Review: 'Our First Christmas' by Various Authors (2014)

Join four of your favorite authors for tales of Christmas romance to remember forever.
"Our First Christmas," Lisa Jackson Megan Johnson's marriage is over—or so she thinks. When her husband Chris lands in the hospital, fighting for his life, she remembers the unexpected joy of their first Christmas together.
"A Ranger for Christmas," Mary Burton The holidays bring painful memories for history professor Marissa Thompson. Agreeing to help Texas Ranger Lucas Cooper solve a case offers the perfect distraction. But as danger threatens, the joy of love has never been more tempting.
"A Southern Christmas," Mary Carter Reporter Danielle Bright is heading home for the holidays to write up a feature story about Christmas down south—and possibly win back her ex. But Sawyer, the sexy photographer along for the ride, is determined to jingle her bells.
"Christmas in Montana," Cathy Lamb Family is the ideal antidote to getting fired, but Laurel Kelly isn't prepared for the changes at home in Montana—or the fact that her college boyfriend Josh Reed now owns the family land. But a blue Christmas could be the perfect surprise for a holiday to remember.
I have to admit I was quite excited when I found a review copy of this festive short story collection with its stunning Christmas cover in my mailbox, thanks to the lovely people over at Sarah Hall Productions. 'Our First Christmas' includes four short stories, all set around Christmas time, by four different authors: Lisa Jackson, Mary Burton, Mary Carter, and Cathy Lamb. These are all authors I wasn't familiar with, so I looked forward to reading their stories, the chance to be introduced to their writing style, and getting into the Christmas spirit at the same time!
This short story collection includes four romantic Christmas tales by four different authors. Lisa Jackson's 'Our First Christmas' tells the story of Megan, who finds herself in the hospital with her husband one Christmas Eve, which makes her think back to how they got together, all those years ago. Mary Burton's 'A Ranger for Christmas' is an intriguing tale about Texas Ranger Lucas who needs the help of professor Marissa Thompson in cracking an old Aztec and Mayan code in order to stop a drug ring. In 'A Southern Christmas', Mary Carter introduces us to Danielle, who broke her boyfriend's heart two years ago when she turned down his proposal. She is now determined to travel back to her hometown and win him back. In Cathy Lamb's 'Christmas in Montana', Laurel is shocked when she discovers her ex-boyfriend Josh now owns the family home and land. She's willing to do anything to get the land back, but Josh has slightly different things in mind than Laurel does...
I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology of Christmas stories from start to finish; it really is a great read to get into the holiday spirit! I personally thought the stories were a great length (around 100 pages each), which gave enough time to get to know the characters and develop a fascinating plotline. All four stories were quite captivating, and I definitely wouldn't have minded if some of them had been full-length novels. The stories also complimented one another, providing the reader with on the one hand romance and fun and on the other hand intrigue and mystery.
I personally enjoyed Mary Carter's story 'A Southern Christmas' the most. I absolutely loved it; the characters were great, the plotline was fun and interesting, and I really enjoyed Mary's writing style. I can't wait to check out more of her books in the future. Lisa Jackson's story was really touching, and I loved the suspense of Mary Burton's story. Cathy Lamb's tale wasn't really my cup of tea, but I did enjoy some parts of it, such as Laurel's mother and aunt who have an apron business together. 'Our First Christmas' is a wondefully festive collection of Christmas stories; a great opportunity to get to know some new authors and the perfect read for a winter's day on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate!

Rating:9/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads   Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.