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A Texas Christmas Carol

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From the talented pen of bestselling author Karen Witemeyer comes a charming Christmas novella inspired by the holiday classic The Christmas Carol.

After the Panic of 1873 ruined his father and impoverished his family, Evan Beazer set a single life goal for himself--security. He would never allow joviality and dreams to send him to the poorhouse. Now a successful businessman, Evan runs a dozen inns throughout Texas from the privacy of his home, keeping locals away with the perpetual scowl and gruff manner that have become his natural disposition.

Felicity Wiggins is in charge of distributing church Christmas baskets to the less fortunate, and she is determined help as many families as possible. In an attempt to gather more donations than past years, she must convince the wealthiest man in town to participate and sets forth on a campaign to pester him into cooperation.

As Felicity tries to bring Evan out of seclusion--and he does everything in his power to avoid her--can she convince him that true riches lie not in bank accounts but in bringing joy to others?

Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2022

25 people are currently reading
442 people want to read

About the author

Karen Witemeyer

69 books4,350 followers
For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Voted #1 Readers' Favorite Christian Historical Author in 2023 by Family Fiction Magazine, Karen is a multiple award-winning author and a firm believer in the power of happy endings. She is an avid cross-stitcher, tea drinker, and family board game player who makes her home in Abilene, TX with her heroic husband who vanquishes laundry dragons and dirty dish villains whenever she's on deadline.

Karen also loves to reward her readers. Every month she gives away two inspirational historical novels to someone from her newsletter list and offers substantial bonus content on her website. To learn more about Karen and her books, or to join her subscriber list, please visit www.karenwitemeyer.com.

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5 stars
197 (52%)
4 stars
124 (33%)
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45 (12%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
Profile Image for Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls).
2,185 reviews5,146 followers
December 19, 2022
4.5 stars, personally.

About this book:

“A town's wealthy, Scrooge-like bachelor finds his world invaded by a woman set on earning his donation for helping the local poor, and by the penetrating questions of three mysterious visitors.”


Series: Does not seem to be connected to any of the author’s other books.


Spiritual Content- Nehemiah 8:10 at the beginning; Scriptures are mentioned, read, & quoted; Prayers & Thanking God; Set during Christmas time; Church going & a sermon; Talks about God, those and events in the Bible, His plans for us, joy from the Lord, & praying; 'H's are not capital when referring to God or Jesus; *Spoiler*; Mentions of God, Jesus, & Christmas; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; Mentions of churches, church going, ministries, services, & hymns; Mentions of blessings & being Blessed; A few mentions of Heaven; A few mentions of Christian duties; A couple mentions of faiths; A mention of Bible reading; A mention of sin;
*Note: In-between the first and second novellas, there is a Christmas devotional on why Jesus came as a baby and references Scriptures; A mention of an item being like a talisman.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blasted’, a ‘why in blazes’, two ‘forms of ‘idiot’, two forms of ‘stupid’, and three ‘bah!’s; A bit of eye rolling (from a child); Mentions of someone almost being shot & killed (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of an illness & near death; Mentions of Evan’s knee injury & pain (he walks with a cane because of it); Mentions of a man being stuck in a mud hole; Mentions of possibly being thrown from a horse and/or harmed; Mentions of threats & blackmail (one done with teasing, not done with ill intent); A few mentions of injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding; A few mentions of the Panic of 1873; A few mentions of con-artists & being scammed; A few mentions of hunting; A few mentions of emptying chamber pots; A couple mentions of customers cursing at a young Evan or boxing his ears (he was a bellboy); A couple mentions of school bullies & them beating up others; A couple mentions of alcohol & drinking; A mention of prison; A mention of a lie; A mention of jealousy; A mention of someone cheating at a game.


Sexual Content- a hand kiss, an almost kiss (up to semi-detailed), and a semi-detailed kiss; Recalling a cheek kiss & embrace (including her being pulled into his lap out of danger, barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to kiss someone (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Warmth, & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); At one point, Felicity falls on top of Evan and while it’s an accident and embarrassing for them, Evan does think that that in other circumstances would be a pleasure; A couple mentions of flirting; A mention of jealousy; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Evan thinks that he doesn’t have plans to “shackle” himself to a woman (because wives are expensive and an upsetting event form years prior); A mention of Felicity not being the type to use her feminine wiles to seduce a man; A mention of hot-blooded young men.

