Loved them all! Keep reading for my thoughts for each individual novella! This is a treasure trove for lovers of Regency era stories as well as Christmas novella lovers! Enjoy!

~Christmas at Falstone Castle · Sarah M. Eden~
This book was like coming home. I have loved reading Sarah Eden's books since she first started publishing them. I have followed the Lancaster family through all their ups and downs. And to be able to read this sweet novella that shows love and family and healing, yes, definitely felt like coming home. This book is written more from the perspective of Adam's mom. If you've read Seeking Persephone then you will know who Adam is...the Duke of Kielder. He's gruff and a little rough around the edges but once you truly get to know his character, he's just a giant teddy bear inside. I loved learning more about his mom and watching her heal and heal bring healing for her and Adam's relationship. Plus, she gets her own sweet romance story. Happy sigh! If you're a Sarah M. Eden fan...you're gonna love this one!


~The Heart of Christmas · Anita Stansfield~ 5*~
I loved the characters in this one. Sweet story of healing and coming to love. Addie was able to help see the need for healing within Theo's household. I loved how the author was able to show the dynamics of Addie coming into a new home and the skepticism of Marla and Becky was slowly dissolved as Addie was able to gain their trust. I loved how she saw a need a searched for the most gentle way to help. Very sweet!


~’Tis the Season to Be Daring · Esther Hatch~
Oh my heart! This one might be my favorite of the three! Although I loved them all. I loved the title, it reflected the story perfectly! When you think you know what you're doing, and trying to get yourself out of moments...only to find yourself completely immersed in what you were trying to avoid. Does that make sense? If not, read this fabulous story and find yourself laughing at the antics of the characters and sighing at the sweet and swoony romance! Absolutely loved this one!

~The Christmas Dress · Joanna Barker~
This one was a sweet and tender story. There were some moments of extreme angst and frustration where I wanted to shake a couple characters. Mainly just the crazy and "bad" characters. Although they weren't extremely bad. Just kinda, sorta... The renewed friendships and healing story were very sweet. I laughed at the antics of the characters trying to find ways to make sure that the two main characters conveniently were in the same place at the same time. It was great and brought a smile to my face!

Overall, this one truly deserves 5 plus stars. Each story was wonderfully written and told. Plenty of sweet and swoony romance. Fun Christmas stories that can really be enjoyed anytime of the year. But if you're strictly a read Christmas stories at Christmas kinda person, read it this Christmas season, or every year, and be whisked away to a lovely Regency winter wonderland, full of hope, joy and love!

Content: Clean. Sweet kisses and nothing further.

I received a copy from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

I couldn't wait to open this collection of Christmas stories by some of my favorite authors in All Hearts Come Home for Christmas. It will definitely put the Christmas spirit into your heart!

The first story, Christmas at Falstone Castle, revisits some of my favorite characters from Sarah Eden's previous books, including the Duke of Kielder and his family. In this story, his mother is trying to make amends and it is so heart-wrenching and heartwarming at the same time. Sarah Eden's particular talent is how she can truly bring out the emotions in her stories and allow her readers to experience the events along with the characters. I loved the genuine love story that truly brings out the magic of the Christmas season.

Anita Stansfield's story, The Heart of Christmas, is such a gentle romance between a seamstress and a banker who also has a little girl to care for. They've all experienced loss and heartache and this is story will tug on your heartstrings as they try to heal and find love and become a true family again.

Esther Hatch's story was so charming! Lord Hawthorne is completely taken aback by Miss Davenport and her boldness that is intertwined with a proper young lady. The "driving lesson" was a particularly well-done scene and I loved the subtle humor between our hero and heroine. This one definitely brings out the magic of the season!

The last one by Joanna Barker, The Christmas Dress is a second chance romance that is so sigh-worthy you will be turning pages long into the night to see if they get their happily-ever-after! Nell has led a difficult life, but loves her job as a seamstress--mostly. But when she's tasked to make a dress for Jacob Hammond's sister, and is able to spend time with Jacob again, old feelings come to the surface. But could they ever find happiness together?

All four stories were sweet and will be a wonderful start to the Christmas season. Not to be missed!

Oh, the joy of reading! This book was so much fun to read. Sometimes I get so bogged down in my reading list that I lose track of how much fun it is to read. This collection reminded me of the joy and contentment that come from reading a good book.

