Mountain Christmas Brides is a wonderful collection of stories. These stories include:
A Trusting Heart by Carrie Turansky Home for the Holidays by Mildred Colvin One Evergreen Night by Debby Lee All Ye Faithful by Gina Wellborn A Carpenter Christmas by Mary Davis Fires of Love by Tamela Hancock Murray The Best Medicine by Lena Nelson Dooley Almost Home by Susan Page Davis Dressed in Scarlet by Darlene Franklin I enjoyed all of these stories so much. They were so sweet and inspirational. My favorite stories were Carrie Turansky's A Trusting Heart and Susan Page Davis's Almost Home.
Great collection!
5 plus stars.

It's no secret I love romance novella anthologies. This olio is written by some of my favorite authors who write so well that I will pick up a menu if it had their names on it.

Beginning in the late 1800s and carrying through to the early 1900s, each of these stories celebrates Christmas with a wedding or an engagement in the Rocky Mountains, and one of them brings in a new baby. There are a couple of series included in the collection, so that you get more than one story with some of the same characters involved. It's like making a new friend, and then reconnecting with them a few times to solidify the friendship.

Nine stories in the cover of one book--life just doesn't get much better. Reading it during the heat of summer cools the soul. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a snowball fight in the middle of summer.

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

This book tugs at the heartstrings. The first novella tugs at your heart and pulls at it and pulls and when it is done the next one just keeps on pulling until the last one is done and you just keep on wishing that there were some more novellas pulling your heartstrings. hmmm. This book makes your long days shorter, your boring rides less boring. You find yourself falling in love all over again, and again, and again. You look at your spouse in a new light and you see your GOD with a thankful heart being reminded that HE placed the people in your life the way HE did He is a great GOD..

The way the various short stories link together in two universes makes the book really something special. The explorations of different time periods and circumstances made the book interesting and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories and found it hard to put the book down.

by Andrea Renee Cox

Mountain Christmas Brides is a wonderful collection of Christmas novellas by a host of Christian fiction authors. Some of the authors were new to me, while others were old favorites. Each brought their unique writing style and creativity to the project, which made it something of an adventure to read. When I began each new novella, it was fun to discover what made this particular story shine brightly among the others in the book. This collection would make a great gift, and Christmas is coming quicker than we know.

Here are my thoughts on a few of my favorite novellas in Mountain Christmas Brides:

A Trusting Heart by Carrie Turansky
What if a mail-order bride was unwanted by the groom? Carrie Turansky’s A Trusting Heart is a beautiful answer to that question. She uses emotions well to pull in the reader. Her characters invoke hope even when things look their gloomiest. The heart with which she writes is quite exquisite and is evident on each page.

A Carpenter Christmas by Mary Davis
Aw! A Carpenter Christmas was so sweet I stayed up way too late to finish it. The romance of Willum and Natalie made me laugh, cry, chuckle, sigh, smile, giggle, gasp, and ask, “What in the world is he doing?” It’s found a place in my heart, and I hope it will yours too.

Almost Home by Susan Page Davis
Almost Home surprised me. I’ve never before read a story about a couple of folks traveling through a blizzard, nor would I have expected such a treasure of a tale to come of it. But put the pen in Susan Page Davis’s hand, and the dreary premise suddenly turns downright entertaining, winding its way around my heart. So glad to see she’s still on top of her game. I’m certain many readers will pass her stories along to the next generation.

*I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

There is just something about the Christmas season that makes my romantic heart just a little more lovey dovey. Throw Christmas and new romance together and its a home run. This compilation of novellas has the right amount of new love, romance, drama and climatic points. Every couple was faced with trials and tribulations, but with love and God's guidance they came out stronger in their faith and love for one another.
I enjoy stand-a-lone novels and I enjoy series. I have a tendency to get wrapped up in a series and can't stop reading until the whole series is complete. I really liked that this compilation had a few stand-a-lone novellas as well as some that could be considered a series because of overlapping characters and story lines.
I would definitely read this compilation every year during the Christmas season and would even gift to fellow book lovers!

I adore these multiple story books! They are perfect to go through on a weekend or a different story each evening. This one has the Christmas theme throughout. I am highlighting the first one:
A trusting Heart
Carrie is a wonderful author that sucks you into her stories! This one is no exception. Annika is answering a mail-order bride correspondence, but what she finds isn’t exactly what she was told! There is a sweet little girl, sad widower, well-meaning father and a wonderful-hearted brother all in the mix. Such a sweet romance builds between Daniel and Annika that you feel right along with them. I adored the ending and the closure that they all receive!

