All across the country people are heading home for the holidays. Special presents are wrapped beneath the tree, mistletoe is hung, the smell of cookies is in the air, but what if you don't have someone special to share it all with?
Will the magic of Christmas reach these characters? Or will they end up being a bunch of lonely grinches?
Three up-and-coming young adult authors share their Christmas stories about hope and joy during the holiday season.
Contents: Dirty Santa, by Kayla Tirrell. The Christ Redeemer Christmas Spectacular, by Daphne James Huff. The Night Sale, by M.F. Lorson.
Three cute little Christmas stories! Some of the endings felt rushed, especially the last story. I felt like they should have talked some more than just a sudden kiss and it ended. But if you want some little feel good reads, I definitely recommend this quick one!
Apparently I’m obsessed with short stories?! I have read multiple pieces of work by all three authors these stories didn’t disappoint.
As always, I want MORE!
Dirty Santa: Adorable. Absolutely obsessed with Ben. I would love to have a prequel to this one focusing on Ben and Jordin’s friendship throughout high school and the summer before college.
The Christ Redeemer Christmas Spectacular: Obsessed with Jamie’s sense of humor. A follow-up a few months later with Austin back in Ohio would be 😍
The Night Sale: Is there anything more Christmassy than a Christmas tree farm?! I think not. I want a prequel to this one as well! Last Christmas, Elizabeth and Henry decorating! YES PLEASE.
I love reading Christmas stories around this time of year, so reading this wasn't a hard decision. It fit all the things I love about these stories, Christmas time, a warm and fuzzy feeling and a happily ever after. These stories were sweet as the title tells us and even though the stories were written by three different authors, they were all equally good. My only complaint is that the stories were so short. I would've loved to read more about these characters.
Full review to follow on thebookdutchesses.wordpress.com
What an wonderful collection of holiday stories! I loved show different each story was but still charming in their own ways. A super adorable Christmas read! Grab a cup of hot coco and enjoy!
A fun little book of sweet Christmas stories. It was a very easy and fast read. The stories were very light and fun. Like most short stories I wish for more
This was a cute and sweet collection of three short stories. All are clean and appropriate for all ages. I felt there needed to be more editing for grammatical and spelling errors as there were quite a few but overall the stories were fun. Light on the romance but easy reads, perfect for the holidays.
Given that I gave the three stories 3, 2 and 2 stars respectively, it pains me to give this nice short read such a low rating. But the truth is, regardless of the cuteness, overall this was... Not Good.
Get a cup of tea or cocoa, a cookie or two, and settle in for a couple of hours of escape into three very distinct Christmas stories with a tinge of romance in Home for Christmas.
Kayla Tirrell pens 'Dirty Santa,' and if you're wondering how dirty this Santa is, rest easy. This title references the gifts that people take to the community Christmas Party. Jordin, a young woman who has flunked out of college and is ashamed and embarrassed by it all, is the tale's protagonist who learns to deal with her life as Ben, her childhood friend, is seen in a new light.
Daphne James Huff writes 'The Christ Redeemer Christmas Special,' a short story that has a Jamie, a poor young woman struggling in her own life, only to meet Austin. I confess I love stories with a bit of a theatre or a drama club, so this story was already on the right track. Add in a nemesis for the protagonist to win out over and you have a heartwarming tale where, even if you know it's going to end the way you want it to, you want to find d out the details.
The third short story by M. F. Lorson, 'The Night Sale,' makes for a story that tugs at anyone who grew up in a small or medium-sized town, as the main character Elizabeth must deal with the myriad changes in Smockville that she is seeing for the first time, having been away for some time. Seeing her parents struggle to keep their Marshall's Tree Farm going is the story arc dealt with in this tale, and the tension between the Marshall's and the Yorks is presented realistically. "...I was letting fear hold me back...," says Elizabeth as she explains why she has changed so much, about two-thirds of the way through the story. Putting on a show or night of entertainment, Henry and Elizabeth find a way to work together, much like an Andy Hardy plot point. (Showing my age there, right?) The ability to find a way for people to give back during the Christmas season is a way communities come back to life and love bursts forth. A nice twist is a weather event that threatens a happy ending. Grab a copy or download it to read this sweet gem of a triad anthology in its first year of operation.
