On the Way to Christmas - Novella collection

 

Description from christianbook.com :

A Christmas Do-Over when job loss forces her to return to her small hometown.

A Yuletide breakup sends Willow Dashing Through the Snow solo on the Christmas Express---with hilarious results.

And big-city Kacey and small-town Drew share A Perfectly Splendid Christmas. But where do they go from here?

I know that I'm not the only one reaching for feel-good Christmas stories early this year.  As the world seems heavy and exhausting, we all need stories of hope and joy.  
Of the three stories, Dashing Through the Snow  was by far my favorite; I loved the story of a Christmas train ride, and the characters made it so much fun.

Overall, I give this book 3 stars, but Dashing Through the Snow is a 4-star story.

You can find On the Way to Christmas HERE.
You can find Shelia Roberts HERE.
You can find Melissa Ferguson HERE.
You can find Amy Clipston HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Christmas in Winter Hill - Melody Carlson

Krista Galloway and her daughter have packed up their lives and moved to Winter Hill, in order for Krista to take a job as their city manager.  Once there, Krista realizes that this small town may not be a good fit for her; they center much of their city life around Christmas, a holiday that has always seemed to bring catastrophe to Krista's life.  She also finds that the city government has several unrealized problem areas, making her seem like the bad guy who moved into town and started cleaning house.  Can Krista and her daughter make a life here, or will this be one more Christmas disappointment for Krista?

This was a sweet little Christmas novella, perfect for wintry days by the fireplace.  Krista's rough background serves to fuel her disappointment in life, but she gives it her best to give her daughter, Emily, a better shot at a hopeful life.  There is a good mix of villainous characters and helpful, honest ones to balance out the story.  As with most novellas, the reader doesn't get very deep views into any of the characters, but it was enough to want to root for Krista and to feel the pull of the town against her. 

I give this novella 4 stars.  I think this town and its Christmas-loving people would make for a sweet series of Christmas novellas, filling in the story of Christmasville and the people who bring it together every year.

You can find Christmas in Winter Hill HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Bluebonnet Bride - Colleen Coble

Elli Korpela has come from Finland to America to find a husband, and to escape the man most benefits from her being gone.  When she arrives, she finds her husband, Nathan White, to be more than she anticipated and hopes that the marriage may become one of more than just convenience for both of them.  However, before they can settle into any kind of married life, they need to find out who's behind the attacks on Elli at their new house.  Is it her past tracking her across the ocean, or is it someone angry at Nathan's new position of foreman?

I am not typically a fan of novellas, and this book is a good demonstration of my reasons.  Even though I liked the characters and was excited for the chance for both Elli and Nathan to find more than they'd hoped for in this mail-order marriage, there was just not enough time for the story to develop.  There was not enough time for their romance to develop at a natural pace, and there was not enough time to develop depth to the mystery and its solution.  This short book did intrigue me enough that I intend to read the full Butterfly Palace novel, and hope for more insight into the characters who only made brief appearances in this novella.

I give this novella 2.5 stars, rounded to 3.  While the short story/novella format does not appeal to me, the characters and writing were still decently enjoyable.  Perhaps, once the series is rounded out, it will make a nice bridge between books 1 and 2.

You can find Bluebonnet Bride HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.
You can follow her on Twitter HERE.

I received a copy of this e-book from the Booklook Bloggers program, in exchange for my honest review.