by Karen Witemeyer
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 9780764239311
If you're anything like me, when you have a favorite author show up with a new book, you immediately HAVE to have it. That's me with Karen Witemeyer. I received her book for review.
Summary:
Three Charming and Festive Holiday Novellas Spiced with Humor, Frontier Action, and Sweet Romance
In this 3-in-1 novella collection, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer presents the new story "A Texas Christmas Carol," in which a town's wealthy, Scrooge-like bachelor finds his world invaded by a woman set on earning his donation for helping the local poor, and by the penetrating questions of three mysterious visitors.
It also includes, for the first time in print, "An Archer Family Christmas." When the Archer clan gathers for the Christmas holiday, an unexpected request for help leaves Cassandra Archer directly in the path of a dangerous outlaw. Desperate to protect the woman he loves, Jim Archer races to the rescue, only to find that Cassie's life is not the only one in peril. It will take a Christmas miracle--and the entire Archer clan--to keep a second Archer Christmas from ending in disaster.
In previously published "Gift of the Heart," a widow and her young daughter move to Hope Springs for a fresh start. But with no money to secure a home, Ruth must convince a wealthy resort owner to accept her heirloom brooch as collateral. Will the pin that brought love to three generations soften the heart of a wounded recluse and give Ruth a second chance at love as the holidays draw near?
Sprinkled throughout the collection, you'll find a hope-filled Christmas devotion, Witemeyer holiday recipes, and fun facts about nineteenth-century Christmas celebrations!
In this 3-in-1 novella collection, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer presents the new story "A Texas Christmas Carol," in which a town's wealthy, Scrooge-like bachelor finds his world invaded by a woman set on earning his donation for helping the local poor, and by the penetrating questions of three mysterious visitors.
It also includes, for the first time in print, "An Archer Family Christmas." When the Archer clan gathers for the Christmas holiday, an unexpected request for help leaves Cassandra Archer directly in the path of a dangerous outlaw. Desperate to protect the woman he loves, Jim Archer races to the rescue, only to find that Cassie's life is not the only one in peril. It will take a Christmas miracle--and the entire Archer clan--to keep a second Archer Christmas from ending in disaster.
In previously published "Gift of the Heart," a widow and her young daughter move to Hope Springs for a fresh start. But with no money to secure a home, Ruth must convince a wealthy resort owner to accept her heirloom brooch as collateral. Will the pin that brought love to three generations soften the heart of a wounded recluse and give Ruth a second chance at love as the holidays draw near?
Sprinkled throughout the collection, you'll find a hope-filled Christmas devotion, Witemeyer holiday recipes, and fun facts about nineteenth-century Christmas celebrations!
My Review:
Ok, so I'm going to review the Under the Texas Mistletoe novellas one by one starting with the first one A Texas Christmas Carol. If you want a Christmas retelling that will have your heart grow by two sizes, this is the story to read! It was so fun to see the author take the characters from A Christmas Carol and turn them into Texans. And then names she created for them were really fun like Evan Beazer. lol His closed off heart was put in place to protect himself, but when Felicity makes an appearance in his life and is relentless in softening his heart, he doesn't stand a chance at staying so frigid. I adored how the author used Felicity's gentle and positive spirit to lead him to Christ! You will also love the trio of misfits who show up out of nowhere and keep giving Evan advice. They crack me up!
And if you're an Archer loving fanatic, you DO NOT want to miss out on An Archer Family Christmas. I loved revisiting one of my all-time favorite families! This story was a bit heavier than the first one because it focuses on how hard Christmas Eve is for Jim and Cassandra. With the entire Archer clan getting together there was a lot of excitement and an activity that brought Cassandra face to face with trouble. Through the author's writing it's so easy to feel how close the Archer clan is. I loved that Moses, Myra, and Josiah make an appearance. They're some of my favorite side characters. I wasn't sure what the twist was going to be in this story, but it sure was a surprise! My heart was so full at the end of the story!
I'll be honest with you here, I struggle with romantic novellas because often times the storyline is rushed and it just doesn't feel "true". BUT Gift of the Heart gave me ALLLL of the feels and warmed me all the way to my toes. I love characters who have something they see as an obstacle in their lives, but the author uses the other main character to show them that it's not quite as bad as it seems. I know Bo is supposed to be a rather "hard" character, but I kind of liked him from the start. lol As for Ruth and Naomi they give the reader a huge desire to protect them and make sure things go well for them. And yes, if those names sound familiar, head to the book of Ruth in the Bible! You will have heart eyes even more when you read this novella! I have to admit, I got goosebumps at one point in the story!
The Extras in the story are a devotional at the end of the first novella and an explanation of early 19th century and a couple of recipes!
About the Author:
Voted #1 Reader's Favorite Christian Romance Author of 2019 by Family Fiction Magazine, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer(www.karenwitemeyer.com) offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. She makes her home in Abilene, Texas, with her husband and three children.
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