I was super excited for this book because I'm a sucker for holiday rom-coms. This one fell a bit short. The writing was too busy, in basically every chapter you have the main plot, the Sloan Parker plot (her fictional character) and supporting characters explaining memories in long detail. It just felt like too much was happening but it was being told and not shown. Aside from getting to know Samantha as a writer and an individual with a multitude of fears, the rest of the characters felt less introduced and so I could not connect with them much. Drew is a nice guy, with a wonderful dream/career but we don't get to truly know him. The romance seemed rushed and lacked sparks. Something I really enjoyed, this book didn't pit the two female love interests against each other and that was refreshing. The author also did a wonderful job of highlighting Wyoming.

Delightful christmas story!!

Description
Filled with Christmas cheer, and the magic that can only be found in Jackson Hole, Wyoming under the shadow of the Tetons, Anita Hughes's Christmas at the Ranch is a love story that is sure to enchant, and warm your heart like a cup of hot apple cider.

It’s days before Christmas and Samantha Morgan is in her Brooklyn apartment when her editor, Charlie, shows up. Her publisher Arthur Wentworth is throwing a Christmas party and wants Samantha to be the guest of honor. Samantha tries to come up with an excuse to miss it. She writes a series of books featuring a female James Bond-type heroine named Sloane Parker and Charlie is the only person who knows that Samantha is the opposite of Sloane, though the marketing team has built up an entire social media presence for her claiming that she is just as adventurous. In reality, Samantha rarely leaves her neighborhood and does her research online. She is afraid of almost everything and is only happy when she’s sitting in her apartment and writing.

Samantha reluctantly agrees to go. But instead of taking her to Arthur’s house in Connecticut, the driver goes to the airport. On the phone, Charlie admits that the party is at Arthur’s new ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. For a person who hates even walking around the block when it snows, this is her worst nightmare.

But when a handsome stranger sits next to her on the plane, things begin to look up. She feels comfortable enough to spill all her secrets to him, including all of her fears and the truth about her fake Instagram account. However, when she shows up at the house, it turns out that this man, Drew, is Arthur’s son. Now Samantha is worried that Drew will tell his father about her lies.

Over the course of Christmas week, Samantha grows closer to Drew. But when his fiancée, Beatrix (who recently gave him an ultimatum about settling down), shows up, things get more complicated. As Samantha’s fears of bison and giant icicles subside, and her feelings for Drew grow deeper, new fears develop…

Overall I enjoyed this Hallmark story. The Christmas theme and friendship that developed between the main characters was great. I did not enjoy the constantly jumping into a plot idea for a new spy novel, and frequently just skimmed past that part of the book.
Thank you to St. Martins and NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC copy.

Thank you netgallary for this ARC.
Is there anything better than a Christmas book to lighten your mood? I love a good Christmas book year round. This book follow main character Samantha on a trip to her publisher's ranch and takes place in Wyoming and has a bit of a Hallmark feel which I love. The only think I wasn't in love with is the jumping back and forth between Samantha's story and her ideas for the book she is writing. Other wise a pleasant read.

This book was a light and sweet Christmas love story that takes you on a journey to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The heroine in this story, Samantha Morgan, is an author who lives in NYC and suffers from social anxiety, general anxiety and agoraphobia. Her condition isn’t mentioned by name, but the book often discusses her being afraid to leave her apartment and concerned about bad things happening in every day life if she leaves her bubble. Samantha writes books about Sloane Parker who is a world traveling spy and lives a very dangerous life compared to the life she lives in her apartment with her dog, Socks. Samantha gets tricked into traveling to Jackson Hole when her book editor, Charlie, persuades her to go to a Christmas party being held by the owner of the publishing company (Arthur).

On the plane, Samantha meets Drew, who happens to be Arthur’s son and engaged. Drew helps Samantha face her fears to experience the beautiful wildlife in Jackson Hole. As she faces her fears, she also begins to catch feelings for Drew.

This book is a Hallmark movie in book form. It is sweet and focused on family. I loved reading about Jackson Hole, it sounds so beautiful and majestic. The story was somewhat predictable, but still an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martins Press for a digital ARC of this novel for my honest reviews.

great story and loved the romance that started by talking. I liked drew and Samantha. she is writer of spy novels and really doesn't like to travel but finds love and when on a trip. She helps bring back a family together and finds a diary. Great story .

This book transforms your to Christmas time. It makes you want to grab a book, a cup of coffee and put on christmas music. The way Anita Hughes writes from start to finish you feel like your with the characters.
The story follows Samantha a author who has been crippled by fear. As she is watching others in her life go on adventures, she writes about them in her books so she doesn't have to go out into the world. Until she is tricked by her agent and friend to go to a christmas party. Well that sets off as an adventure where she has to face fears and fall in love.

