This is a collection of nicely written Christian romances staged in the fall/winter holiday season. Six different stories, each featuring a female protagonist with her own endearing personality and strong faith. Each heroine is unexpectedly attracted to a man and struggles with identifying God's will in their relationship as obstacles pop up. Nice story development in each of these readings. The reader can identify with these very human situations and emotions that trip the characters up! Although set in the holiday season, these stories make a nice satisfying for any time of the year.

Lovely romantic Christian love stories set in Texas around the 1880`s / 1890`s. This collection of 6 stories are well written. Each story, cleverly connects to the rest in a vague way, so you're left with a sense of continuity that has left me wanting to read more about the characters. These stories are all about good old fashioned romance set around autumn & winter. A must for anyone who prefers love over lust. Well done to the authors! I have thoroughly enjoyed this book.

MY REVIEW of Here Cooks the Bride by Cathy Marie Hake: Set in Cut Corners, Texas in 1870, Lacey leaves her finishing school in Boston to travel to Cut Corners, Texas to assist her only living older relative, Aunt Millie, run her cafe when she has an injury to her arm that prevents her from cooking and running the cafe. The entire town is thrilled that Lacey has come to stay for a while as Aunt Millie is noted for her horrific cooking!!! All the town bachelors propose marriage to her too, but she only has eyes for one bachelor and he hasn't proposed yet. This is a really cute novella as Aunt Millie provides a great deal of comedic relief. This is a quick and sweet story that will have readers salivating at Lacey's delightful recipes and cringing at Aunt Millie's. Readers will enjoy seeing who wins the prize of lacey's hand in marriage. 5-Star rating

MY REVIEW of A Christmas Chronicle by Pamela Griffin, also set in Cut Corners, Texas, in 1881, the story picks up where Here Cooks the Bride left off and the older town's bachelors are still at their matchmaking. This time, old Stone Creedon has his mind set on fixing clumsy storekeeper, Vivian, up with his nephew, Travis, who is a chronicler of the West for a fancy magazine in the East. He will be stopping in Cut Corners, Texas, for a few weeks as he heads west with his cameras to chronicle the sights and scenes. Travis agrees to take Vivian to the local dance if his Uncle Stone will take the widow Chamberlain, who runs the boardinghouse he lives in. This is another wonderful Christmas novella as readers will enjoy the matchmaking mishaps. The town is becoming known for its Christmas proposals and weddings and now everyone is wondering who will be saying "I do" this Christmas in Cut Corners. It was very interesting to read about the method of taking pictures in 1881 as well. I really appreciated the continuity of this novella with the one preceding it. I wish all the novellas in the collection would continue with the story of the characters introduced in the first one set in Cut Corners. I rate this one 5-stars also.

MY REVIEW of To Hear Angels Sing by Ramona Cecil, set in Pinewood, Texas, 1883, Seth Krueger is angry with God for allowing "savages" to kill his father and kidnap his mother and sister. Bridget has come from Chicago to teach the Comanche children of the orphanage established by the local Woman's Missionary Union. Bridget falls for Seth but does not wish to marry a man who would be "unequally yoked" with her Christian beliefs. Seth is irked by Bridget and old wood-carver, Gabe's constant talk of God, but he is also quite taken with the beautiful Bridget. This is another quick read and one that will cause hearts to sing. This one breaks the continuity though of the story of the characters in Cut Corners and it causes me to mix up the characters and stories as I read. I enjoyed the length of the novellas though as I like short ones. I rate this one 5 stars as well.

MY REVIEW of The Face of Mary by Darlene Franklin, set in Breading, Texas, 1880, Polly (also known as Mary) cares for her father and siblings and her father seems to be suffering from memory problems which may well affect his ability to perform his job at the local bank. Joey Carpenter, Polly's best friend, Jean's brother, has returned in time for the holidays from law school. Years ago, before leaving town for law school, he said that he would someday marry Polly. He was certainly joking though and would never look twice at a poor young girl who is saddled with the care of her family. He is escorting Alice, the pretty daughter of the town's bank owner. Polly and Joey both agree to help the children to prepare the Christmas church pageant. Alice volunteers her services as well but does not contribute a great deal of help. The local woodcarver asks Joey to paint the faces on the nativity set he has carved for the church but Joey needs inspiration for Mary's face. When things escalate with Polly's fathers' memory issues and he finds himself in serious trouble with the law, Joey agrees to represent him as his lawyer. What will happen to Polly and her siblings? Will Joey be able to save her father? Life seems impossible at the moment but God has a plan. This story does have some connection to the previous story as Gabe, the woodcarver, is in both. I think this novella is my very favorite of all the ones in this collection. It has a beautiful lesson for all of us to learn. Though the author never states it, the memory issues that Polly's father experiences seem to resemble today's alzheimer's or dementia but those were not diagnosed in the 1880's. I rate this one 5 stars and would love to read more about the character's future lives.

