Audio Book Review: Mistletoe Miracles by Jodi Thomas

This is a delightful listen sharing three romance stories.

Mistletoe Miracles
Written By: Jodi Thomas
Narrated By: Julia Gibson

Duration: 9 hours 52 minutes
Date: November 13, 2018
Publisher: Recorded Books
Genre: Christmas, Contemporary Romance, Western
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Summary:
A small-town Texas Christmas story, where hearts are lost, love is found, and family always brings you back home. Griffin Holloway is desperate: the Maverick Ranch has been in his family for generations, but lately, it's a money pit. He'd sooner marry one of his horses than sell the ranch. Marriage, though, could be a solution. If he can woo a wealthy bride, he might save the ranch-just in time for Christmas. Jaxon O'Grady likes his solitude just fine, thank you very much. But when a car accident brings the unexpected to his door, he realizes just how much one person can need another. Crossroads is the perfect place for Jamie Johnson: avoiding nosy questions about why she's single, she's happy to keep to her lakeside home. So she's baffled when she gets the strangest Christmas present of all, in the form of a Mr. Johnson, asleep on her sofa. Who is he, and why does everyone think he's her husband? In this uplifting novel, three unlikely couples discover just what Crossroads, Texas, can offer: romance, belonging, and plenty of Christmas spirit.

Review:
Griffin Holloway decides the only way to save the family cattle ranch, Maverick Ranch, is to marry a woman with money. Griffin seeks the help of the Franklin sisters, two elderly spinsters who run a boarding house in town. They agree to match-make but then introduce him to a fancy lady who would seem to be a woman out of his class. Sunlan is the daughter of a rich rancher who finds herself pregnant and in need of a husband to avoid scandal for her father. She is willing to pay off the Holloway note in exchange for a marriage of convenience before Christmas, and the agreement that she maintain sole control of her own small horse ranch. Can they keep things cool, especially after Griffin rushes to help her save her horses from a barn fire?

Jaxon O’Grady is an injured fireman who has become a recluse, a hermit living by himself. He witnesses a woman crash her car and rescues a dog at the scene of the crash. He soon realizes the dog is hers and he decides to take her in while she is recuperating. The problem is Mallory is being hunted by a brutal ex-boyfriend. Jax and Mallory develop a friendship but they have to fend off the threat of her ex. Will their friendship and shared danger be enough to bring Jax out of his isolation?

Jamie Johnson is a single teacher who is tired of having to fend off unwanted advances and friendly set-ups for dates. She has moved to Crossroads pretending to be married to a soldier who is away. Even the hoax of marriage doesn’t keep all creeps away. When the local sheriff finds an exhausted soldier walking down a road to town it is only natural to think he is Jamie’s husband. Jamie, who was away for the weekend, is surprised to come home and find a man in her house. When she learns that the sheriff delivered Captain James Johnson to her house, she has to figure a way to keep her secret. Maybe they can work out something together until he has to return to his next assignment.

The couples are wonderful even if their situations are somewhat contrived. The Franklin sisters are fun and other side characters (the Holloway brothers and Jax’s brother) probably have stories of their own to come. This story alternates between the couples and moves along well. I was glad to have a nice Christmas HEA for all three couples. I recommend this to fans who enjoy HEA, sweet romance.

Audio Notes: I enjoyed the narration by Julia Gibson. She provided distinct voices and portrayed the characters to fit the story. I would be glad to listen to more books narrated by Ms. Gibson.

Source: December 2020 - Two for one credit at Audiobooks.com. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020Audiobook goals.

#NetGalley Book Review: The Cowboy Who Saved Christmas, Three Stories by Jodi Thomas, Sharla Lovelace, and Scarlett Dunn

I particularly liked two of this trio of historical, western Christmas tales.

The Cowboy Who Saved Christmas
Jodi Thomas, Sharla Lovelace, Scarlett Dunn

Print length : 314 pages
Publisher : Kensington Books (October 27, 2020)
Genre: American Historical Romance, Christmas, Western
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0.

In these Texas-set stories of romance and adventure, the Civil War is over, Christmas is coming—and it’s time for three rugged fighters to become lovers . .
FATHER GOOSE
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jodi Thomas
Dispirited by war, when Trapper Hawkins accepts a job hauling five little rich girls to Dallas, all he cares about is the money. He doesn’t expect they’ll awaken his spirit—or that their intriguing nursemaid, Emery Adams, will awaken his heart. And when danger strikes as Christmas Eve nears, he definitely doesn’t expect Emery and the girls to risk their lives—for him . . .
THE MISTLETOE PROMISE * Sharla Lovelace
A catastrophic storm, an ailing herd, and a failing cattle ranch have left Texas rancher Josie Bancroft in danger of losing everything her father worked for. Still, she’d rather die than merge with her neighbor rancher Benjamin Mason, the man who broke her heart years ago, on Christmas Eve. As old sparks fly and secrets are revealed, however, Ben is determined to help Josie—and prove that this time around can be different. That the misunderstandings of Christmas past need not define their future . . .
CHRISTMAS ROAD * Scarlett Dunn
Yellow Fever has hit Clint Mitchum’s Texas hometown and taken his father and siblings, leaving Clint ever more cynical. Racing homeward to be by his mother’s side, Clint finds only a note from her, asking that he help her caregiver, a young woman named Amelia. Assuming his mother has passed, in his grief Clint ventures out to search for Amelia—and finds the best of gifts—just in time for Christmas . . .

