A great selection of festive short stories, from a variety of authors. All enjoyable reads and quick to read.

This is anthology of four very sweet and very different holiday tales. Three are stories of younger love, while a fourth is a story of middle aged love. All four share a Christmas setting, and are a great way to start the holiday season.

‘Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls’ is a novella for the Holidays in the Blue Hollow Falls series. I love this series. Donna Kauffman creates characters who are very memorable and who you feel like friends with by the end of the story. She transports the reader to Blue Hollow Falls, an idyllic small town with all the things you hope a small town would have. Kind people who look after each other, successful small businesses and beautiful vistas.

In Donna Kauffman’s second book in this series ‘Bluestone and Vine’ we get to briefly meet Moira Brogan. She is the focus of Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls. Moira is at a point in her life where she needs to make some life altering decisions. Before long there is another person in Blue Hollow Falls that would like to influence a few of her choices.

While it would be terrific if you read all three novels you definitely do not have to read the others to enjoy this delightful and life affirming love story. I have read the Blue Hollow Falls series since it first came out and I look forward to returning again and again. It is always a wonderful heartwarming experience. I would definitely recommend it as a wonderful book to read during the upcoming holidays as perhaps a little get away when life gets too busy. My only complaint is that I wish it were longer!

I would like to thank Donna Kauffman and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

4 stars

I requested this book because I liked Kate Pearce stories and I wasn't disapointed. (5 stars) I enjoyed the story by Donna Kauffman (4stars) . The Fourth story was Okish (3stars) but the 1st story, though written well tended to go on a bit too long and not even a kiss at the end of it!(2.5stars). All stories had great descriptions of Christmas, I think anthologies often have some great and some not so good...on the whole I would recommend as a sweet read (Kate's story has a bit more paasion than kisses).

I was given this book by Netgallery for my honest review.

CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING Fern Michaels 4 Stars
Former Air Force Pararescueman Kevin Matthews is back home in Texas, working at his family’s Christmas tree farm while deciding his next move. Or maybe he won’t move at all, if sparks keep flying with the town’s new surgeon, Kate Stafford. I can’t believe this is the first story I’ve read from the author, I really enjoyed it & look forward to reading more from her.

AN UNEXPECTED GIFT Kate Pearce 4.5 Stars
Widower Billy Morgan has returned after years away & wishes his grown children still needed him. Good thing his long time friend, Bella, does. She’s planning a Christmas celebration for her son’s wedding as he married in Vegas. Billy is more than happy to help. If you love the Morgan boys then you won’t want to miss this delightful short story. Billy & Bella have been friends for decades but things change after a thank you kiss. Well written, great characters, well paced everything I expect, it was different in that Billy & Bella are in their 50’s with grown children.

CHRISTMAS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS Donna Kauffman 4 Stars
Attorney Moira Brogan expects her brother’s Christmas wedding to be a peaceful affair. She doesn’t expect to be cornered by an unwanted lothario, rescued by a gorgeous Aussie chef—or be swept off her feet by said chef. Nursing a broken heart, the last thing she wants is a new romance. But Hudson Walker has other ideas . Another new author to me, it took me a while to ‘get into’ this novella. I think if I’d read other books in the series then it would have been easier. However it did whet my appetite enough to search our more from the author.

HOLIDAY HOMERUN Priscilla Oliveras 3 Stars
Event planner Julia Louisa Fernandez dreams of a life in Chicago. But her family in Puerto Rico expects her to take over the catering business. Former pro baseball player Ben Thomas knows what that’s like—and when they meet, he might be the one to inspire a winning strategy, just in time for the holidays. Another enjoyable read & ideal for whiling away a couple of hours. I found my interest waning at times so for me the length was about right.
Four engaging short stories, I read each one in a sitting. Kate Pearce is a must read author for me & her story was the icing on the cake in this anthology & I must admit the reason for reading it. However I was delighted with the other novellas from three new to me authors who I’ll certainly be reading more of.

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

A wonderful collection of Christmas inspired stories that will melt you heart and get you in the holiday spirit.
A Christmas Homecoming - After completing his final overseas mission Kevin is welcomed home at his parent's tree farm just in time for the holidays. Finding herself newly divorced and celebrating the holiday away from her family, Dr. Kate and her daughter Emma meet Kevin at church and the sparks fly. Will the two find a connection under the Christmas Tree?
The Unexpected Gift - With their children grown and living their own loves, Billy and Bella find themselves connecting during the holiday season, but will the baggage that both of them bring into the relationship end it before they get started or will they be able to work through their issues and get a second chance at finding love?
Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls - When Moira finds herself in a bar fight on the eve of her brother's wedding will she get more than she bargains for when Hudson comes to her rescue? Or will Hudson need more than her legal expertise to get himself out of the legal bind he finds himself in?
Holiday Home Run - Julia Fernandez is concentrating on making a name for herself in the event planning capacity and needs to make a good impression on putting together the Chicago Youth Association's holiday fundraiser. But will her plans be knocked out of the park when retired baseball player Benjamin Thomas makes her break out of her shell and find true love? Can he make her see how valuable she is inside and out?
With beautiful characters and the perfect storylines to read during the holidays this collection is a must read.

