Christmas Sweets is a delicious anthology of three cozy mysteries by some of the leading writers of the genre.

In the Twelve Desserts of Christmas Joanne Fluke's lovely protagonist Hannah Swenson is recruited to help provide tasty desserts to some children who attend a boarding school a few miles outside of Eden Lake. Over the Christmas break she becomes involved in a very sweet mystery involving two teachers who are seemingly meant for each other, however there have been a few bumps in the road along the way.

Nightmare on Elf Street by Laura Levine brings readers back to the life of Jaine Austen who is at a strange crossroads in her life. Somewhat unemployed she is persuaded to attend an interview at Conspicuous Consumption the high end mega mall in her area. Of course she did not anticipate that she would be hired as the role of Santa's Elf at the mega malls Christmas set up. What follows is a a hectic holiday season with a Cat Whisperer, Santa set hijinks, and of course murder.

The Christmas Thief by Leslie Meier is a Christmas adventure featuring popular cozy character Lucy Stone. Stuck in Florida over what was supposed to be her Christmas vacation she is embroiled in a jewelry theft

I have read a number of the Hannah Swenson series but this was my first time reading about the other two popular cozy mystery series. As an anthology it was well edited and really provided readers with a taste of who each character was. It does not ruin any previous books and does a great job at encouraging readers to dive into the various series at the beginning to learn more about the characters and relationships.

This was a delightful trio of Christmas themed short stories. I think my favorite was the first one by Joanne Fluke, the 12 Desserts of Christmas, because who doesn't love a Hannah Swenson story? These stories were all very quick reads and very enjoyable, perfect to put anyone in the Christmas spirit.

In the 12 Desserts of Christmas, Hannah Swenson helps out two teachers at a boarding school with six students who are stuck there for the holiday. There's a bit of romance in the story and it was a lot of fun.

In the Nightmare on Elf Street, a spunky ad writer Jaine Austen gets a temporary holiday job as one of Santa's Elves at an upscale Mall. There's a murder, and Jaine is a suspect. She starts to investigate on her own to clear her name. I love how plucky she is!

In Christmas Thief, the Lucy Stone Novella, Elizabeth Stone is accused of being an accomplice in stealing millions in jewels from a hotel guest where she works.. I really thought these were great fun and would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a short story with beloved characters., cozy mysteries, and the holiday spirit!

The Twelve Desserts of Christmas
This is the perfect Hannah story for Christmas! I love that you got to see everything that the gang was doing around the holidays without having a murder at Christmas! I loved Julie and Matt's romance and was happy how everything turned out! This was a perfect way to start out Christmas Sweets!

Nightmare on Elf Street
Before this short story, I had not read any of Laura Levine's stories with Jaine Austen. This was a cute tale of Jaine working as an elf where Santa gets murdered! As far as this being a short Christmas cozy mystery it was very cute and a great addition to the book. Overall though, Jaine is funny but not my favorite amateur sleuth. She came across a little ditsy to me and she tells "white lies" which I really don't like in characters. Still glad I got to read this as part of the Christmas Sweets book though.

The Christmas Thief
This was a super cute cozy mystery about stolen jewels. I have not read any Leslie Meier stories but I do have to say I did like Elizabeth, Lucy and Miss Tilley. This story takes place at a very high end hotel in Florida around Christmas time. it was very interesting to read about how people in Florida might celebrate Christmas! This one definitely had me on the edge of my seat a little to figure out who actually stole the jewels and what really happened.

Overall I loved Christmas Sweets and would recommend you pick it up if you like cozy mysteries too! It is a nice way to read works by other cozy authors that you might not have read before. Even if you have read series from these authors it's really nice to see what the characters are up to in between their normal sleuthing!

Christmas Sweets has three quick and entertaining stories. Each one is well written and has great characters.

Although the stories are a bit familiar, each is a enjoyable read for the Christmas Season. These are nice short-stories that can easily be read in the midst of the busy holidays. Each is well-written with characters that I enjoy and wish that I could take a quick trip to visit with each.

Unfortunately, Christmas Sweets, was not a book for me. I did not like it and was glad I finished and moved on to something else.

BOOK REVIEW⠀
BOOK: Christmas Sweets
AUTHOR: Joanna Fluke
#JoannaFluke
#LauraLevine
#LeslieMeier

This little novel is a combination of 3 different ones. As such I am putting the synopsis below. But in the interest of space (and short reading) I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the mixture of these stories! Joanna Fluke was the only one I read previously and discovering the other 2 was just as fun. Perfect for Christmas Eve gifting and cozying under a blanket with cocoa.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
THE TWELVE DESSERTS OF CHRISTMAS by JOANNE FLUKE
It’s the perfect mix of naughty and nice when two lovestruck boarding school teachers watch six kids over Christmas break. But when someone wants the cozy couple’s romance to burn out faster than a scorched fruitcake, it’s Hannah Swensen to the rescue, armed with her sleuthing
skills—and twelve deliciously festive recipes . . .

NIGHTMARE ON ELF STREET by LAURA LEVINE
Aside from the mortifying costume, how bad can a gig as a mall Santa’s elf be? Jaine Austen finds out when she’s teamed up with the Santa from Hell. But things go from bad to worse when he’s found murdered on the job—and Jaine is a suspect. Now all she wants for Christmas is to find the real killer . . .

THE CHRISTMAS THIEF by LESLIE MEIER
Elizabeth Stone is ready for a white Christmas in Tinker’s Cove, Maine—until a fancy Yule ball at the Florida hotel where she works dumps snow on her plans. The sponsor’s jewels have gone missing and the police are asking about her ties to a cute mystery guest. Good thing Elizabeth’s mother, Lucy Stone, flew down to surprise her. ʼTis the season for a little investigating . . .
⠀
I received this book for review purposes from NetGalley.

Christmas Sweets is an enjoyable book of short stories by three well-known women authors who write cozy mysteries.

The Twelve Desserts of Christmas by Joanne Fluke

This holiday short story is perfect for any Hannah Swensen fans, as well as anyone looking for some holiday recipes as those are included at the end!

Two boarding school teachers must spend their Christmas holiday at the school taking care of students who had no where else to go. They begin to fall in love, but someone isn't too happy about this and wants to keep them apart. It is up to Hannah to both snoop and bake to find out who is behind trying to break the two up. Will Hannah, armed with both wonderful easy to follow recipes and her disposition to solving crimes help love win out?

Nightmare on Elf Street by Laura Levine

Having never read a cozy by Laura Levine, I found this short story to be my favorite. It is very comical and I assure cat lovers you will enjoy this as well.

Jaine Austin is looking for work. Any work. She finds a job working as an elf at a local mall. Between the hideous elf costume and one of the Santa's not being very nice, Jaine is miserable. When she decides to take her cat Prozac to the mall to have holiday pictures taken things go "cat crazy" thanks to Prozac. During the chaos Santa is murdered by a tree ornament. Jaine soon discovers she is the prime suspect. Now she must catch the Santa killer before they catch her.

The Christmas Thief by Leslie Meier

All Elizabeth Stone wants for Christmas is to go home to Tinker's Cove, Maine and see her family. Elizabeth works at a lavish resort in Florida. When she finds out all vacations have been cancelled due to a very expensive posh party which was suddenly booked, she is beyond disappointed.

Then during the party one of the pieces of expensive jewelry goes missing and Elizabeth becomes the prime suspect in the heist. Afraid of losing her job, she is banned from the establishment until the case is solved. She doesn't know where to turn. Enter her mother Lucy Stone and friend Miss Tilley who fly in from Maine and take charge. Between the three of them, will they be able to convince the police Elizabeth is innocent?

I found the short stories to be full of cheer, wit, mayhem and of course mystery. A lovely cozy to read with some apple cider and one of Hannah's cookies.

Thank you #NetGalley #Kennsington #JoanneFluke #ChristmasSweets for the advanced copy.

A fun mix of holiday stories . I don't believe they are new, but I've never read them so they were new to me. The Christmas Thief by Leslie Meier was my favorite: Elizabeth must clear her name when she is accused of theft. 4 Stars overall for this boxset.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias.

