This was adorable and oh-so creative. I was laughing so hard at the first gift.

The first gift:
"Why are you so happy?" her father demanded. "This has to be the least romantic gift of all time. It's a half-dead cactus covered with barbs and a random bullet."
"No, Daddy," she said, her heart awash with love. "It's a cartridge in a prickly pear tree." ( )

I loved this delightful spin on the classic Christmas carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas! Karen Witemeyer's wit and humor are well-known so who could better create twelve unique gifts for a determined young Texan to give to his sweetheart? Simeon Shepherd only has twelve days to prove that he is worthy to marry the love of his life and it doesn't take long for him to gain the support of all of the townspeople in Bethlehem, Texas. Will he, however, be able to convince the harshest judge of all? Can Simeon earn the blessing of Anna's father, David King?

I found myself singing the carol and laughing out loud as I learned some of the original gifts that Simon and his family chose for Anna, but Witemeyer's creativity doesn't stop there! Simeon, Anna, the Shepherd family, and the King family are some of the key characters, and they bear the names of people found in the first Christmas story! There is also an inspiring devotional at the end of the novella to deepen our appreciation for this special time of year!

I thoroughly enjoyed My True Love Gave to Me and I recommend it to anyone wanting a sweet, entertaining Christmas romance. It's also a quick read for those who don't have much time for reading during the busy holiday season!

I received a complimentary ARC from the author. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts. ( )

This fun, romantic story, which puts a twist on the classic Twelve Days of Christmas song, is a perfect quick read for the Christmas season. This quote is the heart of the story: “Gifts of true love come from the heart, not the pocketbook.” I love how apropos each gift is for the 1886 Texas setting. The inspiring Christmas devotional at the end of the story is a wonderful, thought-provoking bonus. I loved this story and highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )

An adorable twist on the Twelve Days of Christmas, Texas style! This cute novella completely drew me in. I loved the premise of the story. Anna King & Simeon Shepherd want to get married, but Anna’s father has different ideas. He brings in another suitor to try to win his daughter’s hand. But, rather than allow some stranger to woo his would be fiancée, Simeon uses the twelve days he has before Christmas to creatively show Anna how much he loves her.

I loved Simeon & Anna. Simeon is so cute! He takes the famous Twelve Days of Christmas song/poem as his inspiration and presents Anna with gifts based on the song, but with his own creative spin. I loved seeing each interpretation of the gifts, especially his take on twelve lords a leaping. There are also subtle nods to the Biblical Christmas story throughout and it’s fun to look for all the references. The author also includes a short, beautiful Christmas devotional at the end.

This is a perfect novella to get you in the Christmas spirit especially if you don’t have a lot of time. There’s so much packed into this darling story and it’s easy to fall in love with these endearing characters. Highly recommend! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author. All opinions are completely my own and voluntarily provided. ( )

My True Love Gave to Me is a thoroughly entertaining Christmas short story by Karen Witemeyer. I love how she combined the history of a well-beloved Christmas carol with a sweet, and often comical, grand gesture of love. As usual, Karen Witemeyer creates wonderful characters you want to cheer on in their troubles, and finds creative solutions to their problems. I enjoyed discovered the meaning of each of Simeon’s gifts. Everything down to the names of each character are carefully planned and are a tribute to the real reason for the Christmas season, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
This short story is the perfect escape from all the holiday stress and will keep the real reason behind Christmas at the forefront of your mind. I would highly recommend this story to all Karen Witmeyer fans and any fan of historical Christian romance. It’s pure entertainment and will leave you with a smile!
I was given a copy of this story by the author with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions are my own. ( )