Jodi Thomas Ransom Canyon series has long been a favorite, as she creates vivid scenes and stories involving Texas ranching and the people who live and work them. Christmas in Winter Valley is a heartwarming addition to the series and lives up to my high expectations of a Jodi Thomas book. Finding that happy ever after is not always easy, and this book certainly shows that as the author artfully weaves a story involving four couples of different ages (which would appeal to many), and tosses in an orphaned child just to make things more interesting, I did feel the story between Creed and Dallas got a little lost, but they were not the main characters. I loved Tatum’s story. This is a warm, comfortable read and actually made me want to go back to the beginning and reread the entire series—a plan for this winter! Well done!

Christmas in Winter Valley is a great example of why I love Jodi Thomas' books. I have never been to Texas and most likely never will, but I do journey there through her writing. The scenery and sense of country permeates the story. To me it feels like real life ranching and cowboys.

I loved all the characters, the two Holloway brothers at home while brother Griffin is away. Elliott the one that manages the books side of the ranch and Cooper who likes to roam the country on a horse. Then there is Tatum, no more about him, only to say I adored him, but you got to have the surprise of meeting him. Tye Franklin is an older man who rides into the ranch looking for a job and he too is a delight.

There is plenty going on with them all, a number of women running about the place, some like chickens without heads, but they add to the fun. The plot goes along at a wonderful pace and there is always something happening. As well, there are lots of laugh out loud moments, I love the sense of humor is this book.

It goes through December, leading up to Christmas, so its perfect to read before Christmas. You'll either read it really fast because it almost reads itself, or you might be like me, reading it slowly in small pieces because you want to prolong your time with the Holloways. Five star read.

Christmas in Winter Valley is the 8th standalone in Jodi Thomas' Ransom Canyon series. Trust me when I say you can read it without reading the others, this is only my second book of the series. Whether you are new to the series or not Ransom Canyon will make you feel like a part of the family.


The book combines a few different happily ever afters into one cohesive story line. A wild cowboy and an independent veterinarian, An older couple finding love when they weren't expecting it, a couple getting a second chance to be together, and a young boy finding a family to call his own. The friendships and relationships built in the story are sweet and charming. The only downside with so many couples and point of views I feel like I didn't get enough of each pairing, and I was left wanting a little more.


Christmas in Winter Valley was a charming holiday contemporary that would make a great read on a cozy winter night.

This is the 8th book in the Ransom Canyon series. I would definitely recommend this is you're looking for a nice holiday read. The story focuses on 4 couples, which seems like a lot but I liked the way the story was written. You really can't go wrong with a Jodi Thomas story. Recommended!

CHRISTMAS IN WINTER VALLEY takes us back to Ransom Canyon where the wild horses are revered and the Holloway family holds onto generations’ long tradition of watching over this untamed herd. This winter Cooper is at the well-hidden range cabin to check on these mustangs. Goal is to do this job and then return to the ranch headquarters for the family holiday get together. Seems like a good plan. This place of calm and reverie is well disrupted by the arrival of a lost boy Tatum. Tatum, Cooper and the herd of horses share a common bond of wildness.
The Maverick Ranch is a well-run operation with the Holloway men in charge. Griffin Holloway is now a married man whose wife has enriched this ranch in many ways. Cooper and Elliot Holloway have managed to remain single. Cooper likes his independence and in many ways is like that wild herd that he watches over. Elliot has taken on the role of finance manager with lots of desk time that at this point in his life seems to be where he sees himself.
Tye Franklin, new to the Maverick Ranch has landed there on his travels to possibly explore his roots. Tye received a legacy of sorts from his grandfather, basically an old notebook with illustrations of a ranch and prairie. Quite a mysterious will and testament left to Tye. The notebook reads like a map. Could it be a treasure map for a rodeo cowboy?
The addition of women folk to the Maverick Ranch and to the lives of the very independent men who live and work there is the true magic of CHRISTMAS IN WINTER VALLEY. It of course helps that the holiday season is the backdrop and the pure scenery of Ransom Canyon is majestic.
Hardest part reading a Jodi Thomas story is picking out a favorite character and in CHRISTMAS IN WINTER VALLEY it is virtually impossible.
CHRISTMAS IN WINTER VALLEY is a true ensemble literary work where every character plays an important part in this romantic tale of discovery, trust, love, forgiveness, passion and strength. Each characters is carefully crafted and imbibed with an eye towards humanity at its best and endurance.
CHRISTMAS IN WINTER VALLEY is a book to be savored and Jodi Thomas is at her very best. This is the Christmas story for 2019.

Disclaimer right off the bat: I wanted a Christmas book when I read this and since the word Christmas is in the title, I should have been safe, right? Yeah, not so much. There is very little Christmas in this novel and it could have been set at any point in the winter. Heck, it could have been set in the summer if you eliminate the snow.

I've never read Jodi Thomas before and I'm not sure I would again. She's got some writing talent but this book suffered from too many characters with a lack of development and honestly, it was boring. I almost stopped at about 5% but I skimmed and then picked up reading a bit later on.

