Titan Dinsmore loves his family, but as the youngest of five, he craves his older siblings’ respect—and a little distance. A chance meeting at the train station with a forlorn young lady turns into a growing attraction between them. But Titan soon discovers there is a difference between wanting to be treated as an adult and truly stepping up to lead. How can he help tenderhearted Nora see beyond her father’s abandonment and rest in the love of her Heavenly Father? And will his secret plan to restore her family for the perfect Christmas together win Nora’s undying admiration or only lead to greater heartache? This warm, standalone Christmas novella highlights a lesser-known member of the beloved Dinsmore family in the Finding Home series. With all the charm of a Victorian Christmas and yet the realistic challenges of navigating difficult relationships in a Christlike manner, this book is one to be savored throughout the holiday season and beyond.
Heather Wood grew up in the Chicago suburbs, loving history, classic literature, writing stories, and Civil War reenacting. After obtaining her bachelor's degree in Bible/Theology from Appalachian Bible College, she settled in Virginia with her husband, David. Her early passions fuel her writing today, although she spends most of her days now working to infuse her love for God and good literature into the hearts of her four children. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @heather.wood.author.
I read this story immediately after a very intense read and a very intense life season and it was exactly the gentle story my heart needed. Gentle, but still with the grit of unresolved family issues and Christmases that aren’t magical and perfect, something we can all relate to. Heartwarming, but not cheesy or cliched. I look forward to re-reading this novella again at the holidays, although this is definitely a story that can be enjoyed any time of year, as it covers a full year in Titan’s life. It’s also a lovely revisit with most of my favorite Dinsmore/Young characters.
If you’ve never read anything by Heather Wood, this is a great introduction to her signature style and to a cast of characters her readers have fallen in love with!
I received an advance copy but was not required to give a favorable review or any review; opinions expressed are my own.
“The laundry needs to be done, whether or not we long for adventures.” 😆😆 Going to frame that for my laundry room
“And if you don’t get the gift you want?” “You still have the Giver.”
Until We All Share Joy is a beautiful and engaging novella that highlights the wonder of love, family, and joy during the holidays and every day! As our endearing hero Titan reminds sweet Nora that God loves her, this amazing message will echo through readers' hearts and minds, thanks to Wood's deft skill in crafting relatable and poignant themes in such a short and entertaining story!
Heather does it again! Absolutely loved this latest book in the Until We All series.
A short yet deep novella featuring the youngest Dinsmore. Each character and emotion is so thoroughly created, you come away feeling like you know them as a person and not just a fictional character.
Pleasantly surprised how there are tidbits of her other books and characters lurking around. Loved how the ending wraps up the story from the ending of her last book. It all comes around.
It all comes back to the focal truth of God’s unending love for us. What a gift of eternal joy.
When Heather asked if I would like to read this book for review, I was a bit nervous I'd be lost in the setting and characters, as I've never read the other books that come before this novella. However, I think Titan and Nora's story is the perfect introduction to the Dinsmore family and I loved getting to know each of them, at least a little bit. I'm definitely intrigued as to the family history and want to pick up the rest of the series.
One of the best parts of this book is how beautiful and real the message is. This is Christian fiction that doesn't pretend to be otherwise, which is becoming a rarity these days. At first, I found myself questioning where the "God loves you" message would go, but from following the author on social media, I knew the theme was in good hands. And she did deliver!
And can we just take a minute to appreciate the slow yet very realistic romance that happens between Titan and Nora? Bring back the courtships of those days, please! It was so so sweet to watch unfold, and I never once found myself questioning how realistic the relationship was (in those times) or felt like an intruder during the romance. Ahhh again, it was just so sweet.
Until We All Share Joy is a novella that doesn't feel like one; it takes place over the course of a year, following several Christmases. I love how fleshed out the plot is, and the character arcs are both well-developed and also complete. I've never read this author before but her writing reminds me of one of my favourite historical authors, Tamera Alexander. The ending felt a tad unfinished (but I can't say why because spoilers!) and has me very curious where the author will go next. And as mentioned above, I will be picking up the rest of the series one of these days!
Usually I end a review with a list of content notes, but I'm happy to share I have nothing to include here!
