Four riveting short stories with a Christmas theme centered around a broach passed down through generations. Such a clever idea executed beautifully!

With gratitude to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are fully mine. Pub Date 02 Oct 2018. #TheChristmasHeirloom #NetGalley

This past Christmas, Bethany House released a book called The Christmas Heirloom which is four holiday novellas by some pretty famous christian fiction writers--Karen Witemeyer, Kristi Ann Hunter, Sarah Loudin Thomas and Becky Wade.
These stories intertwine as a family heriloom is passed down through the generations from mother to daughter.

I loved this set of stories. They were engaging and entertaining. Bethany House put together a great team of writers and I thought the stories gave all the warm, endearing feelings that you would expect from a set of books set during the Christmas season. I love how the jewlery is passed down through each story as each family's story is so different from the others. Having read Becky Wade's Bradford Sisters series, it was fun connecting to familiar characters in her story.
If you are looking for a fun set of short stories, make sure to pick up this novella set and add it to your home library. And when the Christmas season rolls around again, don't forget to add this book to your gift giving list for your friends and family.

***I received this complimentary e-book from Bethany House Publishers through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed these novellas. The writing is outstanding and the stories really stay with you. A perfect book to cozy up with any time of the year.

This was a cute collection of Christian fiction, perfect for the holidays! I liked the variety of the stories.

Legacy of Love by Kristi Ann Hunter

Nothing is harder for me to review than Novellas, as I’ve shared more than a few times. I was excited to get my hands on this particular collection however as it has some favorite authors, it’s Christmas-y, and they all tie together with one little brooch. Kristi Ann Hunter starts it off so amazingly with a sweet story about a 3rd son of an earl, a dowager’s companion of dubious past, and a dowager that doesn’t fit into any mold despite a family that tries to make it so. I was a bit disappointed that we fell into almost insta-love though. I mean, I guess they did know each other, kinda, for a year. However, their togetherness was sporadic at best and he was turned off by her mousiness so he was completely uninterested until a bit of spitfire at a family dinner. She was cow eyed for him but then again. . . what is a girl of lowly station to do. Forget the insta-love for a second because every thing else was absolutely captivating. The love that Randall (third son with no future) and Sarah (companion with no past) have for Lady Densbury is endearing and sweet. The lengths they go to ensure her life ends as lovely as it was lived is beyond tender. The love she helped them find will only bring more love for every person their lives touch. That is why I loved this snapshot and these people. I leave you here with this quote from Lady Densbury (Grandmother).

Gift of the Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Four generations later we meet Ruth. Still in possession of the brooch that was handed down from Lady Desnbury to Sarah to her daughter Rosemary (named for Lady Densbury) to her daughter (Ruth’s mother though I never caught her name just the initials REH) to Ruth and then eventually to Ruth’s Daughter Naomi. This history of the brooch is so integral to these stories and builds on the theme of love. Not just the romance of falling in love but the love of family and generations of history. Enough about history let’s talk about that love. I love Ruth, she’s had so many setbacks but she’s got gumption and fortitude. She’s not afraid to find a way to get what she needs, for herself and for her daughter despite her lack of financial means. And Bo, Beauregard. I mean, how do you not fall for someone named Beauregard? He’s had his own setbacks as well but instead of developing gumption he developed a means to staying in the shadows while building an empire of sorts with unlimited financial means. Until Ruth. Though I’m pretty sure that Naomi helped to spur them into their own bout of insta-love. I truly loved watching these two find each other, and in honesty a part of themselves in the process. I can almost forgive the insta-love though at the sweetness of these three branching out and growing into a family despite the obstacles of money and pride and community to overcome.

