Every year, Pelican Book Group publishes a series of Christmas novels and novellas. Here is a summary of the ones I’ve read, along with my reviews. If you’d like an inspirational Christmas story to read this season, you can find some wonderful options below!

Cameron Blake has everything a man could want. Or so it appears. But in the dark of night, the contents of an old manila envelope remind him that the one thing he truly wants is beyond his reach.

Kristin Hansen returns home after a messy break-up. While her parents think she’ s returned to recuperate after surgery on a broken arm, she’ s actually escaping from an abusive relationship.

When the pastor of a local church recruits Kristin and Cameron to supervise the building of the church’ s float for the upcoming Christmas parade, their hidden secrets are exposed. Cam sees in Kristin what he truly desires… but knows he can never have.

As Christmas nears, can Kristin help him find the thing that’ s eluded him all these years? The one thing his heart truly desires? Hope.

My review:

A Hope for Christmas is a sweet story of two people overcoming painful pasts. Ms. James crafts characters full of dimension. I enjoyed reading Kristen and Cam’s story, from their unconventional meeting in the middle of the night, to being assigned a project with the church youth group. The more Kristen learns about Cam, the deeper she’s able to see into the past that has shaped his present. I enjoyed the support system both Kristen and Cam had, since both had godly people in their lives to give them advice. Perhaps the best character in the book, however, is Kristen’s little dog Lucy, who pops up at both the most convenient and inconvenient moments!

Carole Quelch’s secret must remain hidden at all costs. The price so far has been her home and her career. Terrified it’ ll cost her even more, she hasn’ t left town or been home in years.

Idris Owen teaches at the same school as Carole. When he finds her in the music room playing the hand bells after school, he nicknames her Carole of the bells and convinces his reclusive co-worker to help teach his class a piece for the school Christmas concert.

There is something about Carole that Idris finds intriguing, but she is hiding something. While he feels an undeniable attraction, he isn’t willing to allow love to enter the equation when she obviously doesn’t trust him enough to share her past.

But, secrets never stay hidden for long. When this one comes to light, everything will change.

My review:

Carole of the Bells is a wonderful tale of two people finding happiness. Carole has a secret she’s keeping from everyone in her life. It’s a secret she needs to keep so she doesn’t lose everything that is important to her.  You can’t help but root for her to start trusting the cute music teacher at her school. It kept me turning pages!

When Violet Noble begins her new job as council events planner in Winkfield Green, she’ s horrified to learn she has twenty days to organize the, as yet unplanned, Christmas Fayre— and it won’t be easy. All the files regarding previous events have disappeared, along with most of the decorations. She needs a miracle, but what she gets instead the council’ s maintenance man, carpenter and all-around fix-it guy— Derek Xenon.

When Violet turns to Derek for help with the Christmas Fayre, his first instinct is to say no. His regular job is demanding enough without adding the resident damsel in distress to his workload. However, he’ s never one to turn down a challenge— even one from Christmas obsessed out-of-towner, and especially when someone seems to want Violet’s plans to fail.

Will Violet’ s vision of Christmas ever come to fruition, or will she throw in the stocking?

My review:

Underneath the Christmas Tree starts off innocently, with Violet Noble starting a new event planning job. Her first task is to plan the Christmas fayre for the town. But everything starts going wrong, and it turns out someone isn’t too happy with having her in town. Soon the mishaps turn dangerous. Fortunately, she finds a compatriot in the local handyman, Derek, and before long, the two of them are working together both to save Christmas for the town and to try to find who wants to stop them. It’s full of suspense, mystery, friendship, and romance with well-written characters and a page-turning storyline.

Scott Newton retires from the sheriff’ s office after a fellow officer is killed. Wracked by sorrow and the need for justice, Scott grows distant from his girlfriend, aspiring crime writer, Lindsay Billings. But, when Lindsay goes missing, and Scott discovers her research on the missing person cases thought to be the work of a serial murderer known as the Christmas Killer, Scott vows to find her at all costs. Police have never found the bodies of the people who went missing many Christmases ago, and Lindsay won’t become just another statistic.

Then, someone kills again in Blanchardville. Police locate a corpse atop one of seven inflatable swans on a pond, and another body in a pear tree. Scott receives odd texts from Lindsay’ s phone and deduces they’ re from the killer.

In order to save Lindsay, Scott agrees to meet the madman and play his game. As time runs out, Scott must learn to trust in God again, no matter what.

My review:

12 Days is not your typical Christmas novella. I loved how it introduced the main character, Scott, in a prologue during his childhood. The story handles Scott’s crisis in faith beautifully as he races to catch the serial killer that may just have taken his girlfriend. You’ll find it hard not to read the entire story in one sitting, so don’t start it right before bed! Well-written, fast paced, and exciting.

Pepper Rainwater is thriving in newfound faith, blooming love, and her own Christmas house. But the appearance of her mother brings back all the ugliness of growing up in a storage unit. Can she face family issues from a new perspective and forgive her parents for the past?

The discovery of Foxx Haven’ s true beginnings shatter his sense of security. For the first time, he questions his father’ s love and deals with getting to know his birth mother. Did God really plan this mess for his life? He’ s such a wreck inside, how can he be the man of faith Pepper deserves?

Their mothers bring challenges and time constraints on Pepper and Foxx. He longs to show his love, she yearns to bask in his attention. How will they help their widowed mothers, make life easier for one another, heal appropriately, and look toward a brighter future?

My review:

Christmas in Garland continues the story of Pepper and Foxx, who found each other in Ms. Peery’s 2022 Christmas novella, The Christmas House. In this continuation of the story, Pepper and Foxx struggle to find time together as they are each dealing with family issues.  Pepper’s newly found faith is interwoven throughout the story as she learns to navigate her family relationships.