In Christmas in Cowboy Country by Janet Dailey, Annie is a ski instructor who is injured and unable to ski for a while. She’s back home on her 
parents’ ranch in Colorado while she recovers. Annie immerses herself in her small hometown…there is always a lot going on and a lot of ways to help out. Some of the things going on though are suspiciously mysterious…
Marshall hails from Wyoming. He’s in town as a real estate surveyor, but that is only a cover for why he is really there. He’s full of secrets he can’t reveal. He meets Annie when he’s surveying the neighboring ranch’s property lines, and there’s something about her that just draws him to her.
Caught up in small town life, single but not really looking, Annie is just as drawn to Marshall. They keep running into each other, and slowly spend more time together…but there are things Annie doesn’t know and she is not trusting of Marshall. As Christmas draws closer and the secrets come out, will they find what they need in each other?
Christmas In Cowboy Country has a great setting for Christmas. I loved the small town, the snow, the mountains, and what little we saw of the ranch. Annie and Marshall are two main characters who I find myself pretty neutral on…I liked them, but they didn’t astound me. Annie does some odd things and is somewhat possessive of Marshall even if they aren’t a couple. Marshall can’t tell Annie the truth, so what kind of future could they possibly have? I did feel like I got to know Annie much better than Marshall. He is mysterious!
There is a lot going on in Christmas In Cowboy Country and at times it was hard to keep track of everyone because the plot jumped around a bit. There was a weaker secondary plot that I felt didn’t really flow with Annie and Marshall’s story. Annie and Marshall have a slow build up of a relationship, but sometimes it was too slow and I found this a difficult book to immerse myself in. They didn’t spend a lot of time together as a couple, but we saw a lot of them separately.
With a little suspense and a light romance, I’d recommend Christmas in Cowboy Country to contemporary romance readers who enjoy a wintry small town romance.
Book Info:
Published September 30th 2014
Ski instructor Annie Bennett doesn’t have time to miss the twinkling lights and holiday parties in Aspen and Vail. With her older brothers gone and winter just around the corner, her parents need help with their sprawling Colorado ranch. The most wonderful time of the year isn’t always easy for a lot of the folks in their town, but Annie does her best—until the tall, dark, and rugged surveyor on their neighbor’s land becomes a potent distraction.
Wyoming born and bred, Marshall Stone is a practical man. But there’s something about Annie that’s as wild and sweet as the mountain wind. He doesn’t want to tame her. Just love her. Annie Bennett is all he wants for Christmas. And for always. But she’s too wary to believe he means it. Until he takes her in his arms and explains without saying a single word.
