The story by Macomber was less than her best. Ashley acts like a teenager who is love sick for an older man. Although they are now 26 and 40 they both seemed like they had not dated, known each other for years and now notice each other and think they look amazing. Both very Christian stories. Story by Goodnight was much better. Jesse was so believable. He tried to just be a nice person but was so open to new ways of thinking. Learning that people can be nice cause they want to be rather than his get even attitude. Lindsey, owner of a tree farm, went overboard on wanting to be alone but used religion as a way to care about others. She was too willing to be a mother. ( )

This book contains two previously published books.

In The Gift of Christmas, Ashley finds love with her former crush, Cooper. There's an age difference between them that is harped on a bit too much for my taste. It also bothered me that the two didn't talk much--didn't communicate to find out if what the other thought was true or to find out why the other one did or didn't do something.

In In The Spirit of Christmas--I honestly felt like I'd read this story before even though I couldn't find anything that said I had. Jesse, a widower father, gets a job at a place he considers his--though it takes the author a long time to reveal why he thinks it's his and how he plans to get the place from its current owner, Lindsey. I admire that Jesse is trying to be a good father to Jade and that he wants to give her a home and stability, but I don't like his deceit. I pretty much figured out the ending which reminded me a bit of O Henry's The Gift of the Magi. ( )