A Log Cabin Christmas Collection: 9 Historical Romances during American Pioneer Christmases

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Experience Christmas through the eyes of adventuresome settlers who relied on log cabins built from trees on their own land to see them through the cruel forces of winter. Discover how rough-hewed shelters become a home in which faith, hope, and love can flourish. Marvel in the blessings of Christmas celebrations without the trappings of modern commercialism where the true meaning of the day shines through. And treasure this collection of nine Christmas romances penned by some of Christian fiction s best-selling authors."

Genres: Christmas, Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Christian, Historical

862 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, Wanda E. Brunstetter is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written close to 90 books translated in four languages. With over 10 million copies sold, Wanda's stories consistently earn spots on the nations most prestigious bestseller lists and have received numerous awards.

Wanda’s ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Her books are well-read and trusted by many Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.

When Wanda visits her Amish friends, she finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties. Wanda enjoys photography, ventriloquism, gardening, bird-watching, beachcombing, and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Richard, have been blessed with two grown children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

To learn more about Wanda, visit her website at www.wandabrunstetter.com.

Reviews

[⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hadn't heard of most of the authors in this collection, but being a fan of Wanda Brunstetter's work, I was interested in reading this. Unfortunately, I found most of the stories boring, the characterization lackluster at best, the romances usually rushed, and the plots predictable. While each story was short, I felt like I was trudging through them and I really dreaded picking up the book! I wouldn't recommend this book to others or re-read this during the Christmas season.

[Joleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

9 stories around the time of Christmas, years 1811-1885, all having cabins in them. Some stories were well done, like the ones by Jane Kirkpatrick, Liz Johnson and Liz Tolsma. Others were, um, not so good. So as to not be so negative, I won't elaborate.
Those three in particular make this book worth the read. Very easy reading for an afternoon.

[Jesseca Wheaton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehh, I really didn't like these too mcuh. Though one or two of them were good.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 stars:
Snow Angel - Maverick, TX/1885
A Star in the Night - Franklin, TN/1864
The Courting Quilt - Oregon/1867
The Dogtrot Christmas - Texas/ 1836
3 stars:
The Christmas Secret - Allentown, PA/1880
A Grand County Christmas - Grand County, CO
2 stars:
Christmas Trappings and Trimmings - London, England & Appalachian Mountains, Kentucky/1811
Under His Wings- Wisconsin/1875
Christmas Service - Minnesota/1875

Most of these stories takes place in December. There are a few that span most of a year. The stories all involve romance and faith. Some of them involve historical events. All have a happy ending. Some take the long way getting there. I didn't like some of the characters, but those were the stories that I didn't like. One I wanted a different story altogether. Overall, I was happy with the stories in this collection.

[A.M. Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Log Cabin Christmas Collection was a warm holiday read. Each story held my interest, but sadly all but one fell short for me. Overall it was a nice collection, but it's not my favorite Christmas novella set.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of these were charming and lovely fun distractions.

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overview: Experience Christmas through the eyes of adventuresome settlers who relied on log cabins built from trees on their own land to see them through the cruel forces of winter. Discover how rough-hewed shelters become a home in which faith, hope, and love can flourish. Marvel in the blessings of Christmas celebrations without the trappings of modern commercialism where the true meaning of the day shines through. And treasure this exclusive collection of nine Christmas romances penned by some of Christian fiction’s best-selling authors.

The first is Snow Angel by Margaret Brownley...What a delightful story of Two adults and 3 children being snowbound during a blizzard. Loved the interaction of all the stranded in this cold cabin.

The second The Christmas Secret by Wanda E Brunstetter is one of the best. Loved this story line, and you will wonder how this will all end. Elizabeth and David are destined to be together, or should they?

The third is Christmas Traps and Trimmings by Kelly Eileen Hake. This one will really have you chuckling. So funny!! Mina Montrose and her nurse Mrs Banks, leave England and go to Kentucky to Sam Carver. Life is never going to be the same for Sam!

The fourth is A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson...this one takes place during the Civil War. Cora Sinclair helps Union soldier Jeb Harrington.
This one is a sweet story that comes out of the ruins of War.

The Fifth story is The Courting Quilt by Jane Kirkpatrick...This one is a real fun read about Widow Mary Bishop and Salesman Richard Taylor. Richard pegs Mary as an elderly woman, because of her white hair...she was hit by lightening as a child. Richard is a charmer, and love the goings on with the woman in the community!

The Sixth Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma...is a sad story. This one is Adie and Noah's story. Adie has seen so much senseless death, her dreams are hunted by them. Can she fall for a soldier? Enjoyed this sweet story!

The Seventh The Dogtrot Christmas by Michelle Ule...This one is Luis and Molly's story. They come from completely different backgrounds, but both have a love for the Lord. Unknowingly they have a mutual friend. This one will wishing there was more!

The Eighth story..A Grand Country Christmas by Debra Ullrick. This one has a lot of sadness involved Awnya has lost her father and is basically starving to death. She is about to shoot a deer when she is met by and rescued by Amadeus. He takes her home to meet his mother and motherless children. Loved the interaction with the children, made you want to move in with them. You wonder if there can be a happy ending with his daughter's instant dislike of Awnya. Sweet story!

The Ninth and last story...Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch is a heartwarming and doing what God wants and not your will story. Beth is the local Pastor's granddaughter and Todd is the local Blacksmith.
You will wonder if Beth can accept help with all that is going on. There are some really humorous parts of this story. Be prepared to really laugh!

The things all of these novella's have in common is a love of God. They do all include log cabins and are set in different parts of the Country.
They are great short reads and I used them for just before going to sleep each night. Sweet dreams!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Barbour Publishing,
Inc.. 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.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Log Cabin Christmas is a collection of stories that are about 50 pages long. It is hard to believe that so much could be told with such a short length of story. All of the stories are centered around the 1800s, in a log cabin and Christmastime.

A Log Cabin Christmas includes:

Snow Angel by Margaret Brownley

An unexpected snowstorm traps a new school teacher, the town sheriff and three school children in a make-shift school house. All five people emerge from the storm and the school house changed after their interactions with each other.

The Christmas Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter

A young woman can't wait to get married on Christmas Eve. When she discovers an old journal that carries an family secret she needs to break off her engagement. Her fiance is determined to discover the truth of the journal, if only he could find her.

Christmas Traps and Trimmings by Kelly Eileen Hake

A young woman from England is unhappily engaged to be married to her cousin. Her father has died and she goes to America in search of her guardian and survives an earthquake.


A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson

In Confederate territory, a young woman finds a Union soldier. She and her grandfather nurse him back to health. After he is better, the soldier returns to Washington leaving his heart behind and taking the young woman's heart with him.

The Courting Quilt by Jane Kirkpatrick

A widowed female mercantile owner teams up with a charming salesman to get sales up. Soon several woman are speaking of getting married to the charmer.

Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma

A young woman marries a man out of convenience. Her father died and she needs protection from the men at a mining camp.

The Dogtrot Christmas by Michelle Ule

A man returns home from war only to find his land sold to someone else. He's determined to get it back. A young woman plans to marry out of pity, not love.

Grand County Christmas by Debra Ullrick

A young woman gets lost in a snow storm desperately looking for food. She is found by a man that takes her to his home, where he lives with his mother and three children. The woman is stranded there until the storm lets up.

Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch

A young woman feels she was born to be serve God by being a pastor's wife. A young man wants to court her but he is a blacksmith. The woman plans to pass up love to be true to her calling.

This collection of stories, apart from Christmas Traps and Trimmings, were all very heart warming at one point or another. I tried to read Christmas Traps and Trimmings but I could barely get through the first chapter. All of the stories are predictable. How could they not be with their length? I still liked them a lot. There is also sadness with the death of loved ones in every story. But love always wins in the end. All of the stories have a different writing style. I actually got teary eyed at the end of Grand County Christmas. I knew what was coming but the tears still came. I would recommend A Log Cabin Christmas to anyone who likes romance stories with some inspiration added to them.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: A LOG CABIN CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
Authors: Various
Publisher: Barbour Books
September 2011
ISBN: 978-1-61626-478-9
Genre: Historical/Christmas/romance

Love is the best Christmas Gift for the American Pioneer. This book is a collection of several stories but I am going to be featuring a few stories on different days this week to give you a taste of the book.

The Dogtrot Christmas by Michelle Ule – Molly Faires’ brother is building a dog trot cabin on land he bought. Luis Vasco de Carvajal has been off to war. Now he returns to find out that his brother-in-law, Manuel, has sold off his property to Anglos and his family all believes he was dead. Now, Luis wants his land back and the settlers gone. But the blond blue-eyed woman living on his land has won his attention. Will they be able to settle the differences between the white man and the Mexicans?

