When I first saw this cover it immediately made me feel that Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year! Second, the authors in this lineup made me so excited to get started reading that I had no problem opening this book up well before the holiday season started.

Holiday Novella’s are my favorite type of Novella’s. Holidays are always busy and novella’s are perfect to pick up and put down as needed during the hectic schedule that comes with this time of year.

This collection contains 4 novella’s that are each completely different and unique from each other. Each book’s characters had different hardships, hopes and dreams to overcome at Christmastime and each story was charming and well written.

Lord Blakely’s Gift is the first in the series and the perfect beginning of this set of novellas! This is a Romeo and Juliet trope. I enjoyed the heroine in this book and the goodness that she shared with everyone around her. My favorite part of Christmas is that little bit of extra happiness and kindness that comes with the holiday season. I would recommend having soup on hand when you read this because you will undeniably want a bowl of soup while reading it! It was 115 degrees outside when I read this and even I wanted a hot bowl of soup!

A Season of Hope is the second installment and one of my favorites in the collection! This book gave off a feel of Little Women. It was full of hope, reconciliation and realizing it’s never too late to make amends! This has a friends to lovers theme which was endearing in all of the right ways! Christmas is the season of miracles and despite all that the families had been through they grew and came together perfectly.

Christmas By the Sea was the one I was looking forward to the most because this author had previously written one of my all-time favorite Christmas stories. I wasn’t disappointed!! This book highlights humble characters which was refreshing to read about characters who were content with being themselves and finding happiness in what really matters most in life. I loved the Christian aspect of the story and felt it fit in perfectly and with just the right amount added in that it complimented the story instead of overpowering it. This was reminiscent of It’s A Wonderful Life which has become a tradition in our house on Christmas Eve!

Expectations at Canterwood is the fourth and final book! This novella starts off immediately with a case of mistaken identity! I loved watching the heroine learn to trust others and herself. Also, not to jump to conclusions and allow others to explain and everything is not always what it seems and to not think the worst. This was a story I wish could have been stretched out a little longer, but had no problem turning page after page as the story progressed!
I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a feel good holiday read that can be picked up and set down as needed!

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant Communications for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

LORD BLAKELY’S GIFT

Miss Grace Hunt and Lord Curtis Blakely meet in a village and fall in love, but their acquaintance have to stay a secret, for they come from two rival families.
The story was nice but not exceptional, I found the rivalry story to be a bit too superficial and the protagonists not especially likeable, but it was still all right.

A SEASON OF HOPE

The daughter of a too-generous vicar who passed away recently, Amelia makes the most of her dire circumstances to try and keep her family happy. However, in December, her family is threatened to become homeless by a mean man, which Amelia doesn't hesitate helping when he is in need of saving. The man's son, Amelia's dear childhood, comes back home and falls in love with her.
The story was swell, with a well-developed background and a rather original twist. The main protagonists were likeable and their evolution believable. Overall, I found it well written and enjoyable!

CHRISTMAS BY THE SEA

Royal Navy Surgeon Will Crenshaw comes back home for Christmas with his wife and three children. But his brother and sister threaten to ruin the holidays and the family. Thankfully, Will and his wife's kindness is repaid by a mysterious stranger.
I might have liked this novella even better than the previous two stories: there is no hesitation, the two protagonists love each other very much, and they are already married, which changes the dynamic of the story. It was very nice to see them overcoming difficulties and enjoying their time together with their children.

EXPECTATIONS AT CANTERWOOD

Marina, a bespectacled spinster, is invited to a house party where her parents wants her to meet an eligible lieutenant. She thinks to recognise him in a 50-year-old man, and complains about it to the real lieutenant, who she think is a servant. As they have to move past this mistaken identity misunderstanding, their bond slowly grows stronger as they discover more of who is other one really is.
A very enjoyable novella, perhaps even a bit deeper than the other ones of the anthology, as it touches upon guilt and family relationship in a heart-touching way.

Overall, I would really recommend this nice anthology!

*I received a copy of this anthology in exchange for my honest review*

#AHopefulChristmas #NetGalley

A Hopeful Christmas is a collection of four novellas, written by Anneka Walker, Sian Bessey, Carla Kelly and Krista Lynne Jensen.
What a fun read this was! I loved all four stories, centered around the Christmas. Each one drew me in, the characters were easy to love.