A SEASON TO CELEBRATE is an enjoyable collection of four Christmas stories. Several I enjoyed more than others. Kate Pearce and Donna Kauffman's stories were by far my favorites. But Fern Michaels and Priscilla Oliveras's stories were also enjoyable. This book is well worth the read to get you in the holiday state of mind.

I wanted to read this book just for Kate Pearce’s book. I couldn’t wait to read “An Unexpected Gift.” The story was everything I was hoping more and more!! Since the first book in the Morgan Ranch series, I was hoping that Billy would get his own story. Billy is the Morgan brother’s father, and he did not have an easy life. He made some bad choices, but he paid his dues. He came back to the ranch, and he is trying to figure out where he belongs now. Billy and Bella were adorable together, and I loved their second chance at love. The only thing that I would have changed, is making the book longer! I could not put it down once I started, and it seemed like it was over to soon. I highly recommend this book, and all of the previous books in the series!
I did read over the other books in the series, but they honestly did not catch my interest. It might have been because I just wanted to get to Kate’s book, and then the other books did not compare to it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book.

This was a very enjoyable Christmas anthology, perfect for getting you in the holiday spirit. I must say that the only one of these authors I had previously read was Kate Pearce. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of her Morgan Ranch series, it was very nice to see Billy (the dad) get his own happy ever after. Although even if you've never read any of the books in the series, this short story can be read on its own.
After reading Donna Kauffman's short story set in her Blue Hollows Falls series, I find myself wanting to read more from the series simply because I enjoyed the writing. Small town contemporary romances are some of my favorites.
So while these two stories were my favorite, all in all it was a great collection of stories.

I must admit I wanted to read this initially because of Donna Kauffman's story and a lovely addition to the wonderful Blue Hollow Falls series, but all these short stories were very enjoyable and the cover was just beautiful, so Christmassy!

CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING by Fern Michaels - 3 stars
This was a very sweet Christmas story that I enjoyed, although it did verge on the too sweet side on occasions for me. Kevin is back in town working at his parents Christmas tree ranch after being invalided out of the Air Force and Kate and her daughter have just moved to town. Kate is a surgeon and looking for a new start after her divorce. They soon bump into each other and feel attracted to one another. It did feel a bit rushed for me though, for instance Kevin got put out when he called around to Kate's house and she had another guy there (an old friend), even though they'd only just met each other and hadn't even talked about dating. Equally Kate jumped to conclusions when she saw Kevin coming out of the house of a woman she knew was married and just assumed something was going on between them. So a bit far fetched at times, probably because it's a short story, but enjoyable nonetheless.

AN UNEXPECTED GIFT by Kate Pearce - 5 stars
I really enjoyed this story about two people, Billy and Bella, who were both in their fifties and had older children. They had been friends since they were very young and each had married and had children, with various issues along the way, but both are now single. The setting sounded lovely (The Morgan Ranch) and even though this is in the middle of this series it didn't detract from the story, in fact it made me want to read the rest of the series. Very enjoyable.

CHRISTMAS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS by Donna Kauffman - 5 stars
I must admit this story is the one that drew me to this anthology in the first place as I've absolutely loved all the Blue Hollow series so far so this was a definite read in my case. Even though I wish this had been a full-length book I absolutely loved it. Hudson and Moira were such a lovely couple. Moira was in Blue Hollow Falls for her brother's wedding and Hudson is an Aussie chef working in The Falls. Hudson rescues Moira from a nasty guy in the bar who then tries to sue him after a brawl breaks out, and Moira advises him as she is an attorney. Great chemistry between them! The ending was just so lovely. This was definitely my favourite of the anthology.

HOLIDAY HOMERUN by Priscilla Oliveras - 4 stars
This was a very enjoyable story set around a Christmas charity event. Julia is helping organise the event, and hoping to move to Chicago from Puerto Rico on a more permanent basis if she's offered a job (and can get away from her over-protective family), especially as she has other family there too. Ben is a famous retired baseball player who is helping out with the charity event. Julia doesn't want to get involved with him as she's trying to concentrate on her career, but of course love gets in the way! Very enjoyable. I've read another full-length book in this series and the Fernandez family are great fun.

A SEASON TO CELEBRATE is definitely a book to celebrate! Every single story in this collection is wonderful and unique. The characters well written and warm. This book is one that every reader should have in their collection!

With the exception of Kate Pearce, these are the first stories I've read by these authors. I adore Ms. Pearce's Morgan Ranch series so reading Billy's story was really the icing on the cake for me. Definitely my favorite in this collection!

Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls left me wanting to read more so I will be checking into Ms. Kauffman's series. Very engaging and enjoyable story. I enjoyed Holiday Homerun immensely as well and will certainly see what Ms. Oliveras has to offer in her backlist. As for Christmas Homecoming, it didn't flow quite as nicely and the ending was very abrupt.

