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Hardman Holidays #1
The Christmas Bargain
Luke Granger is about to get more than he bargained for…
As owner and manager of the Hardman bank, Luke Granger is a man of responsibility and integrity in the small 1890s Eastern Oregon town. Calling in a long overdue loan, Luke finds himself reluctantly accepting a bargain in lieu of payment from the shiftless farmer who barters his daughter to settle his debt.
Philamena Booth is both mortified and relieved when her father sends her off with the banker as payment of his debt. Held captive on the farm by her father since the death of her mother more than a decade earlier, Philamena is grateful to leave. If only it had been someone other than the handsome and charismatic Luke Granger riding in to rescue her. Ready to uphold her end of the bargain as Luke’s cook and housekeeper, Philamena is prepared for the hard work ahead. What she isn’t prepared for is being forced to marry Luke as part of this crazy Christmas bargain.
As owner and manager of the Hardman bank, Luke Granger is a man of responsibility and integrity in the small 1890s Eastern Oregon town. Calling in a long overdue loan, Luke finds himself reluctantly accepting a bargain in lieu of payment from the shiftless farmer who barters his daughter to settle his debt.
Philamena Booth is both mortified and relieved when her father sends her off with the banker as payment of his debt. Held captive on the farm by her father since the death of her mother more than a decade earlier, Philamena is grateful to leave. If only it had been someone other than the handsome and charismatic Luke Granger riding in to rescue her. Ready to uphold her end of the bargain as Luke’s cook and housekeeper, Philamena is prepared for the hard work ahead. What she isn’t prepared for is being forced to marry Luke as part of this crazy Christmas bargain.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 13, 2012
1435 people are currently reading
1849 people want to read
About the author
Shanna Hatfield
163 books1,318 followersA hopeless romantic with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure, Shanna Hatfield is a best-selling author of clean romantic fiction written with a healthy dose of humor.
In addition to blogging and eating too much chocolate, she is completely smitten with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.
Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
She is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, and Romance Writers of America.
To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her blog http://shannahatfield.com
or find out news at her facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/shanna.hatfield
In addition to blogging and eating too much chocolate, she is completely smitten with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.
Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
She is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, and Romance Writers of America.
To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her blog http://shannahatfield.com
or find out news at her facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/shanna.hatfield
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 446 reviews
December 5, 2018
Okay. I love a good Christmas romance, but this one was a bit too sweet even for me. A banker rescues a girl from an abusive father who offers her as repayment for his loan. As his cook and housekeeper he has to marry her before she can live with him. Hmmm. Anyway romance ensues, in-laws are conquered and there’s a baby born (not theirs).
November 26, 2019
…
The Christmas Bargain is the introductory installment of the 'Hardman Holidays' series written by Shanna Hatfield. The heroine is Philamena Booth, who had been held captive by her father for over a decade after her mother had passed away. Luke Granger, the owner of the local bank, became a blessed hero when he traded a past due loan for her hand in marriage.
From the author:
Set in the town of Hardman, Oregon in the 1880s, this series offers a clean, romantic peek into holiday celebrations of the Victorian era.
Although Hardman is a ghost town today, during the late 1800s, it was a thriving town with a variety of businesses, including a skating rink and newspaper office.
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
One Old West Cinderella discovers
Prince Charming is a. . . Cowboy?
The death of her mother left Philamena Booth grieving and at the mercy of her drunken father. After spending more than a decade held captive on their run-down farm, she’s left speechless and dazed when her father strikes a bargain to settle a long-overdue debt. In lieu of payment, a handsome cowboy agrees to take her. Mortified yet relieved to leave the farm, Philamena unexpectedly finds herself married to a charismatic, caring man.
Luke Granger might own Hardman’s bank and the fanciest house in this Eastern Oregon town, but he’d much rather be outside riding his horses or wrangling his herd of cattle than keeping his account books straight. In a strange, unsettling turn of events, he finds himself accepting a farmer’s daughter instead of money to cover a loan. If the man hadn’t threatened to sell her to the saloon owner, Luke might have refused. He has no idea what to do with beautiful Filly or their marriage of convenience, but he’s about to get far more than he bargained for.
Full of Victorian and western charm, The Christmas Bargain is a sweet holiday romance filled with the spirit of the season.
Shanna Hatfield effortlessly transports readers back in time with believable characters and understandable situations. This is a light, fluffy read without extraneous conflicts and descriptions.
