Fortune’s Holiday Surprise by Jennifer Wilck is the fifth book overall in The Fortunes of Texas series, each of which is written by a different author. I feel 
this works well as a standalone, but not having read the previous books in the series, I did feel like I was missing some things regarding the family’s background. It was enough to make me curious about it, but not enough to take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.
Rancher Arlo is heartbroken by the sudden death of his best friend and his wife. He turns to the only other person who knows his pain. Carrie Kaplan lost her sister and brother-in-law, and now has the responsibility of raising their young daughter, Aviva. Her plan is to pick up Aviva and take her back to her hometown, but she decides to stick around in Chatelaine for a little bit.
During this holiday season, Arlo and Carrie unite to help Aviva and to help each other get through their grief. And while Aviva is too young to understand, Carrie is determined to teach her about Hanukkah and raise her in a Jewish home like her sister had planned. Arlo finds himself enjoying learning about the holiday, too, and embraces it, finding ways to combine Christmas and Hanukkah while Carrie herself tries to find a way to incorporate Hanukkah in a town that mainly celebrates Christmas.
There is also a bit of a mystery thrown in that involves Arlo’s deceased father, and how it turned out was not what I was expecting. Fortune’s Holiday Surprise is a heartwarming story of three people who suffered a tragic loss coming together to find a way to heal and rediscover the magic of the holiday season.
This story will have readers feeling a variety of emotions, and the emotional rollercoaster was well worth the journey.
Book Info:
Publication: November 26, 2024 | Harlequin | The Fortunes of Texas #5
Rancher Arlo Fortune is devastated when he loses his best friend in a tragic accident. The only thing that heals him is opening his heart to his friend’s adorable daughter, Aviva…and his friend’s grieving sister-in-law, the brand-new guardian to the orphaned child. Carrie Kaplan has one to lavish her niece with love in a Jewish home like her sister always wanted. Her stop in Chatelaine is only temporary. Right? But as she teaches Aviva about the miracle of Hanukkah, holiday magic might just beckon from Arlo’s ranch around the bend…
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