Christmas at Cade Ranch

The book deals with how addiction can affect family. What a sweet boy Javi is. Love how Sofia cares for her son (Javi).and how she overcame addiction. Love the Cade family and looking forward to more in the series. I really loved Joy, who is the Grandmother of Javi and mother of the Cade clan. A lot of feeling to be deal with, learning to love again and forgiveness, mainly forgiveness of self. I love Karen Rock writing and I have to say this is one her best books. Sometimes a really special book is hard to write a review on, even if never dealt that close with addiction or someone that experienced it this book will touch your heart. I would love to give this book ten stars. I received the book from NetGalley and thru Prism book tours.

This was a Great Holiday Romance. Has some emotional parts and also some fun parts. A now single mother Sofia a recovering drug addict is trying to improve her living situation for her child and comes upon a surprise on a stop as she travels to Portland to start their new life. I was very happy to receive an ARC through NetGalley to read and really enjoyed reading it. I was not compensated in any way for my review.

Does a recovering drug addict deserve to be loved? Does she deserve a second chance? Is she less of a person because of her shady past? Will she be able to make a future for herself and her son? When past and present war against each other, a family must decide what they want their future to hold. Trust. It can be so hard to come by.

-'“Sometimes I think Javi will be the only person to ever love me,” she confessed...'-

This story, with its original storyline, touched me. Sometimes funny, sometimes raw and emotional, this story was anything but boring. This was my first experience reading this author's work and it will definitely not be my last.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

When I pick up a book by Karen Rock I know I am in for a good read. This book was no exception. It grabbed my attention with the first scene where we meet Sofia and her son Javi. It's a heartwarming book set around Christmas. It deals with a bunch of topics like dealing with the dead of a loved one, trusting and believing in yourself, addiction and single parenthood to name a few. Karen wrote a compelling novel that deals with some tough issues and also has some beautiful uplifting parts.

From the first scene I felt for Sofia, she had been through a lot. She had a difficult time growing up with a father who didn't support her or believe in her and she struggled with addiction and only got clean once she got her son. At the start of the book she meets the mother of her now dead ex and gets introduced to the rest of the Cade family. I liked how much she cared about her son. But my favorite part was probably seeing her change throughout this book and how she really grew into herself and found her way.

James is the main male character of this book. After the dead of his brother his family fell apart and the only way he can keep them together is with a strict schedule and control. I could relate to James at times and at other times wanted to shake some sense in him. He could be a bit too controlling at times, although it did came from a good place. he cared so much about others and did his best to make everyone happy he forgot about his own happiness at times. I liked seeing him warm up towards Sofia and Javi.

Besides the two main characters there is a rich cast of side characters, they were all easy to keep apart as Karen did a great job giving them all their own unique personality and I can't wait to get to know them all better once the series progresses. We also got to see Jack and Dani from the prequel novel, which was fun. I also liked how realistic the author wrote Javi, Sofia's son. He was so adorable and had that innocence of a child and that unique viewpoint only kids have. I liked how Karen captured his personality.

While this book is a romance novel, it's also so much more. We see Sofia blossom under the love and care of the Cade family, find her way in life and start believing in herself. I also liked her relationship with Joy, James's mother. We see how she still deals with the addiction and how she feels ashamed and still struggles with parts of her past. We see how she tries to be the best parent she can be to Javi and gives him all the love in the world. And then how nicely James fits into their family, but they both deal with guilt over Jessi and for a long time don't allow themselves to be together. We see how James tries to be less controlling and go with the flow at times and grow to care for both Sofia and Javi.

It's a very slow burn romance, which worked well for this book. There are a lot of other things going on as well. Karen weaves the multiple plot lines and side plot lines so neatly together and it all feels very natural. I did like the romance, there are some great scenes involving the two of them and I liked seeing them get to know each other better before it blossoms into more. It was very well done.

One thing I liked a bit less was the tad of drama toward the end, it just felt a bit off and I am not a fan of those type of scenes. The ending and resolution felt a tad rushed and I would've loved to see an epilogue as I like epilogues to wrap up a book like this. I also felt like some side plot lines didn't get wrapped up as neatly, but as this will be a series I hope they will simply continue into the next book.

To summarize: Christmas at Cade Ranch is a heartwarming novel about love, family and believing in yourself. It deals with some tough topics. The author manages to weave all the plot lines neatly together into a compelling story. I really enjoyed the book and I loved getting to know the various characters. The main characters were great, they both had their share of struggles and it was great seeing them find each other. The side characters were great too and I am looking forward to reading all of the other Cade siblings their stories! The romance was well done, it was a slow building romance with the character getting to know each other better before it turned into more. I wasn't a fan of the drama toward the end and the ending felt a bit rushed. All in all this was a great read and I am looking forward to the rest of this series.