-Felicity Wiggins, age 25
-Evan Beazer, age 32
P.O.V. switches between them
Set in 1895
107 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Four Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Four Stars (and a half)

Here’s the thing about retellings of classic stories: You know the result, you know the general understand of what will happen at the end. But it’s the journey of getting there with those characters and seeing an author make the story their own that keeps retellings popular and much loved. And with this novella, it was so much fun to see it play out. Especially with all the faith content in this short story. The faith content was just excellent and Felicity was fantastic. I love her heart and her character! The faith content is really what made this novella stand out, though, and was really well done. I loved how the author connected details from the classic tale into this novella. Elsewise, I was already giggly just at the opening few chapters because of the plot and Felicity and the faith discussions made it even better. I really enjoyed this one.



Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...




*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
Profile Image for Miriam Simut.
594 reviews78 followers
December 26, 2022
4.5/5 (extra half star because wow the faith!!)

“You know, there’s a reason God calls himself I Am and not I Was or I Will Be. Now is the only place where change happens. Regretting the past or fretting about the future might motivate you, but it doesn’t change you. You must seize the moment you are standing in and make a commitment to be better, trusting that the I Am is standing with you, lending you his power.”

This was such a sweet story! So glad I read it!
Profile Image for Abbigail B..
91 reviews
December 7, 2021
I actually enjoyed this more than Dickens A Christmas Carol... and again, should probably have been asleep when I decided to read it instead.
Profile Image for Sydney.
480 reviews163 followers
December 15, 2022
4.5☆ This is such a sweet novella! It feels very festive, is full of faith, and has a really lovely romance.♡
Profile Image for Crystal.
376 reviews37 followers
December 23, 2022
This is so good! I absolutely adored this story. Its beauty and the beast meets A Christmas Carol.

I don’t care for how a lot of short stories or novellas are impractical or insta love stories, and this one was not. It was deep, faith based and well written!

This gets a five stars from me!
Profile Image for Brittany .
2,898 reviews209 followers
January 26, 2023
This was a fun novella to read. The author did a creative job of creating a new story with twists and nods from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
2,371 reviews166 followers
September 16, 2022
" . . . there's a reason God calls himself I Am and not I Was or I Will Be. . . . . Regretting the past or fretting about the future might motivate you, but it doesn't change you. You must seize the moment you are standing in and make a commitment to be better, trusting that the I Am is standing with you, lending you his power."

Evan Beazer had plenty of room for improvement, and it seemed that a lovely minx with the name of Felicity Wiggins had determined to "pester him into cooperation" with her plans to serve the less fortunate in their small Texas town during the Christmas season. Evan had plenty of money and Felicity had an over abundance of compassion, but could the two come to terms with their differences long enough to serve their community . . . especially when Evan's diminutive taskmaster insisted that Evan meet some of the beneficiaries of his goodwill in person before he spent a single dime. Bah! Humbug! . . . . no, he couldn't even mutter those words . . Humbug was the name of Felicity's dog!

Readers will be utterly charmed by this western rendition of a familiar tale, complete with three mysterious old codgers and a love story that includes many awkward, comedic moments, that only these two could muster up.
Profile Image for Maria.
60 reviews
January 8, 2023
Romances aren't generally my cup of tea, and this one was alright. It's a simple story and a quick read, which is nice for a busy holiday season, and I had more fun than I thought I would picking out all of the references to the original story(mostly names). If you like rather cheesey Christian romances, it's probably right up your alley. My only major beef is that Evan Beazer's bum knee switches sides. In chapter 2, it's his left knee, and in chapter 5 (and for the rest of the book), it's his right.
Profile Image for Lou Allen.
305 reviews203 followers
December 28, 2023
Story Enjoyment Rating: 9/10 Christian Faith Rating: 3/3

A Texas Christmas Carol by Karen Witemeyer is a Christian historical Christmas novella set in Texas in 1895. This is a retelling of a Christmas carol. It follows Felicity, who is putting together baskets to give out to the poor at Christmas. She decides to enlist the help of the wealthiest man in the town, Evan. He has cut himself off from everyone and is only concerned with business and making money. Felicity stubbornly refuses to take no for an answer.

