This book contains 4 novellas.

I have really all of them earlier in the month and yes I did enjoy all of them. Fantastic stories that kept me reading and entertained. A good read for light reading that will keep your mind off things.

I recommend

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

I was going to review these separately but they all fell under the same number of hearts so I figured I would combine them.

These are sweet holiday romances that perfectly put you in a holiday mood. Since they are short novellas they are great for a quick read.

I picked this up because of the novella by Hope Ramsay but enjoyed all four of the stories equally.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Though the stories in this boxed set are short, they do not lack for an emotional connection. Each story features a second chance at romance, each delightfully sweet (some with just an added touch of spice), intriguing and captivating. The characters in each story are real to life and fascinating, and more than one will pull hard on your heartstrings. The joy of the season, and love rekindled or found again is illustrated in each of these charming stories.

The Perfect Christmas features a handsome, hardworking cowboy, Landon, with a heart of gold and a touch of wanderlust, and Dixie a young single mother struggling to provide for herself and her infant daughter. He is determined to give mother and daughter a sweet, unforgettable Christmas they will never forget. Loathe to reveal her growing feelings to a man who will soon be leaving town, Dixie does her best to safeguard her heart and just enjoy the holidays with Landon. Their Christmas activities are simple, homespun and heartwarming and Dixie’s young daughter is a heart stealer. Dixie is not the only one smitten. Landon comes to realize that both mother and tiny daughter have stolen his heart and that his future may not turn out as he has planned. Will he choose love or wanderlust?

In Cowboy Christmas at Heart, Dani, a deputy sheriff, tomboy and town sweetheart all in one comes face to face with the person who broke her heart when they were teenagers. Peyton, the town’s new mayor, has just come back to town after a long absence and he is determined to revitalize the family property as well as the town. He has never forgotten the girl who was his teenage crush, Dani, but she never gave him the time of they then, and has take to calling him Grinch now. Christmas is painful for him, and though he can’t cancel Christmas festivities for the town, he is doing his best to minimize and downplay them. Dani challenges his decisions, keeps him on his toes and forces him to confront the emotions and pain the holiday season bring. As they work together, their mutual attraction is sparked and they give into their desires. Secrets from the past are revealed, and decisions loom. Will they choose each other?

Home For The Holidays brings pastry chef, Iris, and soldier, Collier together. She is a new resident to the island, while he is a favourite son of the island on leave from military duty for the holidays. They meet at a nightclub and, attraction smouldering between them, end up a her apartment, where her painful past and his honourable code of conduct lead to nothing more than shared kisses. When they meet again, they discover they have an unexpected connection....his sister, her best friend. Close proximity over the holiday season allows them to get to know each other, their attraction to deepen and to give into their desires. Though they both know that his stay is temporary, they both begin to yearn for something more, until one dangerous and painful incident forces them apart. Will they find their way back to each other?

In Joy To The World, former music teacher Brenda is coerced into being the stand in choral director for a Christmas charity function that will benefit the local medical clinic. Jim, a doctor at the clinic, doesn’t want to take no for an answer, but he is perceptive enough to realize that emotional trauma is at the heart of Brenda’s reasons for wanting to avoid all things Christmas. Unable to withstand the pressure, the guilt and name calling heaped on her by fellow townspeople and her own mother, Brenda agrees to direct the chorus. Jim discovers the reasons behind her aversion to all things Christmas and takes it upon himself to help her rediscover the joy of the season. Along the way, they grow closer, emotionally and physically, much to the dismay and amazement of the townspeople and his son. Though they are middle aged, and have loved and lost before, love can still be sweet the second time around.

I would recommend this set of books to all lovers of romance. I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review

Thank you NetGalley, Carolyn Brown; Rochelle Alers; A.J. Pine; Hope Ramsay and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC of A Little Country Christmas. This is my personal review in exchange for this ARC.
What a wonderful set of Christmas stories to enjoy each on its own. They all gave me a sweet and comfortable feeling as read them.
Thank you to each of these authors for giving me a wonderful start to my holiday reading season.