This collection of novella's feature some of my favorite author's. Particularly, my favorite character of all time. Sarah Eden was brilliant when she created the character of Adam, the Duke of Kielder. "Christmas at Falstone Castle" revealed some of Adams past and laid a basis for his cantankerous, ornery, snarky self. Seriously, I considered the story a heaven of words.

Anita Stansfield's story was sweet. It made me think of the joy of finding a home and people to love. The spirit of Christmas was present in the story. Self-sacrifice and acceptance of another make the season brighter.

I think I think I may have a little book crush on Charles from Esther Hatch's story. The characters were light and fun. They were on the daring side of Regency behavior. I couldn't wait to get back to the story whenever I had to take a break. I was a very unconventional story. I relished every moment of it.

Nell in "The Christmas Dress" was a wonderful character to read about. To continually look at the good part of life even when circumstances haven't treated you kindly is a gift. Her talents do not stop at being a seamstress. She breathes life back into a family in desperate need of cheer.

My take on this collection? Read it! You won't be sorry.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Christmas at Falstone Castle - Sarah M. Eden

Falstone Castle, Northumberland - 1785

Adam Boyce was just 7-years-old when his father died and he became the Duke of Kielder. His mother had been around most of his life and is packing to leave again. He had loved his father and they had been close. Adam is conscious of some scars on his face, but is assured by his nurse that he is not ugly.

Newcastle - 1816

Harriet Boyce, the dowager Duchess of Kielder, is thinking over her life. When she married her husband, it had been an arranged match. It has now been 30 years since she left Falstone Castle and her son, Adam. She regrets not seeing him since then. Adam is married and the father of 3-year-old, Oliver. Adam’s wife is Persephone and they are expecting another baby soon. Harriet wants to be there with them and show Adam the love she has not given him before. Adam is known to be gruff and has a temper, but his wife is kind and well liked.

Roswell Duncan is the vicar of Falstone parish. The vicar is surprised to learn that the Dowager is coming for Christmas. It has been a long time since he has seen her. The Duchess invites the vicar to stay at the castle for Christmas as he is a calming influence on Adam who is also known as the Dangerous Duke.

After she arrives at Falstone, Harriet decides to orchestrate a Christmas party for Persephone’s family. The party is a success and everyone is happy to be together. Harriet and the vicar have so much in common and an attraction sparks between them. When Persephone gives birth to a healthy baby girl on Christmas day, the family is so very happy. Could Harriet find a new love and new happiness with her son, Adam, his family, and the vicar?

I found this story to be heartbreaking, yet healing at the same time. The shame Harriet must feel for leaving her son all that time must be horrendous. She certainly has a lot of making up to do. Hopefully, she will find new happiness and forgiveness in her life. I really like Persephone because she has love and kindness in boundless amounts.

“The Heart at Christmas” - Anita Stansfield

London - 1820

Adelaide (Addie) Moore is hurrying to open the dressmakers shop where she works. Her employer, Miss Glade, has given her room and board in exchange for doing basic sewing for the woman.

A man walks in the shop asking her to sew a button on his coat. He introduces himself as Theodore (Theo) Hardwicke and he works at the local bank. Addie learns that he is a widower. As they chat, he offers her a job caring for his 9-year-old daughter, Becky, while keeping the house running. She will also be caring for his ailing aunt, Marla. She happily accepts the job and dives into running the house and catching up on some much-needed cleaning. She even enlists Becky’s help with setting the table and keeping her own room clean and neat.

But Addie sees that Theo, Becky, and Marla are all sad and she enlists Becky’s help again to find ways to make them all happy. When Theo’s wife died a few days after Becky’s birth just at Christmas, none of them have wanted to celebrate Christmas. So Addie finds ways to get them interested in doing so and they all find excitement in Christmas again. Will Addie and Theo find an attraction to one another and they all become a family?

A sweet Christmas story to show how while some people shun Christmas if it brings back back memories, it can be overcome and joy can be returned to this special day.

“Tis the Season to be Daring” - Esther Hatch

London - 1814

Elizabeth Davenport, age 18, is being pressured to make a good impression on Lord Fagerlund who is said to be looking for a wife. Even though he is over age 40, he is a baron. With five daughters to marry off, her mother has become quite skilled in pinning down men to notice her daughters.