Sophia Gallardo is determined to carve a happy and filling life for her and her son in spite of her poor decisions of the past. When a stop in Colorado leads to a delay in those plans, Sophia least expects to find the family she’s longed for her entire life.
The Cade family’s grief over the death of a son and brother has shadowed the ranch for too long. James is determined to keep everything running smoothly and make as few waves as possible in their already fragile existence.
When Sophia and her son—a boy she claims belongs to Jesse—show up at the ranch, James’s structure and schedule are challenged at every turn. Can Sophia and James find the balance to give the family and little Javi a Christmas they deserve?
I loved the tension between Sophia and James. They challenged one another while driving each other crazy at the same time. They both have huge regrets in their past—ones that cannot be undone but that also make them the people they are now. Sophia is stronger than she gives herself credit for and willing to do the hard work to succeed but it takes a family that comes around her in support to draw that strength out of her.
James is overbearingly protective but in a sweet instead of domineering way. Add in an adorable four year old boy who only wants to please the people around him, who is intent on helping others whenever he can, and who is easy to fall in love with, and Christmas at Cade Ranch becomes a fantastic holiday read.
This book delicately handles some difficult subjects—controlling men, drug abuse and addiction, grief, and death—while offering the hope of a future free from all of that. A future bathed in the love—both romantic and that given by family.
Readers get a good idea of the personalities of the other Cade siblings and a feud with a neighboring ranch family. The hints of things to come has me looking forward to the next Cade Ranch book.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

A heartwarming and emotional story that deals with redemption, self-worth, addiction, forgiveness, and in the end... love. Karen Rock wrote a great story, I think readers will want to keep a couple of tissues for this one.

You have our heroine, Sofia who is a single mother of a five year old kid. Shes' struggling to survive and trying to give a good life to her son while also having to deal with her own issues and wondering if she'll ever be enough, if she's worthy of something better. Then out hero has her own cross to bear and he's also a bit too set in his ideas; but as their lives collide new emotions will appear, they'll have to think and analyze their lives, to face their own challenges; it's all very moving and also inspiring. Again this book deals with sensitive subjects but the story itself doesn't feel overwhelming or heavy because of it; Karen manages to find the right balance to present this story to the reader.

This is a book I'd absolutely recommend.

Sophia has a young son and not a lot of money. Her ex and Her sons father Jesse died for addiction and now she finds her self at the Cade Ranch. James doesn’t trust Sophia completely but feels he needs to do right with Sophia’s son. Can he trust and not deny his feelings for Sophia

If you are looking for a sweet, lighthearted book Christmas at Cade Ranch might not be the book for you. But, if you are looking for a warm, rich book with characters who feel real, with true life issues, than this may be just the ticket.

Sofia Gallardo is fighting a past that she is not too proud. She is a single mother, who is struggling with staying clean from a drug addiction on a daily basis. Will she finally believe that she deserves a better life?

James Cade has the weight of the world on his shoulder. His mother is merely going through life on auto pilot, and he is trying to hold the family ranch together after the deaths of his father and brother.

When the two worlds collide will they both crumble or will they meld into something better?

I received a copy of Christmas at Cade Ranch by Karen Rock from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this story. I wasn't sure if I was missing a previous book--it felt like there was a back story that I was missing some gaps. (not enough to make the book confusing, but there were gaps.)
I really liked the message that people have to let themselves change. I like that both main characters had to give themselves permission to really look at who they were and why. The mom was probably my favorite character. She reminded me of my mom--of the love & support she has for all her family.

This book tells a story of addiction, loss, faith, trust, and forgiveness. Miraculously, it does so without foul language, sex. violence, or religion. It brings me back to the days when things weren’t added merely to reach specific demographics. I enjoyed this story so much. It was topical, and thought provoking. Despite the subject, it wasn’t a heavy read. It was instead loving and encouraging, with some laugh out loud humor.
The characters are well represented, well thought out, and stayed true to their selves. James’s family has suffered from his brother’s addiction, and will do anything to protect them from being hurt again. Joy understandably wants a relationship with her new-found grandson. And finally, we have Sofia, who is ashamed of her past, wanting to start fresh. The story line played this out naturally, without forcing a swift resolution. The dialog was good; not too wordy, no stereotyped speak, or trendy phrases.
I look forward to the next book of the series!

Ok, wait, while I wipe away the tears that this wonderful, heartwarming story brought to my eyes. Talk about a book you can't put down!! This is it. Sweet, loving story of a woman who tried so hard to give her son all she could. What they go through is unbelievable. A beautiful story based around the best time of the year. This book is a must read.