A very good collection of Christmas novellas. I enjoyed each selection. All were well written. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

I struggled with this anthology. The four stories were so different - the only common thread was being set in small towns during the holidays. Two of them were set in South Carolina, which to me didn't go along with the country title. One story was friends to lovers, one was a second chance romance, and the last two were about couples where one or both had been married before and the characters were near 40-50. Characters in each of the stories seemed to have had some sort of traumatic experience, death in the family, abuse, or other heavy topic. The stories were a bit heavier than I expected.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley, this is my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading these Christmas stories. You’ll definitely want to pick of this book and endulce in these sweet Christmas romances.

I have read several books by Carolyn Brown and AJ Pine, and they were the big draw for me. I was very pleased with the stories written by the other two authors as well. Each story is unique with its own set of characters and plot. Consider it an early Christmas present from these great authors!

What a delightful collection!

I knew I had to read this one when I saw that two of the included novellas were set within series that I had previously read, so I was familiar with these characters. I loved both those stories, and I enjoyed the visits to their familiar settings. The two new ones were also terrific, and I plan to read more by those authors.

The Perfect Christmas by Carolyn Brown

This was a sweet, low-angst novella about finding a reason to put down roots. Landon is the surprise brother to two of the cowboys in the Longhorn Canyon series, and we met Dixie in one of the earlier books. It was so great to see both these familiar characters find their HEA, and especially nice to see them together.

A Christmas Cowboy at Heart by A.J. Pine

This selection was the best of the collection in terms of character and emotional development. Dani and Peyton had an almost-thing back in high school, and now that he's back in Meadow Valley they have a chance to pursue that still-simmering connection. There's a bit of a tragic back story that is gently addressed as the major internal conflict. I really enjoyed the way the community came together to celebrate the holidays, and their HEA was especially satisfying.

Home for the Holidays by Rochelle Alers

Iris considers but ultimately walks away from a one-night-stand with the handsome stranger despite their intense chemistry, only to find out the next day that he's her best friend's brother home on leave for the holidays. Her past makes a new relationship difficult at best, and Collier's plans also prevent him from settling down for a while, so their HEA requires that they address and resolve several major issues first. I loved the double family merger with the secondary romance. Her family really conveyed the spirit of the holidays.

Joy to the World by Hope Ramsay

This compelling novella focuses on an older couple in their late 40s/early 50s with grown children, which was a refreshing change. Jim is tasked with convincing Brenda to lead the Christmas Chorale, despite her long-standing, deeply emotional aversion to all things Christmas. My only complaint with this story was Jim - the local doctor - and his relaxed discussion of his patients' ailments as they related to his availability, a clear HIPAA violation by today's standards. Other than that, this was a wonderful romance with a heartfelt HEA.

Altogether, this is a substantive anthology that highlights all the best aspects of the Christmas holiday, and I heartily recommend it. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

A selection of four holiday romances from various authors and featuring a variety of themes and locations.

This collection was fine, but possibly just not for me. I enjoy small towns and Christmas, but I didn't care for some of these. Rochelle Aers' one, the one I most look forward to was the hardest to get into. And two of the four stories are about rediscovering holiday spirit, which feels so cliche. I did really like the first story and Landon and Dixie bonding over her little girl though. That one is a keeper.

I enjoyed all 4 of these short Christmas romances. Each had its own tale but they went together perfectly. I wonderful way to kick off the holiday season.

Four novellas about finding the spirit of Christmas for one person in each story and how love can bring the spirit back into their lives.

In The Perfect Christmas by Carolyn Brown, a young mother who has never had a Christmas, is shown by a young handsome cowboy how to have a Christmas to remember for her and her child. How the little things can bring the joy of the season when love comes with Santa.

This was a wonderful heartwarming story and you felt the spirit of the season with every word that only Carolyn Brown can bring to a cowboy Christmas. it’s a story that fills your heart with love and laughter of the season.

In Joy to the World by Hope Ramsey, a retired music teacher who has had the joy of the season and music not playing the in her heart is asked to do the one thing this Grinch, as she is called by the towns people, to lead the Christmas Chorale and the handsome doctor who’s clinic is the recipient of the proceeds of the concert, shows her how to have the joy and spirt of the season back in her heart along with the love and family too.

Hope Ramsey brings out the love and heart of a women who has lost the joy of Christmas and makes her “Grinch” heart grow with music and the love she never thought she would have again.

