1st story: Defending Truth.
3.5 Stars: I liked this one, mostly because it was set during the Revolutionary War. I liked the characters of Truth and Micah, they were well-developed and pretty realistic. I liked the romance, it wasn't overly "lovey-dovey" gross. ;) The "betrayal" theme, which I usually find cliché and overdone, was actually done quite good.

2nd story: The Calling.
2 Stars: Overall, this one just didn't really grab my interest. The characters were pretty good, especially Aunt Louise and Mr. O'Reardon, but the story was quite "meh". At first, I thought I knew where the author was taking the story, but it went in the opposite way I expected and wanted, and I wasn't totally pleased with the moral, and the way it was portrayed.

3rd story: A Silent Night.
5 Stars: Wow! At first, this was a little boring to me, but a little bit in, I got really into the story and characters, and loved it! The ending . . . wow! SO unexpected! I didn't see that coming AT ALL! It was amazing, and I cried. A good bit. ;) The romance was perfectly done. And even though you didn't really hear much about him, I loved the character of Iain.
4th story: A Pony Express Christmas.
2 Stars: I liked the main character of Ellie-Mae Newman, but this one just didn't cut it for me. The romance and amount of physical attraction made me uncomfortable, and as did the few suggestive comments. The ending was kind of sad and I think Ellie should have found her brother in the end. : .

5th story: A Christmas Castle.
4 Stars: Coming off the last rather disappointing story, I didn't have a ton of hopes for this one, but ended up liking it better than I thought! The romance was very sweet, and the characters were well-developed. I liked Annie's feisty stubbornness, and Drake's calm, protective presence. The antagonist was very well done and I found myself frequently wanting to whack him a good one! ;) I loved the ending, it was very sweet and wrapped it up really well!

6th story: The Cowboy's Angel.
5 Stars: This one was rather sad, but still very good! I loved the character of Abel. He is so cute!
7th story: A Badlands Christmas.
3.5 Stars: This one was pretty good. I liked the characters, although they seemed to lack depth. The romance in this one may have been my favorite. I liked how clean it was, and how Hiram truly cared, not just for her, but for her family. He was so sweet with Noela's sister Bea! I had a hard time getting into this one, but once I did, it was pretty good.

8th story: Buckskin Bride.
4 Stars: This one I also really liked! Mattie, Milly and Jess were so sweet and relatable. Brian and Conall were very kind, and I liked how they weren't "pushy". I loved the unexpected ending.

9th story: The Gold Rush Christmas.
3.5 Stars: I liked the characters in this book, but some of them, mostly Peter and Samantha, were rather underdeveloped. Miles was great, I loved his "geeky-ness", I could totally relate! XD I liked his development throughout the story. This story particularly piqued my interest, as it is set in Alaska, and I have always found the state fascinating. One content note: the storyline does deal with prostitution in Alaska. It is a pretty major part of the story, but never delves into detail. The story was very well done, and based on a true story, but I just wouldn't recommend it for young or sensitive readers.

On average, I give this book as a whole, about 3.722 stars. (Yes, I totally just took the star rating of each story and averaged it out) Content warning: these are romance stories, so there is kissing, hugging, romance, and the occasional minor suggestive comment. Most of them didn't go into much detail of any of the above mentioned things, but they were there nonetheless. I would recommend this book for ages 14-15 , depending on maturity level. :) I enjoyed reading most of these stories, and would read some of them next Christmas. I really enjoyed the overarching themes of Christianity and faith, which were inspiring and encouraging. ( )

Readers are in for a treat with this collection of stories written by various authors about pioneers celebrating Christmas! Being a fan of the pioneer era and someone that loves the Christmas season I enjoyed all 9 novellas. My top 3 favorites were (not in any particular order)...

Shannon McNear's "DEFENDING TRUTH" is about a young woman whose father has left to fight in a war and she was left to care for her younger siblings. She's near the end of her rope and most definitely not in the Christmas spirit when a starving militia man suddenly enters her life. This was such a great story, it really lifts your spirits!

"A SILENT NIGHT" is the story of a mother and her 6 yr old child trying to survive. She turned down a "marriage of convenience" proposal and as winter comes she's not sure how they will make it. An enjoyable story of a little boy's prayer for a Christmas miracle.

Last but not least is "BUCKSKIN BRIDE". It's 1889, Mattie and her two sisters are waiting for their father to return before bad weather sets in. Little does she know the land they're living on is owned by a young Irishman. One of her sisters gets hurt and Mattie is starting to feel hopeless. A sweet story on how Christmas can change things!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )