This was the first book I've read from this author and I enjoyed it very much. It was very well written and the characters were well thought out.

Fia is fed up being a model, she craves a more fulfilling life. Finding herself without a clear direction in her life. She heads to Texas to sort out some family business. She finds a uninhabitable cottage full of junk. Its the perfect distraction for Fia, while she decides what to do next. Texas has the added bonus of the gorgeous cowboy Gib. When you pick up a book by Joss Wood you are guaranteed a good read. The characters are well written, the story flows and keeps you immersed. Highly recommended for fans of contemporary romance.

Christmas at First Creek Farm by Joss Wood. This is Fia Price and Gib Donovan’s story.

I loved the chemistry between Fia and Gib. If you love romances about Christmas with cowboys in small towns, then this would be a fun and heartwarming read.

Christmas at First Creek Farm is a sweet but very sexy country Christmas story. Packed with strong characters, this story revolves around a small tract of rural land owned by the heroine’s family and coveted by the hero’s family.
I liked Fia, a model at the top of her game who has taken the difficult decision to retire from her profession. As the mother of sons I truly sympathised with single father Gib as he tried to raise his six year-old son Gabe.
The story moves well as the attraction and action between Fia and Gib ramps up despite neither wanting to commit to a relationship. With appealing secondary characters and the build up to Christmas this story kept me turning the pages.

This is for me one of the best read of this year. The story is great, full of family drama, two persons who are not searching for love but find it in the place they are at least expected. Both gib and Fia are great characters, well developed with interesting and heartbreaking past. At first they relationship doesn't start on a great footing but there is something stronger between them and after fighting their attraction they let it explode. Unfortunately fear is the one that ruins everything.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

Due to some family history, a large ranch in Texas is shaped like a donut, with a small circle of land that just happens to contain all the water belonging to a different family. When the matriarch of that family dies, her kids decide to sell First Creek Farm back to Donovan Ranch, but Fia decides she just must check the place out before it's sold.

I...could not get into this book. Both characters are absurdly wealthy and hot, with Fia even being a world class model (literally). There's still some appeal for me when only one character is rich, but both of them? ...meh? Especially when Fia keeps going on about her family's expansive South African tourist empire which I have....feels about. Add to that the fact that Gib is a huge asshole and Fia actually has no idea why she's determined to spend time at First Creek and this gets a big old shrug from me.

I will say that I did like the commentary around Fia's modeling career, the acknowledgement that she was very lucky genetically and also that it's a hard job that takes a whole lot of physical work. And her grief over her mother's death was sympathetic and compelling. It's just everything else that put me off.

Enjoyed it
This is my first book by Joss Wood.

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading more from this author

Gib and Fia’s romance has enough steam to strip wallpaper right off the walls, but with the hot romance there is also a touch of mystery who is that dangerous guy trying to get to Fia? And what does he want with her? But it’s Gib’s little son that makes the story so touching, I’ll bet he will steal your heart, yet Gib’s friendship with his best Bud is pretty touching to.

Loved this romance. Enjoyed the plot, characters and the author’s writing. Highly recommend this book to romance fans.

I absolutely loved this book it was intriguing and suspenseful and a fabulous read and I recommend giving it a try

This is Fia and Gib’s story. Fia is looking to discover what she wants to do now and falls in love during her pursuit of cleaning out the cabin. Can Gibson learn to trust again? Will their love work....

Christmas at First Creek Farm has all the elements for a delectable story: wounded hearts, intense chemistry, interesting characters, and enough heated scenes to tantalize all within a sweet romance building quickly for Gib Donovan and Fia Shaw-Price. Throw in Gib’s young son, Gabe, and Gib’s sister, Tanna, and there is some fun and light added to the plot.

Fia goes to Texas for the holidays to sort out a cottage left to her and her brothers by a great aunt. She is looking for a new adventure in her life. Her land is in the middle of cowboy Gib's ranch. He is raising his son alone and doesn't have time for love. When he meets Fia he know that he has to have her, at least as a fling. The more time he spends with her he starts to think he could have more in his life. Fia starts to think that Texas life is not so bad after all. Not to mention the sexy cowboy and his adorable son. Can the magic of the season bring these two lost souls together? Great read.