A Grand County Christmas by Debra Ullrich – Awnya O’Crean is starving to death. Her father has died, leaving her alone and now she is reduced to hunting for wild life in a blizzard to survive. But when she finds a deer just waiting to be shot, Amadeus Josef stops her, claiming that’s his pet. But then Amadeus takes Awnya to his home to give her meat since he kept her from getting game. Amadeus has three children and his mother to care for, but he wants a wife. Within an hour after meeting, Amadeus is praying that God will make Awnya his bride for Christmas which is mere weeks away. But what will it take to convince Awnya that he is serious?

Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch – Beth Sorensen has her future all mapped out. She wants to marry a preacher like her grandfather and her father and serve God along side her husband in the church. Todd Rambek is a blacksmith, but he likes Beth and wants to spend his life with her by his side. What will it take to convince Beth that you don’t have to be a preacher to serve God?

These are just three of the nine stories in this best selling collection of stories by nine different authors. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories and know that this book will become a treasured Christmas reading tradition for me and many other people for years to come.

If you are looking for a great Christmas book for a gift or for yourself, then you can’t go wrong with A LOG CABIN CHRISTMAS. A fantastic book. $14.99. 442 pages.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book because I really enjoy the historical fiction genre particularly during the pioneer period. The short stories were nice for light reading but after the first few, I realized that they all followed the same basic plot. It would have been nice to have a little variety and maybe a little more development after the marriage of the main characters. But then I guess that probably would have led to novels rather than a collection of short stories. Good for a quick one time read but it wouldn't stay on my bookshelf in hard copy for certain.

[Jennifer Spiliakos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories were better than others (the second story in the book read like bad fanfic, though), and my favorite was the first in the book, which made the rest of it a bit of a letdown, but overall it was a fun Christmas thing to read. Definitely has a Christian bend to it, but it's not too in your face or anything, nothing that would turn me off from reading the better stories again.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't read all the stories in this anthology. I was looking for something Christmasy to help me get into the spirit of the season. This book will work for you, if you like your stories sugary sweet. I discovered that I prefer to read a story that is primarily "noir" with a dash of sweetness thrown in at the end.

[Victoria (TheMennomilistReads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only liked about 4 of the stories out of the 9 that were placed in it. They all had a log cabin somehow involved in the story. They were Christian romances. I think I liked the last story the most. It seemed the most realistic to me.

[LeeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a perfect Christmas adventure. Snuggling up and going back in time, this compilation of several stories will engage and thrill you. A bonus is learning more about pioneers, both the struggles and the simplicity of life in the 1800's.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The romance in this book overshadowed good-story-telling for me; but it did have a positive holiday feel to it. The one I most enjoyed was Jane Kirkpatrick's; there is always something a little different about her writing.

[Cheryl Baranski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Log Cabin Christmas Collection. The Christmas Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter. This story was an excellent read. A refreshing novella that I thoroughly enjoyed. Travel back in time with and enjoy. 4.5 stars!

[Rachel Brand · Rating 4 out of 5]

GENRE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE
PUBLISHER: BARBOUR PUBLISHING
PUBLICATION DATE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2011
RATING: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS – VERY GOOD

PROS: Introduces readers to established authors and newcomers to the genre; perfect length of stories to read during the busy holiday season

CONS: Not ideal to read one story immediately after the other as the log cabin setting can get a bit repetitive

This endearing collection from Barbour follows on from the success of the previous year’s A Prairie Christmas Collection. Compiling short stories from popular and established authors in the historical genre as well as several newcomers, A Log Cabin Christmas features nine stories set in log cabins at varying locations and periods of American history. Ranging from typical homes built out of logs to log schools and stores and even a log church, the authors of A Log Cabin Christmas show readers how romance can blossom in every setting. Characters dream of living in log cabins, build homes from scratch and learn to overcome difficulties in this shared setting, across different locations and time periods at Christmastime in historical America.

As it is impossible to share my in-depth thoughts on all the stories in this collection I’ve picked out my ultimate favourites to share. While I didn’t have one outright favourite story in this collection, there were several that really stood out to me.

The Courting Quilt by Jane Kirkpatrick was one of these purely because it featured the most unique protagonists in the entire collection. Mary’s hair is prematurely white and as a result everyone believes her to be an elderly woman, and Richard was just as unusual with his different coloured eyes. This was more than just a straight-forward romance, featuring some humour in the fact that nearly all of the women in the story fell for Richard without him realising it. This was not a story that I forgot in a hurry and I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author, who already has several novels under her belt.

A Log Cabin Christmas also introduced me to a newer, less-established author who I’m certain will soon become more popular in the inspirational market: Liz Tolsma. I adored Under His Wings, the story of a young woman, Adie, who lives with her father at a logging camp and finds herself having to rely on one of the other loggers for protection when her father is killed in an accident. This was a slow moving romance as Adie took a while to respond to Noah’s offers of help. This touching tale will appeal to fans of marriage of convenience stories.

My love of all things German may have biased me towards A Grand Country Christmas by Debra Ullrick, but even those who aren’t so familiar with the language and the customs will enjoy this sweet tale of orphaned Awnya being taken in by Amadeus and his family just in time for Christmas. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, especially as the protagonists had a lot of chemistry between them which made their quickly blossoming relationship seem all the more realistic. The sizzle in their romance reminded me a bit of Vickie McDonough or Mary Connealy and made a much appreciated addition to this otherwise incredibly chaste collection. Readers who appreciate stories featuring characters from other ethnicities will likely also appreciate the Mexican-infused The Dogrot Christmas by Michelle Ule which, despite having a very different type of romance from that in A Grand Country Christmas, reminded in my mind long after I finished reading it.

I must also mention Margaret Brownley’s short story, which is the first in this collection. I was introduced to her work earlier this year and was pleased to discover that I enjoyed her shorter works just as much as her full-length novels. Snow Angels contained all of my favourite components in a romance, from being snowbound in a cabin to the addition of cute children to spur on the relationship between the hero and heroine.

There were no real duds in this collection, and I’ve refrained from going into detail about some other excellent additions to this collection purely due to the constraints of writing a review that isn’t so long that you’ll feel like you’re reading my university dissertation. So I must briefly mentioned Kelly Eileen Hake’s Christmas Traps and Trimmings, which stood out because of the details about Mina’s English upbringing and the disaster that brought her and Sam together, but isn’t a favourite simply because ended a bit too abruptly to make me truly love it. Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch is also worth reading for the message it gives about ways in which to serve God that many young women are likely in need of hearing, but this same message ended up making the heroine difficult to sympathise with.

I did find Wanda Brunstetter’s The Christmas Secret and Liz Johnson’s A Star in the Night to be the weakest stories in the collection, for very different reasons. I’ve never been a fan of Wanda’s style of writing and this was still the case in The Christmas Secret, but I will admit that the plot was quite original and kept my interest. A Star in the Night was a sweet, gently blossoming romance but lacked any chemistry between the characters, especially as the author continually reminded the reader that the protagonists never spent time alone indoors together, which even in a historical setting felt a bit forced. I still enjoyed reading both of these stories despite their flaws, and it wouldn’t stop me from recommending this collection.

A Log Cabin Christmas is a collection to be savoured over a matter of weeks, not hours, and the length of the stories makes it easy to pick up and put down again during the busy holiday period. Historical romance readers will be pleased to see stories many popular authors in the genre featured, and to discover some new writers who will hopefully come to be just as admired.

Review title provided by Barbour Publishing.

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1. Snow Angels by Margaret Brownley
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but then again, the "snowbound with a handsome stranger" theme is a favourite of mine. From the sweetness of A Very Special Delivery by Linda Goodnight to the raciness of 80s romance, Montana Man by Barbara Delinsky, I simply cannot resist this sort of storyline. The children who were also stuck in the cabin made this story even more enjoyable, and it was endearing seeing the two main characters connecting with them. My only complaint would be that the two characters were completely oblivious to their attraction to each other and their internal thoughts on this just took it a bit too far. Why not just admit that you find the other person appealing? After one too many thoughts along the lines of "Wait, why I am thinking of her like that?" I feel compelled to drop the rating to 9/10.