I enjoy these holiday themed anthologies, each one full of small bites of holiday homicide. As we ramp up to Thanksgiving and Christmas with all of the energy it takes to get things done, having these three mystery shorts waiting for me is great. I carve out some time to sit down with a mug of tea and watch some of my favorite authors deal with homicidal holidays.
To ask me which of the three I liked the best - nope, not happening. I enjoyed them equally and took the time to savor each one. All of them are funny but Laura Levine is the funniest - retail at Christmas is a nightmare to end all nightmares. Been there, done that so I could relate.
Joanne Fluke leaves out bodies but gives us a sweet story with recipes to enjoy. Leslie Meier takes her holiday short on the road with Lucy Stone ending up in Florida helping Elizabeth Stone out of a sticky situation involving some very high priced missing jewelry.
So, if you are having a hard time finding some ME time to settle down for a good read pick up this book of sweet treats and take some time to recharge your batteries.

The Twelve Desserts of Christmas (Hannah Swensen #8.5) by Joanne Fluke
This is a sweet little romance with innocent mischief that reminded me a little of FATHER GOOSE… do you remember that wonderful old movie? These children may not be orphaned, but they are being chaperoned far from home by two people slowly falling in love and being blocked by the little sweethearts!

This was the story that sold me on picking up the anthology. I love Joanne Fluke and have long been drawn to her Hannah Swensen series. I was not disappointed. I would gladly pick up another. Of course, the recipes are included, and I would love to try a few of them as well.

Nightmare on Elf Street (Jaine Austen #11.5) by Laura Levine
I’ve worked in a mall at Christmas time. Thank God, I was never in Santa land. Just the thought makes me need Prozac (and not just a cat named Prozac). This story, on the other hand, makes just such a situation an adventure in Wonderland… until the obnoxious Satan… ummm Santa ends up dead and Jaine is one of the suspects. Well, could you blame her? Beelzebub and all that…

In all seriousness, in was a fun and funny cozy mystery and it makes me want to read more of the series. I’ll be looking this author up!

The Christmas Thief (Lucy Stone #18.5) by Leslie Meier
This is another story where the main character becomes a suspect in the crime; it was fun to tag along as Elizabeth learned to love more about Florida (my home) and clear her name.

All together: these are three innocent and sweet cozy mysteries suitable for the holiday season. Pull up a comfy chair, start some soft music, pour a cup of your favorite cheer, and indulge in a few hours of relaxing reading.

Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC via NetGalley, my opinions are my own and are given freely.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review Christmas Sweets. It was truly a sweet read. 3 short novellas that take place during the holiday season featuring characters from each of the authors ongoing series. A very enjoyable holiday read for fans of Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meier.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I have always enjoyed these little Christmas books with more than one author. Very quick read and heart warming. I did find the Joanne Fluke story a little cheesy but overall very enjoyable book.

Super fast paced and fun! Three cute and fast paced Christmas themed mysteries each one had charm and laugh out loud moments I loved all the well known characters and the new especially in the twelve desserts of Christmas the kids and teachers at the boarding school were such a cute story I enjoyed this book!

This is the first compiled short Christmas stories volume that I've read, and I really enjoyed it. It didn't seem to matter where a person was in the series. Each book just fit in well.

In the Twelve Desserts of Christmas by Joanne Fluke, we met Matt and Julie a couple of love-struck teachers who volunteered to stay with some kids at boarding school over Christmas. There was no murder, but it was a fun little mystery that Hannah got involved in, since she was baking cookies and desserts for the kids and the two teachers. I enjoyed all these short story characters a lot!

After reading Nightmare on Elf Street by Laura Levine, I was laughing so much that I just knew I wanted to start reading the Jaine Austen series soon. Oh my goodness, the descriptions of some of the funny scenes had me laughing out loud, especially when Jaine's cat Prozac got loose at the mall. This was a good murder mystery. There weren't a lot of suspects and I was a little suspicious of who ended up being the killer.

The third story, The Christmas Thief by Leslie Meier focused on Elizabeth Stone, Lucy's daughter that we don't really read much about in the books that are about their daily lives. I just knew that Lucy would come to her rescue when poor Elizabeth was accused of being in on the theft of a mega-valuable jewel collection at the hotel where she worked. Miss Tilley came along (I just love this lady!) and the 90-something's computer skills definitely came in handy in sifting out a perp. Elizabeth got a very happy ending out of the little story!