Excellent Christmas Love Story by Joss Wood. Christmas at First Creek Farm gives us a love story between Gib Donovan who is pretty certain his life is perfect the way it is. He doesn't need or want a relationship after he was burned so badly by his former wife.
Fia Shaw-Price feels like she needs to be a First Creek but is certain she doesn't know what to do with her life since she left the modeling world behind. She knows she is very attracted to the good man that is Gib Donovan.
Will the certain - uncertainty that they each have get in the way of them having a life together?
This is a refreshing type of love story. Kudos to Joss Wood on this book.

Gib & Fia are a perfect couple! Fia pulls Gib out of his life & makes him experience new things. Gib is used to getting anything he wants & cant believe that he isn’t going to get his way. Fia completely shatters all of Gib’s preconceptions of models & a models nag career. He couldn’t see any way she could survive roughing it & she proved him wrong. Both characters are strong & damaged in some ways. They’ve both been let down by significant others & family. Gib had to pick himself to go on with life without his wife & parents but also to raise his daughter alone. Fia has always felt like an outsider in her family & even more so after her mother passed.

The interactions between these two were full of emotion. There are scenes that had me laughing, giggling, sad & tearful. As a reader, I love a book that makes me feel & this book definitely did that. Joss Wood is a new to me author & I can’t believe the way the author managed to draw me in from the beginning. Believe me when I say I will be looking for more from this author!

I have only read the private security company series by Joss Wood. This time the security company has been traded in for a Texas ranch in Christmas at First Creek Farm. One disillusioned model who want to rewrite her dreams and goals, one busy rancher and one adorable son round out the main characters in this Christmas tale.

Great story with believable characters as Fia and Gib that has a holiday magical quality that makes you believe anything is possible. Of course, Gib’s son is totally irresistible. I found myself rooting for these resilient individuals to find a way to stick together.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In many ways Gib has closed parts of himself off from life. He’s a devoted father to hes young son, a fair boss running quite a remarkable ranch, his family will always come first but for himself… no, he’s fine just as he is. In the middle of his huge ranch sits one plot of land that doesn’t belong to him. The owner had refused to sell for years. Now with the land changing hands to the heirs of that property comes the chance for Gib to finally complete the ranch. Well, maybe. He hadn’t counted on one sibling holding out for sentimental reasons, at least for the moment. Gib soon comes face to face with one of the new owners… and Fia is not what he expected at all.

Fia is ready to take her life in a different direction, what that is exactly she isn’t sure. But for now she’s driven to visit her aunt’s property in Texas before agreeing to the sale that her brothers are pushing her to agree to. It mattered to her aunt to hold on to that land, and Fia wants to understand why. On the surface Fia seems to have everything… beauty, kindness, more money than she could ever spend but those things don’t fill the hole in her life and until she figures out where she’s going, what her new career will be then sorting out the overflowing cottage will occupy her mind. And, besides, Christmas is coming soon, her life will sort itself out eventually.

Neither Gib nor Fia expected the reaction they had to each other over that piece of land. Gib isn’t willing to let himself trust again, and to love again is beyond him, or so he thinks. Fia has discovered what she wants to do with the rest of her life, and it fits perfectly with one handsome, silent, stubborn rancher. She’s fallen hard, and Gib’s stubbornness is matched equally with her determination that they could belong together so easily. Each has issues that need to be dealt with, each needs to move on from the past… the question becomes will they move toward happiness together.