In Cowboy Christmas at Heart by P J Pine, It’s a hard sell for Deputy Sherrif Dani Garcia to get the Mayor to light up the town for Christmas. The Mayor is also her high school crush, so she has to work her magic to help him find his way back to Christmas and light up him from the inside out. She can do that by showing him that Christmas can still be a time of friendship and love and that they can spend the rest of their lives helping each other to trust and love again.

I will admit that I had a hard time getting into this story, but once the truth comes out about why the Mayor has denied himself the pleasure of Christmas this story took off for me.

In Home for the Holidays by Rochelle Alers, Iris Nelson is a gal who loves to bake and puts all her skills into her dream of owning her own shop one day, but before this comes true, she is looking forward to her first Christmas in Cavanaugh Island and hosting her family and friends. But her best friend has invited her brother to come along and it turns out that he is someone one she already knows... She is very much attracted to him and this joy and love of the holiday season just might bring more than she asked for from Santa!

I enjoyed this story. It was heartwarming and gave you a good feeling when you finished the story. The joy of the season was felt on each page.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this lovely Christmas novellas.

I enjoyed this Christmas anthology. These are light easy reads to get you in the mood for Christmas. Fans of these authors and western romance will enjoy this book.

Book Info
Mass Market Paperback, 464 pages
Expected publication: September 29th 2020 by Forever
ISBN 1538735776 (ISBN13: 9781538735770)
Edition Language English
Other Editions (3)
Source:Netgalley EARC
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BOOK BLURB

From matchmaking carolers to a festive lights competition, four bestselling authors explore the magic of the holidays in these heartwarming small towns.


The Perfect Christmas by Carolyn Brown
Rugged cowboy Landon Griffin can't help being smitten by single mom Dixie Boudreaux and her baby girl. To help win their hearts, he wants to give them both the perfect holiday at Longhorn Ranch -- baking cookies, trimming the tree, building snowmen, and the whole works. But when nothing seems to go right, he might need a Christmas miracle to help him out of the mess.

Joy to the World by Hope Ramsay
Retired music teacher Brenda McMillan has lost her holiday spirit, but reluctantly agrees to fill in for the director of the Magnolia Harbor Christmas Chorale -- even though Dr. James Killough, the town's biggest Christmas enthusiast, is the group's accompanist. Will he have enough Christmas magic to mend her broken heart?

Home for the Holidays by Rochelle Alers
Pastry chef Iris Nelson is looking forward to spending Christmas on Cavanaugh Island with her best friend's family. But she wasn't expecting to celebrate with their very handsome visitor on leave from Afghanistan. Is their attraction just the glow of the season or a gift to enjoy forever?

Cowboy Christmas at Heart by A.J. Pine
For Deputy Sheriff Daniela Garcia, no hometown tradition makes her happier than the Meadow Valley Holiday Light Parade. This year she's planning for the sheriff's office to have the most dazzling lights. But when the new mayor -- and certified grinch -- threatens to cancel the event, Dani will have to show him the true meaning of Christmas.

My Thoughts

The Perfect Christmas by Carolyn Brown

Author Carolyn Brown introduced the characters of Dixie Boudreaux and her daughter Sally to readers in the full length books of her Longhorn Canyon series.

This is their own Happy Ever After Story which is as sweet as the mother/daughter duo are!

The journey for all was full of firsts as well giving Dixie, Landon and Sally special memories of their first Christmas together, but not the last!

Characters fans know and love are guests who add their own elements to this tale of romance.

As others have said sad to see the series end but the stories will be around for future readers enjoyment for years to come.

Cowboy Christmas at Heart by A.J. Pine

Mayor Peyton Cooper and Deputy Daniela/Dani Garcia have different memories of their time in high school together 15 years ago.

In the here and now that this story is set those recollections still color Dani’s feelings at first for the man who left her beloved town of Mountain Valley all those years ago.

As the two get to know each other as adults however both Dani and Peytons prior perceptions change, growing quickly into something neither expected but both need.

During this story events unfold that test the pairs tenuous new bond, but in the end Christmas works its magic as expected.

Home for the Holidays by Rochelle Alers

After being prey to an abusive husband, but now divorced, moving to Cavanaugh Island and finding work as a pastry chef turns out to be the best decision that Iris Nelson had made in her life.

The move came about because of events in her past that still trigger bad memories for Iris, memories she hates thinking about much less talking about with anyone.

