I felt like I read the same story twice, just with different characters. I love Christmas books, but this was just frustrating.

Two cousins are on a mission to complete Deidre's father’s dying wish after he is murdered. They decide to split up to confuse their pursuers. This book contains the story of each woman as they go on their own adventure to complete their mission during the holiday season.
This was a quick read that was nice for the holiday season. I definitely liked Deidre’s story more than Maura’s, but it was more because of Mitchell as I didn’t really like him that much.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

This book has two stories, and while both are enjoyable, the second is almost an exact duplicate. I liked the characters and the setting/plot. I didn't quite make it all the way through the second story though, because it was so similar to the first.

Who doesn't enjoy a double feature of Christmas romance with a little mystery thrown in to sweeten the deal? Hannah Howell delivers a pair of adorable stories about two women who head to Montana to fulfill a father's dying wish. There, confronted by two dark and brooding men, they begin a journey to find love and closure. A good book for the holiday season...

Same story times two. No sense of research or knowledge of the West. Not a book I would recommend.

Deidre and Maura are two very brave ladies setting out on this journey!
Those boys they meet up with know that they are getting to Paradise no matter what, they made a deathbed promise.
I do like how it really is one full story, but broken up into two stories then combined at the end.
I read this a few years ago, but I was happy to reread.

*I received this copy from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review

A Stocking full of Joy contains two romance stories that I found to be very well written. The plot of the stories are the Old West and the characters are well developed. I enjoyed this new to me author and look forward to reading more of her work.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

This is a book with two stories about two cousins and two brothers who are determined to get a packet of documents to Paradise, Montana before their evil neighbors try to stop (kill) them.

In the first book, Diedra Kenney meets Tyrone Callahan while on her way to his ranch and deliver papers. Both Diedra and Maura have made a deathbed promise to Diedra's father when he was killed on a failed attempt to get the papers to the Callahan's. Tyrone never figured he would marry so he was blown away when he met Diedra.

The second book, Maura Kenney runs into trouble and is rescued by Mitchell Callahan. Both couples team up and work together to fight off thugs trying to kill them. Each book has a mix of romance, action, intrigue, and drama. Maura never wanted to fall in love after a troubled childhood so Mitchell had a battle on his hands to win her over.

Each couple had different struggles to survive and different struggles to get to their HEA, so it was a fun read and loved that it had a hint of Christmas added. Hope we will see a book for Jason and Stephen!

Highly Recommend
A Stockingful of Joy by Hannah Howell is a terrific book that contains two love stories that are happening together. It involves two stubborn cousins that must complete a mission of delivering important papers for the Callahan family who have a ruthless enemy trying to steal their land. Deidre and Maura both decide to split up and take different routes to Montana. They are pursued by men who are out to murder them so they can’t complete their mission. In route, they both meet a Callahan who help them complete their mission and romance blossoms. This is a fast pace book that will hold your interest from beginning to end. Another great job by Hannah Howell.
I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoy Christmas in the Wild West. Deidre made a death bed promise to her father to deliver some documents to Paradise, Montana, with the help of her cousins, she plans to do just that. Deidre and Maura each plan on taking a different route but both find plenty of adventure and so much more. This was an entertaining read with loads of drama and suspense. I loved the characters and the chemistry is steamy. A fun read!

With a deathbed promise, A Stockingful of Joy wasn’t going to be very joyful this year. Deidre made a deathbed promise to her father. That she will complete the assignment that earlier killed her dad’s business partner and now him. But where they failed, Deirdre and her cousin, Maura was praying to succeed. With a strategy in place, the two set off in opposite directions but with one common goal.
What was nice about A Stockingful of Joy was that we had the pleasure of getting two stories bundled into one book. Going by the synopsis you know it wasn’t the where that was the bases of these stories, but the How. How were these two lone women going to make it to Paradise, Montana? How were they going to overcome the obstacles along the way…Remember, the killers were still out there, and even if they did make it to Paradise, what was waiting for them at the end of the journey?
The first story, A Christmas in Paradise, has Deidre traveling by train and tackling obstinate gunmen, who will do anything to keep Deidre from reaching Montana. In the second story, Handful of Heaven you have the same story but a different take on the first story. However, If I had to pick my favorite out of the two, it would be the second title A Handful of Heaven. I liked both books, but I could relate to the cousin more. You have a shy person, to keep a deathbed, promise she had to step out of her comfort zone and to overcome memories of her past.
Even though the title depicts that these are Christmas romances I didn’t really get the holiday vibe from these stories.
Even though these stories were first published in 1999 under a different title, I take what I can get, plus this book was new to me. A Stockingful of Joy was certainly different than her normal fair of Historical romance. Will I recommend this book…? sure! It will take the boredom out of another long and stress filled day.

A Stockingful of Joy delivers two love stories happening simultaneously and involving two headstrong cousins determined to fulfill their family legacy and prevent a murderer from escaping justice.

A Christmas in Paradise
Deirdre took to heart her father’s dying wish to complete his last job and deliver important documents to the Callahan family in Paradise, Montana. Papers that would put a stop to land claims against them by a rival family.

She knows it dangerous, seeing as how the rival family sent hired killers to take out her father to prevent the papers getting to the right hands. But with nothing left to loose, she and her cousin Maura split up and each take a different route to Paradise.

It should have been a grueling and lonely trip, just a few weeks from Christmas, but a chance encounter with Tyrone Callahan and Deirde finds herself not only not alone but fighting an attraction to Ty that she didn’t see coming.

