Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I was a bit disappointed by Christmas at the Ranch. The story about Drew and Samantha takes a little longer than needed. I loved the setting of the book in Wyoming. Not sure if I really liked it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is my first time reading Anita Hughes and I fell in love with this book from the get go.
Samantha Morgan is a published writer and is well known for her Sloane Parker books. Samantha is nothing like her character Sloane but her PR people have tried to make her more adventurous than she really is.
Samantha has become afraid of so many every day things in life ever since Roger left New York without so much as a word and an explanation of why he left.
Arthur Wentworth is the head of the publishing firm that has the rights to the Sloane Parker books. Arthur has invited Samantha to his ranch in Jackson Hole Wyoming for the Christmas season. Samantha doesn't want to go but her agent Charlie insists that it would be bad for her writing career to not accept Arthur's invitation.
On the flight from New York to Jackson Hole, Samantha talks to a very nice man on the plane who helped her get over her anxiety and fears of flying.
Samantha later finds out that this man is Drew Wentworth, Arthur's son. Drew is home for the holidays and his fiance, Beatrix is supposed to be there also.
Friendship, romance and love of the great outdoors is what is in store for Samantha during this 10 day outing.
A very quick read with lots of wisdom and relationship building to take in.

This book was such a sweet Christmas story. It was different than many of the other Christmas romance books that I have read. Ms. Hughes sweeps you away from the city and into the winter wonderland of Jackson Hole. Our main character, Samantha, learns more about herself and love while discovering someone else's story. Just when I thought the book was going to follow the usual romance storyline, it took on new twists and pulled me in with another adventure. Who knew that a main character, who is a writer, couldn't predict her own ending?

This book is perfect for someone who loves a romance with a PG level story and wants a story to visit again and again every Christmas season. I can guarantee that I will be revisiting this story every year like a favorite holiday movie.

I really wanted to like this book. In general I enjoy Christmas themed stories, but not this one. I struggled with the way the book was written. First it is Samantha's POV, then you are in a plot she is writing? then we have a diary? Too much and nothing clicked for me.
I thank Net Galley for the advanced copy, but I was unable to finish it

Anita Hughes has created a work of fiction but made it feel so real, when I looked up from the final page, it took a moment to refocus on my reality, where I live and the weather outside. What do you do when you are living a lie? When fear holds you back from living your life much less enjoy the adventures that your Instagram account reveals? And what do you do when a work obligation moves you out of your comfort zone and away from a beloved furbaby (don’t you just novels that include your furry family members)? A holiday novel but well worth reading regardless the time of year, you won’t regret experiencing Christmas at the Ranch.

I was drawn by this cover and excited to dive in. I loved the unique getaway to Jackson Hole. In practice, though, I struggled with the writing style, as the chemistry with Drew felt forced and unrealistic. In the end I did not finish the book. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Samantha is enjoying her quiet life in New York when she is told that she needs to attend a party. The party is in another state and she hates to fly. Samantha finds love where she least expects it. I enjoyed this book.

A sweet romance. A reclusive woman who has become afraid of everything must fly from NYC to Jackson Hole for the holidays when invited by the head of her publishing house. While there she learns to begin to open herself up to experiences and people again.

How often we deny ourselves adventures or simple things in life because we are afraid of something? Sometimes we just have to take a leap just like Samantha. And, oh boy, we are in for a ride. We laugh and cry with Samantha. We also admire her loyalty and kindness. And we all fall in love with Drew. A Christmas time novel that even non-Christmas person (like me) will absolutely enjoy the book. And maybe take a leap of faith in the new year.

Anita Hughes’s Christmas books are some of my absolute favorite holiday reads of all time! I anticipated that I love this and she did not let me down. These are predictable, comforting, heartwarming romance novels in enviable settings. There’s excellent character development and no gable writing.

Christmas at the Ranch By Anita Hughes | 3 stars

In this story we follow Samantha Morgan, an author of the well known Sloane Parker series. Samantha endures a traumatic plane ride and is now afraid of basically everything. She gets roped into a week-long trip to (to her surprise) Jackson Hole, Wyoming to her publisher’s ranch. Meaning, she had to board a plane. During her plane ride she meets and confides in a very friendly, Drew. She spills her secrets about the fake persona she has been forced to take on due to her extreme detail in her Sloane Parker books. People have tried merging Samantha and Sloane into one person, which could not be further from reality.

Samantha shows up to her publishers ranch and is surprised to find her plane mate- Drew there, and learn that he is, said publishers son. She worries Drew will spill her fears and secrets to his father, Arthur and ruin any future book deals. Throughout the week, her book deals become the least of her worries.

