I can’t say enough about Jodi’s books. She writes so vividly that I can picture myself with the characters. She never disappoints her readers.

This was my second trip to Ransom Canyon and I enjoyed this one even more than the last one. Griff Holloway has left the ranch in the care of his brothers Cooper and Elliott. With several of Griff's new wife's relatives visiting, Elliott heads off into the hills to check on the band of wild dogs. Cooper is left to mind the homefront and deal with the accountant that Griff has hired to go over the books and make sure their taxes are up to date. Both men come face to face with a female that takes their breath away. The problem is that one is Cooper's ex.

I really liked this clean, sweet, clever romance. Along with the two couples that are growing closer together, you can throw in a cowboy/washed up rodeo star who is led to Ransom Canyon to learn more about his past and Tatum, a young runaway who Elliott finds in his cabin in the hills. Jodi Thomas balanced these storylines very well and wove this story together like the pro she is. Even though there are three romances with different stories, they are told in alternating chapters which are very easy to follow. I enjoyed how the characters overlapped so the stories meshed. All the characters were likable, with the exception of Tatum, who I loved, of course children always grab my heart. There are several roadblocks along the way as things can't go smoothly, but the characters work to get over these humps. This is a Christmas story, but it is more of a story set at Christmas, with the holiday as a backdrop, not the central setting. I enjoyed this one and if you like a clean sweet romance, then pick this one up for not one, but several Happy Ever Afters.

Jodi Thomas is a talented storyteller, whose words on paper paints vivid pictures into the reader's mind, embedding them into the tales, while wrapping their hearts to the warm, loving feels radiating from her characters.
Christmas in Winter Valley tells the tales of four couples destinies, endearing romances on the side of the most adorable, heartfelt bromance between a young orphan boy and Cooper.
The characters all are charming and sweet, the drama is limited, and while passion and loving are notching the temperatures up in the cold winter weather, the action mostly happens off the pages of the book.
With multiple storylines fusing into one plot, the happiness, joyous, miraculous Christmas spirit is a tangible force bringing people and families together. Of course, the multiple narratives have no chance or space to dig deep into all of the characters and the nuances of the romances budding through the ranch. Yet the message of the season, that there are hope and faith for the future if love conquers all, that is the genuinely tangible happily ever after in the air at the Holloway ranch at Christmas in Winter Valley
~ Four Spoons and a teaspoon on the side

Christmas in Winter Valley by Jodi Thomas
Subgenre: western romance
Release date: 24 Sep 2019
Publisher: Harlequin/HarperCollins
Format: print
Length: 368 pages
RRP: $15.99 (print)
As with all Jodi Thomas stories there is a mix of love stories. This story involves the Halloway family who first appeared in Mistletoe Miracles which was Griffin’s story. In this story, Griffin has married his love and they need to be away to look after Sunlan’s father. This story focuses on the remaining two brothers and others on the property.
Cooper is in the winter camp to look after the mustangs. He finds a young boy who is skittish and alone. Cooper is able to make Tatum feel welcome and useful. Then Cooper has an accident. It takes a young vet to assist and get him to the hospital.
Elliot keeps the books for the ranch. He gave away his love for the ranch. But he sees her again when she arrives as the accountant to audit the books. Both he and Jess have a few issues to get through before they can be together, forever.
Tye Franklin is a horse whisperer. He has an exceptional rapport with horses. He is also a drunk. He is given a book of clues for his inheritance which his grandfather has given him. He ends up on Maverick Ranch where he finds his inheritance and a woman who will be his forever.
And then there is Tatum. The nine-year-old boy. A boy who has no one. The boy with a sad past and believes he is a death bringer. The boy who wants acceptance. A boy who wants love and a family.
A story by Ms Thomas is always a treasure. The characters are of varying ages. They are of varying wealth. They are of varying social status. But the characters are people we fall in love with. I always find that I laugh, and often I cry for different characters. There are times when my heart aches as it did for Tatum. But his acceptance of what life has dished out for him, made me feel sad but there is joy at the end for Tatum which gave me a warm fuzzy feeling and made me smile.
Reviewed by Heather
A review copy of this book was provided by the author.