2. The Christmas Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter
The premise of this story - bride-to-be finding a letter that reveals a family secret that means she cannot get married - was definitely appealing, despite my trepidation at reading something written by Wanda E. Brunstetter. Despite how popular her books are, I always leave them disappointed and just do not enjoy her style of writing. Thankfully, the shortness of this story forced me to dwell more on the plot than Wanda's writing techniques and I found myself quite enjoying this. While I did spot her trademark of filler-sections which involve conversations that barely, if at all, actually move the plot along, I was still able to enjoy this story. I'm not a massive fan of plots where everything can be cleared up with a simple conversation, but this was a pleasant way to pass the time. 7/10

3. Christmas Traps and Trimmings by Kelly Eileen Hake
I loved the introduction to this story, where Mina and her guardian trick the lawyer into thinking that she's getting married and needs money for her trousseau. It was such an original start to the story and it was interesting having the novella start in England. I'm not sure if this story was shorter than the others but it definitely felt like it was, so when we got to the end of the novella I was expecting another chapter and was surprised that it ended so abruptly. Mina and Sam went from hating each other to falling in love just because of the avalanche and the letter. I just felt like this novella needed a bit more to it, maybe another chapter or so. Still, the combination of Mina's English ancestry and the avalanche made for an interesting read, as always with Kelly Eileen Hake's stories. 8/10

4. A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson
I was intrigued by the premise of this story of a Southern woman caring for a wounded Union soldier during the Civil War. I studied the US Civil War for the entirety of my final year of high school, but in all honesty, I think this is the first romance I've read set during that war. I enjoyed reading about the slow-blossoming relationship between Cora and Jed, and it was nice to see how they gently fell for each other rather than being pushed into the situation by a sudden event. But still, it was just a nice story. I didn't really get any sense of how deep their love for each other and there was no feeling of passion or even chemistry between them. The story got a bit holier-than-thou at one point, when after Jed and Cora share their first kiss they make sure they never spend any time alone together inside the cabin, and Jed only enters the cabin when Cora's father is there. Yet it's okay for them to be alone together in the woods? Temptation doesn't only exist behind closed doors! Anyway, the author's need to mention that they didn't spend any time alone together seemed really forced and unnecessary, even for the time period. They'd spent plenty of time alone together before the kiss and I don't thin that one kiss meant that they would suddenly jump on each other and be unable to control their desires if they were alone in the cabin. There were several other similar comments throughout the story and it just left a bad taste in my mouth, so to speak. Even coming from a Christian, some bits of this story were a bit preachy and holier-than-thou. Some things could easily have been left unmentioned regarding the couple's over-the-top propriety. This combined with the fact that the story was cute but nothing really special docks the rating a bit. 7/10

5. The Courting Quilt by Jane Kirkpatrick
It took me a while to get into this story and I'm not sure if this is because it was slow moving initially or because I kept getting interrupted when I started reading it. But despite this, I really enjoyed it once I got to know the characters. Mary is such a unique character, and very well developed considering that this was a short novella. The secondary characters were equally colourful and definitely made this story stand out from the others in the collection. And I loved the mix up over the quilt "test"! I didn't feel like I got to know Richard as well as I did Mary, but maybe this was just because was so well developed. 9/10

6. Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma
I love marriage of convenience stories and I enjoyed seeing how Adie and Noah drew closer together thanks to being in such close proximity all the time as Noah tried to protect Adie from Drew. This story also didn't shy away from some of the dangers of an unmarried woman being around men who of ill-repute who had been away from any other women for a long time, which while being very unpleasant is entirely representative of some situations that women find themselves in. I really enjoyed reading about Adie working with Cookie making the meals for the men at the camp and Noah trying to figure out what made Adie tick and their growing chemistry, but their romance just seemed a little too short, maybe because there were several chapters before the two characters properly got together. And the ending was entirely too convenient to be really believable, and everything happened so fast - the husband being found and brought back to the cabin, the bad guy being got rid of in a very convenient and vague manner, and the contents of Adie's letter solving all their problems. Maybe if the last few pages had been spread over a whole chapter it would have seemed more realistic, but perhaps the author met her word count. Either way, this dropped from a 10/10 to a 9/10 at the end.

7. The Dogtrot Christmas by Michelle Ule
I enjoyed the blend of Mexican and American culture in this story, as I feel that so many Christian novels are written about white Christians. It was nice to see this author embracing the fact that you can be a Christian no matter what your culture or ancestry is. But I did feel that there wasn't much romance to this story. The protagonists didn't spend a lot of time together and didn't even consider each other as love interests until near the end of the story. More focus was placed on Luis coming to know Christ than there was on him getting to know Molly! While I don't have any problem with stories focusing on a character's spiritual journey, this story was marketed as a romance so this was a bit of a disappointment. As interesting as the cultural aspects of this story were, it was severely lacking in romance. 8/10

8. A Grand Country Christmas by Debra Ullrick
I really enjoyed this story, mainly because it contained two of my favourite components: a snowbound couple and German characters. I spent two months in Germany in my last year of high school and actually started out studying a joint degree with German, so I love novels peppered with German phrases (one of the reasons I love Amish fiction so much), plus the Germans have the best Christmas food! Stollen and lebkuchen! The romance in this story was lovely, and it was refreshing to see chemistry between the characters that was akin to Mary Connealy or Kelly Long. There was also a little bit of mystery in this story, but I felt that it was pushed to the side a little because of the romance and the word constraints of being a novella, so that makes me drop my rating a bit as it made the ending seem a bit sudden. I also felt that Awnya didn't totally deal with the issues with her new daughter, that situation seemed to be wrapped up a little too fast. 9/10

9. Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch
This story provided a lot of food for thought, even today. I often feel that the more obvious ministries are seen as the more important ones, and the people who put out the chairs on a Sunday morning or wind microphone cables after the service don't provide as much to the church as the minister or pastor. Beth believes she's been "called" to be a pastor's wife because her mother and her grandmother were married to pastors and this seems to be the most noble calling. Blacksmith Todd makes her rethink her preconceptions and realise that maybe God has another plan for her life, not the one she had always expected. There's a lot to be said about service and what it really means to serve in this book which I appreciated, even if found Beth to be quite annoying and self-centred. 8/10

Overall: 8/10

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Log Cabin Christmas Collection: 9 Historical Romances during American Pioneer Christmases (Barbour Christmas Collections)*****
by Wanda E. Brunstetter, Margaret Brownley, Kelly Eileen Hake, Jane Kirkpatrick, Liz Johnson, Liz Tolsma, Michelle Ule, Debra Ullrick and Erica Vetsch

1-Snow Angel by Margaret Brownley
1885, Maverick, Texas....Sheriff Brad Donovan seems to be spending a lot of time hearing complaints regarding the new school teacher, Maddie Parker, the school board hired 2 months earlier from Boston. Maddie's students keep her on her toes, especially a mischievous and most challenging 11-year-old boy, Jimmie Madison. This is a fun story with humor, challenges, a wondering bear, a blizzard, overcoming hardships, love and faith. I chuckled at some of the comments the children came up with at times. Enjoyed the interactions between Brad and Maddie and between Maddie and Jimmie.

2-The Christmas Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter
1880..Allentown, Pennsylvania...Elizabeth Canning is getting married on her 21st birthday on Christmas Eve and plans to live in her family's cabin. In preparation for that day, Elizabeth sets out to clean the small cabin from top to bottom and finds her aunt's journal. Curious, she reads part of the journal and finds a shocking discovery which changes everything—even her upcoming wedding. David Stinner is shocked as well when his future bride leaves a note calling off the wedding without an explanation and disappears. There is more than one surprise in this story, jealously, lies, secrets, trust broken and restored, forgiveness, regrets, tears—even had me in tears—and laughter, love and faith. Great heartwarming story.

3-Christmas Traps and Trimmings by Kelly Eileen Hake
October 1811 London, England....Wilhemina—Mina Montrose is the heiress to the Montrose fortune. But there is a plot at work to take her fortune unless she can come up with a plan to stop it quickly—but how? December 1811 Appalachian Mountains, Kentucky...her guardian, Sam Carver is a fur trapper is shocked when his ward, Wilhemina along with her old-nurse unexpectedly show up at his cabin. Needless to say, more than the earth shakes and rumbles when these two meet. I admired Mina's take-action attitude, courage and perseverance as she leaves all she has known far behind and travels—escapes really—to the unknown—unknown guardian and country. I like how even though Sam didn't want her there he made room for her in his very small cabin. It was fun to see how Mina and her old-nurse immediately tried to take over the cabin and how Sam responded to that. Fun, humorous, heartwarming story.

4-A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson
December 1864, Franklin, Tennessee....Cora Sinclair is trying to deal with the horror she has witnessed while caring for wounded soldiers from battles in the Civil War. Living with her grandfather it is hard to keep the nightly nightmares from him. She comes across a wounded Yankee soldier propped up against a tree near their home—Confederate territory. What should she do—leave him here to die or take him home and care for him until he is able to travel? Could she keep his presence in her home a secret, what if he is discovered? Jedediah—Jed Harrington has been shot but he needs to get to Washington right away. He has no choice but to place his life in the hands of Cora and her grandfather. He promises to stay til Christmas and gather his strength before he leaves—but he never promised to return. I enjoyed this story very much. I like the way Cora and her grandfather cared for an “enemy” soldier even though it was dangerous to do so. I was hoping Jed and Cora could find their way around their different backgrounds and possibly love. Great heartwarming story.