Unimpressed by Lord Fagerlund, Elizabeth manages to escape her mother’s hold and hurries to visit her friend, Fanny. There they discuss ways of getting out of the season. They also discuss Lord Hawthorne, an earl, who has a reputation for being a rake. Bravely, she marches to the man asking his help to be with her for a few days so that her mother will stop making her attend the balls. He agrees.

As they spend time together and he introduces her to his family, she realizes that he is the man she has waited for. They share a good sense of humor and before long, find themselves falling in love.

I liked this story and the characters of Elizabeth and Lord Hawthorne make the perfect couple.

“Christmas Dress” - Joanna Barker

Yorkshire - 1816

Nell Addington, age 23, working as a seamstress, is on her way to Oakhurst Park to meet with Mr. Jacob Hammond and his sister, Alice, age 17. Nell is the daughter of a vicar who passed away several years ago. Nell must work to help support her mother. Jacob’s father has recently passed away, thus necessitating his return from London. As the family is just out of mourning, Jacob wants Alice to have a whole new wardrobe. Having lost her mother early in life, Alice had lived with her cold and unloving father. Alice remembers Nell’s kindness to her when she was a child as she endeavored to put a smile on the young girl’s face.

Nell learns that Christmas has never been celebrated in the Hammond home due to her father’s tyranny. Now, Nell is encouraging her to change that. Nell suggests that Alice get a red silk gown for Christmas and Nell will happily make it for her. She agrees. Jacob is pleased that Nell and Alice have had such a nice meeting today.

When Nell comes to take more measurements, she gets caught in a snowstorm and must stay at Oakhurst Park for a couple of days for the roads to clear. There, they all get to know one another better. When Nell returns to work, her mean boss tells her to finish the dress quickly. Just as she is about to leave for Oakhurst to deliver the dress, she is delayed by a woman who has eyes for Jacob and Nell is unable to attend the Christmas Eve dinner as planned. Will there be a chance for Nell and Jacob to have a life together?

I loved this story and found it fun and thoughtful. Joanna Barker has quickly become a favorite author of mine.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I'm normally not a huge fan of novellas because they seem to just skim the surface of the story and it feels like I don't get to know the characters very well. I'm happy to say that this book is not like that at all. Each of the stories was well-written and I didn't feel like they were rushed at all.

The Duke of Kielder is one of my very favorite characters, so I was really excited to read more about his family in Christmas at Falstone Castle, as well as getting to know his mother better. While I loved her story, I was also very happy to get a small glimpse into the lives of the other Lancaster siblings, because let's be honest, I've kind of missed them! I have also decided that I'm going to make "hug horde" a part of my regular vocabulary. (And I'm also not quite so patiently waiting for Artemis' story to come out.)

In The Heart of Christmas, I enjoyed Addie's quiet strength and her determination to help the Hardwicke family heal. I'm always a sucker for "Cinderella" stories where people from different classes meet and fall in love, so this story and The Christmas Dress were right up my alley.

I laughed out loud several times in Tis the Season to be Daring, due to Elizabeth and Lord Hawthorne's antics. The ride in Hyde Park was awesome. I also finally figured out what Snapdragon is, so that was fun.

In The Christmas Dress, aside from being a heart-warming Cinderella story, I always like to read about seamstresses back in those days for some reason. It just fascinates me that all the dresses were painstakingly handmade, so it's fun to get to know the people who had that talent.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. Definitely one that I highly recommend and that I will read over and over again.

