Book: The Christmas Gathering

The Christmas Gathering book cover
The Christmas Gathering by Lenora Worth, Rachel J. Good, Shelley Shepard Gray
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Release Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Amish Romance, Holiday Romance
Pages: 304

Great reads! 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙂𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 has one of my favorite tropes – interfaith romance. I like that Brandt and Tricia’s love story blossomed over time, not in a week or less. The ending was a little surprising for me but that’s one of the things I love about Gray’s books. 𝙒𝙚 𝙂𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 was a sweet story about Lucas Myer and Kayla Hollinger who had a chance meeting when both families stayed at an inn on Lake Erie. This story is my least favorite trope, feuding families. This meant there were a lot of characters but Worth does a good job of writing in character reminders without being obvious. 𝙃𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 was my favorite of the bunch. This bad boy, Mark, was after my heart when he fell in love with music. Being Amish, this was strictly a no, so of course he was thrown out of his house when it was discovered that not only had he chosen music, he had formed a rock band. This story was so good, I literally clapped at the end.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

About the Book

Publisher’s Description:

Christmas miracles abound in this trio of stories that celebrate holiday blessings with three Amish families who discover the season’s sweetest gifts . . .

A CHRISTMAS REUNION by Shelley Shepard Gray
Tricia Troyer is thrilled when Brandt Holden, her cousin’s English friend, joins the Troyers’ holiday gathering for the second year in a row. The sparks between them are clear to everyone. When Brandt asks Tricia to be his girlfriend, they both know she’ll have important choices to make about her future. But the two aren’t as different as some believe—and with open hearts and understanding, their very own Christmas miracle just might be
possible . . .

WE GATHER TOGETHER by Lenora Worth
When Lucas Myer meets Kayla Hollinger on the shores of Lake Erie, he’s smitten. Their families are even staying at the same inn, for different gatherings. The two plan to meet again—but soon enough they discover a problem: their relatives are locked in a longtime feud and forbid them to socialize. Fortunately, Lucas and Kayla are old enough to make their own decisions—and they decide to create a Christmas miracle of forgiveness and love . . .

HITTING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES by Rachel J. Good
Years ago, Mark was banished by his Amish family when he chose a career in music. It still hurts, especially during the holidays. And now, just before Christmas, he and his band find themselves stranded after their manager absconds with their money. Desperate, Mark is offered a job teaching piano—but that’s just the first miracle. His work will not only bless others in need, but a longtime fan might just capture his heart—and even lead him home . . 


About the Author

A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Honor Roll, Lenora Worth writes romance and romantic suspense for Love Inspired, sweet romance for Tule Publishing, and single-title Amish stories for Kensington Books. Three of her books finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards, and she received the Romantic Times Pioneer Award for Inspirational Fiction. Lenora is a NY Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and ECPA bestselling writer and a 2019 RWA RITA® Finalist. With one-hundred-plus books and novellas published and 5.3 million books in print, she enjoys adventures with her retired husband and loves reading, baking, and shopping … especially shoe shopping.

Go to lenoraworth.com to sign up for Lenora’s newsletter and find her book list and upcoming releases.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray writes Amish and Inspirational romances for Simon & Schuster, and KensingtonHarlequin, and contemporary women’s fiction for Blackstone Publishing. With over a million books in print, and translated into more than a dozen languages, her novels have been Holt Medallion winners and Inspirational Readers Choice and Carol finalists

Shelley has been featured in the Philadelphia EnquirerWashington Post, Time Magazine, and USA Today. She has also been interviewed on NPR as well as numerous regional radio stations. Publishers Weekly calls her Walnut Creek serie“A slow-burning, enjoyable romance… Embedded in this quaint story is a poignant message about the importance of community, compassion, and doing what’s right rather than what’s easy.” 

Shelley has hosted several well-attended ‘Girlfriend Getaways’ for Amish reading fans. Her most recent Girlfriend Getaway, hosted with bestselling novelists Amy Clipston and Suzanne Woods Fisher in Sugarcreek, Ohio, was filmed by BuzzFeed and highlighted on NetFlix’s Follow This episode on the popularity of Amish fiction.

Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature and later obtained her master’s degree in educational administration. She now lives in southern Colorado near her grown children, walks her dachshunds, bakes too much, and writes full time. 


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Welcome to Carla’s Book Crush, a thoughtful space for readers who love books, reflection, faith, and the literary life. Here you’ll find honest book reviews, reading reflections, deep dives into reading habits, conversations about faith and thoughtful living, and the occasional look into the hobbies and interests that shape a well read life. From Amish romance and contemporary fiction to nonfiction, Bible study resources, and literary curiosity, this is a place for readers seeking depth, encouragement, and stories that linger long after the final page.

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Why I don’t do star ratings... All authors, all books, have someone who labored over them and someone who loves reading them. A star rating is an arbetrary system that is only relevant to the person who provided the rating. I’m always honest with my opnions and feelngs about a book and how it resonated with me. You can hear that in the words that I pen. I explain more about this decision in the article For the Love of Books.


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