5-The Courting Quilt by Jane Kirkpatrick
1867 Willamette Valley, Oregon....Widowed Mary Bishop continues to run the story she and her late husband started. The first time someone meets Mary, they think she is older than she really is due to her white hair—she was struck by lightening when she was 12-years-old causing her hair to turn white. Along comes a young salesman, Richard Taylor to sell Mary thread. Richard is memorable, one eye is blue and the other eye is brown. They strike up a partnership of sorts with some humorous situations and misunderstandings. I found myself laughing at parts of the story and could see where the misunderstandings could lead to trouble—which it did. Great story.

6-Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma
1875 Camp Twelve, Wisconsin...Adie O'Connell longs to live in a cabin on a farm and not travel around to lumber camps with her father, serving meals to rowdy lumberjacks—especially one lumberjack. When her father is gravely injured he asks Noah Mitchell—Preacher Man, as the lumberjacks call him—to care for his daughter if something happens to him, keep her safe from the other lumberjacks. Noah is saving up to attend seminary and become a pastor but he couldn't say no. There is only one thing that would guarantee Adie's safe, marry Noah—they hoped but trouble soon comes. There is much to like about this story. Adie and Noah are characters that I felt drawn to. Of course, there are some unsavory characters too. Very interesting story.

7-The Dogtrot Christmas by Michelle Ule
1836 East Texas...Molly Faires lives with her brother, Jamie and his son, Andy in their new home in East Texas. It is not easy building a dog-trot cabin with a breezeway between the close cabins and watching 15-month old toddler, but Molly and Jamie are young and strong. Luis Vasco de Carajal comes home from war and learns his brother-in-law sold off his land—the land Molly and Jamie now own. He is determined to get his land back. Great story of hardships, loss, forgiveness and love and the differences between two cultures who serve the same God. I find dog-trot cabins interesting.

8-A Grand County Christmas by Debra Ullrick
Colorado high country...Awnya O'Crean's father has died, something or someone has taken all her meat and she is very hungry. She has a deer in her sights and just before she shoots a huge hand covers hers and prevents her from firing. A giant of a man stood before her and says the deer is his pet—his pet! Amadeus Josef takes her to his home—a very strange looking cabin, one cabin on top of another cabin with animals under the top cabin. Amadeus lives with his three children and his mother. His two sons take to Awaya right away but his daughter does not like her at all. Because of the blizzard Awaya stays far longer than she had planned. One day she notices a gun hanging over the fireplace that looks like her father's missing gun—it has his initials on it. Did Josef kill her father? This is a heartwarming story of two families coming together and finding love after much heartache and struggles in their lives. I love how Josef took Awnya in and cared for her.

9-Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch
1875 Minnesota North Woods, Grand Rapids....Beth Sornesen is sure she will marry a preacher some day and will not be courted by any other man. To prove to herself and the community she takes on a bit more than she can handle but decides not to delegate or ask for help—after all a preacher's wife should be able to do everything, right? Blacksmith Todd Rambek wants to court Beth but she said no. Not a man to give up, he prays that God would change her heart or his. Things don't go well for the Christmas program, disaster strikes hours before the program causing Beth to feel like a failure in so many ways. Todd to the rescue and rounds up everyone to help make the Christmas program the best. I love how Todd continued to show his love to Beth despite her saying no to his courting him. Beth's character shows how we can get in over our heads when we follow our own leading and not God's. I am sure it was humbling for her but a good lesson to learn. I love the part when disaster struck—not that a disaster happened, but the way it happened—had me chuckling. Great heartwarming story.

~I was gifted an e-book copy of this book from Carrie Fancett Pagels, this is my honest review~

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nine different stories and authors make this book well worth reading. They all involve a log cabin, whether it be a honeymoon cabin or a mercantile store built out of logs they all come together for heart warming stories.

©2011 Snow Angel by Margaret Brownley
Maddie Parker is the new schoolteacher in Maverick, Texas. She is complained about daily to Sheriff Donovan. He was against hiring a city born teacher in the first place.
Now the school board was back telling him how she kept the kids after school for the Christmas program practice and it was snowing. Being there had been a fire in town the school was in a cabin out a ways.

Maddie is stranded with Jimmy, Sophie and Brandon. Jimmy can't sit still and constantly fights with Sophie. Sophie is continually reading every rule and letting everyone know if they have broken one. Brandon don't speak. His father died in the fire and he quit speaking. Sheriff Donovan lost his family around Christmas and don't celebrate. He goes off to search for the missing teacher and kids and ends up stranded with them in the schoolhouse. Two days that changes all their lives. Excellent story!

©2011 The Christmas Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Have Kleenex nearby as you read David and Elizabeth's story. Elizabeth was preparing the small cabin that they would live in when they married on Christmas Eve, her birthday. Her mother's father had built the cabin and her parents started their marriage in it as well. When her mother died when she was eight her father moved them to town as he the memories in the cabin were too much for him.

While cleaning Elizabeth finds her Aunt Lovina's journal. She never met her aunt and no one knew where she was. In the journal a secret is revealed that changes Elizabeth's life. She goes home and packs, leaves David a note saying she can't marry him and tells her best friend Helen she is leaving and why.

David does not give up on finding why she has left and how to resolve it. Great story but it does bring on the tears.

©2011 Christmas Traps and Trimmings by Kelly Eileen Hake
Mina Montrose has to full her solicitor into giving her enough money to escape to America with her nurse Mrs. Banks. After her fathers death and her father's solicitor passing away the new man and her cousin conspired to get her wealth. Either she marry Elton or he would have her put away as being crazy.

She gets to American and they find Samuel Carver. Sam is happy in his Kentucky cabin. He has been doing well getting furs to sell and wants to get out of debt and stand on his own feet, without his brothers help back in England.

He tries to turn away the two women brought to him but loses that battle and many more. Sam quickly sees the strength in this young woman who is his ward. She may be a Lady from England but she was brave and strong.
A very heartwarming story.

©2011 A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson
Cora Sinclair lives with her grandfather. She has just returned from helping with the injured soldiers and trying to keep the nightmares of what she witnessed at bay. As she stops by a tree and lets her emotions out she notices some gold and then sees she is looking at a Union soldier who is injured. She gets papa and they bring the man to their home.

Jed Harrington had been shot and needed to be on his way back to Washington with his information. He was hoping he could trust these folks not to turn him in. He tried to leave once but ended up back at their home, he was too weak to travel.

Jed promised Cora to stay until Christmas in two weeks. Gaining strength and helping repair the cabin in the meantime and trying not to fall for each other. Jed was determined to be a lifetime soldier. When he left there were no promises of return. Another great story in this novella.

©2011 The Courting Quilt by Jane Kirkpatrick
I enjoyed Jane's characters in this story. We have Mary Bishop who is a widow and running the store she built with her husband, a log cabin. Mary was hit by lightening when she was 12 and has white hair so people assume she is older then her thirty years. Richard Taylor comes to sell Mary thread and she talks him into a partnership where he goes by cart to the houses to sell her store items as it was in her plans and now that two bigger stores have moved into the area she needs to do something different. Richard seems like a cute and charming boyish personality. All the women he sells too have assumed he is going to marry them by his innocent encouragement. He also two different colored eyes. Laird Lawson is wife hunting and has Mary in his sights. You feel for him and his loneliness but he is not the man for Mary. Great story!

©2011 Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma
Adie travels to the lumber camps with her dad. Since her mother's death 7 years ago her dad can't settle down. This camp has a man who keeps bothering her but her day and Cookie protect her from Derek Owens.
At one meal Preacher Man defended her.

As Noah and Quinn, Adie's father, cut down a tree it goes wrong and Quinn don't get out of the way quick enough. His dying words are for Noah to take care of Adie. After Owen attacks her Adie finally agrees to marry Noah in name only. It still don't stop Owens from threatening both of them.

For Christmas Adie decides to give Noah his freedom come spring. He was saving to become a pastor and had to give up his dream for her. She just wants a farm and a log cabin like she had before her mom died.
All the stories in this book so far have been really good. Each with their own twist involving a log cabin.

©2011 The Dogtrot Christmas by Michelle Ule
Luis comes home from war with a hardened heart. His land has been sold to Anglos. The beautiful woman is married to the anglos on his land and he don't trust his brother in law who has sold his land while he was fighting the war.
Molly is beginning a new life with her brother and nephew in Texas. They have lost all their family, including Jamie's wife. She is intrigued by Luis.
It is a story of different cultures but one God. About forgiveness and love. About getting through the tough times and starting new again.
Another great story.

