Review: Merry Christmas, Cowboy (Home to Texas #2) by Charlene Sands

 

He flips houses. She flips hearts…

Independent contractor Garrett Brown hopes to survive Christmas in Last Stand, Texas, without too much fuss. Not interested in the rancher lifestyle, he plans to flip the house he inherited on Cottonwood Ranch and move onto his next project. Little Cody, the nephew he’s raising, needs stability, and he’s got a home waiting for them in California. The last thing Garrett needs is to become attached to anyone—or any place—or to get involved with silly Christmas festivities.

Kindergarten teacher Nicole Russell adores Christmas and is counting on the holiday to get her through her recent at-the-altar break up. Tired of pitying looks from the townsfolk, she decides to chair the Honeysuckle Holiday Fundraiser. When she reaches out to the new owner of Cottonwood Ranch, the perfect venue site, she expects cooperation, not stonewalling. Undeterred, Nicole makes her case with persuasive arguments that the too-handsome stranger in town cannot dodge and they strike a bargain.

Nicole and Garrett are at odds, but their holiday pact and the power of Christmas may change both of their lives forever.

 

My Review:

A heartwarming holiday romance

Kindergarten teacher, Nicole Russell and house flipper Garrett Brown team up to make a memorable Christmas for Garrett’s nephew, Cody, who Garrett was raising after his sister passed away.  Along the way, Garrett and Nicole heal each other’s hearts from their painful pasts.

This is a book that is easy to get lost in.  The characters are both emotionally distraught and deserved to find some happiness.  I kept cheering them on while their friends and Nicole’s family kept nudging them closer.  Nicole was dumped at the alter months ago and was afraid to fall in love again.  Garrett was still mourning his sister’s loss and doing his best to give Cody a good life.  Garrett’s plan was to renovate his uncle’s house in Last Stand, Texas, then sell it and move to California.  But sometimes life has a way of changing your plans and you just might find happiness where you least expect it.  If you like small town romances with a lot of holiday spirit, this will be a good book for you.      

 

 

Review: P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna by Sarah Chauncey (Author), Francis Tremblay (Illustrator)

An illustrated gift book for adults grieving a companion cat, celebrating the often-quirky bond between humans and felines.

Our cats occupy a unique space in our hearts. When they’re gone, the loss can be devastating, the grief profound.
P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna gives us an opportunity to give friends, loved ones, or ourselves tangible comfort during the grieving period, when so many of us feel isolated and misunderstood after a beloved pet dies.
The author and illustrator (devoted cat lovers themselves) offer this book as a universal love letter from the felines we've bid goodbye to. It celebrates the special bonds we forge with our four-legged companions and reminds us that their love for us—and ours for them—need never end. 

My Review: 

The perfect gift book for anyone who has lost their cat.

Losing a beloved cat is never easy.  They are family and always there for you.  This book is the perfect tribute to anyone who is mourning the loss of their cat.  The sweet, and often funny, illustrations and words touched my heart and brought back memories of the cats I have lost.

This book is inspirational and uplifting and a reminder that your sweet cats might have left their body, but their hearts remains with you forever.

Thank you to Sounds True Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This post is dedicated to Leinani and Kapono.  You might be gone, but you will always be in my heart.  I miss you both every day and look forward to the day we can be together again.

 

Review: A Merry Texan Christmas (Prentice Brothers of Sweet Ridge, #3) by Nicole Flockton

This former all-star never knew Christmas could be so competitive.

Former baseball star Trey Prentice is happily adjusting to life as a bookstore owner in his hometown of Sweet Ridge, Texas. While he loved his competitive and elite lifestyle in New York, he craved a quiet life with friends and family more. As Christmas approaches, Trey is excited to decorate his newest venture and participate in the town’s holiday traditions. He never expected to find himself battling Sweet Ridge’s very own Miss Christmas. Game on.

The only thing librarian Maggie Watson loves more than books is Christmas. She’s even earned the nickname of Miss Christmas because she decorates shop windows and spreads Christmas cheer around town. But this year she’s got some competition. No way is she going to let the cocky Trey Prentice take away her Christmas crown, even though he makes her heart flutter.

When their verbal sparring turns to flirting, Maggie finds there’s more to life than books and Christmas. But will her past insecurities steal her newfound happiness?

 

My Review:

A sweet small-town romance

Retired baseball player, Trey Prentice, has finally returned to his hometown, Sweet Ridge, Texas.  He is settling down with his newly-found love, books.  He recently bought the town’s book store and is enjoying his new quiet, simple life.  When Trey’s elaborate Christmas window display gets everyone’s attention, Maggie Watson, becomes upset.  She is the window dresser in Sweet Ridge and now she is afraid the shop owners might want to hire Trey instead of her.  Maggie needs the work as her job at the high school library is on the line.  

When Trey and Maggie are seen together, rumors fly about a possible romance.  When they get hired to do a display together, those rumors become reality.  But is it enough to keep them together when Trey is tempted back into playing baseball again? 

As with the other Prentice Brothers books, I was quickly hooked on this story.  Trey and Maggie had a few hurdles they needed to overcome in order for their love to grow, but together they were able to overcome anything that got in their way.  If you like sweet small-town stories with great family dynamics, this book is for you.   

Review: To Marry a Texas Cowboy (Wishing, Texas Book 4) by Julie Benson

 

She lives by a set of rules. He aims to break each one.

When Zane Logan returns to Wishing, Texas, he’s shocked to learn that his grandmother has hired an assistant to manage her wedding planning business as she heals from surgery. With five marriages between his parents, just the thought of weddings breaks him out in hives. To look out for his grandmother’s financial interests, Zane takes charge. He doesn’t trust easily, especially when the assistant is prettier than a Texas spring day.

Childhood taught McKenna Stinson an important rule: never count on anyone but yourself. She dreams of working hard to have her own business. Stepping in for a successful wedding planner in a small town known for big weddings is the perfect opportunity...until her employer’s grandson announces he’s the new boss. He’s cynical about love and knows nothing about weddings—so why is she falling for him?

Even worse, Zane's so hot McKenna has to make up two new rules: don’t date a man more attractive than you and never, ever, date a man you work with.

 

My Review:

A sweet opposites attract romance. 

Wishing, Texas, is a small town with a legendary wishing well.  Wishes made there came true. Virginia Logan made a wish for her grandson, Zane, to learn to trust, let go of the past, and for him to find love.

When Zane came back to Wishing to help his grandmother run Lucky Star Weddings, while she recovered from surgery, he never expected to fall for the wedding planner, McKenna.  The woman was strong-willed and stubborn and had a rule for everything. 

McKenna had set goals for her life and she didn’t have time for much of a personal life or romance and certainly didn’t need a good-looking man helping her do her job, especially when every time she turned around some woman was throwing herself at him.  McKenna and Zane were as opposite as two people could be.  They butt heads on a lot of things, but the more they worked together, they more they learned about each other, the closer they grew.  Maybe they could find a little time for romance after all. 

I instantly connected with McKenna and Zane because of their pasts, both had gone through things that left them leery of the world.  I enjoyed seeing how they overcame those obstacles and learned to trust and love.  This was an easy story story to get lost in with great writing and descriptions that felt real.  It is part of a series but can be read as a stand-a-lone.