Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough by Various

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About the Book

Title: Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough
Authors: Josi S. Kilpack, Anneka R. Walker, Sarah L. McConkie
Genre: Christmas Novella
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: September 1, 2021

We wish you a merry Christmas and a happily ever after! This special holiday historical romance anthology featuring three heartwarming novellas proves that no matter the obstacles, ’tis the season for love.

Meet Me under the Kissing Bough by Josi S. Kilpack
Deborah Winfrey hasn’t had the heart to host a holiday party since her husband’s death. But this Christmas, it’s time to move forward. The festivities bring renewed life to her home, and the attentions of two very different men promise a chance at new love.
Healing Hearts for the Holidays by Anneka R. Walker
Julia Hunt is strictly forbidden from associating with the family in the nearby manor—including the handsome younger son, Esmond, who quickly steals her heart. With Christmas around the corner, an old bundle of hidden love letters may be the key to her own happily ever after.
A Christmas Correspondence by Sarah L. McConkie
In this novella inspired by the timeless tale A Christmas Carol, John Charleston finds himself on an unexpected journey in the company of the insufferable Lady Carolyn Morleigh. But the magic of the season has a way of softening even the hardest of hearts.

Purchase your copy here!

About the Authors

Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and credits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and has written thirty-three novels, one cookbook, and several short stories since then. She is a four-time Whitney Award winner, including two Novel of the Year awards for Lord Fenton’s Folly and As Wide as the Sky and a Best of State winner in Fiction. She writes her national women’s fiction under the pen name of Jessica Pack (say Josi Kilpack really fast and you’ll see why she chose it). Josi currently lives in Northern Utah and is the mother of 4 wonderful kids.

Connect with Josi: Website | Facebook

Anneka R. Walker is an award-winning author raised by a librarian and an English teacher turned judge. After being fed a steady diet of books, she decided to learn about writing. The result was a bachelor’s degree in English and history. When she isn’t dreaming up a happy ending for a story, she is busy living her own with her husband and adorable children.

Connect with Anneka: Website | Facebook

Sarah L. McConkie started her writing career in the second grade with a thirteen-page magnum opus about dinosaurs. Although the plot line and penmanship lacked polish, Sarah learned she loved retiring to bed thinking of what to write the next day. On a good night, she still does the same thing. Sarah took up the pen several years later after tucking her own little dreamer into bed and now combines modern life experiences, a robust knowledge of regency classics and a passion for all things old fashioned and proper to craft her historical romances. She co-stars with her own Mr. Right in the real-life romantic comedy she calls life. Sarah believes creating thought-provoking and moral stories promotes literacy in a world that needs more readers. She has a bachelor’s degree in Music Education and taught junior high choir for several years before becoming a stay-at-home mother to three darling children. She currently teaches high school music courses online through Brigham Young University. The Promise of Miss Spencer was published in March, 2020. Her first novel, Love and Secrets at Cassfield Manor was published in August, 2018.

Connect with Sarah: Website | Facebook

My Review

Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough
by Various
Christmas Novella
Rating: 4/5

Josi S. Kilpack’s beautiful story is brief but catches your attention. I was rooting for Deborah from the very beginning and was not disappointed. Her characters are lovely and the writing is witty. I’ve never read a story quite like this one and you’ll definitely enjoy it.

Anneka R. Walker’s story is fun and so romantic. I really enjoyed Julia and Esmond’s characters. Esmond was definitely a favorite swoonworthy male lead who gets to pursue his love. Though short, I loved how there was a bit of a mystery in the story that kept me turning to the next page.

Sarah L Conkie’s story, loosely based on A Christmas Carol, was a very interesting premise. Lady Carolyn Morleigh was definitely an unlikeable character who only cared for how she was perceived. John Charleston’s character was very likeable and endearing. Who doesn’t love a redeemable character? However, I think society judges females more harshly when it comes to likability. Definitely worth reading.

Overall, I highly recommend this lovely, charming Christmas novella collection filled with unique stories of romance and holiday cheer.

My thanks to the authors and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.