Tangled Up In Christmas
Lisa Renee Jones
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Who doesn’t love a holiday romance, but one that has a second chance as Love is the perfect bundle. Tangled Up In Christmas has all the goodies, drama, angst, hot men or one in particular, small town and loving… Hannah and Roarke are the main characters, their history is deep, with love and lies and back in Sweetwater, they will find themselves back together… but in a good way.

After losing her job to a phone boss, Hannah moves, and in a stroke of luck runs into old friend Jason and his wife Jessica, who give her the chance she needs to launch her new business. Creating and running a Christmas festival back in her home town will be filled with many emotions. Being back means being back in Roarke’s life too. The man broke her heart, ruined her for any other man. What she doesn’t know is Roarke isn’t giving up, if anything he’s going all in, for them to have the do over without the lies…

Roarke is a famous stallion wrangler and get surgeon. He’s well known and super sexy, but only one woman makes and breaks his world – Hannah, the fiancé he lost, but now she’s back in town, he’s going to stop at nothing to win her back. It won’t be easy, but he knows she’s the one for him, he just needs to get her to see it again.

Can Christmas fix the small town lovers? Hell yes, but not without more lies, more drama and an extra Christmas present…. Sweet, fun, sexy – get Tangled Up In Christmas 🎄, you’ll love it.

4 stars

Tangled Up In Christmas by Lisa Renee Jones is an enjoyable read.

I enjoyed the storyline, it's well written, well paced and watching the relationship between Roarke and Hannah unfold had me turning the pages late into the night.

Overall, Tangled Up in Christmas a good addition to the Texas Heat series and I highly recommend it.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC*

A second chance that will have you flipping the pages. I’m a little obsessed with this series. And they keep getting better and better.

This one is so entertaining. I can’t wait for the next one.

A great new series that is a must read.

*I was given a free advanced copy of this book by Net Galley in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.*

A scorching romance for the holiday season. Lisa Renee Jones has written another good solid romance. Liked it a lot.

4 steamy second time around stars

Tangled Up in Christmas is the second book in the Texas Heat series, though it can easily be read as a standalone. The main characters from book one appear in this story quite a bit, but the author gives relevant information about their relationship so that the reader does not feel like s/he is missing anything vital to this story.

After her celebrity photographer boss is caught in the #MeToo scandal, Hannah has little choice but to leave Los Angeles and go back to Texas, her dreams of making a name for herself in that world fading quickly. Even through her parents don't live in the small town of Sweetwater any longer (and for reasons Hannah has not been privy to), it's still the closest thing to home she knows, which is what she needs most right now. But after only a few moments of arrival, she smacks straight into the main reason she left in the first place: her childhood friend and ex-finace Roarke. He has now made a name for himself on YouTube doing what he has always done best: work with horses; in fact, his nickname is the Horse Wrangler, and though she won't admit it to anyone else, Hannah has watched all of the videos his friend has posted. She once shared that passion with him and worked side-by-side with the instafamous equine surgeon, but all of that went out the window when she was sent a video of Roarke appearing to be engaged in a steamy embrace with another woman. Hurt, confused, and insecure, a younger Hannah left without a word, changed her number, and took a job as far away as she could get. But distance and time have done nothing to make her forget her first true love, and when she accepts a job to plan a major event in her hometown for another life-long friend (who happens to be the best friend of Roarke), she knows she cannot avoid him much longer.

Roarke never cheated on Hannah - he never would. Though they grew up together, he is several years older, so while things simmered earlier between them, it wasn't until Hannah came home from college while Roarke was working the neighboring ranch that they finally got together. Hannah looked up to him and put him on somewhat of a pedestal, which is one of the reasons she fled: insecurity, and a bit of immaturity as she was a naive 21 year old at the time. Roarke knows he made a mistake in not going after Hannah when she left, but he knows things she doesn't about what happened that go deeper than alleged cheating, and he knows those things (while they are not about anything he did) would hurt her. So he left her be as long as he could, but he is finished waiting. She is back, and he has a plan to win her... if only she will listen and open her heart once again to him.

What I liked:
--- Both characters were likeable; the reader definitely feels the connection between the two and wants to see them reconcile
--- The plot is solid and quick-moving
--- Steamy goodness!

