A Little Country Christmas

A Little Country Christmas is a collection of novellas by some excellent authors guaranteed to fill readers with Christmas spirit.
The Perfect Christmas, the concluding book in Carolyn Brown’s Longhorn Ranch series is about a jaded single mom whose pre-Christmas dealings with a sexy cowboy renews her faith in men as the pair set out to make Christmas memories. The adventures Landon, Dixie, and precious baby Sally have as they fall in love are sure to delight Ms. Brown’s legend of fans.

A Cowboy Christmas At Heart by A. J. Pine pits cost cutting Mayor “Grinch” against Deputy Police Chief, Dani when  Peyton Cooper refuses to put Christmas lights up on city hall.  The banter between these two is delightful as they finally acknowledge mutual high school crushes and reveal personal secrets, but will Cooper want to stay in town or be lured back to Chicago where he used to work?

In Home For The Holidays author Rochelle Akers tells the story of a career military man home for the holidays and a former military brat who is besties with his sister.  This is a more serious relationship story than the previous two.  Collier is suffering from nightmares since his last deployment.  Iris is a survivor of an abusive relationship.  It’s crucial that these two learn to trust in the power of new relationships...plus there are some great recipes included.

Joy to the World is Hope Ramsay’s contribution.  Magnolia Harbor needs a director for the Christmas chorale that funds the free medical clinic.  Brenda is highly qualified but she hates Christmas.  Jim, who gave up a promising musical career to become a doctor, convinces her to take the job.  Ms. Ramsay has written an engaging silver fox story as these two lonely characters come to find they are very compatible musically and otherwise. 

I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.  Most highly recommend.

This is an entertaining and heartwarming collection of Christmas novellas, perfect for getting into the holiday spirit!

What a treat with four Christmas stories from these known authors.  Each had its own special moments.  A book with four short stories, what else is needed!  These sure put me in the Christmas spirit.  I enjoyed each story and hope you will too.
Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy for my opinion.

Though the stories in this boxed set are short, they do not lack for an emotional connection. Each story features a second chance at romance, each delightfully sweet (some with just an added touch of spice), intriguing and captivating. The characters in each story are real to life and fascinating, and more than one will pull hard on your heartstrings. The joy of the season, and love rekindled or found again is illustrated in each of these charming stories.

The Perfect Christmas features a handsome, hardworking cowboy, Landon, with a heart of gold and a touch of wanderlust, and Dixie a young single mother struggling to provide for herself and her infant daughter. He is determined to give mother and daughter a sweet, unforgettable Christmas they will never forget.  Loathe to reveal her growing feelings to a man who will soon be leaving town, Dixie does her best to safeguard her heart and just enjoy the holidays with Landon. Their Christmas activities are simple, homespun and heartwarming and Dixie’s young daughter is a heart stealer.  Dixie is not the only one smitten. Landon comes to realize that both mother and tiny daughter have stolen his heart and that his future may not turn out as he has planned. Will he choose love or wanderlust?

In Cowboy Christmas at Heart, Dani, a deputy sheriff, tomboy and town sweetheart all in one comes face to face with the person who broke her heart when they were teenagers. Peyton, the town’s new mayor, has just come back to town after a long absence and he is determined to revitalize the family property as well as the town. He has never forgotten the girl who was his teenage crush, Dani, but she never gave him the time of they then, and has take to calling him Grinch now. Christmas is painful for him, and though he can’t  cancel Christmas festivities for the town, he is doing his best to minimize and downplay them. Dani challenges his decisions, keeps him on his toes and forces him to confront the emotions and pain the holiday season bring. As they work together, their mutual attraction is sparked and they give into their desires. Secrets from the past are revealed, and decisions loom. Will they choose each other?

Home For The Holidays brings pastry chef, Iris, and soldier, Collier together. She is a new resident to the island, while he is a favourite son of the island on leave from military duty for the holidays. They meet at a nightclub and, attraction smouldering between them, end up a her apartment, where her painful past and his honourable code of conduct lead to nothing more than shared kisses. When they meet again, they discover they have an unexpected connection....his sister, her best friend. Close proximity over the holiday season allows them to get to know each other, their attraction to deepen and to give into their desires. Though they both know that his stay is temporary, they both begin to yearn for something more, until one dangerous and painful incident forces them apart. Will they find their way back to each other?

In Joy To The World, former music teacher Brenda is coerced into being the stand in choral director for a Christmas charity function that will benefit the local medical clinic. Jim, a doctor at the clinic, doesn’t want to take no for an answer, but he is perceptive enough to realize that emotional trauma is at the heart of Brenda’s reasons for wanting to avoid all things Christmas. Unable to withstand the pressure, the guilt and name calling heaped on her by fellow townspeople and her own mother, Brenda agrees to direct the chorus. Jim discovers the reasons behind her aversion to all things Christmas and takes it upon himself to help her rediscover the joy of the season. Along the way, they grow closer, emotionally and physically, much to the dismay and amazement of the townspeople and his son. Though they are middle aged, and have loved and lost before, love can still be sweet the second time around. 

I would recommend this set of books to all lovers of romance. I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review

A very good collection of Christmas novellas.  I enjoyed each selection.  All were well written.  I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

What a delightful collection!

I knew I had to read this one when I saw that two of the included novellas were set within series that I had previously read, so I was familiar with these characters. I loved both those stories, and I enjoyed the visits to their familiar settings. The two new ones were also terrific, and I plan to read more by those authors.

The Perfect Christmas by Carolyn Brown

This was a sweet, low-angst novella about finding a reason to put down roots. Landon is the surprise brother to two of the cowboys in the Longhorn Canyon series, and we met Dixie in one of the earlier books. It was so great to see both these familiar characters find their HEA, and especially nice to see them together.

A Christmas Cowboy at Heart by A.J. Pine

This selection was the best of the collection in terms of character and emotional development. Dani and Peyton had an almost-thing back in high school, and now that he's back in Meadow Valley they have a chance to pursue that still-simmering connection. There's a bit of a tragic back story that is gently addressed as the major internal conflict. I really enjoyed the way the community came together to celebrate the holidays, and their HEA was especially satisfying.

Home for the Holidays by Rochelle Alers

Iris considers but ultimately walks away from a one-night-stand with the handsome stranger despite their intense chemistry, only to find out the next day that he's her best friend's brother home on leave for the holidays. Her past makes a new relationship difficult at best, and Collier's plans also prevent him from settling down for a while, so their HEA requires that they address and resolve several major issues first. I loved the double family merger with the secondary romance. Her family really conveyed the spirit of the holidays.

Joy to the World by Hope Ramsay

This compelling novella focuses on an older couple in their late 40s/early 50s with grown children, which was a refreshing change. Jim is tasked with convincing Brenda to lead the Christmas Chorale, despite her long-standing, deeply emotional aversion to all things Christmas. My only complaint with this story was Jim - the local doctor - and his relaxed discussion of his patients' ailments as they related to his availability, a clear HIPAA violation by today's standards. Other than that, this was a wonderful romance with a heartfelt HEA.

Altogether, this is a substantive anthology that highlights all the best aspects of the Christmas holiday, and I heartily recommend it. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.