This book is two Christmas stories in one. The first, “An Appalachian Christmas” is set in Mistletoe, Kentucky, deep in the Appalachian Mountains. Julia Mayfield brings her nephew to this tiny town to meet his paternal grandparents, which was her sister’s dying wish. She meets David Armstrong, a WWII vet like herself and they make an instant connection. Several turns of events leave Julia in Mistletoe longer than the week she had planned. A Christmas miracle happens, changing things for Julia. Could a miracle be in the works for David and Julia?

“Once upon a Christmas Eve” is set on present day Noel, Missouri. Holly Goodnight owns a Christmas shop that has just been voted the best Christmas shop in America. Writer Van Keaton comes to town, wanting to turn Holly’s story into a novel. She agrees to let him tell the tale about how she was left as an infant on a doorstep on Christmas Eve. But lifelong friend Owen Quigly doesn’t like the attention Van is paying to Holly and sets out on his own quest to win Holly’s heart.

I really enjoyed this book. Both stories were well written, with likable, believable characters. As is usual for books in the “Love Finds You” series, the location was central to both stories. “An Appalachian Christmas” appealed to me because of it’s unique time period, the era immediately following WWII. “Once upon a Christmas” was a fun read with plenty of humor and quirky characters. Irene Brand and Anita Higman have both written stories well worth reading.

**This book was provided to me by the author for review purposes. However, I only post reviews of books that I enjoyed reading.