totally loved this collection of Christmas stories. It was sweet Reading christmas stories out of christmas time, because it’s my favorite holiday and I felt as if it was christmas for me too!
And also, I loved it because the four author are part of my favorite authors! And I mean, really favorite. I love their other books, even if I haven’t read them all, I’ve read quite a few.
Christmas at Falcone Castle, by Sarah M. Eden
Ever since I read Seeking Persephone, I fell in love with this couple: Adam, the Duke of Kielder, and Persephone, the strongminded woman, yet sweet enough to melt the famously feared Duke of Kielder and make him fall head over heels for her. Still, Adam always keeps his fierce facade before anyone, except his wife and his loving boy. But this story was different, it was about Harriet, Adam’s mother, who has never been close to him, who practically abandoned him, and now wants to make amends. So when she ass to spend christmas time at Falcone Castle, will she be well received by the family and their friends? Will Adam still evade her or will he overcome his resentment and let his mother into his heart like when he was a boy? Everything can happen a christmas and even a second chance at love for a woman that has lost everything she loved.
I truly enjoyed it. Since I've read the previous novels of the Lancaster Family it was easy to feel at home with them and enjoy their banter. I totally enjoy Adam’s witty and sarcastic remarks and how his wife tames him with her charms. And the new baby coming? The best miracle of all…
The Heart of Christmas, by Anita Stansfield
I haven’t read that much by Anita, but now I know I have to read more! This was a sweet tale about Addie, a poor and gentle orphaned seamstress, who is hired by widowed Theo as a sort of housekeeper and companion to her daughter and his invalid aunt. A tale about broken hearts that can be mended with trust and God’s help. It had an inspiring message, and I liked the way the characters grew and matured through out the story, even if it was in a short time. Christmas is an ideal season for hearts to change for the better and mend. Addie helps Theo’s heart heal and she gets a family for keeps. A sweet story!

'Tis the Season to be Daring, by Esther Hatch
This was a delightful story, especially because of Elizabeth’s character! She’s tired of her mother’s scheming and she just wants to enjoy the season without the pressure to dance and spend time with men she has no interest in. That is, until she gets Lord Hawthorne to agree to pretend to be interested in her, to get out of her mother’s hook. But he exaggerates, and things get funny and complex at the same time. Elizabeth was spunky and witty and I loved her relationship with Charles as they get to spend more time with each other. There’s definitely an attraction there, but it takes a few twists for them to accept that it's no longer pretend on either side. Elizabeth was sassy and they both made me laugh out loud with their dialogues. Loved the HEA!
The Christmas Dress, By Joanna Barker
We have another seamstress here, and I loved Nell. She seems to get easily in trouble, and unfortunately Jacob Hammond, a childhood friend with whom she reconnects, always manages to be there. She has to make Jacob’s sister, who is a bit reclusive, a dress for Christmas, and that’s enough for them to reconnect and make an instant click. Jacob has his own struggles too. Can they both share them and help each other? I loved how their relationship developed, it was really sweet. Especially seeing how their relationship brightened them and made each other better when they were together. Lots of funny, witty banter and sweet moments. Sweet characters and a lovely HEA!
I definitely recommend this sweet Christmas Romance Collection! You don’t have to wait fot the Holidays. These are stories for all seasons that warm up your heart with their sweet love message and makes clear that Christmas is a special time for healing and LOVE!
I received an early copy of this book from the Covenant Communications via NetGalley. This is my voluntary and unbiased review.

Christmas at Falstone Castle

Who doesn't love reading about the Dangerous Duke? This novella is the perfect chance to learn more about his childhood. I was expecting to have most of the information from reading Seeking Persephone, but this went a little more in depth and gave us his mother's perspective which was great.
Personally, I would have liked more of the story to be from Adam's perspective, but it was entertaining to see what other characters made of him/the situation. A great addition to the Duke of Kielder/Lancaster family stories.

The Heart of Christmas

This was a very sweet story with some good character development, though more depth would have been lovely; e.g. what was Addie's employer's reaction to finding her note? I did find Addie very likeable as a character, and would love to read more of her background. Similarly with Theo. The message of love and hope in this story is perfect for the Christmas season.

Tis the season to be Daring

An excellent Christmas story! Both of the main characters can be easily identified with, and their interactions with each other are often humorous. Not much to say except that I wanted more!

The Christmas Dress

From the start, I found Nell amusing and entertaining. This is a sweet romance with a wonderful friendship included. I hope to read more of Alice's story in future. The only thing missing; I would have loved to see Miss Fowler receiving her comeuppance. Especially if it came from Alice.

I had already anticipated loving “Christmas as Falstone Castle”, I couldn’t imagine a better Christmas story than one that included the danger duke of Kielder, and I did not disappoint! You will fall in love with the dangerous duke all over again. However, I loved that he wasn’t the focus.

I love that we got a fresh look at the dowager duchess. This was a second chance story I could get behind. It wasn’t just a second chance at romance, but a second chance at being the mother she wanted to be, and it was beautiful.

However, I don’t think I could pick a favorite story out of the bunch. They were all equally entertaining and heart warming.

