This book was graciously provided me by the publisher. It is book #10 in a series I have not read any book of and after reading the synopsis, this is not a book that I would have picked up on my own. Without having read this book, I am only rating it here on NetGalley and giving it a 3 out of 5 stars.

This is the first book that I have read by Donna VanLiere and it definitely won’t be my last! I fell in love with these characters and their world! And plus a Christmas story to boot, this reader was in love!

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

This story will tug at your heartstrings from beginning to end. There is so much love between the pages and the delicious recipes these characters make. Sad and poignant at times, joyful and funny in others, but enjoyable throughout. Grab a few tissues and a cup of your favorite beverage and settle in for a lovely tale of family, faith, hope and joy - the perfect book to read over the holidays.

The Christmas Table was exactly what I needed! A light, Christmas story that helped me pleasantly pass a few hours.

In June 1972, John Creighton determines to build his wife Joan a kitchen table. Inspired to put something delicious on that table, Joan turns to her mother’s recipes. In June 2012, Lauren Mabrey finds a table that has been recently refinished. She discovers a drawer under the table which contains a stack of recipe cards. The story of the Christmas table unfolds in alternating timelines as Joan battles breast cancer and Lauren learns to cook, preparing for her baby’s arrival.

The Christmas Table is the latest in VanLiere’s Christmas Hope series. Do not let the fact that this is book ten be a turn off. You can read this book without having read any of the other books in the series. However, I highly recommend you go back and read each book. They are perfect, feel good stories for the holidays or anytime!

According to Amazon, this book clocks in at 240 pages. It is a quick read that I finished in approximately three or four hours. When I closed the book, I was pleased with the story, but felt I had read an abridged version of the book. There were certainly places where details could have been expanded upon and I would have enjoyed a deeper look into this story. When I am enjoying characters and their stories, I am always eager for more and that was the case with The Christmas Table. I will eagerly await the next book in this series to learn more about this cast of characters.

Looking for a story to start off your Christmas reading this season? The Christmas Table fits that bill with its reminders of faith. Grab a copy today!

A beautiful heart warming story which had me close to tears. This story is seasonal but still lovely to read at any time of year.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I requested to read and review this book from St. Martin Press. Author Donna VanLiere does it again in this amazing store. Don't let the title fool you this book can be read anytime of the year. But it will definitely put you in the right spirit and reminds us things could be much worse in life. This book is an inspiration of hope and to never give up. Characters Gloria and Miriam will keep you laughing and Lauren will want to cheer her on as well as Joan and John. There also some great other characters on the book that you want to read about. This book ends at Christmas but it begins much earlier in the season. This book can be read by any type of reader. I recommend also reading The Christmas Town and all of the The Christmas Hope series by this author.

"The Christmas Table" by Donna VanLiere
Two stories fifty years apart and the table that is the link between them. I loved this story. I laughed and I cried, buckets of tears. You see, I tend to feel the emotions of a well written story. So, if you have the same tendency, you best have your tissues handy. This is a sweet clean family love and faith book. The author included several of the recipes from the story as a special treat for you to try at home. So, be sure to check out those final pages !! Happy Reading ! !
note: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher with the request to post an honest review.

I love a good Christmas story year round. From getting into the spirit of the season around the holidays or just a mental break from the heat if the summer, stories like this always puts me in a good place. Glad or sad, I love a Christmas themed tale.

If you like a story slow, calm and nothing much happens this is for you. The only characters ' banter & relationship I enjoyed was Miriam & Gloria's. True friend sarcasm. Otherwise it bored me.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

Two families, separated by time and circumstance become connected through a simple kitchen table made with love for a wife and mother dying of cancer. Forty years later, a young wife, pregnant with her first child becomes the table’s new owner and discovers a hidden drawer filled with recipe cards filled with personal notes to someone’s daughter, someone who didn’t plan on being there to watch her grow.

Lauren is left wondering about the woman, the family and where they were now, knowing she must return these treasures of love. Spanning 1972 to 2012, the cards tell a beautiful tale of the love of a mother for her child and family. She is now determined more than ever to find this lost family, return the cards and thank them for the unwitting gift.

Donna VanLiere’s THE CHRISTMAS TABLE will melt even the coldest of hearts with the shining power of love and family. Beautiful, endearing and magical, this tale will leave readers better for reading it! (Not to mention a better cook, with the recipes at the end!)

I received a complimentary ARC edition from St. Martin's Press! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. This book switches from 1972 to 2012. You meet Lauren and Travis in 2012 and Joan and John in 1972. This book is well written and will tug at your emotions. I have read all of Donna Vanliere books and can't wait to read he4 next book.

