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Christmas at the Ranch
Filled with Christmas cheer, and the magic that can only be found in Jackson Hole, Wyoming under the shadow of the Tetons, Anita Hughes's Christmas at the Ranch is a love story that is sure to enchant, and warm your heart like a cup of hot apple cider.
It’s days before Christmas and Samantha Morgan is in her Brooklyn apartment when her editor, Charlie, shows up. Her publisher Arthur Wentworth is throwing a Christmas party and wants Samantha to be the guest of honor. Samantha tries to come up with an excuse to miss it. She writes a series of books featuring a female James Bond-type heroine named Sloane Parker and Charlie is the only person who knows that Samantha is the opposite of Sloane, though the marketing team has built up an entire social media presence for her claiming that she is just as adventurous. In reality, Samantha rarely leaves her neighborhood and does her research online. She is afraid of almost everything and is only happy when she’s sitting in her apartment and writing.
Samantha reluctantly agrees to go. But instead of taking her to Arthur’s house in Connecticut, the driver goes to the airport. On the phone, Charlie admits that the party is at Arthur’s new ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. For a person who hates even walking around the block when it snows, this is her worst nightmare.
But when a handsome stranger sits next to her on the plane, things begin to look up. She feels comfortable enough to spill all her secrets to him, including all of her fears and the truth about her fake Instagram account. However, when she shows up at the house, it turns out that this man, Drew, is Arthur’s son. Now Samantha is worried that Drew will tell his father about her lies.
Over the course of Christmas week, Samantha grows closer to Drew. But when his fiancée, Beatrix (who recently gave him an ultimatum about settling down), shows up, things get more complicated. As Samantha’s fears of bison and giant icicles subside, and her feelings for Drew grow deeper, new fears develop…
Will she leave this Christmas adventure broken-hearted? Or will true love prevail?
It’s days before Christmas and Samantha Morgan is in her Brooklyn apartment when her editor, Charlie, shows up. Her publisher Arthur Wentworth is throwing a Christmas party and wants Samantha to be the guest of honor. Samantha tries to come up with an excuse to miss it. She writes a series of books featuring a female James Bond-type heroine named Sloane Parker and Charlie is the only person who knows that Samantha is the opposite of Sloane, though the marketing team has built up an entire social media presence for her claiming that she is just as adventurous. In reality, Samantha rarely leaves her neighborhood and does her research online. She is afraid of almost everything and is only happy when she’s sitting in her apartment and writing.
Samantha reluctantly agrees to go. But instead of taking her to Arthur’s house in Connecticut, the driver goes to the airport. On the phone, Charlie admits that the party is at Arthur’s new ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. For a person who hates even walking around the block when it snows, this is her worst nightmare.
But when a handsome stranger sits next to her on the plane, things begin to look up. She feels comfortable enough to spill all her secrets to him, including all of her fears and the truth about her fake Instagram account. However, when she shows up at the house, it turns out that this man, Drew, is Arthur’s son. Now Samantha is worried that Drew will tell his father about her lies.
Over the course of Christmas week, Samantha grows closer to Drew. But when his fiancée, Beatrix (who recently gave him an ultimatum about settling down), shows up, things get more complicated. As Samantha’s fears of bison and giant icicles subside, and her feelings for Drew grow deeper, new fears develop…
Will she leave this Christmas adventure broken-hearted? Or will true love prevail?
304 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2022
43 people are currently reading
6164 people want to read
About the author
Anita Hughes
26 books1,027 followersAnita Hughes was born in Sydney, Australia. She attended UC Berkeley's Masters in Creative Writing program. She is the author of MONARCH BEACH, MARKET STREET, LAKE COMO, FRENCH COAST, ROME IN LOVE, ISLAND IN THE SEA, SANTORINI SUNSETS, CHRISTMAS IN PARIS, WHITE SAND, BLUE SEA, EMERALD COAST, CHRISTMAS IN LONDON and CALIFORNIA SUMMER, and CHRISTMAS IN VERMONT published by St. Martin's Press. ROME IN LOVE is coming to the HALLMARK channel in July, 2019!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
October 8, 2022
Christmas as the Ranch by Anita Hughes
Samantha writes a female agent series but prefers a solitary life. Her agent convinces her that she needs to attend the invite only Christmas party in Jackson Hole, WY. Skiing, ATV’s and adventures are not her choice, but she finds the fortitude. Meeting Dean helps bring out her best but once she realizes he is engaged, she backs off their friendship.
Reading Sam come into her own strength makes this novel powerful and inspiring. It’s a slow burn romance due to the situation but you are rooting for her (and the competition!) the whole time. Sam becomes empowered and it’s wonderful.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley , then did a second read via my library’s hoopla audiobook.
Samantha writes a female agent series but prefers a solitary life. Her agent convinces her that she needs to attend the invite only Christmas party in Jackson Hole, WY. Skiing, ATV’s and adventures are not her choice, but she finds the fortitude. Meeting Dean helps bring out her best but once she realizes he is engaged, she backs off their friendship.
Reading Sam come into her own strength makes this novel powerful and inspiring. It’s a slow burn romance due to the situation but you are rooting for her (and the competition!) the whole time. Sam becomes empowered and it’s wonderful.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley , then did a second read via my library’s hoopla audiobook.
September 14, 2022
Rating: Didn't Like at all, 1 star
This book was not what I was hoping. I was hoping for a Hallmark movie in a book, and while the plot and setting was certainly that of a Hallmark movie, the writing, characters, vibes, and basically everything else did not live up to my expectations.
Christmas at the Ranch follows Samantha, the author of a successful spy/adventure type series in which her heroine is BA and basically a female James Bond. However, Samantha has a lot of anxiety and pretty much never leaves her apartment in New York. When the head of her publishing house invites her to his annual Christmas retreat, her editor (and friend) convinces her to give it a try. However, she is unaware that it is in Wyoming and will require flying. She bonds with the kind man seated next to her, Drew, and it turns out that he is her boss's son, and naturally, Samantha begins to lose her fears of everything and romance ensues from there.
There were a lot of things that I didn't love in this book. There is a LOT of telling. It felt like constant info dumping left and right in order to tell us everything that was happening. The dialogue felt stilted and very cheesy. Everything just sort of felt like it was meant to be a movie script, so there wasn't a whole lot of emotion or feeling behind anything.
There are a ton of moments where Samantha either recalls or plots out new scenes of her books, and these felt even cheesier than the book itself. They were so long, and I eventually just started skipping to the end because they were silly and didn't actually contribute anything to the story itself other than length.
I also didn't believe in the romance between Samantha or Drew either. This is partly because Drew is engaged for 90% of the book, and partly because it just didn't feel like there was any emotion behind it. Everything felt very removed and matter-of-fact. Even the third act conflict was super rushed and didn't feel like anyone was actually upset about anything.
Then there was this weird side plot with a character named Marigold that made me super uncomfortable. Marigold is a white woman who has lived in Jackson Hole most of her life and takes on the role of a wise mentor to Samantha. The part that makes this feel super weird is that Marigold is constantly sharing the wisdom, fables, traditions, etc. that she has learned from her Native American friends. The first one or even two times, I was willing to let it go, but it just felt very appropriative to me, and I wasn't a fan of the way that it was incorporated. There are some typos in this book and more than once this leads Marigold to refer to her friends as "my Native Americans," which I recognize is probably a mistake in the editing side of things, but it just made me feel even more uncomfortable with it all. It was weird, and totally not necessary to include, especially because it felt like it was a misguided stab at making the cast of white, straight people seem more diverse.
Overall, I had a lot of issues with this book and am not 100% sure why I finished it.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Christmas at the Ranch releases on September 27, 2022.
This book was not what I was hoping. I was hoping for a Hallmark movie in a book, and while the plot and setting was certainly that of a Hallmark movie, the writing, characters, vibes, and basically everything else did not live up to my expectations.
Christmas at the Ranch follows Samantha, the author of a successful spy/adventure type series in which her heroine is BA and basically a female James Bond. However, Samantha has a lot of anxiety and pretty much never leaves her apartment in New York. When the head of her publishing house invites her to his annual Christmas retreat, her editor (and friend) convinces her to give it a try. However, she is unaware that it is in Wyoming and will require flying. She bonds with the kind man seated next to her, Drew, and it turns out that he is her boss's son, and naturally, Samantha begins to lose her fears of everything and romance ensues from there.
