The Christmas Heirloom: Four Holiday Novellas of Love Through the Generations

In Kristi Ann Hunter’s “Legacy of Love,” Sarah Gooding never suspected returning a brooch to an elderly woman would lead to a job . . . and introduce her to the woman’s grandson, a man far above her station.

In Karen Witemeyer’s “Gift of the Heart,” widow Ruth Albright uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local banker. But the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love.

In Sarah Loudin Thomas’s “A Shot at Love,” Fleeta Brady’s rough-and-tumble childhood means she prefers hunting to more feminine activities. She never expected her family’s brooch might be how a fellow hunter turns her attention from competition to romance.

In Becky Wade’s “Because of You,” Maddie Winslow has spent years in love with a man whose heart was already spoken for. When a church Christmas project brings them together and she stumbles upon an old family brooch, might it finally be her turn for love?

Review

I decided to read these novellas because two of my favorite authors contributed to the collection and I must say that I very much enjoyed all of the stories (though some more than others).

Kristi Ann Hunter’s Legacy of Love: Hunter writes regency novels very well. She knows the era, the layers of complexities that makes up the class structures, and the way to craft a good story. I will admit that I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance because it felt a bit forced to me and the plot seemed lacking at moments. But overall very cute.

Karen Witemeyer’s Gift of the Heart: Witemeyer  managed to write very complex characters in a short space. I immediately felt for the main characters, especially Ruth. She’s bold, determined, and kind. Simple though the story was, I couldn’t put it down. It was probably my favorite one.

Sarah Loudin Thomas’s A Shot at Love: This was my first introduction to Thomas and this won’t be the last time that I read her. I really liked the main character, Fleeta. She drove the story. She was not just a tomboy, but a woman with a passion and a drive. The romance wasn’t bad, but it did seem as though Fleeta wasn’t as invested as the hero…but she was so fascinating it almost didn’t matter.

Becky Wade’s Because of You: Another winner. I love a good contemporary romance novel. I liked the complexity of the relationship between Maddie and her guy. Wade writes fabulous heroines that are easy to connect with. The romance seemed a bit quick on the guy’s part, but overall it was enjoyable

Each book presented characters that prayed and had to trust God through some tough times (and of course those tough times pretty much ended on Christmas, but hey it was cute!).

Novellas are always hard for me to read because I usually feel like so much of the story is missing, but sometimes they’re just fun too. This collection was fun and I know at least one of them was linked to other series that the authors are writing. I really like the way they used the brooch to connect all the stories and the way it was a different generation each time. There were, I think, a few mistakes with the timeline, but overall if you like novellas, recommended!

**I received a copy from BethanyHouse. My opinion was not affected in anyway**