What I didn't like as much:
--- At times, Hannah still seemed a little immature in the beginning of the story, but once she realized how much she had lost and what she had to gain, she seemed to get it together
--- I had an ARC copy of this book, so I thought I was in one place in the story, but I was much farther ahead (the book ended at the 57% mark, so it felt very abrupt for that reason as I had no idea there was another story attached)
--- Some of the circumstances didn't make sense.... For example, Linda is supposedly Hannah's best friend but she had no idea that Hannah even knew Roarke, much less that she was engaged to him? Um.... that's not a best friend. Similarly, Roarke's best friend also never knew that they had officially hooked up and were engaged. Since they all knew each other since childhood, another scenario that seems highly unlikely (especially since the rumor mill in the small town was a focal point of the story)

Overall, a steamy second chance romance worth the read.

Plot --- 3.75/5
Main Characters --- 4/5
Supporting Cast --- 4/5
Steam Level* --- 3.5/5
Violence --- none
Language --- not egregious
POV --- Dual, but mostly from Hannah's POV

*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild; 2/5 - sensual but nothing descriptive; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere; 4/5 - yes please! ; 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all

Well, isn’t this a sweet little early Christmas present?

Come on now, you have to love a second chance romance, Especially one which is written with such heart as this. It’s not a long story, though there is a lovely surprise at the end of it (buy it – you’ll see what I mean, hopefully). And whilst there might have been a little bit of a condensing of the final events, this story was laid out beautifully for the reader.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Tangled Up in Christmas is the second book in a series focusing on previous secondary character, Roarke, as he reconnects with the love of his life. While this is a stand alone, I would suggest reading the books in order for the full back story to make sense.



I genuinely liked Roarke and Hannah. They were interesting, well developed characters that I couldn’t help but root for them to have a happy ending. Their story, from the way the rediscovered each other to dealing with the past, and facing current issues was dynamic and engaging.



One of the things I struggled with in the first book was the fact that the fictional town of Sweetwater takes its name from a real place. In book one of the series, I kept looking for similarities between the real and fictional. In this book, it was easier to separate the two.



I am looking forward to seeing where the author takes this series in the future.



*version included a Bonus Read of Santa Baby

This was a fun little extra read. I enjoyed it, but really wanted the heroine to be a little more consistent.

She left Sweetwater, Texas and horse wrangler Roarke Frost behind when he broke her heart but now fate sends her back in a wicked twists and she runs smack into the man again. No matter how much she tries to get tangled up in Christmas, she ends up tangled in Roarke instead and he feel like Mr. Right, but history says he’s Mr. Wrong. So if Roarke wants a second chance he’ll have to prove that this holiday is a season of new beginnings, the kind that last forever.

This holiday romance is very emotional but heartwarming and full of Christmas spirit. The characters are strong, compelling and easily draw readers into their story which has a complicated and heartbreaking past. The hero and heroine still has oodles of sizzling chemistry but the relationship has some emotionally turbulent obstacles to overcome and some secrets that have to be revealed which keeps reader glued to the pages of this second chance romance.

The holiday makes reaching for that second chance even more heartwarming and special throughout the steady pace of putting together a Christmas festival and the entire story has lots of holiday spirited events peppered throughout that really warms the heart and makes readers feel happy and good. The author paints such vivid imagery that readers feel as if they are part of the story which makes it easy to become completely captivated by the hero and heroine of this holiday romance.

Tangled up in Christmas & Santa Baby
by Lisa Renee Jones


Two holiday stories with happily ever afters in one volume! The first, Tangled Up In Christmas, sees Hannah and Rourke get a second chance after six years apart. There are some issues they both need to deal with before they can move on into an even stronger relationship than they had before. Small town romance between two people that definitely belonged together. The second book, Santa Baby, has Caron late to get dressed for a fashion show, put into a Marilyn Monroe rather than Audrey Hepburn costume and in that costume perhaps channeling a bit of Marilyn. Having caught Baxter Remington’s eye she has the night of life thinking it is a one off...but perhaps he thinks it could be more. What a sizzling little story this was!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC – this is my honest review.

4 Stars

Okay, so I’m a big fan of this authors books, and I have never read a book of hers that has a wishy washy character, until now. This author usually writes strong characters, buy Hannah was definitely not in my eyes. I almost ended up with whiplash given the number of times Hanna doubted herself, her relationship with Roarke, how she lost her job in LA (not a fan of the reason behind it) and her move to Sweetwater. There were so many whiney moments with her character, at one point I wanted to jump through the page and smack her. Now having got that off my chest, I loved Roarke, Jessica, Jason, Ruth, Linda and Martha. They brought a lot to this story that actually saved it for me. Loved all the animals and the working pet hospital on Roarke’s land, and how he worked to save and keep safe all of the animals who ended up in his care. Ending was also a saving moment for me, overall a decent book. Even though I wasn’t able to read The Truth about Cowboys, I will probably go back and read it to get Jason and Jessica’s story, which could be pretty good I think. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

I have to admit that at first, I was a bit frustrated with "Tangled Up in Christmas" by Lisa Renee Jones, though I ended up really liking this book in the end. While I found the main characters to be likeable and well-developed, the pace of the story felt rushed to me in the early chapters. For example, I couldn't believe how quickly the friendship between Hannah, the main character of this book, and Jessica, the main character of the first book in the series, developed. Yes, Hannah grew up with Jessica's husband, Jason, but I still found it strange that it only took about five minutes during a media event for Jessica to decide not only that she and Hannah were going to be good friends, but also that Hannah was the perfect person to hire to plan a Christmas festival for Jason's baseball camp. A lot had happened since Hannah left Texas, and it was unrealistic to assume that she was still the same trustworthy person that Jason remembered. (Of course, she was trustworthy, but that's beside the point.) In addition, later that same night, Hannah was already treating Jessica as a confidante. Maybe it's just me, but I can't imagine spilling personal information to a near-stranger so quickly after meeting, even if she was married to a childhood friend of mine.

Hannah's relationship with her love interest, Roarke, also developed incredibly quickly. Again, yes, they did have a previous relationship when they were younger, but they basically just jumped right in where they left off instead of taking the time to get to know each other again. It really bothered me that they acted like their breakup was a week earlier, not six years earlier. I can't imagine that neither of them changed or grew up at all in the intervening years. The one thing that was clear is that there were a lot of mistakes made on both sides, and I wouldn't say that either one of them handled things the right way back then.

All of that said, as the timeline stretched out and the characters had more of a chance to interact on the page, the story really started to click for me. Hannah and Roarke were both wonderful, likeable characters, and I wanted so much for them to be happy. They both learned some very important things about themselves and their relationship, which allowed them to overcome the baggage of their past and finally move forward together. Their HEA felt very well-deserved, and the book's epilogue practically had me in tears.

I also appreciated that this story answered some of the questions I had after reading the first book in this series, especially about Jason's parents. However, it is still a standalone novel, and it is not necessary to read the previous book to enjoy this one. I do recommend Jessica and Jason's story ("The Truth about Cowboys") based on its own merits, though!

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Tangled Up in Christmas is the second book in this series. I haven't read the first one, but this can be read as a standalone. It featured the brooding, famed Horse Wrangler and vet, Roarke who was mentioned in the first book. This is a contemporary cowboy, small town, second chance romance and told in dual POV, but mostly through the heroine's take.

The story started when Hannah had to move back to her small town of Sweetwater to open up an event-planning business after the disaster that was New York. She had a very promising career working for a famous fashion photographer until he got involved in the Me Movement which resulted for her being blacklisted as well. She knew that going back, she might bump to her old flame, Roarke. The man she was engaged with before. The man who broke her heart when he cheated on her. Or so she thought. When her friend asked her to cover for the photoshoot, she didn't know that she will then be offered planning for an event. Much less, a job that will make her deal with Roarke, up close and personal.

It was evident in the story that they were still both hanged up about what happened between them years ago. Feelings still lingered and apparently, they haven't moved on. This is a story of forgiveness, growing up as a person, loads of feel good romance and the beauty of small town community. A light and entertaining pre-holiday read perfect for every romance lovers.

Tangled Up in Christmas is the perfect second chance holiday romance of 2019!

Hannah was delightful to get to know. She knows her self worth in everything she does, but in the area of her heart it only beats for one man. Hannah returns to Sweetwater, Texas the town she was born and raised in, now her past smacks her right in the face. Should she stay or run? One things for sure Roarke can still melt her insides with a look.

Roarke is a hottie, but his real appeal was his huge heart and his unwavering love. Roarke is known as the Horse Wrangler and is a huge YouTube star. Roarke has a secret that could make an already messed up reunion turn more ugly once the truth is revealed. The question he seems to be asking himself is which side will he be on when Hannah gets the truth.

Roarke and Hannah have a past where young love thrived that was until growing up and real life intervened. I really enjoyed the chemistry between these two characters, a real life romance with real life issues. Will Roarke’s secret change the course of their lives or will their love be strong enough to with stand anything? I have to say I laughed hard with every bathroom meet up between.

The supporting characters are Jason, Jessica, Linda, Martha, Ruth, Hannah’s parents and Roarke’s dad, they all have a huge part in Roarke and Hannah’s life. They gave when it was called for, but let them be to hash out what was obviously still there. The plot of Tangled Up in Christmas was wrote in true Lisa Renee Jones fashion strong characters both main and supporting in which I hope to hear much more about. Plot that shows the true meaning of love and the holiday spirit. It’s a book I could not put down!

Rated 5 Stilettos and a Recommended Read by Deb!

Tangled Up in Christmas by Lisa Renee Jones is book number two in the Texas Heat series. This is Roarke and Hannah’s story. This can be read as a stand-alone.

Roarke and Hannah were engaged to be married but things happened and Hannah left. Years later their paths cross again.

It took me a little bit to get into this read. I’m glad I didn’t give up since I did enjoy the story. At times I got so frustrated with Roarke and Hannah’s lack of communication. Is Roarke going to finally tell Hannah the truth? How will Hannah handle the truth?

I enjoyed the story being set in Sweetwater, Texas and how the author incorporated rescue horses. I love that part of Texas.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

I love second chance romance and Lisa Renee Jones delivers another great one in Tangled Up
in Christmas! Hannah and Roarke have great history that was broken by struggles among families. Circumstances bring them back into each other lives years later and the love and chemistry is undeniable. Loved their story that also includes Jessica and Jason from The Truth About Cowboys!

❤~🌟~❤ 4 GLORIOUSLY HOPEFUL STARS! ❤~🌟~❤

Holiday revelry comes early in this gift-wrapped confection by Lisa Renee Jones! TANGLED UP IN CHRISTMAS is an utterly delightful, second chance story that dazzled me from page one!

THE PREMISE:
Hannah and Roarke were madly in love and engaged to be married six years prior until an unspeakable betrayal by the tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome horse wrangler had a heartbroken Hannah hightailing it out of town. Over the years, she pursued a photography career in the fashion industry in Los Angeles but she never quite got over the ruggedly sexy man whom she loved and lost. But then a Me Too scandal involving her boss got her blacklisted by association, putting he kibosh on her dream job and sending her back to Sweetwater with aspirations to start her own event planning business.

Hannah's homecoming is a long time coming. Only downside? She is forced back into her ex’s orbit again because Roarke is one of the facilitators of the Christmas festival she’s pulling together to launch her new enterprise. It’s clear from the instant they first bump into each other again that the sparks are still flying and they have lots of unfinished business to deal with. Before long, they find themselves back in each other’s arms—and sizzling between the sheets—but can they truly find their way back together again with all the bad history between them? Gotta read to find out but a Christmas miracle might be in store for this love-smitten duo!

MY MUSINGS:
The incomparable Lisa Renee Jones once again captured my heart with this heart-stirring Western-themed reunion romance! Readers of book one in the Texas Heat series will recognize Roarke as the best buddy of Jason from THE TRUTH ABOUT COWBOYS, and I must say I was over the moon excited to see this gruff, big-hearted horse wrangler get his own book!

While this novel is light on the melodrama and not ott angsty, it’s heavy on the swoony feels, fully engaged me from start to finish, and the chemistry between Roarke and Hannah is COMBUSTIBLE. These two have many fences to mend on the road to reconciliation but the ensuing journey is a pure adrenaline rush! I love how they are constantly thrown back into one another’s orbits, for professional reasons, but obviously their feelings are deeply personal. Through the course of the book as we watch Hannah once again fall under the spell of this honorable vet/horse wrangler, she also must come to terms with their past and begins to see Roarke in new, less judgmental eyes. And their shared love of animals just warms my heart! Speaking of which, I absolutely adore how Hannah sings to the horses who are under Roarke’s care! Can we get a collective awww?!

Meanwhile, Roarke aka “Saver of animals…Breaker of hearts” is determined to fight for his beloved “Han,” and right past wrongs, but he is harboring some secrets that could derail them once again. And when all is said and done, will his one truelove ever be able to trust him with her heart again? Both these characters have their own emotional trials and tribulations to overcome throughout the story, but no matter what, it’s undeniable how good they are together, how perfectly in sync they still are.

As with all of this author’s books, the story is evocatively written, the plot fast paced, and the witty banter between the characters is highly entertaining! I also found the close-knit small-town setting of Sweetwater to be the perfect backdrop for this second chance tale. The secondary cast is stellar, adding a rich sense of community and providing a plethora of support to our main characters.

The themes that LRJ explores throughout, involving Hope....Friendship... Home...Forgiveness...and Forever Love are beautifully interwoven into the story and there is an also a bit of a mystery revolving around the chain of events that tore Roarke and Hannah asunder all those years ago. While I got antsy over the prolonged separation between the H&h while he was out of town tending to sick horses at one point in the story, and felt those scenes could have been streamlined to accelerate the romance, I nevertheless was fully invested in this strong, stoic, sinfully sexy cowboy and the feisty filly he never stopped loving! Since this is a traditionally-pubbed romance, the sex scenes are not as plentiful and a bit less steamy than in LRJ’s indie releases, but their romantic interludes still left me breathless! Furthermore, there is wonderful push-pull and palpable sensual/emotional tension throughout, all leading up to a captivating HEA that’s guaranteed to fill your heart with gladness and put you in the holiday state of mind!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

2nd book but ok to read as a standalone. Roarke was introduced in Jason/Jessica’s book. He’s the best friend, partner for their baseball camp and a renowned large animal/horse veterinarian. Hannah is his former fiancee and childhood friend. She’s now a photographer and event planner who’s returned to her hometown to help plan the camp’s Christmas festival. It’s a second chance romance and I was surprised their reunion wasn’t dragged out. Secrets about what broke them up years ago slowly come out even after they’ve reunited. I liked this one a lot better than the first, especially the pacing didn’t drag.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.

Hannah is 28 and she runs into Roarke, who told her to go six years ago.
Let's just say their timing stinks and Roarke, he finally has things to say to her after telling her to GO and then never talking to her.
Will this Christmas prove their timing can work and can Roarke make amends?

Tangled Up in Christmas certainly sets the holiday mood with a heartwarming second-chance romance.

Roarke and Hannah grew-up together including Jason from The Truth About Cowboys, their families were the best of friends until they weren’t. It is this divide that is the epicentre of the plot. What caused the rift and why are Hannah’s parents set against her returning to Sweetwater.

Roarke and Hannah became so much more than friends after Hannah graduated from college. However, their visions of happily ever after were purposely destroyed and their heart along with them. Although both Roarke and Hannah have never quite gotten over their feelings for the other.

Hannah fled Sweetwater when her heart was broken to pursue a career in photography only to return following a false accusation placed against her boss and affecting her reputation in the fashion world along with it. Although Hannah’s true love is photographing the animals and horses she adores so much. Returning to Sweetwater and embarking on a new career ensures Hannah has to deal with all of the messy emotions and secrets she left behind including Roarke.

Tangled Up in Christmas ties The Truth About Cowboys into the plot perfectly allowing a deeper understanding of both of the books in the series as well as the individual characters.

Hindsight and maturity allow both Roarke and Hannah to analyse their history more objectively and as such move forward with their own lives.

Tangled Up in Christmas perfectly captures the feeling of hope and blessings the holiday season is portrayed as having. Heart-warming romance at it’s finest 😍

Hannah and Roarke were childhood sweethearts but family manipulation ends their engagement. Years later she returns home to Sweetwater where she agrees to put on the town festival. Feelings return, lies are cleared up. A sweet second chance love story.