There were a lot of things that I didn't love in this book. There is a LOT of telling. It felt like constant info dumping left and right in order to tell us everything that was happening. The dialogue felt stilted and very cheesy. Everything just sort of felt like it was meant to be a movie script, so there wasn't a whole lot of emotion or feeling behind anything.
There are a ton of moments where Samantha either recalls or plots out new scenes of her books, and these felt even cheesier than the book itself. They were so long, and I eventually just started skipping to the end because they were silly and didn't actually contribute anything to the story itself other than length.
I also didn't believe in the romance between Samantha or Drew either. This is partly because Drew is engaged for 90% of the book, and partly because it just didn't feel like there was any emotion behind it. Everything felt very removed and matter-of-fact. Even the third act conflict was super rushed and didn't feel like anyone was actually upset about anything.
Then there was this weird side plot with a character named Marigold that made me super uncomfortable. Marigold is a white woman who has lived in Jackson Hole most of her life and takes on the role of a wise mentor to Samantha. The part that makes this feel super weird is that Marigold is constantly sharing the wisdom, fables, traditions, etc. that she has learned from her Native American friends. The first one or even two times, I was willing to let it go, but it just felt very appropriative to me, and I wasn't a fan of the way that it was incorporated. There are some typos in this book and more than once this leads Marigold to refer to her friends as "my Native Americans," which I recognize is probably a mistake in the editing side of things, but it just made me feel even more uncomfortable with it all. It was weird, and totally not necessary to include, especially because it felt like it was a misguided stab at making the cast of white, straight people seem more diverse.
Overall, I had a lot of issues with this book and am not 100% sure why I finished it.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Christmas at the Ranch releases on September 27, 2022.
December 21, 2022
In Christmas at the Ranch, Samantha, a female spy series author, finds herself reluctantly agreeing to join Arthur Wentworth at his home for a holiday get together during the week of Christmas through New Years. Arthur leads the publishing company that produces Samantha’s books and her agent, Charlie, advised her presence will be beneficial for both of their careers.
Samantha is a worrier and ends up sharing secrets with her seatmate on the flight to Arthur’s ranch in Jackson Hole, WY. When she arrives, she’s surprised to find out her seatmate is Drew, Arthur’s son, and he is staying for the week too. Samantha has to balance her existing fears with the secrets she shared, and can’t help but wonder why she feels so comfortable with Drew, who is struggling with his own challenges.
While I recognized Samantha’s career as a writer was very important to her, I can’t say I enjoyed the frequent diversions in the story to Sloane Parker, the main character in her own spy series. I did enjoy the small town and winter festivities of Christmas at the Ranch, set during the holidays.
Samantha is a worrier and ends up sharing secrets with her seatmate on the flight to Arthur’s ranch in Jackson Hole, WY. When she arrives, she’s surprised to find out her seatmate is Drew, Arthur’s son, and he is staying for the week too. Samantha has to balance her existing fears with the secrets she shared, and can’t help but wonder why she feels so comfortable with Drew, who is struggling with his own challenges.
While I recognized Samantha’s career as a writer was very important to her, I can’t say I enjoyed the frequent diversions in the story to Sloane Parker, the main character in her own spy series. I did enjoy the small town and winter festivities of Christmas at the Ranch, set during the holidays.
January 11, 2023
Christmas at the Ranch was not an easy book for me to get through. I found myself feeling the complete opposite of eager to pick up where I left off. There was no suspense, and the characters relationships didn’t seem realistic to me.
Throughout the book the way Samantha and Drew met was reflected on with such romance… but wait, he thought you were crazy Samantha, remember? He didn’t just open up and tell you a story so sweetly as you both recall, he said he didn’t know you and it was clear he was uncomfortable. So much so, you had to BEG him multiple times before he gave in because you wouldn’t stop.
I can’t understand how he fell in love with her, her character is so negative I found myself feeling annoyed through most of the book. Why become a writer when you’re too entitled to show appreciation for invitations others only dream about?
This is not a book I would read again. I can see how it can appeal to a certain audience, but I am not one of them.
Oh Samantha, you home-wrecker.
I’ll be selling this book as used on my online store. It’s in great condition. Please visit my profile if you’re interested.
Throughout the book the way Samantha and Drew met was reflected on with such romance… but wait, he thought you were crazy Samantha, remember? He didn’t just open up and tell you a story so sweetly as you both recall, he said he didn’t know you and it was clear he was uncomfortable. So much so, you had to BEG him multiple times before he gave in because you wouldn’t stop.
I can’t understand how he fell in love with her, her character is so negative I found myself feeling annoyed through most of the book. Why become a writer when you’re too entitled to show appreciation for invitations others only dream about?
This is not a book I would read again. I can see how it can appeal to a certain audience, but I am not one of them.
Oh Samantha, you home-wrecker.
I’ll be selling this book as used on my online store. It’s in great condition. Please visit my profile if you’re interested.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 18, 2022Unfortunately I had to DNF this one at 50%.
Usually I enjoy a story within a story plot line but this one seems to really fracture the flow and I found it really hard to like the heroine who had an extremely irrational fear of everything.
It is a quick and easy read though so hopefully some will enjoy it.
Usually I enjoy a story within a story plot line but this one seems to really fracture the flow and I found it really hard to like the heroine who had an extremely irrational fear of everything.
It is a quick and easy read though so hopefully some will enjoy it.
October 5, 2022
You can see me rant some of my thoughts here
https://www.tiktok.com/@breeunabashed...
I don’t know why I continue to return to Anita Hughes. The 3 books I’ve read by her up to this point just haven’t worked. If I’m remembering correctly this is the 2nd book by her where one of the love interests in already in an established relationship when the meet cute happens and as feelings begin to bloom. In this one, Drew’s (our hero) fiancé is a good person. I liked Beatrice. It’s mentioned that she may be aware of his blooming feelings for Samantha (the heroine) but there is just so much going on, we never really get clarification on that. Anyway-their relationship ends literally around the 80% mark and we’re just supposed to take the scraps that we’ve been given from the scenes with Samantha and Drew and walk away from this book believing they would last! Drew travels all over the world, does amazing things while Samantha prefers staying in her apartment with her dog because she’s super anxious about everything…we’re supposed to magically believe she’s all of a sudden okay with doing all the things that would go along with a relationship with Drew?
I feel like Anita’s attempt to be inclusive and have some sort of diversity in the book is through one character who has gained so much wisdom from the local Native Americans-but they are Never on the page. So it’s like here you go girl-I’ll put them in through word of mouth but I’m not giving them any page time. Oh and I’ll throw in an arrow head necklace for GP. Dud. Total dud.
https://www.tiktok.com/@breeunabashed...
I don’t know why I continue to return to Anita Hughes. The 3 books I’ve read by her up to this point just haven’t worked. If I’m remembering correctly this is the 2nd book by her where one of the love interests in already in an established relationship when the meet cute happens and as feelings begin to bloom. In this one, Drew’s (our hero) fiancé is a good person. I liked Beatrice. It’s mentioned that she may be aware of his blooming feelings for Samantha (the heroine) but there is just so much going on, we never really get clarification on that. Anyway-their relationship ends literally around the 80% mark and we’re just supposed to take the scraps that we’ve been given from the scenes with Samantha and Drew and walk away from this book believing they would last! Drew travels all over the world, does amazing things while Samantha prefers staying in her apartment with her dog because she’s super anxious about everything…we’re supposed to magically believe she’s all of a sudden okay with doing all the things that would go along with a relationship with Drew?
I feel like Anita’s attempt to be inclusive and have some sort of diversity in the book is through one character who has gained so much wisdom from the local Native Americans-but they are Never on the page. So it’s like here you go girl-I’ll put them in through word of mouth but I’m not giving them any page time. Oh and I’ll throw in an arrow head necklace for GP. Dud. Total dud.
September 21, 2022
1.5⭐️
Did not love this book at all. The premise of the story barely makes sense, I was expecting Hallmark vibes but this novel did not even live up to that.