I’ve enjoyed every Jodi Thomas novel that I’ve read, and her novels are full of romance, picturesque Texas settings, slow burning romances, and brooding cowboys whose sense of duty doesn’t falter. In Christmas in Winter Valley, we get to spend the fast approaching holidays with the Holloway brothers on their horse ranch. Things are never dull and boring on this 100-plus year old family ranch, and with married brother Griffin away with his wife caring for her sick father in Colorado, the ranch is left in the hands of the two younger siblings–Cooper and Elliott. But Sunlan’s three college-aged cousins are headed for a bit of rest and relaxation in Texas over break, and the boys are in charge of hosting them in the meantime. Cooper literally heads for the hills to tend to a heard of wild horses before winter hits as a way to escape the girls, leaving poor, dependable Elliott to take care of everything by himself.

Cooper is known as the wild, untamed youngest son of the family, and he certainly hasn’t been tied down by a wife or family of his own. He expected to herd the wild horses, get some much needed solitude in the cabin that his grandfather built, then return just in time for Christmas. He didn’t expect to find a runaway orphaned boy desperate for a family and a place to belong, or to have a medical emergency and be rescued by the beautiful new veterinarian who is filling in for her retiring grandfather.

Elliott has to get the ranch’s books done for the year and ready for tax time, but he’s having a hard time keeping up with running the ranch and wading through all of that paperwork. Griffin hires a big city accountant to help get everything in order, and this expert is the last person Elliott would ever expect to see again. Ten years of hurt, resentment, and unrequited love come rushing back, and Elliott has no idea how he’ll get through the next few weeks.

Dani has been the ranch’s cook for several months now, but she’s proven more invaluable than just that. She also has a bit of baggage in the form of twin 20-year-old boys who can ranch with the best of them but can’t seem to detach themselves from their mama. Dani is lonely and when a handsome new ranch hand is hired, she starts to hope for happiness and a life of her own. Can she find something lasting with the former rodeo star Tye Franklin, or is he trouble with a capital T?

Three characters find happiness in different ways, and I really loved how the author tackled Dani and Tye’s more mature relationship. It was refreshing to read about older people having an actual life. A group of people become like family–whether they’re related or not–and band together when times get tough despite their differences. Cooper’s story line was my favorite. He was such a spitfire, and Cooper definitely deserved equally stubborn and smart companions in Tatem and Hayley.

I give Christmas in Winter Valley a 4.5 out of 5. While this was book eight in the series, there wasn’t much of an issue getting to know each of the characters and a bit of their past. Jodi Thomas brought you up to speed quite nicely. Her writing flows well, even when moving from character to character when changing points of view each chapter. While there were a lot of players in Christmas in Winter Valley, everyone was very different in the way they spoke and acted so it was easy to keep everyone straight. If you’re looking for Christmas to be a big part of the book, it was more of a minor player here with winter being the bigger part. I enjoyed getting to know the two younger Holloway men and the people around them, and I definitely recommend this entertaining book.

I enjoyed this book. The story occurred at Christmas time and centered on Ty, a cowboy in need of redemption, Dani, a single mom who had raised her boys but wasn't sure they were out of the nest, and a family-owned ranch who brought them together. The story reminded the reader of forgiveness of self, and that love can overcome. Characters were well-developed and the plot was well-written. Recommend this book for someone who likes a good love story, as there were a couple of different love connections followed by the author.

Complementary copy given for honest review.

This book had several stories going on at the same time so it was difficult for me to figure out at first but then I realized that the author was focused on the entire household instead of just one couple. Great book. I loved the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I struggled to get into this book. Christmas in Winter Valley just had too many characters to keep straight. I’m wondering if I would have connected better if I read the earlier books in the series. I felt like I was missing pieces and missing a connection to the characters and setting. This one just didn’t work for me.

Although this is a good book, and I liked the characters very much, I probably should not have requested this book. This is not the fault of the author, as she did a good job telling this story, I’m just more of a “Love Inspired” reader and like for the books I read to be completely sweet and clean. Again, I take nothing away from Jodi Thomas and this book. It was my mistake for requesting it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

What a great mix of characters. A young boy who needs a home, three silly cousins, all of the Holloway's, a cook and an old worn out cowboy. Each is woven into a great romance - no wait woven into many great romances. Ransom Canyon has seen a lot and this just adds to the mystique. Great story and a hard to put down read.

Cooper and Elliott have their hands full. Their sister-in-laws cousins are descending on the ranch to spend some quality time together before the holidays (without their cousin being there to entertain them). Cooper escapes to start rounding up wild mustangs for some pre winter doctoring leaving Elliott home to deal with the not-quite cousins and to run the ranch on his own while doing it. On top of all that, they have an accountant coming to go over the books with Elliott.

There is a lot going on in this book, it almost feels like it could be multiple books since there a couple romances blossoming, a runaway kid, a serious injury and a quest for a legacy left by a jailbird grandfather. However Jodi Thomas interweaves all these stories together beautifully.

#ChristmasInWinterValley #NetGalley

Fitting the season of love perfectly, Christmas in Winter Valley tells the story of four romantic pairings finding their happily-ever-afters in snowy Ransom Canyon. There’s the seasoned romance between Tye and Dani, the opposites attract scenario of Creed and Dallas’s story, the second-chance love between Elliot and Jess, and the instalove between Coop and Hayley. If those are not enough, there’s also the happy ending for the orphaned Tatum. Truly, there’s something for everyone to appreciate.

Happening two weeks before Christmas day, the events in this book take place at a fast clip. A good number of characters are named, which would have confused many readers if not for the deft hands of Ms. Thomas. Each person mentioned has a distinct personality, even those who are only on the other side of the phone.

As is Ms. Thomas’s signature, Christmas in Winter Valley has plenty of humor, a touch of drama, and a whole lot of Texas. Long-time fans will love this series-ender, while new readers will want to read as many of the earlier books as possible. This book can be read as a stand-alone but for those just coming into this series late, I highly recommend reading Griffin and Sunlan’s story at the very least.

I enjoyed reading this book although I wish it’s longer so that the relationships are developed better. While I appreciate the inclusion of the older pair and the varying body types, I wish there’s more diversity in the characters. I would have loved to see some persons of color. For a contemporary novel not to have them present is unrealistic in this day and age.

Christmas in Winter Valley is a 2019 HQN Books publication.

It may be cold and snowy in Ransom Canyon, but the holiday spirit is warm, filled with second chances and new beginnings!

Griff Holloway has left his brothers, Elliott and Cooper, in charge of running the family ranch while he and his wife, Sunlan, are away from home. However, Elliott is left holding the bag, when Cooper hears that a group of Sunlan’s cousins are coming for a visit and hightails it out of there to spend some alone time at a remote cabin in Winter Valley.

However, Cooper finds his secluded cabin is occupied by an orphaned boy named, Tatum, while Elliott is unexpectedly forced to face his painful past.

Meanwhile, a new hire at the ranch and a former rodeo star, Tye, is looking to discover something about his heritage, but soon finds himself attracted to Dani, the ranch’s down to earth cook.

This book features a group of heartwarming stories, which bring people together just in time for the Christmas holidays. Each romance is touching and sweet, and of course, Tatum’s story certainly pulls on the old heartstrings.

While I enjoyed getting to know all the couples, I must confess I enjoyed Tye and Dani’s story the most. I really appreciate the mature characters who prove it’s never too late to find true love.

By using alternating chapters, instead of individual vignettes, the author allows the reader more time to connect with the characters and gives each story equal strength. Thankfully, the holiday theme is not overdone, but one can still feel the spirit of the season, which will make this book a nice addition to your holiday reading- or a nice gift for someone on your Christmas list.

Overall, this a lovely, clean holiday themed novel, with a little something for all contemporary romance lovers!

It's always nice to get back to Ransom Canyon and visit with the Holloway family. This is book 8 in the Ransom canyon series. The Christmas season has arrived and Cooper is heading up the mountain to escape the influx of relatives expected to arrive. But he is soon involved with 2 visitors. Elliott is running the ranch with Cooper away and he's shocked to find an old love back in town. A nice 2 for 1 romance set over Christmas. Can be read as a stand alone. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is the second book I have read from the Ransom Canyon series, and I have absolutely loved them both. I keep meaning to start from the beginning; however, as the saying goes, so many books, so little time. The unfortunate dilemma of every reader. And while this story picks up not too long after the events of Mistletoe Miracles, each book completely stands alone, so there is no reason to feel as though you are missing anything. Each book is connected by this rural and remote town that is incredibly rich in Texas heritage, and you will be lovingly welcomed wherever you chose to begin.

