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

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

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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)

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