The main character, Samantha, is afraid of and complains about everything. She explains that she accumulated all of her fears after her boyfriend left her a few years ago? I'm not even sure how that happens. She receives the opportunity to go to an esteemed week-long party, in a beautiful location with lots of activities, and doesn't want to do any of them. If these were genuine phobias or anxiety I would be understanding, but of course by the end of the (week-long) novel, she has overcome these fears.
Marigold was another character I had a problem with. She is an older white woman that is constantly referencing stories and lessons she learned from "her Native American friends". At first I thought it was cute to mention, but after it happened in every conversation with the main character, it started feeling off. It was as if there was a token character? that was not even the minority she was 'representing'.
The conversations Samantha had with her mother were also extremely repetitive, and the most annoying character had to be Sloane Parker. Sloane is a character in Samantha's novels, that Samantha somehow needs to act like. I have never heard of a case of an author needing to act as if they are the same as their characters for a marketing strategy! Besides this, there are random paragraphs of fight scenes and escape scenes and Sloane solving mysteries, in the middle of the novel. Very unnecessary to say the least.
Another strangely written piece was the diary journal entries that Samantha finds and begins reading. While I did enjoy reading about the person's story, I still had a problem with it. I don't think anyone writes journal entries with dialogue in it and conversations as they happened verbatim.
We also have Drew, and the concept that this was a romance novel. Nothing convinced me that these two were good for each other or should be falling in love, besides from the fact that they listened to each other talk, and I guess were a better option than their exes. ALSO, Drew was engaged for a majority of the book? I just was not rooting for them in any sense and did not care as to whether they ended up together or not.
Along these lines, we had a final conflict that was both dumb and extremely rushed. There was no point to it being included and it enforced my belief that this book was even worse than a Hallmark movie.
Finally, I give this book an extra half-star due to the imagery and scenery. If this book did anything for me, it convinced me that I should go to a ranch in Jackson Hole in the winter time or for Christmas.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!
Did not love this book at all. The premise of the story barely makes sense, I was expecting Hallmark vibes but this novel did not even live up to that.
The main character, Samantha, is afraid of and complains about everything. She explains that she accumulated all of her fears after her boyfriend left her a few years ago? I'm not even sure how that happens. She receives the opportunity to go to an esteemed week-long party, in a beautiful location with lots of activities, and doesn't want to do any of them. If these were genuine phobias or anxiety I would be understanding, but of course by the end of the (week-long) novel, she has overcome these fears.
Marigold was another character I had a problem with. She is an older white woman that is constantly referencing stories and lessons she learned from "her Native American friends". At first I thought it was cute to mention, but after it happened in every conversation with the main character, it started feeling off. It was as if there was a token character? that was not even the minority she was 'representing'.
The conversations Samantha had with her mother were also extremely repetitive, and the most annoying character had to be Sloane Parker. Sloane is a character in Samantha's novels, that Samantha somehow needs to act like. I have never heard of a case of an author needing to act as if they are the same as their characters for a marketing strategy! Besides this, there are random paragraphs of fight scenes and escape scenes and Sloane solving mysteries, in the middle of the novel. Very unnecessary to say the least.
Another strangely written piece was the diary journal entries that Samantha finds and begins reading. While I did enjoy reading about the person's story, I still had a problem with it. I don't think anyone writes journal entries with dialogue in it and conversations as they happened verbatim.
We also have Drew, and the concept that this was a romance novel. Nothing convinced me that these two were good for each other or should be falling in love, besides from the fact that they listened to each other talk, and I guess were a better option than their exes. ALSO, Drew was engaged for a majority of the book? I just was not rooting for them in any sense and did not care as to whether they ended up together or not.
Along these lines, we had a final conflict that was both dumb and extremely rushed. There was no point to it being included and it enforced my belief that this book was even worse than a Hallmark movie.
Finally, I give this book an extra half-star due to the imagery and scenery. If this book did anything for me, it convinced me that I should go to a ranch in Jackson Hole in the winter time or for Christmas.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!
May 27, 2022
27 May 2022
3.5 stars!
Okay, so 2.5 months, that's not bad, right? 🤦♀️
So, I should preface that I'm not a big fan of Hallmark, but I can enjoy a good romance novel if it's more than just romance. Now, I didn't know that the author Anita Hughes has written for Hallmark until after I finished Christmas at the Ranch. And I'm quite happy to say that CATR did not read like a gag–inducing Hallmark movie. Now, it was still a bit corny and cheesy, but it was still cute. That's not to say that it didn't follow the trend of a typical Hallmark movie, because it did, but it was still cute.
I can definitely say that I liked CATR, but I can't say that I loved it.
Maybe it's just me, but I feel like romances aren't as strong on the world building front.
That being said, I really liked how AH described the quaint, little town that is Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It just gave off small town Christmas vibes, and I really liked it. I don't think I really have that much to say on Jackson Hole, but I definitely enjoyed the Christmas vibes.
So, there's basically the MC, her love interest, and a couple other side characters. Some of them I liked; others, not so much. The side characters aren't significant enough to mention, especially because I don't feel strongly about any of them.
Overall, though, I feel like every character could have used some more (or different) characterization.
~Samantha~
Okay, so Samantha is a writer and a hypochondriac. She reminds me of Sophie from One Charmed Christmas by Sheila Roberts, but perhaps worse. Sophie was a bit annoying, but Samantha was more than a bit annoying. Like, I get that some people are hypochondriacs, but I'm not a major fan of reading about them; I'm just not a major fan of whiny MCs. Sorry.
Anyways, she's rather whiny, and she grated on my nerves.
I can't remember that much more, as Samantha wasn't entirely memorable and it's been awhile since I read CATR. :\
~Sloane~
I could stand Samantha; I absolutely hated Sloane. Sloane was the fictional character from Samantha's books. She was mentioned so much, and all I got was that Sloane would solve the mystery, sleep with some random guy that she "fell in love with," and then leave. I don't need this mentioned to me every single time she's mentioned! I don't. It's repetitive, and it's annoying.
~Drew~
I didn't mind Drew. He was perhaps the most normal person in the entire book. Still, he could have used some more characterization.
This is a romance novel, and the whole plot revolves around Drew and Samantha. However, the little trips the whole group went on around were very interesting to read. But what was most interesting to me was the "mystery" of Drew's mother. Don't get me wrong; the romance was rather good — a bit of an instalove, but c'mon, this is essentially Hallmark — but I cared way more about the non–romantic subplots.
This is a romance, so the most important relationship is obviously Samantha and Drew's relationship. Still, Samantha's relationship with her editor and friend Charlie (and his wife) is really sweet. The other relationships throughout were nice too.
~Samantha & Drew~
Samantha and Drew's relationship was as believable as any Hallmark movie relationship. Also, they "fall in love" in under a week. And maybe I'm a cynic, but that seems a little hard to believe.
Believability aside, their relationship was really cute. I thought they brought out the best in each other.
I think, in terms of prose and pacing, both were quite good. I think that AH has a good writing style and that her writing flows off of the page nicely. Pacing was also good, and nothing really dragged.
Of course, it's time to talk spoilers, so if you haven't read CATR yet, skip this section.
Overall, I rather liked CATR, but it wasn't my favorite romance, let alone book, ever. And, after writing this review, I've decided to round down instead of up. Also, I know my review is rather harsh, but I'm also very, very picky when it comes to romances. So, if you're someone who likes Hallmark movies and/or cute, fluffy, and light romances, CATR is more likely going to be more up your alley. And, one last thing, as someone who recently joined the 1D fandom, I found the reference to Harry Styles quite funny.
3.5 stars!
~~~~~
Major thanks to St. Martin's Press for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review
#ChristmasAtTheRanch #Netgalley
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17 March 2022
3.5 stars!
I'm honestly quite torn on how to review this. I definitely need to think about it a bit more, but for now, I'm going to go with 3.5 stars.
RTC!
Major thanks to St. Martin's Press for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review
#ChristmasAtTheRanch #Netgalley
--------------------------------------------------
24 February 2022
*To Read*
I was provided a free eARC from Netgalley on behalf of St. Martin's Press, in exchange for an honest review
#ChristmasAtTheRanch #Netgalley
~~~~~
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Happy Reading!
3.5 stars!