Review:
These are three distinct, western, historical romances for Christmas reading. The first and third take place shortly after the Civil War, while the middle story is more uniquely set in 1904. I fully enjoyed the first and third stories. The second story is a second chance romance but had elements that didn’t suit my tastes. My overall rating is 4.25.

FATHER GOOSE by Jodi Thomas
Trapper is a loner who wins a ‘transport’ job in a card game before he learns that the job involves safely delivering five young girls to their father’s ranch for Christmas. The journey is likely to be dangerous due to threats of kidnappers in addition to normal risks. But Trapper is sure he’ll succeed even when he faces the first obstacle of finding a nanny to accompany the wagon.

Emery is a young woman under the thumb of a tyrannical father. She noticed the quiet loner who was respectful and didn’t go upstairs with the ladies. When she hears about the transport job she decides this may be her only chance to escape her hard life.

Trapper is only too happy to find a nanny willing to come along to help with the five spunky girls he dubs “1” through “5”. Along their perilous journey they all work together to share the chores and the girls, including Emery, surprise Trapper by helping to keep them safe.

I totally loved the unique characters, Trapper, Emery, and the five young charges. Their interaction is enchanting. The sweet romance blooms, even under the precocious eyes of the children. With danger, charm and romance, this story reminds me why I love Jodi Thomas historical novels! My rating 5.0.

THE MISTLETOE PROMISE * Sharla Lovelace
It has been a series of hard years for Josie since she fell in love, was betrayed and then lost her father. The ranch hasn’t been able to bounce back after a bad storm and her accountant has told her the only solution may be to marry one of the eligible men of the community. One in particular is interested but Josie suspects he won’t allow her to continue with the ranching.

A few days before the tax collector is to call, Josie reluctantly agrees to attend a social gathering at her neighbor’s ranch. This is hard enough as Josie isn’t the type to get gussied up, but it is even harder since the neighbor is the same man who betrayed her a handful of years back.

Ben knows that Josie still feels betrayed, but he is frustrated that she never gave him a chance to explain the events that tore them apart. For the past years he has protected the one really good thing that came of their broken relationship. Now Ben would like the chance to help Josie and show her that things can be different for their futures. But first he must break through her stubbornness.

There were two factors that made this story a struggle for me. First is Josie’s hardheaded, closed-off stubbornness. Second is the racy, bordering on graphic, sexual descriptions of the story. I generally like historical fiction, whether Victorian, Regency or Western, to share a sweeter romance. Other readers may well enjoy the sexier style. My rating 3.75.

CHRISTMAS ROAD * Scarlett Dunn
Clint races home after receiving a letter telling him that his mother is ill with yellow fever that struck down his father and siblings. Clint finds that the whole town has been decimated. Clint finds a note from his mother that he should find Amelia, the young woman who cared for her during the illness. Clint sets out to follow the families who left town hoping to find Amelia and make sure she is okay.

Clint helps a father and two young boys to the gold camp where the townsfolk are supposed to be. When Clint seeks out the family with whom Amelia traveled, he is surprised to find a beautiful young woman and two young girls. He is quickly smitten but fears Amelia is grieving the recent loss of her husband.

The families are struggling even as they share Christmas wishes and dreams. Clint helps the families fight off evil men and then finds himself pushing to get a sick Amelia back to his hometown doctor. Will Amelia pull through and will Clint be able to get back to save the children at the camp from danger and a sad Christmas?

This is a charming story with some misunderstandings, a touch of danger, and several sweet moments. Clint is a likeable hero, and the Christmas surprises are a delight. I would be glad to read more stories by Ms. Dunn. My rating 4.25.

Source: Received from NetGalley. This qualifies for 2020NetGalley goal.

