"where treetops glisten" by tricia goyer, cara putman, & sarah sundin

Christmas novellas set in my favorite historical time period written by some of my favorite authors? Yes, please!

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The crunch of newly fallen snow, the weight of wartime

Siblings forging new paths and finding love in three stories, filled with the wonder of Christmas

Turn back the clock to a different time, listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow, as the realities of America's involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana.

In Cara Putman's White Christmas, Abigail Turner is holding down the Home Front as a college student and a part-time employee at a one-of-a-kind candy shop. Loss of a beau to the war has Abigail skittish about romantic entanglements---until a hard-working young man with a serious problem needs her help.

Abigail's brother Pete is a fighter pilot hero returned from the European Theater in Sarah Sundin's I'll Be Home for Christmas, trying to recapture the hope and peace his time at war has eroded. But when he encounters a precocious little girl in need of Pete's friendship, can he convince her widowed mother that he's no longer the bully she once knew?

In Tricia Goyer's Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Meredith Turner, "Merry" to those who know her best, is using her skills as a combat nurse on the frontline in the Netherlands. Halfway around the world from home, Merry never expects to face her deepest betrayal head on, but that's precisely what God has in mind to redeem her broken heart.

The Turner family believes in God's providence during such a tumultuous time. Can they absorb the miracle of Christ's birth and His plan for a future?

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Where Treetops Glisten begins at Christmas 1941 with a prologue (written by Sundin) that introduces the reader to the Turner family. Each novella also takes place at Christmas, each one a year later than the previous.

White Christmas is a sweet story about spunky heroine Abigail Turner and her quest to confront her greatest fear. Along the way, she meets Jackson, a man who's desperate to save his family's farm. This novella is charming and heartwarming, and it easily kept my attention from beginning to end. 4 stars.

I'll Be Home For Christmas is a gentle, wonderfully romantic story about a fighter pilot, the woman he used to bully, and her precocious daughter. It's exactly the kind of story Sarah Sundin's fans love, and my only complaint is that it's too short, and I have to wait until next August to read her next novel! 5 stars.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas takes the action to war-torn Europe near the close of World War II. While the romance aspect is there, I most enjoyed Merry's work as a nurse in a field hospital. This is a sweet story about a woman rediscovering her purpose and joy. 4-1/2 stars.

The collection wraps up with an epilogue (written by Putman) set one year after Merry's story, and it nicely updates each sibling's story.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable book, and it's perfect for a snowy day! I would highly recommend it to fans of the World War II era and to fans of these authors. 4-1/2 stars.

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TRICIA GOYER is a prolific author of nearly forty books, including Chasing Mona Lisa, and a speaker and blogger.
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CARA PUTMAN is the author of twenty books including Shadowed by Grace. She is the winner of the 2008 Carol Award for historical fiction.
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SARAH SUNDIN is the critically-acclaimed author of the Wings of the Nightingale series, the Wings of Glory series, and the forthcoming Waves of Freedom novels.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"wildflowers from winter" by katie ganshert

About the book (from the publisher): A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built the life she dreamed of during her teen years in a trailer park. An unexpected interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa.

Determined to pay her respects to her past while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of five hundred acres of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces Bethany to come up with a new plan.

Handsome farmhand Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years. When Bethany is left the land, Evan must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he disagrees with Bethany’s vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps so carefully locked away.

For Bethany, making peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn't seem like the path to freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace that she’s not even sure exists?

My take: Wildflowers from Winter grabbed my attention from the beginning and didn't let go until I'd finished the last page. When circumstances bring Bethany back to her hometown kicking and screaming, she finds herself on a journey to find her purpose and her place to belong ... and eventually this journey leads her to God. It also leads her to Evan, who is one of the most fantastic romance novel heroes I've read about in a while. Kind, confident, and a fierce defender of those he loves, he's the "perfect" literary man.

So far, everything I've said makes this book sound like a typical love story, but it's not. While the chemistry between Bethany and Evan does practically leap off the page and you know from the beginning that they'll end up together, this book is so much deeper than your run-of-the-mill romance. Bethany certainly isn't your typical inspirational romance heroine in that she wants absolutely nothing to do with God, and in fact, her mother's and best friend's relationships with Him are part of the reason why she fled her hometown and never looked back. The book also looks at serious issues—suicide, spiritual abuse, sexual relationships, end of life issues, and family relationships are all explored in a compelling and sensitive manner. And some of those issues—especially the spiritual abuse and family issues—are so compelling that I wanted to keep reading long into the night.

Wildflowers from Winter is a fantastic debut novel, and I can't wait to get my hands on its sequel, Wishing on Willows.

My rating: 5 stars.

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About the author: Katie Ganshert graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in education, and worked as a fifth grade teacher for several years before staying home to write full-time. She was born and raised in the Midwest, where she lives with her husband and their young son.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links on this page are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase a product, I will receive a commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"waiting for morning" by karen kingsbury

About the book: Hannah Ryan's idyllic life is shattered the moment a drunk driver careens into the vehicle bringing her husband and two daughters home from a camping trip. After her husband and oldest daughter die from injuries sustained in the crash, Hannah makes it her life's mission to ensure the drunk driver pays for what he did.