Okay, so 2.5 months, that's not bad, right? 🤦♀️
So, I should preface that I'm not a big fan of Hallmark, but I can enjoy a good romance novel if it's more than just romance. Now, I didn't know that the author Anita Hughes has written for Hallmark until after I finished Christmas at the Ranch. And I'm quite happy to say that CATR did not read like a gag–inducing Hallmark movie. Now, it was still a bit corny and cheesy, but it was still cute. That's not to say that it didn't follow the trend of a typical Hallmark movie, because it did, but it was still cute.
I can definitely say that I liked CATR, but I can't say that I loved it.
World Building ~ 8/10
Maybe it's just me, but I feel like romances aren't as strong on the world building front.
That being said, I really liked how AH described the quaint, little town that is Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It just gave off small town Christmas vibes, and I really liked it. I don't think I really have that much to say on Jackson Hole, but I definitely enjoyed the Christmas vibes.
Characters ~ 6.5/10
So, there's basically the MC, her love interest, and a couple other side characters. Some of them I liked; others, not so much. The side characters aren't significant enough to mention, especially because I don't feel strongly about any of them.
Overall, though, I feel like every character could have used some more (or different) characterization.
~Samantha~
Okay, so Samantha is a writer and a hypochondriac. She reminds me of Sophie from One Charmed Christmas by Sheila Roberts, but perhaps worse. Sophie was a bit annoying, but Samantha was more than a bit annoying. Like, I get that some people are hypochondriacs, but I'm not a major fan of reading about them; I'm just not a major fan of whiny MCs. Sorry.
Anyways, she's rather whiny, and she grated on my nerves.
I can't remember that much more, as Samantha wasn't entirely memorable and it's been awhile since I read CATR. :\
~Sloane~
I could stand Samantha; I absolutely hated Sloane. Sloane was the fictional character from Samantha's books. She was mentioned so much, and all I got was that Sloane would solve the mystery, sleep with some random guy that she "fell in love with," and then leave. I don't need this mentioned to me every single time she's mentioned! I don't. It's repetitive, and it's annoying.
~Drew~
I didn't mind Drew. He was perhaps the most normal person in the entire book. Still, he could have used some more characterization.
Plot ~ 7/10
This is a romance novel, and the whole plot revolves around Drew and Samantha. However, the little trips the whole group went on around were very interesting to read. But what was most interesting to me was the "mystery" of Drew's mother. Don't get me wrong; the romance was rather good — a bit of an instalove, but c'mon, this is essentially Hallmark — but I cared way more about the non–romantic subplots.
Relationships ~ 8/10
This is a romance, so the most important relationship is obviously Samantha and Drew's relationship. Still, Samantha's relationship with her editor and friend Charlie (and his wife) is really sweet. The other relationships throughout were nice too.
~Samantha & Drew~
Samantha and Drew's relationship was as believable as any Hallmark movie relationship. Also, they "fall in love" in under a week. And maybe I'm a cynic, but that seems a little hard to believe.
Believability aside, their relationship was really cute. I thought they brought out the best in each other.
Prose & Pacing ~ 8/10
I think, in terms of prose and pacing, both were quite good. I think that AH has a good writing style and that her writing flows off of the page nicely. Pacing was also good, and nothing really dragged.
Spoiler Section ~ not rated
Of course, it's time to talk spoilers, so if you haven't read CATR yet, skip this section.
Overall
Overall, I rather liked CATR, but it wasn't my favorite romance, let alone book, ever. And, after writing this review, I've decided to round down instead of up. Also, I know my review is rather harsh, but I'm also very, very picky when it comes to romances. So, if you're someone who likes Hallmark movies and/or cute, fluffy, and light romances, CATR is more likely going to be more up your alley. And, one last thing, as someone who recently joined the 1D fandom, I found the reference to Harry Styles quite funny.
3.5 stars!
~~~~~
Major thanks to St. Martin's Press for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review
#ChristmasAtTheRanch #Netgalley
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17 March 2022
3.5 stars!
I'm honestly quite torn on how to review this. I definitely need to think about it a bit more, but for now, I'm going to go with 3.5 stars.
RTC!
Major thanks to St. Martin's Press for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review
#ChristmasAtTheRanch #Netgalley
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24 February 2022
*To Read*
I was provided a free eARC from Netgalley on behalf of St. Martin's Press, in exchange for an honest review
#ChristmasAtTheRanch #Netgalley
~~~~~
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September 29, 2022
Christmas at the Ranch
Author: Anita Hughes
St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin
Pub Date: 9/27/2022
Genre: Romance
Settle in for a week of Christmas adventure, surprises, and romance in the splendorous, snowy setting of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Samantha, the main character in this pleasing book, is the opposite of her bold, brave heroine Sloane that she writes about as an author in Brooklyn. When her publisher, Arthur, sends her as guest of honor to his ranch for a Christmas party, Samantha is way out of her comfort zone. Surrounded by the winter wonderland beauty of the Grand Tetons, she must either warm up to new experiences or remain frozen by her countless fears.
Samantha's action packed week at the ranch kept me entertained and captivated in the setting. Hughes includes not only Samantha's stories in this book, but also some plot lines and story ideas for the manuscript she is working on. I loved escaping to Jackson Hole, meeting the side characters and watching Samantha face her fears and grow. This is a comfortable, cozy read for those who love escaping reality with a holiday romance.
Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
Author: Anita Hughes
St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin
Pub Date: 9/27/2022
Genre: Romance
Settle in for a week of Christmas adventure, surprises, and romance in the splendorous, snowy setting of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Samantha, the main character in this pleasing book, is the opposite of her bold, brave heroine Sloane that she writes about as an author in Brooklyn. When her publisher, Arthur, sends her as guest of honor to his ranch for a Christmas party, Samantha is way out of her comfort zone. Surrounded by the winter wonderland beauty of the Grand Tetons, she must either warm up to new experiences or remain frozen by her countless fears.
Samantha's action packed week at the ranch kept me entertained and captivated in the setting. Hughes includes not only Samantha's stories in this book, but also some plot lines and story ideas for the manuscript she is working on. I loved escaping to Jackson Hole, meeting the side characters and watching Samantha face her fears and grow. This is a comfortable, cozy read for those who love escaping reality with a holiday romance.
Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
December 3, 2022
Samantha lives in New York with her dog Socks. She has a lot of phobias. She developed them after breaking up with her boyfriend Roger a few years prior and having a bad travel experience. She is an author and has created a beloved character named Sloane. Samantha makes/lets Sloane do all the adventures that she is afraid of. The only problem? The people managing her career kind of expect her to pretend that her own life is the inspiration for Sloane. So she takes many pictures for social media that misrepresent her life.
At Christmas time she is invited to stay at the big boss’ house for the holidays. He throws epic parties and it’s an honor that Samantha is the one he invited this year. But he doesn’t know that Samantha’s social media image is fake. So, he doesn’t realize how many ways he’s going to make Samantha uncomfortable during her stay. I’ll get back to that.
Samantha doesn’t know she’ll be flying and she’s afraid of flying. During the flight she pours her whole heart and her whole story out to her seat mate Drew.
When she gets to the boss’ ranch she finds out that Drew us his son. She asks Drew not to tell his dad anything that she told him on the flight. She might have been much better off if she had.
During her stay, Samantha is invited to lots of activities and she’s pretty much expected to join.
Watching the local wildlife. Riding an electronic bull. Any kind of crazy, borderline scary activity, and the family seems to have planned it during her stay.
Samantha keeps pushing herself to do everything because she’s afraid of the consequences if her boss finds out the truth.
I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t have wanted to do a fraction of the activities Samantha was subjected to. And I don’t think you can just force yourself to overcome fear repeatedly so you don’t get in trouble at work.
Samantha also feels herself becoming attached to Drew but Drew has a fiancée. And even if Drew were single, it’s hard to picture her fitting into his lifestyle easily.
The thing that did not work for me with this book is that there were many scenes written as upcoming/past Sloane books. Samantha starts picturing how she could write something for a new Sloane book and an entire page of this story is devoted to what will happen in the Sloane book.
Then Samantha will reminisce about something she wrote in another Sloane book and another full page of this story is devoted to Sloane.
It didn’t work for me. I started just skipping over the Sloane sections.
