A Quilt for Christmas by Melody Carlson: Book Review

 **I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own. 

Christmas should be celebrated with family. But for Vera Swanson, that's not an option this year. Widowed and recently relocated, she is lonely in her condo-for-one--until little Fiona Albright knocks on her door needing help. With her mother seriously ill and her father out of town, Fiona enlists Vera's help, and when she finds out her new neighbor is a quilter, she has a special request--a Christmas quilt for Mama.

Vera will have to get a ragtag group of women together in order to fulfill the request. Between free-spirited artist Tasha, chatty empty nester Beverly, retired therapist Eleanor, and herself, Vera has hopes that Christmas for the Albright family will be merry, after all--and she may find herself a new family of friends along the way.

Bestselling and award-winning author Melody Carlson invites you to cuddle up this holiday season with this cozy story of giving, forgiving, and a little bit of romance.

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than 250 books with sales of more than 7.5 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, her novel All Summer Long was made into a Hallmark movie, and the film version of The Happy Camper is soon to be released. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at www.melodycarlson.com.

Melody Carlson was one of my very first introductions into Christian fiction as a teenager. I have continued to enjoy her writing as an adult... particularly her Christmas stories! I am always excited to check them out each year, and this year was no exception with A Quilt for Christmas.

This was such a sweet story about community and unlikely friendship. I love this idea that four very different women came together on a mission to create a complicated quilt in just a few short weeks, to help a child do something special for her mother. It was definitely a feel good story that is so much needed, not just around the holiday but always. Each woman was unique and well written, and I enjoyed seeing them drawn together. As a novella, this was a very quick read, but I didn't feel like it was missing anything due to it's length. Sure, I might have actually enjoyed a full length romance for Tasha, but nothing felt rushed or incomplete. I also personally am a big fan of Christmas novellas particularly because the holidays do tend to be a busier time and I don't always have as much time for reading.

Overall, this was a fantastic read. Fans of Melody Carlson's Christmas stories are certainly going to want to add this to their collection, and those who've never experienced them before might just become new fans themselves!