This was my first time reading Anita Hughes and I spent a great time with her narrative. I found it very real. I'll read other books from her.

Samantha was a well-known author of the Sloane Parker series. She had found great success as an author but was afraid of everything. Sloane was adventurous, a female James Bond type and Samantha was just he opposite. She couldn't even get on a plane or barely leave her Brooklyn apartment for fear of something terrible happening. Then she received an invitation to a house party at Arthur Wentworth's home over the Christmas holiday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. If she wanted to keep writing for her publisher, she couldn't turn down the invitation. She needed to overcome her fear and get on a plane.

A stranger sitting next to her on the plane, helped her work through her fear and make it possible for her to stay on the plane and make it to Jackson Hole. When she arrived at Arthur's home, there was her gorgeous stranger from the plane, Drew Wentworth, Arthur's son.

Drew and Samantha had shared secrets with each other like they had never shared with anyone else but Drew was engaged, even if he had begun to doubt that is what he really wanted. I won't give away the rest of the story. This is a story of finding oneself, forgiveness, romance, and a whole lot of love to go around.

I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.

This was a Christmas miracle ending!!! It was swoon worthy. You could predict the ending shortly after starting the book but it was pleasant.

*Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Samantha is the author to a popular series starring a daring heroine who goes on wild and daring adventures. Her own life, on the other hand, is anything but the life her character lives. Facing extreme fear and anxiety over even leaving her apartment, Samantha is content with writing her books and spending time with her dog, Socks. When her editor pushes for her to go to a Christmas party thrown by the head of the publishing company, she reluctantly agrees without knowing it’s in Wyoming and a plane ride stands between her and her destination.

I’ll start off by saying overall I enjoyed the premise of the book. The character development of Samantha kept me holding on and the mystery journal was a fun and beautiful addition. With that being said, certain aspects fell flat for me, mainly the overwhelming speed of the romance aspect that just didn’t match up with the personality and traits that Samantha had shown throughout the rest of the novel. The interruptions of random storylines or plot ideas for the book Samantha writes was also odd and a little irritating to come across. Being a series writer of different adventures, they jumped around so much and while the author tries to connect them to what is currently going on, it wasn’t for me. I also struggled with the over the top relationship with her dog- at one point she wants to send a photo but thinks her dog will be jealous of other dogs? It was just too weird for me.

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Anita Hughes, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Samantha Morgan is a best selling author with a fear of absolutely everything except her dog, Socks. After a terrible break up, a failed vacation, and stranded during a hurricane it’s no wonder she rarely leaves her apartment in New York.

Drew Wentworth has a passion for life outside of the comfortable lifestyle his publisher of a dad, Andrew Wentworth, provided for him growing up. Drew and his fiancé, Beatrix, have spent years in a small village in Thailand building schools for children.

With the holiday season right around the corner, Samantha is forced to go spend a week at her publishers ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the benefit of her books (despite the fact that she’s utterly terrified). While panicking on the plane she meets Drew without knowing exactly who he is until they reunite at the ranch. After that the festivities of the holiday week begin!

This book was a nice read. I felt that I understood an authors thought process a bit better with Samantha’s tangents of her best sellers about Sloane Parker but I felt that it was like too much happening in those bits. I don’t think I fully understand it or if the tangents on the new book ideas were for one book or multiple book ideas. That bit took away the appeal of the story at hand for me.

While I liked the idea of Drew and Samantha falling for each other I felt that it was too soon especially with Drew’s fiancé in the mix. Beatrix and Samantha seemed to really get along despite Samantha trying not to so for her to fall for Drew I’m confused on why she didn’t feel more guilt about the whole thing.

I loved the mystery journal part of the story! I actually wish there were more entry journals! I hate to say I didn’t put two and two together until Samantha said she figured it out but I wish I had more clues!

This was a fun Christmas time read that made you want to go to this beautiful skiing town.

2.5 ⭐️

Christmas at the Ranch follows author Samantha Morgan on her holiday trip to Jackson Hole Wyoming. This is a big deal because although Samantha writes action-packed spy novels, she is terrified about nearly everything under the sun. This book is the epitome of a Christmas Hallmark movie - full of warm fuzzy feelings, cliches, and Christmas spirit - all of which I loved. However, a few things fell short for me.

1. I thought that the dialogue was a little too cheesy, to the point it was rather unrealistic. One character would ask a question and the other would launch into a multi-paragraph story.

2. Nearly everything was described via 'tell' and there was not enough show. Because of this, the characters fell flat for me and I wasn't really invested in the characters, therefore, I didn't feel the sizzle between the love interests.

3. The story bounces between Sam's storyline, her ideas for her spy books, and detailed stories from the past that perfectly relate to the given scene. Because of this, it felt a little busy, and I was getting lost in what was happening in the main plot.