We've got 4 couples. Yes, 4 romances in one book with multiple points of view. And while the transition from POV to POV was not hard to follow, it was just too much. Added to the 4 couples, there were other side characters, a storyline about an abandoned child and one of the characters that's part of a couple had his own side story as well. There was little to no sexual tension between any of the couple and no sex scenes. Now, I don't need sex in my books to be happy, not at all. But this just fell flat.

The whole time I was reading I was thinking this book must have been written with the idea of being adapted into a Hallmark movie. I'd happily watch this on TV. But it didn't make for a good book. Too many characters meant none got a ton of development, the plots were not explored in depth and there was generally a lack of emotion with the exception of the child mentioned.

So yeah... I'd recommend skipping this book.

I enjoy her books, but the chapters alternating between two or more separate stories is not my favorite. I'd rather the book progress dealing with a more cohesive story. It was great to see Elliott, Dani, and Colton all have HEA's. The story with his drawings as an inheritance was one of the best.

If not for the alternating chapter design, it would be a 5 star read.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher for my honest opinions.

Christmas in Winter Valley is a 5 star read. It's the eighth book in the Ransom Canyon series and it didn't disappoint. There are so many stories going on thanks to the three brothers, Griff, Elliot and Cooper, their ranch and various workers, Tatum and the new vet, Hayley plus many others. It's also early December and the story takes place up to Christmas Eve.

The young boy Tatum who is an orphan and shows up in the cabin was a nice addition and I could feel how he hungered for love, acceptance and a place to call his. Some of the characters were prickly but their rough edges were able to be smoothed by others. There is so much love for the ranch and that the brothers had for each other as well as Griff's wife and daughter. There was some unfinished business on Elliot's part that was resolved better than I expected.

There are twists and turns to the story, a mystery to be solved, lots of romance in the air and some happily ever afters in the offing. Their are injuries, some reminisces, horses, food, chores, laughter, a small town and their residents, gossip, misunderstandings and love where it's least expected. The descriptions of the land, the ranch and their home made me feel like I was there. The story flowed smoothly from one story line to the next and all were intertwined nicely. There was closure but I'd love to be reunited with the characters again and again to see how their lives have turned out.

Ms. Thomas is one of my favorite authors of romance and I'm partial to hers that have cowboys front and center. I look forward to reading whatever she writes and hope we get to return to Ransom Canyon since there's always more stories to be told.

This book was good. Instead of having just one couple get together there were several that got together. This does make for a happy Christmas story, but I felt some of them could have been left unsettled.

You know what you’re going to get from a Jodi Thomas novel and her formula happens to really appeal to me. You have a group of lonely, but good, decent people who find love and a community that they can belong to. Thomas has a very recognizable style of writing dialogue. The characters often have a wry, understated sense of humor that is quite entertaining. As with all her other books, I got lost in the world that she has created and enjoyed seeing her characters with their overlapping and interconnected stories find a happiness that none of them expected to ever find.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Christmas in Winter Valley is a group of smaller romances all set in one book/story based around the Griffin family and their place, Maverick Ranch.

First there’s the story of Cooper Griffin and Hayley. Cooper is hurt while out checking on wild mustangs but Hayley, the vet that was out there to help him, saves his life.

Then there’s Tye and Dani who can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. Tye is an ex-rodeo star and is now a ranch hand at MV (Maverick Ranch). He falls fast and hard for the Griffin family cook, Dani, but here grown sons don’t like that too much.

Elliot Griffin was hurt 10 years ago by Jessica who he was engaged to. He had to leave school when his dad died and each of them think it’s the other’s fault that they didn’t stay together after that. Jessica shows up at MV to do the taxes and sparks fly between the two.

Creed (a ranch hand) and Dallas (cousin-in-law to the Griffins), end up as a couple, I think, but it’s hard to say as not much, if any, time was spent on their relationship. Could be they just ended up FB’s. lol

While all of these people are falling in love with each other, all between December 10th and December 24th (yes, very fast), there are friendships growing and intertwining all of these characters. Men and women alike are finding out who they truly are and how they see life and love. It was well done, but I never felt that I was too invested in any of the relationships. I’m not sure if that was because there was so much going on, or what. Despite that I liked the book overall.

That said, I have to say that my favorite part of the book was a 9-year-old boy named Tatum. Tatum was shipped off to his grandma’s house when his dad and then his mom died. When his grandma died the evil neighbor lady told the sheriff that this small boy carried death wherever he went, was half-wild and they should take him to the pound. WTAF? I wanted to crawl through the book and thrash that woman! Tatum ended up running away before social services could get him and was found by Cooper Griffin right before the boy would have frozen to death. I won’t tell you the amazing cuteness that comes out of Tatum’s mouth on the regular, but let me just say that he’s the sweetest thing in the world! The relationship between Cooper and Tatum is heart-warming and I loved it. Jodi Thomas wrote his character wonderfully well and I actually found myself wishing he was more on-page than he was. Yes, it’s a romance novel, but Tatum made the book for me!

