Watch of Wand'ring Love: The Carols of Christmas

The Carols of Christmas #2

by Kendall Hoxsey

In the quiet hills of 1848 California, love is both a refuge—and a reckoning.
Constance Everston doesn’t know if her husband, a soldier fighting in the Mexican-American War, is dead or missing. Star Ranch—her home—is surrounded by opportunists, and she can’t run it alone. Haunted by grief, she’s nearly forgotten what it means to hope—until a wounded stranger collapses in her barn.
Adam McCleary carries more than scars from the battlefield. He holds a final message from Constance’s husband... and a dangerous secret that could cost them both everything.
As Christmas nears and old ghosts stir, Constance must decide whether to bury the past—or let love find her again. But when powerful enemies threaten to steal the ranch and lies twist loyalty into betrayal, she and Adam must stand together to protect the land, the truth, and a second chance neither expected.
A story of resilience, romance, and redemption set against the rugged beauty of Alta California, Watch of Wand’ring Love is a heart-stirring novella about loving after loss—and the courage it takes to begin again

Western danger with plenty of romance, Watch of Wand’ring Love captures the rugged land and strong souls in nineteenth century California. A tale of heartbreak and hope.
~Michelle Griep, Christy Award-winning author of Of Silver and Secrets

Filled with heartbreak, redemption, and hope, Watch of Wand'ring Love is a story that explores loss and the unconditional love that can restore the most broken of hearts. A tale to savor and an author to watch!
~Tara Johnson, Christy and Carol award finalist of Engraved on the Heart

Watch of Wand’ring Love by Kendall Hoxsey is a tender romance that paints a vivid picture of the west in the nineteenth century—a story rich with heartbreak, resilience, and hope. A new author to be watching.
~Ane Mulligan

Kendall Hoxsey shines in this heartwarming Christmas novella. With romance and intrigue, she wraps a delightful story around two wounded hearts. For readers who love Tracie Peterson or Janette Oke, this author is one to watch!
~Publishers Weekly Best-Selling Author, Jaime Jo Wright - The House on Foster Hill

Genres: Christmas

115 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2025

About the author

Kendall Hoxsey can be found amongst the vineyard rows in wine country dreaming up stories to hopefully find their way onto the page when she's not reading, cooking, or chasing after her two children and two French bulldogs. A lifelong lover of history, Kendall loves to weave her fascination with history into romantic historical tales. Luckily her own dashing hero husband provides plenty of inspiration.

Reviews

[Courtney Ranger · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful, beautiful heartwarming!!!!

Oh. My. This book was INCREDIBLE!!!!!! Kendall’s writing has blown me away. Yet. Again.

Constance is such a great character and wonderful role model. I love how she works through her trials and learns to rely on God and His blessings.

Adam is such a sweetie. I LOVED getting to see how he struggled with his past and grows as a result.

The THEMES in this book were written PERFECTLY!!!!!! It was just so… so… BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

Y’all, if you love Christmas, READ THIS BOOK!!! You will NOT regret it!!!

[Madisyn Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watch of Wand'ring Love is a Christian historical romance novella, and one of the participating stories in the Carols of Christmas multi-author series. As indicated by the book's title, this story incorporates "O Little Town of Bethlehem", and I love how Hoxsey did it.

Constance and Adam are dear main characters, and Euphadora is a fantastic secondary character. I enjoyed the faith and plot, and the ending is gently bittersweet.

Watch of Wand'ring Love also addresses infant loss. Hoxsey's portrayal is respectful, vivid, raw, and emotional, and there is one line in the final chapter that will both wreck you and touch your heart.

Content: infant loss, loss of a loved one, mentions of war, mentions of death. There's nothing gratuitous.

In conclusion, Watch of Wand'ring Love is a touching historical romance Christmas novella.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

5✨

I adored this book! 🥹🥰 The romance was the sweetest, I loved Adam and Constance. 💕💕💕 The themes of love and opening yourself up after loss were touching, and the epilogue nearly made me tear up. 😭💗 A perfect little romance set at Christmas time, but meaningful all year round. 🫶🏼 I didn’t want it to end. 🥹🥰

🎄✨🥧☕️🌛🍂

Content notes: Talk of a man being shot in war and the way it sounded (not graphic), and a woman briefly noticing a man when he is shirtless and doing manual labor.

(Thank you so much to the author for this arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own. 💗)

[Lover of books · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a good story. I had a hard time figuring out who's pov i was reading with the last couple of chapters.

[Anna (Crochetsavetheday) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short and sweet Christmas-themed novella. I’m a sucker for historical fiction and this was a great short read. Constance and Adam are two hurting people who find each other in the midst of their struggles. Ckntsnave is going to lose the ranch she and her husband worked so hard for. Johnny is going to come back, he is. Adam stumbles into her barn with a gunshot wound and a story. The old lady reporter was a fun addition to this story.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Obviously, with "the carols of Christmas" as a series title and a line from "O Little Town of Bethlehem" as a title, this book weaves in the old carol... and I love it! Every chapter had a few lines from the hymn as an epigraph, lines that connected to the chapter, and it was delightful to track. I haven't read many, if any, books set in California, especially ones that had to do with Californian history other than the Gold Rush, so I really appreciated that aspect of the book. The characters were engaging, and I enjoyed the sweet second-chance romance. I also really liked the message of God's support and love. But my favourite thing was some absolutely gorgeous chapters with simply BREATHTAKING description. This book has some of the best analogies/metaphors I've ever read.

Content: mentions of loved ones watching on from heaven; MC can "almost hear" them talking to her; mention of fate.

