Let's Bust a Recap : Father Christmas Trilogy

Today, we're doing three recaps in one because I just read this sweet Christmas trilogy by Robin Jones Gunn. (Although it doesn't have to stay a trilogy, I'm just sayin'.)

Finding Father Christmas, the first book in this little series, was published in 2007. In it, we meet Miranda who has decided to spend her Christmas trying to track down her biological father. The few meager clues she has about his identity from her mother's belongings lead her on a trip to the small town of Carlton Heath in England. In her search for her earthly father, Miranda meets her Heavenly Father and finally comes to terms with her past. 

Engaging Father Christmas was published the following year in 2008. In this one, we catch back up with Miranda as she navigates her life after learning the truth about her past and as she hopes and dreams for the future. Sidenote: Robin writes one of the most romantic Christmas proposal scenes I've ever read. *sigh*

Last year in 2016, these first two books got picked up by Hallmark for a made-for-TV Christmas movie. These are the first of Robin Jones Gunn's books to be adapted for the screen. When Finding Father Christmas (the movie) became the highest rated and most watched premier in the network's history, they obviously decided to do a sequel the following year with the same name of the book sequel. Engaging Father Christmas (the movie) then broke the record again for being the highest rated, most watched premier. I have not seen either of the Hallmark movies, but from what I understand, they differ from the books pretty significantly, the biggest changes probably being the setting (which was moved from England to Vermont) and the fact that Ian became a key character in the first movie whereas in the book, he was introduced briefly at the very end. 

I'm not sure if it was because of the movie deal or if the idea just didn't come until later, but Kissing Father Christmas was published last year in 2016 right before the first movie premiered on Hallmark. In Kissing Father Christmas, we meet Anna who has fallen in love with the small town and people of Carlton Heath after attending the wedding of her cousin Ian to his bride Miranda. 

These books were hardly on my radar until last year around the time the movie announcement was made. I knew that Robin Jones Gunn had written some Christmas stories, but I never really looked into reading them until she started promoting them on her blog before the movie premiered. At that point, I had read a lot more of her non-Christy Miller fiction and realized that I truly love all her writing. I finally caved this year and bought these for myself, and I don't regret it at all. After reading these, I think I'm only seven reads shy of her entire work (not including non-fiction). I have never been disappointed with any of her books. Her writing is feminine and beautiful and poetic and I love it all.

If you are a woman (these books just aren't really for boys—sorry not sorry) looking for something sweet to read, I can't recommend these books highly enough. 

Have you read anything by Robin Jones Gunn? Do you like her writing style? The 7 books of hers I have yet to read are all in the Sisterchicks series. I have a few of them, so you can bet 1 or 2 will make it on my 2018 book list! Any suggestions for which one I should read next? The only one I've read so far is Sisterchicks in Sombreros. 

Have a Happy Christmas!