These anthologies are my favorite reads at Christmas time. I struggle to find large chunks of time to read, so these shorter stories are perfect. I enjoyed Healing Hearts the most, but thought each story was a sweet read. I appreciate getting to read stories by new authors so I can seek out the ones whose writing style I enjoy the most.

"Meet Me under the Kissing Bough" is an anthology of three stories.

The first novella, "Meet Me under the Kissing Bough" by Josi S. Kilpack was about a widow, Deborah, who doesn't feel like celebrating Christmas but might change her mind when she sees a family friend in a different light. I didn't really enjoy this novella, even though I usually really enjoy Josi S. Kilpack's stories.

The second novella, "Healing Hearts for the Holidays" by Anneka R. Walker is a stand-alone but also the sequel to a story from the anthology "A Hopeful Christmas". I found both stories to be ok. Most characters are well developed and sweet, and the writing fine, but the plot was not very straightforward, and there were some unnecessary elements. Overall, I enjoyed it but thought it might have been improved.

The last story, "A Christmas Correspondence" by Sarah L. McConkie, was my favourite one of the anthology. Lady Caroline is a rather insufferable person, but the insight into her childhood that the prologue provide us allow us to have a good dose of empathy for her. She is very annoying and egoistical for most of the book, but she slowly redeems herself. I'm not quite sure how John Charleston, the son of Lady Caroline's father's steward, fell in love with such a person, and I still don't quite understand how Caroline didn't care about such a downgrade in her social status, but perhaps it was the magic of Christmas at play? Anyways, it was a nice story inspired by Dicken's "A Christmas Carol", it was original, and all characters were interesting and eventually likeable!

I loved this charming and fun holiday story. The characters were well written and had great chemistry. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I love the Christmas Collections that come out each year. I was very excited to be able to read an advance copy of this one this year.

Meet Me under The Kissing Bough by Josi S. Kilpack

The first story Meet Me under the Kissing Bough is of a widow who has finally decided that she is ready to host a Christmas party and to invite friends and family to come to celebrate the Christmas season.

One of the activities they do is make kissing boughs. I had to look them up to see what they looked like as I hadn't ever heard of them before. They were usually made with greenery and shaped into a round ball. They could have many different decorations added on them. They really can be really beautiful.

Deborah is a widow with three young children and Phillip has been a friend of the family and her late husband. When her husband passed he has helped in in learning how to manage and run the estate.

Deborah has always listened to her mother's opinion on things as she had never guided her astray before. I love that in this story that Deborah learns to trust herself and what she wants over what her mother thinks. She truly comes to think about her happiness and what she wants in the future.

Healing Hearts for the Holiday by Anneka R. Walker

I loved that we were still able to see a little bit more of Ivy and Lord Blakely's story that was in A Hopeful Christmas from last year. Though they are more side characters.

I can see so much of myself in Julia. She cares so deeply for those that she loves and she tries to do everything she can do to ensure their happiness. But it can come at a cost of making sure she gets her happiness.

At some point we all come to see that our own happiness is important. That we need to do what truly makes us happy. Whether that is the friends that we make, who we fall in love with and what career will make us happy. Julia comes to see that for herself and makes the decision to see after what makes her happy.

A Christmas Correspondence by Sarah L. McConkie

This story has been so fun to read. My husband and I have been to see the A Christmas Carol a couple times. The story just kind of has a sense of magic about it.

It has been so fun to read a twist on this story with the scrooge being a women. But see her interactions with those of a lower standing and remembering the friendships she had with them when she was younger and the new friendships that she has been able to build.

I truly feel like Christmas gives us that chance to ponder how we have been during the year. Gives us that chance to slow down and reflect. Caroline has that opportunity to be able to see what her life would be like without friends and to realize what she needs to do to make amends and to seek out those only friends that she made but pushed away.

I love the happy ending in this book. She finally gets to have the family that she has been missing and the love she has been seeking without realizing.