A Shot at Love by Sarah Loudin Thomas

Having read ‘The Sound of Rain’ earlier this year I was thrilled to go back and reconnect with some beloved characters in the Mountains of West Virginia. I have no idea how the brooch made it’s way to Bethel but I do know that Naomi married and had a daughter named Marion who had a daughter named Fleeta. And with a name like Fleeta you know it’s going to be interesting. (I LOVE that name!) Fleeta is as different and unique as her name, she is the antithesis of feminine. She’s only seen in a dress at holidays and church, she can out-shoot any man on the mountain, and her life goal is to become a gunsmith. Oh, and she can’t cook a lick but she can assure there is meat for the table. Hank, on the other had is a ‘flat-lander’ from South Carolina where he met Judd and provided him the opportunity to learn logging that pathed his future in ‘The Sound of Rain’. Hank has some dreams of his own that just might include Fleeta. There was a lot going on in this brief story and while they found themselves falling in insta-love it wasn’t. You know why? It wasn’t all tied up neat and forever after! I loved that Thomas took this snapshot of these people in this place and just told the story as it was. No need to ensure it was all tied up, no need to jump ahead and show the resolution, just a snapshot of the time they had together. Nothing more, nothing less.

Because of You by Becky Wade

Two generations later Fleeta’s daughter Laura drops the ball and stashes the brooch away and promptly forgets about it. Her daughter Maddie finds it on accident, while she is dealing with her long standing crush on her best friends widower. Yup, she fell for him the same time her bestie did. But, bestie rules. . . she saw him first. I love that they build on a relationship that had shared for years, nothing more than friends – of sorts – but something solid to start with. No insta-love here and for that I feel ever so grateful. I also loved that nothing had to be tied up so neatly at the end. They found their feelings and agreed to explore them and see where it lead. I loved that this novella was perfectly crafted as a snapshot in time. I loved that it took depth of emotions and history and embraced it while tackling it head on as well. The theme of the brooch running throughout these stories, these lives, these loves was refreshing. No matter where the story took us both generationally or geographically the brooch tied it all together. No matter the writing style, no matter the romance style, the brooch made it cohesive. ‘Because of You’ was the perfect tie for this collection.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

The Heirloom is a collection of four novellas that all center around a brooch that has been passed from mother to daughter through several generations and the true love that will be found by the current owner. The collection follows the passing of the brooch from the 1800's to present day. This is a heartwarming collection of stories centered around Christmastime, but could definitely be read any time of the year. It was interesting to see how the authors connected the stories, but each one could definitely be read by itself. I know some people do not enjoy novellas because there is not as much time for character development, but in my opinion that is not an issue with this collection.

I was given a copy of this collection in exchange for my honest review.

Nothing like four talented authors getting together to write everyone’s favorite genre: Christmas novella.
I thought the idea of a brooch being passed down through generations fantastic! And what a bittersweet beginning with the telling of its own story
💚
Tis the season to revisited beloved characters/settings and see them finding love.
Well done!

Wow, I loved all four stories! I guess I missed the memo that they were all tied to each other so when it finally clicked I was so happy! The stories were just the right length... not too short! I was drawn in to each one right away and didn’t want to put the book down. Each one tugged at your emotions in good ways.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

WARNING: This review may contain a few spoilers. Hi, today we are going to look at a delightful 4 story compilation novel called The Christmas Heirloom written by four awesome and talented authors (Karen Witemeyer; Kristi Ann Hunter; Sarah Loudin Thomas; Becky Wade.)

In the first story we meet a lovely young woman, Sarah Gooding,who works as an aid for an older woman. The older woman’s grandson is secretly in love with Sarah, but due to his status it is somewhat forbidden for him to pursue her. However, Grandmother has different plans. On the last Christmas of her life, she leaves Sarah a special gift, and heirloom brooch, and her grandson Randall soon finds out that his grandmother has been match making them for quiet a while. When she suddenly dies on Christmas day, Randall and Sarah realize that the brooch was all in her plan.

We next meet Ruth Albright, an offspring grand child to Sarah and Randall. Ruth has been down on her luck. Her husband had recently died and she decides that she should find a job as a cook for a hotel in another town, in order to take care of her precious daughter Naomi. However, until she can earn enough wages she cannot afford the house she would like to buy. The towns folk recommend her to the elite towns businessman, but they warn he is not too easy to persuade. Ruth finds her self having to give up the heirloom brooch in order to secure her loan. However, more is in store for this businessman and Ruth. We’ll just say for now, without spoiling too much that the brooch ends up back in the right hands.