Deputy District Attorney Matt Bronzan specializes in drunk driving cases, and with his latest case, he hopes to make history by winning California's first murder one conviction of a drunk driver. He works closely with Hannah to ensure their message to the public is the same—that drunk drivers who kill are committing murder. As he spends time with her, he comes to care for her—but all she can see is her hatred for the man who killed her husband and daughter.

Hannah's bitterness threatens to destroy the only good things left in her life. Will she understand her need to forgive before it's too late?

My take: In Waiting for Morning, Karen Kingsbury has written a heartbreaking family drama with a powerful message about the perils of drunk driving. More importantly, though, she shows how bitterness can take root and destroy lives. As Hannah allows bitterness to take over her life, she can't see how her unforgiveness is harming herself and her remaining daughter. And isn't that the way it works? We refuse to forgive because we feel we have a right to our anger ... and then before we know it, we're so wrapped up in our pain that we've strained or ruined our other relationships. Obviously, I speak from experience here—and I hope that by reading this book, others can avoid some of the mistakes I made!

This is one of Kingsbury's earlier books, and I can't believe it took me to long to finally read it. It was published in 1999, well before everyone had cell phones. That's the only thing that seems to date it, though—a couple times I wondered why Hannah didn't just call her daughter's cell, and then I'd remember that they didn't have them! Overall, this is a great book, and I highly recommend it. 5 stars.

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About the author: No. 1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America's favorite inspirational novelist. There are nearly 20 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including several million copies sold in the past year. Karen has written more than 50 novels, ten of which have hit #1 on national lists.

Dubbed by Time Magazine as the Queen of Christian Fiction, Karen has also been a featured guest on the Today Show, Fox News, USA Today, and numerous other television programs and magazines. Her fiction has made her one of the country's favorite storytellers. Others of her emotionally gripping titles include the 9-11 Series, Even Now, Ever After, and Between Sundays.

Karen is also a public speaker, reaching more than 100,000 women annually through various national events. Karen and her husband, Don, live in Nashville, TN with their five sons, three of whom are adopted from Haiti. Their daughter Kelsey is an actress who has appeared in several Christian films. She is newly married to Christian recording artist Kyle Kupecky. The two also live in Nashville.

Visit Karen's website at www.KarenKingsbury.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"the corruptible" by mark mynheir

About the book: Private Investigator Ray Quinn is struggling to make ends meet when the "perfect" case falls into his lap. All he has to do is track down a former colleague and get him to return his client's stolen information, and he will receive the largest paycheck he's ever seen. But when the man winds up dead, and the information is nowhere to be found, Ray realizes he's stumbled onto something much bigger than he imagined. With the help of his assistant Crevis, Ray tries to recover the information, catch a killer, and discover what is really going on at his client's company.

My take: I enjoyed The Corruptible. It is book two in Mark Mynheir's Ray Quinn Mystery series, but I had no trouble jumping in without having read the first book. The plot is fairly slow moving, but it's also constantly engaging. I also really liked the subplot involving e-mail scams.

I enjoyed watching Ray grapple with his problems throughout the novel—especially as he dealt with his alcohol addiction. And while this case wrapped up satisfactorily, when the book ended, Ray still had a long way to go toward getting his life together. I could see the Ray Quinn series stretching on through several books, and I would enjoy reading each one of them. 4 stars.

Interested? You can read the first chapter here.

About the author: Mark Mynheir is the author of the Christy Award nominated The Night Watchman, the first Ray Quinn mystery. He has worked undercover as a narcotics agent, as a SWAT team member, and now investigates violent crimes as a detective with the Criminal Investigations Unit in central Florida, where he lives with his wife and three children.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

"indelible" by kristen heitzmann

Sculptor Natalie Reeve meets Trevor MacDaniel when he rescues her nephew Cody from a mountain lion. Because of her eidetic memory, which causes her to "capture" intense or disturbing images until she can work them out through her art, she usually keeps people at arm's length. Trevor, however, is different. At first Natalie sees him simply as a hero; then she sees him for who he is, as he pushes through her self-preserving walls and gets inside her heart. Someone else is impressed by Trevor's heroics, however: someone who sees Trevor as both angel and nemesis. When this person arrives in Redford, Natalie and Trevor must work together to uncover his identity and protect those they love.

Indelible is a sequel to Indivisible (which I reviewed here), but both books function well as stand-alone novels. Readers who enjoyed Indivisible will enjoy the return to Redford, Colorado, and its inhabitants, but those who have not read Indivisible will be able to fully appreciate Indelible without any background knowledge. When I reviewed Indivisible, I said it was a character-driven mystery. The same can be said of Indelible, though I think author Kristen Heitzmann actually kicks it up a notch here in regard to character development. When I finished the book, I felt like I was leaving friends behind, and I hope that Heitzmann continues writing about the residents of Redford. Indelible is one of those novels that will completely suck you in--to the point where you're reading until 1 a.m. without realizing it!

Indelible is fast-paced, exciting, and extremely enjoyable. I highly recommend it!

Visit Heitzmann's website to learn more about her and her books. You can read an excerpt of Indelible here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”