Saturday, October 14, 2017

Merry Cowboy Christmas - Carolyn Brown (Forever - Sept 2016)

Series: Lucky Penny Ranch (Book 3)

THIS CHRISTMAS, SANTA'S WEARING A STETSON
Tis the night before Christmas and all through the house is the presence of one wickedly hot cowboy who's come to stay for the holiday. Fiona Logan is downright shocked to return to her childhood home and find that the tall blond stranger who came to her rescue on an icy road will be sleeping just across the hall from her bedroom. Talk about temptation . . .

Jud Dawson never believed the Lucky Penny Ranch would live up to its name until now. Fiona is gorgeous, smart, funny, and everything he thought he'd never find. Now all he has to do is convince her to stick around town instead of hightailing it back to Houston. But with wild weather, nosy neighbors, and a new baby in the family, getting her to admit that she's falling in love might just take a Christmas miracle.

Good book. The third in the series, this one is about Jud Dawson, cousin to Blake and Toby, and co-owner of the Lucky Penny Ranch. He is the last to move to the ranch as he had a previous job commitment to finish. He's looking forward to putting down roots and building a place for future generations of Dawsons. All he needs now is to find the right woman to have everything he wants. I really liked Jud. He's easygoing, sweet, and hardworking. I loved the way that he could see the fun in almost any situation.

Fiona is the third of the Logan sisters and the one who flew the nest the furthest. Now she is back in Dry Creek, but not entirely by her choice. She isn't looking forward to telling her family about her failed marriage and the loss of her career but after a year of barely making ends meet she is at the end of her rope. She has come home to regroup and reconnect with her family before looking for another job in a city. She is smart, sassy, and has a bit of that red-headed temper going for her.

I loved the development of their relationship. From the moment he and Fiona met, Jud was pretty much a goner. But instead of a full frontal assault, Jud takes things slowly. I loved seeing them develop a good friendship first. From late night talks over leftovers or cookies and milk to conspiring to rehabilitate the grouchy couple who created such trouble in the previous books, Jud and Fiona slowly get to know each other. I loved the way that Jud really understood Fiona. She has never felt like she really fit in her family or the town, but came to realize that the city wasn't right for her. With a little bit of experience under her belt, she discovers that home is much more important to her than she had thought. I loved watching her settle into life in Dry Creek. The relationship between Fiona and Jud also began to heat up, and both realized that there was something deeper growing between them. But when Fiona is offered the chance to go back to the city, she has a decision to make. Give up her new life in Dry Creek and fly away, or put down those roots she hadn't realized she wanted? I loved Jud's support of whatever decision she made and how it helped her see the truth. I loved the ending and how everything came together for them.

I loved seeing more of the previous couples and the scenes with baby Audrey were adorable. There was an interesting minor thread dealing with Jud's plans to look for oil on the Lucky Penny and the possible involvement of his sister Josie. It made a nice lead into the next book. But the most unexpected and fun was the big part that Truman and Dora June O'Dell played. The two of them had caused a lot of trouble in the previous books with their negative attitudes. In this book, their house burned down, and Fiona's mother invited Truman and Dora June to stay with them. The young people are horrified but obey Katy's "love your neighbor" directive. It doesn't take too long for them to see a different side to Dora June and I loved seeing her quickly make a place for herself. Truman was a harder nut to crack. It was hilarious to see Jud take him on as a project, and his methods were ingenious. The Santa Claus thing was a riot. Truman's Christmas gift to Dora June showed just how much he'd changed.

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