In the third section of the novel, we meet this fiesty young lady named, Fleeta.Fleeta has lived with her Aunt and Uncle since her parents had died. As her Aunt is bedridden due to a difficult pregnancy, the Aunt tells Fleeta to get the brooch from her jewelry box. Fleeta’s Aunt explains that this is the only item from Fleeta’s mother and that it supposedly leads you to true love. Because Fleeta is not the sensible feminine type she hestiates to wear the brooch. Fleeta has dreams of owning her own gun shop and she can definitely out shoot almost anyone. However, the new young man in town on business gives her a run for her money. Will the brooch give her true love with this competitive gun shooting young man? You will have to find out.

Lastly, we meet Maddie, who has given up on love and devotes her self and time to church activities. Until her old crush and deceased best friend’s husband comes to town to find a life for his little son, life becomes slightly complicated for Maddie. Maddie feels guilty to have feelings for her best friends husband although she knows Olivia died tragically leaving behind a precious little boy and man who would do anything for his son. Maddie tries to ignore her feelings. As Maddie and him work together to help a family in need for the holidays they both soon feel the energy between each other. As Maddie is going through things in the attic of her parents home, she stumbles a brooch with several beautiful gems in side it. Will this brooch hold true to its past and is there true love for Maddie? Will Maddie get over the guilt she has for her best friend and the feelings she is beginning to feel? Well you will just have to find out.

Now you may ask what I thought of this novel. I enjoyed the novel quiet a bit, but as it was in digital form I feel that digital book lack something that a paperback or hardcover book contain. I’m not sure what it is though. Anything, I found this book very well written, but the last story just didn’t seem to have the effect on me as the previous three did. I’m not sure what it was, maybe because I felt that the brooch didn’t contain the same significance it did in the previous stories. I’m not sure. So I give this book 4 stars in stead of 5 for this reason, but overall I did enjoy the flow and how each story tied with the other. 🙂

These novellas are a continuing story of an heirloom broach that is handed down to the women in the family and they share their romantic love stories through almost a 200 year span.. Stories of strong interesting women who find their true love after being given the family broach.
I requested a copy through NetGalley, my review is voluntary.

Legacy of Love by Kristi Ann Hunter

Delightful and a nice start to the series, I especially enjoyed seeing the characters learn their worth and find an unexpected connection in this story.

Gift of the Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Though this was a novella, I thought it a well fleshed-out story in a very believable timeline. With Karen’s usual humor and endearing characters, this story takes a hero who would consider himself unlikely and pairs him with a darling little girl and a strong woman who never expected a second chance at love.

A Shot at Love by Sarah Loudin Thomas

I laughed out loud more than once while reading this story. Fleeta’s penchant for outshooting the boys was hilarious and an outward show of her fortitude. I liked Hank as her match, a man who respected her and was equal to the challenge of showing her his care. I really liked the setting of 1950s Appalachia, too.

Because of You by Becky Wade

This novella ties in to Becky’s “Bradford Sisters Romance” series in setting. Besides the fun cameos of familiar characters, this story wonderfully concluded the collection with a friendship-to-romance plot that touched on the nostalgia of the season but focused more on the joy in serving. It also handled themes of grief in a very real and tangible way, having both Leo and Maddie come to terms with honoring the past and choosing joy and good things for the future. It ended with great possibility, not with everything worked out. and I liked that.

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy. This is my honest review.

This was a wonderful book. I wish I would have had a chance to review it when I first finished it, I was on a short vacation with my family.

This is a romance that spans generations. It starts with a Dowager who passes along a locket she received from her husband when they were married. She gives it to her Lady's Companion, who marries her grandson. The locket is passed on to through the maternal line. It brings love into the lives of the women who receive it.

Each story was well written and a joy to read.

Source: I requested a copy through netgalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

The four novellas in this collection follow four women from different time periods that all inherit the same heirloom brooch and then find love around Christmas time. It's from a Christian fiction publisher, so there are frequent references to God, faith, church, and bible passages, and all of the romances go no further than a kiss on-page, but overall the religious elements are fairly mild.

Legacy of Love by Kristi Ann Hunter - Set in 1827 England with the first woman to inherit the brooch, Sara Gooding is a paid companion to a dowager countess who is hopelessly infatuated with her employer's grandson. Randall may be a third son, but third son of an earl still puts him out of her reach. The story is very sweet, with the countess character cast as a joyous, irreverent matchmaker between her grandson and employee. The relationships between all three principles is great, and themes of grief and finding one's own purpose are also touched on.

