Finding Father Christmas & Engaging Father Christmas

In Finding Father Christmas, Miranda Carson invites you to be her guest and join her into the book - you literally feel like you are her friend inside the book with her on her journey. Her Mother - an actress - refuses to tell her anything about her Father - her Mother dies and she finds some clues her mother left behind a faded old black and white photo of a child in the lap of Father Christmas and an old playbill of her mother's with an apparent reference to who might be her father in it. Now Father Christmas is only in London, England - so as you and I would do - being her guest we all go to London to find her Father - she goes to London and finds the photo shop and that leads to a small town called Carlton Heath and when she gets there - you will not believe what happens - well she ..........you know I cannot tell you - it would ruin it - you need to go and get it - it is worth every Penney
Now as for the second book Finding Father Christmas, I am not going to say very much - Miranda meets the people in Carlton Heath and they.......well What happens to Miranda? Will she ever meet her Father Christmas? What happens when she gets involved with the town? Is there anything special that happens? Ya'll you have to get this book - it is so worth it.

I have loved Robin Jones Gunn since I was girl reading Christy Miller. I found the same engaging storytelling in these books that I've loved in the Christy Miller series, the Sisterchick books and many of her stand alones.
There isn't much I love more than a lovely story set at Christmas time.
This book was a wonderful surprise. First we follow Miranda as she searches for her Father and she ends up finding so much more than a earthly father. Then we get to tag along as she has her dreams come true in the most wonderful way.
I want to move to Carlton Heath. I loved the town and the people in it and I can't wait to visit it and them again. Two truly darling stories that will transport you to another place. I ended up staying up way too late and finishing this two part book in one go. I was just too happy on my little escape from real life and because it is such a family friendly story my teenage daughter is now enjoying it as well.

Miranda Carson led a vagabond life with her mother, an actress of small but consistent stature. Miranda did not know the meaning of home, or holiday, nor long term extended relationships. Miranda especially did not know about her father and the story her mother wove she had believe because no one ever came forward to claim the title even when her mother died unexpectedly. Miranda was cared for after that but never felt like she was home until years later when she decided to go to a small town in England to see if the one clue she uncovered about her father were true. It was more than just a leap of faith, it was trusting her fate and future to a higher power that she believed was drawing her to this town.

After Miranda arrives in the height of the Christmas season she finds one family after another welcoming her in to their life, loves, and homes no questions asked. She had confided in one person she could trust about what her real reason for being there was and with some assistance discovers she is standing in the home of the man that was the reason for her birth. While the family is more than a little shocked to learn the truth about who Miranda is, only time will tell her if this is a Christmas to remember or one she wishes to forget.

A year later and another Christmas season upon them, Miranda finds herself back in her new home in England engaged to an amazing man, Ian. He is the son of the first couple that welcomed her to town and has treated her like family that has always been there. Miranda knows that Ian is her soul mate and the other destiny she was meant to uncover along with all this new family she never dreamed could happen. Miranda believes they are about to be joined forever.

What Miranda is still teaching herself is to not be invisible and let everyone acknowledge that she is not only in the room but in their lives as well. Miranda learned from the day of her birth that she was the background to her mother’s acting and trying to understand she can take the stage along with anyone else is a struggle especially when the family of her father come from money and fear that is what she is looking for. All goes well and life is coming together but will it stay that way when the truth is revealed about her parentage?

What a delightful and magical story of love, life, and the past that brings you to the present to form your future.

"Come in! Come in and know me better!" A fitting description for the first novella in this compilation, when Miranda finds herself in a small English village, looking for the identity of her father based on an old photo and a playbill of her mother's. She ultimately finds her heavenly Father is the one she really needs, and He has arranged for her a series of events to lead her to the truth.
The second book, Engaging Father Christmas, starts a year later with Miranda returning to the same English village near Christmas to reunite with her new love. The truth of who her father was has leaked out somehow, and upset the peace of her family reunion. She longs to find "grace and peace to all who enter", as it says over the doors of her friend's home.
I really enjoyed both of these books! They are everything I like in a Christmas story--touching, meaningful, with a faith element, and a sweet romance in the second one. Both are set in England too, in a small village that puts on A Christmas Carol each year, so the references to the play in each one take on a special meaning for Miranda. The need for forgiveness, family support and acceptance is key to finding hope and peace in her life. Knowing that God accepts her and sees her as His own is a highlight in the stories.
Recommend these to anyone looking for a tender, meaningful story set at Christmas. 4.5 stars

(An e-copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest, original review.)

What a delightful and engaging read that I just could not put down. I loved it so much!!

With no family to speak of and only on a whim Miranda took off to hopefully find the father he mom always kept a secret. When Miranda hits a dead end and shoes the picture to the shop keeper things seem to take a life of its own. Will Miranda be able to uncover the secret father she has longed for?
I really loved this short story, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect, I have read other books by Robin but this seemed to have a different feel to it. I want to say that it was like a twist on the Christmas classic Charles Dickens' Scrooge, but that doesn't seem right. The storyline is well put together and while I am usually not a fan of the first person story this fits this perfectly and I could not have imagined reading it any other way.


