I had a good time with this book. I have been a fan of Linda Lael Miller's writing for a very long time. I don't think that I have picked any of her books up in years though and I am pretty sure that I have never actually reviewed any of her work. I have enjoyed quite a few books from the McKettrick series so I was excited to pick this one up during a recent readathon. It ended up being a really enjoyable read for me.

Clay McKettrick moves to a small Texas town to take on the role of marshal. He is immediately welcomed by the town but one little girl ends up making a really big impression on him. He quickly learns that the little girl is the daughter of Dara Rose. Dara Rose was married to the former marshal and has found herself widowed with two little girls to support and almost no money to do so. Now that there is a new lawman in town, she knows that she will have to give up her home so that he can have the house.

Clay and Dara Rose were both great characters. Clay really is a good guy that just wants to do a good job. Dara Rose has been through a whole lot and has proven that she is tough and resourceful. Dara Rose always puts her children first and refuses to take the easy way out. I thought that these two were great together and I loved how great Clay was with the girls. I thought that their relationship progressed at a really nice pace and I was really happy with how everything turned out.

I would recommend this book to fans of western historical romances. This book was filled with wonderful characters, a touch of humor, some Christmas charm, and some heartwarming moments. I really liked the fact that Linda Lael Miller worked some of less than pleasant issues from this time into the story including the plight of women and children without a male in the house and the impact of poverty. I definitely plan to read more from this wonderful author soon! ( )

Very good

Very good