Review: Big Sky Christmas (Coffee Creek Montana, Book 4) by C.J. Carmichael

Since the accident that killed his foster brother Brock Lambert, Jackson Stone has kept his distance from Coffee Creek Ranch—and from the family who might never forgive him. Especially the foster mother who still blames him for that tragic night.
Jackson blames himself too.

When Brock’s former fiancée, Winnie Hays, returns to town with her young son, the resemblance to Brock is a constant reminder of everything Jackson lost. And everything he never allowed himself to want. Because from the moment Brock brought Winnie home, Jackson has fought a forbidden attraction he had no right to feel.

Winnie needs help settling back into life in Coffee Creek, and Jackson can’t turn her away. As friendship deepens into something neither of them expected, loyalty and guilt threaten to tear them apart. Falling for his brother’s widow feels like a betrayal… yet walking away feels worse.

With Christmas approaching and the Lambert family gathered once more, forgiveness may be the only gift that makes room for love.

 

My Review:

An emotional and heartfelt romance. 

I had a hard time putting this book down.  My heart went out to Winne and Jackson.  Winnie is a widow raising a baby on her own. Jackson feels responsible for the death of Winnie’s fiancé.  He was driving Brock to the church, where he was to marry Winnie, when they had an accident that killed Brock.  There is a strong pull between Winnie and Jackson, but both hold back for different reasons.  It is right for them to hook up or should they keep their distance?  I enjoyed seeing how the story played out and how Winnie and Jackson got their happily ever after.    

 

 

Review: A Very Cozy Cat Lady Christmas (Very Cozy Cat Lady Mysteries #1) Amy Bizzarri

 

Between mischievous cats and a Christmas theft, the Bocchetta family winery is anything but quiet.

When Chicago elementary school teacher Chiara Bocchetta heads home to Carlinville, Illinois, for Christmas at her family’s winery, she’s expecting her mother’s chocolate pistachio biscotti, overflowing bowls of pasta, and enough sparkling prosecco to survive her loud Italian relatives. What she’s not expecting is theft.

Just days before Christmas, someone steals the Bocchetta family’s original vine grafts—an irreplaceable piece of the winery’s history—along with a priceless medieval chalice hidden deep inside the estate’s wine cave grotto. If the items aren’t recovered before the winery’s annual Christmas celebration, the scandal could threaten a legacy generations of Bocchettas sacrificed to build.

With kittens underfoot, family tempers bubbling over, and holiday chaos sweeping through the winery, Chiara is determined to uncover the truth before Christmas Eve arrives. But in a small town filled with old secrets, curious neighbors, and nonstop family opinions, finding the thief may be harder than she imagined.

Filled with cozy holiday charm, wine-country atmosphere, mischievous cats, and beloved family traditions, A Very Cozy Cat Lady Christmas is a heartwarming Christmas mystery about legacy, belonging, and finding your way home.

 

My Review: 

Highly recommended to those who love cats and mysteries.  

I am hooked on this book series already.  The cute cat/Christmas cover caught my attention first, but I truly enjoyed every bit of the book.  Chiara is a teacher, but in her time off, she is a cat rescuer living in Chicago.  In this book, Chiara heads home to her family winery for Christmas.  While she is there, someone breaks into their secret storage and steals some valuable family possessions.  The hunt is on to get everything back before it is lost for good.   There is a lot of great family dynamics and fun cat mischief in the story.  I can’t wait to read the books that will follow this one.

 

Review: The Cowboy’s Long Lost Christmas Bride (Family Matters of Cowboy Point, Book 3) by Megan Crane

Some loves are impossible to forget.

Dallas Lisle spent years turning a lighthouse an ancestor built for a skeptical wife into an inn. He’s made peace with lost causes, but not with his wife, Ruthie Mathis. She’s his first and only love, and she left him. Not that he blames her. He knows exactly what kind of man he was when they were together. So when Ruthie walks back through his door, Dallas braces for the reckoning he deserves.

Except Ruthie… doesn’t remember him.

She’s chasing a mystery – her lost memories and photographs found in her late grandmother’s house, leading her to Cowboy Point, the lighthouse inn, and Dallas. She doesn’t know they were married. She doesn’t know why she left.

Dallas knows all too well. And telling her the truth risks losing her all over again. Not telling Ruthie could mean they have a second chance, but for years, Dallas wished he were a different kind of man for her. Now he has the chance to prove he can be. Even if it means letting the love of his life go. Again.

 

My Review: 

An unexpected Christmas reunion. 

Dallas Lisle hasn’t seen his wife in eight years.  One day, she just happens to show up at his newly opened B&B, Lisle Lighthouse Inn.  The problem is, Ruthie doesn’t know who Dallas is or why she received an invitation to the inn’s grand opening.  She has amnesia.  But when Ruthie remembers the past and why Dallas left her, will it send her running or will she stay and fight for the love they both deserve?  This book is a wonderful addition to the series.  I was so happy to see Dallas and Ruthie find their way back to each other.