diamondc's review against another edition
5.0
I always enjoy reading Amish Christmas books. This one is now my favorite this year. Four amazing stories wrapped into one great book. Each story will warm your heart and have you feeling like you are there with them. I really like the fact that the authors took time to allow you to get to know each Character. Sometimes novellas are rushed. Not these in this book. Even though I didn't want the stories to end, each one was detailed and well written. I never read books a second time but this one will be the first. I plan to read it again in December.
kristinasshelves's review against another edition
4.0
My rating is an average from the 3 stories I read in this collection.
Winter Kisses by Beth Wiseman- 2.5 stars
I’ve been wanting to read some Amish fiction by Beth Wiseman for a bit and adored her writing style, but was underwhelmed by this story. Naomi, her widowed mother Barbara and her widowed grandmother Ruth rent out a small home on their property to three men just before Christmas. As expected from a Christmas story, love blossoms for all three women, but not in the most obvious way. The story was cute, but there was a great deal of lust, public displays of affection and use of cell phones among the characters- not at all what I would expect from an Amish story. I have no problem with those things being elements to a book, but it just seemed out of place and detracted from the story.
The Christmas Cat by Amy Clipston- 5 stars
Emma is celebrating her first Christmas since her husband, Henry, has passed. She's treated to some unexpected company and a cat adopts her for the holiday. As a cat lover, I adore this story and found it to be heartfelt. It was a nice change from the Amish Christmas romances that seem to be the most popular holiday stories.
Snow Angels by Kelly Irvin 4 stars
A unique take on a love triangle. David is courting Molly for about a year when a woman from his past returns to the area- one who is not Amish. While this isn't my favorite trope, it was well done in this story.
Home for Christmas by Ruth Reid- skipped
I chose not to read this one due to the first chapter being very focused on dog shows. I’m not a fan of dogs as I’m allergic and have never understood the fascination with dog shows. The writing was good, but just not a story for me.
Winter Kisses by Beth Wiseman- 2.5 stars
I’ve been wanting to read some Amish fiction by Beth Wiseman for a bit and adored her writing style, but was underwhelmed by this story. Naomi, her widowed mother Barbara and her widowed grandmother Ruth rent out a small home on their property to three men just before Christmas. As expected from a Christmas story, love blossoms for all three women, but not in the most obvious way. The story was cute, but there was a great deal of lust, public displays of affection and use of cell phones among the characters- not at all what I would expect from an Amish story. I have no problem with those things being elements to a book, but it just seemed out of place and detracted from the story.
The Christmas Cat by Amy Clipston- 5 stars
Emma is celebrating her first Christmas since her husband, Henry, has passed. She's treated to some unexpected company and a cat adopts her for the holiday. As a cat lover, I adore this story and found it to be heartfelt. It was a nice change from the Amish Christmas romances that seem to be the most popular holiday stories.
Snow Angels by Kelly Irvin 4 stars
A unique take on a love triangle. David is courting Molly for about a year when a woman from his past returns to the area- one who is not Amish. While this isn't my favorite trope, it was well done in this story.
Home for Christmas by Ruth Reid- skipped
I chose not to read this one due to the first chapter being very focused on dog shows. I’m not a fan of dogs as I’m allergic and have never understood the fascination with dog shows. The writing was good, but just not a story for me.
kristi518's review against another edition
3.0
There's a reason I'm a reluctant fan of novellas. Not all stories are meant to be told quickly. I felt like some of the stories in this collection were too rushed and not complete. Two stories were well done and two needed a bit more work. Here's my take on each story:
Winter Kisses by Beth Wiseman
This story sounded interesting with three generations of women possibly finding love with the renters of their daadihaus. For me, there were too many characters in the book and each couple's story seemed rush. While the story was nice enough it may have been better told as a novel with more time spent on each couple.
The Christmas Cat by Amy Clipston
This is one of the novellas that was done right. I loved how the story was told in present day with flashbacks to Emma and Henry's life together. There were enough happy moments mixed in with Emma's grief over the loss of her husband that the story wasn't overly depressing. And Hank the cat was probably my favorite character.
Snow Angels by Kelly Irvin
I felt like I was missing something in this story. It was like I should have known the backstory of the characters but had missed out on it. The premise of the story was good and there was enough conflict to keep me guessing what would happen. While not one of my favorites of the collection the story was ok.
Home for Christmas by Ruth Reid
There is just something about Ruth Reid's writing that pulls me into the story and holds my interest until the end. The more I read from this author the more I like her. This novella (the longest in the collection, I believe) reads more like a novel. It was nice seeing the characters grow and change over the course of the story. The storyline was different which is something I've come to expect from this author and quite enjoy. The story and the author's writing style made this one of my favorites of the collection.
Fans of Amish fiction are sure to enjoy these stories by four of the genre's leading authors. This collection would also make a nice gift for the reader in your family.
I received a free copy from the publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.
Winter Kisses by Beth Wiseman
This story sounded interesting with three generations of women possibly finding love with the renters of their daadihaus. For me, there were too many characters in the book and each couple's story seemed rush. While the story was nice enough it may have been better told as a novel with more time spent on each couple.
The Christmas Cat by Amy Clipston
This is one of the novellas that was done right. I loved how the story was told in present day with flashbacks to Emma and Henry's life together. There were enough happy moments mixed in with Emma's grief over the loss of her husband that the story wasn't overly depressing. And Hank the cat was probably my favorite character.
Snow Angels by Kelly Irvin
I felt like I was missing something in this story. It was like I should have known the backstory of the characters but had missed out on it. The premise of the story was good and there was enough conflict to keep me guessing what would happen. While not one of my favorites of the collection the story was ok.
Home for Christmas by Ruth Reid
There is just something about Ruth Reid's writing that pulls me into the story and holds my interest until the end. The more I read from this author the more I like her. This novella (the longest in the collection, I believe) reads more like a novel. It was nice seeing the characters grow and change over the course of the story. The storyline was different which is something I've come to expect from this author and quite enjoy. The story and the author's writing style made this one of my favorites of the collection.
Fans of Amish fiction are sure to enjoy these stories by four of the genre's leading authors. This collection would also make a nice gift for the reader in your family.
I received a free copy from the publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.
kristin's review
1.0
I would like to thank netgalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Boring.
Boring.
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