Christmas with You by Heidi McLaughlin is a heartwarming and festive romance that captures the magic of the holiday season. The story follows two people who are brought together by chance, discovering love and healing as they navigate the challenges of their pasts. McLaughlin’s writing brings both emotional depth and lighthearted moments, making this a perfect holiday read for fans of sweet, feel-good romances. It’s a story about second chances, family, and the joy of finding love when you least expect it.

Who wouldn't want to live in a town called Friendship? With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, this compilation of 5 novellas by 5 authors was the perfect festive read. Each story has a unique storyline and characters, but they all have one overlapping character. They all kept me interested and the pages turning. Christmas With You is sweet, heartwarming and worth your reading time!

CHRISTMAS WITH YOU - Heidi McLaughlin (and others)

IN THE HOLIDAY MOOD - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - There were 5 stories included in this book:
- Snowflake Lane Inn by L.P. Dover - 4 stars - A fashion designer, after a disastrous line, wants to get out of the media's sights and stays a while in a small town.
- Runaway Christmas Bride by Cindi Madsen - 5 stars - After being jilted at the altar, Regina ends up in a snowy small town and finds attraction with the local sheriff. Loved this one--great characters!
- Christmas Lights by Amy Briggs - 3 stars - Samantha is struggling with Christmas after the death of her parents, but she visits her sister in Florida and meets a handsome single guy. The plot was great, but the writing seemed a little clumsy and amateurish. I really didn't like the Gabe character in this one since he seemed a little stalkerish and too involved. If I had an 8-year-old daughter/niece, I'd definitely be worried about him hanging around.
- Christmas Encounter by R.J. Prescott - 4 stars - Despite the fact that Jensen (a Formula One driver) and Lauren (a down-and-out daughter of a criminal) seem totally opposite, I liked their romance. Sweet and a good use of Gabe as the go-between.
- It's a Wonderful Holiday by Heidi McLaughlin - 4 stars - Rory and Gwen are heading for divorce until they hear words of wisdom from Gabe.

Writing - 4 stars - It's hard to rate a book on writing when there are 5 separate stories by 5 different authors, but mostly I enjoyed these books. I particularly lighted the humor and sassy characters created by Cindi Madsen. But all of the authors provided a sweet and HEA story set during the Christmas season in a small town. It was an interesting contrast to see how each of them used the small town festivities, the shared characters, and Gabe's influence in their stories.

Characters - 4 stars - I found all of the main characters to be pleasant and enjoyable. Secondary characters of the nosy townsfolk were all entertaining and fun.

Title - 4 stars - Short, sweet, direct. It definitely sends you in the right direction so you know exactly what to expect.

Cover - 4 stars - A mostly red cover, white lettering, and showing an attractive couple--what's not to like? It sets the Christmas and wintry mood while drawing the eye with the bright color.

Overall - 4 stars - Each of these stories obviously had the directive to be set in a small town in Massachusetts, plus each had a mysterious man named Gabe who seemed to show up when most needed. I liked this loose connection, while each author was able to create a totally different scenario and set of characters. Although there were some stories that I enjoyed more than others, overall this was a pleasant Christmas read that really set the mood for the holiday. I will look for more from each of these authors.

An excellent collection of novellas to get you in the holiday spirit!

Each story is set in the small town of Friendship, Massachusetts at Christmas. I liked having a couple small plot elements that carried through from story to story.

These novellas were the perfect length to read in one or two sittings and introduced me to new authors to try. R. J. Prescott's was a standout read for me as was Cindi Madsen's. I am looking forward to trying books from all the authors' backlists!

Christmas with you is a wonderful collection of five beautiful and heartwarming stories of Christmas with the ones we love, or come to love during the holiday season. Some of the authors, this is the first time I have read their writing and others I have read before, but I feel this is a collection that is worth reading.

Christmas is always a busy season and that's why a book with short stories is so great. 5 short stories set in Friendship, Massachusetts by some authors I'm not familiar with. Gabe, the central figure in all the tales makes sure that romance and Christmas miracles come to those who deserve them. All the couples have one local and one visitor that makes for interesting reads. Each will put you in the holiday spirit. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book is an anthology of 5 novellas. Set in the town of Frendship and The Snowflake Inn at Christmastime. Are you hooked yet? You should be. This is a great box set that will satisfy. I loved each book and could not pick a favorite. But this book, make a decedant cup of hot chocolate, find a comfy chair and enjoy the journey. Thanks netgalley for the gift of the arc. This review is my personal opinion.

