Easy, sweet story. A little light on plot, I was expecting a romance, I didn't realize that it was a Christian romance. Not bad, just not my first choice.

The Christmas Ring is a sweet novella about how a ring and how God uses it to bring people together. Vanessa and Ben meet when she stops into his antique shop after dropping off her daughter at college. They are both widows and spend several months talking and occasionally seeing each other. It is now Christmas time and the daughter is coming home from college. This story has some military aspects to it.

I absolutely adored this book. It was so very heartwarming. It was like a warm hug by the end of the book. I was teary eyed at a few parts near the end. A well thought out and beautiful story. Loved it! I will say it is a slow burn, but somewhere in the middle it picks up and I couldn’t stop reading it.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for the e arc. Please be on the lookout for this delightful book PUB date 10/21/25.

This is a Christian book that heavily centers on religious rites, prayer, practices, beliefs etc. I hope it is better marketed as such as I was under the impression this was (just) romantic fiction set around the holidays. The characters and story line were pretty flat and it's difficult to get through this book unless you are very interested in Christianity and Christian literature. If so, it is a comforting, cozy read about second chances.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet, heartwarming story, filled with valuable lessons of trusting in God and His plans for us. 🥹❤ I cannot imagine what it is like to lose a spouse or someone I dearly love, but Kingsbury eloquently and tenderly put into words what the pain is like. She also delicately portrays how Ben and Vanessa move on after their terrible loss, which made me tear up so many times.

But it was the elements of faith that really spoke to me. I’ve been struggling with my faith recently because of certain things going on in my life, and I have asked God if He could somehow soften my heart of stone that has been calloused by, well, I guess everything. And I believe this book was an answer to my prayer. The character’s faith moved me beyond words, and I want what they have. I yearn for it. Sure, this book is simple, short, and right to the point. But sometimes the simple things in life are the ones that make a difference to our wandering souls that are looking for a place to rest and be at peace. 🕊 This book will go down as one of the most influential and impactful books I have read in my life, and I am not mad about that.

This story was so heartfelt and warm. I loved how the mystery around the ring slowly unfolded, blending a sweet romance with deeper family emotions. It felt like one of those quiet, comforting reads that stays with you. The writing had a gentle touch, and the Christmas setting made everything even more magical. It’s not just a holiday love story—it’s about healing, letting go, and finding your way back to what matters. Definitely gave me all the cozy feels.

Christmas in July! What better book to read for this than a Karen Kingsbury. I have loved all the books I have read by her and this one was no different. This one was not a long one but just enough that I felt I didn’t miss anything. This one will be a great Christmas read for you this year if you are looking for a wholesome, holiday romantic story with some tear jerkers throughout. Highly recommend! Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy. Thank you Karen for such a sweet story. This book comes out on October 21st! Snag it!

This was a great book! Perfect for the Christmas season. It was a very quick read... I started and finished it in about 2 hours total. I didn't know when I started the book that it is actually going to be a movie also. I am looking forward to watching the movie and seeing this book come to life.