I did appreciate that the author made Drew’s fiancée nice. Sometimes authors write the fiancée as terrible and it comes off a bit much. In this book, even if you want Drew with Amanda you don’t have to hate Drew’s fiancée. I think that’s great.
I also really liked Amanda’s mom. I’ll be honest, I think her vacation sounded like a lot more fun! :)
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you!
At Christmas time she is invited to stay at the big boss’ house for the holidays. He throws epic parties and it’s an honor that Samantha is the one he invited this year. But he doesn’t know that Samantha’s social media image is fake. So, he doesn’t realize how many ways he’s going to make Samantha uncomfortable during her stay. I’ll get back to that.
Samantha doesn’t know she’ll be flying and she’s afraid of flying. During the flight she pours her whole heart and her whole story out to her seat mate Drew.
When she gets to the boss’ ranch she finds out that Drew us his son. She asks Drew not to tell his dad anything that she told him on the flight. She might have been much better off if she had.
During her stay, Samantha is invited to lots of activities and she’s pretty much expected to join.
Watching the local wildlife. Riding an electronic bull. Any kind of crazy, borderline scary activity, and the family seems to have planned it during her stay.
Samantha keeps pushing herself to do everything because she’s afraid of the consequences if her boss finds out the truth.
I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t have wanted to do a fraction of the activities Samantha was subjected to. And I don’t think you can just force yourself to overcome fear repeatedly so you don’t get in trouble at work.
Samantha also feels herself becoming attached to Drew but Drew has a fiancée. And even if Drew were single, it’s hard to picture her fitting into his lifestyle easily.
The thing that did not work for me with this book is that there were many scenes written as upcoming/past Sloane books. Samantha starts picturing how she could write something for a new Sloane book and an entire page of this story is devoted to what will happen in the Sloane book.
Then Samantha will reminisce about something she wrote in another Sloane book and another full page of this story is devoted to Sloane.
It didn’t work for me. I started just skipping over the Sloane sections.
I did appreciate that the author made Drew’s fiancée nice. Sometimes authors write the fiancée as terrible and it comes off a bit much. In this book, even if you want Drew with Amanda you don’t have to hate Drew’s fiancée. I think that’s great.
I also really liked Amanda’s mom. I’ll be honest, I think her vacation sounded like a lot more fun! :)
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you!
March 21, 2022
I was provided a free eARC from Netgalley on behalf of St. Martin's Press, in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 ⭐️
Christmas at the Ranch follows author Samantha Morgan on her holiday trip to Jackson Hole Wyoming. This is a big deal because although Samantha writes action-packed spy novels, she is terrified about nearly everything under the sun. This book is the epitome of a Christmas Hallmark movie - full of warm fuzzy feelings, cliches, and Christmas spirit - all of which I loved. However, a few things fell short for me.
1. I thought that the dialogue was a little too cheesy, to the point it was rather unrealistic. One character would ask a question and the other would launch into a multi-paragraph story.
2. Nearly everything was described via 'tell' and there was not enough show. Because of this, the characters fell flat for me and I wasn't really invested in the characters, therefore, I didn't feel the sizzle between the love interests.
3. The story bounces between Sam's storyline, her ideas for her spy books, and detailed stories from the past that perfectly relate to the given scene. Because of this, it felt a little busy, and I was getting lost in what was happening in the main plot.
That being said, if you are in the mood for a Christmas Hallmark movie, this book will deliver that. And, I am now very interested in visiting Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
2.5 ⭐️
Christmas at the Ranch follows author Samantha Morgan on her holiday trip to Jackson Hole Wyoming. This is a big deal because although Samantha writes action-packed spy novels, she is terrified about nearly everything under the sun. This book is the epitome of a Christmas Hallmark movie - full of warm fuzzy feelings, cliches, and Christmas spirit - all of which I loved. However, a few things fell short for me.
1. I thought that the dialogue was a little too cheesy, to the point it was rather unrealistic. One character would ask a question and the other would launch into a multi-paragraph story.
2. Nearly everything was described via 'tell' and there was not enough show. Because of this, the characters fell flat for me and I wasn't really invested in the characters, therefore, I didn't feel the sizzle between the love interests.
3. The story bounces between Sam's storyline, her ideas for her spy books, and detailed stories from the past that perfectly relate to the given scene. Because of this, it felt a little busy, and I was getting lost in what was happening in the main plot.
That being said, if you are in the mood for a Christmas Hallmark movie, this book will deliver that. And, I am now very interested in visiting Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
May 18, 2022
Saddle up for an adventurous read for both the protagonist and the characters she creates. Samantha writes thrilling reads yet is scared to venture outside her Brooklyn apartment. When an invitation is issued from the head of her publishing company, Samantha realizes it's a required RSVP.
Little does she know that instead of heading to Connecticut, she's traveling to Jackson Hole where her high-flying adventures will be put to its test. Will this last-minute gift unwrap her fears or set her spirit free?
Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of Christmas at the Ranch in exchange for an honest review. At first, I found Samantha to be annoying. Everything scared her and the only time she was brave was in her books.
As the story progresses, her complex and confusing relationship with Drew, secrets revealed in a hidden diary and escapades that she grudgingly joined made her a likeable character. As her confidence grew so did my interest in the novel.
"Life is an adventure, the best we can do is hang on and enjoy the ride.” (Christmas at the Ranch)
Little does she know that instead of heading to Connecticut, she's traveling to Jackson Hole where her high-flying adventures will be put to its test. Will this last-minute gift unwrap her fears or set her spirit free?
Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of Christmas at the Ranch in exchange for an honest review. At first, I found Samantha to be annoying. Everything scared her and the only time she was brave was in her books.
As the story progresses, her complex and confusing relationship with Drew, secrets revealed in a hidden diary and escapades that she grudgingly joined made her a likeable character. As her confidence grew so did my interest in the novel.
"Life is an adventure, the best we can do is hang on and enjoy the ride.” (Christmas at the Ranch)
March 19, 2022
Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s for this arc in exchange for a honest review! 3.25⭐️
“the only limits we have in life are the ones we put on oursleves”
samantha, girllllll, stay off the internet!!! I can’t blame her though, any small symptom I have and I’m automatically on WebMD trying to diagnose myself! I really liked Samantha’s character growth in this book as she tries new things and realizes just how brave she really can be.
This was such a cute christmas read! If you’re looking for a simple, predictable, but cozy read during the holidays then I would definitely recommend this one ☺️ This book will be available September 27, 2022!!
“the only limits we have in life are the ones we put on oursleves”
samantha, girllllll, stay off the internet!!! I can’t blame her though, any small symptom I have and I’m automatically on WebMD trying to diagnose myself! I really liked Samantha’s character growth in this book as she tries new things and realizes just how brave she really can be.
This was such a cute christmas read! If you’re looking for a simple, predictable, but cozy read during the holidays then I would definitely recommend this one ☺️ This book will be available September 27, 2022!!
September 23, 2022
A fun Christmas story about a writer who is pretty much scared to do anything. It doesn’t matter what it is….she is scared to do it, see it or be by it. Literally everything can put her in panic mode. Can she learn how to be brave and overcome her fears?
Quick read to start off the holiday reading…..would make a great Hallmark movie.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Quick read to start off the holiday reading…..would make a great Hallmark movie.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
December 30, 2022
2.5 stars
I should have known better. Prior to picking this book up, I questioned whether I should as I remembered reading a book written by Anita Hughes many years ago and did not enjoy her writing style. Unfortunately, that was the case again. The covers of her books are deceptively stunning and always make me want to pick them up.
I think my overall issue with this book is the author's writing style in general. The story has an interesting enough plot but the writing did not capture my attention enough to maintain my interest. As well, there was another storyline going on but again, I didn't find myself invested with the characters or the outcome.
I know I will no doubt be tempted to pick up more from Anita Hughes in the future because the covers are so beautiful but I'm hoping I will be able to talk myself out of picking her books up because I think each book will have a similar experience.
I should have known better. Prior to picking this book up, I questioned whether I should as I remembered reading a book written by Anita Hughes many years ago and did not enjoy her writing style. Unfortunately, that was the case again. The covers of her books are deceptively stunning and always make me want to pick them up.
I think my overall issue with this book is the author's writing style in general. The story has an interesting enough plot but the writing did not capture my attention enough to maintain my interest. As well, there was another storyline going on but again, I didn't find myself invested with the characters or the outcome.
