Janet Daily is always a win-win for me. She's a great romance writer and especially enjoyable to read for Christmas. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good holiday romance.

Ellie Marsden couldn't wait to shake the dust of Branding Iron, Texas, off her heels and chase after bright lights, big city, and a wealthy husband. Now she's come home, divorced, a little disillusioned, and a whole lot pregnant. Leave it to her one-time high school sweetheart, cattle rancher Jubal McFarland, to point out that citified Ellie is as out of place in small-town Texas as her teacup poodle. So why is there something about being back--and being with Jubal--that feels surprisingly right? Jubal's eight-year-old daughter, Gracie, needs a mother, but he hasn't found the perfect woman. Or maybe the problem is that he did find her, and had his heart broken when she left town. Gracie's already falling hard for Ellie and that ball of fluff she calls a dog. And no matter how hard the rugged cowboy tries to resist, there's no denying the appeal of first love and sweet new beginnings--especially when there's a little Christmas magic in the air.
This was a really cute and quick holiday story with a multitude of enjoyable characters. I really enjoyed reading it and meeting everyone in the story. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of Just a Little Christmas by Janet Dailey that I read and reviewed.
This book was a very good second chance romance. I really enjoyed Ellie and Jubal's story. This is very heart warming Christmas story. I have not read any of the others in the series but this is a true stand alone.
I thought this was great read and I am giving it five out of five stars.

Just a Little Christmas by Janet Dailey is book three of her Cowboy Christmas series.You know that old adage, once burned twice shy? That pretty much sums up the romance in this book. Ellie and Jubal fell in love in high school but Ellie's aspiration for getting out of their tiny town broke them up. She left for college and vowed never to come back. Jubal was heart broken all he ever wanted was his family's ranch he knew his love for her wasn't strong enough to keep her from her dreams. Ellie was working on her dream when she put it on hold for a man she met and fell for, they married and now after that disastrous marriage Ellie is back home and very pregnant. Jubal moved on as well unfortunately his wife died and left him to raise their little girl, Gracie, on his own. Jubal was so caught up in his grief and his daughter to notice his father running the ranch into the ground and now he has to find some way to come up with the money or lose the ranch.

Even with the attraction still simmering between them Jubal is scared that she Ellie will leave again or that her ex will come back and claim his family. Ellie is worried that Jubal won't give her another chance after the way she broke his heart the first time. They try to keep their distance but between Gracie and the little tea-cup poodle, Beau, falling in love all over again was inevitable. Gracie latches on to Beau and in turn Ellie and as much as she tries Ellie falls for the charming little girl right back. Jubal is a strong stubborn man who likes to handle his problems on his own but he knows needs Ellie, and even if he doesn't take her advice he still needs her input and understanding and together they deal with the issue and know that they can handle what ever else may come.

Overall, this was really sweet. I've never read Janet Dailey before and this made quite the impression on me so it definitely won't be the last. She has the right amount of romance, heartache, humour and mystery to keep me hooked and wanting more.

Ellie Marsden and Jubal McFarland had been high school sweethearts. But, Ellie had big plans to go leave for college and not come back to live. Jubal had grown up on a farmer and planned to farm for the rest of his life. Jubal had proposed to Ellie before she left and asked her to come back but even though she loved Jubal, she didn't want to be a farmer's wife so she had gone to the big city and married a hotshot lawyer, Brent.

Now, Ellie had returned to her small hometown in Branding Iron, Texas. She was divorced and pregnant with her ex-husband's child; one he knew nothing about. Her plans were to have her baby, get her life back on track and leave town for good again. She had never wanted to settle in Branding Iron.

Jubal had married Laura after Ellie left town and they had been able to have a good marriage. They had a beautiful daughter, Gracie. But Laura had been killed in a car accident five years earlier, along with their unborn child. Now, Jubal was a single father raising a young daughter and trying to save his family farm. He wasn't looking to get married again. He realized that even though he had loved Laura, he had never loved her like he has loved Ellie, but Ellie had broken his heart when she left town. Now she was back and Jubal wasn't open to starting anything with her, even though his heart raced when she was around. She was determined to leave town again and he did not want to go through the heartache of that again. But, could things possible be different between them? Could he convince Ellie to stay and make a life with him?

I really enjoyed reading this book. This was clean romance with no descriptive sex scenes. The book was well written and the story was a beautiful story of the power of love and forgiveness and trust. The fact that no matter where you live, if there is love, then you are home.

