Review: A Marvell Country Christmas by Jeannie Watt

Murphy Anderson is coming home for Christmas…

And as soon as she arrives, she’s putting the family ranch on the market. Her plan is to get in, get out, and head back to the city, where she belongs. Growing up on the hardscrabble property next door to the prosperous Marvell Ranch, and being constantly reminded of everything she didn’t have, left her with no love for ranching, or her handsome neighbors—especially Cody Marvell, who always rubbed her the wrong way. And maybe that’s why, when Cody shows an interest in the ranch, she hesitates to sell.


Cody Marvell has a way with people...unless that person is Murphy Anderson. Cody never understood what she was dealing with when they were younger. Murphy had a hard time while growing up, with no mom and a cold-hearted father. He made some mistakes, which he now regrets. He wants her ranch, and more than that, he wants her.

When a Christmas flood makes Murphy's home uninhabitable, he invites her to stay at the Marvell Ranch. With the help of country Christmas magic, Cody hopes she'll start to see him with new eyes.

My Review:

This is a fun holiday romance about Murphy Anderson and Cody Marvell who were neighbors when they were younger.  Cody was the rich boy who lived at the ranch next to Murphy.  Murphy and her father struggled to survive and often ended up working at Marvell Ranch to make ends meet.  Murphy secretly had a crush on Cody, but he never seemed to notice her.  When Murphy’s father passes away and leaves the house to her, she plans to spend her Christmas holiday cleaning everything up and getting it ready to sell.  But, when the river rises and threatens Murphy’s safety, the only person she can call for help is Cody.  They spend Christmas together at Marvell Ranch and get to know each other better.  Could it be holiday magic that breaks down the walls between them and leads them to each other’s arms? 

I really enjoyed Murphy and Cody’s story.  They were both tough people and set in their ways.  But once they got to know each other, things quickly changed.  The story was very believable and easy to follow.  This is an all-around good book with a lot of Christmas spirit.