A Lawman's Christmas by Linda Lael Miller is one of her McKettricks of Texas books.

Clay McKettrick wants to make his own path in life, away from his large family, so he heads to Blue River, Texas, and takes a job as the new marshal until spring, when he can start work on his new ranch. But Clay's arrival worries Dara Nolan, the widow of the old marshal, since Dara and her two girls are supposed to move out of the house that is reserved for the marshal's use when Clay comes to town. But Clay can see that Dara has nowhere to go, so he offers to let her and her girls stay in the house while he bunks over in the jail. Dara doesn't really want to like Clay, but she can't help but see how kind and good he is to her girls -- and her too ...

I love westerns, and I've read many of Miller's other books. This is a charming holiday story about two people doing the best they can given their circumstances and falling in love along the way. It's set in the early 1900s, and it had a nice historical western feel to it. It was interesting to see how folks celebrated Christmas back then. Plus, Clay and Dara are both likable characters, and given how bad the economy is, I think a lot of folks today can relate to Dara's struggles to feed her girls and put a roof over their heads.

My only quibbles would be that there's a subplot with Dara that doesn't really go anywhere and that everyone seems a little too good at the end, especially when it comes to one of Dara's girls and what she gives up. Also, note that this is a fairly short book -- only about 250 pages.

Overall, this is an entertaining holiday story. If you're looking for a quick Christmas read, check this one out.