Overall, if you are looking for light stories to get you in the holiday spirit, this anthology certainly fits the bill!

4.5 - "I wouldn’t wish a broken heart on anyone…" Stars!

Review for ~ Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls by Donna Kauffman

This is essentially novella 2.5 in the Blue Hollow Falls series. Moira Brogan is the focus of this book. Being Seth’s sister we were introduced to her in book two; Bluestone & Vine and although you definitely don’t have to read it to know what is going on with her in this one, I would heartily recommend it as it is a great book, actually I would recommend the whole series on that basis.

"Time is the least accurate and reliable measure for how long it takes to fall in love… For some people it can take months… years. For others, it can happen in the blink of an eye."

Aussie chef Hudson Walker, isn’t expecting to end up arrested and in the slammer for looking in on his mate’s sister after the wedding party has broken up, but that’s exactly where he finds himself after rescuing Moira from a nasty situation, that escalates into an all-out bar brawl.

"The very last thing I’d ever do is let myself fall in love while I’m away on holiday… Again."

Moira is at a crossroads in her life, and Hudson revels in taking the unexpected turn at any crossroads he comes across, so as you can deduce they are quite the pair of opposites. One is a planner, the other lets life lead the way, but their attraction is undeniable, their connection deeper and more meaningful than either anticipated, and over a short space of time they discover more about each other (and themselves) but is it enough to make either of them take the decision to take the next road traveled together, especially when Moira has been hurt by what she thought was love quite recently…

"You can’t figure things out in pieces… Life tends to come at you full on. My experience is embrace it for what it is, get out of it what you can. Discard what doesn’t work, consider it a learning opportunity, and build on what does…"

I loved this little seasonal novella, getting to return to Blue Hollow Falls for any length of time is always a treat, but like always with this authors work, I wish it was longer!

Each story was unique, but all were heartwarming and perfect for getting into the spirit of Christmas. Even though I loved the introduction to new authors and characters, I especially loved visiting Blue Hollow Falls again. I highly recommend 'A Season to Celebrate'.

A collection of feel good holiday from four authors. Christmas always brings hope, love, and family. These stories, short novellas, are bound to brighten your day and get you into the seasonal spirit of candy, wreaths, homecomings, and, of course, love.

One of the biggest advantages of a short story collection is that there’s always something you’ll like. In this collection, for example, I found myself liking each story more than the previous one. I thought Christmas Homecoming was enjoyable at best. The characters I found slightly harder to relate to, but, then again… Returned soldier and doctor vs.
An Unexpected Gift was – what’s in a name – quite unexpected. I usually read books focussing at least partially on main characters closer to my own age. This story of a second chance at love, though? It made me root for the main characters so much. And what’s, more: it made me want to read the rest of the books relating to the other characters!
I’d never read anything by Donna Kauffman before this fall. As I recently made my way through her Hamilton Christmas-series, I’ve really come to enjoy her writing. I was proven *right* on that again, in Christmas in Blue Hollow Falls. She manages to get a lot of character development into even a short story. What’s more, this short story is part of a series that all feature one specific character for each book. I loved getting a sneak peak into the other characters’ lives and, yeah… I’m going to have to read about the rest of them as well.
The real revelation, for me, was Holiday Homerun by Priscilla Oliveras. I absolutely loved the way this author included her own Latinx culture with the Christmas atmosphere. I also didn’t know that there was such a presence of people from Puerto Rico in Seattle, so that was a fun little discovery. More than anything, though, I really appreciated Oliveras managed to set up some pretty complex relationships between families, mothers and daughters, daughters and sports, … in just so little pages.
All in all, I really enjoyed this collection! There were some fun new discoveries, some reading that was outside of my usual scope and of course - a whole lot of Christmas spirit. What more could you need?
Rating: 3.5/5

Wonderful Christmas stories. This is the best way to introduce yourself to a author you haven’t read or read all your favorites gat one time. For me it was reading favorites. A delightful choice of romance and Christmas.

This anthology is made up of sweet, holiday stories perfect for getting you in the spirit of Christmas .
Since they are novellas, they don’t get a chance to have a very developed plot, but still, they are entertaining.
Those that have read Ms Kauffman’s Blue Hollow Fall series, or Ms. Pearce’s Morgan Ranch stories, will get a chance to visit with characters in those series.
In Kate Pearce’s An Unexpected Gift, I was happy to see that both Billy Morgan , the patriarch of the Morgan’s and Bella, are older adults. We don’t get many stories for that age group.
Holiday Homerun by Priscilla Oliveras was special for me, since I am Puerto Rican and still have family on the island.
All entertaining stories for an afternoon of leisure. More of a 3.5 star anthology, but in the spirit of Christmas, I am giving it a 4 star.
I was entrusted this copy by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Foiur stories reminding the reader that ove at Christas is especially special. Nice stories, great endings.