Christmas at the Ranch is a sweet second chance romance between Emory and Tate. Emory's family rents the mansion next to Tate's families ranch over Christmas break when she is 18 years old. Emory and Tate spend 3 weeks together, fall in love and then it all ends.

Flash forward 10 years and Emory finds out her father and uncle are being arrested for financial fraud and her family is in crisis. While fleeing the city to get space from this scandal, Emory ends up once again in Evergreen. This time she is stranded at Wilder Ranch.

This book is sweet and I appreciated Emory's character. Tate was a sweet MMC, but I did not feel like I really got to know him throughout the book. This is a sweet holiday read, but I wish that it would have had more of Tate and Emory interacting. Most of their interactions were from her diary entries from 10 years ago.

I recommend this book if you are looking for a quick and sweet holiday read!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I couldn’t put this book down. It’s a perfect holiday read, with just the right amount of heart and warmth to make you believe in second chances. The chemistry between Emory and Tate is undeniable, and the book left me with that cozy, fulfilled feeling you get after finishing a truly special romance.

I love a good holiday romance book, and this one was adorable. Tate and Emory were so cute!
I will say the beginning of the book is pretty slow but you really do get invested into it after that.
I do wish we got more of Tate and Emory together and them learning to work through their past issues because I feel like the book didn't touch on it very much.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for honest review.

I'm a sucker for a good holiday romance and this one was so cute! Emory fell in love for the first time at age 18 while on a 3 week Christmas Break in Evergreen, a small sleepy town in Canada. She met Tate Wilder one night and hasn't been able to get him out of her head since. Due to teens being teens, their relationship didn't make it the first time around and they haven't spoken in 10 years.

After Emory finds out some unsettling news about her family, she gets in the car and drives with no destination in mind. She ends up back in Evergreen and through a series of comical events is unable to leave. Now, older and wiser, Tate and Emory finally get their second chance. It does take a lot of time, a fair bit of heartache for them to finally come together but once they work through their issues, their love is incredibly sweet!

I loved Tate and Emory together, I wish we had more of them actually together. The yearning was excellent and I so appreciated that there wasn't a third act break-up! I also loved the diary entries in lieu of flashbacks so we could see Emory and Tate as teens. The horses were perfection and I also loved how Emory helped save the town. My only wish was that Tate and Emory could have worked things out sooner so we could have seen more of their adult love! Will definitely be recommending this to everyone!

Christmas at the Ranch was a very cute christmas read. It’s in a small town where the two characters reunite and get a second chance. Tate and Emory are great and I really wanted to see more of their relationship together. Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

While the beginning was a bit too slow for me, I ended up really enjoying Christmas at the Ranch. I’ve never read from this author before but I definitely will be adding her books to my tbr!

Christmas at the Ranch is a great romance read! It gave me all the holiday hallmark movie vibes that I love! It is emotional and uplifting. It has all the small town Ranch vibes in it as well. The story was just as beautiful as the book cover! It is all about a second chance at romance! A girl named Emory leaves her family in Toronto and goes back to Evergreen Lake city. Emory unexpectedly sees a familiar face, a guy named Tate she fell for years ago. While this book starts off slow, it begins to unravel and turns into a great story. This story is all about love, hope, Christmas magic and promises! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a heartfelt, emotional, Christmas romance! I give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Julia McKay and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is expected to be published on September 23, 2025!

ARC REVIEW
3.25⭐️

This book started off very slow for me but once it started going I got more invested in it. I really wish we got to see more of Tate and Emory together I feel like there wasn’t that many moments of them being together and figuring out their past issues. I did enjoy the angsty moments though of not knowing if he’s moved on and over her I was invested in that!! Overall a cute little book very much gave hallmark vibes which is fun!!

Running from her family’s downfall in Toronto, Emory finds herself in Evergreen for the first time in 10 years. She unexpectedly runs into Tate Wilder while staying in his supposedly vacated cabin. Seeing him brings back feelings of her first love and heartbreak. She can’t get away from him fast enough. Despite her best efforts to get home, the world has different plans. She finds herself falling back into the routine of being in Evergreen. But she has a life back in Toronto and Tate has a beautiful blonde girlfriend…

Some books you read and others you experience. This one was the latter. The writing was engaging and story was heartfelt and addicting. I absolutely could not put this down. Reading it felt like a comforting hug with all the best tropes. Second chance romance, small town, trapped in the snow. One of my favorite reads this year. I know this book is going to be popular!

Second chance romance
Snowed in
Small town

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute Christmas romance that revolves around Everly and Tate. This is an hallmark style book that gives love a second chance after escaping a scandal and running back to a place she spent as a teenager, where she sees Tate again. Short and sweet story that will put you in the Christmas mood. 🎄

Thank you NetGalley for this e-arc. this was such a cute read. I would definitely read more from this author

I am such a softy for a christmas romance. Please hallmark, make this a movie! I would also really like to visit evergreen lake and find myself a Tate to cozy up with. So sweet and steamy!