Just a Little Christmas

by Janet Dailey Narrated by Nina Alvamar

Overview

Believe in second chances this Christmas. Ellie Marsden couldn't wait to shake the dust of Branding Iron, Texas, off her heels and chase after bright lights, big city, and a wealthy husband. Now she's come home, divorced, a little disillusioned, and a whole lot pregnant. Leave it to her one-time high school sweetheart, cattle rancher Jubal McFarland, to point out that citified Ellie is as out of place in small-town Texas as her teacup poodle. So why is there something about being back-and being with Jubal-that feels surprisingly right? Jubal's eight-year-old daughter, Gracie, needs a mother, but he hasn't found the perfect woman. Or maybe the problem is that he did find her, and had his heart broken when she left town. Gracie's already falling hard for Ellie and that ball of fluff she calls a dog. And no matter how hard the rugged cowboy tries to resist, there's no denying the appeal of first love and sweet new beginnings-especially when there's a little Christmas magic in the air. Author bio: 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 300 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. You can learn more about Janet Dailey and her books at JanetDailey.com.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

09/04/2017
When pregnant divorcée Ellie Marsden, the heroine in Dailey’s third Cowboy Christmas contemporary, returns to Branding Iron, Tex., her plan is to give birth surrounded by family and then hightail it to another big city as soon as she and her child are able. Widower Jubal McFarland, single father to eight-year-old Gracie, is busy trying to raise his daughter and save their ranch. He has no time to rekindle a romance with the woman who broke his heart 10 years ago. He wasn’t enough for her then and he doubts he’s enough for her now, no matter how much their bodies respond to their spontaneous kisses. The closer Gracie gets to Ellie and her dog, Beau, the more Jubal fears impending heartbreak, so he asks Ellie to keep her distance, something that becomes a struggle for all of them. With schemers, snowflakes, and Christmas magic working against them, they may find out the best gift is not under the tree. The connection between the lovers comes across as plot-driven rather than natural and the resolution is uninspiring, but a hint of mystery will engage readers. Agent: Richard Curtis, Richard Curtis Associates. (Oct.)

Kirkus Reviews

2017-08-06
Can a pregnant divorcée and a widowed cowboy let go of the past long enough to rekindle the flame of first love?When Ellie Marsden left Branding Iron, Texas, she didn't look back—not even at Jubal McFarland, whose heart she broke. Now that she's back, fate seems to keep throwing them together. On the night of their high school graduation, Jubal proposed to Ellie, asking her to return after she finished college. Eager to live a bigger life than their small town allowed, she turned him down. Later, she quit law school to marry Brent, who abused her and cheated on her with one of his legal clients. Pregnant and divorced, Ellie returns to her mother's house in her hometown with her tail tucked between her legs. Jubal has his own complications. A car accident left him a widower with an 8-year-old daughter, and an unpaid loan of his father's left the land he grew up on the property of a mysterious outfit called Shumway and Sons Property Management. In spite of all their baggage, Jubal comes to Ellie's rescue when her car is hit by a falling tree branch. Ellie helps Jubal research the mysterious property company that might have cheated his father out of the farm. Predictably, the two grow closer, and Ellie's baby, her lap dog, and a Christmas miracle all contribute to a sweet if formulaic happy-ever-after. While watching the love between Jubal and Ellie unfold is the main event, Jubal's precocious daughter, Gracie, and Ellie's teacup poodle almost steal the show.A good pick for some wholesome family-oriented romance.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170843374
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	09/15/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged

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