This is a fun collection of novellas to read in the Christmas season, and it earns bonus points for having linked stories with gratifying cross-over of characters. And bonus points on top of bonus points for Pacific Northwest settings. Yes, I’m biased.

Carrie Turansky starts us off with an unexpected bride, a runaway groom, his lovingly meddlesome father and more responsible brother, along with Swedish Christmas traditions in my favorite novella of this collection.

Mildred Colvin sets her story in Tumwater, Washington with a more refined man arriving from Seattle and meeting a girl of almost 18 who (gasp) fishes and wears pants. Debby Lee writes the most exciting action scene with a train driver going at break-more-than-neck speed to arrive at a lumber camp where a certain young lady is working. Gina Welborn takes a character who had appeared in the last two stories and pairs him with a part Chinook heroine, giving a glimpse into some of the racial attitudes of the 1880’s.

Mary Davis starts a new arc set in 1913 that links five of the novellas. In her story, we’re given themes of trust, patience, and obedience to God when He says “build my house.” Tamela Hancock Murray continues this arc with a religious young woman who is determined to stay single after having her heart broken by a superstitious man who is now a widower. She also introduces Aunt Dorcas, who will play a part in Lena Nelson Dooley’s story. In it a Doctor, new to town, is out to impress the rancher’s daughter he had loved years ago as a ranchhand. Susan Page Davis rounds out the quartet with a young midwife trapped in a line shack with the man who happens to be her childhood crush – as she was his. In the final story of the collection, Darlene Franklin moves us to a hotel called The Brown Palace, whose Italian born Coachman/mechanic witnesses a car accident while skiing home. Naturally, he and the young lady involved become snowed in at the hotel, where they are continually thrown together.

I enjoyed the inclusion of different cultures, the linked stories, and having the settings in and near the Rocky Mountains. While this won’t be in my top picks of these novella collections from Barbour, I wouldn’t have skipped it. It was, however, surprising to find what may be one of my favorite “kiss” scenes in any of these collections at the end of chapter five of Lena Nelson Dooley’s contribution.

If you enjoy Inspirational historical fiction set in the 1880’s and 1910’s, from Wyoming to Washington, with sweet Christmas-time romances then this is a nice collection to cozy up with by your Christmas tree.

This review refers to a review ebook copy read courtesy of the publisher, through Net Galley, in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This nine author collection takes place in the late 1800's and centered around nine couples who find that Christmas was the perfect time to fall in love. I really enjoyed how the stories were connected, yet still a story all of their own. Getting snowed in during a blizzard with a person that can turn it into a romantic start to a relationship, loved it!! These authors know how to make it happen.. I couldn't pick a favorite because I enjoyed everyone of them!

I've always wanted to visit the Rocky Mountains. I live in the Blue Ridge Mountain region with my home being only a 10-minute drive from an entrance to them. Mountains spell enjoyment and instantly remind me of God's wondrous creation. I can't help being filled with wonder at the beauty and knowing that God is indeed an incredible artist! Spanning three states, and leading from the 1880 to 1913, the characters' use a variety of means of transportation....horses, cars and the newly invented railroad, but romance is a common thread. Faith is another common thread among the stories and authors. Different traditions are experienced and the Christmas spirit is alive and well in the hearts of budding love.
The novellas are sweet, fun, and quick to read. I enjoy being able to read one or two of the novellas and picking up on others another day. One can easily read the entire collection in one sitting or spread them over a period of time. While the novellas are predictable in romance stories, they are well-written and research into the time periods and regions are evident.
I am rating this novella collection 4 stars and highly recommend it, whether it is read near Christmas or at another time of year. I personally enjoyed reading it in summer and thinking ahead with expectation of the coming Christmas season.
I received an ebook from netgalley and Barbour Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Nine stories, two time frames. The first 1880 on a ranch in in Wyoming, the second in Washington territory at a logging camp area, the third in 1913 near Denver, Co during one of the worst snowstorms in it's history. They share characters and friends, which I love in this type of book. A mail order bride the groom doesn't know about, a tomboy, camp worker, some wealthy girls, a Parson's daughter to name a few. A delightful mix with tons of depth and characters you feel you know. If you want to cozy up with a good book that will keep you engaged, especially for the holidays, this is a great choice. Isn't that cover just gorgeous?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Publisher and 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.