"The Heart of Christmas" had a little bit of Cinderella magic, a little bit of Christmas magic and a whole lot of heart.

I possibly laughed the most with "’Tis the Season to Be Daring". It had delightfully witty banter with just enough scandalous behavior to be both clean and entertaining.

If I had to pick a favorite as far as story line went "The Christmas Dress: would possibly be it. Joanna Barker always uses pertinent metaphors to pull you right into the story. I loved how much character development and story building she was able to connect me to in such a short amount of pages.

Christmas at Falstone Castle · Sarah M. Eden

Harriet, the Dowager Duchess of Kielder eagerly anticipates spending Christmas with her son Adam, Persephone and their growing family. Though their relationship has been strained, Harriet is determined to heal the chasm. Even with the help of the widowed local vicar Roswell Duncan, her plan will take a Christmas miracle.
A lovely short story of two older people finding love. It was also great to meet the Lancasters’ again with their spouses & children. Well written & heart warming

The Heart of Christmas · Anita Stansfield

When a chance meeting brings together a gentle seamstress and a widowed banker, each lonely soul finds a first hint of hope. As their lives become entwined, it will take Christmas spirit to guide a broken family to love and healing.

’Tis the Season to Be Daring · Esther Hatch

Elizabeth Davenport has had quite enough of the London Season. Determined to evade a parade of unsuitable suitors, she seeks help from the one gentleman who has no regard for Society’s rules. All of Society knows Lord Hawthorne is not interested in marriage, yet he cannot deny Miss Davenport’s unique charm. And as the Christmas season works its magic, their charade begins to feel less like playacting and more like love.

The Christmas Dress · Joanna Barker

Seamstress Nell Addington is thrilled when her childhood friend Jacob Hammond commissions a dress for his sister. But when Nell realizes her feelings for Jacob run far deeper than friendship, an unexpected snowstorm—and some holiday cheer—may convince them both that love is worth fighting for.
So far I’ve only read the first story & will update my review once I’ve read the others
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

What a wonderful and heartwarming collection of Christmas novellas by four of my favorite authors.
Each story is set in the regency period and is full of Christmas spirit.
If you are familiar with Sarah’s and Esther’s work you will enjoy getting glimpses of previous stories characters.
I never felt like any of the stories were rushed and they all did a fantastic job of writing characters that you quickly love and root for.
Thanks to Netgalley and Covenant Communications for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a delightful collection of recency romances set at Christmas. There were four short stories here each penned by different authors. I enjoyed Sarah Edens story the most as it continues with the chAracters from the Lancaster family from seeking Persephone etc. Ester Hatchs novella was also very well done. I highly recommend this for fans of clean romabce, recency romances, and Christmas stories.

#AllHeartsComeHomeForChristmas #NetGalley

What a great Christmas collection of stories, by four authors Sarah M. Eden, Anita Stansfield, Esther Hatch, and Joanna Barker.
These are short stories and I felt that the authors wrote their stories in such a way that they didn't feel rushed.
In Christmas a Fallstone Castle, I loved reading glimpses of Adam as a young boy, because Adam is one of my favorite characters. The story is tender.
The heart a Christmas by Anita Stansfield, was one about mending a broken family at Christmas time.
Tis the Season Be Daring by Esther Hatch, a story of two sisters, one who just wants to be done with the season, until she meets a certain Earl. This one was a delight to read.
A Christmas Dress by Joanna Barker, I loved this one as well. A young lady, fallen on hard times, is embarrassed to be among the working class. This is a fun collection of Christmas stories I would read over again.

Four of my favorite authors all in one collection?! I swooned in each story and didn’t want any of them to end! This was a superb collection. I’m positive it will be reread before the end of the year!!

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists,
and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive
reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this
in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

"Christmas at Falstone Castle" is a lovely story by Sarah Eden. It features the Lancasters celebrating Christmas at the infamous Duke of Kielder's home. He is a wonderfully gruff character, fiercely protective of his family. I tear up whenever his childhood is mentioned; Adam is one of my favorite characters from the Lancaster series. The romance of his mother with the vicar is sweet and believable. As always, Eden's prose is marvelous and her characters leap off the page. I love the Lancasters and it was great catching up with them.