This is a clean and wholesome series, each concluding with an individual H.E.A. without any cliffhangers. This book is able to stand on its own, but if you read ech book of the series in order, you will be more familiar with many of the characters that carry over. That is one of the reasons that I so enjoy a lengthy series.
This series is listed in the category of:
* Inspirational > Christian
* Western & Frontier
* Romance
I would recommend this series to readers that enjoy these genres.
--------------------------------------
The Christmas Bargain
(Hardman Holidays #1)
by Shanna Hatfield
Print Length: 296 Pages
..
The Christmas Bargain is the introductory installment of the 'Hardman Holidays' series written by Shanna Hatfield. The heroine is Philamena Booth, who had been held captive by her father for over a decade after her mother had passed away. Luke Granger, the owner of the local bank, became a blessed hero when he traded a past due loan for her hand in marriage.
From the author:
Set in the town of Hardman, Oregon in the 1880s, this series offers a clean, romantic peek into holiday celebrations of the Victorian era.
Although Hardman is a ghost town today, during the late 1800s, it was a thriving town with a variety of businesses, including a skating rink and newspaper office.
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
One Old West Cinderella discovers
Prince Charming is a. . . Cowboy?
The death of her mother left Philamena Booth grieving and at the mercy of her drunken father. After spending more than a decade held captive on their run-down farm, she’s left speechless and dazed when her father strikes a bargain to settle a long-overdue debt. In lieu of payment, a handsome cowboy agrees to take her. Mortified yet relieved to leave the farm, Philamena unexpectedly finds herself married to a charismatic, caring man.
Luke Granger might own Hardman’s bank and the fanciest house in this Eastern Oregon town, but he’d much rather be outside riding his horses or wrangling his herd of cattle than keeping his account books straight. In a strange, unsettling turn of events, he finds himself accepting a farmer’s daughter instead of money to cover a loan. If the man hadn’t threatened to sell her to the saloon owner, Luke might have refused. He has no idea what to do with beautiful Filly or their marriage of convenience, but he’s about to get far more than he bargained for.
Full of Victorian and western charm, The Christmas Bargain is a sweet holiday romance filled with the spirit of the season.
Shanna Hatfield effortlessly transports readers back in time with believable characters and understandable situations. This is a light, fluffy read without extraneous conflicts and descriptions.
This is a clean and wholesome series, each concluding with an individual H.E.A. without any cliffhangers. This book is able to stand on its own, but if you read ech book of the series in order, you will be more familiar with many of the characters that carry over. That is one of the reasons that I so enjoy a lengthy series.
This series is listed in the category of:
* Inspirational > Christian
* Western & Frontier
* Romance
I would recommend this series to readers that enjoy these genres.
--------------------------------------
The Christmas Bargain
(Hardman Holidays #1)
by Shanna Hatfield
Print Length: 296 Pages
..
November 6, 2017
Fairly sweet but way too simple of a story. No real highs and no real lows. Started out good, but the writing was so, so unremarkable that I'm quite sure I will forget it in about a week. It was good, just needs tweaking and more conflict, perhaps more time delving into particulars.
Example: Philomena has been beaten down, and keeps her head downcast all the time in the first chapter. By the time the next chapter comes around she accepts compliments with her head held high as she was coached to do by the pastor and his wife.. But that coaching is never described...it only said she had been coached. This process alone could have been a great storyline, since she was a sad puppy with her tail between her legs, then she comes out of her shell too quickly.
And for two people who don't think they are going to stay married, but are just working off a debt, there's an awful lot of physical contact and acting like a regular married couple...("kissing practice" and hugging, holding each other on the couch...etc) to be believable.
But hey, a teenager might really like this. (Until the end when the clothes are coming off. Whoops...spoiler.
Example: Philomena has been beaten down, and keeps her head downcast all the time in the first chapter. By the time the next chapter comes around she accepts compliments with her head held high as she was coached to do by the pastor and his wife.. But that coaching is never described...it only said she had been coached. This process alone could have been a great storyline, since she was a sad puppy with her tail between her legs, then she comes out of her shell too quickly.
And for two people who don't think they are going to stay married, but are just working off a debt, there's an awful lot of physical contact and acting like a regular married couple...("kissing practice" and hugging, holding each other on the couch...etc) to be believable.
But hey, a teenager might really like this. (Until the end when the clothes are coming off. Whoops...spoiler.