MY REVIEW of Charlsey's Accountant by Lena Nelson Dooley, set in Horsefly, Texas, in 1890, Harold Miller travels by train from Boston to Texas to purchase some cattle from his father's old friend, Frank Ames. Frank has four beautiful young daughters and Charlsey is her father's best cattle brander. Charlsey may be able to hang with the men on the ranch but she is every bit a lady as she dresses for the evening meals with Harold Miller, her father, and sisters. Charlsey and Harold begin to discover they share a lot in common when they are left alone one evening to talk. When Harold comes to live on their ranch to learn the business of ranching, he doesn't even recognize Charlsey when she is dressed like the men branding the cattle and that causes a great deal of confusion and leads to a huge problem. Will Charlsey and Harold work out their differences or will this ruin the good relationship between the two old friends? This novella has a lot of information about ranching and horses which did not appeal to me at first but I quickly became interested in the characters and wanted to see how issues would be resolved. I only rode a horse one time in my life and it scared me a bit and I think that affects me as I read about riding horses as it triggers those memories for me. I was able to overcome this as I read though. I rate this novella 5 stars also.

MY REVIEW of Plain Trouble by Kathleen Y'Barbo, set in Horsefly, Texas, in 1893, Texas Ranger, Joe Mueller returns to his hometown to catch a murderer. He never wanted to return to Horsefly, Texas, and he recalls how he gave poor little Bess Ames a cruel nickname when he told everyone that she was as plain as day. He doesn't think it warrants an apology though as he feels sure the girl has now married. But he meets Bess again as he and Frank work to find Pale Indian, the murderer. Bess steals remembers being called plain by him and she has not married but instead cares for her father. Her father has started eating an awful lot of meals with the neighbor widow, Ida Vonheim, and helping her fix things on her home. Frank and Joe devise a plan for explaining to folks why he is in town so long....he will pretend to be trying to convince Bess to become his wife. This novella features the same Texas rancher, Frank Ames, and his youngest daughter, Bess, that were also featured in the previous novella. Bess has definitely not forgotten when he labeled and branded her as plain. Joe is going to have to really work to win her trust. Will he be able to overcome the painful memories she holds of the past or will he leave town alone with no bride? I rated this one 5 stars as well. OVERALL REVIEW of collection: 5 stars.....very quick and easy-to-read, this collection is sure to be a hit among lovers of historical romance. I received a free ecopy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Book Description...

"Spend Christmas in the Old West with six unconventional women who take on Texas-sized challenges—and unexpected romance. Bridget falls for a man opposed to her teaching Indian orphans. Polly is trying to hold her family together when her childhood love returns to town. Rugged rancher Charlsey is inexplicably attracted to a tenderfoot accountant. Vivian shuns marriage until meeting a nomadic photographer. Lacey’s cooking draws a quiet blacksmith out of his shell. Tracker Bessie Mae helps a ranger hunt down a villain."

Title: A Texas Christmas Authors: Ramona K. Cecil, Lena Nelson Dooley,, Darlene Franklin, Pamela Griffin, Cathy Marie Hake, Kathleen Y'Barbo Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean Rating: Five Review:

"A Texas Christmas" By: Ramona K. Cecil, Lena Nelson Dooley,, Darlene Franklin, Pamela Griffin, Cathy Marie Hake, Kathleen Y'Barbo

What I liked about this novel...

Wow what a wonderful read. I will say I enjoyed each of these six 'Old West' Christmas stories with some interesting women who have some unexpected romances.

Who were these heroines? ....

"Here Cooks the Bride" by Cathy Marie Hake......Lacey...

"A Christmas Chronicle" by Pamela Griffin...Vivian

"To Hear Angels Sing" by Ramona Cecil...Bridget

"The Face of Mary" by Darlene Franklin...Polly

"Charlsey's Accountant"...Charlsey

"Plain Trouble" by Kathleen Y'Barbo...Bess Ames

These were six beautifully well written Christian old fashioned romances that were were from the Texas area during the 1880-1890's. I loved how each of the stories connected so well with each other...from Cut Corners, Texas, Pinewood Texas, Breading Texas, to Horsefly, Texas and all of these stories happened around Christmas time. All of these stories were very well done and I look forward to reading more from each of these authors. Also do expect recipes from some of the novellas. Would I recommend? YES!

