tomaind's review against another edition
4.0
A sweet and touching Christmas story set during WWII. Melody Carlson's Christmas Novellas are a tradition for me to read during the holidays. Her Christian Fiction is a nice break from some of the heavier stories I read during the year. Carlson's stories are the perfect read to help share the true meaning of Christmas. If you love Hallmark Christmas movies and prefer your Christmas read without sex and violence, you can't go wrong with any of her books.
xkay_readsx's review against another edition
5.0
Ahhhh, I feel so good after reading this book. Highly recommend for those looking for a Christmas romance. WWII era romance.
elvenavari's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. This was a really sweet story but it would have benefited from being a full length novel. There were so many things that would have been better if it had just been fleshed out. Amelia drove me crazy at times. She would make a decision, seemingly steadfast in that decision and then not half a page later do a complete 180 on that decision. The ending was predictable but I still loved it.
amandainpa's review against another edition
5.0
This is my third year of reviewing Melody Carlson’s Christmas stories and I always enjoy reading them. (Reviews for The Christmas Angel Project and The Christmas Joyride). Every year, she releases a Christmas story that warms the heart and gets the reader in the mood for the Christmas season and this book was no exception.
The story follows Amelia, who lost her sweetheart in World War 2 after a whirlwind romance that produced a child. Her sweetheart, James, left for the war before they knew she was pregnant (or were married) and now she is setting off to find his family and introduce herself and her son Jimmy to them.
I liked the plot of the story and the time period of World War 2, a scary and uncertain time, I imagine. I also liked Amelia’s character, she adored baby Jimmy and wanted what was best for him. My only qualm with this book is that Amelia states that she doesn’t regret having Jimmy out of wedlock and premarital sex almost seems condoned because they were planning on getting married the next day anyway. Something about that didn’t quite sit well with me. I don’t judge people for their actions or sins but I wasn’t fond of how sin was almost justified in this book (I always hold Christian books at a higher standard than secular books).
Overall, this was a very sweet story that was paced well and had a great ending. I highly recommend it for fun Christmas reading!
My Rating:
4.5 stars
I received this book from Revell Publishing to review honestly.
The story follows Amelia, who lost her sweetheart in World War 2 after a whirlwind romance that produced a child. Her sweetheart, James, left for the war before they knew she was pregnant (or were married) and now she is setting off to find his family and introduce herself and her son Jimmy to them.
I liked the plot of the story and the time period of World War 2, a scary and uncertain time, I imagine. I also liked Amelia’s character, she adored baby Jimmy and wanted what was best for him. My only qualm with this book is that Amelia states that she doesn’t regret having Jimmy out of wedlock and premarital sex almost seems condoned because they were planning on getting married the next day anyway. Something about that didn’t quite sit well with me. I don’t judge people for their actions or sins but I wasn’t fond of how sin was almost justified in this book (I always hold Christian books at a higher standard than secular books).
Overall, this was a very sweet story that was paced well and had a great ending. I highly recommend it for fun Christmas reading!
My Rating:
4.5 stars
I received this book from Revell Publishing to review honestly.
cmareads's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Revell and Netgalley for the free copy of this novel. All opinions in this blog are my own.
Let me start off by saying that this is a super quick read. I started it at 8 and was finished at 9:30. This is also the second Christmas book I have read this month, which is also quite shocking because I tend to be a scrooge. (Don’t like all the commercialization of the holiday)
Carlson creates a cute, picturesque plot in this novel. This is the first novel that I have read by her, so I didn’t know what quite to expect. Right away, I knew that it was a great book to squeeze into an evening. The plot, though it had its twists, stayed on the surface and didn’t get too deep. I think I would’ve loved this novel more had it been double the size, and if the problems and relationships had been developed much more. I really wanted to dig into the characters pasts to help understand their motives better.
I did like the family atmosphere that Carlson created. With the novel being set during the holidays, it created the closeness that is felt during Christmastime. It also showed that it can be lonely for some people. She plays on both of these aspects with the various characters in her novel.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Christmastime reads or is in the need of a quick, feel-good novel. It is available on September 5.
Let me start off by saying that this is a super quick read. I started it at 8 and was finished at 9:30. This is also the second Christmas book I have read this month, which is also quite shocking because I tend to be a scrooge. (Don’t like all the commercialization of the holiday)
Carlson creates a cute, picturesque plot in this novel. This is the first novel that I have read by her, so I didn’t know what quite to expect. Right away, I knew that it was a great book to squeeze into an evening. The plot, though it had its twists, stayed on the surface and didn’t get too deep. I think I would’ve loved this novel more had it been double the size, and if the problems and relationships had been developed much more. I really wanted to dig into the characters pasts to help understand their motives better.
I did like the family atmosphere that Carlson created. With the novel being set during the holidays, it created the closeness that is felt during Christmastime. It also showed that it can be lonely for some people. She plays on both of these aspects with the various characters in her novel.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Christmastime reads or is in the need of a quick, feel-good novel. It is available on September 5.
pageturnersandsweettea's review against another edition
5.0
Ms. Carlson is back with another emotionally moving Christmas novella. I love her Christmas novellas and will forever read them. She brings wonderful messages from God and mixes them into a captivating story line, and blends it all with characters that steal your heart and become your family til the end.
This Christmas story is set during one of my favorite time periods to read about: WWII, and follows Amelia and her son. I loved how Ms. Carlson transported me back in time. I loved following Amelia on her journey of pain and hope, and longing. The way I felt reading this book, seeing Amelia come to terms with her situation, seeing God work on her heart, really refreshed my own.
If you love stories filled with hope, longing and an ending that will leave you wanting more from a superbly talented author, then this 5 star book is for you. Ms. Carlson delivers her readers a novella that you won't soon forget! Well done!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
This Christmas story is set during one of my favorite time periods to read about: WWII, and follows Amelia and her son. I loved how Ms. Carlson transported me back in time. I loved following Amelia on her journey of pain and hope, and longing. The way I felt reading this book, seeing Amelia come to terms with her situation, seeing God work on her heart, really refreshed my own.
If you love stories filled with hope, longing and an ending that will leave you wanting more from a superbly talented author, then this 5 star book is for you. Ms. Carlson delivers her readers a novella that you won't soon forget! Well done!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
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