March 13, 2019
I found this book by sheer coincidence, liked the synopsis. The story is not very original in fact it’s been told many, many times but it was soooo endearing. Immediately I loved both Luke and Philly, their mutual admiration for each other was very PG, honest, and organic. A very “no angst-drama-free” read, quite enjoyable. P.S. It can be read any time of the year not just on Christmas. Lol
November 4, 2014
I loved the setting and time period of this one. Based on the real town of Hardman, Oregon (which is now a ghost town) it was easy to step back in time and imagine what life would have been like back then. I liked that it took place around the early 1890’s and I liked how the author worked in their “modern” inventions into the story. It’s fun to think about how things we take for granted now used to be a nifty invention back then. I liked the mix of the old west with a touch of the modern, at least modern for them.
I also love marriage of convenience stories and liked how that plot was used here. Luke is a successful banker and in a moment of weakness agrees to take a wife in order to cover the debt. Philamena Booth once had a happy childhood, but that all changed when her mother passed away and her father turned to drinking to try and forget how good he once had it. She has spent the last thirteen years in isolation and being abused by her father. While she had a really hard time, I’m glad the ugliness of what she went through wasn’t dwelled on. The story picks up right when Luke takes Philamena away and for the most part the story is lighthearted and conflict-free. I thought Philamena and Luke had a sweet relationship and were good for each other.
Overall, this is a pleasant step back in time to when life seemed so much simpler. I loved the story takes place over Christmas and thought it added a nice festive feel to the story. A nice, cozy read.
Content
Romance: Clean, just kissing and one fade to black intimacy.
Violence: Mild, talk of previous abuse
Source: Received review copy from author in exchange for review.
I also love marriage of convenience stories and liked how that plot was used here. Luke is a successful banker and in a moment of weakness agrees to take a wife in order to cover the debt. Philamena Booth once had a happy childhood, but that all changed when her mother passed away and her father turned to drinking to try and forget how good he once had it. She has spent the last thirteen years in isolation and being abused by her father. While she had a really hard time, I’m glad the ugliness of what she went through wasn’t dwelled on. The story picks up right when Luke takes Philamena away and for the most part the story is lighthearted and conflict-free. I thought Philamena and Luke had a sweet relationship and were good for each other.
Overall, this is a pleasant step back in time to when life seemed so much simpler. I loved the story takes place over Christmas and thought it added a nice festive feel to the story. A nice, cozy read.
Content
Romance: Clean, just kissing and one fade to black intimacy.
Violence: Mild, talk of previous abuse
Source: Received review copy from author in exchange for review.
November 14, 2017
Sweet and emotional perfect for Christmas
This book was set in Hardman Oregon and gave us a look at Luke Granger and Philomena Luke is such a strong presence in the town and when he strikes a bargain with one of the townspeople, he ends up in an unexpected situation.
As the story grows in emotion and details the kind of person Luke is begins to come to light. Rich characters full of life and personality fills each page.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Thee humor and conversations were exceptional. I was laughing and loving Luke and Filly more and more as the guests arrived and pushed things ahead of schedule.
This Christmas romance was just the sweet read I hoped for. I look forward to the other books in this series.
This book was set in Hardman Oregon and gave us a look at Luke Granger and Philomena Luke is such a strong presence in the town and when he strikes a bargain with one of the townspeople, he ends up in an unexpected situation.
As the story grows in emotion and details the kind of person Luke is begins to come to light. Rich characters full of life and personality fills each page.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Thee humor and conversations were exceptional. I was laughing and loving Luke and Filly more and more as the guests arrived and pushed things ahead of schedule.
This Christmas romance was just the sweet read I hoped for. I look forward to the other books in this series.
December 3, 2015
This book was pretty good. Close to 4 stars, but not quite. I did enjoy it and I might read the rest of the series-- we'll see.
February 14, 2017
Wonderful, Clean, Romantic, and Christmas all in one Book!