Things I liked about this novel:
- The journal entries / Nancy Drew vibes
- The stories of Native Americans and their history
- Drew and his giant heart full of love and amazing dreams for Thailand
- The genuineness of Arthur, Drew, Beatrix, Bruno, Emily, Charlie, and Marigold… I just kept waiting for someone or something to turn on Samantha and they never did


Things I disliked about this novel:
- Samantha’s fears about everything under the sun, a lot of it was eye roll worthy
- Samantha’s obsession with her dog that felt like it was just short of a romantic relationship
- The over doing of the Sloane Parker plots that cut in frequently…It was kind of cool to get two story characters in one book, but sometimes it became too much and was hard to go back and forth
- The annoyingly long conversations from her mother during her travels.
- I wish it was more of a Christmas novel versus it just taking place during the week of Christmas



One things is for certain, I now have added Jackson Hole, Wyoming to my travel bucket list. 

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins for taking me back to December and allowing me to read this Anita Hughes novel in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this book, however, I didn’t.

I love Christmas romance titles, but this one needed something extra. Maybe some drama/intrigue, or a little sizzle. It felt unrealistic.

I am so thankful for the advanced copy, but I do need to be honest and say: this one did not hit the right chords with me at all.

Two stars **

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Samantha is an author. After a traumatic vacation, she's scared of just about everything. There's a lot of her daydreaming stories up for her book character, Sloane Parker. She meets Drew on a flight to her publisher's Wyoming home over Christmas week and doesn't know he's his son initially. Both Samantha and Drew were likable characters. I liked the Christmas small town imagery and feel of the book.

There wasn't much chemistry or sizzle to this book. Much of the dialogue didn't feel very realistic. They were talking in paragraphs at each other and it took me out of the book a bit. A lot of time was dedicated to Samantha thinking up future storylines for her book character. There was too much of this for me after the first few times as these stories didn't have anything to do with the actual story between Samantha and Drew.

Overall it was a cute Christmastime book.

This is a lovely story. Samantha is a writer of a series whose feisty and adventurous main female character is pretty much the opposite of her. Gradually Samantha faces and overcomes the things that hold her back. However I am going to be picky here - (p29) Koalas are not bears (they are simply called koalas) and Ayers Rock is known as Uluru (the local indigenous peoples’ name for it). It is now generally considered bad form to call it by the name given by the English. (and has been for a few decades)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4564171604

The book was okay. The H is engaged to another woman until the last couple of chapters. The h was afraid of everything; that got old very quickly.

In Christmas at the Ranch, Samantha Morgan, a lovelorn author whose book sales are sagging, is commanded to spend about a week from Christmas to New Year’s at her publisher’s luxurious ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I adore ski towns in the Rockies, and Ms. Hughes portrays the majestic vistas of a Jackson Hole winter, a variety of outdoor activities to be sampled, as well as the quirky and fun character of the town and its local inhabitants. Also, I enjoyed reading about the zany adventures of Samantha’s parents as they zipped around Europe and the publisher’s son’s passion for children in a remote Thai village. Rather than the story evoking merry and cozy holiday vibes, or even sympathy for Samantha, however, I found quite irksome and distracting the extremity of her neuroses, her over-the-top obsession with her dog, and the entirety of her imaginings of future plot points and outfits for Sloane Parker, the heroine of Samantha’s novels. Moreover, none of the romantic love stories felt credible to me; nor did various character’s rationales for their actions ring true. Additionally of note - While the tale is filled with wintry scenes, Christmas is not its focus and the title is thus somewhat misleading. I have read and enjoyed several of Anita Hughes’ other Christmas themed novels, including 2021’s visit to NYC’s Plaza Hotel. Two and a half stars. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this romantic story.

I received an ARC, of Christmas at the Ranch, by Anita Hughes. Samantha like me is not a fan of winter, I am sick of all the snow and ice, and freezing temperatures. Samantha is a lovely character, and I liked her story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This was my first time reading from this author and unfortunately it did not work for me. Good writing is a very big deal to me in any book, especially romance books, and unfortunately, I did not vibe with it while reading this book. However, I really enjoyed the small-town setting of this book and the holiday magic this book brought! In addition, I thought there was some pretty good growth between the main character and the love interest as well as a few of the supporting characters.

Thank you for this ARC! I will read all of Anita Hughes' books for the Christmas vibe. I love all the details she gives on the various locations her books take place, the descriptions of all the delicious food and the festive holiday celebrations. This gives me all the happy feelings and I will continue to read all her books and live the ideal holiday and the perfect settings through her. The character development, especially the female characters, could use some work. They are all way too "damsel in distress" for me, but if you can take that with a grain of salt, these are the best books to put you in the holiday spirit!