When I pick up a book by Karen Kingsbury, I always ensure that I have no other tasks waiting for my attention. Her stories capture my heart from the very first page, and long after I've turned the last, I find myself pondering the characters and their journeys for days on end. This sweet, heartfelt story is no exception.
Vanessa was reassured by her husband’s role as a military medic, believing he was safely saving lives and caring for others. So, it was a shocking blow when she learned he had been killed. During a ski trip in Colorado with her daughter, Sadie, Vanessa loses her beloved family heirloom, “The Christmas Ring,” in the snow. Despite an extensive search, the ring remains lost—a ring that her great-grandfather discovered on D-Day, hidden beneath a bush in Normandy during World War II.
Years later, as Vanessa helps Sadie move into her college dorm, she realizes hardly a day goes by without her praying for the ring’s return. Although she lives in Georgia, she believes deeply that God knows where it is and that one day it will come back to her.
On her way home after dropping Sadie off at college, Vanessa stops for gas and stumbles into an antique store hosting a “Christmas in July” sale. Always hopeful that she might find her Christmas Ring, she strikes up a connection with Ben, the owner’s son, who is a widower who lost his wife several years earlier.
Vanessa was confident her husband serving in the military was safe because of his job as a medic. He was the one saving lives and caring for others. What a shock to learn he was killed. When she and her daughter on a ski trip in Colorado, her beloved family heirloom ring, she called The Christmas Ring, falls off her finger in the snow. After an extensive search the ring could not be found. The ring was discovered on D-Day, under a bush in Normandy, during World War II, by her great-grandfather.
Years have gone by and Vanessa is helping Sadie move into her college dorm as a freshman. Hardly a day has gone by that she hasn’t prayed for the return of the ring. She knows that God can see where it is, and although she lives in Georgia, she believes somehow the ring will be returned to her.
On the way back home after dropping Sadie off at college, Vanessa stops to get gas and wanders into an antique store having a “Christmas in July” sale. Vanessa is always on alert when she sees an antique store since there is a remote possibility that she’ll find her Christmas Ring. The owner’s son, Ben, and Vanessa seem to connect right away. Ben is a widower, having lost his wife a number of years earlier.
Vanessa and Ben strike up a friendship and over time, she often stops in at the antique store and they enjoy lunch together. As the years go by, there is a definite attraction between them, although Vanessa still wears her wedding ring.
Right before the annual Christmas Military Dance, a fundraiser that helps local military families. Ben is in town to attend the dance at the invitation of Vanessa, however, in a frantic moment of discovery, Ben, with little explanation, rushes back to his family’s antique store, hoping to prevent a possible catastrophe error that would cause the Christmas ring to be lost forever.
I read this book in one sitting. Absolutely could not put this remarkable, heartfelt, story down. The cast of characters are all memorable and lovable and by the end of the book they feel like real friends. I highly recommend this book, and as a follow-up, go to a local theater and see the movie of The Christmas Ring to be released in early November, 2025.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

The perfect book to celebrate faith, love and the holiday season. A soldier dropped into harm's way on D-Day, finds a ring on the battlefield. That symbol he grabs on to physically and mentally to get him through the battle. While deemed costume jewelry, it becomes a valuable family heirloom passed down through generations for what the ring represents.

Vanessa Mayfield and her now college-aged daughter, Sadie are best friends, That bond formed after losing her husband, a medic overseas. While sledding, the nicknamed "Christmas' ring slipped of and four years later, Vanessa hasn't given up hope of its return.

While dropping her daughter off at college, Vanessa makes a detour to an antique shop. Forming a friendship with the shop's owner, their feelings intensify over a six-month courtship. Will Vanessa risk her heart and Sadie's anguish to ring in the new year with Ben?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheChristmasRing in exchange for an honest review. I'm a fan of the author's novels but struggled at first to connect to the story. When the past and present collide, I found myself immersed in Kingsbury's trademark faith, family and fortitude style.

This is a wonderful book that honors those in military service, reminds us that faith in God is important, and that forgiveness is important.

The characters are relatable and easy to like! Vanessa is AMAZING! She has known heartache but she is determined to provide a loving home for her daughter, Sadie. It's wonderful how their mother/daughter relationship is: it reminds me of mine with my mom and with my daughters. (best friends!) Sadie is a typical young woman. She is eager to start her own life but she loves her mother a lot. Ben is hunkalicious! He's handsome (Chris Pratt 😍), he's an antiques collector and he loves poetry. He has a compassionate heart and he's patient!

The Christmas ring is sentimental. As it's passed down from generation to generation the message of God's faithfulness is passed along too. In my life, it's our family Bible.

