A Country Christmas

From the back cover: An American Country Christmas These heartwarming, all-American stories from five beloved authors capture all the passion, joy, and rich rural tradition of the holiday season across the nation. Patricia Rice spins a dramatic tale of romance lost and found in the bluegrass country of Kentucky. Jodi Thomas tells of a Texas tomboy who gets more than she bargained for under the mistletoe. Upstate New York is the setting of Raine Cantrell's moving Civil War story. Emily Bradshaw fills us with the spirit of the season--Western style--in her wonderful tale of a woman who melts the frostbitten heart of the man who rescues her from a Christmas blizzard, and Karen Harper paints a chaming picture of old-fashioned love from America's heartland. Filled with hope and heartbreak, touching reunion and tender devotion, this exquisite collection proves that love burns so much brighter when the heart comes home for Christmas. And my review: This is one of the very few Christmas romance anthologies that I bought brand-new, but it was well worth the money. While some stories were better than others (as is always the case with these collections) there were no "stinkers" in this book. And no sex scenes either, so you could let your teenage daughter read this. 1) A Husband for Holly by Jodi Thomas This was my first sampling of her work, and I was quite impressed. She does an excellent job of weaving in historical detail without detracting from the story. Four stars. 2) Friends are Forever by Patricia Rice Not the best one of the bunch, but still enjoyable. I liked the author's portrayal of mountain life. The romance was not quite as intense as it could have been, but it was an entertaining read. Three stars. 3) The Gift by Emily Bradshaw Hands down, the best novella of the bunch, and one of my favorite Christmas stories. This is one that I read every single year without fail. I've read some of this author's full-length work since this story, but this one is still the best thing she's written, in my humble opinion. Not many authors can do a good job of balancing romance, Christmas, a touch of the paranormal, and an amnesia plot (which never felt contrived) but this author did it. If you read no other romance at Christmastime, read this one! (More than) five stars. 4) A Time for Giving by Raine Cantrell Another sweet story. I've tried one of this author's other full-length novels, but my interest fizzled out halfway through. But this story was very touching, and worth a re-read. Four stars. 5) O Christmas Tree by Karen Harper Another good story. Not as good as some of her other works, but still enjoyable. If you want a really good Christmas story by Karen Harper, check out "Promises to Keep", which is a Civil war Christmas romance. I liked her portrayal of the emmigrated German family, and the heroine's struggles to balance her heritage with her need to fit in as an American. Four stars. For once, an anthology where every single story was wort

I really enjoyed this book. I have purchased copies to share with family and friends. I enjoyed the relationships that took place between the men and women. This book contained no sex, so my 13 year old daughter could read this book. I can't give enough praise to the authors of this book but, I will read this book every Christmas and it will remain on my shelf as one of my favorites.

I really enjoyed every one of the stories in this collection. I kept reading and re-reading "The Gift" by Emily Bradshaw. Another pregnant woman in a blizzard, but this time our heroine can't remember who she is or where she's from (and it's better off forgotten, anyway). But she changes the lives of the father and son who find her and she and her daughter charm their ways into a whole new life. I just loved it! "A Husband for Holly" by Jodi Thomas was enchanting! And Raine Cantrell's "A Time for Giving" was also a delight I read more than once.