©2011 A Grand County Christmas by Debra Ullrick
You may want to keep a box of kleenex handy for this one. What a great story. Awnya is about to shoot a deer, she is starving. Her father died 7 weeks ago, all their meat was taken by supposedly a wild animal although she did not believe that. She was not sure her father's death was natural either. Before she can shoot a hand covers hers and stops her.
Amadeus takes Awnya to his home with his mother and three children. He prays to God that this woman could be his Christmas gift. The boys take to her but his daughter is mean to her and clearly dislikes her. Because of the snow storm she ends up in his home longer then expected. She can't help but notice the gun above the fireplace that is so much like her fathers that had gone missing. When she sees his initials in it she has to wonder if this man murdered her father.

A wonderful story of losing everything and trying to hang on to faith anyways.

©2011 Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch
Beth's family had a long line of Pastor's. If she would have been a male she would have been. Her mother always told her she was destined to be a Pastor's wife. So when Todd the blacksmith asked her grandpa if he could court her, Beth told her grandpa no.

Todd believed Beth was the one God chose for him. When she declined him to court her he prayed God would change her heart or his. He was having a hard time not loving her.

Beth put together a Christmas program so she could prove what a could wife she would be for a preacher. She took control of everything and did not delegate well. When disaster hit just hours before the program she lost it. A mere sheep helped make life clearer then anything.
A cute and heart warming story and many good lessons in it as well.

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a collection of nine wonderful short stories by nine wonderful authors. They all take place in log cabins, in different states, in the 1800s. There are several reasons I loved this book. First it deals with log cabins which I think are some of the most romantic buildings ever. The stories all happen in my favorite time period in history. If I could go back in time that would be the time period I would wish to live in. The final reason I loved this book was because it was written by nine extremely talented writers, a few I was unfamiliar with, which gave me the opportunity to experience their writing. Each short story is about fifty pages long. I’ve had the book for quite some time. Whenever I wanted to read something but had limited time I would pick the book up. For me reading a book of Christmas stories is just as special in July as it is in December. So let’s talk about these nine stories.
I have to say “Snow Angel” by Margaret Brownley was my favorite. Miss Parker comes west to teach in this one room school house. A lot of the parents don’t have a lot of faith in her ability to survive there. When she and three children are stuck in the school house due to a blizzard, the sheriff must go out to find them. They all end up stuck there. They all have personal issues that make this at times a heart-wrenching and at times a hilarious story.
I’ve read many books by Wanda Brunstetter. In “The Christmas Secret” while preparing the house for a Christmas Eve wedding, bride-to-be Elizabeth finds a journal that holds a secret. The secret is enough to make her run away. Now it is up to the groom-to-be to find her and together work things out.
“Christmas Traps and Trimmings” by Kelly Hake gives you an idea of what life was like for women in the early 1800s. They had little say over their lives. Mina has been promised to a cousin in marriage. She sets off for American with her nurse in search for Sam her guardian and find themselves in an earthquake. This story shakes up their lives in more than one way.
“A Star in the Night” by Liz Johnson is another one I loved. I am very familiar with Franklin, Tennessee. This is set during the Civil War. A Yankee soldier is found near Cora’s cabin in Confederate territory. Cora is dealing with the horrors she has seen in this war while she and her grandfather nurse this man back to health. With their hearts entwined can there be a happily ever after for them?
“The Courting Quilt” by Jane Kirkpatrick shows the lengths unmarried women would go to in finding a husband. Richard is a traveling salesman and partners with Mary to help sell her goods. One of his tactics has him convincing women he will propose to them if they “meet the test” as a quilter. From this you know things are going to be hopping.
“Under His Wings” by Liz Tolsma is the story of two people who find themselves in a unique situation. Adie cooks for the lumber camp and lives in a cottage with her father. This is her protection. Noah is working to save money to go to seminary and become a preacher. Then Adie’s father is killed in an accident. She is fair game for all of these men as the only female in camp. Noah is there to protect her if she will only allow him to, even if it is a marriage of convenience.
takes place in the Minnesota North Woods in 1875. Beth Sorenson is convinced that she can only be a minister's wife and Todd Rambek, a mere blacksmith, will never do. After all her family has been ministers and wives of ministers for several generations and as a minister's wife she can be in service. The Christmas program that Beth is putting together can only be done by her, no one else is capable of doing it right. But when the unexpected happens and everything seems ruined can Beth learn a valuable lesson in service and see what is right in front of her? Or will Beth drive away those who care for her with her attitude?
“The Dogtrot Christmas” by Michelle Ule takes place in Texas. While a man is off to war his land is sold without his permission. He returns to finds a brother and sister building a dogtrot cabin. If you don’t know what this is the look it up. It is quite fascinating and resourceful. Luis must learn to forgive and Molly may just be the one to help him heal.
brother-in-law Manuel or will peace elude him? Can Molly's kindness help a soul damaged by war?
“A Grand County Christmas” by Debra Ullrick takes place in Colorado. This is a story of loss yet we find God’s goodness through this loss. Widower Amadeus finds Awyna freezing and starving outside his cabin. She’d been out looking for food and got lost. She stays with him and his three children and his mother until the weather breaks. She returns home only to find she’s lost everything. But, sometimes the loss of one thing leads us to what great thing God has for us.
“Christmas Service” by Erica Vetsch is one of those stories that can step on your toes. I remember telling my parents I felt God calling me to be a missionary. I was sure I was going to be a missionary like the many I’d grown up learning about. This seems funny because I was such a shy person. I asked a missionary how I could have been so wrong when I became a teacher. That missionary told me that missionaries come in all kinds of packages and for me it was the package of a teacher. So when I read this story about Beth who believes she needs to marry a preacher because that is the only way she can serve God I got tickled. She had a great man, Todd, a blacksmith in front of her that wanted to court her but she couldn’t see it for her own blinders. Sometimes God has to allow drastic things to happen to open our eyes.

This book is filled with stories that show God’s infinite love for us as we bumble along in life. It doesn’t matter that these stories took place in the 1800s because they are just as appropriate to today. You know the saying, same situation different setting. I definitely recommend this book and would not wait until Christmas time to enjoy it. We should celebrate the true meaning of Christmas year round.

[Brandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always feel guilty giving books bad reviews, but I cannot, in good conscience give this book anything but... I normally like Wanda Brunstetter's works, but even she could not save this collection of stories. One or two were okay, but the others were trying, tedious, and sometimes, downright painful to read. A couple boil down to "Oh, what a horrible man", "Oh, what a slow-witted woman", "Let's get married!". For what was supposed to be inspirational stories, some of these couples sure moved awful quick and some were just downright unlikable.

I wanted to throw this book on the railroad tracks, but Mom harassed me into reading it simply because, "It's a book." It actually took me months to finish it because I absolutely did not want to. I finally finished it just to get rid of it. I do regret giving such low stars to a book, but, unfortunately, this one was just that bad.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these stories. I saw this book on one of my friend's feed on Instagram and I knew that I wanted to read it. I read them over our Christmas break and it was a great way to get in the spirit. The collection was what I imagined it to be. They are brief, little short stories, so you aren't going to get a ton of three-dimensional characters or story lines that are well-rounded out. With that in mind, I thoroughly appreciated the plots and liked the love stories that were all entwined around Christmas and having simple holidays in log cabins. It was a fun, delightful read and I gained authors from the sampling of the stories that I am going to look further into. On top of that, I found many other books in the same category that I am also very interested to read. Win/win!

[Alysha (For The Love of Christian Fiction) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love novella collections, and this one didn’t disappoint!

Each author wrote a lovely quick romance centered on God and His plan. And all around Christmas time. 😉

My favorite story was probably Snow Angel by Margaret Brownley. Though they were all great! ❤️

Overall I give this book a 4/5 star, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fast paced love stories.

