Christmas with You is an anthology of 5 stories that all take place in the same town (Friendship, MA) during the same time (Christmas, duh!). Each story has different characters but one connecting person...the mysterious Gabe. None of the stories contain previous characters from the author's work so you can read and enjoy without confusion! Also, all of the stories are low on the heat scale (kissing only)!
Snowflake Lane Inn by L.P. Dover
The owner of a picturesque inn gets a holiday surprise when a well-known fashion designer comes to stay and re-designs his future.
This story was adorably sweet. Layla's last fashion line tanked and she is seeking the solitude of a small town. Colin loves Friendship and falls fast for Layla. The conflict comes from what Layla will do-will she stay in the tiny town or go back to the big city? Its a sweet story with a fun sister and loving family!
4 stars!
Runaway Christmas Bride by Cindi Madsen
Making a new life in Friendship certainly wasn’t the plan, but the spirit of Christmas—along with the rugged local sheriff—leads to a change of heart for this runaway bride.
Poor Regina! Her fiancee dumps her AT the alter. She drives off, desperate to escape the humiliation and ends up in Friendship. The locals feel sorry for her plight and help her get sloppy drunk! The town sheriff happens to walk in and realizes Regina is in no shape to go anywhere. And the only available room? His sister's house. Emmett is a bit of a grumpy sheriff because he has to walk the line between friendship and officer of the law.
4 stars!
Christmas Lights by Amy Briggs
A visitor to Friendship learns the true meaning of Christmas from a single dad and his young daughter.
A single father (literally) runs into a self proclaimed holiday hater. Samantha (great name, BTW) is in Friendship to visit her sister and nieces; however, she is NOT a fan of Christmas. Since Sam and her sister lost their parents, Samantha's holiday spirit is lacking. Jason and his daughter, Emily, however, love the season and living in Friendship. Can Jason convince Samantha that there is still some happiness in Christmas? His 'grand gesture' is VERY swoonworthy!
3 stars!
Christmas Encounter by R.J. Prescott
A famous Formula One driver finds all roads lead to Friendship—and love—this Christmas.
A race car drive and RJ Prescott?! Yes please! If you haven't read The Hurricane, you need to add it to your TBR. Its one of my favorite books. Jensen is a hard partying race car driver who has come to Friendship for the funeral of his father figure. Lauren is the daughter of a con man. She doesn't want to live like that any more and is determined to be a better person. A chance encounter between these two leads to a deep friendship. But, Jensen is only there for the funeral and Lauren doesn't want to hold him back from his life. This story had tears welling up in my eyes for sure. Lauren has such a heartbreaking story! But, this was my favorite story of the anthology for sure!
5 stars
It’s a Wonderful Holiday by Heidi McLaughlin
A workaholic finds just the right Christmas magic to remind him about the most important thing in life: spending time with his wife and family.
Its not often you read romance stories about married couples. Readers tend to like to think after the couple gets together, everything is totally happy. So, this story is a bit like "Its a Wonderful Life" where a man has to see what is right in front of him (PS-Ive never seen Its a Wonderful Life...). Gwen never really wanted a divorce. But she didn't know what else to do. Now its up to Rory to decide if his wife and daughter are worth fighting for. This was the most angsty to me because the couple wasn't in a 'love at first sight' situation. They start the story in a 'our love is done' place and its painful to read. Maybe I struggle with this type of story because I am married and I know how difficult marriage is. Who knows, but for whatever reason, this one was very angsty to me. However, it was still a heartwarming story of love and family.
3 stars
other Holiday Anthologies like Hockey Holidays, Snowed in at Christmas, or other Christmas romances...then you will probably like Christmas With You!
See full review on The Book Disciple