I really liked Felicity’s tenacity, stubbornness, and love of people. I loved the references to Dickens’ Christmas Carol. I also loved getting to know Evan and learning why he was so grumpy and kept pushing people away.

Their romance was lovely and cute. Evan’s development as a character and his redemption story were heart-warming.

There was definitely Christian faith content in the story.
Profile Image for Yannick Tricia.
249 reviews23 followers
October 19, 2022
I really liked this Christmas novella 🎄✨Felicity was my favourite character.
She is a generous young woman, she has a big heart and truly care about others. Giving to others and helping them is more than an act of charity at Christmas it's her lifestyle, she is pouring out her heart in what she is doing.

It's Christmas 1895, Felicity needs a new donor to be able to distribute baskets to families in need, she decides to ask Evan Beazer (scrooge) however he is not very inclined to help but her persistence pay. Little by little Evan open his heart to the spirit of Christmas and let God heal his life to live fully and enjoy life with the perfect wife for him...
Profile Image for Kate.
1,944 reviews77 followers
June 3, 2023
I really enjoyed this retelling of Dickens' classic. Evan was definitely a Scrooge-like character, and Felicity was delightful and kind. I loved how she (and her family) knew that they needed to rely on God's provision, and acted with love and charity towards everyone (even those who may not have appeared to need it at first). I loved how Evan eventually opened his heart to be lead by God in ALL things, and not just the 'easy sacrifices'.
4.5 stars
Profile Image for Courtney Clark.
713 reviews112 followers
November 28, 2022
Karen Witemeyer has the talent of writing fully-developed characters in a short format with a great balance of levity and emotions. I loved the way a classic tale (Dickens) influences a few details of the story and the concept of a miserly hero whose journey enlightens him to giving and grace. It's always fun to read a historical-set Christmas story.
Profile Image for Tracey.
293 reviews
September 15, 2022
Karen Witemeyer has written an absolutely charming tale in A Texas Christmas Carol! I can well understand why she just won a Carol Award for this delightful story. 5 stars!

Rich yet stingy Evan Beazer has met his match in persistent and compassionate Felicity Wiggins. She's determined to do her best for her community Christmas basket drive and nothing is going to stand in her way, not even "crusty with burnt edges" Evan.

I loved all the characters, especially little Timothy. I laughed my way through each chapter. This was such an enjoyable novella, with a depth not often found in shorter stories. A Texas Christmas Carol is a wonderful book I highly recommend to readers this Christmas season.
Profile Image for Loraine.
3,461 reviews
November 17, 2022
It's 1895 in small town Texas. Felicity Wiggins is in charge of this year's Christmas baskets. Filled with her faith and a bubbly, loving personality, Felicity decides the perfect solution to getting people to donate is to take Evan Beazer, a young wealthy, introvert along with her. Her secret ambition is to make Evan become less of a hermit and fall in love with her.

Based on A Christmas Carol by Dickens, this is a totally wonderful version that includes even includes the characters of Christmas past, present and future as well as a Tiny Tim. It is filled with so many wisdom gems throughout the story that make the reader look at their own life.

If you have to read one Christmas book this season, I highly recommend this one!
Profile Image for Rachelle Cobb.
Author 9 books317 followers
November 29, 2022
A Western spin on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, this novella is a sweet holiday story complete with fun puns for the character’s names (Even Beazer for Ebenezer Scrooge and Tim Little for Tiny Tim). Recommend! Available on Hoopla!
Profile Image for Charlene.
245 reviews30 followers
January 31, 2023
A fun retelling of a Christmas Carol.

While it had similarities to the original I really liked the individuality of this story. The theme bibiblical themes included were lovely.

4 stars to Barbara McCulloh for an enjoyable engaging audio performance :).
Profile Image for Deanna Mosier.
500 reviews14 followers
December 17, 2023
perfect Christmas Carol!

This book has a Scrooge and all that goes with him, and is a sweet story of joy and redemption! I really enjoyed it!
Profile Image for Anna |This Curly Girl Reads|.
412 reviews69 followers
December 23, 2022
4.5 ⭐️ A well written novella—The hints at a traditional Christmas Carol were well done (even some play on words and names), but this book is not just a retelling of the classic. I especially love how Karen Witemyer includes genuine faith in the Lord in her stories that we as readers can relate with.

