The Christmas Ring by Karen Kingsbury is the first Christmas book for 2025 to read in July.
It is a beautifully written love story,about a beautiful Christmas Ring that was lost, and characters that will steal your heart. Being a Military child I can relate to the references to Military life in Columbus, GA.
This was my first book by Karen Kingsley, I look forward to more.
I received a copy from Netgalley and this is my honest review.

A young paratrooper finds a ring in the dirt on D-day and it becomes a family heirloom, until it's lost one day by it's current owner, A young widow named Vanessa Mayfield is devastated by the loss, and it's her faith and family that keeps her going in spite of the loss. This is a very sweet holiday story, filled with love, spirituality and faith that how things work in mysterious ways.

Vanessa meets Ben Miller while hunting antique shops for the missing ring. He makes a big impact on her, including giving her hope in finding a new love. I really liked how their relationship grew from something small to something meaningful. There is quite a bit of spirituality and bible quoting in this story and I found that it added greatly to its charm. I've known many people who are guided by their faith in my life, and this story does a nice job of painting them in a wonderful light. The story is just the right size and doesn't drag things out, which I really appreciated. The Christmas Ring is a perfect holiday love story.

I just finished reading this adorably cozy Christmas novel! Vanessa Mayfield, a military widow, searches for her family’s heirloom ring, after losing it on a winter holiday. Originally found by her great-grandfather on D-Day in Normandy, this gold-and-ruby heirloom carries generations of memories and hope. Years pass as she continues to search for it. On her way home after dropping her daughter Sadie off at college, Vanessa stops at an antique store's "Christmas in July” sale. And it's here that she meets Ben Miller, a charming antiques dealer who catches her attention. Their special friendship buds into something more over the following months. As Vanessa navigates her grief and new found feelings for Ben, I was moved by her selflessness and care for others. In honor of her late husband, she organizes the annual Columbus Cares Christmas Military Dance to support military families in need. Just when things seem to be working out with her relationship with Ben, a kink happens..... Ben’s dad inadvertently finds Vanessa’s Christmas ring and plans to sell it, unaware of its priceless legacy. I was on edge of my seat hoping Ben could stop the sale! 😅 You'll have to read the story to find out how it ends! This adorable modern Christian romance brims with love, hope, and heartfelt memories.
It’s a must for your holiday TBR! I highly recommend this book. 🎄

‼️No profanity. No spice. Wholesome modern romance fiction.

💕A special thanks to @netgalley and @thomasnelson for proving me with this eARC to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 😊

The Christmas Ring by Karen Kingsbury is everything I hoped it would be and more. In true Kingsbury fashion, this story is beautifully written, emotionally rich, and filled with heartfelt moments long after the final page.

This book captures the magic of the season in such a special way, blending faith, love, loss, and redemption into a story that feels both timeless and deeply personal. The characters are relatable and wonderfully layered, each carrying their own burdens, but ultimately finding healing in unexpected ways.

Karen Kingsbury has such a gift for writing stories that reach into your heart and remind you of the power of grace, second chances, and the importance of family. The Christmas Ring is no exception. It’s a perfect holiday read that made me smile, tear up, and reflect on the things that matter most.

I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who loves an uplifting Christmas story filled with meaning and warmth.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 2.5⭐️

I love a good cheesy Christmas film especially the Hallmark ones so knowing this was also a movie was a big selling point.

This was my first from this author and I already know the irony in what I am about to say. Yes I know technically Christmas is allegedly because of the birth of Jesus Christ but as someone who is not religious to me it is more about time spent with family, putting thought into gifts for loved ones and Santa. Who I personally find more believable, less plot holes (I mean where were the dinosaurs?)

So I was a bit disappointed to find this was full of 'lessons' about God's plans and a character's faith. Clean romance I enjoy, grief I can understand but I don't go to church and this very much made me feel like I had. No aspect of faith or religion was mentioned in the blurb and this did feel more aimed at an American market.

A grieving widow, a lost heirloom, and a season of quiet healing—The Christmas Ring is a story of finding hope where love once was.

The premise is tender, and the emotional setup has heart, but the execution felt rushed. The story moves quickly, jumping through time within single chapters, which makes it hard to fully connect with the characters. While the ending offers a warm, hopeful glimpse into the future, the journey there lacks the nuance and emotional layering that could have deepened the impact. Many scenes read like moments from a holiday movie montage—visually sweet, but missing the texture a novel can offer.

One major element that stood out was the frequent emphasis on religion. While faith can be a powerful anchor in stories of healing, here it was woven into nearly every chapter with such repetition that it occasionally overshadowed character development and dialogue. For some readers, this will be a comforting thread. For others, it may feel more like a distraction from the emotional core.

Still, The Christmas Ring has its charm—a heartfelt story with a cozy holiday backdrop and a message of second chances.

A quick Christmas read for those who enjoy faith-forward romances built around healing, family, and holiday warmth.

What a sweet Christmas story! You will definitely want to have a tissue (or two) handy as you read this. It is a quick read that centers around the changing relationship between Vanessa and her daughter Sadie after Sadie goes to college, and also the potential new relationship with Ben Miller. And what would Christmas be without a miracle.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

“Love is the greatest diamond in the rough. Especially at Christmastime.”

Say hello to your new Christmas favorite that you will want to return to every year. Karen Kingsbury has penned an instant classic full of love, faith, and a lot of hope. One of the best books of 2025! Don’t miss the movie this fall. It is going to be unforgettable.
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book from Thomas Nelson Fiction through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Christmas Ring is a great book to get in the reader in the mood for Christmas. Vanessa is devoted to her faith and family.. The ring was found in WW II by an ancestor and has been passed down for generations. It was lost and the search for it connects all the characters. It's a heartwarming story of love, loss and new love.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for my review copy of this book.