I was given an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a sweet story of love and romance. Ellie is pregnant and divorced. She had hoped to reconcile with her husband but that only resulted in a baby. She goes back home to Branding Iron, Texas and stays for a while with her mom. While she is there, she runs into her old high school sweetheart who is going through troubles of his own. Jubal is not ready for Ellie to come back into his life, but he welcomes her as a friend, and so does his daughter, Gracie.
As Jubal and Ellie get their lives back together, life becomes more complicated. However, it also become sweeter because their friendship grows.
This is a good love story and I enjoyed reading it.
I received a free copy from netgalley in order for an honest review.

Not what I expect from this author. It seemed all over the place and no chemistry.

A delightful tale, This was my first time with author Dailey and I look forward to trying more books from her.

This one held my attention and was a fast read for me as I could hardly put it down! Ellie, left Branding Iron, Texas with dreams of living the big life as an attorney. She thought she'd met Mr. Wonderful, left law school to marry and had the nice house, parties, clothes, etc. But, he wasn't Mr. Wonderful, after all. He was both physically and mentally abusive. She finally divorced him and later realized she was pregnant. Not telling her ex-husband about the pregnancy, she left everything to return home to Branding Iron to have her baby and decide what to do next. Still in Branding Iron, is Jubal, the high school sweetheart she had left behind ten years ago. Sounds like the making of a romance, doesn't it? I love romance stories that have a 'happily ever after' ending and this one didn't disappoint.
I was given a free ecopy by the publisher, Kensington Books and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

A fun read filled with second chances, un-extinguished embers, family and a few surprises too

I'm a sucker for second chance romance and Janet Dailey does not disappoint in "Just a Little Christmas." I enjoyed seeing the spark between Ellie and Jubal rekindle. This pair has a lot to overcome. She flat out refused his marriage proposal in their teens and headed for the bright light and flurry of societal activities in the big city... several states away.

After a decade away, she's returned 9 months pregnant and divorced to live with her mom til her kid is born - after the holidays according to her due date.

Jubal had his heart shattered once and but managed to pick up the pieces, marry someone else and have another on the way before his wife and unborn child died in a car crash. Of course, he's also lost his dad in the meantime and is busting it to make a go of the ranch, pay off his dad's debts and raise his little girl.
Naturally, he doesn't want anything to do with the woman who crushed his young hopes because the farm and her hometown weren't enough for her... he wasn't enough for her.

Too bad his daughter tales a shine to her and her little dog Beau too. Then there's the situation with the ranch-someone took advantage of his dad's declining health a few years back on a high stakes loan.

As this pair is constantly thrown together, they try to fight their attraction. And you know there's one. She's huge with another man's child.

Both learn some valuable lessons about themselves, each other, family and priorities. Enjoyed their accompanying them on their journeys.

I quite enjoyed this Christmas story. While it as quite predictable, I loved the concept and the characters. I particularly liked the relationship between Jubal and Gracie. I also enjoyed how Jubal and Ellie didn't automatically fall into each others arms, but fought the attraction throughout the book. It seemed more realistic that they were often at odds over issues and feelings. It was a great Christmas read!!!

Coming home again and second chance romance are the themes of Just a Little Christmas. Add in a sweet eight-year old and a small dog, you have the makings of a heartwarming Christmas story. This is exactly what Janet Dailey gives us.

Perhaps some will find this a little predictable but it is well-written, besides I like happily ever after in the books I read. There are plenty of secrets, lots of baggage, extra circumstances and of course, some family drama to round out this entertaining read. Just a Little Christmas is a sweet story that will reinforce the spirit of the season.

I really enjoy second chance romances and romantic intrigue so was thrilled when this book had both! Usually, I connect more with the woman so I was surprised that I really liked Jubal more than Ellie. When she left town and broke his heart, I know that she thought she was doing the right thing but that was just so cold and cruel.

Ellie seemed to have matured during the years away from Branding Iron but still had hang-ups about being stuck in her childhood home. I really could not see why she felt that way when she didn't have a job or friends to go back to! If she stayed, she would be surrounded by family and Jubal, and with a new baby that would be a great support system.

I loved that Jubal was so protective of his daughter and did not want her hurt when Ellie started paying attention to her. What a great dad, and how could Ellie resist this man??!!

The mystery of the ranch "theft" and Jubal's father was an added benefit to the story. This time, Jubal annoyed me a little because he could have pressed charges and yet he was too nice! I did not see how that mystery played out so it was fun to read.

