
Once Upon a Christmas: Contemporary Retellings of Timeless Tales
by Toni Shiloh, Andrea Boyd, Mikal Dawn, Angela Ruth Strong, Jaycee Weaver

Publication Date October 1, 2019
Genres: Christian Fiction, Clean Romance
Contemporary
Written for: Adults
Synopsis:
Embrace the magic of the Christmas season with these contemporary twists on timeless tales.
Upon a Dream — A rare sleeping disorder keeps Talia from performing, but when Philip recognizes her gift, he’ll do whatever it takes to see her onstage.
Claim My Heart — Li Na and Colin Wen face off in a Mulan-esque courtroom battle where the real win might be losing their hearts.
A Snow White Christmas — Sheltered heiress Amala White flees her conniving stepmother’s plans and finds refuge with a handsome orchard owner and his seven quirky uncles.
Christmas Ella — Reality TV meets Cinderella story when a location director is swept off her feet by a rising star.
A Splash of Love — Las Vegas glitz meets Land of Enchantment culture in A Splash of Love, a modern twist on the Little Mermaid.
I would like to thank Celebrate Lit for giving me a copy of this book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
Purchase Links
Upon a Dream by Andrea Boyd
How do you retell Sleeping Beauty and have it make any sense at all? Were you wondering that?
Andrea Boyd came up with a fun concept to make this work. The very rare disease Talia has (so rare you can’t find anything about it on the internet!) causes her to sleep suddenly and sometimes for weeks at a time!
There were some interesting tie-ins to the fairy tale and enough deviations to make this story original and enjoyable.
Claim My Heart by Mikal Dawn
I want to see Mulan all the way through. Or so I keep telling myself. Yet the two times I’ve sat down to watch it, I’ve drifted off to sleep. So, yeah. I can’t say it is among my favorite of the fairy tales. . .
Claim My Heart is a fun twist on the story. A legal Mulan. Interesting. I know enough of the original story to appreciate the many tie-ins, including a friend of Colin’s nick-named Mushu.
This was a fun story and the first I’ve read by this author. I now want to read more of her books.
A Snow White Christmas by Toni Shiloh
I have come to know that if a story is by Toni Shiloh, it will be a great blend of romance, fun, and spiritual truths. This retelling of Snow White was no exception. It was unique in the events and the translation from the familiar story into this version where Amala flees from the worst kind of “family” and discovers what love and family are all about.
Christmas Ella by Angela Ruth Strong
In a fun twist, this Ella isn’t the one with the stepfamily.
Angela Ruth Strong has a way of making the ridiculous work. Though some of the events could have seemed to be a stretch, they didn’t come across that way. Christmas Ella has a sweet, believable romance. I loved the way the fairy godmother came into play. This story made me smile.
A Splash of Love by Jaycee Weaver
This was my favorite in this anthology and is the one my rating for the collection is based on.
Ok, seriously. I knew this was based on The Little Mermaid but had no idea just how well the author would be able to carry this off. The way she went mute around Derek and the way various elements of the Disney cartoon found themselves cleverly interjected in unexpected yet perfect places had me smiling as I read.
More from the Authors
Dear Readers,
Thank you for stopping by the Celebrate Lit blog tour of Once Upon a Christmas. We are so excited to bring you this Christmas collection. All of us had a lot of fun writing it as we delved into the fairy tales of Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Snow White, Cinderella, and The Little Mermaid.
What we discovered when writing is that in the heart of every girl is the desire to be a princess. Now, I’m not talking about dressing up in a beautiful gown and wearing a crown while twirling around (although I, Toni, admit I would do that in a heartbeat). No, we discovered that in the heart of every girl (sister, mom, daughter, etc) is the desire to be loved and accepted.
Can Talia find someone who can accept all of her, including her health issues? Can Amala find someone who will love her for her and not her money? Can Li find acceptance for who she truly is and not the façade she presents? Will Ella find a familial kind of love? And Gabrielle, can she find a love so powerful that all her dreams will come true?
As the heroines of our stories journey down their path to love and acceptance, they all come to realize a deep-seated truth. They are loved. They are princesses. They have a love of a King who laid down His life for theirs. A King who is preparing a home for them. A King who sees who they truly are and loves them without hesitation.
As you read these stories, we pray they touch your heart. We pray they entertain you and maybe even make you laugh a time or two. And lastly, we pray the Christmas truths bless you this holiday season.
Blessings,
Andrea, Mikal, Toni, Angela, and Jaycee
The Author's Once Upon a Christmas Pinterest Board
(click here to go directly to the board on Pinterest)Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 2
Back Porch Reads , October 2
Activating Faith, October 2
A Baker’s Perspective, October 3
Genesis 5020, October 3
Among the Reads, October 4
Just Your Average reviews, October 4
Through the Fire Blogs, October 5
Adventures of a Travelers Wife , October 5
Quiet Quilter, October 6
Blogging With Carol , October 6
Stories By Gina , October 7
Batya’s Bits, October 7
Cordially Barbara, October 7
Melissa Henderson, October 8
Connect In Fiction, October 8
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 9
A Diva’s Heart , October 9
A Reader’s Brain, October 10
Maureen’s Musings, October 10
Hebrews 12 Endurance, October 10
Remembrancy, October 11
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, October 11
For Him and My Family, October 12
She Lives to Read, October 12
Inklings and notions , October 13
Christian Chick’s Thoughts, October 13
Blossoms and Blessings, October 13
Simple Harvest Reads, October 14
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 14
Texas Book-aholic, October 15
janicesbookreviews, October 15
Giveaway
To celebrate their tour, the Once Upon a Christmas authors are giving away the grand prize of a Kindle Fire!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/ed0e/once-upon-a-christmas-celebration-tour-giveaway
Thank you so much for the wonderful review and those gorgeous memes!
Thanks for the review!
Thank you soooo much for such an incredible review!! I’m honored! ❤️
Stunning memes, exquisite review, you blow this whole blogging thing right out of the water! Totally made my day! Thank you.
I loved reading this review, it really makes me want to go out and buy this book!! I will be adding this awesome sounding book, different stories written from such awesome authors!! The cover is Beautiful! I will be adding this book to my TBR list. Thank you for sharing this very nice book review! Congratulations to all the authors , and Thank you so much for sharing your book review. God Bless you all.
Thank you SO much, Alicia!!!! <3
These sound like fun stories!
Thank you so much, Emma! I hope you have a chance to read and enjoy them! <3
I love Christmas collections!
Wonderful review! I’m looking forward to reading this collection!
sounds like a fun one