I know I will no doubt be tempted to pick up more from Anita Hughes in the future because the covers are so beautiful but I'm hoping I will be able to talk myself out of picking her books up because I think each book will have a similar experience.
February 5, 2023
What I enjoyed most about this book was the atmosphere of Jackson Hole, Wyoming at Christmas time at the base of the Tetons. It is a place close to home and the mountains especially made me feel comforted yet homesick at the same time.
Samantha's fearful antics were amusing to read, particularly when she would rant about the worst case scenario.
I loved Drew's golden heart of philanthropy, and all the stories he told about his traveling and Samantha's Sloane Parker tales.
I really enjoyed the beginning but the book started to drag as it went on, with clunky info dumps about the setting, weird time jumps between the chapters, and a bit of a flimsy, empty plot. Also, I disliked Beatrix, despite how hard the book was trying to make me like her.
What really kept the book's rating from dropping below 4 stars was the absolutely gorgeous, captivating setting and the sweet, giving character of Drew.
Samantha's fearful antics were amusing to read, particularly when she would rant about the worst case scenario.
I loved Drew's golden heart of philanthropy, and all the stories he told about his traveling and Samantha's Sloane Parker tales.
I really enjoyed the beginning but the book started to drag as it went on, with clunky info dumps about the setting, weird time jumps between the chapters, and a bit of a flimsy, empty plot. Also, I disliked Beatrix, despite how hard the book was trying to make me like her.
What really kept the book's rating from dropping below 4 stars was the absolutely gorgeous, captivating setting and the sweet, giving character of Drew.
November 21, 2022
3.5 stars: Samantha Morgan is an author who has a variety of phobias. She is the opposite of Sloane, the brave, gutsy heroine in her series of books. She just wants to be left alone, but her last book was down in sales, so her agent is willing to do whatever it takes to get her next book published and make it another best seller. The owner of the publishing company she works for has an annual Christmas gathering at his ranch and Samantha has been invited as his guest of honour. Being afraid to fly will put a damper on getting there, but she knows she has no choice. Fortifying herself with alcohol, she gets on the plane ready to make the best of it. She meets a fellow passenger on the plane and they talk to each other and share stories in order to keep Samantha calm. Arriving at the ranch in the Grand Tetons, she is hoping to stay in her room, but Arthur will have nothing of that. When she meets his son, low and behold, it is Drew, the man from the plane. He convinces her to participate in many wintry activities and of course they eventually realize they care about one another and get their own Happily Ever After.
A lot of people did not like this book at all and it received a lot of low ratings and several DNFs. I enjoyed the story for the most part. Yes, it was predictable. Yes, it had some hard to believe plot lines (Samantha's phobias began when her boyfriend dumped her), but there was a lot of Christmas magic, growth and secrets revealed. The relationship between Samantha and Drew was up and down. They had feelings for one another, but Drew was engaged and his fiancée also showed up at the party. She and Samantha became friends, which was a bit odd, but it worked. Then there is a mysterious diary that was written by Drew's mother before she left him and his father, that gave clues to who she was. This was an interesting story that I listened to on a long drive and I enjoyed the narration by Melanie Carey. Was this a top Christmas story for me this year, no, but it was a good one that is clean and entertaining.
A lot of people did not like this book at all and it received a lot of low ratings and several DNFs. I enjoyed the story for the most part. Yes, it was predictable. Yes, it had some hard to believe plot lines (Samantha's phobias began when her boyfriend dumped her), but there was a lot of Christmas magic, growth and secrets revealed. The relationship between Samantha and Drew was up and down. They had feelings for one another, but Drew was engaged and his fiancée also showed up at the party. She and Samantha became friends, which was a bit odd, but it worked. Then there is a mysterious diary that was written by Drew's mother before she left him and his father, that gave clues to who she was. This was an interesting story that I listened to on a long drive and I enjoyed the narration by Melanie Carey. Was this a top Christmas story for me this year, no, but it was a good one that is clean and entertaining.
December 25, 2022
This one of the worst books I've ever read. The MC was fucking annoying. I would literally punch her in the face. All the characters were so shallow, literally no depth at all. It extremely repetitive plot wise. Also, the MC character kept referencing the books she writes which was super annoying.
1.5 Stars
1.5 Stars
December 17, 2023
Should be 0 stars. I wanted this so badly to be hallmark rom com bad but it’s just plain nonsense bad.
September 25, 2022
“You’re afraid of being afraid. (..) You’re braver than you think.”
Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Spicy Meter: N/A, it’s clean
Content Warnings: This is all about two emotionally cheating characters, I hated it all. Other than that, they also discuss abandonment and extreme poverty.
“Christmas at the Ranch” follows Samantha Morgan, a best-selling adventure/action author who’s faking to be as adventurous as her main character, as she is invited to attend her publisher’s monumental Christmas party. In the plane, she meets Drew Wentworth, the nicest guy amongst all other nice guys, only to find out that he is her publisher’s son, who is engaged to a gorgeous woman. But that gorgeous woman does not want the same things from life as Drew wants right now—so, is she the one for Drew? That’s for him to find out and for Samantha to stay out of, because it’s none of her business… right?
“Tomorrow she’d wake up and worry about the future. Right now, it felt like a Christmas miracle.”
A Christmas miracle??? Really? That you’re a homewrecker?? That you legit ripped apart an engaged couple? A Christmas miracle? Really?
Here’s the thing. This book was losing from the get-go. I hate the whole cheating or the falling-in-love-with-someone-while-in-a-relationship-with-someone-else trope. And this is exactly what this book was about. Yes, it’s set in a Winter wonderland, surround the holidays. But that doesn’t stop Samantha and Drew from being the douchiest of bouchebags. Technically there is no physical cheating, but the emotional cheating was there, alright?
In regards to the writing, this book is exceptional written and very entertaining. A bit slow-paced in the beginning, but then it picks up. The characters are interesting and lovable (if you ignore Samantha’s and Drew’s biggest flaw). Jackson Hole is a lovely town to set this book in. The bits of mystery woven into this story were great. The older characters and their advice were priceless.
I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a December or Winter-y read and don’t mind the cheating trope—which I do. Anita Hughes seems like an amazing author and I won’t shy away from some other of her books. It’s just this one wasn’t it for me.
ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Day: September 27th, 2022
“Native Americans have many legends about love. My Ojibwe friend taught me the story of a young girl named Dandelion. Her hair is the color of spun gold and she’s so lovely, the South Wind and East Wind both fall in love with her. The South Wind is too shy to reveal his intentions, but the East Wind is very confident. He loves to hear himself talk, so when he courts her, he blows parts of her away. After a while, her golden hair is gone, and all that remains is her heart. Dandelion stops being a girl and becomes a flower instead. There’s nothing more important than love when it’s nurturing, but love can also be the reverse. It can sap your energy and leave you with nothing.” (…)
“I never heard anything like that.” (…)
“It wouldn’t sell many Valentine’s cards but it’s a good lesson. You have to choose the kind of love that works for you.”
Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Spicy Meter: N/A, it’s clean
Content Warnings: This is all about two emotionally cheating characters, I hated it all. Other than that, they also discuss abandonment and extreme poverty.
“Christmas at the Ranch” follows Samantha Morgan, a best-selling adventure/action author who’s faking to be as adventurous as her main character, as she is invited to attend her publisher’s monumental Christmas party. In the plane, she meets Drew Wentworth, the nicest guy amongst all other nice guys, only to find out that he is her publisher’s son, who is engaged to a gorgeous woman. But that gorgeous woman does not want the same things from life as Drew wants right now—so, is she the one for Drew? That’s for him to find out and for Samantha to stay out of, because it’s none of her business… right?
“Tomorrow she’d wake up and worry about the future. Right now, it felt like a Christmas miracle.”
A Christmas miracle??? Really? That you’re a homewrecker?? That you legit ripped apart an engaged couple? A Christmas miracle? Really?
Here’s the thing. This book was losing from the get-go. I hate the whole cheating or the falling-in-love-with-someone-while-in-a-relationship-with-someone-else trope. And this is exactly what this book was about. Yes, it’s set in a Winter wonderland, surround the holidays. But that doesn’t stop Samantha and Drew from being the douchiest of bouchebags. Technically there is no physical cheating, but the emotional cheating was there, alright?
