A cheap and cheerful romance!
I do have a love for Christmas romances and this is a gorgeous addition to my ever-growing bookshelf.
I felt that the dialogue between the characters was a little cheesy, but it's Christmas everyone loves a little cringing chees at Christmas right? But it is such a feel-good and charming escae from the real world and the characters were so damn likeable you can't help but look the other way when they are being a little cheesy. .

This book consists of 2 stories. The first is Gift of Family which is by Irene Brand. It focuses on the story of Evan & Wendy and is told over 12 Chapters.
The second story is called Child in a Manager by Dana Corbit. This story is about Allison and Brock. It is told over 11 intriguing and interesting Chapters.

Both books grip the reader and really make them stay focused on the story until the very end.

A Family For Christmas is published by M&B and consists of two novels: The Gift of Family and Child in a Manger (made in to a film for TV - Baby in a Manger) by Irene Brand and Dana Corbit.

In The Gift of Family Wendy Kenworth and Evan Kessler are s newly engaged couple. Evan is forced to temporarily leave college and go home to manage the family farm. Wendy is s city girl who cannot Evan’s sudden need to work the land. Will being stranded at the Kessler’s farm over Christmas help understand and will Evan’s strong faith convince her to accept the gift of a family?

Child in a Manger involves a baby being found in the church nativity scene by Allison Hensley who is a social worker. As it is Christmas there aren’t any foster families willing or able to take the baby in so Allison takes the baby. Cynical detective Brock Chandler is tasked with finding the baby’s parents with Allison assisting in the search. Unexpected feelings develop between the pair. Could the baby complete and create a ready made faulty of three?

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley

susan1375 at 12:39:00
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Two enjoyable festive books and very apt for the Christmas season with a baby abandoned in the manger of a nativity play and subsequent search for the mother. An easy romance to snuggle down with over Christmas!

The Gift of Family is a nice read - family orientated and the faith aspect was very evident.

Child in a Manger is everything you could hope for from a Christmas romance - even down to the baby in the manger. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Mills and Boon Insiders for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Family for Christmas: The Gift of Family / Child in a Manger
by Irene Brand, Dana Corbit.

The Gift of Family by Irene Brand is not a story for people who are likely to roll their eyes when they see people spreading the gospel on the streets. It is heavily based around Christianity. 

Wendy has been brought up by her mother after her father left. She hasn't been brought up as a Christian although her paternal grandparents used to take her to church while they had access visits with her.

Evan has been brought up in a large, very close, loving and Christian family. Months after dating Wendy he asks her to marry him, she says yes but then the problems begin.

He has to go home to look after the family dairy farm after his father has a stroke. He invites Wendy to spend Christmas with him and his family as they haven't met her. That's when they both realise just how different they are especially when it comes to him being a Christian and her not being one.

He, rightly, won't give up his beliefs, nor will he let down his family by not looking after the farm until his father is up to it again. She is a little overwhelmed about how religious Evan and his family are. She also never dreamed she would be a farmer's wife. She wants to be a teacher, to work, not to be a homebody. Can the couple have a future together, can there be a compromise?

This story was a bit of a slow starter for me, I also at times felt like I wanted to bang Wendy and Evan's heads together. They loved each other and yet both started questioning their future together. Despite that, and what could be seen as a little bit of preaching, I did end up enjoying the story and was happy with how it ended. I loved Evan's family, they were willing to accept Wendy even when Evan was questioning her not being a Christian. This was a sweet festive read.

Child in a Manger  by Dana Corbit 

This is yet another story whose characters are 'believers' in God. There isn't as much preaching in this one as in the first story in this duet and I think even the eye-rollers might do OK with reading this one.

A baby is abandoned in a nativity play in the baby Jesus' manger no less. When she is discovered by Allison, a social worker for children, she quickly takes control of making sure the baby is OK. Also wanting to take control, but this time, of looking for the mother who abandoned the baby is Detective Brock Chandler who was at the nativity at the time. 

From the start, Brock and Allison clash because she would like to think that the Mother had a good reason for leaving the baby, whereas Brock thinks she must just be a waste of space who can't be bothered with her child. He wants to find and arrest her as soon as he can. Whereas Allison wants to find her in the hope that she can stop the woman facing criminal charges, and of course to make sure she has the opportunity to keep her baby if she has changed her mind. Allison always likes to think the best of people. Brock is a cynical person and as a child was given up himself, he is angry about most things but especially women who leave their children.

This couple's story focuses on not only finding the mother of the baby but also learning more about each other and themselves. A relationship could be developing between them, but can a person with a glass half full attitude ever match well with one with a glass half empty one.

I enjoyed this story and although some might think the ending a bit unbelievable, I believe it and it left me smiling. 

Both stories in this set are sweet and as long as you aren't an Atheist, or looking for some passionate bedroom scenes I think you will like this book so am happy to recommend it.

I think this is the first time I have actually properly been disappointed by a Mills & Boon and I am... Well... Disappointed.

I love Romance, but there are some things that I just can't stand. Unfortunately the first story in this two-story bind up was everything I do not like, and it kind or soured the whole experience for me.

The Gift of Family
I found this story so religious that it was uncomfortable to read, especially as I had not gone in expecting a heavily Christian romance. There's nothing wrong with Christian romance when I'm expecting it, but it was not what I was in the mood for and not what I thought I'd be reading. Aside from the preacher-y religious writing, the story itself was insta-love and bad decisions and selfish characters and crap excuses. I'd give The Gift of Family one star as I did not enjoy it.

Child in a Manger
This was definitely the better of the two stories. I have a bit of a soft spot for broody detectives and although if anything the romance in this story was even more insta-love with its ridiculously short time scale, I still enjoyed it. It's a great wee festive read, and I did not find the religion in this story overbearing, even if there was a baby discovered in the manger of a nativity scene. The romance was implausible, but I enjoyed it because of the writing. I'd give Child in a Manger three stars as it was an enjoyable romance.


So yeah, this was a mixed experience for me, and I kind of wish I'd just stopped reading the first so that I wouldn't have to rate the book so low.

This is the first book that I have read by these authors and I enjoyed reading parts of it. The characters are good but the storyline was a bit cute but it was over so quickly. This is the first time that I have given such a low star rating.

I voluntarily read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

All thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased


These stories are heavy on the Christian angle with lots of bible quotes

I found them a little tame for my tastes but still enjoyed the quick reads