That being said, if you are in the mood for a Christmas Hallmark movie, this book will deliver that. And, I am now very interested in visiting Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

This book is what Christmas romance novels are made of. Snow, magical applies we wish we could visit for Christmas (the book is set in Jackson Hole, WY), and holiday romance!

I found the main character's Samantha's fears reasonable- if you read this and think they are over the top then you are #blessed and have never experienced a phobia. I could have used a tiny bit more spice and tension between her and the love interest Drew, but I was super impressed by the author's ability to weave in a woman versus woman love triangle without making it catty or stereotypical. I love the was Hughes introduced Beatrix, the other woman. She was great.

There is a PLOT TWIST in this book, I enjoyed that. My tiny note that almost had me teetering to 4-stars was that Marigold mentions "her Native American friends" so many times it feels a bit performative at moments. Other than that, I loved Christmas at the Ranch and will be sharing a review as the holiday season and pub date get closer.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s for this arc in exchange for a honest review! 3.25⭐️

“the only limits we have in life are the ones we put on oursleves”

samantha, girllllll, stay off the internet!!! I can’t blame her though, any small symptom I have and I’m automatically on WebMD trying to diagnose myself! I really liked Samantha’s character growth in this book as she tries new things and realizes just how brave she actually is.

This was such a cute christmas read! If you’re looking for a simple, predictable, but cozy read during the holidays then I would definitely recommend this one ☺️

I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought some aspects were good and some that were not needed. I think the idea of going to a ranch for the Holidays is a great idea! I also really liked a lot of the side characters. However, I think Samantha's constant fear of everything in the beginning was a bit much, though it did get better as the book went on. I was not a fan of the Sloane parts. I thought it was just an easy way to introduce the book series but I feel like it was just not needed. I also liked the romance, but it went from friends to in love so fast at the end of the book. I wish there was more throughout the book of them really getting closer, not just being nice and doing activities together. I think if anyone just needs a fast read, then this is an easy book to get through.

Samantha Morgan pens an adventurous, heroine who fights spies all around the world, yet Samantha barely leaves her Brooklyn apartment. Her publisher extends an exclusive Christmas vacation to his ranch, yet Samantha is scared to fly. During the flight Samantha grabs the hand of her seat mate, who happens to be her publishers son.

I truly enjoyed the friendship that developed between Samantha and Drew Wentworth as characters. I didn’t enjoy Samantha constantly reverting into her ‘novel’ and the character ‘Sloane’, it happened too frequently and took away from the main story flow

This is a good book. The two main characters are Samantha and Drew. They meet on a plane bound for Jackson Hole Wyoming. Samantha has lots of changes in her life in the last few years, she is afraid of leaving her apartment. She is an author, her agent sends her to Jackson Hole, because her publisher has invited her to his house. His son is Drew. They both have issues from a fiance, to a old diary, a fire in the barn, and to a wedding that was cancelled. They work through them and fell in love.

I want to start by thanking NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read this novel.

In Christmas at the Ranch we are introduced to Samantha (Sam) Morgan, an author who has found success in her book series and is hoping to continue that success even though sales were down for her most recent book. To help keep her on the good side of her publisher, Sam's editor, Charlie, insists that she accept the publishers invitation to spend Christmas and New Year's with him and others he invites to the annual 'party'. While this might be an exciting opportunity for most people, Sam has a major fear of traveling due to some unfortunate mishaps in past trips - but this is a secret between her and her editor. Most people believe she is just as adventurous as the character in her series, Sloane Parker, based on her Instagram feed. Sloane is a British-intelligence member and completes dangerous missions all around the world.

After being fooled as to where the party is taking place, Sam meets a handsome man, Drew, who helps her through her fears of flying on the plane to Jackson Hole, Wyoming . Once settled at the ranch, Sam realizes this isn't just any man. Drew is the son of her publisher who has recently returned from Thailand and has multiple obstacles that he must overcome throughout the story. Sam unravels more than she expects as she befriends Drew's fiancée, a local lady, and members of the crew at the ranch. No one realizes how each member is connected until Sam makes her way through a diary she finds hiding on her publishers bookshelf and starts to figure it out herself.

I must say I struggled a bit with this book because various parts throughout were 'new ideas' for another book in the series Sam writes. I got to the point where I actually skipped those parts because I didn't want to read excerpts of another 'book', I wanted to read more about Sam's story and the story of other characters in the book, even though some of the story lines were either so obvious or very far-fetched depending on the characters involved.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I was a bit disappointed by Christmas at the Ranch. The story about Drew and Samantha takes a little longer than needed. I loved the setting of the book in Wyoming. Not sure if I really liked it.