Collier Ward has spent 20-years in the military, the last tour which left him with bad memories of his own.

Meeting Iris when he stopped into the islands local nightclub on ladies night gave him something else to dream about after they parted ways.

Although they allow themselves to grow closer both Iris and Collier hide their particular secrets from each other.

A course of action that becomes regrettable when the pair least expect it to do so.

Can a Master Sergeant and a Pastry Chef with trust issues overcome their pasts to create a new future together?

This short story answers that question and gives the reader some insight into the minds of each character along the way that will leave them possibly rethinking a few things once the novella is over.

Not my favorite of the four offerings as it did not exactly work into what I expected once reading the first two stories.

Joy to the World by Hope Ramsay

The main thing I thought of when reading this story were the tales of Ebeneezer Scrooge and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

The reason why is simple because the main character, Brenda McMillan, was compared to both numerous times by the people of Magnolia Harbor due to her initial refusal to step in as director of the towns annual Christmas Chorale.

Tasked with the effort of getting the against-all-things-Christmas Brenda to accept the volunteer job is Dr. James Killough, Dr. Jim to his patients.

The town doctor whose own personal holiday trials 20 years ago are not forgotten but they have been circumvented as he embraces all things Christmas related with joy, an emotion that Brenda herself has not felt in many years.

The effort is rewarded with side benefits that of course the reader sees coming, and indeed expects, as Christmas waves its proverbial magic wand one more time!

A collection of novellas with 2 authors have read before and 2 have not read works of.

Enjoyed them each individually but as a whole 1 of the offerings did not quite fit with the other 3 so not a total love affair all the way through.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

I always love Christmas anthologies, so I jumped at the chance to read this one (we could all use some Christmas cheer right about now). The whole 'country' Christmas part didn't make much sense to me though, more like 'small town' Christmas. I did like that a couple of the stories had NC/SC references (I'm from NC).

"The Perfect Christmas" by Carolyn Brown ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a cute little Christmas story. I don't think I've read any of the books that included Landon & Dixie before now, so if you're like me, you'll miss out on some of the story that brought these two together. This book starts after they've known each other for months and are already friendly with one another, so it seems a bit like insta-love, but I guess we just missed the part that saw them developing a friendship and then into something more. Regardless, I really enjoyed "Lan Lan" and Dixie's story. Landon was such a gentleman with the biggest heart and he just made me swoon with his love of Dixie's toddler, Sally. And Dixie was such a strong momma. She was a single mother and apparently they experienced a fire scare in a previous book that landed her being brought in by the town and now running/living in the quilting shop. There isn't much drama, just a lot of Hallmark-worthy love, just what you want in a Christmas story.

"Cowboy Christmas at Heart" by A.J. Pine⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was another cute story, although there was a little more drama in this one compared to the Carolyn Brown story. Dani & Peyton knew each other in passing in high school, apparently both of them having a crush on the other, but not acting on it. Now Peyton is back in town after losing his city government job in Chicago and is trying to get rid of Christmas traditions - in other words, he's a Grinch. That makes this start out as an enemies-to-lovers type of romance. I thought they had great chemistry, but they lacked communication skills oftentimes. The grand gesture was cute and funny though and I enjoyed the epilogue. Another easy to enjoy Christmas romance.

"Home for the Holidays" by Rochelle Alers⭐️⭐️

I struggled with this novella and it was definitely my least favorite of the 4. The best part were the recipes though and I'm definitely saving them for later! This was a new-to-me author and I guess I wasn't use to her writing style. I felt like I got whiplash from the 180 in conversation that happened throughout the story. For example, Collier & Iris go from chatting in her apartment and almost hooking up to him leaving abruptly without warning. It really threw me off and I kept thinking I was missing part of the story. The POVs change in the middle of the chapter without warning as well. The story itself wasn't bad, just the writing style. I also didn't feel like we really got to know Iris & Collier. We knew about the trauma they each experienced before meeting and I appreciated the author including characters who were not perfect. But outside of that, we really didn't get to know them well. I didn't find them falling in love believable at all since they didn't spend a ton of time together getting to know one another. And then we're supposed to believe that in less than a week Collier went from having nightmares and Iris being scared of him/kicking him out to him getting therapy and back in her life days later with professions of love? It surely would have taken more than a few days for Collier to begin working through the PTSD and recurring nightmares. I just wasn't buying that. The story just seemed incomplete. Had it been a full length novel, I'm sure the author could have expanded more, but this just seemed too disjointed for me to enjoy. Since this was an ARC, I'll assume all the spelling/grammar mistakes will be corrected in the final version. It was the only story of the 4 that I kept noticing some editing issues.