A wonderful, and sweet collection of holiday stories of love. It's a great book to pick up and read when you only have a little time. It gets right to the good stuff. I was impressed by the depth in such a short period of time and pleasantly surprised with new stories with characters of all ages, ♥️

IF you are looking for some delightful short stories this is an excellent collection of them written by some of the best romance writers out there! Short but delightful these are just the thing for a cold,snowy day

Romance, sweet, period; Christmas
Lovely collection of Christmas novellas. Each one unique and sweetly drawn. Sometimes one or more of the novellas aren't as strong as the others, but that was not the case with the collection. Truly each one is really well done. Strong characters, lovely settings, and of course, the theme of the Kissing bough in each one.
One of the benefits of an anthology for me, is not having to wait so long for the ending! It is easy to sit down and read one and get the satisfaction of easily finishing a lovely novella.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. My opinions are my own.

What a fun Christmas read. It had 3 authors whom I love. The store were all written well. Each book had the Kissibg bough in each one in some way.

This is a fun compilation of Regency Christmas novellas. Each novella’s review below:

Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough by Josi S. Kilpack
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a sweet story between Deborah and Phillip, both a little older in age, each one having lost their previous spouse years before and now finding themselves falling in love again. It seems to me a rare thing to read love stories with older protagonists and I loved that aspect of this story. It lent the story an additional level of emotional maturity often missing from the love stories of the younger set. And for being a novella, I still felt as though Deborah experienced a good amount of growth throughout. I struggled with her mother and I did feel as though Phillip was less understanding than he could have been with the whole issue with Anthony. But overall I really enjoyed this story and loved how it ended.

Healing Hearts for the Holidays by Anneka R. Walker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“You need a dose of action for every act of faith.”
One of the struggles with a novella is that there isn’t enough time to really time to develop the characters or a romance, if it’s a romance book. One way to get around is to make the sure the characters have some history going into the story, which is the case with this book. I love the sub-plot between Julia and Esmond’s parents and how it helped drive the romance for Julia and Esmond. I loved the characters and their personalities and the external conflicts they had to resolve to be together. For being a novella, I felt that a lot happened but Anneka pulled it all off so well. It was a really sweet story.


A Christmas Correspondence by Sarah L. McConkie
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
A Christmas Carol is one of my favorite Christmas stories of all time. It’s such a classic and teaches so many important moral things. So I am all in for a retelling of the classic story. This is an interesting spin, making the “Scrooge” of the story a female, and I think it does work quite well. It was fun to read and find little snippets that serve as a nod to the original and the development of that story. Adding a romance sub-plot is also a fun twist, one I think can work. It was a tad too quick-paced for my personal preference, but still can work.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Read by Luone Ingram—as always, Luone does a beautiful job.

**Many thanks to the publisher for the advance copy, which I was offered with option to review. These are my very own thoughts.

Overall Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve really enjoyed reading some holiday romances this year, like this one for example. Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough is a book collection of three Christmas romance reads.

If you’re looking for a few holiday novellas to get you into the spirit, this anthology is one you should pick up!

Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough by @authorjosiskilpack is a perfect reminder that second chance romances is always possible. And trusting your own heart is the way to go when it comes to your life. I enjoyed watching the love story between Phillip and Deborah play out during her holiday party play out.

Healing Hearts by @authorannekawalker was the perfect reminder that family and forgiveness are what’s really important in life. The characters in this one were likable and fun and it was interesting to watch them resolve the many external conflicts they faced throughout this story.

A Christmas Correspondence by @sarahlmcconkie was a cute twist on A Christmas Carol. This one was a reminder that we are subject to change in our lives and we need to remember to focus on hope. It was a good nod to the original story, with many snippets added throughout.

These three stories will touch your heart and get you into the spirit of the holiday. ‘Tis the season of love ❤️

Yes - read it.

Great collection of Christmas stories. Just the right amount to read a night or two to get into the Christmas spirit. I love these books - such wonderful collections of shorter stories!

I received an ARC from Netgalley to help me prepare my honest review.

I loved all of these stories! Filled with beautiful romance and perfect Christmastime feeling! It was fun to know what a kissing bough was throughout each story!

Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough by Josi S. Kilpack
Deborah has struggled to celebrate Christmas since the death of her husband. Ready to turn over a new leaf, she hosts her first holiday party since her husband's death and finds herself caught between two very different men.

I very much admired Deborah for taking on the daunting task of hosting a 12 day long Christmas celebration, and I loved learning more about how people of that time and station spent their holiday. This story has a well developed plot and characters that you can cheer for throughout, I liked the relationship building. One of my favorite stories of this collection.

Healing Hearts for the Holidays by Anneka R. Walker
A bundle of old love letters help two families mend the rift between them, and gives new love chance.