*Thank you to the author - Heather Wood - for an advanced copy of Until We All Share Joy. I was not required to leave a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions shared are my own.
I dived into this novella not knowing what to expect, but I got pulled into Titan's story and intrigued about Nora as well. Heather Wood delivered a beautiful and poignant book on the importance of family and sharing joy with the ones you love; even with the hardest of people. This book will make you want more of the characters and their stories. There were different quotes highlighted in the book and the lessons in it are sure to stay with me.
Titan Dinsmore has always felt like the overlooked member of his family... but one Christmas he finds someone who really sees him and helps him see himself as the man God would have him be.
This historical fiction is set in Chicago during the westward rail line expansion that connected the east and west coasts. As always, Heather brilliantly ties in history and taught me a little bit and made me want to learn more on my own. This book spans several years but many critical moments happen at Christmases. It has a beautiful theme of celebrating in the midst of sorrow— a reminder that Christmas is all about Hope shining in darkness, that Jesus came to be with us in our brokenness, and that true joy comes from him. If that resonates with you this Christmas like it does with me, I can't recommend this sweet story enough.
This is technically a stand-alone novella, but it mentions some details of people and events from Heather's other books. I think this could be a good introduction to these wonderful characters, but if you wanted to read the other books completely spoiler free, I would save this one for next Christmas and read all of her other books first. 😉
Read this if you like sweet love stories, old-fashioned Christmases, close-knit family stories— both biological family and found family, beauty in the midst of brokenness, and reminders of God's love for us and the greatest gift of all: Jesus coming to be with us.
"It also makes a difference because I know that no matter what trials I face here, on the last day, everything will turn out all right. Broken things will be mended. The dead will be brought to life. Old will be made new. I can have confidence that love-God's love-has the final word in my life. It changes everything."
I read this beautiful novella in one sitting because I could not put it down! I stayed up way past my bedtime and it was completely worth it. It is such a sweet story and I adored every bit of it.
It begins around Christmastime 1867, in Chicago Illinois, and takes place over the next year through Christmas. The epilogue was perfect for the story, and I was not ready for it to end!
Heather has officially cemented herself as one of my favorite authors now. Her attention to historic detail, as well as the solid gospel & Biblical content, is always SO good. The themes in this story of Christ being the ultimate, perfect gift for us, as well as God being all we truly need in life to find joy, contentment & peace were such perfect reminders going into the Christmas season. And Titan’s constant reminders to Nora that “God loves you. So much. No matter what” were so sweet 🥹
*This is a companion novella that goes along with her “Finding Home” series. It can be read alone ~ I haven’t read that series yet ~ but I assume probably has a few spoilers concerning some of Titan’s extended family. But, you absolutely can enjoy this sweet novella as a standalone!
ENDORSEMENT: This book is like a warm hug in the middle of a cold winter! From chapter one, I was enthralled with Titan and Nora’s sweet, earnest love story, and by the book’s end, I was simultaneously satisfied and longing for more. I could go on reading about Heather’s well-crafted characters forever! Another well-penned story from an author you don’t want to pass up!
This was my first Heather Wood book, but it certainly won't be my last. I LOVE how authentic the faith was with these characters. Titan's simple but powerful reminder "God loves you" was what our sweet Nora needed reminding of. Historical romance is not usually my go-to genre but I loved how beautifully these characters spoke and the story provided just enough background to set the scene and make it feel like you were right there with the characters. Despite this being a novella, there was nothing missing or lacking in Titan and Nora's story. Their relationship developed naturally over time and I absolutely adored the "old fashion" way they handled things yet still dabbled in the unknown in order to spend more time together. This was just a sweet and lovely read that kept me warm on the cold winter days and provided plenty of faith and growth to keep me invested in the characters and their stories.
“Until We All Share Joy is a tender look at how the simplest of truths can make the biggest of impacts and how, when we understand God’s love for us, that changes everything. Full of pure romance, a relatable cast of characters, and touching themes of love and family, Until We All Share Joy is a beautiful novella.” -Caitlin Miller, author of The Memories We Painted and Our Yellow Tape Letters: A WWII Novel
Wow! What an incredibly sweet read! I don't know why it took me longer than a week to finish it tsk tsk
I loved meeting Titan and Nora! Watching their story unfold gave me all the feels. While sweet and swoon-worthy at turns, there were also bittersweet moments that made me ache-and cry, actually. The message of God's unconditional love was beautifully portrayed and I enjoyed seeing how Titan and Nora constantly reminded each other of this as they traversed the dips and valleys in their story whilst falling in love.