#NetGalley Book Review: One Wish by Jodi Thomas

This is a rather unusual, sweet, western historical romance.
One Wish
by Jodi Thomas

File Size: 671 KB
Print Length: 352 pages This number is incorrect as this is a novella.
Publisher: Zebra Books; 1 edition (November 1, 2019)
ASIN: B07M6D2GVM
Genre: Historical Romance, Holiday, Novella, Western Romance
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas takes you back deep into the Texas Panhandle, where the winters are long, the storms fierce—and the Yuletide nights are unforgettable . . .
It’s the week before Christmas in Kasota Springs and Maggie Allison is sweeping the floors before closing her shop for the night. But out in the cold darkness three men are keeping a close watch on her movements. Local farmer Sam Thompson is also there in the shadows, ready to step in if need be. Sure enough, when Maggie finds herself cornered by Boss Adler and his men demanding her money and more if she doesn’t cooperate, Sam comes to the rescue. Trouble is, Boss Adler gets away and everyone in town expects he’ll be back for revenge. Forced into hiding on Sam’s ranch, Maggie and Sam discover their distant memories of a childhood friendship promise something more in the present. But the Thompsons are famous for keeping to themselves, and Maggie knows it’ll take more than a moment under the mistletoe to bring Sam to his senses...

Review:
A week before Christmas, Maggie is hoping members of Kasota Springs will come shopping. Unfortunately, the town has treated Maggie as an outsider since she was the rich young daughter attending school with the poor of the community. Now Maggie runs her store alone, with no friends, while she journals her dwindling hopes and dreams. At this point, she has whittled down her dream list to one wish.

Sam has never forgotten the other outsider from his childhood who became his friend. Thompsons are known to stick to themselves, but Sam will do anything he can to keep Maggie safe. He overheard three men plotting to rob Maggie and take advantage of her. Although Sam is able to rescue her from the attack, the main outlaw, Boss Adler, gets away. But Adler never leaves witnesses so the sheriff agrees that Sam should take Maggie to his house – after all, no one would suspect a Thompson to become involved and no one really knows where Sam’s home is anyway.

When Sam gets Maggie down the canyon, she is shocked not only by his home but to learn of another occupant. Sam and Maggie decide to play a gentle marriage game for the short time they expect to be together. But then they get unexpected visitors that put them all in danger. They get some help from an ornery old woman, Nina, who is an interesting secondary character.

I enjoyed this holiday novella which added some unusual elements to the ‘snowed in’ romance. Instead of flashy protagonists, these are two vulnerable outsiders who are very likeable, especially as they interact. The rustic setting, gentle way they treat each other, and the spice of danger is sweet and engaging. Jodi Thomas creates fun characters and distinct settings which I enjoy. I recommend this to readers who enjoy a sweet historical western.

Source: 2019 NetGalley. This qualifies for 2019 NetGalley and #HoHoHoRat goals.

Audio Book Review: Promise Me Texas by Jodi Thomas

I enjoyed this easy listen, historical romance.
Promise Me Texas
Written By: Jodi Thomas
Narrated By: Linda Stephens

Series: Whispering Mountains, Book 7
Publisher: Recorded Books
Date: November 2013
Duration: 10 hours 58 minutes
Genre: Historical Romance, Western
My Rating: 4.0 Overall.

Summary:
On a midnight train, four hours away from her wedding, Beth McMurray discovers the devastating truth about the powerful senator she’s about to marry. Convinced nothing could make this stormy night worse, the train wrecks, and she tumbles straight into the arms of an outlaw.
Andrew McLaughlin doesn’t believe in loving except between the pages of his writings. He loved deeply once and thinks he’ll never survive another loss. To save a friend, he climbs aboard a train heading toward Dallas. In the moment before the train crashes, he saves a beautiful woman and is injured in the fall. He wakes up to find she’s claimed him as her fiancé—and now they’re both on the run, and destined to do everything it takes to make an unexpected promise of love come true.

Review:
Beth McMurray is an heiress who has been protected and coddled by her family. She never met the man who could hold her regard, so she is now older than most young ladies setting off to get married. She has been wooed by a handsome, debonair senator who hopes to move up in politics. He has convinced Beth to take a train trip to Dallas, supposedly to visit friends, but really to meet and marry him.

Beth decides to surprise him and sneaks onto an earlier train on which the Senator should be traveling. She finds him but he doesn’t know she is there as she is disguised. From the back of the room she overhears, with horror, her betrothed’s true attitude and intentions toward her.
Beth goes to the stock car to be with her beautiful horse. She plans to get off the train and ride away but before she is able to escape, she sees bandits approaching. One man in particular catches her eye as he tries to pull a younger comrade back from the rest. The train crashes and the man saves her from falling to the tracks.

Andrew awakens to discover the beautiful young woman has claimed him as her fiancé. He knows that she saw him as one of the bandits and can’t image why she is defending him. He obviously has to get away from any inquiry into the gang and it appears she is running away from someone too.

Andrew suffered the loss of his young wife years before and plans never to hurt like that again. He is roaming the world as a journalist observing others and keeping his distance. Now he is stuck with a beautiful, albeit spoiled, young woman who apparently needs his protection.

