Somebody like Santa
A Heartwarming Texas Christmas Love Story
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- £5.99
Publisher Description
Lovers of Hallmark and fans of Diana Palmer, Robyn Carr, and RaeAnne Thayne will adore the rugged Western setting, small-town neighbors, and the uplifting magic of the holidays in this Texas-sized love story from the New York Times bestselling author.
“A satisfying combination of intrigue and romance…sure to melt hearts.” – Publishers Weekly
For Cooper Chapman, moving next door to his newlywed sister in Branding Iron, Texas, is the biggest gift he could ask for this Christmas. The divorced single dad knows his troubled teenaged son only needs the healing balm of big skies and family ties. But soon after settling into their new home, Trevor falls in with some wild friends at his new school, leaving Cooper leaning hard on youth counselor Jess Graver. With grace and wisdom, Jess soothes Cooper’s worries over his son, even as the elusive beauty stirs romantic feelings to life . . .
With the holiday growing closer, young Trevor finds an unexpected mentor in a local farmer, helping him build a horse-drawn sleigh for the Christmas parade. Now the only thing that could make Cooper’s New Year brighter would be making warm-hearted Jess his own. But when he stumbles upon a secret from her past, it will take more than mistletoe to bring them back together and keep her at his side for all the sweet seasons to come . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Dailey's fifth Christmas Tree Ranch novel (after Santa's Sweetheart) offers a satisfying combination of intrigue and romance. Journalist and divorced single father Cooper Chapman moves to Branding Iron, Tex., eager to reconnect with his sister, Grace, and precocious niece, Maddie, and separate his teenage son, Trevor, from unhealthy influences. To that end, Grace introduces Cooper to youth counselor Jess Graver, a retired FBI agent traumatized by a failed mission. Though attracted to each other, both Jess and Cooper resist romantic developments, focusing on mutual concern for Trevor. After Trevor falls prey to bullies, Cooper buys a ranch house outside of town complete with horses, an elderly neighbor who happens to own a Santa sleigh, and an extra room that comes in handy when a tree falls on Jess's house. Dailey sensitively handles a subplot involving domestic violence, which ultimately forces Jess to confront her demons. The roadblocks impeding Cooper and Jess's developing romance, particularly her sense that his journalistic curiosity violates her trust, feel a bit flimsy, but, thankfully, Dailey doesn't belabor their rifts. Meanwhile, Maddie's insistence on a Christmas tree and Trevor's enthusiasm for fixing up the old sleigh gradually break down the grown-ups' resistance to getting into the holiday spirit. The result is sure to melt hearts.