It's May 1972 and John is working on a kitchen table in his shop. John's wife Joan is thirty and they have a one year old son Christopher. They also have a five year old daughter Gigi. Then it's may 2013 and Lauren is at a children's after school program. She volunteers at the school program and has almost been married a year. Lauren has fallen in love with Travis. I loved going back in time and reading about Joan cooking from her mom's recipes. I liked reading about Joan's battle with breast cancer.

This is a faith-based story about putting your trust in God, especially during times when things seem hopeless.

It alternates between two stories, 40 years apart. One involves the making of a table as the man’s wife battles cancer, the other a young mother-to-be who purchased the table and discovered family recipes/remembrances in its drawer. The table and recipes pull, not just each family, but the families as a whole together.

A good, maybe not great, heartwarming story with some unexpected humor.

Note: Don’t read this while hungry...there’s some scrumptious recipes featured, and a few included at the end.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

I received an advance copy of The Christmas Table by Donna VanLiere. It is a tradition for me to read one of Donna's book every Christmas. I love her writing style, the characters the setting, all of it. This book is about Lauren set in 2012 and John and his wife Joan in 1972. Such a great book, I love reading about Glory's Place. There is always Christmas magic there.

This story was so heartwarming and actually touched my heart, and even if the story leaned into faith it didn’t feel like to much, I rather liked it!! I was so impressed in the author and how effortless she had the characters and stories intertwined. She tied up all the loose ends by the end of the story perfectly, and some of the happens just made me say WOW didn’t see that coming!! Incredible story!!

A heartwarming and poignant story that moved me to tears and made me smile. Great plot and characters, full of Christmas spirit.
I love the well written characters and the plot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This is a sweet, cozy book that switches between 1972 and 2012.

The importance of family,traditions,and good food are key aspects.All the characters are likable and I wanted to see more of their story.

I recieved a copy through Netgalley.

Feel good story about Lauren in present day, who becomes pregnant and discovers cooking thanks to a table with recipes in a hidden drawer, and Joan who cooks for her young family while her husband is building table and Joan battles cancer with her family’s support. The alternating views slowly bring the story together with its charm and while making me hungry from reading about the food. Miriam and Gloria also provide their entertainment through their quips which kept the story lighter.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc.

The Christmas Table is a sweet, homey story set in 2012 and 1972. Joan's husband begins to build her a table when a crisis hits the family. Newlywed Lauren is still setting up her household with her husband with her friends' help and buys a refinished table and expects a new addition. It was clever how the author connected the two stories toward the end. Traditions are important and sometimes even help out unintentionally. The novel has a range of emotions, but lots of good cheer which is always appreciated during the holidays.

This book was nothing I expected and everything I loved! First, let me say this book is not a romance. It’s about love, hope, faith and inspiration. I wanted to read something a little different from my usual genres and this book was perfect for that.

There is nothing I love more than small-town stories. The loyalty, love and friendships between everyone is rarely something I ever see in real life. In fact, I haven't seen small towns, or neighborhoods in my experience, come together since I was a child. This world we live in has changed so much in the past thirty years. When a book like The Christmas Table comes along, I feel like I've just taken a long overdue breath of fresh air.

There are three main characters in this book and many secondaries that are prominent in carrying this story along. Without them, there is no story. Everyone has a particular part to place. The book is written with two time elements, jumping back and forth every chapter or so between 1972 and the present. At first, I was not a fan of the switching back and forth so frequently because there was not enough focus on one particular character in order for them to grow. But I quickly realized that this book is not about character growth and development. We are simply being told a story. A story we need to pay particular attention to. Among these characters is a mystery. A Christmas table is the main focus, and one that brings the climax to completion. I am not going to give away any details on the plot. This was a lovely, refreshing and endearing story and I want you to experience it on your own.

I do want to add that there are quite a few moments of sadness, and even more of humor. There is a bit of mystery but no angst. This was a well-balanced novel; one I will not soon forget. While I read a lot, and enjoy most of what I read, it isn’t frequent when books as refreshing and endearing as The Christmas Table come my way. When they do, I'm smiling for days, remembering moments in the book, fondly.

One more thing I'd like to mention is after selecting this book to read, I realized I had read this author years before with The Christmas Shoes which was turned into a movie. That story had me in tears. This author is talented when it comes to pulling heartstrings. She has written
quite a few other Christmas themed books that I am planning to read and am looking forward to the holiday season to do just that.

This is my honest and unbiased review and I thank you for taking the time to read it. :)