It was very christmas-y and kind of cute.
It had a hallmark moive stamp written all over it.
But, it was a nice read.

3.5 Stars. I was on the hunt for Christmas novellas and this hit the spot. I wasn't sure at first and almost DNF'd but the ending pulled it together. It takes a lot to surprise me but this one did.

Breath of Christmas by Linda Mooney was a surprisingly touching Christmas story with an unusual ending, not your typical end to a holiday novella, which was a boon for me! Brindly goes home for Christmas after having been gone for a long time. Planning to spend Christmas alone, she meets a cab driver who takes her under his wing, and she comes to rely on him for the remainder of the novella. I can't say much here because the story is short, but I enjoyed it!

Thank you to the author, Music and Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novella in exchange for my honest review.

Breath of Christmas is a perfect description of this short burst of holiday magic. As my first read by Linda Mooney, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the story and the enormous content in such a quick read. This author has definitely found a place in my heart and her books will certainly be on my future TBR list. Happiness and melancholy go hand in hand in this Christmas read, but it is one of the most engaging stories of the festive season, so don’t miss the opportunity to add it to your list!

This title goes well with the period of the year where we are.

If at the beginning I thought that this book was a bit like "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green, the end takes us away from it and we are more in fantasy.

I was persuaded to shed liters of tears but it's with a smile that I close this story.

The characters are nice. Brindle lugs around his oxygen tank but we don't pay attention. Hamon perfectly embodies the spirit of Christmas. Something we find less and less these days. I like his first name.

The pages scroll more or less quickly. I remind you that English is not my mother tongue. It's a short format so we don't have time to go into everything that could be.

Those who appreciate beautiful Christmas stories should be delighted.

Another author whom I didn't know but who has several titles to her credit. I'll take a closer look.

With the holiday preparations in full gear, I had only a moment but I can't go for too long without reading something. Breath of Christmas was exactly what I needed. It's a short burst of holiday wonder, a story of love and of magic. Just what this time of year calls for! I love Mooney's writing style and definitely will look for more by this author.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this novella. The blurb seemed a little sad but hopeful at the same time. I wanted to know what was going on and how it was going to end – even before I knew what was happening.

The characterization of Brindle (yes, she knows is a strange name but there was a reason for it) and Harmon is done well. I could feel her gasping for air because of the disease she has but also feel the cold in the air as she travels back to her hometown to revisit memories while she can. Harmon does seem to be too good to be true but I like to think that good people are still out there.

There is a definite religious feel to the story which I appreciated and I was sniffing away happy tears at the end. By the time the novella finished the few little inconsistencies I noticed as I was reading didn’t matter but I won’t give away why. This is definitely not the usual Christmas novella but is one that will stay with me for a while. B

A short, quick read. Brindle has been away a long time from home. Returning in time for Christmas. The ending wasn’t at all what I expected.


Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for eARC

This story read like a hallmark movie. It was a pleasant and short Christmas story. I was not a fan of the ending and some of the dialogue was weird. If you really like lifetime or hallmark style holiday movies then you would probably really enjoy this short and quick read.

2.5 stars
Nice but not my cup of tea.

That certainly had a twist I didn't see coming. What started out as a sad story changed into something quite different. The characters were sweet and the story was quite enjoyable. It's a good short story. I got this book from NetGalley for an honest review

A sweet Christmas novella. When Brindle comes home to her hometown to die, she is picked up by the taxi driver Hamon. He is former POW and she is dying of a lung disease. He becomes her friend and shows her around town and helps make her feel less lonely. A twist at the end that was unexpected but sweet made for a great Christmas story. Highly recommend this one. It is short, but well worth the read.

Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for the arc.
A sweet short story about going home for Christmas with a little surprise at the end.