This is the very first book I have read by Shanna Hatfield back in Nov. 2013 and have fallen in love with the way she writes. I have since read everything she has written and wait impatiently for the next. The Christmas Bargain is such a sweet romance that you just hate to see it end. Luke is my ideal of a strong but sensitive and caring hero. Philamena our heroine, is a lovely, sweet young lady used to being mistreated by her father. When he trades her off to Luke for a loan he's unable to pay, Philamena is happy to get away from her father and go with Luke and a new life. And this begins a wonderful story of hope for happiness in the future. Loved these two characters and hated to let them go but have read this book often. Very clean but not boring in the least JudyE
This is the very first book I have read by Shanna Hatfield back in Nov. 2013 and have fallen in love with the way she writes. I have since read everything she has written and wait impatiently for the next. The Christmas Bargain is such a sweet romance that you just hate to see it end. Luke is my ideal of a strong but sensitive and caring hero. Philamena our heroine, is a lovely, sweet young lady used to being mistreated by her father. When he trades her off to Luke for a loan he's unable to pay, Philamena is happy to get away from her father and go with Luke and a new life. And this begins a wonderful story of hope for happiness in the future. Loved these two characters and hated to let them go but have read this book often. Very clean but not boring in the least JudyE
November 27, 2014
I struggled with how I would rate this book. The plot was developed sufficiently, the characters were believable, and the story progressed and was interesting enough to hold my attention; however, the numerous occurrences of “head-hopping” were extremely distracting, and the frequent grammatical errors were irritating.
What I liked: The main characters were likable, and grew in personality until the end of the story. I found myself sympathizing with Philamena and being thankful her horrible situation was improving. The plot was not a boring one, and there was a sufficient amount of twists and turns to keep it interesting.
What I didn’t like: Apart from the many grammatical errors, the physical attraction between Philamena and Luke grew to a level that I personally was uncomfortable with in a Christian fiction story. When characters start discussing a strong physical passion toward the other character at the beginning of the story, it only leads to an inevitable conclusion at the end, and the last chapter was extremely frank for my tastes in a Christian fiction story.
Over all, I give this book two stars … mainly because of personal preference, but also because of the structural errors. Since this book grew increasingly uncomfortable for me to read, I probably won’t read the next book in this series.
November 21, 2018
About five minutes into this novel I knew two things: one, I had read this novel before; two, this is such a great read. Now, I know that not everyone reads the same, but I tend to read fast when it is a good novel and I always retain the information no matter how fast my pace. Typically, I do not like rereading a novel when it has been recently read; however, I made an exception and read this one again even though I knew what was coming.
When reading the summary, I know that many will be drawn in by what they expect to be in the story line, but this book is so much more than what you would want by just having read novels similar. This story is not just a fast paced and complex, it is so much more with charisma and charm. The love between the main characters was slow and easy, with a hint a distrust to keep things interesting.
This book was everything that I expected and even more, the details that were added made me feel like I was really in the 19th century with the characters. I loved this story and I will be more than willingly to read it again in the future.
When reading the summary, I know that many will be drawn in by what they expect to be in the story line, but this book is so much more than what you would want by just having read novels similar. This story is not just a fast paced and complex, it is so much more with charisma and charm. The love between the main characters was slow and easy, with a hint a distrust to keep things interesting.
This book was everything that I expected and even more, the details that were added made me feel like I was really in the 19th century with the characters. I loved this story and I will be more than willingly to read it again in the future.
December 28, 2025
Full review can be found at: C Jane Read.
I have read this book 4 times now. I really enjoy the story of two strangers ending up married and growing to truly care about one another. I laughed so much each time I read this as there are lots of funny moments. The story of two people finding love in such an unexpected way just warms my heart.
I have read this book 4 times now. I really enjoy the story of two strangers ending up married and growing to truly care about one another. I laughed so much each time I read this as there are lots of funny moments. The story of two people finding love in such an unexpected way just warms my heart.
December 18, 2014
Romantic fun for the holidays! I so enjoyed watching Filly and Luke fall in love. Once again, Shanna Hatfield transported me to a small 1890's town full of quirky characters. I always appreciate the strong, capable women Hatfield writes. They may get swept off their feet, but they are able to stand on them too and fend for themselves.
Read
March 7, 2017This was one of the many stories which has been floating around on my Kindle and seemed like it would be a quick, fun little read.
Unfortunately it was a DNF for me at about the 30% mark. The constant head hopping and almost sing song prose didn't work for me. It was a cute enough story and I'm sure would work for a lot of readers, but for me was a complete mismatch.
Unfortunately it was a DNF for me at about the 30% mark. The constant head hopping and almost sing song prose didn't work for me. It was a cute enough story and I'm sure would work for a lot of readers, but for me was a complete mismatch.
Read
December 22, 2019DNF about 50%. No star rating. This was a big ole Christmas fail for me.
December 28, 2014
Book Description....