Quote: “No darkness is so great that his light cannot dispel it. Remember, you serve a God who can speak light into existence in an instant.“

Later comment: after reading A Christmas Carol, I actually enjoyed this one better for its depth and lessons!
Profile Image for Ashley.
1,180 reviews45 followers
December 9, 2022
This was such a great retelling of A Christmas Carol. If you know me, you know how much I love retellings, and this has got to be one of my favorites. The nods to the original tale were so clever and fun.

Felicity was sunshine and joy personified. I loved her perpetually optimistic outlook and dogged determination. Evan was the very definition of a Scrooge, but, right from the start, there was something so endearing about him. I couldn't help but like him despite the grumpiness. And I loved whenever Lester, Prez, and Tom showed up. They made me laugh but were also filled with such great wisdom.

There was a really powerful message of faith that I loved so much. There were so many truths, so many great reminders! If you're looking for a quick read that will put you in the Christmas spirit, I highly recommend this story. It's fantastic!
Profile Image for Raven.Sunflower.
51 reviews1 follower
November 25, 2023
The Christmas carol spin-off was truly beautiful! I found great joy in Evan's spiritual journey, with Felicity bringing light to his darkness. It wasn’t until the graveyard scene that I recognized the significance of the three men, though their roles, while not my favorites, were crucial to the story. I yearned for a more realistic portrayal of them, but despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed this charming narrative.

I loved what Felicity said here!

“Resentment or gratitude? Self-pity or joy? Despair or hope? The choice isn’t always easy, especially when the hurt or anger is fresh. But prayer helps. As does singing. Taking walks in the sunshine.”
1,049 reviews11 followers
September 16, 2022
Texas Christmas Carol

David Copperfield might notice a few similarities between his London based Christmas Carol and this one set in London, Texas. Instead of Ebeneezer Scrooge, we have Evan Beazer. Instead of the ghosts, we meet three wise but mysterious old cowboys, Lerter Day, Presley Ently, and Tom Morrow. Felicity Wiggins 8s determined to break through Evan's hard stone shell and show him the Light. Such a great variation of the original...I think Copperfield would be pleased.
26 reviews2 followers
June 23, 2023
Loved this so much!

This rendition of a Christmas Carol filled me with hope. The joy in it, the nods to the story and the story itself gave me all the endings I craved in the original story of the Christmas Carol. Words that came to mind reading it, redeemed, whole, renewal, and eternal joy, they sang a beautiful song and relished it! I’m so glad I found this one, talk about amazing! Well done author Karen, this was so awesome, my joy is overflowing.
Profile Image for Stephanie W (cartfullofbooks).
170 reviews2 followers
July 14, 2023
KW has such a gift for storytelling. Once again she has taken a familiar tale and reworked it in such a way that makes Dickens's classic an entertaining and redeeming story. I especially loved the reminder that true joy comes from the Lord.
I also liked how creative she was with the character names, especially when Evan tells his clerk, "Bob! Scratch it!" Great play on Bob Cratchet's name!
Overall, cute Christmas novella that I enjoyed for my Christmas in July reading!
Profile Image for Denise A.
205 reviews8 followers
December 24, 2025
Excellent retelling of an old favorite!!

This story is a very imaginative retelling of Dicken’s classic, yet with so much more! The story is brimming with love, not just romantic but also love of family, neighbors, friends, and most of all, Christ’s love for all, even the most miserly ones! If I had to list one something that I didn’t like, it’s that the book ended! I wish it went on forever. Highly recommend!
236 reviews6 followers
September 16, 2022
Charming new take on A Christmas Carol

I loved this story of restoration and redemption through the power of God's love. As Felicity breaks down the walls that Evan has built around his heart, he is able to bury his past and look to a future filled with hope and love. The 3 "ghosts of Christmas" are hilarious as they appear at just the right time. This was a fun read.
Profile Image for H.
1,501 reviews1 follower
September 22, 2022
This was cute. Because of the story’s abbreviated format, for Evan’s full change of heart to go completely 180, it was a little high on the drama scale, especially since I’d really liked the slower, more gradual change he’d been experiencing up until that point; I would have preferred a continuation of that organic kind of change, but that might just be personal preference on my behalf.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews

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