Yet another heartwarming story in this Donna VanLiere series. The stories in this series have always hit all of the emotions that seem to be a part of the holiday season. This book has forgiveness, empathy and of course love running all of the way through it. Returning to this town is always a pleasure as the characters and the village encompass what Christmas is all about. A great read.

The Christmas Star is book 9 in the Christmas Hope companion novel series. What continues to connect this series together is the town and Glory's Place.

In this one, you have Amy who wants to help out with kids and finds Glory's Place to help her do that. She wants to have that spark in her life again that she has been missing since her divorce and she's hoping that this will help her do so. On her first day there she meets Maddie who is one of the kids who is a part of the after-school program. Maddie and Amy create a friendship and Maddie decides she knows the perfect guy for Amy, and wants to set her up.
While Maddie is doing her matchmaking you see Maddie also wanting different things as well as the characters from previous books being in this one.

Overall I enjoyed this one. It did seem to have a lot of things happening that were rushed and made me feel a little uneasy. Amy and this new guy have known each other so closely can be seen as a good thing, but I also think that the ending for them was very very rushed and just a no in my opinion they should have talked and really gotten to know each other again fully before doing what they did.

I am interested in reading the next book and seeing who we get to follow next, and what characters will pop up.

This is book 10 of the Christmas Hope Series. Amy volunteers at Glory's Place where she Maddie, a matchmaker child who sees that Amy is perfect for a teacher at a local school. Maddie and the people around her show Amy that love isn't all heartache.

A sweet Christian romance of second chance. Liked this one, although a little quick to resolve issues. Not that that is bad, but felt it was rushed a bit. Otherwise, a sweet Christmas story and one that I highly recommend.

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

I love Donna VanLiere and I will read every single Christmas book she writes!!! This one did not disappoint!

A sweet Christmas story with themes of love, family, forgiveness and redemption. It’s a quick read but has a wide set of characters and some entertaining interactions. This story is a feel good escape.

The Christmas Star is a second chance romance. It's fairly short with a good storyline.

Gabe and Amy have history which did not end so well. Maddie is very fond of them and thinks that they should be together, not knowing that they are already well acquainted with each other.

The story moves at a steady pace. The diversity of the characters is interesting. They are a big family who are always ready with a helping hand when needed. The Christmas theme is very well portrayed. Although the story is a little predictable, it's enjoyable.

I was kindly issued with an eARC from Netgalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

I enjoyed this sweet Christmas story. What a tale filled with love, compassion, forgiveness, and hope. The characters will squeak their way into your heart ... even Miriam. A wholesome feel good book that will put you in the Christmas spirit.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Having recently finished “The Christmas Star” by Donna VanLiere, I am happy to have had the chance for the preview; thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press!

This has been on my shelf since last year and I am finally getting the chance to read it. I like stories that help the SPIRIT of Christmas become front and center before the madness of the bustle begins, and this sweet and predictable story took care of that for me. It is about second chances brought about with the help of a sweet little girl named Maddie. A happy ending and lots of sweet and sugary moments, but that's perfectly acceptable this time of year! Did I mention it was a sweet story? I believe I did.

This is a delightful holiday romance!

I love the cast of characters in this book. They talk a lot about a family being made up of a group of friends that you love. By the end of this book I felt like they were my family too.

I thoroughly enjoyed how the kids that go to Glory’s Place after school are included in the lives of the adults. Maddie is my favorite on of the children and the characters in general.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

A lovely story with a touching, heartwarming plot. Just the perfect read coming into the holiday season.

A beautiful Christmas story about second chances, love, family and all of the way we overcome our heartaches.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Maddie, an adorable foster child, has decided that Amy and Gabe need to meet because they would be perfect for each other. Amy volunteers at Glory's Place, an afterschool program for children in need, and Gabe is the school maintenance man. Little does Maddie know that Amy and Gabe have met; in fact, they were married before Gabe's alcoholism drove them apart. But Gabe is a different man now - he's done the steps and found God, and now he wants to find his way back to Amy.

This series is a sweet, faith-centered getaway. You know that it is going to end with a happily ever after, but sometimes, that is just what you are looking for.

This is the perfect Christmas story... with a child who needs a family, a woman who needs to remember what love is like, and a holiday where those miracles always seem to happen...

The Christmas Star is an amazing story that has climbed to my top shelf as a favorite holiday read. With a matchmaker too cute for words and a love story that has your cheering until the end, The Christmas Star is a great way to begin your holiday season.

**thanks to St. Martin's for the ARC to review***

The Christmas Star was such a delightful story with a completely unexpected twist to the storyline! It's definitely a tale of love and redemption, and it made my heart so happy.

Seven-year-old Maddie steals the show in this one. She is wise beyond her years and has a huge heart. She connects with Mr. G, a custodian at her elementary school who is kind and gentle, but sounds a bit lost. She meets Amy when Amy volunteers at Glory's Place, and knows she needs to meet Mr. G.

The story unfolds in a way that could have come off as a middle-grade "Parent Trap" escapade but instead is shows a wise (and sneaky) Maddie manipulating opportunities for the two to meet. When they do, the result isn't as one would expect, and I loved watching this story of second chances and redemption play out. Sweet and heartwarming (without being sappy), the newest edition to VanLiere's Christmas series is just what we need any time of the year. (Best yet, it works really well as a stand-alone, but if you have missed a book or two in the series, you'll only want to go back and read those, too.)

This is a sweet, clean Christmas romance story. Well-written with interesting and lovable characters along with a HEA makes this story a winner!

What a sweet sweet story. Second chances, a wedding and a super cute Maddie. This story will melt your heart and give you hope. Really great characters who are complex and have a past of hurt but a future of forgiveness. I really enjoyed this story and the cast of characters. I love Maddie and her openness to expressing her opinion and trying to fix up Amy and Gabe. Maddie is really the glue that holds this whole story together and really has a huge heart.

The Christmas Star (Christmas Hope #9) by Donna VanLiere is a super sweet Christmas story. It is a fast read that will leave you with a smile on your face. The story revolves around a little girl that is in foster care being her precocious self doing her best to set up two single adults she meets through school and an afterschool program. I did enjoy the book and was going to give it three stars until I got closer to the end and a sweet surprise pushed it over the edge to three and a half stars.

I enjoyed reading this wholesome holiday romance that reunites Gabe Rodriguez and Amy Denison. Little Maddie may only be seven years old but she has a matchmaking soul and she wants her good friend, Gabe, to meet her new friend Amy. They agree to meet, but this couple has a history and it's going to take more than a matchmaker to reunite these two.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC; all opinions are my own.