Anita Stanfield's "A Heart at Christmas", features Theo Hardwicke, a widower with a surly daughter and invalid aunt-in-law, who impulsively hires poor seamstress Addie Moore to serve as a live-in cook/housekeeper/organizer. This is a sweet story with all characters achieving contentment and growing happiness during the holiday season. This tale is well-edited and conforms to the time period. Broken hearts are figuratively and literally mended, the latter being a lovely physical manifestation of the former. However, I wish there was more dialogue.

" 'Tis the Season to be Daring", by Esther Hatch, is the third novella in this collection. Elizabeth Davenport's mother none-to-subtle attempts to marry her off during the London Season. Elizabeth stubbornly resists her mother's interference, and takes matters into her own hands, with surprising results! Enlisting the help of the scandalous Lord Hawthorne, Elizabeth finds he is anything but. He is charming, witty and playful. This is a delightful and lighthearted romp through Regency England's ballrooms. Speeding through Hyde Park in a carriage sounds like wonderful fun. This sweet story is well-written, and portrayal of the Regency period appears accurate. This is an entertaining read!

"The Christmas Dress" by Joanna Barker is the sweet story of Jacob Hammond, a landowner, and Nell Addington, a seamstress, finding love during the Christmas season. These childhood acquaintances meet up when Nell is commissioned to sew new gowns for Jacob's sister, Alice. Nell coaxes Alice out of her shell, and brings Christmas back to the siblings. Well-written, this novella is a delight.

All of these novellas are clean with inspirational messages of hope, love and healing during the Christmas season, although they are not religious.

Thanks to Covenant Communications and NetGalley for a copy of this lovely collection.

In Christmas at Falstone Castle, the dowager duchess is trying to repair her strained relationship with her son and form a bond her with her grandson. She feels guilty for choices made years ago that affected her son. I loved how protective the duke was of his family and that came to include his mother when she started to form a relationship with the local vicar. In The Heart of Christmas, Addie is a seamstress turned maid to a widowed banker, his young daughter, and his deceased wife’s aunt. All three family members are still hurting over the loss and she helps them to find happiness in their lives and with each other again. I loved the broken heart ornaments that were mended with different materials to make them unique and beautiful. In ’Tis the Season to Be Daring, Elizabeth is tired of her mother’s machinations and she just wants to enjoy her time in London without being forced to attend balls and dance with men she has no interest in. She forms an alliance with Lord Hawthorne to pretend a fake interest in her. He is outrageous and reckless and her mother is appalled by the attention. But it’s hard to keep their hearts separate the more time they spend together. In The Christmas Dress, Nell is a seamstress like Addie and like Addie she was forced into in by financial circumstances. Local landed gentry Jacob Hammond hires her to create a dress for his reclusive sister and a lot of funny and sweet moments ensue starting with a runaway hat. Nell has to content with a spiteful girl who wants Jacob for herself and her demanding employer. These clean Christmas stories got me into the holiday spirit and I enjoyed them each in their own unique way.

I simply adore books like this where multiple authors come together to give short stories that fit perfectly into busy schedules. I loved reading about hearts mending, families gathering, and romance growing. Every page will bring joy to your soul and a smile to your face. Each story is splendidly unique with a blended theme of hope and healing that comes so willingly with the holiday season. Grab a copy of this delightful book and allow your heart to "come home for Christmas." I LOVED IT!

This might be my favorite novella collection yet. I'm always up for a Christmas collection and this included some of my favorite authors. Each of the stories were very different from each other making for a good variety.

Christmas at Falston Castle by Sarah Eden.
This might be my favorite of the collection for the simple reason that I already have a love for the Duke of Kielder. I was thrilled to get another story with him. I find him immensely amusing to read but would in fact find him terrifying in real life. Just like he would want me to be. :) It is good to understand his mother better and see that she isn't just an awful person or mother. It is a story of healing as well as sweet love story and we get a visit from everyone in the Lancaster books besides.

The Heart of Christmas by Anita Stansfield
This one was the most religiously themed of the collection. It was a little sermon within a story teaching that Christ can mend our broken parts. It also showed that the behavior of one has an effect on others and can influence them either positively or negatively (if you categorize sadness as negative). It was perhaps a little simplistic that everyone's hearts all turned to mending in one day but it proved the point of the story. Plus it is a novella so everything has to move more quickly. The story was slow paced with a sweet Christmas message.

