All Is Bright by Chautona Havig, Kari Trumbo, Toni Shiloh, Cathe Swanson – Book Review, Preview

Item: All is Bright
Rating: 4.5
Author: Phyllis Helton

Posted December 6, 2019 by Phyllis Helton in Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Giveaways /

All is Bright

by Toni Shiloh, Kari Trumbo, Cathe Swanson, Chautona Havig

Published by Havilah Press Publications
Publication Date October 22, 2019
Genres: Christmas, Christian Fiction, Clean Romance
Contemporary
Written for: Adults
Pages: 499

Synopsis:

Four of your favorite contemporary romance authors join festive forces to bring you the fourth-annual Christmas Lights Collection.

Kari Trumbo- Merry and Dashing: Merry hates Christmas corporate greed. Jacob loves finding the perfect gift for everyone. When Scrooge and Santa volunteer at a local thrift store together, will the mix be Holly Jolly?

Toni Shiloh- I'll Be Home: What could be worse than being laid off right before the holidays? For Starr Lewis that would include returning home jobless, single, and, oh yeah, just in time to attend her sister's wedding on Christmas Eve... to Starr's ex-boyfriend. In the midst of it all, her brother's best friend soon has her wondering if she can take another chance on love.

Cathe Swanson- Season of Change: Charlea’s ready to sell Serenity Hill, but Drew is back in town, 15 years after their dream date ended in disaster, helping her mother and daughter turn the old commune into a commercial Christmas wonderland. Between poinsettias and sleigh rides, angst and romance collide in this Christmas second-chance romance!

Chautona Havig- The 12 Dates of Christmas: When Reagan runs into Alex, her high school nemesis, he is stunned to discover that's how she saw him. It'll take twelve dates and a lot of forgiveness on both sides to even hope for a Christmassy-ever-after.

Brighten your day with these four lighthearted novellas today!

I would like to thank Celebrate Lit for giving me this copy of the book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.

Starr’s predicament in I’ll Be Home was quite moving. As the youngest of five children, she had never quite felt she was wanted or belonged. Those feelings were compounded when her sister unapologetically captured the heart of Starr’s boyfriend and was now going to marry him.

I have not read a story by Toni Shiloh that I haven’t enjoyed and that record still holds with this one. I loved Waylon, with his corny lines and huge heart. His care for Starr and the way he fell for her so completely was sweet.

Reagan and Alex were an unlikely match in The 12 Dates of Christmas. Reagan had been so hurt by Alex when they were in high school. Seeing the events that had affected her from both of their perspectives was very interesting and really showed how what we think we see is not necessarily the whole truth.

Reagan’s idea that Alex needed to figure out why she was upset with him was a little childish yet it made sense that she might have done this. It was amazing that in the time they spent together, Alex was able to see past her hurt and began to be attracted to her. Enough to spend time doing research, trying to find out all the many reasons she felt he had wronged her so he could apologize – one apology per date.

If you enjoy light-hearted Christmas stories with a faith message, this is a great collection to read.

More From Chautona

Christmas in “The Christmas City”

I wrote most of 12 Dates of Christmas in Noel, Missouri, otherwise known as “The Christmas City.” That’s kind of funny, because Noel isn’t pronounced No-ell. It’s “Nole”—rhymes with pole. As in North. 😉

By the time I’d finished, it was almost time to leave the little town and head home after nearly six weeks with old and new friends. I had to say goodbye to memories I might never visit in person again, and it was difficult to imagine.

So, I did the only thing I knew to do. I wrote a super-short story. It’s just over seven thousand words (including a bit of history behind different people, places, and things in the story), but it captured things near and dear to my heart—my mother’s house, the church I’ve loved for so many years, town traditions, and now characters I’m not sure I can let go of.

In fact, I am considering writing a full-length novella next year for the fifth-annual Christmas Lights Collection next year! I think Rob and Lissa deserve to have their full story told.

As my thanks to readers who purchase or read the collection on Kindle Unlimited, I’m offering this short story, “A Noel Christmas,” FREE. Just send me your receipt or a screenshot showing you’ve completed the collection and it’s yours. Visit https://chautona.com/bonus for more information or just zip an email to any of the authors in the collection. We’re all happy to send it on.

We all hope you have a very meaningful Christmas this year—one that offers bright spots in your days. May God richly bless you now and in the new year.

Kari Trumbo, Toni Shiloh, Cathe Swanson, and Chautona Havig

P.S. If you read the short story, do let me know if you think I should turn it into a full-length novella/novel. I’d love to know your opinion.