This book is just lovely—a sweet and sentimental Christmas tale of faith and hope. The story is told with a dual timeline, 1972 and 2012, about two families whose lives are connected in unexpected ways. Along with endearing characters and a heartfelt story, there are also cooking tips and recipes which add some “flavor”!

This was such a good story. I liked the dual timelines, the recipes that linked family and the characters. It was such a “feel good” book and sure to warm your heart.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a sucker for cozy stories and Christmas books as well. This one just gives me both! I really enjoyed the dual timeline. I absolutely loved how the author gave us Holidays in the summer. The writing was absolutely beautiful. However I didn't realize that this was the 10th book in a series and reading this one makes me want to read the rest of them because of how much I enjoyed my time reading it.

Watching how the two timelines intertwined and then seeing these families blossom. While it is a Faith based story (I didn't realize that either going in) I was left feeling happy after I read it. All in all a good time.

Wow. I am still in awe. The Christmas Table is going to go down as one of my most favorite books. Ever.

Though this series can be read as stand alone books, and in any order, I’ve re-read the set several times and have found that living this inspirational and emotional journey with the town of Grandon is unmatched. These books are about real life, real people, and a real God. It’s a very poignant yet wonderful reflection of how He works in our lives.

In particular, The Christmas Table is wonderful. There are so many profound sentences, I found that I needed to force myself to put it down and reflect, instead of devouring it as I was wont to do! It was worth it.

Also, as a side-note… even though I do obtain these from NetGalley to review… I also purchase a hardback of each. These books are keepers!

A moving, inspirational story with hope and heartache. I thought it would be more of a "Christmas" novel with a title like "The Christmas Table", bit enjoyed the unexpected journey through the intertwined lives and histories nonetheless. I loved the earnestness of the characters and overall sweetness and emphasis on family "treasures."

4 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 23 September 2020


Christmas books are my thing. My husband won’t watch Hallmark movies, so I immerse myself in sappy, happy books themed around love and happiness at Christmas time. Here is another to add to the list.

In 1972, Joan is living in a small town with her husband John and two small children. Her mother had written her a bunch of her favorite recipes when she married, but she’s never taken the time to learn to cook. With John making her a kitchen table for Thanksgiving, now is as good a time as any. John works hard in the workshop and Joan works hard in the kitchen.


It’s 2012. Lauren is a former foster kid who has settled in a small town, marrying a local boy and volunteering for an after school care center. One of the things Lauren needs for her new home is a kitchen table. The local craftsman makes beautiful tables, but they are well out of her price range. However, Larry does have a table that is perfect for Lauren. It’s an older table that has been refinished. When Lauren gets it home, she discovers a hidden drawer full of handwritten recipes. Being a foster kid, Lauren never really learned to cook, and now is a good time to start. The recipes will be an inspiration.


What’s a beautiful part of this story is how the author managed to weave together two completely different families and time periods into one cohesive novel. Many times I will reject novels that time travel, but this one has been done without any confusion. It’s very easy to follow both Joan’s and Lauren’s stories. I really enjoyed this one. Pop some popcorn, make some mulled cider, grab a blanket and curl up with this novel by the fireplace.

The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere is a precious story set in 1972 and 2012 that resonates with many age groups from old to young. I thoroughly enjoyed how the lives of the characters intersected with the mystery of the table with the hidden recipe cards. The recipes are an added bonus, too. You will be glad you read this one.

Reading this book is just like having a mug of hot cocoa in front of a fireplace while being surrounded by your favorite people! The story centers around a black walnut table and two timelines-one timeline is in 1972 with a woman who is struggling with cancer and her husband is building the table. The other is in present day with a young newlywed who is pregnant and looking for a nice table. The latter character finds recipe cards in her new table, the other MC is baking a lot for her young family and also to feed herself as she struggles with cancer. Reading this book definitely made me hungry and also inspired me to cook as well lol. The end of the book contains a sampling of the recipes contained within the story. I left the book on my Kindle so that I could revisit those later! This book is a little preachy in parts-just mentioning for those who care about that.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this story in return for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this heartwarming Christmas story. I particularly liked how two stories were alternately told and how they eventually merged together. The characters were well-developed and interesting. Their emotions and problems were ones that the reader will definitely connect to and identify with. I finished The Christmas Table with tears running down my face.

What a story! Interweaving of stories and famies. Couldn't put it down. The story of coincidence and how our lives intertwine. I can't say enough about this author!

This was such a sweet wholesome book. Centred around christmas. Its a split time line story so we read about John and Joan in 1972, and Lauren in 2012. This was really interesting as we got to see all the characters and the situation in how a dining table that John builds for his wife in the 1970s ends up with a pregnant woman in the 2000s. The whole story was lovely and seeing the small town life and community was very entertaining. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a feel good, wholesome festive read.

