Great collection of holiday romance stories. I love little hallmark stories to read and recommend to readers who need light and fun Christmas books for when to wind down and read seasonal books.

I thoroughly enjoyed each of the stories in this collection. I encourage you to grab a copy of this book and spend some time in the little town of Mapleview, Michigan. Your heart will be warmed, your hope renewed and your joy restored.

Hopes and Fears by Amanda Wen
The Christmas season was a painful reminder of regrets, sorrow and fear for Frederick. As he and Emma began teaching together and preparing their students to put on a new Christmas play, he was able to trade in his fear and regrets for some Christmas hope and joy.

While Mortals Sleep by Janyre Tromp
A tragedy, surrounded by mystery, unanswered questions and coverups brought about a reunion between Lennie and Gideon. As sparks began to fly, would their goals and dreams bring them closer together? This story was filled with suspense, teamwork, romance and the true meaning of family. I loved it!

The Wondrous Gift by Deborah Ramey
Can a major plot twist, like a sudden job loss, become a catalyst for something so much better than what you had before? Yes, yes it can! Caleb and Rachel were given a most wondrous gift as they pursued their dreams and each other. I loved their sweet story!

I received complimentary copies of this book from Kregel Publications and NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I had very high hopes for this trio of novellas that were all set in the same fictional town in Michigan. I did like that each story was set in a different time frame in the same town, but I felt like the second novella only had the town in common. There were more common threads in the first and third stories.

If I had to rate the stories, I would say I liked the third story the best, followed by the first, with the second story falling quite behind. The first and third stories were more cozy stories with a bit of romance. The second story was more of a mystery and didn't seem to fit in. It seemed like it was meant to be a longer story, and a lot of pieces were missing with it being condensed into a novella, which made it difficult to follow at times.

As far as the Christian aspect, each book was quite different. I felt like the first story had a LOT of mention of God and Christianity. The third story had a little, but not too much. I honestly don't remember any of it from the second story.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

This trio of stories was just okay for me. I liked the thread of using the same small town setting in three distinctly different times, without trying to make the characters connected. Hopes and Fears and the Wondrous Gift were enjoyable if predictable. The middle story, While Mortals Sleep had the most potential but it felt disjointed. I felt like it was meant to be in a longer form and the novella had some missing pieces and some things that just didn’t make sense to me. I didn’t feel like the stories were overly Christmas-y like a lot of targeted holiday books (and Valentines Day was more prominent in the third story). Thanks to NetGalley and Kregal Publications for an early copy to read and review.

This Christmas collection is just perfect for holiday reading. Each story, told by three talented authors, is unique in setting, characters, and conflict, but tie together beautifully in romance and good writing. I zipped through the stories so fast, I may need to read them again around December. Each is a world of its own, filled with Christmas magic.

Hopes and Fears by Amanda Wen
Emma (teacher) wants to change tradition with a newer Christmas pageant, but is thwarted by her nemesis and childhood rival Frederick. Things definitely heat up do not go as planned.

While Mortals Sleep by Janyre Tromp
Eleanor returns home when her sister dies. But all is not a simple as she thought. A suspicious bombing draws Eleanor in to solving the mystery of what really happened, aided by family friend Gideon.

The Wondrous Gift by Deborah Raney
Losing their teaching jobs right before Christmas, Rachel (music teacher) and Caleb (football coach) must figure out a new way to make a living and follow their dreams.