"Luke Granger is about to get more than he bargained for…
As owner and manager of the Hardman bank, Luke Granger is a man of responsibility and integrity in the small 1890s Eastern Oregon town. Calling in a long overdue loan, Luke finds himself reluctantly accepting a bargain in lieu of payment from the shiftless farmer who barters his daughter to settle his debt.
Philamena Booth is both mortified and relieved when her father sends her off with the banker as payment of his debt. Held captive on the farm by her father since the death of her mother more than a decade earlier, Philamena is grateful to leave. If only it had been someone other than the handsome and charismatic Luke Granger riding in to rescue her. Ready to uphold her end of the bargain as Luke’s cook and housekeeper, Philamena is prepared for the hard work ahead. What she isn’t prepared for is being forced to marry Luke as part of this crazy Christmas bargain."
Title: The Christmas Bargain
Author: Shanna Hatfield
Publisher: Hardman Holidays Book 1
Series: A Victorian Holiday Romance
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Review:
"The Christmas Bargain" by Shanna Hatfield
What I liked about this novel....
This was a enjoyable novel that will definitely put you in the holiday spirit. I liked how this author was able to give a read such a interesting read about Luke Granger and Philamena Booth. The story will keep you reading once you start because there will be so much going on with all the twist and turns that it all will keep your attention to the end. This author did a wonderful job in presenting to the reader this town of Hardman, Oregon in the 1890's with all of its conveniences that were there even at that time. The settings and descriptions were very well done making it seem as if you were actually there. Will this marriage of convenience work for these two? Well, this is where I say you must pick up the good read and see for yourself. All I can say is that I felt this was a enjoyable sweet historical western romance that I would recommend to you.
November 16, 2014
Luke Granger is the prosperous owner of the town of Hardman's bank in 1890's Eastern Oregon.
He seeks to collect a long overdue loan from the shiftless and drunkard farmer Alford Booth. Unable to repay, Alford recklessly offers his only daughter to Luke as repayment. Philamena Booth has been held virtual captive for a decade under the cruel hand of her father and is both relieved and apprehensive to go with Luke as his housekeeper and cook in order to repay her father's debt.
Under gentle but uncompromising pressure from his close friends, Luke is forced to marry Philamena in order to protect her reputation and his good standing in the close-knit community.
Initially, Philamena comes to Luke disheveled, painfully shy, and shamed by her predicament. What Luke does not know and learns through their growing relationship is that Philamena is a diamond-in-the-rough: beautiful, intelligent, and loyal.
For both of them, their marriage begins as one of convenience only but neither of them realized their growing affection for each other.
This is book number one in a series of three and still another superlative that I can lay on her novels is that even though they are serialized, they are also "stand-alones" because each is happily resolved even though connected to subsequent novels.
This is another winner from one of my favorite contemporary authors who specialized in sweet historical western romances. Having already read her entire series entitled Pendleton Petticoats, I look forward to reading number next in ANY of her romance series.
He seeks to collect a long overdue loan from the shiftless and drunkard farmer Alford Booth. Unable to repay, Alford recklessly offers his only daughter to Luke as repayment. Philamena Booth has been held virtual captive for a decade under the cruel hand of her father and is both relieved and apprehensive to go with Luke as his housekeeper and cook in order to repay her father's debt.
Under gentle but uncompromising pressure from his close friends, Luke is forced to marry Philamena in order to protect her reputation and his good standing in the close-knit community.
Initially, Philamena comes to Luke disheveled, painfully shy, and shamed by her predicament. What Luke does not know and learns through their growing relationship is that Philamena is a diamond-in-the-rough: beautiful, intelligent, and loyal.
For both of them, their marriage begins as one of convenience only but neither of them realized their growing affection for each other.
This is book number one in a series of three and still another superlative that I can lay on her novels is that even though they are serialized, they are also "stand-alones" because each is happily resolved even though connected to subsequent novels.
This is another winner from one of my favorite contemporary authors who specialized in sweet historical western romances. Having already read her entire series entitled Pendleton Petticoats, I look forward to reading number next in ANY of her romance series.
June 25, 2021
DNF
~~~~
If this guy says anything else along the lines of ‘my home was so dark before her’ or ‘she makes my home so warm and welcoming’ I will scream!
I’m 12 chapters into this book (52%) and honestly the main guy isn’t likeable and she is barely had a pulse in the book that claimed her ‘eyes sparkled’ often. He thinks he’s charming but as Christmas rolls around he has nothing going for him. He’s so mediocre that he’s written like a secondary character. Switch him and any other decent guy and you won’t notice a thing different.
