A Country Pub Christmas
Alissa Callen, Stella Quinn, Pamela Cook, Penelope Janu
Reviewed by Helen
I look forward to this anthology every year, the stories have always been fun and fabulous and this year’s is no different, Christmas stories at their best.
A Gingerbread Christmas, Alissa Callen
We are back in Windamere for this one with Christmas loving, gingerbread making city girl Tory Halifax and Christmas Grinch Blake Randall and his trusty kelpie, Doc Blake is happy to stay away from the town and the residents but when his twin nieces come to stay for a week and they love Christmas Blake will need all the help he can get and Tory is there willing and able and let’s not forget the members of the gardening club and their special matchmaking, there are lots of smiles as Tory and Blake spend more time together, this is a beautiful story that I loved.
A Jillaroo for Christmas Stella Quinn
When Mickey Harding’s grandmother passed away she leaves Mickey a photo album of her childhood in the gulf country in Queensland, Australia and a message to find a real adventure instead of the games she creates, Steve Bruce is doing the best he can to keep the Bruce Station going, money is tight his sister has gone off to earn money for them and the fist day on his own he breaks his wrist, he needs help and when Mickey arrives well lets just say the beautiful woman standing in front of him is not what he expected, far from it but it doesn’t take long before history on the property pregnant cows see these two falling in love, of there were lots of smiles and laughs with this one, I loved it.
Love on the Menu Pamela Cook
Chef and influencer Cassidy Butler has just inherited the pub her grandfather owned in a small country town she hasn’t been here since she lost her heart to the other pub’s son Nate Willis, but she has big plans and turns the pub into a fancy wine bar and bistro and wins the contract for the annual long table Christmas lunch from Nate Willis, Nate is shocked to see Cassidy back in town and it appears they will be in opposition in the pub stakes but things don’t go the way Cassidy would like and there is still a spark between them will it lead anywhere come along and see, this is a fabulous story that had me smiling all the way through.
The Kiss Before Christmas Penelope Janu
MS Janu has taken us back to Ballimore for this fabulous story, Lily Campbell is a contract fencer and she is happy to do all on her own but on a wet stormy evening changing a tyre a stranger pulls up behind her and lifts her tyre and the only thing she can think to thank him is a kiss and after that kiss that was so much more than she thought it would be she thought never to see this stranger again but that is not so, it seems that Barrister Xavier Lucas is in town to help some locals and is here for a longish stay and when Xavier steps in to help save the pub, Lily is losing her heart to Xavier and it appears that Xavier has already lost his to the beautiful strong Lily. Such a great story, I loved this one.
I do highly recommend this book, the stories are Christmassy all set around a pub, they all have fabulous characters that were so easy to love, Alissa Callen’s is part of her new series and I am hoping that Stella Quinn will write some more set in the gulf country and Pamela Cook’s setting is lovely could there be more set there and Penelope Janu has taken us back to Ballimore with characters that have become friends, if you are looking for a fabulous read then this is the one to pick up, a must read.
A Gingerbread Christmas, Alissa Callen
We are back in Windamere for this one with Christmas loving, gingerbread making city girl Tory Halifax and Christmas Grinch Blake Randall and his trusty kelpie, Doc Blake is happy to stay away from the town and the residents but when his twin nieces come to stay for a week and they love Christmas Blake will need all the help he can get and Tory is there willing and able and let’s not forget the members of the gardening club and their special matchmaking, there are lots of smiles as Tory and Blake spend more time together, this is a beautiful story that I loved.
A Jillaroo for Christmas Stella Quinn
When Mickey Harding’s grandmother passed away she leaves Mickey a photo album of her childhood in the gulf country in Queensland, Australia and a message to find a real adventure instead of the games she creates, Steve Bruce is doing the best he can to keep the Bruce Station going, money is tight his sister has gone off to earn money for them and the fist day on his own he breaks his wrist, he needs help and when Mickey arrives well lets just say the beautiful woman standing in front of him is not what he expected, far from it but it doesn’t take long before history on the property pregnant cows see these two falling in love, of there were lots of smiles and laughs with this one, I loved it.
Love on the Menu Pamela Cook
Chef and influencer Cassidy Butler has just inherited the pub her grandfather owned in a small country town she hasn’t been here since she lost her heart to the other pub’s son Nate Willis, but she has big plans and turns the pub into a fancy wine bar and bistro and wins the contract for the annual long table Christmas lunch from Nate Willis, Nate is shocked to see Cassidy back in town and it appears they will be in opposition in the pub stakes but things don’t go the way Cassidy would like and there is still a spark between them will it lead anywhere come along and see, this is a fabulous story that had me smiling all the way through.
The Kiss Before Christmas Penelope Janu
MS Janu has taken us back to Ballimore for this fabulous story, Lily Campbell is a contract fencer and she is happy to do all on her own but on a wet stormy evening changing a tyre a stranger pulls up behind her and lifts her tyre and the only thing she can think to thank him is a kiss and after that kiss that was so much more than she thought it would be she thought never to see this stranger again but that is not so, it seems that Barrister Xavier Lucas is in town to help some locals and is here for a longish stay and when Xavier steps in to help save the pub, Lily is losing her heart to Xavier and it appears that Xavier has already lost his to the beautiful strong Lily. Such a great story, I loved this one.
I do highly recommend this book, the stories are Christmassy all set around a pub, they all have fabulous characters that were so easy to love, Alissa Callen’s is part of her new series and I am hoping that Stella Quinn will write some more set in the gulf country and Pamela Cook’s setting is lovely could there be more set there and Penelope Janu has taken us back to Ballimore with characters that have become friends, if you are looking for a fabulous read then this is the one to pick up, a must read.
5 stars
September 29, 2026 by HQ Genre AU
