I enjoyed coming back to Grandon and Glory's Place. This book is a continuation of Travis and Lauren's story. As they prepare to bring a new life into the world, the people that work at Glory's Place decide to help them make their house a home. Painting, decorating and buying pieces of furniture. In the process they found a box found of recipes. It is then that Lauren begins to teach herself how to cook. How can you be a Mom and not know how to feed your family. Those recipes are so special, that she decides to find the original owner. I also love that this book is told every other chapter to the original owners of the table and recipes. You find out that it is a small world and with faith, it turns out how it was meant to be.

If you want to read a wonderful Christmas book that will tug at your heartstrings, read Donna Van Liere's The Christmas Table. I can identify with the time frame between 1972 to 2012 as a young mother and then as a grandmother myself who battled breast cancer. Time stands still in those periods of our lives, while it races by for others at a clip that gives you pause to wonder how you got to where you are at the present time!

One handmade table is a constant in this story and if it could talk it would tell you plenty about lives shared around it. Not many tables have drawers so when Lauren discovered the drawer and the recipes it contained the story took off on a new direction of discovery and intrigue. This is a poignant story and worth all the time spent reading it. The characters could be your next door neighbor or a member of your church family. This is one book you want to read for the heartwarming theme and conclusion.

The Christmas Table by Donna Vanliere follows two families through their lives and show how they have intertwined in the end. In 1972 John Creighton chooses a piece of wood to build his wife a table. Life gets in the way and he wonders if the table will ever be completed. In 2012 Lauren buys a table from a man who restores them. She discovers there are family recipes in a hidden drawer in the table and sets out to find the family. With no name will she be able to find anyone?
Lauren’s search leads her to finding some very interesting people. Will she discover the original owners of the table? There are plenty of twists and turns in this beautiful story of how people interact and meet without realizing they have an impact on others. I really enjoyed this book and all of the characters are wonderful; the kind of people you would like to know. Th story goes back and forth between the years seamlessly; it is not disruptive to the story at all. I give this book 5 of 5 stars and recommend it to everyone. It will make a lovely Christmas gift.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere is part of her Christmas Hope series. This was a story of two women, with POV’s for the time periods of 1972 & 2012; revolving around family, friends, hope and some wonderful recipes found in this special table.

In 1972, John (who loved working in carpentry) decided to build a table for his wife, Joan and their two children. Joan would cook each night for the family, and would teach her daughter, Gigi, how to cook to perfection; as she followed a recipe she created for her daughter.

In 2012, Lauren is newly married to Travis, and works at her job, and helps part time with her newfound friends to train girls. When she tells her friends she is pregnant, they decide to help her fix up her house, and go to the local carpenter to find her a table for her dining area; which with help from the carpenter, they buy an old but good table. When Lauren, who cannot really cook, finds a stack of recipes deep in the draw of the table, she beings to follow the recipes to create wonderful dinners and desserts.

Back in 1972, John continues to work hard building that special table, and when Joan becomes sick, he falls behind. Joan continues to push herself making wonderful dinners and recipes, until she cannot do too much more. She undergoes chemo, with her family helping her, but it is John who tells her to have faith, as God will help heal her. He constantly tells her “Today is the Day” That becomes the family motto.
Lauren is happy with her friends, learning how to cook, but she wants to learn more about the mother and daughter whose recipes belong to them. She does research, determined to possibly find more information on the daughter.

What follows is a heartwarming Christmas themed story that pulled on our hearts. John and Joan’s story was heartbreaking at times, but the family continue to have faith, and pulled together to get through these difficult times. I loved Lauren, as she learned to become a good cook, and was determined to try to find the rightful owners of those recipes. The ending was so well done, very sweet and emotional. If you enjoy a sweet heartwarming story of two people in different time periods that are built around hope and faith, I suggest you read The Christmas Table, written so very well by Donna VanLiere.

The Christmas Table
Book 10 in the Christmas Hope Series
Rating: 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

This is the first book I read by this author and I truly enjoyed it from beginning to end. The Christmas Table gave me all types of feels. It is the perfect book to read when you are feeling down because it shows us that we should have faith that things will work out in the end. I loved how the two timelines told the story of a woman who was surrounded by love. That food brought joy to their lives and in the end brought those that mattered the most closer together.

The Christmas Table – Donna Vanliere

In early 1972, John Creighton unloads three slabs of black walnut wood from his pick-up truck and carries them into his workshop. His intent is to handcraft his wife a kitchen table to replace the formica set they presently have, and he hopes to have it completed for Thanksgiving, just six months away, to surprise her. But then a devastating diagnosis brings much change to his family and the plans they all have.

In 2012, Lauren Mabrey, an assistant at Glory’s Place, which hosts afternoon programs for students, learns to her surprise that she is expecting her first child. Still newlyweds, she and her husband are thrilled, and quickly realize that they need to do some quick renovations to their home. On a visit to a local builder, she finds a table, newly refinished, that will work perfectly in their kitchen. With the help of her friends, she brings it home, only to discover a hidden drawer beneath the table – and in it – stacks of handwritten recipe cards. A foster child herself, she is fearful of not knowing how to be a ‘good’ mother, so fascinated by the recipes, Lauren is determined to teach herself to cook. Using the recipes, she becomes very curious about the woman who wrote them, and the personal messages on each card referencing events of her and her family’s lives. Determined to return the recipe cards to their rightful owner, Lauren attempts to find the family, using clues from the personal notes added.