Miranda is back in England for her third visit and she hope this time will go just as good if not better as the last two. There still seems to be a disconnect that she would like to heal with her brother. Secrets have a way of coming out and this one she would like to keep close to her heart so not to hurt and one else. When Ian drops the biggest surprise of all there seems to be another waiting around the corner. Will Miranda go home with out those she holds dear to her or will she be able to find a ally and stay close to those she just found?
I really enjoyed both these books. They seem to sum what Christmas is all about. Family is not always who is blood but those we choose and those we hold dear too. This book seemed to really hit its mark and there is always a certain amount of forgiveness that needs to be given when secrets that have long been buried make its way to the surface. I would highly recommend this set of books, this series would be perfect all year round and be the perfect, fun read.

FINDING FATHER CHRISTMAS

Miranda Carson grew up with her nomadic actress mother and only one clue to her father's identity: a photograph with the name and location of the photography studio on the back of it.

As an adult, she takes a spontaneous trip to England to try and locate any information she can about her father. She ends up in a picturesque English village, complete with Charles Dickens and Father Christmas, on Christmas Eve. The photography studio is long gone, but in it's stead she finds herself welcomed into the home and lives of some delightful people. As Miranda opens her heart to the love shown her, she finds the answers she was seeking and these change her life forever.

Predictable and light, it's nevertheless a charming little story. Perfect for a cozy afternoon in front of the fire.

ENGAGING FATHER CHRISTMAS

A charming sequel to Finding Father Christmas.

Miranda Carson returns to England and her newly found family and boyfriend. However, the happy Christmas reunion she expected does not unfold as she anticipated. Illness and family secrets threaten Miranda's new life. As she hopes for her dreams to come true, Miranda and others learn about love and acceptance and what it means to be a family. The Whitcombe and MacGregor families are just as charming here. We also get better acquainted, especially with Ian, Julia and Mark.

Both stories, are light and somewhat predictable. They're also delightful. Perfect for curling up by a fire with a cup of cocoa.

I loved these sweet stories just as much the second time reading them as I did the first time years ago. They're being released in one book in preparation for the third story Kissing Father Christmas. It was great to revisit Miranda and Ian and their story. Finding Father Christmas has also been made into a Hallmark movie and will be shown on November 13 on the Hallmark Channel. Makes me wish I had cable or satellite access!

Finding Father Christmas and Engaging Father Christmas are two Christmas novellas by Robin Jones Gunn. In Finding Father Christmas Miranda Carson is on a journey for answers. Miranda grew up traveling with her actress mother, Eve Carson. Miranda’s mother passed away without ever telling her the identity to her father. Miranda’s best clue is a photograph of a boy with Father Christmas taken at Carlton Photography Studio on Bexley Lane in Carlton Heath. Miranda heads to England and hopes that she will find the identity of her father. Miranda is warmly embraced by the townspeople. With a little help, Miranda soon finds the identity of her father. But will Miranda be able to tell them?

In Engaging Father Christmas, Miranda is heading back to Carlton Heath for Christmas. Miranda is looking forward to spending time with Ian (Miranda met him at the end of Finding Father Christmas) and the Whitcombe family. Miranda enjoyed her time with them the previous year. It was wonderful having a real family Christmas. Returning to Carlton Heath feels like coming home. If things turn out right with Ian, it could be home. But the road to happiness is full of bumps, curves, and icy patches. Will Miranda get her happily ever after?

Finding Father Christmas and Engaging Father Christmas are lovely, heartwarming stories. The books are about acceptance, embracing love, forgiveness, and finding/accepting God in your life. Both stories are nicely written, easy to read, have a good pace, a beautiful setting (I want to live in Carlton Heath), and likeable (as well as relatable) characters. These two novellas will put you in the Christmas spirit. I give Finding Father Christmas and Engaging Father Christmas 4 out of 5 stars. The only negative comment I have is that they are a little predictable. These Christmas stories are a nice change of pace and romance lovers will enjoy these charming novellas. These two books can be purchased separately or in this combined omnibus edition. The next book in the series is Kissing Father Christmas.

I’m doing something this week that I’ve never done before … reviewing a complete series. Today I’m chatting about the Father Christmas series by Robin Jones Gunn which to date is made up of 3 novellas. These cute novellas will make a great addition to your holiday reading list.

In Book One, Finding Father Christmas, Miranda Carson's search for her father leads her to London. Immediately welcomed into her biological family (though they are for the time unaware), she faces a terrible decision. Should she reveal her true identity and destroy their idyllic image of her father? Or should she carry the truth home with her to San Francisco and remain alone in this world? In Book Two, Engaging Father Christmas, Miranda returns to England for Christmas and to be with her boyfriend, Ian. She has spent a lifetime yearning for a place to call home, and she's sure Carlton Heath will be it, especially when a hinted-at engagement ring slips into the conversation. In Book Three, Kissing Father Christmas, Anna returns to Carlton Heath at Christmas. Her first visit was last May for the wedding of her cousin Ian. The event ended with an unexpected kiss from Peter.


