A LOUISIANA CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER by Morgan Tarpley Smith, Betsy St. Amant & Lenora Worth
GENRE: Contemporary Romance Collection (Christian)
PUBLISHER: Barbour Fiction
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2023
PAGES: 435
Four strong women from a Louisiana family. Three engaging Christmas romances. Two generations of heroines. One resilient small town. And a partridge in a pear tree. (Ok, not that last one lol) Readers will encounter all this and more on the pages of A Louisana Christmas to Remember – a collection of sweet Christmas romances set around the town of Moreau and the Lavigne women. Each author brings her own writing voice and style to this collection, but all three stories flow seamlessly from one to the other. The shared characters and setting are consistent, with complementary themes and an overarching festive mood that keeps the Christmas spirit humming through the whole book.
In Morgan Tarpley Smith’s A Louisiana Snow, we meet three of the four main players in this collection – Mattie, her aunt Adale, and her 80 year old Granny. I loved Mattie’s passion for her town and her determination to revitalize it after a devastating hurricane. Her high school nemesis (and crush) Paul is steady and sweet, and I loved how he chipped away at Mattie’s walls, intent on repairing the years between them and finally acting on his feelings for her. Betsy St. Amant’s Restoring Christmas introduces us to Mattie’s cousin Jolene who also has old wounds that need to be dealt with. The juxtaposition of Jolene’s work on the town mural and the work God is doing in her heart touched me as I read this story, and the sparks that fly between her and Cameron (the guy in charge of her work) are oh-so-swoony. Lenora Worth wraps up the collection with A Christmas Reunion which focuses on the collision of Aunt Adale’s past and her present, which just may result in a future that redeems both. I loved the surprise twist in this story, wrapping up a subplot that the other two authors teased in their own novellas, and I swooned over her beau’s steady love for her – for years! Be still my heart for long-held love! And then there’s Granny who steals the show in all three stories. I absolutely adored her feisty self – what a hoot! I’m also hoping we get another set of stories with Granny at the helm, based on something she says at the end, because I would gladly spend multiple more reading hours with this fun character!
Bottom Line: A Louisiana Christmas to Remember was the perfect ‘first Christmas read of the season’ for me and a lovely set of interconnected stories by three talented authors. Readers will fall in love with the characters and the town, and you’ll be caught up in the Christmas spirit with themes such as forgiveness, restoration, and redemption. Old wounds are treated and new dreams are chased, even though the mood stays light and festive. Swoony romance is my jam…. swoony romance at Christmas? Sign me up!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
My Rating: 4 stars / loved it!
KissingBook Level: 3 / may forget to breathe on occasion
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Author Morgan Tarpley Smith is a world traveler who weaves stories of history and heart. She loves to write inspirational fiction that transports readers to faraway places and intertwines past and present to explore questions of truth and faith. With Barbour, her debut novella publishes this fall as part of a contemporary collection of interconnected stories called A Louisiana Christmas to Remember. Morgan is an award-winning journalist who works as a freelance writer and author assistant. She lives in Louisiana with her husband and son. For more information about her, visit www.morgantarpleysmith.com
Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over twenty romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hubby, two daughters, an impressive stash of coffee mugs, and one furry Schnauzer-toddler. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored to truth. When she’s not composing her next book or baby-talking her dog, Betsy can be found somewhere in the vicinity of an iced coffee. She writes frequently for iBelieve, a devotional site for women, and offers author coaching and editing services through Storyside LLC. Connect with Betsy at her website.
Lenora Worth is an ACFW Honor Roll member. She writes inspirational fiction for Harlequin’s Love Inspired and sweet romance for Tule Publishing. She also writes for Kensington Books. She helped launch the Rodeo Knights Western Romance imprint. Her LIS Body of Evidence made the NY Times Bestseller list and she is also a USA Today and Publishers Weekly Bestselling author. In 2016, she received a Romantic Times Pioneers of Fiction Award. Three of her books have been nominated for the ACFW Carol Award and she is an RWA RITA finalist. Lenora has written 80+ books and has an estimated 3 million books in print. She loves cheesecake, shoe shopping, walking on the beach and reading. Connect with Lenora on her website.
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What about you? What makes you want to read A Louisiana Christmas to Remember by Morgan Tarpley Smith, Betsy St. Amant & Lenora Worth?
I love Christmas books.