Forbidden to socialize with the family next door Julia Hunt finds a friend in Esmond, despite it being forbidden. A sweet story of star-crossed lovers, and complicated family histories, all coming together for Christmas.

A Christmas Correspondence by Sarah L. McConkie
Lord John Charleston finds himself saddled with difficult guest over Christmastime. Can the festive season soften the bitterest of hearts? A Christmas Carol re-telling that also has tinges of The Taming of the Shrew.

A regency era re-imagining of a classic tale, a quick read with intriguing characters, though Lady Caroline was difficult to like for much of the book. John is very patient and I like how he sees the best in Caroline.

Overall a wonderful collection of novellas just in time for Christmas.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have really learned to love these anthologies! It’s nice to be able to pick up a book and read a shorter story (when free time is short) and feel satisfied.
This anthology was especially fun because of the Christmas aspects. It really helped put me in the mood for Christmas.
I enjoyed something in each of these stories and was happily entertained while reading them.
I especially love that they are all clean and have happy endings. I would feel safe letting my teen daughter read them.

Meet me under the Kissing Bough, by Josi S. Kilpack, takes place in Bingham, Nottinghamshire, England in the year 1819. Deborah Winfrey is preparing to host a Christmas party in her home. However, what she does not count on is her own mother getting involved in her personal life. Before she knows it, two men are trying to gain her attention!

Healing Hearts for the Holidays, by Anneka R. Walker, Julia Hunt’s sister Ivy has married a man her father cannot accept. When Julia and Esmond, Ivy’s brother-in-law, find some hidden letters, they discover the real reason for the conflict between their families. Hold tight for a Christmas miracle!

A Christmas Correspondence, by Sarah L. McConkie, is a novella that tells a tale similar to A Christmas Carol. Mr. John Charleston journeys to London to deliver important information to Lady Caroline Morleigh. Somehow John survives Caroline’s difficult personality and finds himself traveling with her to his home. You wonder if Caroline’s personality will make a turn in a positive direction after spending time with John and his family. Will they all experience a Merry Christmas?

Wonderful collection!! Each story individual and lovely on its own.

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

I appreciated the variety in these stories. I liked that the first featured a second chance at love for a widow—not something we see enough of, as romances seem to mostly focus on young first love. Of course, as a notorious lover of re-told tales, I particularly enjoyed “A Christmas Correspondence.” The middle of the three was the least memorable.

As befits this publisher, all of these are squeaky clean, with nothing more than a bit of kissing.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2021/11/cuddle-up-with-holiday-romances.html

Three charming Christmas novellas that place our couples in circumstances where a kiss under the mistletoe might bring resolution to their romance. These short reads are an enjoyable start to the Christmas season.

I absolutely love Christmas stories and this is the perfect time of year to start them! They had me at Christmas and romance stories, I love them! What is awesome about Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough is that this is a compilation of novellas by three amazing authors. I haven't had tons of time to read lately so reading one quick novella when I had time was perfect for me! All of the emotions are brought to the forefront in these Christmas stories! Love, family, and change. Change is hard but sometimes so needed, especially at Christmas. Anything with a kissing bough has me excited and I loved the common thread that bound the novellas together while each having their own unique stories. If you want a great Christmas read, then I recommend Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough! I received a copy of this book fore free; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough
by Various
Christmas Novella
Rating: 4/5

Josi S. Kilpack’s beautiful story is brief but catches your attention. I was rooting for Deborah from the very beginning and was not disappointed. Her characters are lovely and the writing is witty. I’ve never read a story quite like this one and you’ll definitely enjoy it.

Anneka R. Walker’s story is fun and so romantic. I really enjoyed Julia and Esmond’s characters. Esmond was definitely a favorite swoonworthy male lead who gets to pursue his love. Though short, I loved how there was a bit of a mystery in the story that kept me turning to the next page.

Sarah L Conkie’s story, loosely based on A Christmas Carol, was a very interesting premise. Lady Carolyn Morleigh was definitely an unlikeable character who only cared for how she was perceived. John Charleston’s character was very likeable and endearing. Who doesn’t love a redeemable character? However, I think society judges females more harshly when it comes to likability. Definitely worth reading.

Overall, I highly recommend this lovely, charming Christmas novella collection filled with unique stories of romance and holiday cheer.

My thanks to the authors and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.