"From the moment I touched you, I felt like I've been waiting for you. Like I've been working my way back to you, but we've never met."

Following the relationships of three very different couples, this is another heartwarming, inspiring, and charming story that will wrap you up in the arms of this completely genuine community. Each couple is navigating different stages of their lives, while also exploring the relationships that they suddenly find themselves trying to embrace. The author's writing style is so effortless that in her deft hands, these fictional characters become masterfully relatable and delightfully engaging. She breathed such life into these distinct individuals that I couldn't help but become invested in their outcomes. I found myself most connected to Dani and Tye's story, anticipating their return at each reading to find out how everything would work out for them.

"She felt like this stranger was really seeing her. No on had done that for a long time. Maybe ever. As he walked away, she almost laughed to aloud. A worthless man and an invisible woman might just become friends."

Loneliness is a central theme, and though each character is struggling in his or her own way, the author is able to converge each of these separate story lines into a meaningful exploration of family, new beginnings, and second chances. There is no doubt as to the authenticity of this cast of characters. They were all hardworking, friendly individuals who like anyone else may find themselves facing struggles; however, it is through healthy connections and relationships with others that they keep moving forward. None of them are perfect, and they don't or haven't always made good choices, but they continue to push themselves towards redemption and happiness as they find friendship, guidance, and love in the most unlikely places.

The romance aspects of the story are so subtle, showcasing the power of the author's use of description to let your imagination do all the work. And though it's a simple, conversational tone between characters, you can feel the sparks igniting, and it's breathtakingly magical to watch unfold.

Ultimately, happy endings come together in a touching tapestry that makes this a perfect selection to curl up with this season!

Many thanks to Lone Star Book Blog Tours and the author for sending me a copy of this book for free. This is my honest and thoughtful review.

So while this book was pretty good, I had a bit of an issue. I have a problem keeping up with several perspective and story lines and this book had at least different ones which made it harder for me to follow and keep organized. I kept mixing situations and such. Eventually I was able to put some things together and liked what I was able to follow. This book was really good and hard to talk about without giving away too much but each of the perspectives were interesting in their own ways. I liked getting to know the characters and how things played out. Overall this was a pretty good contemporary book but just a warning out there for who has a hard time with multiple perspectives it might be a bit of an issue.

Christmas in Winter Valley by Jodi Thomas is the perfect Christmas feel good heartwarming book. She has the ability to draw me in with her characters and I cannot read the book fast enough. And at the same time want to savor it and read it slowly. In this book we have two of the three brothers kind of tell their story and one of the cowboys.

I think Cooper’s story may have been my favorite. He is the wild brother and he meets a young boy who has ran away from home. It was so sweet and touching to watch the relationship buils. And when the vet comes out and has to save him it’s adorable.

The other brother is Elliot and he is the nerdy numbers guy. He and his girlfriend break up when he had to go back to the ranch to help after his father died. Their relationship never got the closure it needed. As she finds her way back to the ranch they’re able to figure out where to go in the future.

A beautiful side story was the cook and a down and out rodeo star. I loved their story it was absolutely adorable and sweet. They were a more mature couple and had their own challenges, including her two sons. Their banter about biscuits was so fun.

I would highly recommend this book. I read it at the beach but it still gave me the Christmas feels. I’m a huge fan of Jody’s. She has a unique ability to draw you into her stories and fall in love with her characters.Christmas in winter Valley by Jodi Thomas is the perfect Christmas feel good heartwarming book. Jodi has the ability to draw me in with her characters and I cannot read the book fast enough. And at the same time want to savor it and read it slowly. In this book we have two of the three brothers and one of the cowboys as their stories unfold during the Christmas season.