Honestly, if you're looking for a cozy up by the fire kind of read this is the book for you. I think at one point this book had me in tears. But not bad tears. Just caught up in the moment kind of tears. The Christmas Table is heartfelt, meaningful and sweet. I'm so thankful that I was blessed to read it. Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me a chance to read this wonderful book in advance in exchange for my honest review.

This author never fails to write an enjoyable and inspirational story that touches my heart and puts me in the holiday spirit! The Christmas Table is a sweet, heartwarming read with an interesting storyline and delightfully charming characters.

This novel travels across two different timelines weaving between 1972 and 2012 and I really loved how the author pulled the two storylines together to create a remarkable journey with characters that I was really able to connect with. There is a bit of a faith woven within these pages and as someone who is relatively nonreligious, I did not find it overpowering. The Christmas Table is a well written read that perfectly highlights the power of love, compassion, family, and friendship. This enchanting holiday novel & the included recipes would make the perfect gift for a friend or family member and it is a story that will stay with me.

A couple who buys a table preparing for their new baby is connected to another couple. When Lauren finds out she is pregnant and due in December 2012, she and her husband decide they need to get their home ready to be family - and that includes a kitchen table. One bought by a furniture builder at a garage sale seems to do the trick, and as they bring it home they find recipes inside a drawer - from a mom to a daughter, teaching her how to cook, and Lauren begins to follow along. In 1972, John is building a table for his wife, Joan, who is trying to learn to cook while battling breast cancer. How will the table tie the two families together? This is a sweet story that is a perfect inspirational Christmas read.

I received a free ARC from Net Galley for my honest review. The story reads like a Hallmark movie. Faith, family, and friends play key roles in The Christmas Table. A homemade table, with a built in drawer holding family recipes, is the key to a host of stories within the book. We travel between 1972 and 2012. Recipes are included with helpful hints and back stories. There is also a center for children that brings everyone together. Add in cancer, sprinkle with prayers, and top with love and friendship. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen. I have read, enjoyed, and own other books by this author.

What an awesome book. A great cast of characters and a very well written story. This book contains all the feels. I laughed, cried, was sad and really enjoyed the little bit of mystery we tried to solve as we read. It was inspirational as well.

Joan wasn't much of a cook but her Mom made her recipe cards of meals and things that she used to cook for Joan while she was growing up. On the cards she told a little story about each recipe. She mentioned that you only use farm fresh milk for this, you cook the bananas till they are black for that and so on. Joan followed these recipe cards making sure to read even the notes her Mom wrote while making them. Joan's husband John starts to make a table for Joan for Thanksgiving.

Thirty years later the cards and table fall into the hands of another Mom to be that doesn't know how to cook. What an awesome story you really must read.

A thoroughly enjoyable Christmas tale that revisits some of Donna’s characters that you know and love. Don’t miss it!

Family, friends, faith and love
A wonderful, beautiful, story woven around a table, recipe cards and two families going through life changes. The family treasured recipes card inspires two women, from two different time periods, to learn to cook. They’re not just recipes, each card is filled with family memories and stories. Wonderful writing, interesting characters, and the storyline captured my heart. I hope this inspires you to write your favorite recipes and memories down to be handed down to future generations. A new to me author who has quite a few books out that I’m eager to read.
(Bonus – recipes from the story are included at the end of the book)
Reviewed by Comfy Chair Books/Lisa Reigel (September 9, 2020)
ARC provided by Publisher

Donna VanLiere is the reigning queen of inspirational Christmas fiction! I loved The Christmas Table, so heartwarming and full of Christmas and culinary comfort!

VanLiere is in her element with this dual timeline story spanning the decades between 1972 and 2012. Present day finds newlywed couple Lauren and Travis Mabrey preparing their home for a new baby. They find a kitchen table complete with a hidden drawer full of recipes and family notes. This sets Lauren on a journey to find the rightful owner of the charming recipe collection full of family history.

The 1972 story of John and Joan Creighton tells of her battle with cancer and his goal of making her a table by Christmas. VanLiere does what she does best and weaves a story of love and loss, tying these two couples together in an unimaginable way that will warm a reader's heart.

Readers will also be delighted with this return trip to Grandon and especially the familiar faces of Gloria and Miriam at Glory's Place, and sweet Ben the grocery bagger and his uplifting notes to each shopper.

I loved every single thing about this book from start to finish. It's book ten in VanLiere's Christmas Hope series and I'm hoping there's a book eleven in the works! I appreciate St. Martin's Press through Netgalley, making a complimentary copy available for review. All thoughts and opinions are my very own.

I was so excited when I saw this book on NetGalley and was approved to read it! When you get a book wrote by Donna VanLiere you know you are going to read a clean heartwarming story. This book is well written and holds your attention. It is full of emotions, you will laugh, cry and feel every emotion in between. This is a Christmas story that you will read more than once. I highly recommend this book..Thank you St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.