I have read many books by Karen Kingsbury and I look forward to her next book! I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very uplifting and it got me in the Christmas spirit. Which is why I love reading Christmas books no matter what time of year it is. It was also very heartwarming and romantic. The ending was beautiful and it was a lot better than I expected. I look forward to reading the next book by Karen Kingsbury. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

If I could give it a 3 1/2 I totally would. Karen Kingsbury is becoming one of my favorite authors by far, and it's not because this certain book was read in a matter of hours but because the scriptures and how she incorporates God into them. I knew they would find the ring but the way they did it and the characters was soooo sweet. Loved the ending and the four years later and being a stepmom I'm glad that Sadie and ben grew to have a father daughter relationship even though he never had kids of his own. Now I'm more excited to watch the movie that comes out in November.

I loved everything about this book! I love the way Karen weaves Scripture and spiritual wisdom into her books. There was so much hope in this story, as well as love and an emphasis on prayer. It was a quick read and I wish I would have read it by the light of the Christmas tree.

This is a wonderful, quick, warm and fuzzy Christmas story that could be read anytime, even on a beach in summer!
Karen Kingsbury never fails to give us a heartwarming, beautifully detailed journey that you won't soon forget.
There is always a happy ending and a need for the reader to turn the pages rapidly.

If you like Christian fiction then this will be for you!
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC and allowing me to provide my own review.

I have been reading Karen Kingsbury's novels for many years but I am not a fan of this one. It seems to be a running commercial for Columbus, GA and Columbus Cares; it doesn't stop, and it's too much, as if the city or charity won a contest to be featured in one of her books.

The ending was predictable but Ben's father's moment of truth--that he couldn't sell the ring once he learned it was Vanessa's-- was rather hokey too. All in all, not one of her best.

The Christmas Ring by Karen Kingsbury is a delightful Contemporary Christmas Romance. I’ve never read a novel by Kingsbury before, so I didn’t know what to expect with this story. What I got is a story filled with relatable characters, a look into the hearts and worries of military spouses and children, a journey through grief, a sweet budding romance between a widow and widower, and a wonderful Christmas message. This story also made me want to hit the local antiques circuit..there is A LOT of antique shopping in this story. I’m most impressed by how much Kingsbury packs into 240 pages. My favorite aspect to this story is the message of Matthew 6:21 — “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Vanessa loses a very special family heirloom. It’s actually quite sad as this loss occurs just months after she loses her beloved husband who was serving in the military. When losses pile up it’s easy to Hulk out and blame God, or at least yell at God. But Vanessa doesn’t do this at all. It’s actually quite amazing. Maybe a little too amazing (verging on unrealistic). What I appreciate most about Vanessa is how she models throughout the story how we all should behave in times of loss. She immediately prays to God. She gives her sadnesses and fears and trust to God. She puts her problems in God’s capable hands and then allows God to work. It was so refreshing to see this example in action. It really was my favorite aspect to this story.

The Christmas Ring is a lovely Contemporary Romance. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this story and these characters. If you are a fan of Christmas Romances filled with depth and lots and lots of heart, then this is the book for you!

I received a copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Thomas Nelson Fiction, via NetGalley. I am under no obligation to leave a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

DNF

I did not read any Karen Kingsbury books before and unfortunately the story did not keep my interest.
From the cover and title I was expecting a Christmas romance, but not so much religion.
After reading about 20% I still did not get invested in the story and characters so I decided it is not for me.


Thank you Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC.

A nice quick read from Karen Kingsbury. I enjoyed the Christmas story and the weaving of the Christmas Ring into the whole plot of the book..

The Christmas Ring by Karen Kingsbury tugs on a lot of heart strings. It is an inspirational story of faith and love.
Vanessa and her daughter are skiing in Colorado in early December. It is their first Christmas since her husband, an Army medic was killed by an IED. While sledding she loses a family heirloom - the Christmas ring.
Four years later, after taking her daughter to college she stops at an antique store - she has been searching for the ring since it was lost. She meets Ben and they start a friendship. Could it be more and how will her daughter react?
It is spiritual without being overly so. I read this story in a few hours, thoroughly enjoyed it. I haven’t read this author before and was impressed.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.