Gift of the Heart by Karen Witemeyer - Set in 1890 Texas, a widow named Ruth and her young daughter move into a resort town to take a new job as a cook. She catches the eye of the local hotel owner, Bo, and uses her family heirloom brooch as collateral for a loan on a house. Her determination to pay off the loan as quick as possible and get the brooch back for her daughter warms Bo's hermit heart and draws him out of his shell. Bo is a great 'gruff exterior, squishy center' type of hero, and I greatly enjoyed it, but I felt like there was more page time devoted to him and the daughter than to him and Ruth. Still, a sweet little found family story only marred by some atrocious "not like other girls" tropes sprinkled throughout. CW: Bo has a physical impairment and there are some ablest comments from side characters.

A Shot at Love by Sarah Loudin Thomas - Set in 1958 West Virginia, a young woman named Fleeta is an expert marksman and artist with dreams of opening her own gunsmithing shop. Hank is in town on business to by timber for the logging company he works for. The two meet and have a perfectly ordinary romance. Despite Fleeta claiming to be staunchly anti-love, that didn't really have an effect outside of her internal dialogue and a lot of the short story was given over to her family interactions. Which is fine (the first two stories didn't have a LOT of conflict, either) but a pretty big source of potential tension is introduced late in the story and then never resolved. Just seemed an odd choice.

Because of You by Becky Wade - Set in present day Washington state, Maddie is hopelessly in love with a widower named Leo. The only problem being that Leo's deceased wife was Maddie's best friend, so she's been repressing her feelings for Leo since they met and that's a hard trend to reverse. But when Leo and Maddie are matched up for a Christmas charity event, feelings start to change. None of the stories in this anthology have a whole lot of impediment to the relationship, but this was the one story where...they kind of really needed it. The other couples had 'get to know you and grow closer' arcs, but Maddie and Leo didn't. And they replaced that with...nothin. Shopping for toys. A little bit of waffing and guilt over Leo's first wife, but it has barely any impact. I found it all kind of dull.

This was an enjoyable and sweet collection of romance novels. I liked how all of the stories were connected by a brooch that became a family heirloom in the first story "Legacy of Love" by Kristi Ann Hunter. Each story was set in a different era following several ladies who received the brooch from their mother who had received it from their mother and so on, with the last novella "Because of You" by Becky Wade taking place in present day. Each story brought an element that I enjoyed. and most of the characters were relatable. "Gift of the Heart" by Karen WItemeyer and "A Shot at Love" by Sarah Loudin Thomas rounded out this collection. Because each novella was set in a different era, it was a little difficult at times for my mind to switch from one era to the next but it was still enjoyable to read.

Diese Anthologie besteht aus vier Kurzgeschichten, die sich alle um ein Erbstück drehen, das durch die Jahrzehnte und Familien immer von Mutter zu Tochter weitergegeben wird.

Kristi Ann Hunter's "Legacy of Love"

Zunächst hat Randall Everard, dritter Sohn des Lord Densbury, die neue Gesellschafterin seiner Großmutter Sarah Gooding als langweilig, ruhig und angepasst eingestuft, aber dann muss er plötzlich entdecken, dass sie doch Mitgefühl, eine Meinung und Courage hat. Die Dowager Countess wünscht sich sehnsüchtig eine Frau für ihren Lieblingsenkel und dass sie es noch erlebt Urgroßmutter zu werden.

Hier lernt man das Erbstück und seine Bedeutung kennen. Diese Luckenbooth Brosche, mit einem großen Amethystherzen in der Mitte, steht dafür, dass die Liebe von größter Bedeutung ist und führt ihre Erbinnen zu ihrer großen Liebe. Das familiäre Setting erinnert schön an Downton Abbey.

Karen Witemeyer's "Gift of the Heart"

Die zweite Geschichte spielt in Texas in den späten 1800ern. Die junge Witwe Ruth Albright ist nach Hope Springs gekommen, um dort nach dem Verlust ihrer Farm mit ihrer Tochter Naomi als Köchin einen neuen Anfang zu finden. Ihr letztes Besitzstück ist die Brosche ihrer Großmutter. Schon bald lernt sie den sehr zurückgezogen lebenden Geschäftsmann Bo Azlin kennen.