Great collection of short stories. Christmas time romances. Always love a good novella. New authors for me, will look for some of their other work.

A book that has five stories that take place around town of Friendship and a Lodge by the name of Snowflake. Each story deals with a different person from the town and also form the help of Gabe, who shows up in all of the stories. Each one deals with hope, love and a new beginning. I really would like to pick out ones that I liked a little better than the others, so. Christmas Lights was really good and would be my first choice, followed by Christmas Encounter with the Formula One race car driver, then runaway bride, it’s a Wonderful Holiday, then the first story. Overall all good stories.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.

I really enjoyed that this anthology is all written in the same town with one mysterious newcomer is playing matchmaker for five couples. Each of these couples has their own stories written by L.P. Dover, Cindi Madsen, Amy Briggs,R.J. Prescott and Heidi Mclaughlin. Each story was different and sweet and will put you in the Christmas mood. If you looking for Christmas story all set in the town of Friendship Massachusetts, then you do not want to miss Christmas With You.

I don't even know where to begin with this book!

I thought this would be a good book to read over the Christmas holidays, and it didn't disappoint!

I loved the way all of the stories told a different romance story, whether it was people meeting for the first time or two people rekindling a lost love.

I wish some of the stories were a little bit longer with more detail. I felt like just as quickly as the reader discovered the problem, the problem was solved. And I wish we got more of a story on Gabe. I know he's meant to be mysterious, but I would have enjoyed a story that centered on him

Overall I enjoyed all of the stories. And I can't wait until these are made into Hallmark movies, because these have Hallmark Christmas movie written all over them! (Can someone from Hallmark get on this please!!) Overall a good Christmas read!

This box set just blew me away - each story is just as fantastic as the one you have just read. One amazing box-set! Would totally recommend

A sweet collection of 5 novellas set in the town of Friendship, MA. With the help of a Christmas Angel Gabe, all the couples are lead to each other. Overall a easy and quick read for the holidays, although at times, being novellas, they were parts that seemed to be skipped over or not overly developed. Some are better than others too, of course, but overall a nice feel good collection. Would recommend.

This is a compilation of Christmas short stories from Dover, Madsen, Briggs, Prescott and McGlaughlin. There is Friendship MA, where the stories take place and the stories will certainly have you feeling love and Christmas spirit. Cute little HEA's that have a bit of Christmas magic thrown in for good measure.

Snowflake Inn - What could an innkeeper and fashion designer possibly have in common?

Runaway Bride - A runaway bride, a grumpy sheriff, oh the possibilities are endless.

Christmas Lights - Single dad and daughter meet Scrooge and change her heart for good.

Christmas Encounter - Race car driver and the daughter of a con man, can he make her see that not everyone is playing a con?

It's a Wonderful Holiday - Second Chance story of a workaholic who wants to get his family back. Can he use a little holiday magic?

Solid 4 star read that can certainly put you in the holiday spirit.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read and review.

I read RJ Prescott and Cind Madsen’s shorts they were super cute. This short story collection is perfect for a quick holiday read! I chose those two authors because I enjoyed their previous books. I can’t speak to the others but their writing made it easy to get a good sense of story and just enough character development to make it worthwhile.

A wonderful collection of romantic, heartwarming Christmas stories. I truly loved each and every story.

Each individual story is great but put them all together and I wish the town of Friendship existed. Each story really brings out the best in this town, showcasing the town folks huge hearts. Gabe is a central character in each book and his role maybe be small in each story but it sure does pack a punch. His words are kind and exactly what the characters need to hear.
In Snowflake Lane Inn, Colin is such a sweet guy who is willing to help everyone and just when the right girl comes along they find a way to fall head over heels for each other. So sweet!
Runaway Christmas Bride, it was my favorite. I can’t imagine a jilted bride showing up in a bar throwing back drinks and trying to drown her sorrow with the locals. It was a great beginning to the story and the sherif is so neutral that the more she antagonizes the sherif the more fire seems to develop between them.
Christmas Lights, I love the sister. There is a time to grieve but you have to keep moving forward and you can’t pull others into your pit of grief. So happy the sister laid it out for her, it was the real highlight of the story. Plus the flamingo were cute too!
Christmas Encounter, Lauren knows she needs to distance herself from her toxic father but how to do it just so sad. The strength that Lauren has is great and that she finds Jensen in the process is amazing too.
It’s A Wonderful Holiday, well this story of reconciliation and revelation is one that needs to be shared with the masses. It feels to true and could be the story of anyone or any marriage.