Tis the Season to be Daring by Esther Hatch
I love regency era stories where characters breech from Ton Society rules and this was definitely a fun one of those. Lord Hawthorne was a delightful character and he made Elizabeth delightful as well as opposed to the dull person her mother made of her. There is nothing wrong with knitting and needlework unless you hate it and only do it because you are forced to by societal rules and your mother's insistence. But once she was around Lord Hawthorne it became apparent that there was someone with depth and fun underneath all that. I thoroughly enjoyed the proposal scene. Found myself smiling through that one.

The Christmas Dress by Joanna Barker
This was a sweet Christmas story that was about finding peace, finding love, and finding Christmas. I enjoyed watching Jacob as he became more and more smitten with Nell. The only negative in this story for me was the author not allowing the reader to see Miss Fowler's face when she realizes she has lost Jacob despite her conniving. I'll have to inject that scene into the story in my own head. It is very satisfying for the vindictive side of me. But the author's story outline probably flowed better. :)

No sex, language or violence

Oh oh oh I loved these stories! I love a Christmas romance collection, but this has to be my favorite one by far. Covenant Communications seems to have a knack for putting the right authors together. I enjoy all of these authors on their own, and what a treat to visit with Sarah M. Eden’s Lancasters and Duke if Kielder again! My favorite universe!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I loved this Christmas collection. Each story was well written and full of true romance. It is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. The characters are engaging and fun. I would highly recommend this collection.

All Hearts Come Home for Christmas is a wonderful collection of stories by four different authors, and I certainly loved everything about it, from its cover to each individual story. This anthology made me long for it to already be The Season, and gave me the opportunity to find new-to-me-but-now-favorite authors. Here are my individual reviews (keep in mind that each was written just after I had finished reading them):

Christmas at Falstone Castle by Sarah M. Eden
Wow. OK, so I think this is my first story from this author, and thus, after reading the prologue, I thought it was going to be Adam's story (I'm also reading this book without remembering what the back cover said). After realizing this was rather going to be the story of his mother, the Dowager Duchess Harriet, and the Vicar Roswell Duncan, I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much since it would be an "older" romance (the couple is in their fifties at least). However, I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself enjoying the whole of it (especially their planning and plotting around Christmas time). What I also loved were Adam's interactions, his retorts, and "charming" personality, lol (yes, I'll be reading his book in the future), and the occasional scene with his POV. This is a lovely read, and perfect for all the Lancaster family's fans. 5 stars.

The Heart of Christmas by Anita Stansfield
I enjoyed this cute, short story that includes all my favorite things regarding Christmas: an emphasis on Christ as the center and meaning of this celebration, family, traditions, and some food ;) this is a new to me author and I liked how she portrayed the Hardwicke's as a family that had spent too many years pretty much going through the motions, and the miracle that Ms. Adelaide Moore would help them achieve in time for Christmas. 4.5 stars.

’Tis the Season to Be Daring by Esther Hatch
Oh my goodness, this book (story/novella, you get what I mean)!!! It gripped me from the first page and it never let go! The story starts with a bang (not literally, of course), and introduces us to the fabulous Miss Elizabeth Davenport, and the charming, funny and handsome Lord Charles Hawthorne (Earl). I loved every interaction between the two of them, and the author made me FEEL every feeling that was going on (all the longing glances and every single touch, however simple it may have been). And that last chapter? I may as well have highlighted the whole of it #not #kiddingnearlykidding it was just so swoon-worthy that I had to highlight all my favorite parts (and there were way too many ;) ).
Seriously, I can't believe the author's just beginning her writing career, but I can see me following her every book. LOVED it. 5 stars

The Christmas Dress by Joanna Barker
*Giddy smile* just, wow! Being the only author I already knew out of the four in this anthology, Ms. Barker did not disappoint. This novella was so sweet, charming and delightful, that it left me with all the fuzzy feelings, and certainly longing for Christmas (is it here yet?) I loved every bit of Miss Eleanor "Nell" Addington and Mr. Jacob Hammond's story, as well as watching them slowly fall in love with each other (the longing for each other, and that first kiss... *swoon*). Of course, it being a novella, the conflict was done really well, and it helped the story move towards its perfect ending (and that epilogue was just the sweetest!). 5 stars