**I received a complimentary copy from the author. All opinions expressed are my own**
I listened to the audiobook and this was my first Heather Wood book and it certainly won’t be the last!
I don’t typically read novellas (I think this is like the second one I’ve ever read..?) mostly because I know I like long stories over short ones but this story felt fleshed out well enough to feel complete. I enjoyed the Faith thread, the character development of our hero Titan and heroine Nora and their growing friendship/ budding sweet romance that’s firmly based on a strong foundation of Christ.
I found the cast of characters surrounding the MCs delightful and life-like, I felt like I was watching a movie.
Now I want to meet the rest of the family, which means I’ll be sifting through the author’s backlist as soon as I go on a reading retreat. 😉
I'm not much of a historical reader, but I decided to give this one a shot after seeing the great reviews. This was a wonderful surprise, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. My favorite part about it was the infusion of faith that pointed the reader constantly back to God. This is the kind of Christian fiction I enjoy.
My first read by Heather Wood and I really enjoyed it! This is a Christmas novella, and part of a series but it works as a stand alone. Titan is trying to prove himself to his family. He meets Nora at the train station. She is alone waiting to see if her father will come home. Night after night, Titan meets Nora at the train station and when her father doesn’t show up, he comforts her and tells her That God loves her. They get to know one another, every night while waiting and their relationship grows. I really like the Christian elements in this book. Titan reassures Nora over and over of Gods love. I also love Titan’s growth with his family, after he realizes he hasn’t done his best by them. Nora is such a sweet person. Titan is very caring. Overall this is a nice, sweet, uplifting story! I definitely recommend! Especially for Christmas time! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
I feel like I’ve watched Titan grow up as he was just a boy when I first met him in Until We All Find Home. It was such a joy to read his story. I’m so proud of the man he’s become!
His and Nora’s story was sweet, open and with just the right amount of tension to keep you guessing. It was refreshing to see some of my favorite characters through Titan’s eyes as well.
“God loves you, Nora.” Ahh! Titan, you have my heart!
Anyone looking for a story that feels like a warm hug? Here it is! Look no further!
Characters that are endearing? CHECK Strong faith element? CHECK Engaging storyline? CHECK
We meet Nora who is holding vigil for her dad who is working on laying tracks for the railroad. That's v9c zaswhere Titan Dinsmore meets her on his way home one day. I just loved their sweet introduction. Titan has been taught well in how to treat a lady!
Over the course of time, they get to know each other better and through that, help each other grow in wonderful ways. Titan is strong in pointing her to God's love over and over. Nora helps him see his family in a new light, which I thoroughly enjoyed watching him grow in. She challenges him in good ways!
I loved watching Titan see his family with new eyes as the story went along. I have to admit, I got rather frustrated with the way they treated him. I appreciated that Nora was able to help him see them more positively. I also enjoyed Titan's relationship with Nora's grandfather!
The faith in this story isn't to be missed! The author infuses it sweetly into the story and lives of her characters. They really learn who the best gift Giver is! It also flowed smoothly through the story!
*I received the ebook for review. This is my personal opinion.
This is a wonderful novella! I was totally captivated by the story in its entirety. The characters are relatable and easy to like. Titan is my favorite! His compassion and gentleman-like ways are endearing. He grows so much during the book and he also helps others grow. Grandfather Gates is wonderful! He appears gruff and grouchy but he has a heart of gold. This book helped me to remember how blessed I am to have a family that loves me and to cherish every moment with them. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series!
Titan and Nora’s story captured my heart. It was fun to get this peek into their story. You don’t have to have read the other books in this series to enjoy Until We All Share Joy, but I highly suggest you do. Woods is a talented author who effortlessly combines fantastic storytelling with the gospel shining brightly through.
I appreciated how Titian continued to remind Nora that God loves her. Don’t we all need that reminder? And reminding her of that was so helpful to her as she navigated tough family circumstances. This book has realistic family relationships, romance, romance, sadness, and triumph. It’s definitely a must read!
