Holding Out for Christmas: A Festive Christmas Cowboy Romance Novel

Janet Dailey

Sep 2020 · The Christmas Tree Ranch Book 3 · Zebra Books

About this ebook

Fans of RaeAnne Thayne, Lori Wilde, and Fern Michaels will delight in this beautiful Christmas love story with a heart the size of Texas. A visit to Janet Dailey’s Christmas Tree Ranch is the perfect kick-off to a flawless holiday season!
 
“Cute…The festive atmosphere and charming cast—Megan’s younger brother, Daniel, who has Down syndrome, is especially well-developed—will draw readers in.”
—Publishers Weekly
 
She’s all he wants for Christmas.  Maybe even forever…
 
Conner Branch hasn’t stopping thinking about the sultry singer he spotted on stage during last year’s Cowboy Christmas ball. So imagine his surprise when he discovers the demure kindergarten teacher who comes home for the holidays to Branding Iron, Texas, is the very same woman. And once he’s up close and personal with the mesmerizing Megan, he’s downright determined to keep her by his side for good…
 
If only Conner Branch were simply the star struck cowboy she once believed him to be, Megan wouldn’t have to worry about losing everything to the rugged—and wildly romantic—rancher. With Christmas in the air, it’s a little too easy to imagine spending the holidays, not to mention her whole life, wrapped in Conner’s loving arms.  But this songstress has hopes for a big career back in Nashville. And no little holiday romance will ever get in the way of that. So what’s a woman to do when she finds herself facing down a love as big and bold as Texas itself?
 

Ratings and reviews

The emotion in this story packs a punch. Conner is primed and ready for a real relationship, unlike Megan, and the shadow of all his “fun times” doesn’t help. Story has depth and the characters are well developed but I think their lives were so full that they didn’t have enough dating/romance time. Even still, it’s an encouraging and charming story that kept me totally engrossed until the end. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it. This was a delightful tale. I adored the cast of characters. This book is really the third one in the series The Christmas Tree Farm (even though it isn't noted as such). There were some parts that seems vaguely familiar but then I read a LOT! Megan is in town to spend the holidays with her family and to sing at the Cowboy Christmas Ball. She is a school teacher in Nashville to help further her singing career as Miss Lacy Leatherwood. Connor is a partner at the Christmas Tree Ranch and last year at the Ball fell heavily for the gorgeous, sexy singer. He is so looking forward to this year's ball to see the singer again. This story is how these two characters meet and fall in love. Both have a secret. Megan's is her alter ego and Connor's, well he knows her secret. See when Daniel, her brother, was injured, Megan sang to him while Connor drove them to the clinic. How could he forget that sultry voice? The book is written in the dual POV format. I adore this. It is my absolute favorite format. I get to see the characters' thoughts so I can fully identify with and understand the characters better. This is a sweet, clean romance that I would highly recommend to anyone of any age. The only disappointment, no puppies!!!!! Especially the adorable ones on the cover.

This is the first novel that I can recall reading by Janet Dailey, and I am impressed. The setting is described so beautifully, characters are well defined through actions and conversations with engaging dialogue, and an interesting plot. I do not often read romance novels unless there it is historical or have a mystery involved, but this was well worth it. Megan came to Branding Iron, Texas, a couple weeks before the Christmas holiday began at the Nashville school she teaches at. Her boyfriend, Derek, is principal at the school and having a hard time adjusting to her not being there, but Megan wants to help with her family’s needs. I love her brother, Daniel, a sweet, hardworking young man who wants to marry Katy, who works at the grocery where he does. Both have Downs Syndrome and their parents think it isn’t in their best interest to marry. Daniel wants to learn how to drive, but their mom is against it. Megan and Daniel’s mother has MS and is unable to do many things she used to do. She does paint and also illustrates children’s books. Megan has one secret from the people in Branding Iron. She has been trying to break into being a singer for quite some time. To get more gigs, she took on the persona of Lacy Leatherwood with a completely different look. She hesitates to tell anyone, as people become too interested in Lacy instead of the real Megan. Last year, her band asked her to join them in Branding Iron at the annual Cowboy Christmas Ball. Conner, a partner at the Christmas Tree Ranch, completely fell in love with who he thought Lacy was. He has been looking forward to this year’s ball in hopes of seeing her again. Megan and Conner meet when he saw her car partially slid into a ditch near the ranch during a snowstorm. They got to know each other a bit and he invited her to the dinner that would be at the home of the fiancée of one of his partners. Tracy, the wife of one of the partners, recognized her from meeting her last year. Tracy and Maggie, fiancée of the other partner, talked about how much Conner liked Lacy last year, and that if she is interested in him, she should tell him who she is soon. Conner seems like “heartbreak on the hoof” to Megan even as her attraction to him grows. Conner, never one to date anyone for more than a good time, has feelings for Megan that he never imagined having for a woman again, even Lacy. And what will she do about her boyfriend in Nashville? I very much enjoyed this sweet romance that is a fun clean read apart from some mild cursing. The small town, Texas, setting at Christmas was a great backdrop for this third in the Christmas Tree Ranch series. Even though I had not read the first two, there was sufficient backstory to understand who each person is. Plot twists in the form of conflict, career choices, and the needs of family members, keep it moving quickly. The end was very satisfying with every loose end tied up. I highly recommend this to fans of the author, and those who enjoy sweet romances with likable characters, and a Texas or Christmas setting. From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this novel through Goodreads First Reads, and this is my honest review.

About the author

JANET DAILEY’s first book was published in 1976. Since then she has written more than 100 novels and become one of the top-selling female authors in the world, with 325 million copies of her books sold in nineteen languages in ninety-eight countries. She is known for her strong, decisive characters, her extraordinary ability to recreate a time and a place, and her unerring courage to confront important, controversial issues in her stories. To learn more about Janet Dailey and her novels, please visit www.JanetDailey.com or find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/JanetDaileyAuthor.