First little bit he was okay, figured some character development was gunna happen and make them both better.
Wrong.
They’re both one dimensional characters, I just wanted to like them and have the sweet regency romance kick in… at chapter 12 I was still waiting.
I like the laundry lady, the horses, and the friend with a baby, that’s it. He’ll the dad was more likeable and he was an ass. Also Filly is a terrible nickname for anybody.
Would’ve given it two stars for the previously mentioned likeable characters but the nickname makes it a ⭐️
~~~~
If this guy says anything else along the lines of ‘my home was so dark before her’ or ‘she makes my home so warm and welcoming’ I will scream!
I’m 12 chapters into this book (52%) and honestly the main guy isn’t likeable and she is barely had a pulse in the book that claimed her ‘eyes sparkled’ often. He thinks he’s charming but as Christmas rolls around he has nothing going for him. He’s so mediocre that he’s written like a secondary character. Switch him and any other decent guy and you won’t notice a thing different.
First little bit he was okay, figured some character development was gunna happen and make them both better.
Wrong.
They’re both one dimensional characters, I just wanted to like them and have the sweet regency romance kick in… at chapter 12 I was still waiting.
I like the laundry lady, the horses, and the friend with a baby, that’s it. He’ll the dad was more likeable and he was an ass. Also Filly is a terrible nickname for anybody.
Would’ve given it two stars for the previously mentioned likeable characters but the nickname makes it a ⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2017
Although somewhat predictable, this very well-written tale about a young, abused lady being bartered by her father to a bank President in lieu of his loan payment. Astonished, Luke Granger accepts her as a housekeeper/cook rather than have her sold to a worse element.
Mortified, when she learns about the bargain, Philimena decides to make the best of it and prove her worth until she can figure out something else. It surely can't be worse than the meanness and ingratitude she has lived with for many years.
This is a fun, uplifting story to start the thoughts of this Season out right with. It is sure to cause one to appreciate his/her blessings and view the good, as well as the evil, of mankind.
The characters feel real and many are very endearing. The scenes depicted are easily envisioned. The writing is very good, The Book Title and Cover could not have fit better.
This book deserves a Five Stars rating.
Mortified, when she learns about the bargain, Philimena decides to make the best of it and prove her worth until she can figure out something else. It surely can't be worse than the meanness and ingratitude she has lived with for many years.
This is a fun, uplifting story to start the thoughts of this Season out right with. It is sure to cause one to appreciate his/her blessings and view the good, as well as the evil, of mankind.
The characters feel real and many are very endearing. The scenes depicted are easily envisioned. The writing is very good, The Book Title and Cover could not have fit better.
This book deserves a Five Stars rating.
November 15, 2014
This was the perfect book to put me in the holiday spirit! I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the sweet love story. I love the story of the woman, unloved, abused and unappreciated, taken in by a charitable man and given a new chance at life. Filly's transformation from an unwanted, silent girl to a confident, lively woman was wonderful and the love story that unfolded kept me turning electronic pages. The author has a gift for dialog and story-telling. I loved that this was a sweet, clean romance. I absolutely adore love stories and romance, but can't stand to read the ones that go into graphic details. This was a highly enjoyable read and especially great for the holidays.
December 9, 2014
Simple, sweet and incomplete
A squeaky clean, non-preachy Christian romance that just ends without warning. At least give me an epilogue. I suppose chapter 1 of the next book in the series was a consolation prize?
While I enjoyed the storyline, I just found it lacking. I was annoyed by several grammatical errors, missing words, and added words; it became distracting. Meh..
A squeaky clean, non-preachy Christian romance that just ends without warning. At least give me an epilogue. I suppose chapter 1 of the next book in the series was a consolation prize?
While I enjoyed the storyline, I just found it lacking. I was annoyed by several grammatical errors, missing words, and added words; it became distracting. Meh..
November 26, 2017
There are so many Christmas books that I want to read, but I HAD to reread The Christmas Bargain this year. It's one of my favorites!
November 23, 2014
Best Christmas love story ever!
July 27, 2022
A Christmas themed marriage of convenience romance! This one is pure romance. (Fans and chocolate recommended) :-) It's all about Philomena's journey from abused daughter to cherished wife and I enjoyed that journey!
Luke's gentle wooing, flirtations that gradually grow more heated...cue the fainting couches and keep the smelling salts handy! The banter as Philomena becomes more comfortable is sooooo sweet and funny. And I loved the way they grew into their relationship.