I think Cooper’s story may have been my favorite. He is the wild brother and he meets a young boy who has run away from home. It was so sweet and touching to watch the relationship build. When the vet comes out and has to save him it’s adorable.

The other brother is Elliot and he is the nerdy numbers guy. He and his girlfriend break up when he had to go back to the ranch to help after his father died. Their relationship never got the closure it needed. As she finds her way back to the ranch they’re able to figure out where to go in the future.

A beautiful side story was the cook and a down and out rodeo star. I loved their story it was absolutely adorable and sweet. They were a more mature couple and had their own challenges, including her two sons. Their banter about biscuits was so fun.

I would highly recommend this book. I read it at the beach but it still gave me the Christmas feels. I’m a huge fan of Jody’s. She has a unique ability to draw you into her stories and fall in love with her characters.

sexual content - three different couples have a physical relationship but it is mostly behind closed doors.
Violence - a couple fist fights
Alcohol - a couple people drink too much

Jodi Thomas’ 2018 holiday romance, MISTLETOE MIRACLES, was my favorite holiday romance of last year. So to say that I had high expectations is an understatement. As always, Ms. Thomas knows how to wrap your heart up in a soft blanket to give you all the fuzzy feelings. She effortlessly writes multiple romances in a single story while driving the plot of the book forward. CHRISTMAS IN WINTER VALLEY picked up where MISTLETOE MIRACLES left off with the two single ranching brothers finding love and maybe a bonus rancher or two in there.

What I loved: I loved Elliot and Jess’s second chance romance. The misunderstandings and distance between them made my heart hurt, but I was really rooting for them the whole time. I also enjoyed the addition of Tatum to the family dynamic. I was curious about how his storyline would resolve the entire time, which made me want to keep turning the pages.

Tye and Dani’s romance absolutely melted my heart. I loved how the pragmatic and mature Dani melted for Tye, and he melted right back. I really believed their love story. They might have been my favorite couple in the book overall.

What didn’t work: I felt like a few of the romances, specifically Creed and Dallas and Cooper and Hayley. With Creed and Dallas, 90% of their love story happened off the page, and I really wanted to know more. Selfishly, a spoiled society girl with a rough ranch hand is one of my favorite tropes and I just felt a little shorted.

With Cooper and Hayley, they both individually had a good amount of page time, but I didn’t really feel any sparks between them. Cooper just decided he loved Hayley at some point during the story. I think a few more deep conversations between Cooper and Hayley would have gone a long way. I felt very surface with Cooper’s character the entire book and I don’t see how Hayley could have gotten any deeper.

Overall, this was a sweet and enjoyable holiday romance on a ranch. I love Jodi Thomas’ writing, I just expected more from two of the four couples.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

It’s two weeks before Christmas and all across the Maverick Ranch creatures and cowboys are stirring. The Holloway brothers (introduced to readers in book 7 of the Ransom Canyon series) are busy running the family ranch, seeing to horses, and visiting in-laws out of town. They don’t have time for orphans, accidents, injuries and ex girlfriends but they’ll be forced to deal with all and then some. My favorite part of the book involved young Tatum and the ranchers who show him what family is all about. And I loved Tye and his growing relationship with the ranch cook. Christmas in Winter Valley is a charming and romantic book perfect to curl up with this Christmas season. Fans of Jodi Thomas will not be disappointed.

Christmas in Winter Valley is a perfect Christmas story. Cooper Holloway prefers nature to people & jumps at the chance to head for the hills when his sister in law’s cousins come for a visit. His plans are to meet up with the vet & try to work up the wild mustangs. When he encounters an unexpected visitor at the camp, he should have realized it was the first sign things weren’t going to go the way he planned. His young visitor shouldn’t have made it anywhere near the camp & the vet wasn’t the old grizzly guy he was expecting but the old vet’s granddaughter, Hayley.

This was an interesting story with several subplots running throughout it. The main relationship is that between Cooper, Hayley & Tatum. Cooper fought it tooth & nail but the chemistry between Hayley & him continued to grow. His affection for Tatum grew stronger everyday they were together. There are several other relationships growing at the same time & they all had to fight for what they wanted & learn to trust the others. This was truly a story of a family forged out of experiences, not blood & their concern & love for each other.