Christmas at First Creek Farm is the type of story that draws you in from the beginning with believable characters, problems to deal with that are realistic and the possibility of a really good life together if the couple can go beyond their stubbornness and fears. Fia is almost too good to be true, and I liked her, a lot. Gib has to face his fear from the past and move on, his attraction to Fia is the beginning. He’s letting her in but will it be enough to keep her. I liked this couple, and watching them work out the troubles that stand in their way was an enjoyable journey. I had fun with this one, and I believe you will, too.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Christmas at First Creek Farm by Joss Wood
Closing in on thirty, Fia Price craves a new and more meaningful direction for her life. Walking away from her successful modeling career, she heads to Texas for the Christmas holidays to inspect a small ranch she and her brother’s have recently inherited. Sorting through her great aunt’s bulging cottage gives Fia the time and space to consider a new career, but since her brothers want to sell the property, her time in Texas is limited. But when she meets Gib Donovan and his adorable young son, living in Texas suddenly becomes so much more attractive. And as they spend time together in the weeks leading up to Christmas, Fia discovers her new career but also finds herself wanting to say yes to so much more than a land sale—if she can find the courage to start a new, completely different life.
Sexy cowboy and rancher Gib Donovan wants to focus on his son and his ranch. Fia Price with her beauty, sparkle and sense of fun is making that near impossible. She’s waking up parts of him that he hoped would stay asleep forever. He doesn’t want to hope again. Or lust. Or trust. And he definitely thinks love is off the table, but with Fia, everything seems possible—a magical Christmas for his son, and a new future for them both.
This is Fia Price and Gib Donovan's story.
“You going to run for mayor, Gib?”
“Nope. Still haven’t changed my mind since you asked me that same question last week, Curtis.” Gib Donovan swallowed down the spurt of aggravation at the old timer’s question and lifted his soda to his lips. Just once, he wanted to come into Bo’s, shoot the breeze with Clay, maybe play a game or two of pool and not be grilled on his political aspirations. Or lack thereof. Gib pushed his fingers through his hair and stared at Clay’s impressive collection of whiskey on the shelves behind the bar. He was a single dad of a six-year-old hooligan he co-owned and operated one of the largest and most diverse spreads in Texas, and he had fourteen fingers in thirty pies. Yeah, yeah, his father, grandfather, and every male ancestor going back generations had been politically active—the Donovan family tree could boast a governor, a senator, and a half dozen mayors—but Gib had no interest in throwing his Stetson into that snake pit.
Clay, Bo’s owner and Gib’s childhood friend, slid another Coke in his direction and Gib resisted the urge to rest his head against the wall to his right. After spending the day with his sister Meg at the Donovan corporate offices, he’d left Houston in rush-hour traffic and, thanks to a multicar pileup on the I-10, the two-hour drive had taken four. He’d missed Gabe’s bedtime, something Gib tried hard not to do, and, because his son would be asleep, decided to call in at Bo’s for a burger before making the thirty-minute drive home.
The woman stood alone in front of the jukebox, her back to them and Gib’s first impression was that she was tall, ridiculously so. He glanced down, saw she wasn’t wearing heels, and quickly decided she was flirting with six feet. He still had a few inches on her, but he wouldn’t tower over her as he did over most woman. A straw Stetson covered fire and flame-red, shoulder-length hair and a white, cotton shirt, sleeves rolled up, was tucked into a pair of faded, loose jeans.
Gib was about to turn back to his burger when she half turned, and he caught her profile, high cheekbones, deep set eyes, and a made-for-kissing mouth.
He didn’t blame him, the woman, even with her partially concealed face, was heart-stopping.
Christmas at First Creek Farm by Joss Wood is a 4 star book.
Joss's Books with Tule:
Claimed by the Warrior
The Pytheon Security series
His Toughest Call
The Pytheon Security series
In the Line of Fire
The Pytheon Security series
Christmas at First Creek Farm
First Creek Ranch

t's pretty unusual for me to read a romance and not want the hero and heroine of the book to end up together, but that is what happened when I read this book.

I liked Sofia ok. In my eyes she was a little bit too perfect to come across as a three dimensional character. She was unbelievably gorgeous, genuine and sweet, insanely wealthy but down to earth; and of course, she loved animals and children and cleaning. (I honestly would have liked her a little bit more if she would have had singing birds and scampering chipmunks who helped her clean.)

Gib, I was not crazy about. He was very two dimensional to me. Big alpha man with a broken heart who needed to be taught how to love again. He was basically a romance novel hero of the most generic form - a strong handsome man doing everything he could to protect his heart, so you just had to forgive him for being a bit of a jerk. Meh.

I never felt any kind of connection between Sofia and Gib and honestly don't know why they thought they should be together forever.

Also, there were a couple twists that I have no idea why were added to the book. They added nothing.

Very enjoyable read. I really liked these characters although Fia in real life would have been easy to dislike. She is just too perfect. Sofia is a model who is tiring of that life so she decides to retire. While she's figuring out what to do next in life she decides to go to visit a small Texas ranch she and her brothers have just inherited. Their property sits square in the middle of single dad and rancher Gib Donovan's property. As soon as Gib meets Fia he's certain he knows her type. A spoiled rich girl looking for a little cowboy fun. Boy does he have her wrong and is she ever ready to prove it!

Fun story that I definitely recommend.