Tag: Morgan Tarpley Smith

You saw what the town needed, not just what we asked for.

Book Review | A Louisiana Christmas to Remember (Anthology)

A Louisiana Christmas to Remember is a collection of three interconnected romances set in the fictional Louisiana town of Moreau, which is loosely based on Natchitoches, the oldest European settlement in Louisiana

A Louisiana Snow by Morgan Tarpley Smith

This is the story of Mattie Hayes, small-town journalist and organiser extraordinaire, who is organising the Christmas market to raise funds to restore the local chapel after it was damaged in a recent hurricane. This means working with Paul Ammons, her long-time rival since he beat her to become high school valedictorian and won a coveted scholarship to Paris.

Restoring Christmas by Betsy St. Amant

This is the story of Jolene, Mattie’s artist cousin, who is hired at the last minute to repaint the town mural, and Cameron, Jolene’s new boss.

A Christmas Reunion by Lenora Worth

This is the story of Mattie’s aunt … and I dont’ want to say too much more about it, because that will ruin the surprise.

My favourite story was Mattie’s, perhaps because she is the character I related to best, and perhaps because I’m a big fan of friends/frenemies to more stories. My least favourite story was Adala’s, because even though I know these are made-up stories, I’m not a fan of controlling parents who go out of their way to do what they want rather than seeking what’s best for their child (as God does for us).

I loved the way the three stories were separate but intertwined.

Even though they are all standalone stories and all set at the same time it’s best to read them in order, as each story introduces situations and characters that become more relevant in the next story.

It’s also fun to see the came characters from different points of view. In the first story, Mattie has definite opinions about Jolene and whether she can be trusted, but Jolene’s story explains why she is how she is.. I enjoyed seeing Granny Eloise in all three stories as well, as the mentor figure able to give advice whether it’s wanted or not.

The three stories combine to provide a heart-warming Christmas set of Christian romances, even if the Louisiana snow is a far cry from the sunshine I am used to at Christmas.

Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About A Louisiana Christmas to Remember

A Rare Snowfall Leads to a Christmas to Remember

Three heartwarming, interconnected stories of faith, love, and restoration, brought to you by three Louisiana-native authors. Will a rare snowy Louisiana Christmas bring restoration and hope to the hometown and hearts of three women from the town’s founding family?

In A Louisiana Snow by Morgan Tarpley Smith, meet Mattie: A passionate visionary who learns to forgive and finds love in unexpected places…

In Restoring Christmas by Betsy St. Amant, meet Jolene: An artist and prodigal daughter who discovers love exists in the very place she once called home…

In A Christmas Reunion by Lenora Worth, meet Adale: A beautiful widow who finally dares to love again…

And don’t forget Granny, whose feisty spirit, blunt dialogue, and quirky ways play an important and endearing role.

Find A Louisiana Christmas to Remember online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

About the authors

Morgan Tarpley Smith

Morgan Tarpley Smith is a bestselling author and world traveler who weaves stories of history and heart. She loves to write inspirational fiction that transports readers to faraway places and intertwines past and present to explore questions of truth and faith. Morgan is an award-winning journalist who works as a freelance writer and publishing assistant. She lives in Louisiana with her husband and son. For more information, visit her website by searching her name online.

Betsy St. Amant

Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over twenty romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hubby, two daughters, an impressive stash of coffee mugs, and one furry Schnauzer-toddler. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored to truth. When she’s not composing her next book or baby-talking her dog, Betsy can be found somewhere in the vicinity of an iced coffee. She writes frequently for iBelieve, a devotional site for women, and offers author coaching and editing services through Storyside LLC.

Lenora Worth

Lenora Worth is an ACFW Honor Roll member. She writes inspirational fiction for Harlequin’s Love Inspired and sweet romance for Tule Publishing. She also writes for Kensington Books. She helped launch the Rodeo Knights Western Romance imprint. Her LIS Body of Evidence made the NY Times Bestseller list and she is also a USA Today and Publishers Weekly Bestselling author. In 2016, she received a Romantic Times Pioneers of Fiction Award. Three of her books have been nominated for the ACFW Carol Award and she is an RWA RITA finalist. Lenora has written 80+ books and has an estimated 3 million books in print. She loves cheesecake, shoe shopping, walking on the beach and reading.

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #368 | A Louisiana Snow by Morgan Tarpley Smith

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m sharing from A Louisiana Snow by Morgan Tarpley Smith, which is the first story in A Louisiana Christmas to Remember. I got a review copy of this anthology last year … but just didn’t get around to reading it before Christmas, and I’m not one of those people who reads Christmas stories all year round.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Mattie Hayes froze, her fingers warm around a latte, and stared at the flurries of white outside the window of Le Petit French Press coffee shop.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About A Louisiana Christmas to Remember

A Rare Snowfall Leads to a Christmas to Remember

Three heartwarming, interconnected stories of faith, love, and restoration, brought to you by three Louisiana-native authors. Will a rare snowy Louisiana Christmas bring restoration and hope to the hometown and hearts of three women from the town’s founding family?

In A Louisiana Snow by Morgan Tarpley Smith, meet Mattie: A passionate visionary who learns to forgive and finds love in unexpected places…

In Restoring Christmas by Betsy St. Amant, meet Jolene: An artist and prodigal daughter who discovers love exists in the very place she once called home…

In A Christmas Reunion by Lenora Worth, meet Adale: A beautiful widow who finally dares to love again…

And don’t forget Granny, whose feisty spirit, blunt dialogue, and quirky ways play an important and endearing role.

Find A Louisiana Christmas to Remember online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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