accept a romance between them. The last story is 'Hitting All the Right Notes'. Neither the story nor the characters drew me. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review.

The Christmas Gathering is comprised of three Amish holiday novellas by Shelley Shepard Gray, Rachel Good, and Lenora Worth. The stories are sweet, light, and easy to read. I liked the main characters in each story, but I wish they had been more developed. I felt that the romances were sweet but instantaneous. I like how We Gather Together by Lenora Worth and Hitting All the Right Notes by Rachel J. Good tied into a series by each author. You can always count on Mrs. Vandenburg to have a scheme or two up her sleeve when she is trying to match two people after receiving a nudge from God in Hitting All the Right Notes. This was a unique Amish story with a group of Amish men forming a band and the setting being the Star Center. A Christmas Reunion by Shelley Shepard Gray had a clever scavenger hunt as part of a family reunion (I wanted to take part in it). I liked the setting in We Gather Together. It sounded like a beautiful place to get married, fall in love, or enjoy the holidays. The themes in The Christmas Gathering were friendship, family, faith, forgiveness, hope, and trust. The Christmas Gathering will get you in the mood for cool weather and the holiday season.

This 3-in-1 Christmas novella was good. I have to admit that Christmas novellas can be disappointing to me when they don't have Christmas or the season of Christmas as the focal part of the story. 2 of these stories were that way unfortunately. Even though a bit unrealistic for an Amish read, they were an easy read. I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

I received a free copy of, The Christmas Gathering by, Shelly Shepard Gray; Rachel J. Good; Lenora Worth, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book has three stories, in it. The first is A Christmas Reunion by Shelly Shepard Gray. Tricia Troyer enjoyed last years Christmas with her cousins friend Brandt, and is hopeful this year will be letter than last year.

The second story is We Gather Together by Lenora Worth, Lucas and Katie family are feuding but is does not stop the two of them from falling in love.

The Third story is Hitting All The Right Notes, by Rachel J. Good, Andrew chose music over his family and was banished. Will this be the year to be forgiven?

These were all wonderful short stories.

This is a sweet collection of Amish novellas that will have you yearning for the Christmas season year-round. Each story had me smiling and wishing I could pull up a chair at the tables of these families. While they aren't perfect, the family love and support throughout spoke to my heart. This book was a pleasure to read and will definitely be reread as holidays approach.