In regards to the writing, this book is exceptional written and very entertaining. A bit slow-paced in the beginning, but then it picks up. The characters are interesting and lovable (if you ignore Samantha’s and Drew’s biggest flaw). Jackson Hole is a lovely town to set this book in. The bits of mystery woven into this story were great. The older characters and their advice were priceless.
I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a December or Winter-y read and don’t mind the cheating trope—which I do. Anita Hughes seems like an amazing author and I won’t shy away from some other of her books. It’s just this one wasn’t it for me.
ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Day: September 27th, 2022
“Native Americans have many legends about love. My Ojibwe friend taught me the story of a young girl named Dandelion. Her hair is the color of spun gold and she’s so lovely, the South Wind and East Wind both fall in love with her. The South Wind is too shy to reveal his intentions, but the East Wind is very confident. He loves to hear himself talk, so when he courts her, he blows parts of her away. After a while, her golden hair is gone, and all that remains is her heart. Dandelion stops being a girl and becomes a flower instead. There’s nothing more important than love when it’s nurturing, but love can also be the reverse. It can sap your energy and leave you with nothing.” (…)
“I never heard anything like that.” (…)
“It wouldn’t sell many Valentine’s cards but it’s a good lesson. You have to choose the kind of love that works for you.”
December 18, 2022
I do not think Anita Hughes is a particularly strong writer (she’s got a bit of that Danielle Steel habit of telling, not showing) but every Christmas, I look forward to her latest easy read which always features (mostly) well-to-do glamorous women falling for stubborn and attractive men during the holidays.
October 26, 2022
Samantha is an author that writes major adventure stories with a heroine that can do anything. Everyone thinks she is based on the authors real life but nothing could be further from the truth. When her publisher invites her to a Christmas party she assumes it will be in New York but she is whisked away to Jackson Hole Wyoming. There she meets Drew and thinks she can find true love except he's engaged to another woman. A little predictable.
October 3, 2022
Christmas at the Ranch is a Christmas romance set against the snowy slopes of Jackson Hole, WY. Samantha Morgan, successful author of the action-adventure book series, is attending an exclusive Christmas party at book publishing elite’s home for the week. Samantha would rather be sitting at home with her dog socks instead of traveling. One horrible trip years ago has given Samantha debilitating phobias and anxiety. While traveling to WY her flight hits some turbulence and she demands that the person sitting next to her distract her. Drew is more than happy to help calm this woman’s fears.
I was quite frustrated that while reading a chapter Samantha would turn that moment into a part of her book. The main story would be lost and readers get pages of this adventure character’s life that we just heard about from Samantha. It was also jarring because there wasn’t any formatting change when that happened.
Samantha wasn’t likable. I’m sorry. She was still broken-hearted over an ex from four years prior, and is obsessed with her dog. I love dogs. I have one. They are wonderful creatures. But at one point she wouldn’t take a picture with a dog because she didn’t want her dog getting jealous. You see what I mean?
The book was well written, I just didn’t enjoy the story. Perhaps you will. This is a story ready to be a Lifetime or Hallmark movie. The kind where you can see the story going before it really starts and get a happily ever after. There were aspects of the book that I didn’t enjoy and that is why I am rating it a 2.5 but rounding up to a 3.
I am very grateful to St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy.
I was quite frustrated that while reading a chapter Samantha would turn that moment into a part of her book. The main story would be lost and readers get pages of this adventure character’s life that we just heard about from Samantha. It was also jarring because there wasn’t any formatting change when that happened.
Samantha wasn’t likable. I’m sorry. She was still broken-hearted over an ex from four years prior, and is obsessed with her dog. I love dogs. I have one. They are wonderful creatures. But at one point she wouldn’t take a picture with a dog because she didn’t want her dog getting jealous. You see what I mean?
The book was well written, I just didn’t enjoy the story. Perhaps you will. This is a story ready to be a Lifetime or Hallmark movie. The kind where you can see the story going before it really starts and get a happily ever after. There were aspects of the book that I didn’t enjoy and that is why I am rating it a 2.5 but rounding up to a 3.
I am very grateful to St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy.
December 10, 2022
I normally love Anita Hughes books and this was the first Christmas book I read for the 2022 season and unfortunately, I was so disappointed in it.
I didn't like the main character Samantha at all -- I didn't like the bouncing back from her life to her ideas for the main character in her books. It felt like this kept distracting me.
I did like the Jackson Hole setting, but that was about it.
I didn't like the main character Samantha at all -- I didn't like the bouncing back from her life to her ideas for the main character in her books. It felt like this kept distracting me.
I did like the Jackson Hole setting, but that was about it.
October 10, 2022
I thought this was a cute Christmas book. I loved all the Christmas themed activities and descriptions. Also loved the little dog party ideas. The romance was cute and I loved seeing the characters grow into themselves and past their traumas. There was a nice little plot twist. The only thing I didn’t enjoy was hearing so much about the books Samantha had been writing. Overall great Christmas romance.
September 24, 2022
Cute Christmas read! I wasn’t sure in the beginning if I was going to like all the quirks that Samantha has, but I must say they all make sense and really contribute to the plot of the book. There are a few story lines that I couldn’t get on board with, overall contributing to my rating, but this is a good read for the season!
June 30, 2022
Publication Sept. 27, 2022
I'm a sucker for Christmas, lovely snowy scenes, books, and horses. That's what lead me to "Christmas at the Ranch" although I wondered if reading it during a warm, Alaskan summer day would dim my Christmas spirit. Nope. In fact, I found it one of the better, uh, Hallmark moments I've had with Christmas books. Although the dialogue tended to be a bit contrived at times, I like the setting, Samantha and Drew, and her mom through her virtual connections with her. And, oh, yeah, the horses, cared for by Bruno, who seems to be a bit of a jack-of-all-trades at Drew's family ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Samantha is a mess as the book opens. Although the successful author of a book series featuring a feisty, danger loving heroine, Samantha is anything but brave. She's scared of, well, everything. Her imagination weaves even the most common happening, such a taxi ride or turbulence on a plane, into a probable disaster. The good thing about that particular fear is that it leads her to meeting and opening up to Drew. He keeps her secret, that she isn't some female dare-devil, from his father, who turns out to be her publisher, and the story begins.
I won't detail the plot as much of it depends on the surprise, such as the mystery of Drew's mother. But, because of not just the need to keep up the pretense of being brave but her attraction and trust in Drew, Samantha finds herself doing things way, way out of her comfort level, not to mention showing real bravery when needed. Of course, there are complications in the relationship, traditional Hallmark Christmas movie stuff, but despite her initial fears, she seems able to make friends easily and fit into the setting. Her love of horses was one of the big draws for me, being a horse crazed girl from way back. Toss in mentions of "Black Beauty" and "My Friend Flicka" and, well, it sent me back to memory lane. Both were used in constructive ways, btw, not just toss away mentions.
Oh, and then there is the diary but, no, not telling. You need to read the book. I found it an easy, enjoyable read that moved right along. As Drew's father, Arthur, mentions at one point, life sometimes gets in the way and you lose touch with what you have, so here you have a delightful romance all tied up in Christmas ribbons with horses and books and snowy vistas throughout. Enjoy!
Thanks #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for inviting me to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to meet Samantha and Drew. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the chance to pet a few horses.
I'm a sucker for Christmas, lovely snowy scenes, books, and horses. That's what lead me to "Christmas at the Ranch" although I wondered if reading it during a warm, Alaskan summer day would dim my Christmas spirit. Nope. In fact, I found it one of the better, uh, Hallmark moments I've had with Christmas books. Although the dialogue tended to be a bit contrived at times, I like the setting, Samantha and Drew, and her mom through her virtual connections with her. And, oh, yeah, the horses, cared for by Bruno, who seems to be a bit of a jack-of-all-trades at Drew's family ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Samantha is a mess as the book opens. Although the successful author of a book series featuring a feisty, danger loving heroine, Samantha is anything but brave. She's scared of, well, everything. Her imagination weaves even the most common happening, such a taxi ride or turbulence on a plane, into a probable disaster. The good thing about that particular fear is that it leads her to meeting and opening up to Drew. He keeps her secret, that she isn't some female dare-devil, from his father, who turns out to be her publisher, and the story begins.