Four wonderful stories with a Christmas filled with hope that will enchant and engage you. Each story is filled with hope, joy and romance with just enough in struggles and conflicts.
The first is Lord Blakely’s Gift’ that revolves around a generational family feud. But what happens when two people unaware of their part in the feud meet and are instantly drawn to each other and to the task of finding the owner of a purse full of coins before Christmas. As they become aware of the feud, they need to decide how to complete their task and handle the feud.
The second is ‘A Season of Hope’ which finds the Nesbitt family struggling at Christmas. Their husband and father has died as has the oldest son, William, leaving the mother, her daughter Amelia, and son Giles living meagerly in an dilapidated cottage with little food and unexpected bills. When Phillip Cunningham returns to England he is shocked to see the living conditions of William’s family and that his father is allowing these conditions. But how does he go about convincing his father to change? Can his father change? Can he and his father work out their own relationship?
The third, ‘Christmas by the Sea’, tells of a small family whose father, Will, serves as a surgeon in the Royal Navy. He returns home early to some unanticipated changes. First, the family is preparing to move to a small house on the coast perfect not only for the family but with room for his medical practice when he leaves the Navy. Second, his brother has become more involved in the life Will’s family despite his disapproval of the marriage. In fact, Cornelius had helped in the purchase of the new home and the family would be moving just after Christmas. But what will happen when try discover that the purchased house is not the one selected by Megs but one Cornelius had picked out and purchased? They can’t afford two homes. They don’t want to live in the area of the second house. What can they do? And how will the caretaker, John, play into their efforts to put things to right?
The final story, Expectations at Canderwood, tells of a young woman, Marina, her parents hope to marry off in spite of her need for spectacles. With little information other than the man was a seasoned Dragoon just returned from war, Marina assumes an old uncle in uniform to be the man her parents have expectations for. After an embarrassing rescue by the true man, Richard, they embark on a relationship of misunderstanding, past pains and future dreams. Working together as friends can they help each other to see possibilities and hope for their dreams to become real? I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Christmas stories and each of these novellas could be the basis of a good Hallmark movie. They are all clean and sweet romances. I confess that as I started to read the second story and learned right off that there was a goat in it as there had been in the first, I laughed and wondered if that would be a common thread in all the stories but it wasn't. Just the first two had goats. Ha ha. Being Christmas stories there are Christian themes through the book but none of them are over the top/in your face. They are just Christmas stories.

Lord Blakely's Gift by Anneka R. Walker: This story is a feuding families story where the two in love are going to be in big trouble. It is also a story of forgiveness and healing. Lord Blakely was greatly influenced by Ivy to become a better person and landowner. His personal character development underwent a big change from beginning to end. Ivy, on the other hand, already seemed to be perfect and just went about doing good in the world. Her goodness changes people and circumstances. And it has a good cute-meet.

A Season of Hope by Sian Ann Bessey: Another story of how good people can make a difference in other's lives. Amelia and her family's caring nature showed Philip what a loving home looked like when he was a boy. Now as an adult he wants to return the gesture and help them in their dire situation. I liked that along the way they help the neighborhood scrooge and find love.

Christmas by the Sea by Carla Kelly: This one might be my favorite. Maybe. It is hard to pick just one. This story was a little unusual in that Will has given up his pretentious family's lifestyle and joined the navy, as well as married beneath his station. In so doing, he has found joy and love while his family continues unhappily seeking happiness in all the wrong places. This story was also not a romance in the sense of two people finding love with each other. This couple are already married with children. They still have to find their way each time the husband returns home from sea since the family is used to living without him. This story also made me really mad as I think about how difficult it would be to be a woman in this time period and have no rights. The wife is running her home and family pretty much on her own yet has to have her brother-in-law handle the finances because the law wouldn't allow a woman to do it herself. How frustrating that would be! But luckily her husband is supportive and helps her after the difficult time she has had from her husband's family. Once again, the goodness of people makes all the difference in this story. I liked that this story had just about everything turn out as one would wish for a HEA ending but does it in such a way that it doesn't feel contrived. It is an unexplainable Christmas miracle. Perhaps explainable on a spiritual level but not in terms of an earthly level. Had the ending happened because the main characters arranged it all it would have felt a little too neatly wrapped. But as a miracle, it totally worked for me. Plus, I really, really want to go stay in the little house by the sea. It sounds so charming.

