Anita Hughes has been a long time favorite author of mine. I love that she writes about fun destinations and they always have a fun storyline to go along with it. This story was just okay, however. Christmas at the Ranch is set in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and is such a lovely setting for a Christmas novel. Samantha, a spy author, is there to attend a Christmas party for her publisher. Will meeting a stranger on the plane change her outlook on the trip she's taking? I loved the small town vibes with this story - and yes, it is very Hallmark-esque in style. But I don't mind that. I think I could have done without the scenes that are written as Samantha's own spy novels.

Did not like at all. Was hoping for it to read as a Hallmark style book but it didn’t. The main character was annoying and un likeable. DNF

5/5 stars!! This has to be one of my favorite Anita Hughes books so far! You'll want to put this on your TBR!

I usually enjoy Anita Hughes Christmas novels but this one just didn't seem as cozy as the others. I didn’t care for all of the Sloane plot points that were included in the story.

Samantha reluctantly agrees to go her publisher’s Christmas party in Jackson Hole. She sits next to a stranger on the airplane and  feels comfortable enough to spill all her secrets to him. However, when she shows up at the house, it turns out that this man, Drew, is Arthur’s son. Now Samantha is worried that Drew will tell his father about her lies. Over the course of Christmas week, Samantha grows closer to Drew. But when his fiancée shows up, things get more complicated. 

So I read three Anita Hughes books in a row, and they all felt very formulaic. I love a Christmas book - and I understand that Christmas books need to be a little cheesy, a little predictable, and little insta-love. Also, I am never a fan of a love triangle, and this had one. It just wasn’t for me.

I had a really hard time reading this one. The story was broken up weirdly, and some of the characters seemed a little forced. I love christmas and I love a dude ranch, so I wanted to love this one, but I just didn't.

A delightful Christmas romance. Reader's will love the characters and fall in love right with them. Samantha is delightful as she learns to get outside of her box and experience a world around her. Drew is swoon worthy and reader's will fall in love. I always love a good cozy Christmas story to enjoy the Christmas season.

This book gives Hallmark movie vibes. A small town Christmas holiday that’s filled with winter festivities and gives you all the feels.

This book is a sweet read that I think we can all relate to. No, we aren't all best sellers or find ourselves in the exact predicament, but we all can feel like imposters in our world and not know how others don't see it. We can all fall for someone before we know their true identity. This is a fun read full of adventure.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When I read the synopsis of this book I thought it was going to be a Hallmark Christmas movie in a book... it was not. The characters and just the overall vibes of the book didn't give off the comforting Christmas feelings I was hoping for when I picked it up.

Samantha is afraid of everything. As an author of a best selling series, she is thought to have a wild and glamorous life, but she barely leaves her apartment. She intends to spend her Christmas holiday writing, and cuddling with her dog Socks. It isn’t until she is expected at her boss’s famous party that she reluctantly leaves the house thinking she’s going to Connecticut. One flight to Jackson Hole, Wyoming changes her whole perspective on life. She meets Drew on the plane and immediately sparks fly, however Drew is engaged. Once at the boss’s, Arthur, ranch, Samantha learns to let go of her fears and find the love she deserves. This book was charming and inspirational. I could not put it down and the romance was subtle but cute. I love the dose of reality that is thrown in. With such a lavish house and week, it would be easy for the characters to forget about reality. I love how confident Samantha became and how well she clicked with all of the characters.

3.25-3.5ish stars

I’d been meaning to get to this one for quite a long time now, and while I’m glad I did, it was a bit underwhelming in the end. The setting and basic premise were fine, but I wasn’t super invested in the main romantic relationship that was supposed to be the focus of the story. There were also a lot of awkward “my Native American friends taught me about this cool thing” lines, and I don’t know if I can pinpoint exactly why, but they didn’t sit well. (Appropriative? Managing to be super vague about which Indigenous culture(s) were being discussed while still somehow treating them as a monolith? I don’t know…) Anyway, the book was okay, and I liked the festive holiday elements, but unfortunately as a whole, it just wasn’t anything special for me.