I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Texas Christmas: Six Romances from the Historic Lone Star State Herald the Season of Love is a collection of 6 stories. These stories include:
Here Cooks the Bride by Cathy Marie Hake A Christmas Chronicle by Pamela Griffin To Hear Angels Sing by Ramona Cecil The Face of Mary by Darlene Franklin Charlsey's Accountant by Lena Nelson Dooley Plain Trouble by Kathleen Y'Barbo I enjoyed each of these stories. Each one are only about 70-80 pages long. If I picked a favorite of the six, it would be a tie between Cathy Marie Hake's Here Cooks the Bride and Kathleen Y'Barbo's Plain Trouble. I would highly recommend this collection 5 plus stars.

I have to say, I started out this collection a little bummed because the first half of the book I had already read before. I was sad to think that all of my favorites were just being reprinted and I would not have many new options. Hwoever, Polly's story especially, saved the collection. I loved all of the stories old and new but Polly's pulled at my heartstrings. As the oldest in my family, I am CONSTANTLY trying to help them succeed and helop my mom and hope for romance myself. Seeing the way Polly stuggled but was still able to confront things with grace really gave me a much needed reminder. The collection was wonderful and everyone should pick it up this Christmas. I also REALLY loved Gabe Noell :)

These are 6 great stories. Each stores is only 70 to 80 pages long so they are really not long but they are still great. They take place in Texas around the years 1880s to 1890s. They are very well written and full of true love. See I enjoy collection of short stories because it brings many different authors in one book. I have read other books by Kathleen Y'Barbo and Cathy Hake but the others where new to me. This book is a nice book to add to your Christmas collection.

I have experienced a couple of Texas Christmases, but mine were nothing like the ones in this book. There are six novellas by some of my favorite authors bringing romance to the wilds of Texas.

Here's my criticism of the book: some of the novellas seem to be part of another series of novellas. I wish I had had the whole series of a couple of the stories to read in this collection.

All six of the tales are written with humor and a couple of them have a bit of angst, but that only adds to their charm. While the stories take place in fictitious towns in Texas, the description of the areas is pretty accurate for the west Texas landscape. Most of the stories involve living on a ranch, and all of them take place around Christmas.

Here Cooks the Bride by Cathy Marie Hake A Christmas Chronicle by Pamela Griffin To Hear the Angels Sing by Ramona Cecil The Face of Mary by Darlene Franklin Charlsey's Accountant by Lena Nelson Dooley Plain Trouble by Kathleen Y'Barbo

None of these stories will disappoint the readers. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a Texas Star for Christmas.

My thanks to Barbour Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

Absolutely loved these short historical romances that were inspirational, humorous and touching! The way the first three tales tied together satisfied my need for MORE of all the characters!

Oh, how I do love sweet historical romances. All six stories were lovely- plus it was Christmas time! Honestly, these were sweet stories that were relatively short (providing great reads when there wasn't much time). Each of the six stories was unique and had characters that I loved. It was easy to relate and to empathize with the characters, making it all the more wonderful when things worked out for them! I would most definitely want to read more collections from these authors.

Christmas bridal stories from some of the best authors - with a Texas theme.

As I've said before, I'm not usually a fan of short stories. I like a book that I can hang on to and continue the story for several days. I've come to realize the talent in a really good short story - one that still has that richness of tale. This book combines both. With four novellas by different authors that have characters that overlap, you get the best of each. The depth of these Christian Historical Romances and that connectiveness makes it feel more like you're reading a series. I highly recommend this!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Barbour Publishing - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.

These Christmas stories are lovely stories of snow and wintertime, as well as traditions...but still simply beautiful historical romances and they are always different! With six stories at nearly 450 pages, these stories are long enough to fully tell a story, but not to take up your whole day either.