Maura’s Christmas Secret
Maura is risking her life for her cousin, hoping the killers after them will be distracted by her and her forged copies of the paperwork, long enough to allow Deirdre to deliver the authentic copies to their rightful owners.

Bumping into Mitchell Callahan is both a blessing and a curse. With his easy smiles and sinful kisses, Maura is torn between feeling grateful to have someone to share the burden and trepidation because the heat brewing between them could consume her.

With a clouded view of marriage and men in general, Maura is resistant to Mitchell. But from first sight, Mitch knew Maura was it for him. With danger following them close behind and a race to Paradise in time to save his family’s land, Mitch will have to use his every skill and resource to keep Maura alive and show her that trusting him wouldn’t be her biggest mistake, but her greatest strength.

What I liked:
Both stories were fast paced and kept you engaged. No skimming needed! Maura and Mitch were by far my favorite couple. I liked that it was pretty instant for Mitch, how important Maura would come to be for him and that he had to work to convince Maura to give him, them, a chance. Maura was a bit stubborn and opinionated but she wasn’t a bully or blinded to the truth. She just needed a nudge and Mitch was only too happy to it it to her, Lol!

Would I recommend? Yes
Deirdre and Ty were okay but I loved Mitch and Maura (they were my absolute favorite couple here)and they deserve a read. So if you’re in the mood for lighthearted, low on the drama scale western romances with some feel good Christmas vibes, I would recommend you give this one a read.

I really enjoyed the way the stories were written...together yet separate. A beautifully written historical with a lovely happy ending. I loved it!

Two stories about two independent, strong cousins determined to fulfill the mission entrusted to them. Taking separate routes to accomplish this, they meet two brothers equally determined to make sure important papers are delivered to the proper authorities. The path each woman travels is fraught with danger but, upon meeting the brothers, has strength and hope to finish the task. Not sure if author was placing 21st century morals into this 19th century tale, but I found it somewhat disconcerting.

Very good holiday read from Hannah Howell. This book contains two historical romance stories that go together. Hannah Howell never disappoints. This might be one of my favorites from her.

Such a great read. I love to read anything Hannah does and this book is a true masterpiece.

Deidre and Maura Kenney are cousins who promised to fulfill to Deidre's dying father wish to return the deed to the Callahan family in Paradise, Montana. The men sent to kill Deidre’s father are now hunting the Kenney woman who have the deed. The women split up to try and force the men to follow one of them more than the other in hopes they can deliver the deed safely. What they don’t expect is the Callahan men. Tyrone and Mitchell Callahan are needing the deed top prove their family holding or they could lose everything. They each take a different road to St. Louis where Tyrone encounters Deidre and Mitchell meets Maura.
Maura’s Christmas Secret is the story of Maura and Mitchell
Maura is risking her life for her cousin willingly trying to distract the killers by her carrying forged documents to allow Deidre time to deliver the authentic copies to their rightful owner. Along comes Mitchell Callahan and Maura feels safer already. She has someone to share the burden and hopeful achieve their common goal” getting the authentic copies to his family before it’s too late.
A Christmas in Paradise is Deidre and Tyrone’s story.
Deidre is trying to fulfill her dying father’s wish and take important documents to the Callahan family. She and Maura have split up and taken different routes to paradise Montana in an attempt to stop the document from falling into the wrong hands. Tyrone by chance encounter Deidre and from the start they are sexually attracted to each other. Tyrone is quite the womanizer and Deidre’s doesn’t want to be his mistress, but thing change when Deidre gets captured and Tyrone has to rescue her.

This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

A Hannah Howell novel is a quest into the unknown. It took me a little while, but I finally understand the magic that resides within her tales. Ms. Howell gives the fantasy long forgotten and the fairy tale not easily found. Like a fine wine or a flavorful food, her stories are meant to be savored. That is the only way to feel the full impact of her talent.
Imagination and heart are her most powerful weapons as she sets out to stake a lasting claim on the romantic at heart. A Stockingful of Joy is a different kind of holiday read. Two strong women set about keeping a promise, as they risk their lives and hearts along the way. Get ready for an adventure of breathless proportions.

Deidra and Maura are great. Both very independent and spirited women. As they are fulfilling Deidra's father's dying wish, they meet the men who can handle their spirit. They are to deliver some papers to Montana, so they take different routes in order to make sure that one of them will make it through. As they go on their journey, they are assaulted, shot at and kidnapped. The men come to their rescue, but they are holding their own in the meantime. A fun Christmas story.

This was my first time reading Hannah Howell and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It actually contains two stories, each following one of the cousins determined to fulfill a deathbed promise to deliver some papers to the Callahan's in Montana.

Both stories had a fun style of riding with lots of action going on. There is never a dull moment and I loved both the strong heroines make their way across the country with the help of the Callahan brothers. I think I enjoyed Deidre's story a tad more and I really enjoyed her character. She's very practical, smart and did a great job of holding her own against her enemies. I also really liked Patrick's character and loved seeing the two of them come together. Maura was also a fun heroine who has a lot of spunk but I think the fact that the men chasing her seemed more of bumbling oafs made her adventure less enjoyable. I also found the conflict at the end that gets Mitch all worked up at Maura was blown out of proportion and was a hard to believe conflict.

Despite that I still highly recommend this heartwarming read to those looking for a great holiday, historical romance.