Be aware this is a kissing book! Romantically romantical to the nth degree. (There's one scene at the very end that I think pushes the boundaries a bit for Christian Fiction, but it's still clean.)
There are some wonderful secondary characters who help (and possibly try to hinder) Luke and Philomena along their way to their happily ever after.
And, happy day, this is the first in the Hardman Holiday series so I predict more Christmas stories in my reading future.
Oh, and I listened to the audible edition of this book narrated by Michael I. Canaan and I have to say I'm not a fan of the way he portrays the female characters. Almost cartoony high or simpering missish -- at least that's the way they come across to me.
Luke's gentle wooing, flirtations that gradually grow more heated...cue the fainting couches and keep the smelling salts handy! The banter as Philomena becomes more comfortable is sooooo sweet and funny. And I loved the way they grew into their relationship.
Be aware this is a kissing book! Romantically romantical to the nth degree. (There's one scene at the very end that I think pushes the boundaries a bit for Christian Fiction, but it's still clean.)
There are some wonderful secondary characters who help (and possibly try to hinder) Luke and Philomena along their way to their happily ever after.
And, happy day, this is the first in the Hardman Holiday series so I predict more Christmas stories in my reading future.
Oh, and I listened to the audible edition of this book narrated by Michael I. Canaan and I have to say I'm not a fan of the way he portrays the female characters. Almost cartoony high or simpering missish -- at least that's the way they come across to me.
December 24, 2018
This was a very sweet book and I enjoyed most of it. The only thing that put me off at all were the few very "romantic", shall we say, parts. While there were no actual sex scenes, there were some very sexual scenes. The author tells you what's going through the two main characters minds as they're looking at each other, kissing, fondling, etc. There's nothing dirty or even x-rated about it. I just prefer not to read that kind of stuff, as I don't need it in my mind, or want my imagination to go down that road. Most folks don't mind it, and as I said, it's done in a sweet, fairly innocent way. So most would probably give this book 5 stars. I just want to let folks know it's there so they can choose for themselves. While the characters are Christian, (one is even a pastor) there isn't a lot of Christian content other then knowing they're people of faith. All in all it was a good read.
December 4, 2017
If I could give The Christmas Bargain by Shanna Hatfield more then five stars I would! That is how good it is. I wasn't even through the first chapter when I sent Ms.. Hatfield a message saying please tell me Philaamena Booth, "Filly" drunk of a Father comes to a very bad end. For ten years after the death of her Mother he kept her a prisoner on their broken down ranch, he best and starved her. Luke Granger owns the bank in Hardman and when he shows up to collect thr debt owed to him, he is told that he can have Filly. If he doesn't take her he is going to give her to the saloon owner to settle his debt there. Believe me I couldn't think enough vile thoughts for a Father that would turn his daughter into a "soiled dove." This book is a heartbreaking beautiful emotional read that is just perfect for this time of the year. Get ready to fall in love with Luke and Filly's story.
November 19, 2018
Christmas Bargain by Shanna Hatfield is a very entertaining and heartfelt story. From the beginning to the end it kept me holding on to every word. Filly was such a needy, but determined young lady! She needed to get away from her father in order to have the life she wanted/needed.
Not many men would have been the gentleman that Luke was. But he was that and more. He was a friend, as well as a mentor (for the lack of another word) to Filly. Giving them the time to get to know each other before moving foward to their marriage, he show her that she could trust him. And with that trust that they could have a good life!!
Enjoyed this book so much and looking forward to the next one!!
Not many men would have been the gentleman that Luke was. But he was that and more. He was a friend, as well as a mentor (for the lack of another word) to Filly. Giving them the time to get to know each other before moving foward to their marriage, he show her that she could trust him. And with that trust that they could have a good life!!
Enjoyed this book so much and looking forward to the next one!!
December 24, 2020
What a lovely Christmas escape! Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh ... in an Old West town in Oregon. This Cinderella-like tale will make you fall in love with the characters and want to move to Hardman.
Fans of Janette Oke will love this book!
Fans of Janette Oke will love this book!
December 12, 2018
3.5 stars.
January 1, 2019
💖
What a good book. So glad I picked this one up! 😭 Had a bit of an abrupt ending, but the story was so sweet.
What a good book. So glad I picked this one up! 😭 Had a bit of an abrupt ending, but the story was so sweet.
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