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Log Cabin Christmas is a collection of 9 short stories that all have to do with finding love during Christmas time. Each story has a log cabin in it, whether it’s a school, church or home. All of the stories were heartwarming and sweet. Each story can be read in one sitting. I enjoyed all of the stories. but my favorites were, the Christmas Secret and The Courting Quilt. Here is a recap of each story.
The first story was Snow Angels by Margret Brownley set in Texas in 1885. This short story is about Maddie Parker who is the new school teacher from Boston. Most of the families do not like her and the sheriff does not either. One evening as the kids are staying to practice for the Christmas program a snow storm suddenly leaves them stranded in the old cabin being used for a school. The sheriff goes out to find them and ends up getting stranded with them. What will happen to the teacher, sheriff, and the three students who are trapped at the school? Will the sheriff get over his bad feelings toward the new teacher?
The second story was The Christmas Secret by Wanda Brunstetter is set in Pennsylvania in 1880. Elizabeth and David are planning to get married and live in the cabin where her parents first lived together. One day Elizabeth is cleaning the cabin in preparation for wedding and finds an old journal. The journal contains a secret about her deceased mother that could destroy her future.
The third story was Christmas Traps and Trimmings by Kelly Eileen Hake. Mina Montrose travels with her nurse Belinda to Kentucky to find her guardian Sam Carver. She is running to prevent being forced into marrying her cousin. When she gets to Sam’s cabin they experience an earthquake that will shake up a lot of things. This story was really interesting because it is set in the state which I love and gave some history about the earthquake.
The fourth story was A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson. This story is set in Tennessee. Cora Sinclair finds a Yankee soldier in the snow on her way home one night and takes him home to her log cabin to care for him. The soldier Jed stays with Cora and her grandfather. Jed and Cora fight the feelings they have for each other because they both know he will have to go back and fight the war. Will they ever be able to love each other?
The fifth story was the Courting Quilt by Jane Kirkpatrick and is set in Oregon in 1867. Mary Bishop runs a store in a log cabin built by her and her deceased husband. She has been praying for a long time for an answer to her problems of not making enough money with the store due to more modern stores coming in the area and taking her business. When a salesman comes to sale his thread, Mary sees him as the answer to her prayers and they start a business together. Richard takes a cart around the area to sale Mary’s goods to the ladies who do not get out much. All the ladies start falling in love with Richard and compete to be his bride. Mary is starting to fall in love with him too, but will her white hair make him think she is older than she really is? Everything comes out at the church bazaar. Will any of the ladies get him?
The sixth story was Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma and takes place in Wisconsin in 1885. Adie O’Connell’s farther dies in a logging accident at a work camp. Adie is left alone. Adie’s father asks Noah to take care of her if anything should happen to him. Adie feels like she does not need protecting. Can Noah convince her that she does?
The seventh story was Dogtrot Christmas by Michelle Ule and is set in Texas in 1836. Molly and her brother James are building a dogtrot cabin on a new claim. James lost his wife and Molly has cared for James and his son. James and Molly are worried when they find out that the claim they bought was never sold by the original owner. Will they lose their land? Will Molly and James find happiness in this new land? I liked the Mexican culture that was woven in this story.
The eighth story was A Grand Country Christmas by Debra Ullrich. Awyna lives alone after her father is found dead and something or someone steal all of her meat stored. She is forced to go out in the winter storm and hunt for food. She finds a deer but Amadeus Josef stops her from shooting it saying the deer is his pet. He promises to take her in from the storm and feed her. She goes and stays with him, his mother and his children during the storm. Awnya tries to help the family deal with the loss of their mother especially Amadeus’ older daughter. When Awnya finally goes home, she finds everything is stolen that she possesses. Amadeus takes her home. Can they ever be a family?
The ninth story was Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch. Beth Sorenson wants nothing more than to be a preacher’s wife. So what will she do when Todd Rambec comes wanting to court her and him a mere blacksmith? The two work on the church Christmas program together where Beth learns many things thanks to Todd. Will Beth ever be able to accept Todd as a courting partner or will her desire to be a preacher’s wife win out?
I received an e-copy of this book from Barbour through Net Galley. I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions are my own.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I found that most of the stories kept me interested and delighted. I was only familiar with two of the authors works so it was fun to have some new styles to read. Since there were so many stories in this book, I decided to rate them individually as I read. So, Here is the line up.


-Snow Angel by: Margaret Brownley
Rating: five Stars

This story was absolutely excellent!

Maddie Parker was a teacher in a new teaching position who found herself stuck in a soddy with her students during a snow storm. Maddie was courageous. She managed to keep her students orderly and calm even while realizing the danger they were in.

Sherrif Brad Donovan was the expected hero. He spent time listening to one complaint after another about the new school teacher. As a keeper of the peace, he didn't hesitate to go out into the storm and try to help Maddie and the kids. Even if he did think she was a ridiculous female. And when he finally tracked down the school, he went right to work assessing the situation and finding ways to keep them all safe and warm.

I enjoyed seeing how Brad and Maddie worked together to take care of the kids. I like too, jow they both found unexpected strengths in each other and how the children's needs were their first priority. Maddie and Brad's love story was really sweet.

At the beginning of each chapter there was a saying from one of Maddie's Students. It was their take on the Christmas story and it was adorable. Kids see Jesus' birth in such a magical and unique way and it was so much fun to read their own versions of the story with each new chapter.


-The Christmas Secret by: Wanda E. Brunstetter

I ended up skipping this novella. It was the only one in the book that I did skip. I'm not a huge fan of this author because I don't like Amish Fiction. But I did give this novella a try. I just couldn't get into it. The writing was stiff and I found the Prologue and first chapter were bland and uneventful. It didn't grab me or interest me really.

Since I didn't finish it, I also didn't give it a rating.

This book didn't seem to be an Amish fiction. Anyone who isn't a fan of the author or Amish Fiction might still want to give this novella a chance.


-Christmas Traps and Trimmings by: Kelly Eileen Hake
Rating: four stars

Sam and Mina's story was mysterious and intriguing. It kept me hooked and interested all the way to the end.

Mina was on the run after her father's death. With quite a hefty inheritance willed to her, she traveled all the way from England to Kentucky, USA to escape those that would seek her fortune through marriage. Feisty and determined, she didn't shy away from the life awaiting her. After all, it had to be better than being manipulated into marriage.

Sam was the unwitting guardian in charge of Mina. Hidden away in the backwoods, Sam had no plans for two women (Mina and her elderly maid) visiting and ruining his solitary life of trapping and fur trading. He liked his secluded little soddy. Life was finally getting good when the two overbearing, unwelcome women disrupted his routine.

I enjoyed reading through and discovering some of the circumstances surrounding the death of Mina's father and how he came to name Sam as the guardian of his daughter.

The mystery in this novella was just right. It was really good, but I found myself still feeling like I wanted a bit more added to the story. Not sure what, but it made me take a star off. Also, the ending felt a bit rushed.


-A Star in the Night by: Liz Johnson
Rating: five stars

Despite being a civil war story, this novella was written in just such a way as to keep me interested. It had the basic plot of love between a Yankee and a Southerner but the character's were likeable enough to make the story enjoyable to read rather than irritating and cliché.

Cora lived in a cabin with her grandfather, working to provide for their daily needs and at the same time, volunteering at a nearby plantation to care for wounded Confederate soldiers. However, she struggles to mentally and emotionally overcome the horrors she sees during her volunteering and often is overwhelmed by nightmares and panic attacks.

Jed is an injured Union soldier too wounded to keep traveling. Trying to find shelter, he falls unconscious near Cora's home.

I ended up really liking this story. Cora and Jed were likeable and interesting. They both struggled with some of the side affects of war and as they grew closer, they helped each other to work through the things they were struggling with. I liked that Jed was concerned with Cora and her grandfather's safety. He didn't want to take advantage of their kindness in caring for him by getting them in trouble for helping out the enemy. I also loved that Cora and her grandfather were determined to do what was right rather than what was easy or comfortable.

I loved the ending of this story. It was sweet and adorable to see how things continued after the war was over.

If this hadn't been a novella, I probably wouldn't have liked it just because of the time period. However this was the perfect length for this story and I didn't feel like it was too short or incomplete.


-The Courting Quilt by: Jane Kirkpatrick
Rating: five stars

This was by far the most entertaining story in the whole collection.

Mary was a widow woman tending the mercantile she and her husband had once run together. But with new businesses cropping in the area, she was beginning to lose more and more customers. When Richard Lawson, a traveling salesman, helps her out with tips for modernizing her store, they go into business together. But Mary's trust in the man is soon tested when it turns out he's orchestrated a contest between all the local seamstresses with the prize being his hand in marriage.

I just absolutely loved this story. Mary was unique with her white hair in direct contrast to her young age. She was a fresh and vibrant character that I simply adored. I really respected her. She worked hard to try and continue taking care of the home and business she and her husband had shared. Furthermore, she wasn't proud and was open to receiving help and advice with how she could make her business thrive.

Richard was really fun. I enjoyed reading about him and seeing Mary from his perspective. He wasn't arrogant, just confident. I liked that he wasn't taking advantage of a woman left alone, but that he genuinely endeavored to help Mary make improvements to her mercantile. Even with the fiasco of so many women vying to marry him because of his blunders, I liked how evident his good character was. You could see that he wasn't toying with all the women. He was a decent guy and I really liked him.

Overall, this story was pretty much fantastic. I Loved it so much and almost wished that it was longer.


-Under his wings by: Liz Tolsma
Rating: two stars

Adie and her father live in a logging camp in Wisconsin. Moving from camp to camp, Adie has a lot of experience in fending off unwanted attention from men. But when her father dies and she finds herself alone, the unwelcome advances of one man in particular push her to accept a marriage proposal from a young man known as “the preacher man.” Stuck in a marriage of convenience, she finds she isn't any safer from a lumberjack who so devoid of morals he's willing to pursue a married woman.

