This year for Christmas, I’m hoping to pass on to you, dear readers, the
gift I got last Christmas: a writer. Jodi Thomas’ new book, Christmas
in Winter Valley, is as heartwarming as a Hallmark Christmas movie. It
follows last year’s Christmas book, Mistletoe Miracles—and in between
the two I’ve hunted up and read at least 44 of her other books. Thomas
writes authentically about Western life and people, both historical and
modern; most of her latest books are contemporary. She does a perfect
blend between western and romance, and anyone who’s ever lived in
small-town anywhere will find someone or something to recognize in her
stories.
This one, part of her Ransom Canyon series, has ranch life at the
forefront: wild mustangs, a runaway orphan, a kind cook, a mysterious
inheritance, and Christmas are thrown into the mix as well. As usual,
there’s a lot of laughter but some tragedy, too, just like life.
The Holloway men are trying to run the ranch as usual while their
brother Griffin and sister-in-law Sunlan are visiting her sick dad. The
collegiate cousins-in-law have shown up to visit before Christmas, three
city girls who mostly shop and party. Cooper takes off to the back
country to care for the mustangs before they’re snowed in, and Elliot is
trying to manage the cow hands in addition to his usual job of manning
the books. Coop gets injured, Sunlan’s dad needs more care than
expected, and Elliot’s college girlfriend shows up to add to the chaos.
It all adds up to a merry time in Texas.
More than one character will get their happy ending when the snow
clears; it’s another specialty of Thomas’ to intertwine several stories
in a book.
While not quite under the “clean romance” umbrella, Thomas never focuses
on the sex scenes for more than a page or two. Her books focus on
regular people making the best of things through hard work and kindness.
Isn’t that really what love is, after all? Dear readers, I hope you
find the best books all year long—and may you be blessed with the gift
of lovingkindness in this season that celebrates love.