Overall a nice Christmas story about love and family.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Christmas in Winter Valley is a well developed story from a very fine storyteller. Thomas has the knack for creating characters that pull the audience in. A very satisfying read.

I will leave a review on Amazon Sept 24, 2019

I received and ARC of Christmas in Winter Valley from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.

This was a very good book, very well written and had a wonderful storyline. I found it a hard book to put down, once I got started reading it. The book was able to pull lots of emotions from me which I look for in a book. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Jodi Thomas has written a great Christmas book that leaves you longing to be in Winter Valley with all of the Holloway's. The descriptive writing in this story is so soothing that it leave you feeling that you are in the scene with the characters. I felt like I was a part of the whole Holloway bunch whether it was at the ranch, on a call with the Doc, or in the shack with Cooper. I could not put this book down once I started it and longed for more once I was done.

Cooper Holloway is determined to get out of dodge before his cousin-in-laws get to headquarters. Cooper has had dealings with the three women and he is not going to do it again. Cooper is on his way to the shack to help the wild mustangs get the medical attention they need to make it through the winter. The local vet is supposed to meet Cooper up there and bring the medical supplies they will need to take care of the mustangs. Cooper is one that is a free spirit and loves to be out living on the land.

When Cooper has a mishap and ends up needing medical attention himself, things take a turn in his schedule that he had not planned on. When his little buddy he meets ends up saving his life, they are bonded for life and Cooper knows that he has a special bond with there. I really don't want to give too much away about this story because it is so good and reading it as it happens is the best part of it.

There are so many romances going on in this story that it makes it so fun to read. You wonder who is going to get with who next. Old flames are rekindled and new ones are lite with burning desires for each other. Jodi Thomas has done an excellent job with this story! I really was disappointed when I came to the end and realized that there would be no more Holloway's for awhile. (Hopefully only for a short time!) You will not be disappointed in this read!

All opinions are my own and voluntary. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book!

This is a great book. Love the setting. The scenery was amazing. I was captured from page one and could not put it down.

The Holloway brothers, Cooper, Griffin and Elliot, couldn’t be more different but have two thing in common – the Maverick Ranch and Winter Valley cabin in the mountains complete with a herd of wild mustangs. With winter closing in there is more than enough work to go around, and each brother knows his role. Or so they think.
Griffin, the only one married, and his wife leave to tend to her ailing father and bad fall after a snow storm at the cabin leaves Cooper with little means to help. Elliot must run the ranch alone, which shouldn’t be a problem except three young, female cousins barnstorm the ranch for an impromptu get-together before going back to college. Toss in one lady vet, a female accountant coming to do the books for tax season, a runaway boy, a cook, her two sons and a ranch hand who has taken a liking to not only the cooking but also the chef, and you have a story that keeps you turning the pages.
While there is a long cast list, the characterization and story lines will keep you interested.
Kathye Q

This book takes us back to Ransom Canyon and the Holloway family. This is a heartwarming fun read with multiple romances, a delightful young boy, and some humor thrown in the mix. This is part of a series but you will have no trouble reading it as a stand alone. It is the perfect choice if you are looking for a fun, happily ever after story. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Ms. Thomas does a wonderful job painting the story of Holloway brothers love story. Cooper and Ethan watched their brother Griffin find his soulmate in Sunlan and it's now their turn to find true love. Cooper has retreated to the valleys around Maverick Ranch and meets Tatum ( a 9 year old runaway) and catastrophe while observing the wild mustangs who roam the valley in the winter. His true appears in the guise of a rescue angel?. Ethan has lost a love while in college and she reappears when she comes to the ranch as a tax consultant. Both brothers have many twists and turns to make love grow. Ms Thomas has introduced some new secondary characters who I hope receive their own stories at another time.
Enjoy this Christmas read

Such a magnificent storyteller! Jodi Thomas’s writing style is the most unique and soothing, I’ve ever encountered.

Christmas In Winter’s Valley was a perfect conclusion to a phenomenal series.
Cooper, Elliot, and Dani all find their happy-ever-after. Tatum truly became the star of the story. He melted my heart in every scene.

Such an amazing plot, a book which will leave readers believing in true love, no matter what age.
Sometimes the best things in life come latter when the time is right.

From Ransom Canyon’s prequel, Winter’s Camp, to the series finale, Christmas At Winter’s Valley, I’ve been mesmerized with Crossroads, Texas and the wonderful individuals who call this home.
Many times strangers wonder into each other’s lives and define the true meaning of family, not always blood related, but spiritually destined.

Jodi Thomas’s best series, one which has been woven into my heart and soul.
Tonya Lucas 7-10-2019

This book was so good I didn't want to put it down. I even thought about calling into work sick so I could finish it. Although I would never do that it was a nice fantasy. This book has everything you would want. Laughter, drama. And tears both happy and sad.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Harlequin and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title for an honest review.