This is a very short, sweet story about coincidences and timing and someone watching over you. It takes place in a charming town right before Christmas. For the length of the story, the pacing seemed off and some of the details were erroneous, making it seem like more could have come out of this one. The ending, also, seemed a bit too abrupt. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the complimentary copy!

A lovely short story with holiday cheer, great winter atmosphere and very likeable characters. Definitely made me interested in starting the series.

We follow a small town store owner who, despite being busy with her Christmas schedule, searches for a mystery man she met in the post office that gave her a not-so-ordinary stamp. A good deed definitely gets rewarded in this story! I might have liked this more if I would have read some of the other books in the A Food Lovers' Village Mystery series first to get to know the characters and small town vibe better. Still a good uplifting read to get yourself into the giving Christmas spirit.
Thank you Beyond The Page Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read this.

Erin helps an elderly man to do his photocopying whilst she is waiting in a queue at the Post Office. The cost is minimal but the stranger insists of paying her and gives her a stamp.A stamp that turns out to be very valuable indeed. Erin is determined to return the stamp to the gentleman and in her search discovers other acts of generosity and kindness

A festive short story that is uplifting and will arms the coldest of hearts and celebrates the true joy of the Christmas spirit

A wonderful holiday treat to get to know a few of the memorable characters from Leslie Budewitz's Food Lover Village Mysteries. Santa visits this year, and he has several unusual encounters where protagonist Erin Murphy finds some holiday magic. Cute, fun... not a big mystery nor a real sample of the typical great stories from the author, but just enough to whet your appetite and want to read the longer books in the series.

From the author of the Food Lovers Mystery series comes a very short and very sweet story about the magic of Christmas. When Erin Murphy helps out a stranger in town a week before Christmas, he gives her a mysterious gift. Strange occurrences start happening in more parts of town and Erin searches for the mystery helper.

This heartwarming short story is filled with generosity and compassion, capturing the true essence of Christmas. It is guaranteed to uplift your spirits and leave you with a warm feeling inside. Through the power of one act of kindness, this delightful tale shows how a single good deed can have a ripple effect, touching the lives of many.

Thank you to Beyond the Page Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

The Christmas Stranger : A Short Story was an enjoyable, heartwarming story. It's slightly predictable in places but still enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

A sweet story to remind us how to treat one another. While sometimes too much detail was given/reiterated it was an easy enough read. It was somewhat predictable though as well.

A cute uplifting short story of giving in the Christmas season. This was short and sweet. This is a great story to share with friends and family.

The Christmas Stranger: A Short Story is a small-town charmer of a book, full of warmth, delights and mystery. It has a fast moving plot and great characters that are well-developed even in the short 30 pages that we had. What a beautiful story of a small deed during the season turning into something much much more. A unique short Christmas mystery which is set in the Food Lover's Village series. It's a fun festive mystery that's cozy and short enough to read in one sitting during this Christmas season!

A very sweet short Christmas story reminding us of the power of kindness. Great for getting into the spirit of Christmas.
I am grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

An absolutely charming short story, and a perfect way to start off your Christmas reading season! A quick read, perfect for enjoying with a cup of your favorite hot beverage and a cookie (or two!)!!! A+++

An enjoyable short story. Small town setting, it was a heartwarming and enjoyable read. Definitely going to checkout more in this series.

This is a short and simple story just in time for Christmas.
A total stranger doing great deeds - what;s not to like ?

Enjoy, because I sure did !

The Christmas Stranger
By Leslie Budewitz

Every year I make it a point to read and review a book during the holiday season that’s specifically about Christmas. Usually I’ve reviewed full length novels, this year I’m reviewing a short story titled “The Christmas Stranger” by Leslie Budewitz. Thank you to the fantastic team at Beyond the Page Publishing for allowing me a copy.

The Christmas Story took me around an hour to complete, owning to the fact that I make notes as I review books. However, as a reader this should take you around 30 minutes. The story revolves around the fictitious, yet charming little village of Jewel Bay, and Erin Murphy, the owner of a local store called Murphy’s Mercantile aka The Merc.

It’s 8 days before Christmas and Erin is out at the depot to mail out parcels of merchandise that need to reach customers before Christmas. A strange man appears almost out of nowhere seeking help in making copies of a document. Erin, being the lovely lady she is, offers to help, and the man thanks her by giving her a stamp. Unknowing to Erin, this is no ordinary stamp and she find out only later from a local expert, Sam Silver, that she holds a collector’s item. Believing the strange man made a mistake by giving her the stamp, she sets out, despite her busy Christmas schedule to locate the man and return the stamp.

Yet, fate, had something else in store. Over the next few days in the run up to Christmas, the strange man appears at odd moments, performing miracles of sorts, only to disappear without a trace. To make matters worse, no one knows who he is, where he lives, does he even belong to Jewel Bay, or where he disappears after his sightings. Finally, just moments before Christmas, Erin comes face to face with death and the stranger once again. The story revolves around the Christmas spirit, of kindness and giving, and the hope of Christmas that is legendary around this time of the year.

The language is clean and simple. Adults can enjoy a simple story and relive their childhoods; kids would enjoy it anyway. It’s a short read that one could relish over a cup of hot chocolate, cuddled up on the sofa, or snuggled up in bed narrating it to a 6-year-old at bedtime.

3 of my favourite lines from the story:

1. “I started believing in people again.”
2. ‘There are hardworking people with too little and lazy bones with too much.”
3. “Sadly, my dear, I can’t save everyone.”

The author, Leslie Budewitz, says the village of Jewel Bay resembles her home town of Big Fork, Montana. The story is somewhat inspired by a real-life incident that the author went through several years ago. Leslie has won several awards including the 2013 Agatha Award for Best First Novel. This story is a special edition and part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the authors first novel “Death al Dente” in 2013.

~SBR

The Christmas Stranger by Leslie Budewitz is a short story, but well worth the read. It is Christmas, but not in your face. We are back at the Merc in Jewel Bay, Montana, along with Erin standing at the post office, where she meets a very unusual man. Things progress and she hears about him again, but can’t seem to track him down. He is always there when someone needs him, though. It is a fun, short read for Christmas. I can give no further explanation except to say, it is worth it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC Of The Christmas Stranger by Beyond the Page Publishing, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BeyondThePagePublishing #LeslieBudewitz #TheChristmasStranger

Thank you Beyond the Page Publishing for accepting my request to read and review The Christmas Stranger: A Food Lovers’ Village Mystery on NetGalley.

A short story that makes you sigh and utter aww; I even teared up a couple of times.

It's that time of year when perhaps taking a moment to be kind can change destiny. The heartwarming story is not over the top or full of sugar. It is a simple telling of interactions with one man by different people when they were in need. Who is the man? Do you really need to know his name?

The characters, shops, and town are all part of the author's Food Lover's cozy mystery series. This is my first read from the author.

I would gift this to young and seasoned readers.

This story was a delightful read, quickly getting to the heart of the plot. It revolves around a mysterious Secret Santa in a charming town setting. I received an advanced copy from NetGalley, and my review is given freely, not influenced by the obligation to provide a positive perspective.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute short story about kindness, Christmas miracles, and small community. I didn't realize this was the short story of an established series that I believe has since ended. I think I would have appreciated it a little more if I'd known the characters a bit more. But this had a very Christmas miracle feel good vibe to it and I think anyone who likes those types of hallmark movies would really like it. I would probably recommend reading some of the series first, though.