He never thought he’d have a real family Christmas…
For the past eight years, Bill Smith has been unable to set down roots. But he never forgot the magical night he spent with an auburn-haired beauty in Last Stand, Texas. When she finally tracked him down, he was more than happy to donate a kidney to AJ, the son he never knew he had. But now that AJ is better, Bill wants more time with him and his mother. He wants a family.
Annie Burleson can’t help but be grateful to this almost-stranger for saving AJ’s life. Still, she’s a little wary. AJ has already been through so much—what if Bill leaves again? And with Christmas in full swing, it’s difficult to discern which emotions are festive and which are forever.
As Annie and Bill’s lives collide, their mutual love for AJ makes this more than a marriage of convenience. But is it enough to give them the family Christmas they all deserve?
A Family for Christmas is the second book in the Burlesons of Texas series. Even though I hadn’t read the first book, I was quickly drawn in since there was enough background information given. This was a quick read but only scratched the surface since there seems to be more story to tell. The book did end abruptly—I didn’t even realize I was at the end until I turned the page in my ebook, and instead of more story, there was The End.
Annie and Bill had a one night stand eight years before. They caught up again a few months back when the son Bill didn’t know he had needed a kidney transplant, and Annie, her brother, and his psychic girlfriend tracked Bill down to see if he was a match to AJ. Bill was, and while AJ got better, Bill didn’t keep his promise to stay in touch. When he drives from Seattle to Texas to start a new life, Annie isn’t very happy to see him. I like how things end up backfiring when she tries to scare him off and where the story went from there.
There are some twists and turns to the story, along with beautiful scenic descriptions. The ranch life was nicely portrayed, and I like how her brother and the ranch hands all ate together with Annie and AJ in the ranch house. The animals added another layer to the story and brought them all together. Bill managed to fit right in when he stuck around, although AJ didn’t know who Bill really was—he called him Doctor Smith thinking Bill worked at the hospital where AJ got his kidney transplant. As Bill and Annie’s attraction grew, neither knew how the other really felt. They definitely needed to learn to communicate. AJ seemed to be an old soul and really brought everyone together. The Christmas traditions were nicely shared, and I could feel the warmth the holidays spread. There was a better than expected happily ever after, and it seems dreams and wishes do come true.
Ms. Cross is a new to me author. I do plan to give some of her other books a try.
I remember as a small girl being fascinated with the idea that people could make up stories and the stories became books. I began writing my own stories before I even started school, and won my first writing contest at the age of nine. It’s always been my dream to be a published author. The road was a long and twisting one, but I finally made it. I’m proud to be a two-time Golden Heart finalist, and several of my stories have been Amazon best sellers.
For a while I penned erotic fiction under a pseudonym. Although it was fun to explore my “darker side”, I am now answering the true call of my heart: to write bigger stories that focus on emotion, loss, spirit, and true love, stories I hope my readers will relate to and want to read more than once. Small town America is my favorite fictional setting. I’m particularly enjoying my recent foray into writing Cowboy romance.
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