Told from past and present, the reader learns about both families, as John and his young family struggle through the hand that they’ve been dealt and learn to trust in faith, while Lauren revels in her pregnancy, learns to cook, and starts her search, fruitlessly it seems, for the family whose lives are chronicled amongst their wonderful recipes. But Christmas is coming, and with it a baby, and perhaps a small miracle or two…

This was a sweet story, and I can totally see a Christmas special coming from it! While the writing wasn’t as in depth as I might like, with personal emotion and reflection from the characters, the message and sentiment is beautiful. A nice easy read that will lift one’s spirits and faith in mankind.

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.

In June of 1972 John Creighton promises to build his wife a kitchen table, and they will be able to eat there for Thanksgiving and Christmas that year. As he works on the table, Joan pulls out the recipe cards her mother had written for her and begins to learn to cook. The storyline continues with Joan discovering she has breast cancer and her battle to beat it.
In June 2012 Lauren Mabrey finds out she is expecting, and as she and her husband work to ready their home for a child, everyone from Glory's Place pitches in. Lauren & Miriam go together and buy a beautiful used handmade table for the kitchen, and in a drawer under the table, Lauren discovers a treasure trove of recipe cards. Lauren, who doesn't know the first thing about cooking, uses those to teach herself how to cook and then makes it her personal mission to track down the owner of the recipe cards to see if they meant to give them away, or if they want them back. The two timelines intersect in the most unexpected way.
I love these "Glory's Place" books. They are so uplifting. They aren't something you need to read in order, so don't worry if you haven't read any of the others, although I am sure you would want to after you read this one. It is a quick read and it will leave you on a positive note. I highly recommend it.

This is a great book for the holiday season. It’s told through two storylines in different years that are linked by a table.
First there’s John & Joan in the early 70s. John is working on a beautiful table that is taking him longer than planned. His goal is Thanksgiving. This inspires Joan to start using her mom’s recipes to come up with a good meal for the holiday & the table. Then they learn that she has breast cancer, so this pushes the table making longer.
Then there’s Lauren’s story in early 2000s where she finds out she’s pregnant & is working on updating her home with the help of her coworkers at Glory’s Place. They find a refinished table that has a hidden drawer with recipes in it. Lauren is inspired to try her hand at cooking.
As you’ve probably figured out, the recipe cards are the same ones. Seeing these stories unfold is really wonderful. Highly recommend reading this book.
Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

This is my first book by this author. It is a sweet, Inspirational story of two families. One in 1972 and the other in 2012. The first couple is John and Joan Creighton. They are a young couple with two children, the baby Christoper and daughter Gigi. John and Joan make a bet, he is going to make a Table by Thanksgiving from scratch doing all the building himself.She is going to learn to cook so she can make Thanksgiving Dinner for them and their families. Life is good for them till she learns she has breast cancer. As they grow closer and do everything to save her both grow not only in their faith, but to each other . The plans for the table and learning to cook is still being done but on the back burner.
We also follow the story of newly married couple Travis and Lauren Mabrey. They have been married five months . She is still trying to get used to having someone care for her, as she grew up in a number of foster homes. She is more used to being alone and feeling unwanted. She works with a wonderful group of funny, witty women at Glory's Place. Glory's was started to help single mother's and families who are struggling. They help teach kids, watch children so parents can work etc. Lauren starts feeling ill and thinks she has the flu or food poisoning. One of older ladies knows she has something else. They make her go to the Doctor and she learns she is pregnant. Both her and Travis are thrilled and a little scared. As the Ladies help her fix up their house, she founds a table at a used furniture store. In the table she finds recipes cards that a mother wrote for her daughter. The recipe cards are a Hugh part of this story. (and sound really good too)
She learns to cook using these cards. The cards have personal messages from mother to daughter.
She starts searching for the first owner to the table.
This story is so different than what I normal read. The story draws you in and before you know it you can't put it down. This would make a great Hallmark movie..
If you are looking for a good clean story set at Christmas this is the book for you.
I received a ARC from the author and want to thank her. I am giving my honest opinion voluntarily.

The Christmas Table, A Novel by Donna VanLiere
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: General Fiction (Adult)
Release Date: October 6, 2020

The Christmas Table is book 10 in the Christmas Hope series by Donna VanLiere. I had never read anything by this author before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. As I write this review, I find out that book 1 in this series is The Christmas Shoes, the book inspired by the song by NewSong of the same name. (Had I known that before I read the book I would have been better prepared.)

The Christmas Table is a book about hope and the power of perseverance & resiliency. It also is a story about the power of prayer & believing.

I loved how the story takes place over two timelines and revolves around the story of the table. There were so many times during this book that I cried, but in a good way. There is so much love & friendship & family woven throughout this book and it is so heartwarming.