Noah “the preacher man” has always dreamed of going to seminary and the money he's earning as a lumberjack will help that dream come true. But when Adie's father dies, leaving his pretty daughter vulnerable and alone in a camp of unsavory men, Noah can't bring himself to ignore her troubling situation; even if it means giving up his dreams of going to seminary. The trouble is, can he really protect her from unwanted advances just by giving her his last name?

I didn't like this story. Adie was more than a bit independent and stubborn to the point of being reckless. She was flippant about the danger she was in until she was almost taken advantage of. After that, though she grasped her situation better, she was pretty ungrateful to Noah for the work he did in trying to protect her. She always acted like she knew best. Although she was aware of the danger, she would walk home alone and stay late at work. She was careless and I didn't really like her.

Noah was just okay. He set aside his dreams in order to protect Adie. He constantly questioned what God's plan was and often felt uncertain and lost when it came to planing for his future. He pictured himself settling down and being a family man, but that plan didn't really bring any joy or anticipation with it. Instead, Noah had a big hole in his life where his plans for being a preacher used to be. He was committed to Adie, but only in protecting her. Since they weren't in love when they married, he kept wondering they would even have a real marriage or just a strained friendship.

In the end, while everything ended up happily enough, I just didn't like this story.


-The Dogtrot Christmas by: Michelle Ule
Rating: three stars

Molly was a single young woman living with her widowed brother in Texas and helping take care of her young nephew. Working on her brother's new ranch, the two were in the middle of building a house on the property when a Mexican showed up and contested their land ownership. With Indians in the area as well, Molly finds herself wondering just how long it will be before she's ripped away from the home she's been working so hard to build.

Luis comes home from war only to find his land has been sold to a bunch of Anglos, and by his worthless brother-in-law no less. After so much time away, all he wanted to do was go home and make a life for himself. But after such a mix-up, his first order of business isn't to sit back and enjoy some of his mother's cooking, but rather to set his brother-in-law straight and take back what rightfully belongs to him. He will get his land back. No matter the cost.

I didn't like Luis at all. He had a lot of beliefs that weren't godly. He planned on taking his land back by killing. But he didn't like the idea of Molly getting hurt. He was attracted to her. So he considered killing the man he assumed was her husband and then making her his wife. He also believed that it was okay for a man to have more than one wife. Overall, the thing that bothered me most was that when Luis began to change and believe in God, none of those wrong beliefs were addressed by the author. Molly fell in love with Luis and it was like all of those ungodly plans and thoughts he'd secretly had were just supposed to be overlooked. It bothered me a lot.

Molly was a good character but nothing super interesting. She was dutiful, hard working and of good moral character. She was also loyal to her brother and little nephew, wanting to see them happy and taken care of. But I didn't love her. I mostly just kept hoping that she wouldn't have her future chosen for her by all the men in her life. Her brother, Luis, the Indians... even her nephew dictated some of her life and future just with his need for a mother figure to care for him. It wasn't so much that Molly was manipulated by all the men, as it was that her livelihood and the stability of her future were in their hands.

While she still could choose to marry or not marry, sometimes I wondered what would have happened with her if Luis had just killed her brother and taken her for his own. Overall, it was pretty bleak to have her be at the mercy of all those men. She had a choice, but the options she had were pretty dismal. I wished she'd not had to choose between caring for one widows children after another. When the only option for marriage without children in tow was Luis, who had considered killing her brother just so he could marry her and get his dumb land... I was fed up and wanted Molly to turn every last one of those men down and make her own way. Luis wasn't a great option, even after he accepted his mother's faith.

I've never had a girl-domination feminist mindset, but this book made me wish Molly would have fought for some independence instead of letting her life be controlled by all those guys. I wanted her to tell them off and find her own happiness without them.


-A Grand County Christmas by: Debra Ullrick
Rating: five stars

Awnya is desperate for food and ventures out into the cold in hopes of finding sustenance. When she comes across a deer in the woods, all she can think is how tasty the venison will be. But when a german man stops her and offers her a meal at his home in exchange for sparing the animal, she hesitantly takes him up on his offer. It doesn't take long to let her guard down once she meets the mans mother and children and shares a meal with them. But with the winter weather so bad and her father gone, there is no reason to return home. Weak from going so long without food, the german man, Amadeus, takes care of her and soon she finds herself in no hurry to leave.

Awnya was great. Her character was a mystery at first but once I got to know her, I really liked her. I respected her a lot. She was level headed and didn't get flustered when Amadeus' daughter threw insults her way.

Amadeus was great too. His german accent was adorable, he was a strong, wise, and gentle caretaker for his mother and children. He was considerate of Awnya's needs as well and I really loved getting a glimpse into his heritage.

Overall, it was such a sweet and satisfying story.


-Christmas Service by: Erica Vetsch
Rating: four stars

Beth is the daughter of a preacher and she comes from a long line of religious men. Her mother married a pastor, her grandmother married a pastor, and so Beth believes it's her calling to marry a man of the cloth as well.

Despite the fact that she's growing older in years, Beth is determined to wait for the “right” sort of man. She's had plenty of marriage proposals and turned them all down. If she was honest, there wasn't anything wrong with some of the men who vied for her attention over the years. They were all nice young men... they just weren't preachers.

Todd, the blacksmith, is interested in the old preacher's granddaughter. But for some reason, she turns down his courtship proposal. With very little explanation for her actions, Todd is determined to make Beth change her mind. Especially when he finds out that she's attracted to him, too. The only problem is, Beth is stubborn and picky. So he'll just have to make sure she sees his finer points. And the Christmas play Beth is in charge of is the perfect opportunity for Todd to prove himself.

This story was cute. I loved how tenacious Todd was. He was strong and hard working and he pursued Beth with a perfect balance of grit and romance.

My real problem with the story was Beth. Her need to marry a preacher was so extreme that she became snooty and stuck up. I knew she could be down to earth and sweet, but she was very churchy (for lack of a better word) whenever she was around others. I disliked how much of Beth's life was overrun with church service specifically. To the point where she rarely took time to rest and spend time with her loved ones. She had no interests outside of ministry and service in the church and never gave herself permission to rest. Everyone was always less capable than her. It was sad to see that Beth's view of ministry was limited to service within the walls of her church building. She never seemed to serve or venture into her community. She didn't ever share her heart and vulnerabilities with the women around her. She didn't even make time to find friends her own age. She served everyone but was an island, never relying on anyone, not even her grandfather, to meet her emotional, spiritual, or human needs. She insisted on doing everything herself and at the same time, judged others for not helping more. She never accepted support and love from others.

The one thing that I did like about Beth was how she reacted when Todd convicted her for some of her wrong thinking and choices. She was humbled, softened and then she changed her priorities to be more in line with God's love and grace and less of the stiff, churchy rule following she was accustomed to. I really respected the genuine change she showed and how forgiving and understanding she was when someone other than her grandfather corrected her. She was a real trooper and in the end, she did grow on me. I liked seeing how her world was broadened when she let love in and began to see ministry as being more about connecting with people than just filling needs.

Beth and Todd won me over in the end and I was pleasantly surprised by the positive changes they made and how they were able to join forces and work as a team to bless the community.


-Final thoughts on this Novella Collection:

Overall, this collection of Novella's was great. I liked being able to finish a story quickly and still have plenty of time in the day for other interests and plans. It was fun to read a story in half an hour or forty minutes, then come back later on or the next day and read and entirely new story.

[Meagan Myhren-Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A LOG CABIN CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

Nine Romances of American Pioneer Christmases
By various authors


A Log Cabin Christmas Collection is a compilation of nine heart-warming Christian romances by favorite authors created for the Christmas season. In this 9-in-1 book you have the following stories:

1) SNOW ANGEL by Margret Brownley set in Texas in 1885. Miss Maddie Parker is the new school teacher straight from Boston. When personalities clash and a snow storm traps the young teacher, three students, and Sheriff Brad Donovan in an old mine cabin sparks are bound to fly.

2) THE CHRITMAS SECRET by Wanda E. Brunsetter is set in Allenstown, Pennsylvania in 1880. Elizabeth Canning and David Stinner are perfect for each other and are planning a Christmas wedding, but when a secret from the past is brought to light will they ever have a happily ever after?

3) CHRISTMAS TRAPS AND TRIMMINGS by Kelly Eileen Hake. Mina Montrose is determined to protect her inheritance and not be forced into marriage with her cousin Elton, but to accomplish this she must escape London and make her way to Kentucky and her guardian - Sam Carver. As Mina and her nurse Belinda turn Sam’s cabin into something cozy they disrupt his life. When an earthquake strikes the region more than their cabin gets shaken!