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
I absolutely adored this story and flew through it in two sittings. I enjoyed getting to know Titan and Nora and was invested in their situations right from the beginning. They were wonderfully crafted characters. The beginning chapters are just…adorable! Titan couldn’t help but return day after day (IYKYK). Their love story and the overarching message was just beautiful. A perfect Christmas read!
Wow. This was my first time reading a book by Heather Wood and it won't be my last. It was so good and beautiful! I think it was just what I needed in my (spiritual) life: encouragement in my walk with the Lord, a reminder of God's love and what that means and looks IRL, an honest depiction that families and relationships are imperfect and messed up this side of heaven, yet there's hope and there's love, and we have a community to get us through life's ups and downs. I certainly enjoyed Nora and Titan's story, how he was the perfect gentleman to her from the start, and how he was intrigued by her from the get-go. I loved how they complemented and helped each other grow. Their heart for helping others was beautiful, and I also enjoyed their slow-burn romance. Some twists took me by surprise, and whenever I had to stop listening to it, I kept thinking about the characters.
The narrator did a fantastic job with the voices. I can't remember the last time I loved a girl's voice this much, but Nora's was *chef's kiss* and I could easily listen to that one for hours. Titan's took me a bit more to get used to, since, especially at the beginning, there were conversations where I couldn't differentiate it. Still, it grew on me, and by the end, I loved the conversations between those two. Of course, they aren't the only characters, and she did a great job with all the others (though another favorite was Grandfather.)
I'd recommend this book to the ones who have been following this series and/or anyone who's looking for a beautiful Christian Historical Romance, full of hope, love, and joy. I just have to say that, while I fall in the first group, and the names of the family members can seem like a lot at first, you get used to it, and/or it'll make you curious about everyone else's story. I'll be sure to check the other books in the series.
Until We All Share Joy by Heather Wood is the sweetest story. I immediately was pulled into this historic fiction story and was rooting for Titan who is just the sweetest young man. He tries so hard to help Nora find her father, but the part I loved loved loved is that he was always reminding her that God loved her! I met my husband at the airport and so I could relate to how Nora and Titan meet at the train station 😍. There’s so much depth to this story and the bonds between family and how different families relate to each other. The break down of the characters true selves, how they act and relate to others based on their families and upbringing was refreshing. I enjoyed that it wasn’t superficial but went deep into the heart of their lives including Nora’s need for her father and that tempting thing to do of putting that father need into a man you fall in love with. Although this story is just the sweetest it was sad and forlorn as well making it like bitter chocolate that’s sweet and bitter. I wanted to savor each chapter I read. Such is life not fairytales and princes to the rescue but hard things we have to go through. Even through the hard Titan is always reminding Nora of God’s love.
Already, Nora had changed his life. His heart was not only caught up with concern for her family’s situation and interest in finding her missing father, but he was also invested in her happiness. God had given her to him to protect, but now that he’d completed his initial task, what did he intend for their future??
A great book about a young woman Nora who desires the return of her father home for Christmas and as a result puts herself in danger going to the station awaiting his return and a guy Titan who felt it's his Christian duty to help and protect her until it developed into something beautiful. I loved this book until we all share joy by Heather wood because of its wonderful word building and strong characters that are rooted in Christianity. I consider this book a must read for anyone interested in Christian historical romance. I loved how Titan and Nora's relationship started off as friendship and how Titan was always encouraging Nora to know that regardless of what was going on with her relationship with her earthly father God still loved her. I loved this statement from the book “I think . . . I can’t always see how it’s loving to have to stumble through broken relationships. Still, when I know to look for it, I can see that God is near, like a tender mother carrying me. It also makes a difference because I know that no matter what trials I face here, on the last day, everything will turn out all right. Broken things will be mended. The dead will be brought to life. Old will be made new. I can have confidence that love—God’s love—has the final word in my life. It changes everything.”
Received an ARC copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
A wonderful holiday installment in this series about two families I’ve grown to love.