I will definitely be reading the previous books in the series and I'm looking forward to reading the future books too.

I'm so grateful to Donna VanLiere, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

A feel good story! This was a short and sweet read. Not necessarily a Christmas book but I loved the feel good aspect of the story. I loved the religious undertones of this book and was pleasantly surprised by the story. I was hoping for more of a Christmas book, based off of the cover, but this was a heartwarming story that left me smiling. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Esta historia sigue a dos familias en dos líneas de tiempo diferentes. Una es en 1972 y la otra en 2012. En el '72 John está construyendo una mesa para su esposa Joann y sus dos hijos, quiere terminarla lo más pronto posible pero surge un problema que detiene los planes. En 2012 Travis y Lauren se enteran de que van a tener un bebé. Deciden arreglar un poco su casa y compran una mesa donde encuentran unas recetas de cocina. Gracias a estas recetas se unen los dos tiempos.

The Christmas Table es una historia bastante corta pero muy emotiva, me tuvo llorando en varios puntos y sonriendo en otros. La narración es simple pero se enfoca en lo importante. Este es el décimo libro de una serie y aunque yo solo he leído el noveno y este, no me sentí perdida en ningún momento y llegas a interesarte por la historia de los personajes aún cuando no los conozcas anteriormente.

Disfruté mucho de esta lectura y me gustaría continuar leyendo más de estas hermosas historias navideñas.

I'll be honest The Christmas Table isn't my usual read, in fact it's nothing like the books I tend to lean towards. So, I was a little skeptical going in, especially as this is a faith-based story, and that's not my thing. But I can't deny it was heartwarming, feel-good and easy to read, and I really liked the idea of it being about two women from very different generations who are linked together through a table and family recipes.

And Donna VanLiere has certainly created a well-written, descriptive story. That is bursting with love, family, friendship and goodness. And whilst I wouldn't necessarily read The Christmas Table again, I did find it engaging, and if you're a fan of the author or women's fiction in general, then you should certainly give it a try, as it truly is a heartwarming Christmas tale.

Oh my heart!!! This book brought me to tears with how absolutely amazing it was. I loved how the story began with two separate storylines that slowly melted into one story in the present day. There were so many well written characters that all have little quirks that make you love them. This was truly such a fantastic book, I cannot recommend it highly enough, Five stars all the way!

First book I have read by this author. Honestly I had a hard time getting interested in this book because of the writing style. Once I got past that and started really reading the story, it is a really sweet story set in two time periods, 1972 and 2012. In 1972, John & Joan are raising their children when Joan becomes ill with cancer. John has promised to build Joan a table and have it done by Thanksgiving but life has given them a lot to deal with.

In 2012, Lauren and Travis find out they are pregnant and will be having a baby in December. Lauren has found a table and a treasure trove of recipes stuck in a drawer in the table. She reads the recipes along with the instructions and hand-written personal notes and decides she must find the owner of these recipes. She embarks on a journey to locate the person who wrote the recipes and unlock this mystery!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for an advance copy of this book. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of this book.

Christmas Hope #10

It’s 1972 and John is determined to finish a table for his wife Joan. He has zero experience in building tables but he swears he can finish it before Thanksgiving.

While he is doing that Joan is re-discovering her mother’s recipes. Creating the most delicious things to go on that table. But then cancer strikes and everything is up in the air.

In 2012, Lauren Mabrey discovers she is having a baby. Everyone at Glory’s Place is helping out. The house needs to be furnished and a trip to a local builder nets them a handmade table with a hidden drawer full of recipes and notes about them and what was going on at the time.

Lauren begins to try out the recipes and in no time has become a cook!

Told in two different times by two different women, this one had me crying! I had no idea this ending was coming and it was so beautiful!

Very Well Done!

NetGalley/ October 6th, 2020 by St. Martin’s Press

Our church library has several of this author’s Christmas novellas and we’ll probably add this one as well.
For what it was, it was a sweet read.
I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review.

Touching story of the past and present. Warm and richly told.
All centering around a hand made table that served two families.
I enjoyed it, I cried through some and rejoiced through much of it.
Well done.

A wonderful holiday read!

This story takes place where all Donna VanLiere's Christmas books do, the same little town you know and love with the same people, like Gloria and Amy.

While it's part of a series, it stands alone, not requiring any backstory to jump right in.

Highly recommended to get you in the Christmas spirit, possibly shed a tear or two, and remember what is really important in life.

The food mentioned had me HOPING there were recipe's included but not for everything I wanted! Maybe a standalone cookbook is next? It would be well received!

The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere is a touching story that begins in 1972 and finishes in 2012. Many people are involved and part of the catalyst to continuing the story is a set of recipes found in the table by Lauren in 2012. The author weaves two tales about the families involved with the table and then combines the two tales into a wonderful conclusion as Lauren searches for the original owners of the table. I truly became involved in reading this book from the descriptions of the characters and their interactions to the recipes and how they were written and used is so fulfilling. I could read this story again and again.