"Joy to the World" by Hope Ramsay⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was actually an older couple romance (late 40's/early 50's) that was unexpected. It was a nice change of pace from the normal contemporary romance, although this book was lacking in the heat department and glossed over those parts. I loved how persistent Jim was and how he made the best of everything despite having experienced the loss of his wife 20 years prior. Brenda took a while to warm up to the idea of not being a Grinch and instead embracing the community's love of Christmas and all the joy it can bring. But she wasn't a bad person, she just had a lot of bad things happen to her right around Christmas that made her dislike that time of year. The part with Jim's son seems unfinished and I wish that hadn't been left so open-ended. In fact, the ending was just a week after the final chapter, so it felt as though we really don't know much about how their HEA comes about other than them 'dating' I suppose. But it was still a sweet romance.

What a treat with four Christmas stories from these known authors. Each had its own special moments. A book with four short stories, what else is needed! These sure put me in the Christmas spirit. I enjoyed each story and hope you will too.
Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy for my opinion.

A quartet of short holiday stories that are quick reads. Each of these authors provides a respite from your busy schedule with witty and delightful stories.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

Generally this collection of stories was a miss for me. I got stuck in the beginning with a California coast kid having a twangy Texas accent. It was forced and silly to me. Plus, no toddler I have known (and I've raised 5 of my own) can speak as much as that baby did in Carolyn Brown's novella. In the other stories there was so much negativity that was not negated by the 'holiday cheer', i.e. going to a nightclub to hook up for sex. Also, I didn't quite get how an island in South Carolina was 'Country'? All in all, I'd just as soon go another route to find some Christmas inspiration.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The Perfect Christmas by Carolyn Brown
Landon Griffin connected with the brothers he never knew he had. Now he's visiting their relatives and friends.
Dixie Boudreaux and her baby girl were saved from dying a burning barn by one of those relatives, and from the first time he laid eyes on her, her soul called to him. She feels the same way about him, but is so afraid of being dumped again. He makes no bones about his plans to move on.
Ms. Brown pens them a sweet loving romance, two wary souls interconnected. Heartwarming and the perfect Christmas read.
A Christmas Cowboy at Heart by A.J.Pine
Deputy Daniela Garcia always tried to make Christmas special after her father left them just before Christmas....even though her mother now leaves town to visit her sister.
Mayor Preston Cooper hates Christmas since he lost both parents just before Christmas.
Both have a strong attraction to the other and both are fighting it.
He doesn't know if he will stay...neither does she, but she knows she's staying.
Thrown together through their jobs, they overcome their doubts and find the happy ever denied them in the past. Sweet with humor.
Home For The Holidays by Rochelle Alers
After being in an abusive marriage Iris Nelson has made a new life...man free. With her new career and some good friends she's mostly content. She meets her best friend's brother, Collier Ward and fights the attraction. He's been thru hell in Afghanistan and is not looking for a relationship...until he is. A sweet feel good, second chance at love holiday romance.
Joy To The World by Hope Ramsey
Brenda McMillan has no use for the holidays, it seems she has experienced losses she ties to them. Jim Killough has too, but doesn't let them define him. He is determined to help her get over it and works hard to make it happen. Sweet holiday romance

It’s tough to rate an anthology, I gotta say. I liked all of the stories in this Christmassy collection, with A.J. Pine’s Meadow Valley novella being the standout. It was super cute—charming, funny, and felt complete despite its short length. I could’ve happily read about Dani and Coop all the long day.

The other stories were enjoyable and feel good. I was on my way to loving Rochelle Ayers Sanctuary Cove novella but the ending was lacking for me—it just didn’t fit into the timeline, sadly, and left me a wee bit disappointed.

It’s definitely worth it to check out this collection, however, since there are a good many moments that’ll give you that Christmas cheer and leave you with a smile and some hope for the coming holiday season.