Christmas With You is a cute Romance anthology set in Friendship. Every story is about a different couple but always in the same town.

I originally requested this book on Netgalley because Cindi Madson wrote one of these stories and she’s one of my favourite authors, so I had to read this one. I’m really glad that I requested this book because I fell in love with all the other stories too. They are all so cute, and I couldn’t get enough of all the characters.

I love that all the stories are set in Friendship. I think it’s such a brilliant idea and I’m also glad that I got to discover some new authors! This anthology is definitely one of the best Christmas reads ever!

Ratings:
Snowflake Lane Inn by L. P. 5/5

Runaway Christmas Bride by Cindi Madsen 5/5

Christmas Lights by Amy Briggs 5/5

Christmas Encounter by R. J. Prescott 5/5

It’s a Wonderful Holiday by Heidi McLaughlin 4/5

After reading this collection of novellas, I’m left with mixed feelings. To me, only the last two stories were interesting and featuring realistic, relatable characters. I thought that due to the space constraints (5 stories to fit), the authors obviously don’t have enough time to develop characters and a plot at a credible pace. I felt as though the authors had to squeeze a love story in a sitcom format, instead of a full-length rom-com. When dealing with feelings and true love, (not just physical attraction), I believe it’s safe to say that rushing into things is rarely a sign of authenticity. It felt like people were just falling in love overnight and changing their lives in a blink of an eye, as though it’s no big deal and you have no previous obligations to take care of before taking the leap with your new partner, let alone think about all the implications. I thought it was quite unrealistic to read about a jilted bride who’s right away emotionally available for a new serious relationship, almost literally in the next town.

Basically, I think only the last two stories were worth the time, but solely because the characters face bigger, more serious issues that sound less shallow. The best character remains Gabe, the transient man who’s present in all 5 of the stories. The second highlight is the lovely town of Friendship you get to know more deeply throughout the novellas. These two elements link all five stories together.

In my opinion, romances are best written in full novels. The characters need more time/pages to sound credible and evolve in a realistic way.

5 amazing authors have come together to give us a fantastic array of festive stories from the town of Friendship that you will just fall in love with.

Snowflake Lane Inn by L.P. Dover

A sweet festive read from L.P Dover. I was pulled right on to Layla and Colin's Story. When fashion designer Layla rents a house in the town of Friendship she soon needs her landlord Colin's help. As they get to know each other under the twinkling light of the festive season and with a little help a new romance could be on the horizon.

Runaway Christmas Bride by Cindi Madsen

A beautifully written festive read.
When Regina fiance leaves her at the alter she decides she needs to just get away from life for a little while. She soon finds herself in the town of Friendship still waring her wedding dress. She soon crosses paths with Emmett the local sheriff, with a little help could real love be in the air.

Christmas Lights by Amy Biggs

A heartwarming read for the Christmas season.
Samantha is in the town of Friendship to spend the holidays with her sister's family, but the holiday season isn't always happy for everyone least of all Samantha who's still dealing with the grief of losing her parents. When she meets single dad Jason and with a slight nudge in the right direction maybe all her sadness for this time if year could be about to change.

Christmas Encounter by R.J Prescott.

A great short to read over the festive season.
Lauren has moved to the town of Friendship with her con artist of a father. She hates the life he's forced her to live and is determined to be rid of him and make a decent life for herself. Things start to look up for her when she meets Formula One driver Jenson, with a little help from a friend could Jenson be the one for her.

It's a Wonderful Holiday by Heidi McLaughlin.

A great festive story about getting a second chance.
Gwen and Rory are in the midst of a divorce which neither of them really want, but for Gwen it felt like her only option. When both are given a little nudge can Rory change the error of his ways and will Gwen find the strength to forgive him before it's to late.