Book one was not as much of a romance as I anticipated but was a story of finding family. And finding them at the most magical time of year. Books two and three were much more romance focused than book one. As I’ve mentioned, each book in this series is a novella. It was like listening to the abridged version of an audiobook. While I enjoyed each book I wanted the details that might have been included if these books were full-fledged novels with all the stuff. That being said I liked each of the characters and will read the next book in the series if the series continues. I hope there are more books! While the current stories are short I’m invested in the characters and want to know what else is happening in their lives

Overall, I thought this series was charming and heartwarming. Give it a try.

The Finding Father Christmas novella has been made into Hallmark Movie that recently aired on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel. Have you read the books? Seen the Hallmark movie? What did you think?

With the publishing of Kissing Father Christmas this year, Faithworks released the first two books together in this trilogy (published 2007 and 2008 respectively) for those who might have missed them. I had not read any of these books so quite enjoyed this volume

In Finding Christmas, we meet Miranda, an American who is searching for her father. She was raised by her single mother not knowing who her father was. On the death of her mother she comes across clues, a picture of a young boy sitting with "Father Christmas" showing the name of the studio that took the picture. The studio is in a small village in England and even the street name is given. She also has her birth certificate that lists her father's name as Jay Ames. With nothing to lose and not wanting to spend another Christmas alone, Miranda books a last minute flight to England to see if she can locate the photography studio to see if they remember anything about the people in the picture. She ends up in a quaint village just in time to see their production of Charles Dicken "A Christmas Carol". She meets some very friendly and welcoming people who invite her to stay for Christmas. While enjoying their Christmas hospitality, friendly natures and loving families, she finds information that will change her life.

In the sequel, Engaging Father Christmas, Miranda has returned to England for Christmas a year later. She's met by Ian, her boyfriend who is also the son of one of the close friends she has made in the village she visited. Miranda's dream of an idyllic Christmas with the man she deeply loves is upset when his father ends up in the hospital with a heart attack. She is staying in the home of her newly discovered family, but all do not welcome her with open arms. There is some tension radiating from one member of her new family. Along with finding her family, Miranda has discovered the love of God and his son Jesus Christ. She had never been a church goer and she was surprised when this feeling snuck up on her unexpectantly. She embraces this and uses her newfound faith to help her cope with the feelings and tensions she encounters in her new life.

I enjoyed these stories. The characters pulled at my emotions. Because neither of these stories is very long, Miranda is the only character that is fully developed. We learn about her life from infancy to the present. The other characters are well written, we just do not get the opportunity to know them as well. I really enjoyed the character of Julie, Miranda's newly discovered niece. She is sweet, uninhibited and honest from the beginning. Her mother is very similar and it is refreshing to see their relationship is so innocent. The other British characters show some of the stereotypical personalities of the highborn Brits, but they do thaw out a little. Ian's parents are extremely welcoming and understanding. I would love to know more about their relationship and what happened to Andrew's first wife. I liked the setting of a small English village at Christmas. The way the traditions of the village were portrayed was fun and interesting. I really enjoyed the fact that the village did their own rendition of A Christmas Carol every year and it was always slightly different.

I recommend this combination of two stories to those who would enjoy a heartwarming Christmas in England with the true spirit of the season revealed. This is wonderful Christian series where the True Spirit of Christmas plays an important role in the story. If you want to read this book with a group, it includes Reading Group Guides at the end of each novella. A great Christmas find. I am now going to read the last one in the trilogy.

I originally read Finding Father Christmas and Engaging Father Christmas in 2007 and 2008 when the books first came out. I fell in love with the beautiful story of a lonely young woman searching for her father. The stories were engaging and endearing but beyond that they were filled with the true meaning of Christmas.

This year the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel put out a film version of Finding Father Christmas. It was a combining of the two novels. There was nothing wrong with the movie, in fact it was a fun Christmas themed movie full of romance. Unfortunately it just didn't give me the same feeling that I had when I had first read the books. So I decided to re-read them.

Oh my friends, you must treat yourself to reading these stories. Finding Father Christmas is so moving it brought me to tears at times. The story has the framework of Dicken's A Christmas Carol. Miranda is on a quest to find out who her father is. Not only does she find her father, she also finds the Father.

Engaging Father Christmas continues the story of Miranda and her newly found family. It takes place a year later and even though there is a lot of happiness, due to Miranda's relationship with Ian, there is also a lot of tension because of who Miranda is. I loved this novel just as much as the first. In this story we see the power of redemption and the healing that it can bring.

I'm excited because there is a third book in the series, Kissing Father Christmas. I am just getting started on it so stay tuned for my reaction. If the first few chapters are a hint . . . it's going to be good!

I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.

Very sweet and seasonal, quick and heart-warming reads. I've enjoyed Robin Jones Gunn for decades, and I guess I am aging us both by saying that.