I won't detail the plot as much of it depends on the surprise, such as the mystery of Drew's mother. But, because of not just the need to keep up the pretense of being brave but her attraction and trust in Drew, Samantha finds herself doing things way, way out of her comfort level, not to mention showing real bravery when needed. Of course, there are complications in the relationship, traditional Hallmark Christmas movie stuff, but despite her initial fears, she seems able to make friends easily and fit into the setting. Her love of horses was one of the big draws for me, being a horse crazed girl from way back. Toss in mentions of "Black Beauty" and "My Friend Flicka" and, well, it sent me back to memory lane. Both were used in constructive ways, btw, not just toss away mentions.
Oh, and then there is the diary but, no, not telling. You need to read the book. I found it an easy, enjoyable read that moved right along. As Drew's father, Arthur, mentions at one point, life sometimes gets in the way and you lose touch with what you have, so here you have a delightful romance all tied up in Christmas ribbons with horses and books and snowy vistas throughout. Enjoy!
Thanks #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for inviting me to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to meet Samantha and Drew. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the chance to pet a few horses.
September 25, 2022
Book 172 of 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
While it’s just started to cool off for fall weather, I’m diving into some Christmas books that are slated for publication for this holiday season. This will be the *perfect* book to get you in the Christmas spirit!
Jackson Hole, WY has been on our family’s bucket list for awhile. After reading this book, which is set in Jackson Hole, I’m even more desperate to get our family there…at Christmas time, of course. Setting is supreme when it comes to Christmas stories, and Anita Hughes hit a home run with this one. I felt like I was in Jackson Hole. I felt the crisp temperatures, could picture the small shops, smell the food in the local restaurants, and see the mountains lit up at night by the snowfall. I was completely transported there & didn’t want to leave.
This story centers around Samantha and Drew. Samantha is a novelist & is asked to go to Jackson Hole upon invitation from her publisher. On the plane ride there, she meets Drew, her publisher’s son. She & Drew hit it off as friends, but he’s engaged to Beatrix. I think we all expect the fiancé to be a snob and stuck up. We expect to hate her, but I loved that we don’t. She’s real about what she wants & she’s likable. While you know she & Drew aren’t right for each other, I loved that they were mature about the way they handled it.
In the story, Samantha finds a diary at the ranch. She falls into reading the diary, and I must say, I was completely swept away by the story that took place in the diary. I loved how Hughes incorporated that into the story. It was completely unexpected…though maybe I should’ve been more in tune with where and how the story line from the diary would be incorporated. Looking back, I can see signs I missed, but I think I was so swept up in the story that I didn’t even notice the clues being laid out.
The only thing I didn’t love was the snippets of Sloane’s story lines throughout. Sloane is the female lead in Samantha’s spy thriller series. I didn’t really care for all the excerpts and ideas from the novels she was writing. Otherwise, I completely and thoroughly enjoyed this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book is being released VERY soon—September 27th! Be sure to add this to your Christmas season TBR list!
#ad #sponsored
Format: ARC
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
While it’s just started to cool off for fall weather, I’m diving into some Christmas books that are slated for publication for this holiday season. This will be the *perfect* book to get you in the Christmas spirit!
Jackson Hole, WY has been on our family’s bucket list for awhile. After reading this book, which is set in Jackson Hole, I’m even more desperate to get our family there…at Christmas time, of course. Setting is supreme when it comes to Christmas stories, and Anita Hughes hit a home run with this one. I felt like I was in Jackson Hole. I felt the crisp temperatures, could picture the small shops, smell the food in the local restaurants, and see the mountains lit up at night by the snowfall. I was completely transported there & didn’t want to leave.
This story centers around Samantha and Drew. Samantha is a novelist & is asked to go to Jackson Hole upon invitation from her publisher. On the plane ride there, she meets Drew, her publisher’s son. She & Drew hit it off as friends, but he’s engaged to Beatrix. I think we all expect the fiancé to be a snob and stuck up. We expect to hate her, but I loved that we don’t. She’s real about what she wants & she’s likable. While you know she & Drew aren’t right for each other, I loved that they were mature about the way they handled it.
In the story, Samantha finds a diary at the ranch. She falls into reading the diary, and I must say, I was completely swept away by the story that took place in the diary. I loved how Hughes incorporated that into the story. It was completely unexpected…though maybe I should’ve been more in tune with where and how the story line from the diary would be incorporated. Looking back, I can see signs I missed, but I think I was so swept up in the story that I didn’t even notice the clues being laid out.
The only thing I didn’t love was the snippets of Sloane’s story lines throughout. Sloane is the female lead in Samantha’s spy thriller series. I didn’t really care for all the excerpts and ideas from the novels she was writing. Otherwise, I completely and thoroughly enjoyed this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book is being released VERY soon—September 27th! Be sure to add this to your Christmas season TBR list!
#ad #sponsored
Format: ARC
September 24, 2022
Christmas at the Ranch
Anita Hughes
St Martin’s Griffin
2022
Samantha is the writer of Sloane Parker books. Charlie Green, Samantha’s editor has told her that she has been invited to the CEO’s Christmas week party in Connecticut. She wants to stay home with her dog, Socks, but agrees to go. But the taxi drops her at JFK Airport. She is deathly afraid of flying and feels this must be a mistake; but it’s not. Charlie tricks her and reminds her that she can’t say no to the CEO of the publishing house, Arthur Wentworth. She boards the plane to fly to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, seated next to a handsome gentleman who helps her through her anxiety during the flight. Turns out, it’s Arthur’s son, Drew Wentworth. And she had revealed that she wasn’t the social media star that her boss believed she was! Thank you marketing department!
Hughes has written a love story set in beautiful, snowy Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The characters are well-defined and believable and you will love Samantha and her books’ star, Sloane.
I usually don’t read romance novels, but this book was a pleasure to read even though you know where the plot is going. It’s an easy read and the descriptions of Jackson Hole remind me of my trip there. Truly lovely wilderness. I recommend this book and give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Thanks to #NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing for the arc. The opinions are all mine.
Anita Hughes
St Martin’s Griffin
2022
Samantha is the writer of Sloane Parker books. Charlie Green, Samantha’s editor has told her that she has been invited to the CEO’s Christmas week party in Connecticut. She wants to stay home with her dog, Socks, but agrees to go. But the taxi drops her at JFK Airport. She is deathly afraid of flying and feels this must be a mistake; but it’s not. Charlie tricks her and reminds her that she can’t say no to the CEO of the publishing house, Arthur Wentworth. She boards the plane to fly to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, seated next to a handsome gentleman who helps her through her anxiety during the flight. Turns out, it’s Arthur’s son, Drew Wentworth. And she had revealed that she wasn’t the social media star that her boss believed she was! Thank you marketing department!
Hughes has written a love story set in beautiful, snowy Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The characters are well-defined and believable and you will love Samantha and her books’ star, Sloane.
I usually don’t read romance novels, but this book was a pleasure to read even though you know where the plot is going. It’s an easy read and the descriptions of Jackson Hole remind me of my trip there. Truly lovely wilderness. I recommend this book and give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Thanks to #NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing for the arc. The opinions are all mine.
February 11, 2022
Christmas at the Ranch by Anita Hughes centres around Samantha Morgan, a New Yorker who is afraid of almost everything, who is the writer of a series of books about Sloane Parker, a heroine who could be described as Samantha’s polar opposite. Samantha is invited to her publishers home for a week long Christmas party and Samantha reluctantly agrees being finding out that the party is not in Connecticut but Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Samantha strikes up a conversation with the stranger next to her on the plane, in an effort to distract her from the flight and she ends up confiding in him about her fears. The stranger turns out to be the son of her publisher, the publisher who believes Samantha is a lot like her character, Sloane Parker.
Samantha spends the week reluctantly partaking in activities which terrify her, including riding a mechanical bull, snowmobiling and helping rescue horses from a fire and finds out just how brave she actually is. A sweet winter read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Samantha spends the week reluctantly partaking in activities which terrify her, including riding a mechanical bull, snowmobiling and helping rescue horses from a fire and finds out just how brave she actually is. A sweet winter read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
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