Just a Little Christmas

September 4, 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.

August 15, 2017
Can a pregnant divorcee 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.

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