A Christmas story with a story line inspiring you to enjoy your life. A cute romance story that with the right person life really opens for you. I enjoyed this holiday read and would recommend it. I loved the atmosphere of a wintery Wyoming with all of the seasonal activities. Nice winter read.

Looking for a heartwarming holiday read? Look no further than "Christmas at the Ranch" by Anita Hughes! This charming novel is the perfect way to get in the Christmas spirit, with a touching story and lovable characters that will warm your heart. I give it 4 stars and highly recommend it!

A small town Christmas holiday book that’s filled with winter festivities and gives you all the feels. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

For me, Christmas at the Ranch had a Cover Description that drew me in but never really delivered on what the blurb suggested would happen within the story. I’ve had this story for a while, and I kept reading it for a bit, putting it down for weeks on end, picking it up again, and just not feeling anything for any of the characters within this story. In fact, annoyance was more of a companion for me than enjoyment. I finished it because I had an ARC, but Samantha and this crew were just not believable enough for me to fall into their world and believe any of them deserved a happy ending.

While I wasn’t bowled over by this one, I do believe there is an audience that will love Drew and Samantha’s romance. Not every book is going to resonate with every reader, so I encourage you to try Christmas at the Ranch for yourself. My opinion on this one is just that… my opinion. Yours might be quite different.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

You can’t go wrong with any of this author’s books. I love a good Christmas read and this one feels like a hallmark movie in the making.

Anita Hughes is no slouch when it comes to romance novels set during the Christmas holidays. Christmas at the Ranch is her fourth holiday romance, but in my opinion not the best.

The main protagonist, Samantha, is a successful novelist who would rather spend her time sitting in her apartment than be out living an adventurous life like her characters. When she is required to attend a week long vacation in Wyoming over Christmas week, she is very concerned she is in over her head. Enter Drew, the son of her publishing company's CEO and romantic sparks fly unexpectedly.

While there are many great scenes in this book, Samantha as a character is so negative and needy through the whole plot. She is fearful of everything but has no problem complaining about everything as well. I also didn't love her "fantasizing" constantly about how her doppelgänger book character, Sloane, would handle these adventures. I found these sections to just muddle the main story line and very much skipped a number of pages because of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read this novel.

"Christmas at the Ranch" by Anita Hughes is a charming holiday novel that is sure to put you in the festive spirit. The protagonist, Samantha Morgan, is a successful author of a female James Bond-type heroine named Sloane Parker, but the reality of her life is quite different. With a social media presence that suggests she is adventurous and fearless, Samantha is actually a homebody who fears even walking around the block when it snows.

However, when her editor surprises her with a trip to a Christmas party at her publisher's ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Samantha's life is thrown into a whirlwind of adventure. On the plane, she meets the handsome Drew, whom she confides in about her fears and the truth behind her fake social media presence. Little does she know that Drew is the son of her publisher, Arthur.

As Christmas week unfolds, Samantha grows closer to Drew and learns to overcome her fears, but her happiness is put to the test when Drew's fiancée, Beatrix, arrives on the scene. Through heartwarming moments and holiday festivities, Samantha must navigate through the ups and downs of a developing romance and decide what she truly wants in life. "Christmas at the Ranch" is a fun read that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy during the holidays.

When Samantha Morgan's editor Charlie shows up right before Christmas telling her that her publisher has invited her to his Christmas party, her life changes forever. She rarely leaves her home and never leaves the state, but she is put on a plane to Jackson Hole, Wyoming reluctantly. On the plane she visits with a handsome stranger that turns out to be her publisher's son. While they start to get close, his fiancee shows up. She tries not to like her, but they end up being friends. Will she enjoy her Christmas this year? Or will she end up hating it like usual?

This is a fun Christmas read that I really enjoyed!