I received a copy of this as an eBook to read and have provided my review and opinion.
The first and third novella were really sweet reads. Not too much depth or development, but that's to be expected in a shirt story.
The middle novella was just hard to read. I struggled finishing it. *spoilers ahead* It wasn't hard to read because of all the tragedy and whatnot that was taking place. It was hard to read due to the way the main character tried "to get the guy". First, he has a girlfriend. As soon as that was found out, she should have just butted out instead of pining. There's no reason to try and set yourself up to be the perceived side piece. That's very disrespectful to him. And herself. Second, when he was single, the way she dressed was just sad. Showing all your assets to grab a guy's attention is just... gross. Like, does she have no self respect? This is how young girls go to get a guy's attention? Forget the fact that she was helping him with something important to him (which, btw, was a much better and more meaningful way to make a connection). No, she has to degrade herself by wearing inappropriate clothes. I thought we as a society were past this? And third, her entire relationship with this guy was insanely superficial. She refused to actually open up to him and talk to him (at any point). It boiled down to his physical looks.
Rant aside, the middle novella was hugely disappointing.
Home for Christmas: A Collection of Sweet Christmas Shorts was a great read by Daphne James Huff, M.F. Larson, and Kayla Tirrell. This collection consists of; Dirty Santa by Kayla Tirrell, The Christ Redeemer Christmas Spectacular by Daphne James Huff, and The Night Sale by M.F. Larson. In Dirty Santa you see Ben and Jordin’s friendship from the their last prom at school until their first Christmas in college. I loved Ben and Jordin’s story and wish there was so much more. The Christ Redeemer Christmas Spectacular was a great read by Daphne James Huff. Austin needed help for his Christmas show his gran was putting together and Jamie seemed like the perfect person. I loved reading Jamie and Austin’s story. The Night Sale was a great read by M.F. Larson. Elizabeth comes home to her families Christmas tree farm and sees Henry who she thought she left behind. I loved reading Elizabeth and Henry’s story.
I enjoyed reading all 3 romantic short stories. I read this book because I'm participating the readathon (reading marathon) on Instagram which asks to read Christmas related books.
My favourite short story in this book is 'The Christ Redeemer for Christmas'. At first, I thought the short story will be about Christ and at the same time I was confused on why would a story like that be compiled together with YA stories? After reading this short story, then I know the meaning behind this title. The title is misleading; however I enjoy the story about Christmas miracles.
I recommend this book to those who want to spice up their Christmas with a cozy read like this.
Ive read " home for chritsmas " 3 short stories 1- dirty santa was cute i liked it i gave it 4 out of 5 2-the christ redeemer the begining was so good but i it could be better i gave it 3 out of 5 3- the night sale he was kinda an ex thats what i ddnt like i gave it 2.75 Over all i gave it 3 out of 5
3 Sweet Christmas Romances This is a set of three Christmas stories with romance as a significant plot feature. These are sweet stories that will bring out your Christmas heart. All three were very good and I will look for more stories by all three authors.
This is a set of three Christmas stories. You can easily read this in one sitting. I enjoyed all three of these stories, but The Night Sale about Elizabeth and Henry was my favorite.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my voluntary and honest review.
I voluntarily review an ARC. This is a set of three sweet Christmas related romantic stories. I liked each one of them, the fluent writing styles, the nice characters, the settings. They were a bit short, but made a nice holiday read.
Love these short stories. One thing, I wish they were long. Characters in these three stories were cute. Some were sad to begin with, then they turn into happy ending.
This is a great book full of heartwarming Christmas tales! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves Christmas and romance...and who doesn't?!