These three stories just showed how very different Christmas celebrations can be, but the main thing with people is being around those they love, or in Jaine's case, a pet she loves. Despite Prozac being crazy-kitty-from-Elm Street sometimes, she loves the little bugger a lot!

Three novella length stories by three of our favorite cozy mystery authors. The stories are just the right length to enjoy in between weekend chores and with these three authors, you know you'll find some very amusing circumstances mixed into the mystery. How can anyone resist a Hannah Swenson story? If you have never read any books by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine or Leslie Meier, I'm not sure what planet you are from, but to decide if you like these 3, this book is a great place to start!

4.5 Stars - Top Pick

I really enjoy this type of light mystery collection for the holidays. This book includes stories by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meier. All three are older stories, so anyone following the novels will know that things have progressed for the characters since the time of these stories. I have read some or all of the books in all three series, but the book would also be a great introduction for new readers. Happily, all of the stories were new to me, so I really enjoyed the book.

I have had mixed feelings about some of the newer books in Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series, but this older story, The Twelve Desserts of Christmas is excellent. It’s a mystery only in the loosest sense of the word, but it’s still enjoyable. While providing Christmas desserts for boarding school students who aren’t able to go home for the holidays, Hannah has to get to the bottom of why the budding romance between the two teachers staying at the school abruptly fades. There are no murders in this sweet story, just friends helping each other and plenty of recipes for Hannah’s delicious desserts.

Nightmare of Elf Street by Laura Levine is my favorite of the three stories. When looking for a laugh out loud story, Levine never disappoints me. When trying to win a job writing ads for an upscale mall, Jaine Austen gets roped into filling in as one of Santa’s elves. A bad situation gets worse when Prozac wreaks havoc at the mall while there for a holiday card photo shoot. There is a lot going on in this story, including a dead Santa with Jaine the prime suspect for murder. Jaine begins investigating to clear her own name and the story concludes with a hilarious, upbeat ending.

I have read some of Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone novels and I enjoyed this short story called The Christmas Thief which features Lucy’s daughter Elizabeth as the main character. While filling in as the concierge at a luxurious hotel in Florida, Elizabeth is suspected of stealing very valuable jewels belonging to a high profile couple staying at the hotel. There is a large build-up to this even and I really liked seeing Elizabeth at work trying to cater to the whims of the rich and famous. When things start to go wrong, she calls her mother and Lucy and her elderly friend Miss Tilley travel from Maine to Florida to help. I had to suspend disbelief as Lucy encouraged her daughter to break the law in order to prove her innocence. After a dramatic but improbable series of events, the book has a good ending just in time for Christmas.

~ Christine

Three very good quick stories. You can never go wrong reading all three of these authors books. There is always a little mystery with entertaining characters. Definitely recommend any book by all these authors.

You get three great stories in one book. All of them enjoyable and entertaining. Each story is different, but with a great story line and wonderful characters. You have a story about students at a private school, who are stuck there over Christmas. They have such a good time I really don’t think they mind. Course all of Hannah’s great deserts helps. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a mall Santa or elf? In the second story you can get some insight into that very thing. Jaine certainly learns more than she probably wanted to. We can’t forget Prozac and all the entertainment she provided. Finally, we get to hang with the rich in a fancy hotel. I don’t think hotel workers always get the respect or pay that they should. Some of what they have to put up with is not what I would want to handle every day. It really gets good when Miss Tilley and Lucy show up. I hope you enjoy these stories, all set around Christmas, which I love. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

When I requested a Netgalley copy of this book, I had not realized that it contained previously released stories repackaged together into this anthology. It still contains enjoyable to read holiday tales, though I had already read Joanne Fluke’s contribution. I had not read the Jaine Austen and Elizabeth Stone entries and I enjoyed them as well. I much preferred the focus of Leslie Meier’s story being Elizabeth instead of Lucy because the Lucy character did really grab me in the stories I’ve read of hers. And Jaine’s Prozac was incorrigible as ever. So while I was a bit disappointed about not getting three new (or at least new-to-me) stories, these are still three great reads to get us into the spirit as we head towards the holiday season.