I didn't realize that there were more books in this "series" as this was easy to consider this a stand alone book. I would love to read more about Ellie's family - her brother, Ben and his wife sound like a good book! I enjoyed reading this book as it was a fun, clean read with romance and intrigue thrown in.

It’s no secret I don’t like reading a series from the middle. I didn’t realize this book was part of a series when I requested it from Net Galley. Once I realized my guffaw, I did some research and figured it would be okay. Thankfully, I was right. Of course, since I enjoyed this story I will be hunting down the first two of the series so I can read them. But I didn’t NEED to read them to enjoy this tale.

Janet Dailey did a wonderful job of giving the reader the depth of the feelings between Jubal and Ellie without it feeling like any sort of slight to Jubal’s late wife. It’s obvious he loved his wife and was devastated by her death. I didn’t feel as though he harbored feelings for Ellie during his marriage, or even really gave her a lot of thought. Ellie and Jubal had great love for each other as young adults. That love was put aside for other things and they went their separate ways. It was rekindled when they ended up back in each other’s lives.

It was sweet how everyone could see the love Jubal and Ellie have for each other even when they weren’t even sure of their own feelings. I fully understand Jubal’s feelings of weariness when it comes to Ellie, especially since he has a young daughter and her feelings to take into consideration. Ellie’s feelings were a bit more of a mystery to me. She had moved out of her small town and spread her wings already. She enjoyed her life to a certain extent, but it’s obvious she was always missing something. Why would she think it was still the right thing for her to move out of that small town? At least she eventually came to her senses.

This story was really touching and I got the warm-fuzzies a few times throughout. The only other story I’ve read by this author was a short story she had in the compilation Happy is the Bride. I loved that story and it got me to seek out more from her. Well, she’s 2 for 2 so far so that’s great.

Cowboys, christmas and a second-chance romance! Perfection!

I hadn't read any Janet Dailey books for some time (I was saddened to hear of her passing) and had high expectations. This book did not disappoint.This was a really heart warming read with enough distress and problems thrown in to make it seem real. This book gives and the warmth and love that I always experienced with a Janet Dailey book.
It is a second chance at love trope, featuring a very pregnant and divorced Ellie and a widowed and single father named Jubal. Dailey threw in a motherless little girl and a rambunctious little four pound white ball of fluff dog to make certain we give our hearts to the book. The characters are very real and she uses them to engage your heart. All you can do is sit back and hope that they all become the family they were so obviously meant to be. A great read for the holidays or any time!

A sweet holiday second chance story. With a cute little dog and an equally cute little girl my heart was a goner!

Ellie Marsden couldn't wait to get out of Branding Iron, Texas leaving behind a brokenhearted Jubal McFarland. Now she's back, big city plans on hold, divorced, and pregnant. She can't believe her eyes when she first sees him again. He's no longer the young boy she left behind but all rugged rancher man. He's also a widower and a single dad. When the old attraction flares to life Jubal fights it. No way could he ever trust Ellie with his heart or more importantly the heart of his little girl.

A great read of love, forgiveness, and acceptance. Definitely a book I recommend.

This is a new author for me and I was totally happy and surprised with how brilliant this book was. Dont know why as this is really such a great and amazing book. Author should be so proud of this book too. This book did get me in the mood for Christmas and I do love a good Christmas story and this delivers just this. Will be giving a look out for more books by this author and I would recommend this book to everyone too.

I received Just A Little Christmas By Janet Dailey from Netgalley and the publishers. Ellie Marsden and Jubal McFarland have a history, they went together in high school. Jubal wanted Ellie to marry him l, but Ellie had no intention of staying in Brandling Iron, Texas. When Ellie returns she is newly divorced and pregant with a baby "girl." Jubal has married, but is a widow as his wife died in a car accident. Gracie take a shine to Ellie and Beau. There story is emotional, full of past hurt, new hurt and there is some suspense surrounding Jubal's ranch. Jubal is very closed off with Ellie, he pull her in, then push her back. If the two of them can find out what happen toJubal Father ranch the and Jubal could let down his guard and open his heart to Ellie , the three of them might j7st get their HEA. But, there going to be a big surprise at the end of the book that none of them saw coming plus one more hurdle to over come. Emotional, Heartwarming, Charming, Sweet, with some suspense and a few surprises! Well done Janet Dailey!