A Texas Christmas: 6 Romances from the Historic Lone Star State Herald the Season of Love*****
by Cathy Marie Hake, Ramona K. Cecil, Lena Nelson Dooley,
Darlene Franklin, Pamela Griffin, Kathleen Y'Barbo

1-Here Cooks the Bride by Cathy Marie Hake 1879...Cut Corners, Texas...Lacy Mather has somewhat of a shock in store her when she arrives in Cut Corners from Boston to help her great-Aunt Millie run her diner after injuring her arm. I don't think she was prepared for the sight she beheld on entering Millie's home/diner. I have to give her credit, she rolled up her sleeves and jumped right in. Of course, the whole town knew what kind of cook Millie is but what about Lacy's cooking? It was comical when they took that first taste, and even more comical the way Millie tried to teach Lacy the “correct” way cooking her dishes. Since there not many single ladies in Cut Corners, all the eligible bachelors tried to get Lacy to marry them—with the exception of the blacksmith. This is a cute novella with some humorous situations that had me chuckling.

2-A Christmas Chronicle 1881...Cut Corners, Texas...I like that we return to Cut Corners in this novella and I love the “old codgers”, as they are fondly called. They are four men—Stone Creedon, Swede, Eb Wilson and Mayor Chaps Smythe—who were Texas Rangers together, now retired and have taken it upon themselves to play matchmaker with the eligible men and women in town. It was fun to watch them at their scheming to get two unlikely people together—in this case it was Vivian Sager and Travis McCoy. Poor Vivian, she was so clumsy on a good day. I am not sure why she is so clumsy but was hoping she would settle down some once she found a fella—however, that may make things even worse. But she had a good heart. Chronicling the West with pictures is Travis' favorite thing to do. I found it interesting how his wagon got it's name: “What-izzit Wagon” and the process of picture taking of the 1880's. I enjoyed watching the interaction between Travis and Vivian. A cute, fun story.

3-To Hear Angels Sing by Ramona Cecil 1883...Pinewood, Texas...I love Bridget O'Keefe's heart for and her determination to take the gospel to the Indian children at the orphanage operated by the local Woman's Missionary Union. I admire her steadfastness in her beliefs and to stay true to her faith—not to marry an unbeliever. Ranch foreman Seth Krueger had an attitude toward a would-be missionary, orphaned Indians and angry at God. At first I didn't think I would like him but he does have some good qualities. It was interesting to watch the interplay between Bridget and Seth and Seth's return to God.

4-The Face of Mary by Darlene Franklin 1880-1884...Breading, Texas...Polly—also known as Mary—Jessup has her hands full with caring for her siblings and her father who has memory problems, which seem to be growing worse daily. His memory problems sound much like what we know today as dementia or Alzheimer’s. I love her dedication to her family, community and her faith. She is active in her church in many ways, offering her services as she is able. I like how she makes a sacrifice of something that is dear to her heart when her father is in trouble with the law. Joey Carpenter is fresh out of law school and returns to Breading hoping to open a law practice there. I like the way Joe steps in when he sees a need—whether it is with the Christmas pageant or helping Polly's father make it home safely. I love how he prays for guidance when he is asked to paint the faces of the wood carvings for the pageant and whose face he paints as Mary. I enjoyed the story-line and the lessons woven within.

5-Charlsey's Accountant by Lena Nelson Dooley 1890...Horsefly, Texas....Charlsey—Charlie Ames helps her father on the Ames Ranch, often wearing men's clothing when riding the ranch doing whatever needs to be done, such as branding calves. I like that she isn't afraid of getting dusty and dirty working around the ranch but is every bit a lady once ranch chores are finished for the day. Harold Miller III from Boston is in for a surprise when he first meets Charlie and then when he meets her again as Charlsey. I think he was rather confused—Charlie and Charlsey both seem similar but he couldn't figure out why. Made me wonder why he couldn't tell Charlie is a girl in men's clothing? Charlsey is confused in his behavior—he is very sociable and likable in the evenings but totally ignores her during the day around the ranch. It was fun watching them as they finally figured out what was going on. Even then things didn't go as smooth as they wanted.

6-Plain Trouble by Kathleen Y'Barbo 1893...Horsefly, Texas...we return to Horsefly in this novella to the Ames Ranch where the last unmarried daughter—the reliable girl—Bess, who cares for her father and their home. I like Bess and could understand her uncertainty of her future—will she ever get married or forever be a spinster? Texas Ranger, Josef—Joe Muller leaves San Antonio tracking a murder, Pale Indian, to Horsefly—a place he did not want to return to. I really like Joe and felt his concern that Pale Indian just might be someone he knew growing up. Sparks fly when he meets up with Bess after not seeing her for so many years. She grew up to be a beautiful young woman. But will she forgive him for the unflattering rhyme from their childhood days? Some suspense mixed in with romance makes this a charming story.

~I received an e-book copy of this book from NetGalley, this is my honest review~