I Heard the Bells

Author: Darlene L. Turner, Helena Smrcek, Melanie Stevenson, Sara Davison
Genre: Christmas Anthology
Pages: 380
Release Date: October 28, 2025
Publisher: Fab Four Press




A Christmas Wedding to Die For by Darlene L. Turner

’Tis the season for deadly secrets.
Photographer Adelaide Fox thought she had the perfect assignment—capturing the winning shot at a high-profile Yukon wedding. But when the bride vanishes and a guest is found dead, holiday cheer turns to mystery. As a blizzard approaches, Adelaide teams up with the bride’s rugged brother, tracker Declan Stone. With danger closing in, suspicious guests, and threatening messages, Adelaide must unravel the truth—and maybe open her heart—to find peace on earth this Christmas.

Season of Forever by Helena Smrcek

Past meets present. Two hearts, WWII secrets, and a Christmas of second chances.
Past and present entwine in a story of love, loss, and second chances. In the shadows of WWII, a fragile romance is tested by sacrifice and distance. Decades later, in St. Jacobs, Ontario, Faith helps at her grandmother’s sweater shop, while next door Joseph acquires a charred WWII Bible marked with a red ribbon. Despite their rocky first encounter, will Faith and Joseph give their budding relationship a chance—and uncover the hidden story within the Bible’s pages?

Falling for You by Melanie Stevenson

A broken engagement, a broken rib, and a broken heart.
Author Laurel Bennett hadn’t planned to spend Christmas this way. Her escape to Banff was meant to avoid her ex-fiancé’s wedding, not land her in recovery at the Banff Springs Hotel. But when she crosses paths with Dr. Ethan Pine—the charming stranger who saved her on the slopes—everything changes. A whirlwind of magical days sparks undeniable chemistry, and they must decide if love can bridge both the distance and the wounds that threaten to keep them apart.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Potter by Sara Davison

He thought he knew exactly what he wanted.
Jack Miller is determined to make it big in the Big Apple. So why does he keep getting dragged back to the place—and the woman—he’s trying to leave behind? Playing the lead in his tiny Nova Scotian town’s production of It’s a Wonderful Life gives Jack a glimpse into the life that could have been his. Good thing it’s not the one he wants, since it’s clearly too late for him to get it back.

---

Reviewer: Laura Thomas

Reading this Canadian anthology was like savouring a delightful box of Christmas chocolates... I got to sample different flavours and textures, each with their own deliciousness—and was thoroughly satisfied at the end! 

From a murder mystery at a wedding location in the snowy Yukon to a split-time romance connecting WWII London and contemporary Ontario, then an unexpected melding of hearts on the ski-slopes at Banff, Alberta to a charming Nova Scotian small-town story of second chances with all the “It’s a Wonderful Life” vibes. There’s something special here for every reader who enjoys Christmas novellas with heart!

I received a complimentary copy from the authors through Interviews & Reviews in exchange for my honest opinion.

---