Christmas at the Circus

The Lady and the Lionheart

by Joanne Bischof

A short story about The Greatest Season on Earth

In 1800's New Orleans, newlyweds Charlie and Ella Lionheart are spending their first holiday season together within the circus. It’s Ella’s first Christmas away from her mountain home and with thoughts of family and new beginnings, see what surprises the kindhearted lion tamer has in store for her on Christmas Eve.
A touch of holiday magic beneath the Big Top!

Genres: Christmas, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Short Stories, Romance, Christian, Historical

35 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

An ECPA Christy Award winner and an ACFW Carol Award winner, Joanne Bischof DeWitt writes deeply layered fiction that tugs at the reader’s heartstrings. Joanne’s 2016 novel, THE LADY AND THE LIONHEART, received an extraordinary 5 Star TOP PICK! from Romantic Times Book Reviews among other critical acclaim.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful little Christmas story! Do I really have to tell you that I downloaded it and read it the moment I saw it was announced? Despite it being midnight already? Hmmm.

Charlie and Ella are as beautiful a couple as ever, and I loved how the little message about the Christmas season's meaning is woven in at the end.

Note: it does contain several large spoilers for the novel.

[Melissa Tagg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a happy and charming Christmas story! I loooooved the opportunity to revisit Charlie Lionheart (one of my very favorite characters ever...like, EVER!) and Ella and even Baby Holland...and the lions!! I love these characters, I love this world...and I love any chance to read Joanne Bischof's beautiful writing. This was a wonderful Christmas surprise and if you loved The Lady & The Lionheart, I think you'll love this, too.

[Ashley Yoder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so cute❤️ literally just gave me a dose of happiness🥰😂

[E.F. Buckles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, sweet Chrismas story. This was a pleasant surprise since I didn't know the author was writing a short story about the characters from The Lady and the Lionheart, and while it was very simple it was lovely to get a glimpse of what's going on with them after the main story ended, especially at Christmas time. It gave me the warm fuzzies and put a smile on my face.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet sequel to The Lady and the Lionheart.♡ I only wish it was a little longer!

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story is basically an epilogue to The Lady and the LIonheart set during the Christmas holidays. Ella and Charlie are spending their first Christmas together with their sweet, adopted daughter, Holland. Everything is perfect except Ella is yearning for her family. But Charlie finds the perfect Christmas present to make her Christmas complete.

Reminded me a bit of O'Henry's The Gift of the Magi with the sweetness and message of the true gift of Christmas.

[Rachel McMillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's the only thing better than Charlie Lionheart?


A: Charlie Lionheart AT CHRISTMAS

[Deon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this on #KindleUnlimited

[Lou Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed hearing about Charlie, Ella and Holland again. This reads like an epilogue to the novel The Lady and the Lionheart rather than an independent short story.

[Malia Saldaña · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so cute. It was really short, though. I wish it were longer!:) I’m going to have to read The Lady and The Lionheart now!

*Review updated* December 2020
After reading The Lady and The Lionheart, I knew I had to read this short story again this year. It was fun re-visiting this Christmas story,and it made more sense to me.:) You could totally read this before the book because I did. It was so fun seeing them as a family. Holland is so cute.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this was a very short story, it took me right back to where and why I fell in love with Charlie Lionheart as a character. Told from Ella's point of view the first Christmas after they married, she muses: "No better legacy could a father leave behind than to show his children how to lead and listen with grace." This encapsulates the character of Charlie perfectly, as does the surprise he has for Ella on Christmas Eve.
I think this book may become a December read tradition!

[Morgan Yoder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need more of there story 😭🥺

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas at the Circus is just simply wonderful!

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Short & sweet & super cute! I love when authors give us extra little looks into the lives of characters after “the end” & seeing Charlie and Ella’s first Christmas was no exception! 🥰

[Jessica Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet, but so beautiful 🥰 I loved getting a peak into these characters lives again 💕

[Jocelyn Green]

This was such a sweet story, sure to charm readers who didn't get enough of Ella and Charlie Lionheart and little Holland in the Christy Award-winning novel, The Lady and the Lionheart. The short story format (shorter than a novella) makes it easy to fit into any busy holiday schedule. I enjoyed this in one sitting as my bedtime reading last night. It was a peaceful way to end a hectic day.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet short story that is beautifully written, giving readers a chance to catch up with the main characters from The Lady and the Lionheart. I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions and the way the story evoked the feeling of Christmastime. Nicely done!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved being able to revisit some of my all time favorite literary characters! Such a sweet Christmas story.

[Susan Snodgrass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanne Bischof takes her readers back to visit with one of her most remarkable heroes, Charlie Lionheart, and his wife Ella, first brought to us in her novel The Lady and the Lionheart. Just a short novella, but Bischof manages once again to convey great emotional depth in this offering. It was great to see Charlie and Ella again and also to see Charlie's wonderful Christmas gift to his beloved wife.

*My thanks to the author for a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required and my opinion is my own.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable short story for Christmas time! Fans of The Lady and the Lionheart will not be disappointed! I was so happy to reconnect with these characters again!

I am hoping to see a sequel to the Lady and the Lionheart soon! Hint to the author! ( ;

[Courtney Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A darling little short story that "catches up" with beloved characters and shows sweet Christmas moments in their lives.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Short, Very Sweet

What a fun little snippet of Christmas to add to one of my favorite books. Very short, very sweet. It makes me want to go back and read the book again!

[Alissa J. Zavalianos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an incredibly sweet short story to go along with The Lady and the Lionheart, one of my favorite books.

It was so fun meeting the characters again and getting a gentle glimpse into family, memories, and Christ’s redemptive love.

[Rochelle Saldaña · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more like a chapter than a novella. It was absolutely sweet and left me feeling warm. I love how Joanne weaves words together to create a picture. The only reason it is 4 stars and not 5 is because I want more!

[Andrea Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a charming Christmas short story. A lot of it was a recap of what had happened in the previous book, and most of it was completely internalized. The big surprise at the end was predictable to me, but I really enjoyed seeing the circus in its winter setting. Holland was as adorable as she was in The Lady and the Lionheart. It was fun to see Ella, Charlie, and Holland in their new family routine.

Content: tobacco

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very short, sweet story, but I think I was hoping for a little more. Maybe I shouldn’t have read it so soon after finishing the novel.

[Christine Indorf · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short read that will only take you about an hour to finish. I wish it was more because I love the Lady and the Lionheart so much. I wanted to know what the characters were up to and to see where their lives where after the main characters got together. This is a very short tibit on their lives. I hate to say I was very disappointed and was hoping for so much more. I hope the author will write another book on these characters so I can really enjoy the book. For a fast Christmas read I would recommend this book, but don't expect to much!

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pour yourself a hot drink and snuggle up with this heartwarming Christmas story!

I loved The Lady and the Lionheart and found this novella a charming walk down memory lane. Revisiting favorite characters and joining them under the big top for a special Christmas Eve!

(I purchased this story for my personal collection.)

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my Christmas stars! I loved this little visit with the Lionheart family.
A very sweet, heartwarming Christmas at the Circus.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but so sweet addition to The Lady and The Lionheart,” one of my favorite books ever!