As the two help each other away from their predicaments they begin to find friendship. Could they find more if they open their hearts?

This is a fun, easy going romance. The characters are nicely developed with rather quirky traits. Even the unpleasant former fiancé is a good villain and Beth’s stepfather is a caring, big as life, character. I enjoyed the western setting in Texas 1879 with the mix of frontier dangers and encroaching industrialism.

I have determined that Jodi Thomas always presents a reliable reading experience for me. I have read more of her historical romances, but she crosses well into contemporary. This is a part of a series but read fine as a standalone. I recommend this title and this author to readers who enjoy easy romance, historical or contemporary.

Audio Notes: I found the narration by Linda Stephens to be adequate, but not stellar. I had to get used to her unusual accent (not sure if it was intended to be Texan but it didn’t strike me as such) and it is more of a reading than a portrayal. Still, it was an easy listen and I am glad to have had this in audio format.

Source: Audiobooks.com 2018, This qualifies for 2019TBR, 2019Audiobook and 2019Alphabet goals.

Book Review: Wild Horse Springs (Ransom Canyon) by Jodi Thomas

This is a fun contemporary romance with the plus of a mystery and touch of danger.

Wild Horse Springs (Ransom Canyon)
by Jodi Thomas

File Size: 2546 KB
Print Length: 368 pages
Publisher: HQN Books (February 1, 2017)
ASIN: B01GZVCUBO
Genre: Contemporary, Small Town Romance, Mystery
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

In the heart of Ransom Canyon, sometimes the right match for a lonely soul is the one you least expect
Dan Brigman may not lead the most exciting life, but he's proud of what he's achieved: he's a respected lawman, and he's raised a bright, talented daughter on his own. But finding a lone, sparkly blue boot in the middle of a deserted highway gets him thinking maybe the cowgirl who lost it is exactly the shake-up he needs.
After losing her baby girl, Brandi Malone felt like her soul died along with her daughter. Now singing in small-town bars to make ends meet, she's fine being a drifter—until a handsome sheriff makes her believe that parking her boots under his bed is a better option.
College grad Lauren Brigman has just struck out on her own in downtown Dallas when a troubling phone call leads her back home to Crossroads. Her hometown represents her family, friends and deepest hopes, but also her first love, Lucas Reyes. Will Lauren's homecoming be another heartbreak, or a second chance for her and Lucas?

Review:
This is a fun, easy read, small town romance. Dan is a great character who brought smiles to my face from the very first pages.

Dan is a respectable lawman whose wife walked out on him years ago. At least he had his wonderful daughter, Lauren, to watch over, raising her on his own and even allowing her to study and work at the sheriff’s office. Dan hasn’t had much to do with women since. When he finds a sparkly, fancy cowgirl boot in the road he wonders what it would be like to meet the kind of wild woman who would wear those boots. He tracks her down and finds Brandi Malone mesmerizing the locals with her singing in a local tavern. It is lust, if not love, at first side.

Thatcher, a young man who has been adopted by the town as an abandoned boy, has been accused of shop lifting and assault. He didn’t steal the groceries but was really returning them. But he did punch the grocer and he is not going to tell the sheriff the rest of the story. Lauren gets word that Thatcher is in jail and feels she must come home to watch over him and get matters straightened out. Because things look dicey, Lauren calls on the one lawyer she is sure she can count on, at least for law, if not for commitment. Lucas is a successful lawyer but was Lauren’s cowboy, high school sweetheart before college and life took them on separate paths. There is still a strong ember between them but they are both a little gun-shy feeling abandoned by the other.

Cody Winslow is haunted by his last gun fight as a Texas Ranger. He has not been able to out run his demons and nightmares. Riding hard along the canyon at night he ends up thrown from his horse into the canyon. Lucky for him, Tess, a park ranger, and her handful of 5 and 6 year old campers, find him and get him aid. Now Tess is taking charge of his house while he is healing in the hospital and Cody is thinking he might have something to live for if he can just keep hold of this bossy, strong minded woman.

All three character lines converge as the book progresses and drug thugs try to kidnap Thatcher from jail. Thatcher is actually protecting a little girl but didn’t want to tell Dan about it until it was clear the child is in more danger.

I have read historical romances by Ms. Thomas and enjoyed them a lot. She writes with reasonable, well flowing plots that include a little mystery, a good dose of humor, likeable characters and sweet to sassy romance. I was, of course, rooting for the HEA for Dan and Brandi, Cody and Tess, and Lauren and Lucas. The relationships that resolve are sweet and heartwarming. I recommend this as a fun romance for readers of contemporary romance and for mystery readers who like romance.

I received this from the publisher through NetGalley; it qualifies for my NetGalley Challenge.