I have always loved books by Wanda Brunstetter and I loved this one too. It was a little short for me because I like to really get to know the characters. Still a great read and I loved the art on the pages! ( )

This was a very short, sweet Christmas novella taking place in 1880. Elizabeth Canning is getting married to David Stinner on Christmas Eve and she is busy getting the tiny cabin her grandfather built for her grandmother, ready for their new life. When she finds an old journal in a desk, life changes drastically. It appears that her Aunt Lovina shares a secret from decades earlier, a secret that causes Elizabeth to leave her family and David a note and run away. She can't let them know what she found out in the journal because it will bring shame to so many. Once David discovers Elizabeth's note, he is confused and hurt. He actually thinks she has left to be with another man and that she never really loved him. He goes to her best friend Helen, who seems to be the only one who knows where Elizabeth has gone. He puts his faith and trust in God and prays to find the answers he is looking for.

THE CHRISTMAS SECRET is a short, sweet novella and the flow of the story was such that I did not want to stop reading. Wanda Brunstetter held my interest throughout. There are a couple of important messages in this story about communication and not always believing what you read without investigating and verifying the information. Even though in this short book I did not have a lot of time to connect with the characters, I found that I was still cheering for David to find Elizabeth and sort out this problem quickly. ( )

The Christmas Secret by Wanda E. Brunstetter is set in Allentown, Pennsylvania in November of 1880. Elizabeth Canning is getting ready to marry David Stinner on Christmas Eve (which is also Elizabeth’s birthday). They will be living in a cabin built by Elizabeth’s grandfather and it is very special to Elizabeth. While cleaning out the cabin, Elizabeth finds a journal written by her Aunt Lovina (she grew up in the cabin along with Elizabeth’s mother). The first entry dates back to Lovina’s sixteenth birthday. Elizabeth starts reading the journal and discovers a startling secret that will ruin her life and affect others. Elizabeth only tells the devastating secret to her friend, Helen. Elizabeth calls off the wedding and quickly leaves town to stay with her grandparents. David does not understand why Elizabeth called off their wedding. David sets out to find Elizabeth and get answers. Will David and Elizabeth be able to overcome the obstacle thrown in their path? You will have to read The Christmas Secret to see if David and Elizabeth make it to the alter on Christmas Eve.

The Christmas Secret is a sweet short story (it is a novella not a full-length book). It is nicely written and easy to read (good flow). It can easily be finished in an hour. I did, though, find it predictable and reminiscent of something I have read previously. Once the secret was revealed I knew what would happen. It is really not a Christmas story. It is set during Christmas, but it is a historical romance novella. It is a nice story, but I just expected more from this author. I give The Christmas Secret 3.5 out of 5 stars. It has nice messages about the power of love, prayer, faith, and forgiveness. ( )