Expectations at Canterwood by Krista Lynn Jensen: This has a wonderful cute-meet that sets up the rest of the story. This time it is the hero, Richard, who is pretty much good as gold. He helps Marina to see and value her own worth. Marina is too quick to jump to conclusions and acts rashly. In many ways, Richard should have been turned off by Marina but instead he finds her charming. I liked that they help each other see their situations from another viewpoint that helps them better understand their lives and what to do next. And because of that, they can have their happily ever after too.

All four stories were lovely, hopeful stories at Christmas time.

No sex, language or violence
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

What a delightful, light read. I love a good selection of novellas centered around Christmas. Each story was wonderful on its own but the story of Christmas By the Sea was my favorite. It was the only one where the two protagonists are already married which is not typical for these types of stories.
Each author did a wonderful job and at least one or two would have made a great full length novel. If you need a light, yet full of meaning, read, then this would be a wonderful collection to obtain.

I received an ARC on netgalley but my review is freely and honestly given.

LORD BLAKELY’S GIFT When Miss Ivy Hunt and Lord Curtis Blakely establish a secret acquaintance, neither can deny that their feelings extend beyond friendship. But as the children of bitter rivals, it will take a Christmas miracle for this star-crossed pair to reach their happily ever after.
A SEASON OF HOPE Following the death of her father, Amelia knows Christmas will be lean. But when circumstances become dire, it is the unexpected arrival of a childhood friend that renews Amelia’s hope—both for the future and for love.
CHRISTMAS BY THE SEA After two years at sea with the Royal Navy, surgeon Will Crenshaw longs for a quiet Christmas with his family. But when unrest at home threatens to ruin the holidays, it takes the kindly intervention of a mysterious house sitter to remind them of the true meaning of the season.
EXPECTATIONS AT CANTERWOOD Marina Rowley is a spinster, Richard Stanhope a war-weary military man. A case of mistaken identity throws them together, but the unexpected stirrings of their hearts lead to an unforgettable holiday romance.

3 1/2, elevated to 4.

A selection of Christmas-themed Regency stories with a message of hope.

Lord Blakely's Gift by Anneka Walker
It took me a while to like Curtis but he actually grew and changed under Ivy's influence and friendship.

A Season of Hope by Sian Ann Bessey
Amelia and her family are not doing well financially since her father's passing, but Phillip's return from the West Indies changes the situation between her family and his.

Christmas by the Sea by Carla Kelly
DNF.

Expectations at Canterwood by Krista Lynne Jensen
Marina is considered "on the shelf" and attends a house party with her father and mother, with expectations to become friends with a returned lieutenant. After an identity misunderstanding, Marian and Richard form a friendship.
This story was my favorite and I really liked to see the characters from the author's Christmas Regency story in Christmas Grace (2017). It was great to see the couple and the children. The new characters were also very entertaining.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

A truly beautiful quartet of historical Christmas romances, all clean and lovingly told. I thought each story my favorite until I read the next - the sign of an excellent collection!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was an anthology of four sweet short stories set during the Regency time period. The first story included a sweet romance between members of two families that had been feuding for decades which resolved the bitterness behind the feud and promoted forgiveness The second story includes a lot of healing and moving forward with another lovely romance with an old friend. The third story has a sailor returning home and realizing that the purchase of his wife’s dream house had been foiled by his meddlesome siblings and he wanted to make things perfect for her. The last story was my favorite, with a heroine who was so uncertain about herself and her appearance and the hero of that story was able to see her as beautiful. The Christmas holiday as a background for all of these stories was perfect.

"A Hopeful Christmas" is a collection of four short romance stories set in the Regency Period. The first story had two new acquaintances meeting, spending time together in a charitable cause, and finding a way to bring forgiveness between the two, feuding families. The second story had a good childhood friend return from abroad just in time to help the heroine and start healing his relationship with his father. The third story had a married man returning home after a long time in the Navy during war and doing his best to set things right after his meddling siblings try to thwart his wife's dreams of a new, larger home. The fourth story had a heroine who felt pressured to marry yet was repeatedly rejected due to her spectacles and low self-esteem, but the hero saw her beauty and trustworthiness.

These were all sweet romances with engaging characters. Despite being short stories, they all had either past friendship or time spent together to build the romance. The couples built each other up and supported each other. Some historical details, like the war in France, were worked into the stories. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable short story collection.