*As an editor, I read an early version of this book, but that in no way influences my review. I was not required to write a one, positive or otherwise. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*

[Kaitlin M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet historical romance novella set in the 1840s in California. This story features themes of loss, grief, forgiveness, truth, and learning to trust God through it all, even when we don’t understand. As a part of a Christmas Carol series, this story features O Little Town of Bethlehem.

We get to see both characters grapple with their faith after suffering through loss and guilt, and ultimately coming to a happy ending.

Thank you to Kendall Hoxsey for including me on her ARC team! I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute novella with forgiveness and redemption. Truth won out in the midst of uncertainty. Characters questioning God with the deaths that happened. This does have a HEA.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first foray into the author’s work but I found it interesting, inspirational, and heartwarming.

Short but fast-paced, this faith-centered novella grabs from the first lines, and easy to read but engaging style keeps you invested in the happily ever after. There is mystery, broken past, real issues, grief of loss, sweet romance, and of course God - One who cares and loves. This story of second chances at love and faith is truly beautiful.

I had a privilege to read an advanced copy and absolutely loved it! All opinions expressed are my own.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less Christmas focused than the first book, but it had an enjoyable plot. The lyrics from O Little Town of Bethlehem perfectly fit the theme of the story, with Adam looking after Constance. I really liked the message of the story and how the characters found their faith.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this 4 1/2 Stars!

I want to start by saying I received an ARC of this book. This is a clean Christian historical romance book and part of the series The Carols of Christmas. The main characters are Adam and Constance. Constance is waiting to hear from her husband who is fighting in the war. While she waits she discovers Adam hurt in her barn. She takes him in to help him heal. Adam came to give Constance a message from her husband. How will she feel when she receives the message? She is struggling to keep the ranch as she can’t do it on her own. Will Adam help her out? The more time they spend together the more they fall for each other. Will Constance open up her heart to Adam after what happened with her husband? I loved reading about Adam and Constance together. They are both hurting and find the healing they need. I love the Christian aspects in this book. Give it all to God. God has a plan. This is a short book so I won’t say anything else as I don’t want to spoil anything. Overall, I liked this book.

[Ashley Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watch of Wond’ring Love. This was such a beautiful story of healing and being able to open up again. Watching the characters struggle to let go of their guilt and grief really struck a chord with me. While this was just a short novella, it was a powerful one, full of healing, courage, and faith. It wasn’t overly Christmas-y so if you are looking for a quick read to get you thinking about Christmas, this is the one for you!

[Rhonda Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart was quickly caught up in this story. Constance has dealt with sudden loss: the death of a daughter and her husband gone to fight a war. Adam has known more than his share of loss from early on. Then lives intersect. “I don’t know what is true anymore. ..So much of the story was missing.. caught between shadows, unable to tell friend from foe.” Part of this is learning how to honestly process grief. Looking forward to reading again.

[Megan Mohler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, I liked it.

The story was great until the climax.. then it just was disappointing, predictable and had a couple of plot holes.

[Loretta F. Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little story with completely believable characters and simple romance. Both main characters question things in life, but it makes them truly human. The author handles the emotions well. The redemption in the story is heart-warming and realistic. Worth the read!

[Meagan Myhren-Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watch of Wand'ring Love
The Carols of Christmas
By Kendall Hoxsey


Constance Everston is determined to hold onto Star Ranch as she awaits word on her husband Johnny. Johnny is serving in the Mexican-American war and it has been months since Constance has heard from him. She's barely keeping the creditors away and each day she's slipping further behind.

When she finds a wounded man in her barn, Constance nurses him back to health. But this stranger is keeping a secret, a secret that could change Constance's life forever.

Adam McCleary wasn't just wounded in body but in spirit. He is carrying a secret guilt that could turn Constance against him, and he wouldn't blame her. Worse the secret he's keeping has put Constance and her home clearly in the sights of a dangerous foe, who will do anything to break her completely.

Adam and Constance need a Christmas miracle and a reminder of the gift of God's redeeming mercy and love.

Take a step back in time to 1848 with Watch of Wand'ring Love, a lovely and moving novella that is an enjoyable read. This book is part of the multi-author Carols of Christmas series, and is a standalone title celebrating new beginnings, second chances, and triumph over tragedy.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

[Lj · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short and very sweet novella with a somewhat bittersweet happily ever after. It deals with love and loss, trust and faith against the backdrop of Christmastime in California of the 1850s. The romance is sweet and gentle with some beautiful, evocative prose. The book is weaves in themes from the ol carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem" in clever and subtle ways. Overall, an enjoyable quick read.

I received an ARC and voluntarily leave an honest review.

[Jewel Carrie Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kendall Hoxsey’s Watch of Wand’ring Love is a sweet historical romance filled with amazing, old-fashioned names like Constance, Euphadora, and Thaddeus. I loved them. It's primarily set on a ranch in 1840s California. If you are wanting a cozy and heartwarming, quick read to get you into the Christmas season, this is it!

[Ami Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet, clean western style historical romance. I loved how good overcame evil, people forgave and learned to open their hearts, and everything turned out well by the end of the story! It wasn’t realistic but it sure was satisfying to read!

[Sherry Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a heartbreaking yet heartwarming story! While I’m not the biggest fan of the falling for my best friends widow trope, I think Constance knew for a long time that Johnny was gone so it was easier to fall in love with Adam.

[Kathy Crowder]

A sweet and loving story! I enjoyed reading this book about love, regret, and forgiveness. I enjoyed the personalities and stories of the FMC and MMC. And of course, I love the HEA!