4) A STAR IN THE NIGHT by Liz Johnson is set in Franklin, Tennessee in 1864. The Civil War is raging and Cora Sinclair has just found a wounded Yankee soldier near her home, as she and her grandfather care for Jed Harrington she relives the horrors of war that she has seen. As Jed and Cora help each other they fight to keep from falling in love because they both know that the war will soon take Jed away. When Jed leaves on Christmas Eve, both are left wondering what the future holds for them.

5) THE COURTING QUILT by Jane Kirkpatrick is set in 1867 Oregon. Mary Bishop runs the local mercantile, but times are changing and competition is moving in. When salesman Richard Taylor arrives trying sell her wares for her store it seems an answer to prayer. Mary and Richard form a partnership he will take her cart to the surrounding areas and sell her wares as he travels. As Mary’s traveling mercantile makes the rounds Richard somehow manages to convince half the ladies that he is going to propose to them if them “meet the test” as a quilter. Everything comes a head at the Church Bazaar when the ladies get together. Who will Richard choose or will he be left quilt-less when the ladies are done with him?

6) UNDER HIS WINGS by Liz Tolsma takes place in Camp Twelve, Wisconsin in 1875. When Adie O’Connell’s father dies in a logging accident she is the lone woman in the camp and without protection. Noah Mitchell who was Quinn O’Connell’s partner agreed to protect Adie if anything should happen to Quinn, little realizing just how big a promise he was making. But Adie is convinced she doesn’t need protecting. Can Noah protect Adie from her own stubbornness and the threats that surround her?

7) DOGTROT CHRISTMAS by Michelle Ule is set in East Texas in 1836. Molly and her brother, James Faires are building a “dog trot” cabin on their new claim. But their new claim was never put up for sale by the owner Luis Vasco de Carvajal. Who is in the right and who will keep the land? Can Luis forgive his brother-in-law Manuel or will peace elude him? Can Molly’s kindness help a soul damaged by war?

8) A GRAND COUNTRY CHRISTMAS by Debra Ullrich. What do you do when your father has been murdered and all of your winter supplies stolen? This is the reality that confronts Awyna? As Awyna hunts for more food to survive the winter, Amadeus Josef stops her from shooting his pet deer. As a snow storm has moved in Amadeus then takes her back to his home with his mother a three children. As Awyna stays with the family she helps them start to heal from their mother’s death. But when Awyna returns to her home, she finds that everything she possessed was stolen during the time she was away. Can Amadeus and Awyna make a home together and become a family?

9) CHRISTMAS SERVICE by Erica Vetsch takes place in the Minnesota North Woods in 1875. Beth Sorenson is convinced that she can only be a minister’s wife and Todd Rambek a mere blacksmith will never do. After all her family has been ministers and wives of ministers for several generations and as a minister’s wife she can be in service. The Christmas program that Beth is putting together can only be done by her, no one else is capable of doing it right. But when the unexpected happens and everything seems ruined can Beth learn a valuable lesson in service and see what is right in front of her? Or will Beth drive away those who care for her with her attitude?

Publisher provided an Advance Reader Copy in Digital Format for review purposes only.

[Breath of Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts on the first story Snow Angel by Margaret Brownley

I loved this collection of stories. Each one of them are amazing by themselves, but by putting them all together in this way kept me reading from one to the next with ease.

So for the first story: Snow Angel by Margaret Brownley

This is an interesting read. Margaret Brownley writes this very serial story set in Maverick, Texas, of a young teacher that comes to teach in a town where there has been tragedy. In some instance's you feel for Miss Parker, then others you are laughing. The kids have and are going through things that you only find out at the end why and what.

Is the Sheriff, Brad Donavan, the teachers "White Knight". Or is he like all the others in town, skeptic about Miss Parker.You will enjoy reading about how the children react to the new teacher and the things that they go through.

Will not go any further than this due to not wanting to give away the story.

My Rating: Five Clocks!!!


My Thoughts

As I said in my review of the story Snow Angel, I loved this collection of stories. Each one of them are amazing by themselves, but by putting them all together in this way kept me reading from one to the next with ease.

So for the first story: The Christmas Secret:

As you start this story you find Elizabeth Canning needing fresh air as she is preparing for her and David's wedding on Christmas Eve. Helen Warner, a close friend of Elizabeth was helping with the preparations. But Helen has her rathers than to clean. You will understand that when you read the book.

Elizabeth is wanting to start her new life and family where her mother and father as well as her mothers family. But to do that she has to clean and prepare it. Helen is not to thrilled about this. David is one who is very family oriented. He helps his mother with his grandfather. Loves Elizabeth and can not wait till they are married.



In the process of cleaning the house Elizabeth starts dusting an old desk. She cleans all of it except one draw that is stuck. She pulls with all her might and it finally comes open. comes up on an old battered-looking leather journal. Recognizes her mothers sisters hand writing. What has Elizabeth found? Well you will need to read the book to find out.

Very intriguing story. Loved reading every bit of it. So my rating of this story is: Five Clocks..

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

The days of log cabins have passed by the wayside, but this collection of short stories will take you back to the 1800’s, and into tough times, loss and love, and more. Let’s step into the past…

Each of the authors in this anthology is a recognized author who writes Christian themed stories. These stories have biblical references but they don’t overwhelm the story. Each story is set in a different location with each family having their own challenges to survive in an undeveloped land in a cabin they built for themselves.

The authors offer you characters who have to be strong to survive. They lose spouses in child birth, due to illness, or death by accident. Women can’t be alone in that day and age, and their choices are not always what they might want for their hearts. These stories have sadness in them, but each ends on a positive note with hope for the future.

The authors do a good job of showing the complex relationships between men and women. There are misunderstandings, fearing to accept or declare love, trying to deal with the children in the family, and then living in a one or two bedroom log cabin is enough to get on anyone nerves. There are different nationalities, odd family units, dangers from animals and Indians, and more. The authors are very factual about living back in the 1800’s. It wasn’t easy, but a well-built cabin and someone to love makes it a lot better.

This book would make a nice Christmas gift. It’s a book that would be fun to read each Christmas season, just pack it away with your Christmas ornaments. The stories are short enough they would work for reading aloud, too. I really enjoyed reading it. Why not give it a try yourself?

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snow Angel by Margaret Brownley
This is a good story of love and of healing. Sometimes adding children to the mix can accomplish wonders.

The Christmas Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Keeping a secret is not always in the best interest of everyone concerned. This is heart-wrenching story.

Christmas Traps and Trimmings by Kelly Eileen Hake
Times were so difficult for women, who had little or no rights. Interesting story.

A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson
With the help of Jed, Cora learns to trust in God to help her through haunting nightmares of war. This is my favorite of the collection.

The Courting Quilt by Jane Kirkpatrick
Delightful romance focusing on the dilemma and resourcefulness of widows and unmarried women in Oregon, 1867.

Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma
I not only loved the spiritual symbolism in this romance, but I have to say--Noah ticks all the boxes as a superlative hero.

The Dogtrot Christmas by Michelle Ule
Sweet love story highlighting the hardships and joys of settling in Texas in 1836. Great spiritual theme on forgiving one another and oneself.

A Grand County Christmas by Debra Ullrick
Awnya’s story is heartbreaking and illustrates extreme loss and cruel hardship. On the other hand, it depicts God’s provision and how He always works out everything for the good of those who love Him. It is a story of contrasts.

Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch
This story touches me the most, because of the spiritual issues and inner conflicts of the young protagonist, Beth Sorensen. What a wonderful hero the reader will find in Christmas Service!

[Susan Baganz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Experience Christmas through the eyes of adventuresome settlers who relied on log cabins built from trees on their own land to see them through the cruel forces of winter. Discover how rough-hewed shelters become a home in which faith, hope, and love can flourish. Marvel in the blessings of Christmas celebrations without the trappings of modern commercialism where the true meaning of the day shines through. And treasure this exclusive collection of nine Christmas romances penned by some of Christian fiction’s best-selling authors.
This anthology contains nine novellas that have Christmas and a log cabin as their common theme. The creativity and uniqueness of each story is heartwarming and compelling. This book has topped the best seller lists and deserves to do so. If you want cozy romances that take place in pioneer America, then this book will be a great one to cozy on up to on a winters day.
The stories contained in this book and authors that have partaken of this project are:
Snow Angel by Margeret Brownley
The Christmas Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter,
Christmas Traps and Trimmings by Kelly Eileen Hake,
A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson,
The Courting Quilt by Jane Kirkpatrick,
Under his Wings by Liz Tolsma,
The Dogtrot Christmas by Michelle Ule,
A Grand County Christmas by Debra Ullrick
Christmas Service by Erica Vetsh.

There is not one dud in the bunch and it has been a New York Times bestseller for good reason. All the stories will leave your heart just a little warmer this holiday season.