Eine herzerwärmende Geschichte. Sie hat mich an die Historicals von Carla Kelly erinnert, die sich auch um die Nöte, Ehre und Gefühle nicht so wohlhabender Menschen drehen.

Sarah Loudin Thomas's "A Shot at Love"

Gerade hat Fleeta Bradys Tante, die sie nach dem frühen Tod ihrer Mutter großgezogen hat, ein Baby verloren. Sie nimmt das zum Anlass, ihr die Brosche ihrer Mutter zu übergeben. Fleeta findet die Geschichte dahinter für sich nicht passend, da sie nicht an die große Liebe glaubt und auch nicht auf der Suche nach einem Mann ist. Sie möchte Waffenschmiedin werden.
Hank Chapin ist im Auftrag einer Bauholzfirma Ende der 1950er auf Geschäftsreise in Bethel und will auch die Möglichkeit zur Jagd wahrnehmen. So trifft er bei einem Preisschießen auf Fleeta.

Diese Erzählung hat ein etwas abruptes Ende, aber kann eine starke, eigenwillige und mutige Protagonistin aufweisen und spielt für eine Romance Novelle zu einer ungewöhnlichen Zeit.

Becky Wade's "Because of You"

Washington, Merryweather, Gegenwart. Unglücklicherweise fand Maddie Winslow vor sechs Jahre im neuen Partner ihrer Freundin Olivia den Mann ihrer Träume. Aber seitdem hat sie sich ehrenhaft ferngehalten und beiden ihr Glück gegönnt. Aber nun, nachdem ihre Freundin schon seit 2 Jahren tot ist, wird sie ausgerechnet für die alljährliche Weihnachtsaktion für hilfsbedürftige Familien Leo Donelly als Partnerin zugelost.

Dieses Buch kann ich von ganzem Herzen als Vorweihnachtslektüre empfehlen. Es enthält vier herzerwärmende, abwechslungsreiche und unterhaltende Kurzgeschichten, die perfekt in diese Jahreszeit passen.

5 von 5 Sternen

I read three of the four novellas in this collection. The one by Karen W. I couldn’t get into, although that doesn’t reflect on her as an accomplished author.
The stories were fairly engaging, and it was fun to read them during the Christmas season.

Such a fun Christmas novella collection. Three of the four authors were new to me so this was a good way to get a taste of their writing.

Anyone who knows my reading habits much at all knows that I’m not typically fans of novellas - I love longer books and the deeper stories that typically come with more page time with the characters. But when I learned 3 of my favorite authors had teamed up for a Christmas novella collection, I couldn’t resist checking it out! Plus, I had the opportunity to read a new-to-me author’s work, which I almost always enjoy. With that being said, this book definitely surpassed my expectations and I quite enjoyed it!
One of my favorite things about this book is that they worked the story lines so that each author was able to write the time period and geography that suits the rest of their writing. Kristi Ann Hunter’s story is up first and it’s set in England in the early 1800s. Karen Witemeyer is next and it’s set in the mid 1800s in America, and so on. I’d never read anything from Sarah Loudin Thomas, despite the fact that I was born and raised in WV, so I had no idea what to expect of her story. It was . . . .different. At first I was a little unsure how it was going to play into the other stories, but she wove it in quite well. And I was so excited that Becky Wade was able to connect her novella with her Bradford Sisters series! I also really appreciated the fact that each story, while connected to the others, was complete on its own. None of them were left with things left unfinished to be picked up in the next tale.
I really don’t think I had a favorite in this collection, as they were all well written and fun to read! If you’re looking for a very well done Christmas novella collection to enjoy with the season, or any time of the year, I would highly recommend this one!

(my review will also be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Christian Book, and Books-A-Million)

If you are getting just one holiday book this season, look no further! This book is perfect with four novellas in one. The Christmas Heirloom by Karen Witemeyer, Kristi Ann Hunter, Sarah Loudin Thomas, and Becky Wade is a fantastic collection. These authors are amazing storytellers and you'll be in for a treat as they weave separate but connected stories in this book. I highly recommend it! I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

no time to read this tale yet! I will look it back up in the future! x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x