I enjoyed getting to know the youngest Dinsmore brother, Titan, in this novella set in early Chicago—post Civil War and pre-Fire. He showed a maturity and independence that didn’t seem typical of a youngest son in a household of older siblings and their spouses. I liked the initiative he showed in helping the young lady he meets and his determination to forge a path so they can have a future together. It’s a sweet romance and I loved watching their relationship bloom and grow. I felt like I was in the carriage rides with them traveling around Chicago and enjoying dinner at the table with them in the manse because Ms. Wood does such a fine job of placing historical details without it feeling forced. It just feels like you’re there. And it’s always nice to see characters from the other novels, and see them in a new light from the main character’s perspective. I found Titan’s observations of Jack—the main character from the third book in the series—very entertaining.
The faith themes are woven so well throughout this book and the entire series. They might struggle and wrestle and doubt, but in the end, they always see the way clearly. And that’s a great reminder to us.
I was given an early copy of this book and I was glad to leave an honest review. All opinions are my own.
In Heather Wood's new Christmas novella, Until We All Find Joy is an addition to the author's Finding Home series. This was my first introduction to this author, and she clearly has a talent for storytelling. In this sweet romance, Miss Wood pens a heartfelt story of faith, love, and family relationships. The main characters are both well developed and endearing. This novella can be read as a stand-alone, but I think I would have had a better understanding of the characters' background had I had read the other books in the series. Regardless, I enjoyed the story and characters and think this would be the perfect read at Christmas time.
About the 📖
Titan Dinsmore loves his family, but as the youngest of five, he craves his older siblings’ respect—and a little distance. A chance meeting at the train station with a forlorn young lady turns into a growing attraction between them. But Titan soon discovers there is a difference between wanting to be treated as an adult and truly stepping up to lead. How can he help tenderhearted Nora see beyond her father’s abandonment and rest in the love of her Heavenly Father? And will his secret plan to restore her family for the perfect Christmas together win Nora’s undying admiration or only lead to greater heartache?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I've been wanting to try Heather Wood's books for a while now, and even have three of them on my TBR shelves! Until We All Share Joy is a novella that takes place at the same time as another of her books, and now that I've met the main family she writes about, I'm looking forward to her other books even more!
Until We All Share Joy begins at Christmastime when a young medical student, Titan Dinsmore, meets a young lady named Nora at a train station in Chicago. Over the course of the next year, Titan and Nora fall in love (though they stop waiting for trains after Christmas). I really appreciated how their relationship grew and changed gradually and naturally, and that they both took the time to get to know each others' families.
This book is not so much a romance as a coming-of-age story for Titan as he matures into manhood after feeling he's never taken seriously by his family since he is the youngest. Taking on responsibility and stepping out into a life of his own helps him to grow and change, and I liked getting to watch that happen.
I was asked to provide a promotional quote for this book and received a free copy from the publisher, but I was not required to review it. All opinions here are my own true opinions.
This is my first read by Heather Wood and it certainly won’t be my last. Until We All Share was such a sweet tender story. I loved and greatly appreciated the Christian message. It is a Christmas novella that can be enjoyed year round and while it is part of a series it works well as a stand alone. I loved that the story takes place over a year’s time bookended by Christmas.. This story came into my hands at a time I really needed to be reminded of the truths it shared. Cardinals now will forever make me think of this story and remind me of God’s love and the gift of His presence.
As a general rule, I rate all novellas as 3 stars as I find them too short for characters and plots to be fully developed as I like. By nature of their shortness, novella romances have to be rushed which I understand but not a big fan of. With the combination of this story taking place over a year and the Christian message that hit home to me Until We All Share Joy earned a 4 star from me.
I was gifted a ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I knew I was only going to have time to read one Christmas book this year, and I’m glad I picked this one! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t realize that it’s part of a larger series, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not having read the other books - although, I do want to read them now!
This is my second Heather Wood novel. I really love the way she naturally weaves faith into the characters’ thoughts and conversations. I feel like she must’ve done loads of research because reading this really feels like stepping back in time. I especially enjoyed watching the characters recognize the gifts God has given them. And that no matter what hardships they ever have to face, God will be with them. And, as Nora says, “…on the last day, everything will turn out all right. Broken things will be mended. The dead will be brought to life. Old will be made new” because God’s love prevails! This reminds me of 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. If you like Christian historical romance, you should really check out the Finding Home series!