The Christmas Ring is my first read from Karen Kingsbury, and while Christmas may be several months away, it was a good holiday read nonetheless. This is an inspirational romance, and it's been a while since I last read, so it was a rather endearing and entertaining time all around. Vanessa Mayfield's journey was one of resilience and discovery, and how everything is tied together by her family's Christmas Ring makes you believe in both fate and faith. While this was a quick read, it's story is one that has stayed with me even days after I'd finished it.

This story reminded me of a ring that my mother had and lost the stone near the Grand Canyon decades ago. Unfortunately, my mother didn't recover her stone. But I felt the pain Vanessa felt when losing her ring. The story is somewhat predictable, but enjoyable just the same. It is a feel good book that restores hope for lost treasures of the heart and possessions.

3 stars

I want to start this off with the fact I am clearly not the target demographic for this. It's incredibly religious with lots of military worship as well. If I had looked up the author I might not have picked this one up. It's very "All American" sort of vibes and I'm not American so it didn't resonate with me.

On to the characters. I thought Vanessa (the main character) was a good lead. She has boundaries and noticable growth which I love in Christmas media! I know that Christmas media as a whole is about cheese and camp so it's not going to be realistic, but some of her conversations with her daughter made them both sound about forty years older than they actually are.

Nobody knows how to tell anyone anything (classic Christmas trope) so there were moments I wanted to scream at every character to just talk to each other. That's not a point I'll deduct from the book though, as it's a pretty classic Christmas trope even if it does drive me crazy sometimes.

I did really like Ben (the love interest). I thought he was charming and likeable. He's exactly the sort of guy you want in these short romances. He's so in love with her and you get to see how badly he wants to move faster, but he respects her too much to push. The random Bible quoting from everyone was a lot, but again I'm not the intended audience for this book.

I think overall my main thought about the book is that it would work SO much better as a movie! I think seeing and hearing how the dialogue is meant to sound would really improve this. Well good news, it's going to be a movie! I'll have to watch it when it comes out to see, but I really believe it'll work so much better on screen.

Overall, if you want a book that's charming and heartwarming with religious tones and a military subplot this is for you! I found some of that a bit much for me personally, but if you don't mind those themes you'll love this.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy as part of Camp NetGalley!

I only really picked this book to read as it was one of the few available to me for NetGalley’s #CampNetGalley campaign. If you can ignore the blatant Christian and US military propaganda, the love story at its core is quite sweet. The text is fast paced, easy to read, and fairly well written although the dialogue did at times feel quite contrived. I mean, how many teenage girls (let alone college-aged ones) constantly and repeatedly declare their mother to be their best friend? With a narrative whose entire premise hinges on the solution to every problem being prayer or miracle, The Christmas Ring was definitely not written with every reader in mind.

If you want a Hallmark-esque conservative cookie cutter love story with Christianity at its heart, then this one’s for you! And to top it off, there is apparently a film adaptation coming out soon.

The Christmas Ring is a very religiously centered romance book which goes through the main characters belief in god and giving them romance again. The book delivers on being a holiday family romance.
Tropes: Single mom, quest to find family ring, military family

Such a cute hallmark movie like story, a great cozy holiday read i could see myself reading again each year

I wanted to love The Christmas Ring—it’s Karen Kingsbury, after all—but honestly, it fell a little flat for me. The premise had potential, but the story felt rushed, and the emotional payoff just didn’t land the way her books usually do. Kingsbury is known for tugging at your heartstrings, but this one felt more like a Hallmark movie that forgot to stir in the depth. Sweet? Yes. Memorable? Not really. I’ll always appreciate her heart for faith and family, but this one didn’t quite sparkle like I hoped.

Cute and wholesome Christmas story.

What I liked:
The slow pace of the romance

Favorite line:
Praying for the soldiers they loved did not guarantee them safe travels or protection from danger.

Especially for readers married to members of the armed forces, I think this will strike a chord.

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me with a free complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Widow Vanessa Mayfield meets antique dealer Ben Miller, as she searches for her family's lost heirloom ring. they find there selves having feelings for each other, but Vanessa is not sure she is ready to love again.

As with any Karen Kingsbury novel, you are going to get a strong element of Christianity and biblical scripture embedded throughout. This is not "Christian-light"; this is definitely Christian-fiction. It is a lovely story about a young man at war during WWII who finds a ring while hiding out during D-Day. This ring comes to be known as "The Christmas Ring" and is passed down through generations. This mans great granddaughter (who has experienced her own tragedies) loses it and the novel focuses on locating it and the love/relationships on this journey. The story is beautiful but for me the writing was a little choppy. It is, however, a quick read if you're looking for a quick pick-me-up! 3 stars. *I received a complimentary e-ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

This was a very special Christmas story about second chances. Vanessa lost a very special family heirloom the first Christmas after her husband died. She never gave up hope that the missing ring would be returned to her. Years go by and her daughter is headed off to college and the ring still hasn't been found. She makes a stop at a Christmas in July sale at an antique store and it changes her life. There are two characters running the store and one very handsome son, Ben. Vanessa needed a friend with her daughter away and Ben did as well. Both had lost their spouses so they understood how difficult life could be. Throw in the holiday season and romance can't help but happen. The good news is this is being made into a movie coming to a theater near you in November. Read the book before you see the movie because you know the book is always better. You need to read to find out if the missing ring is found and the incredible story behind it.