The Christmas Cookie Collection

By: Lori Wilde
Published By: Avon
Age Recommended: New Adult - Adult
Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Book Blog For: NOR
Review:

"The Christmas Cookie Collection" by Lori Wilde was truly four beautifully written stories that all had the 'Christmas Theme.' 

Story one was of Carrie Mac Gregor ...
The story starts with Carrie displaying that she hated Christmas.  In Twilight, Texas Carrie owned the Yarn Burn store and its was close to Thanksgiving.  What will her life take on as the knitting club ('gossipy knitters') would be in her shop soon.  Did they have something in mind for dear Carrie during this holiday?  Who was Mark Leland who was returning to the town to take own a 'Fact or Fiction myth buster show(Reality Show?)' Once they had been so "smitten enough to run off to Vegas...but it was one dumb weekend out of their life."   What had they once meant to each other?  Was there any truth to the 'legend of Jon Grant and Rebekka Nash? Who ever thought that 'Twilight's sweetheart legend...if you throw a penny into the fountain and which for it you'll be reunited with your HS sweetheart.  Did Carrie still have a attraction for Mark?  This novella  was a good romantic story that you will have to pick up to see what will happen between Carrie and Mark.  In the end will Carrie love Christmas?  Check out this read to find out.

Story two was of Raylene Pringle who had once been a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader...now  owed the Horny Toad Bar(country and western bar). Once married to Earl, but he "found out about something in her past that she neglected to tell him and so...he left on Christmas eve."  What was this secret that Earl had discovered after thirty-five years?  Raylene had lied to Earl about money she had received ... they had wed and now it seemed  like  there marriage was over because he was gone. Now it seemed like Raylene 'was in limbo, waiting for the love of her life to return.'     Raylene needed to go on with her life because she wasn't taking care of herself...'she made no decisions'  and her business was not being taken care of properly because she was trying to do it all by herself.  Yes, she needed help.  However, their was Nate Deavers who was from the 'war Seal' who had become friends with Raylene and offered to hang her Christmas decorations for her. Was divorce in Raylene future?  So, she thought maybe with  the Christmas holiday coming she needed a plan of action...'forward motion.'  As the read continues  Shannon Dugan shows up at the 'Horny Toad Tavern.'  Who was Shannon? What secrets did she have?  Now, to get the rest of the good novella you will have to pick up this read. Be ready for  mystery and secrets and even some 'steamy sex scenes' that  will be revealed in the  interesting read.


Story  three was of Christine Noble was the owner of the town's local Twilight Bakery and she had created a special cookie from her own creation as she had done many times during this time of Christmas.  It was "the right combination of chewy crispness...And pretty darn tasty."  With all of this was she happy?
Christine was spending the holidays without her parents due to the fact they were visiting her brother and his family in Europe.  Christine had stay behind due to a wedding cake she had to prepare for a 'Christmas Eve Wedding.'  Her cat 'Cocoa had just died and lastly she had received some bad news from her specialist. What was this?...You will have to find out by picking up this wonderful read. So, we find Christine was putting everything into her bakery to take her mind off of the troubling things that surrounded her life. Thank God for her friends that came  into her shop to help cheer Christine up.  Would this be enough to keep her from feeling sorry for herself?  Had Christine suffered...due to accident he had a permanent limp...giving up one thing she loved most....and now...life just seemed so unfair.

Eli Borden, a widower, with four children from Jubilee, Texas was looking for the best cake for his daughter  Sierra's birthday and was lead  to the 'Twilight Baker' which was a half hour drive from his place.  Would you know that the owner of this bakery was a HS friend that 'he'd once kiss behind the school gym two day before his family moved to Jubilee.  Who would have thought Eli would see her again..."she was a sweet blast from the past." Would she remember him? Yes!  Now after sixteen years he now talking to Christine...just like old times. Was there  'physical attraction' between these two coming to the surface?   Eli had "walked into her bakery swaggering back into her life and she was feeling all those complicated feelings again."  Now, how would Christine send Christmas?
Christine realized that she had 'two choices...allow sadness and loneliness to overwhelm her, or put one foot in front of the other and move on."  As for Eli
after seeking Christine after sixteen years...had 'feeling come galloping back?;
To get it all you will have to pick up this read to see what was in store for Eli as he pursues Chrissy.  Was this something "magical...fate... and Destiny?  I really enjoyed this novel by this author and I am sure you will too!


Book four was of Flynn and Jesse with a baby(Grace) soon to be born were celebrating a Christmas...thing were tight for them but they were determine to make it... she had purchased a tree and put on a ornament that her mother had given her...however, it had fallen and was broken up into many pieces...Flynn was having a hard time at it because she was missing her mother who had died of ALS.   Now, she and her husband were out  delivering Christmas Angels gifts 'to the less fortunate before the weather got to bad. For Jesse things had once been bad for him..."sending ten years in prison, even for a crime he hadn't committed." But know things were different he was not only a husband but soon to be a father...a Dad.  But before this would happen...this is where I say you must pick up this good read to see what all with happen as Grace arrives.

Wow! this was some good reading of four Christmas novella's that once you started reading you will continue on to the next one. This is a smooth read where one read will lead you into the next one.  In the end you have a beautiful  read of four well written Christmas story of a Christmas season in the town of Twilight, Texas where you will find all of the characters so well developed and to very intriguing. it may seem that you know some of them.   Would I recommend "The Christmas Cookie Collection?"  YES!!!