Happy Twelfth Night! It has become an informal annual tradition to share an edition of Christmas Story Mini Reviews here on the blog on January 5th, also known as Twelfth Night in the traditional Christmas days celebration. These are Christmas stories and ones with a Christmas/winter tone I read over the holiday season.
First edition of Christmas Story Mini Reviews | Second edition of Christmas Story Mini Reviews
Title links will take you to Goodreads for full book info.
You and Me by Becky Wade (novella, book 2.5 in the Misty River Romance series)
This is a fantastic little story with a friends-to-lovers romance! It checks all the boxes for a Christmas novella: banter, Christmassy activities, hot cocoa, and a sweet friendship at the center with a clever setup. I love and appreciate all the certainty of this romance: the decisiveness of the hero, the confident personality of the heroine, and the way everything unfolds realistically. Also, I loved the glimpses of Becky’s other characters from this series!
A Cross-Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh (novel)
ALL the stars and candy canes for this story! What a fun and funny adventure of a romance, with the emotional heart I expected from a Walsh tale. Highly recommended for second chance romance, romcom, and Christmas lovers alike!
Like A Silver Bell by Lindsay Harrel (Port Willis Romance novella #3)
This is a SWEET romance novella taking readers of Harrel’s past books back to the setting of Cornwall, England with a new couple and story of hope and trust. I particularly loved the steady way the hero supports the heroine throughout, being encouraging and patient when she needs a little space. The meaning behind the title is particularly cute, too.
Christmas Every Day by Beth Moran (novel)
This is a cute story. I loved so much about this: the heroine’s growth, the FRIENDSHIPS and their importance highlighted, the quirky village, the grumpy-and-broody cinnamon roll neighbor, the way Jenny learns to stand on her own feet and become the heroine in her own life, the hilarious antics of the children in the story, the secondary romance that happens within a friend group (and the baking that goes with it). I saw the setup of one of the main plot “surprises” a long time coming but was still hooked and pleased when it was all revealed. While its story takes place over a year’s time, it has several elements associated with Christmas, and it ends fittingly during that season (but it’s not *exactly* a Christmas story in the traditional sense).
This is my first book by Beth Moran, and I’m looking forward to reading more!
Silver Bells and Secrets by Laura Rollins (Twelfth Night novella #1)
This is a delightful Christmas novella! With an idyllic country house setting at Christmas, the hero and heroine take part in Christmassy events like a musicale, yule log hunt, and a romantic sleigh ride. The secret kept for much of the story as a major plot device worked well in this era and situation, making me eager for it to be revealed and the subsequent surprise of the story to impact the heroine. I was happy with the way it unfolded, because that’s usually not my favorite device.
Oh! And the hero is a somewhat socially awkward EARL! AKA a beta hero who’s more comfortable in a one-on-one conversation 🙂 🙂 loved him.
Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan (novel)
Once Upon a Wardrobe, in a nutshell, is a love letter to stories and imagination. Through the eyes of Megs and her young brother, George, the reader experiences the magic of a transportive story while analyzing how real life influences story (as in C. S. Lewis’ authoring the world of Narnia), along with the inherent connections stories establish between humanity, history, and faith. This is a novel to savor and reread – one I know I will return to and gain fresh perspective and new joy from upon each reading.
Did you read any Christmas stories this year? Do you read them into January?
The Green Mockingbird 